"It was terrifying."

"Shut up."

"The gargantuan monster, crushing me beneath its claws."

"Shut up."

"It was going to burn me alive."

"By the gods, please shut up."

Link had no idea where he was in relation to where he had entered the mine, nor did he see anything that would direct him toward an exit. So, his only option was to journey blindly through the tunnels and hope he didn't run into any more monsters along the way. His only 'companion' at the moment was the annoying, quixotic knight who had gotten him into this mess in the first place, and he would not shut up about their recent encounter with the dragon.

"I've never had a near-death experience like that before," Dayto said, presumably speaking to himself since he didn't seem to care what Link had to say.

"You should try it more often. Maybe someday you'll be able to lop off that 'near-' part." Link stopped as they came to another fork in the tunnels. He held his torch out in one direction, then the other, trying to see further down the path. Neither looked any different from the dozens of tunnels they'd been down so far. He sighed. "When I get out of here, I'm never going below ground again."

"Me neither," Dayto said. "Wait. We're adventurers. We have to go below ground all the time. What are we going to do?"

"Well, I could always go back to blacksmithing, and you could go back to doing what you love - getting stabbed." Link chose the left tunnel and began walking again.

"Why aren't you more afraid?" Dayto asked after following Link in silence for a few minutes.

"Never been that afraid of the dark, I guess. Plus I got a torch."

"I was speaking of the dragon."

"The dragon can't fit in these tunnels."

"We almost died!" Dayto complained. "Give us a moment, for pity's sake."

Link stopped to turn in place, moving his torch so he could see Dayto clearly. "Hey, listen. I was fuckin' scared back there, too, okay? I almost died just as much as you did. It sure would be nice to sit down and have a breather, but I've got other things to do today. My sister's still out there somewhere, and I need to get back to her."

Dayto looked upset, and he was still trembling with fear. However, he took a deep breath and steadied himself. "Very well," he said. "I will help you save your sister."

"I'm just finding her at the moment," Link reminded him, continuing down the tunnel. "But, sure. If she needs saving when we find her, have at it. Hylia knows I'm over my quota for saving people today."

"I must say, my friend, you are paradoxically both the best and the worst hero I've ever met," Dayto stated, clearly perplexed at being constantly dismissed and insulted by the man who had already saved his life several times that day.

Link let out a chuckle. "You know what, I like it. Maybe Linkle will put that on my tombstone when she inevitably gets me killed in some horrible fashion."

"Oh, my." Dayto did not seem amused by the idea, but he didn't say anything else about it. After a moment, he gasped, as if he had just remembered something. "Wait a minute. You know the real Hero!"

Link sighed, nearly burning himself as he wiped his forehead with the arm that held the torch. "No, I don't know the damn Hero."

"But you told the dragon you did," Dayto pointed out. "I heard you talking about him."

"I made all that shit up," Link told him, amazed but not surprised to hear the knight had been stupid enough to believe him. "The dragon asked me about him, so I just said whatever I thought would stall him long enough to keep me alive."

"So you don't know what that bow is for?"

Link shook his head. "Sounds like the dragon is after some collection of relics or something. That bow belonged to some Kokiri kid who helped the Gorons slay a bunch of Dodongos back in the day, and the Hero of Twilight used it for a while, but I don't know why the hell that makes it so special."

"Perhaps the bow is enchanted in such a way that makes it deadly to monsters," Dayto suggested.

"A bow's already deadly to monsters if you shoot 'em in the right place," Link pointed out. "Like the eye. Always go for the eye. That's what my sister says."

"True," Dayto conceded. "But what else could it be?"

"Don't care," Link said plainly. "I didn't get this far in life by sticking my nose where it doesn't belong. I was hired to slay a dragon, I failed, end of story. I'm not getting paid to figure out the dragon's motives."

