Chapter One

There is a land not so very far away. It is filled with anger, distrust and violence. The people, the Fregans, a once noble and fair race has all but vanished - replaced by greedy descendants of that fine race. Were it not for this fact, I'd say we kill them all. But as it stands, out of respect for the families I once knew, I cannot kill those who are from lines that I once had connections to. They have lost all of their honour and now fight for obtuse reasons beyond imagination. I am of the Aeteritians. A people who are reborn with our past memories alive within our minds for eternity, thus I have lived many lives, all of which have taught me something new – often of great importance. But there was on one occasion an unexplainable enigma to catch my attention. A lady of great beauty.
It was she who came from that distant land. Wary of me from the beginning, she did not trust me until we were wed and I had thoroughly professed my love for her - and it was only then that she did relent to give voice to her true thoughts.
For years we lived in happiness in that dangerous land. Always was there love, but there were no children, much to the chagrin of my wife and me. There was nothing more than we wanted. Then, five years after our marriage. Rhea was blessed with being pregnant. Finally we were going to have a child.
Like I said before, however, the land we lived in was a dangerous one and it took what it wanted from whomever. What it took this time was my life; stabbed in the back for naught but a few coins that were hidden in the cupboard. It was with my dying breath that I sent Rhea to a distant land where magic still existed. To a place where many peoples lived in harmony and peace – it was the only place in all the worlds that I'd found to be of such. I sent her and our unborn child to Hyrule.
I, Pelius, would come back reborn. I would see my child.

