"TALIM! Get up! Unless you want your uncle to eat all your breakfast!"
Talim rose, put on her clothes, and wiped out all the sand from her eyes as she stared out of her window to the gorgeous sunlight. She stared into the mirror, gazing at herself, fixing up her hair and smoothed out her clothes. Finally content with her look, she strolled to the door. Not remembering the event from a night before, she made her way down to the kitchen.
"What a beautiful day," Talim told herself.
The village of Wind Deity was a quiet, tranquil and serene place. Although small, numerous huts were lined up on either side of the village. Grassy plains reached from the village to as far as the eye could see. A watering hole was situated behind the huts, and the main square, which was where social activities were held, was packed with villagers. To the east of the village were the trees of the Gomezian Forest, and to the west was a mystery. Talim had never gone more than a tiptoe out of the designated boundaries of the village all her life, and she wasn't alone. Only a few may venture away from the village; those with the right skill and knowledge, for people of the village had no idea of the dangers and hazards that resided in the unmarked land.
She ate her food sporting a big smile on her face – for some reason, she was unusually happy today.
"Talim," chuckled her uncle, "why the big grin? Anyway, eat quickly; your training will start soon. You'll need that smile to get through the sunny day."
Talim's happiness soon faded. Ever since she became of age, Talim faced brutal training hours each and every day with the exception of Sunday, because of her destiny of Shaman. She hated training and often feigned ill to get out of it.
She enjoyed spending time with her uncle; he constantly presented lighthearted attitude, spending his days relaxed and carefree. Talim admired him, and at many times envied him as well, praying to the winds every night to have his lifestyle. Her father, on the other hand, had a strained relationship with Talim. Though they both loved each other very much, Talim had always been forced to train countless hours through the week, he and constantly put pressure on his daughter as the next Wind Shaman.
Through the village she went, finally reaching the grassy training grounds where her father awaited. He stood on a hill, looking very sulky with his arms folded.
"Talim! You are late. If you expect to be the next Shaman, you have to take responsibility for your actions!" shouted Talim's father. "Take a lap around the forest. And don't ever be late again!"
This was almost a daily speech to Talim. Every time she heard it, she merely looked at the ground and kept her anger within herself, knowing that if she cracked she'd be running ten laps.
"Wait!" cried her father as Talim began her lap. "Take these weights with you."
"But father!" pleaded Talim. The weights in her village were a form of punishment to the people. The weights were shaped just like Talim's blades, except made of stone and exceptionally heavy. If someone had disobeyed an order, they'd often be forced to stand up for long periods of time holding the weights.
"No buts, young lady! Take your weights and give me two laps!"
"But you said-"
"I said no buts!"
She began her run but out of revolt she began saunter once she was out of her father's sights. Talim took her time, knowing that the longer the two laps take, the less training she would be faced with.
As Talim neared the end of her first lap, she realized something was strange. Her father no longer stood at the fields, which is what he usually does when he awaits Talim's return. Had he gone looking for her because of how long her lap took? Tons of questions piled up in Talim's brain, and ignoring her second lap she sprinted toward the village.
Now she began to notice something very peculiar. The quietness had burned Talim's ears more than a raging drum, and quickly noticed that each home had been abandoned. All that remained were the village animals. The answer to her first question came at a cost of a million other questions that plagued Talim.
Where has everybody gone?
How long was I in the forest?
Where do I go from here?
Guided by the wind, Talim dashed to the west side of the village, only to be traumatized in horror. She witnessed her father, mother, uncle, and all her friends bounded with ropes around their arms and ankles, arms above their heads pleading for mercy. In front of it all was a human figure, midnight black skin and red hair. He wore a cape and was armed with what appeared to be steel armor, along with grey sleeves and solid shoes. The mysterious man was very bulky and tall, and had a giant sword to his side. He had a menacing look, and was accompanied by dozens of his minions.
As Talim inched closer and more concealed from the man, she realized a peculiar mark on the back of his head. Three triangles formed to make a larger triangle in a golden mark rested on the back of his head.
"Please, spare our lives and our village!" cried out one of the villagers.
"Silence!" barked the mysterious man, in his low, malicious voice, "Nobody will be spared until somebody tells me where the Wind Shaman is!"
They want me?
Talim was taken aback in horror.
What could she do? If she attempted a daring rescue, she'd be easily slaughtered at the hands of these men. If she ran away, however, all her friends and families would be sacrificed.
"Fools!" yelled the man, after a long silence, "Very well, you will all perish. General, load these people and take them back to the castle."
"Yes, Master Ganondorf!"
Ganondorf. Talim cursed him under her breath.
"I'm giving you bastards one last chance for your life. Where is the Wind Shaman?" Ganondorf screamed, his arms outstretched.
"I'm right here," Talim responded, stepping out of the shadows.
The captives gasped.
"Talim, you fool!" screamed what seemed to be her father, "Now you're going to d-" he was cut off as Ganondorf's minions swung at him, knocking him out cold.
"Father!" cried Talim, tears now escaping her eyes.
"Haha, your father was right, Shaman. You are a fool." He lunged at her with his sword, just narrowly missing. Talim was able jump back, now drawing outher blades.
She could hear the crowd mumbling – She's going to fight?
Talim was ready. Her heart beated at the pace of rampaging bull. Without another thought, Talim jumped in the air, aiming her blades at his skull. Ganondorf easily countered by knocking her blades thirty feet back with his sword, and made his way to the dazed Wind Shaman, who had laid sprawled on the ground in obvious pain. She held her exposed stomach to stop the bleeding, but that was the least of her worries as Ganondorf approached the wounded warrior.
"If this is the best of what the Wind Shaman can offer, then the world will be mine in no time," Ganondorf exclaimed as he marched toward Talim.
As Talim grimaced in pain on the ground, she looked up to the winds and prayed. She prayed for anything that would save her and her family.
Talim's first sight upon opening her eyes was her mother, crying harder than she had ever in her life.
You'll be alright, Mom, Talim thought, I promise.The sight of her mother's tears gave Talim the energy to bounce back up, and run. She ran farther and faster than she ever had, and ran until she finally realized that she no longer was home anymore.