"I see." The other adventurer was clearly not impressed with Link's attitude yet again. "Well… I suppose there is some merit to keeping such a professional attitude toward one's own craft…"

Link thought about whether or not he could describe his work ethic as professional. Perhaps he'd held his work as a blacksmith to a certain standard, but as an adventurer?

"We have not failed yet, though," Dayto said.

"What?" Link asked.

"The dragon still lives. We can still slay it."

Link rolled his eyes, not wanting to bother explaining to the idiot the importance of self-preservation. Luckily, he didn't need to say anything. As they rounded a corner, something important came into view. "Light!" Link shouted, seeing an unmistakable beam of sunlight streaming into the tunnel at the other end. "An exit. Thank the gods." He took off running, with Dayto following behind him.

When he got outside, Link had never been happier to see the sun. Or rather, as much of the sun as he could see through the constant ash clouds billowing from the lake of fire beneath him. He took a moment to assess his surroundings. They were on one of the rocky islands. He could see the largest island to the east and the shore past another island to the south. "Oh, great," he said. "We're on the farthest one."

"At least we made it out safely," Dayto said optimistically. "So, what do we do now?"

"I still have to find my sister," Link reminded him. "You can do whatever the hell you want now, but that's what I'm gonna do."

"I shall stay with you," the other Hylian stated. "I promised I would help you find her as thanks for saving me," he reminded Link.

"Oh. Right. Dammit." Link looked around for a pathway that would lead to higher ground. If Linkle had left the mines, perhaps he would be able to spot her from somewhere up high. "There." Link pointed to a rocky incline that didn't look too steep to climb. "Let's get to the top and see if we can spot her."

From the highest point of the rocky cliff, Link could see a good deal of the other islands, as well as the shore of the lava lake. From the looks of it, things had died down considerably while they'd been wandering through the mines and dealing with the dragon. Other than dead ones, there weren't any Lizalfos in sight, and the cannons on the shore were not firing anymore. Gorons were setting up blockades and standing guard at key points, while adventurers assisted them or tended to their wounded.

"Do you see her?" Link asked, scanning for familiar faces.

"I'm afraid not," Dayto said, shaking his head.

"Hmm. They're probably still underground. Or maybe on the other side," Link said, pointing to the larger island to the east which was obscuring their view. "Let's head back to the first tunnel I went in with them. Maybe we can retrace our steps."

"That sounds like a splendid-" Dayto was cut off by a loud noise. At first, Link thought a volcano was erupting. Looking to the north, there was another group of rocky islands at the other end of Darunia Lake. A fissure of fire was sprouting from it, like a flaming pillar extending high into the air. Then, there was another loud noise as something large burst through the ground, sending rocks flying in all directions. In the midst of the fire, smoke, and destruction, a dragon emerged.

Link looked on in terror. Dayto fell to the ground, shaking. "By the gods," Link muttered in amazement.

Did it decide to follow us?

"Dragon!" Several voices began crying out.

"Dragon! To the north!"

"It's here!"

"It approaches!"

"Man the cannons!"

All at once, the Gorons and the adventurers who'd been standing by began scrambling back to their battlestations, although Link had no idea what any of them aside from the cannoneers could possibly do. Link grabbed Dayto and attempted to pull him to his feet, knowing they had to get back below ground before the dragon reached their side of the fire lake.

"No. No. It's back. It's back!" The look in Dayto's eyes was distant, as if he were having flashbacks to earlier when he was being crushed beneath the monster's claw.

"Move, you damned fool!" Link yelled, forcing him to stand up. "We have to go. Now!" When he finally managed to get Dayto to stand up, it was not for long. In their haste, they both stumbled and fell once they reached the cliffside. They tumbled downwards, landing in a heap at the bottom. Link was quick to stand back up, aching from the injuries he'd sustained.