Twenty years later

He would be described as a foreigner to many; he has no apparent home. His accent strange, his features even more so – exotic one may say. But it is not his looks that make stand out the way he does. No, rather his aura. Confidence radiates from him. He is afraid of nothing.
Pelius watched the young man look over the finely crafted weapons sitting on the table. Fingering the edges of blades and checking for the balance of each, the young man could certainly be assumed to be a master of the killing arts.
Smiling, Pelius grabbed hold of his pint of beer and swaggered over to the weapons shack. He'd been reborn and life had been difficult. As soon as his age had not prevented him to move on, he'd left his home in search of his previous life's child. Hyrule had revealed nothing, his wife seemed to have never made it – there was no sign of her. Pelius needed aid to search the lands for his child. It would be strange, they would be nearly the same age.
"Are your skills for sale?"
The young man looked up and placed the weapon he'd been holding gently back on the table. "I work for none other than myself."
Pelius frowned, "Pity. A man of such obvious talent should have someone to fight for."
The young man burst into laughter, "A man of my talent? You've never seen me fight and we've never met before this time."
Sipping on his ale, Pelius chuckled but shook his head nonetheless, "I would be in disagreement still. You have an eye for a well made weapon." Nodding towards the sword the man had just been holding, Pelius picked it up, "This blade here has good balance and weight. See how finely it has been wrought? And surely the blade itself has been hammered and folded twenty times."
The young man bowed his head in agreement. "Your skill must be worthy as well."
Smirking, Pelius replied, "I am well known for my sword arm."
"As am I."
Raising a brow, Pelius challenged, "Perhaps we can test these weapons out…as well as our skill against one another."
Interest flashed in the young man's eyes and he matched Pelius's grin with one of his own. "An excellent thought. Latro!"
A muscular man stepped from the back of the shop. From the size of his arms and chest, Pelius assumed him to be the blacksmith. A black leather apron was tied around his waist and a heavy hammer in one hand.
"Yes Master Link?"
"Two swords for us to practice with."
Latro reached under the table and withdrew two battered but well made swords. Pulling them out their sheaths he handed them over to the two young men. "This isn't over that young lady is it Link?"
Link again that hearty laugh, "No. I've but known this man for ten minutes and already I've issued a challenge to try him out."
Latro eyed Pelius and smiled, "This will be one contest I won't miss – you look well matched."
Grinning, Link pulled off his hat and pushed back his shaggy hair revealing his pointy ears. A whisper of something ran down Pelius's back, but he quickly dismissed the odd feeling, well aware that many people had ears of such.
"Wait, you'll be wearing these before there is any hacking to be done." Latro tossed two hardened leather armor chest plates. "And these." More equipment came flying at the two men.
Link rolled his eyes and resignedly put on the cumbersome armor.
Pelius watched Link with an experienced eye. He was muscular and lithe, this would prove to be a very interesting match indeed. He was looking forward to it. Apparently so was a large of spectators.
Entering the roped off area, Pelius watched as Link performed for the watching crowd. Swinging his sword in great arcs and rotations, he posed as a threatening figure – smiling to himself, Pelius thought, 'We'll just see how threatening…'
Latro's booming voice thundering over the head of the crowd, "A test of skill between these two – any wagers will be made now before they begin!" Mounting cheers rose to above the rooftops of the surrounding buildings.
Pelius felt aghast and he rushed forward to pull on Latro's arm for the hulking man's attention, "I do not fight for others to bet on. I merely wanted to test my skill against another."
Link stepped over, his fair good looks had surely brought out all the ladies around watching, there couldn't be any other reason for their presence. Narrowing his eyes, Link questioned, "Are you backing out? Are you, perhaps, afraid?"
The first thing that must be known about Pelius, is that he has never backed away from a fight. "Of course not. I never finished what I was saying. I was going to add that we should make our own wagers before they make theirs."
A skeptical brow rose, "You have nothing that I want."
"But you have something that I want." In answer to Link's questioning gaze, he continued, "I am searching for someone. I would have your help if I beat you."
Pity was clearly written on Link's face. "This someone, if you are searching for them in this land, will most likely be gone. For those who disappear rarely ever show up again, but you have yourself a bet." Holding out his hand, Pelius accepted it and shook it. Then backing away from one another, they dropped into a stance that would only be familiar to a swords master. Latro gasped – they were indeed well matched.
Bowing respectfully, they began circling one another, eyeing one another for a mistake in footing. It was a beautiful yet deadly dance. A parry, a strike, a block – feigning a swing at the head, Pelius pulled back and twirled around making a strike for the legs. Link saw through it and immediately blocked it, coming back with a series of quick hits at various angles.
Stumbling back Pelius effectively blocked all but the last and it bit into his shoulder painfully. Grimacing at the pain, Pelius rubbed the spot – his hand came away bloody.
"Oh three Goddess' above! Do you want to stop?" The concern was genuine.
Pelius rotated his shoulder, "Let's see how much farther I can go – but I'll give you this, I've never been struck. My sword arm nonetheless." Pelius flipped his blade to his left hand. At Link's surprised look, Pelius smirked, "I've trained both sides."
"As have I."
"Excellent."
And so it was. Latro, nor any of the onlookers had ever seen such skill. The fight lasted a good half hour before Pelius's wound began taking effect. The loss of blood was beginning to go to his head, Link took notice straight away. "You're weakening."
Shaking his head dazedly, Pelius swung his sword again, "Nonsense – you're just looking for an excuse to stop."
Link's face turned fierce, "Don't be an idiot."
"I'm not."
"Then quit acting the part."
Pelius again struck wildly. Maybe he was weakening, his vision certainly wasn't as clear as it should be. He snorted, his life's memories covered centuries, surely he should be able to beat this young man. Not only that – why on earth was he acting so childishly?
"Forfeit."
"No."
Link dropped his sword just as Pelius swung his own. Ducking beneath the arc of death, he kicked out Pelius's legs, knocking him to the ground. Then grabbing hold of his left wrist he twisted it till Pelius dropped his weapon.
Gasping for breath, Pelius sagged to the ground, "You were playing with me the whole time?"
Link looked down into this stranger's face and nodded.
Pelius's grin grew, "Good. Next time I won't have to hold back." Then he promptly slumped over in a dead faint.
Pelius groaned, rolled over and promptly gagged – relieving himself of the contents of his stomach. He was lying on a pallet placed in some dim room. Allowing his eyes to adjust to the lighting, Pelius glanced warily around him. His surroundings were strange – he'd never been here before.

"Ah, good. You're awake."
Pelius just groaned, despite his centuries of living under his belt, his young mind of this body still was shocked at the fact that he'd been beaten. "I can't believe you beat me."
Link permitted a small grin to cross his face. "I've lost to no one."
"Of course. Let me introduce myself. I'm Pelius."
"Link."
Chuckling slowly, Pelius sighed, "Since I lost – is there anything you'd like of me?"
Shrugging, Link sat down on a wicker chair, "There is something."