Authoress' Note: Ah, hey everybody. It's been like what, two years since I updated this fic? Well, now I know more story writing techniques, and I found an online copy of this comic so I think I'll start it up again. So . . . enjoy!

Chapter 3: The Book of Mudora

Charged with heroic energy upon obtaining the Pendant of Courage, the young warrior Link defeated one of Agahnim's mystical knights with a single sword blow. According to the wise man, Sarashala, Link must find two more of the legendary Pendants of Virtue before he can claim the mighty Master Sword that he needs to destroy Agahnim. While Link searches desperately for the pendants, Princess Zelda awaits her fate deep in Agahnim's dungeons. . .

Hyrule Castle was once a nice place, but when Agahnim took over, it had become a place of fear and foreboding. In the tallest tower, Agahnim himself listened to a report from the knights that had failed to capture Link.

"Do you mean to tell me that the boy has the pendant of courage? And that you weaklings came here without stopping him!" he exclaimed, his voice shaking the walls. The knights only nodded silently, fearfully awaiting their master's punishment. Aghanim turned to face a window, his evil eyes scanning the landscape below.

"I have tried to be merciful to the people of this kingdom," he said, "But those in the knights line . . . they must be terminated!"

He turned around to face the trembling knights "I thought that old fool I killed was the last one . . . but that boy may also be of their bloodline! I want you to find him," he shouted, "and leave no stone unturned! And don't come back until you see him breathe his last breath! Is that understood!"

"Yes master!" exclaimed the knight, grateful that they had been spared for the moment.

As they hurried out of the room, Aghanim muttered, "It makes no difference . . . when the moon is full, this world and everything in it shall be ours when I cast the final incantation on Princess Zelda . . ." He smirked. "The prophecy of the legendary hero is nothing but a folktale . . ."

In the dark dungeons, the Princess sat awaiting her fate and hoping for Link's safety . . .

Meanwhile, Link was traveling to Kakariko Village in order to get the location of the next two pendants, when he spotted a plume of dark smoke rising into the sky. Link hurried into town as people rushed past him.

"The House of Books is ablaze!"

"The soldiers must have laid torch to it!"

Link watched as people threw buckets of water onto the inferno. Just then, he felt someone pulling his sleeve. Looking down, he saw the boy from before trying to get his attention.

"Hey aren't you. . . "

You gotta help!" the boy shouted. "The Librarian's trapped inside the fire!"

"WHAT?"

Without hesitation, Link grabbed a bucket of water, poured it over himself, cast it aside (though it ended up on the boy's head) and ran into the burning building.

"Hey! Who turned out the lights?" The boy toppled over and fell into the bucket. Peering over the edge, he muttered, "I sure hope he know what he's doing!"

After a few tense moments, Link emerged from the inferno, carrying a middle-aged man with him. He smiled and then fell over

Later, everyone was gathered in the Librarian's house.

"But why would they set fire to our library?" he asked.

"Perhaps their target was the Book of Mudora," the old woman suggested.

"What is it?" Link asked curiously.

The Librarian dug out an old, slightly singed book from under his robes.

"This is the Book of Mudora," he said, "We were able to save it from the fire. It is the key to the ancient Hylian language. According to this, the hero will stand in the desert with this book. . ."

"Let me see that!" Link shouted, grabbing the book from the Librarian's hands. His blue eyes skimmed over the pages. "After Sahasrahla gave me the Pendant of Courage," he said, never taking his eyes off the book, "he told me the Pendant of Power was in a desert ruin!"

"Sahasrahla must have confidence to send a boy like you on a mission such as this," the old woman said calmly.

"That must be why the soldiers burned down the library! They were afraid you'd fulfill the prophecy of the legendary hero!" the Librarian added. "Then that makes you . . . the Legendary Hero!" He smiled. "This is a very fortunate turn of events. I will leave the Book in your capable hands!"

"I should warn you that traveling through the desert is no easy task," the old woman added sternly. "The strong winds and shifting sands have buried many a traveler!"

"Hey!" exclaimed the boy. "I just remembered something!" he ran over to a drawer and opened it to pull out something big and white. "Sahasrahla showed it to me," he said. "It's a bird you can ride on!" Link raised an eyebrow.

"A bird that could carry people?" he asked confused.

The Librarian nodded. "It was no ordinary bird! Knights used it in their campaigns to protect the kingdom! They say that the wings belonging to this bird were used to carry knights into battle, and that Hylian sages wove its feathers into those miracle wings! It will surely make your travels to the desert much easier."

Much later, Link was flying over the desert with the help of the wings that worked very much like a glider.

"Ok, where to?" he asked himself. "All I see is sand!"

Suddenly, he spotted a huge shape moving towards him at a very fast pace.

"Uh-oh!"

The huge twister sped towards him, as if trying to stop his adventure.

"Wings don't fail me now!" Link shouted, trying to get away. But it was no use. The twister surrounded him and deposited him on top of a huge stone pillar.

This must be the ruins!" he exclaimed, examining the words craved into the top of the pillar. "And this is ancient Hylian script . . . maybe I really am the legendary hero!"

All of the sudden, the book jumped from his hand like it had a mind of its own, and a beam of light shone from its pages onto the script on top of the pillar, which began to sink into the ground. Out of the sands rose a huge statue of a scorpion. And hanging from the tips of its stinger was . . .

"The Pendant of Power!" Link exclaimed. He jumped off the pillar and ran towards it, but before he could get there, his feet sank into the ground. "HELP!" But there was no one there to save Link as his head disappeared underneath the sands . . .

Suddenly, Link submerged from the sandy depths, and he quickly realized why. He was sitting on the head of a monstrous one-eyed purple centipede that seemed very annoyed to have someone on its head. Link tried to slash at it, but the creature's skin was like armor. With one shake of its head, Link was thrown off its head and onto the tail of the statue. He took this moment to grab the Pendant hanging there and held it up in front of the monster's face.

"Okay," he whispered, "No more Mr. Nice Guy . . ."

To be continued . . .