However, his haste had not been necessary after all. The dragon had not spotted them, or if he had, he wasn't specifically targeting them. Instead, he glided over the large island in the middle. As he did, he unleashed a terrible roar, accompanied by a fierce stream of fire spewing from his mouth. The area it covered was so much larger than Link had expected, and it left a trail of still-burning flame in its wake. Those who were enveloped in the flames directly seemed to be instantly incinerated, while those on the fringes of the fire screamed in agony as they desperately tried to put themselves out or run for help. Even the Gorons, who Link had thought impervious to fire, were decimated by Volder's flame.

While he had initially wanted to dive back into the tunnel for cover, Link instead watched in horrified awe as the dragon torched everything in his path on the way to the shore.

Hylia, please let Linkle be underground right now…

As Volder flew by, the cannons fired at him. By tilting his wings, the dragon managed to dodge some of them, but once he was too close, one of the cannons hit him directly. The bomb exploded against the dragon's chest, and he let out a pained roar. His flight path curved to the right and he glided down behind the cliffs, out of view. Across the islands, some people began to cheer victoriously, while many others looked around cautiously in confusion.

Dayto climbed to his feet and stood next to Link. "Did… Did they just kill it?"

Link stared at the spot where the dragon had disappeared, waiting for him to come back up. "Doubtful. It's a dragon."

"But the Gorons hit it with a canon."

"If it were that easy, they wouldn't have hired all these adventurers," Link pointed out, gesturing to the many parties still visible from where they were standing.

Sure enough, the distant call of the dragon was soon heard echoing from beyond the cliffs. Link reflexively crouched down, even though he was quite far from where the dragon must have been. The Gorons along the shore all aimed their cannons at the cliffside where Volder had vanished, readying themselves for a second volley.

However, minutes later, while all the cannons were facing west, Volder emerged from above them, coming down over the cliffs to the south. With another intimidating roar, he began spewing fire once again, quickly engulfing the cannons one by one in his cone of flame.

"Fuck this," Link said aloud, running for the nearest bridge to the east. Crossing over to the main island in the center, he planned to find another bridge over to the tunnel entrance where Linkle might be.

"Wait!"

As he ran, Link looked over his shoulder to find Dayto rushing after him. "This way," Link directed him, pointing in to the east.

"No!" Dayto shouted. Stopping where he was, he pointed to the shore where deathly black smoke was now billowing out into the sky. "We have to help them." His earlier cowardice seemed to have retreated, but from the terrified look in his eye, it was clearly still there.

Link looked down at the strip of black, scorched earth that lay between them. Entire skeletons and the meager remains of the weapons they'd carried were scattered about. Back on the shore, things did not look much better. "Fucking how?" Link asked. "They're dead. I'm not. Let's keep it that way."

"But look." Dayto was pointing down at the lower level of the island. Over the edge of the cliff, Link could see wounded and heavily burnt Hylians and Gorons crawling around, moaning in pain. None of them could fight the dragon, and neither could he. But, at the very least, perhaps he'd be able to carry some of them out of the warzone into the relative safety of the mines. Link hesitated for a moment as he considered it. Linkle was still out there somewhere, and he had to make sure she was alright.

But then again, she'd kill me if I left these people like this, right?

Sighing heavily and stomping his foot in frustration, Link relented. "Fine," he said. "Come with me."

The two adventurers spent the next several minutes helping their fellow Hylians. Whenever the dragon was not flying overhead, they helped drag the wounded out of harm's way. The injured Gorons were all much too heavy for them to lift, so they left them to the other Gorons.

As they worked, the dragon made another pass heading north, torching the islands on the east side. He then looped back around, carving another flaming swath through the islands to the west. However, by the time the dragon was finished, every able-bodied Goron or adventurer had taken shelter within one of the various mine shaft entrances, so the casualties were not nearly as severe as they'd been in the dragon's first attack.

Having finished incinerating the chain of rocky islands, Dragonlord Volder perched himself on top of the cliffs to the south, overlooking the entire battlefield. From within the safety of the cave, Link peeked outside to see what he was doing. At first, Volder appeared to be simply admiring the destruction. But, as his gaze passed where Link was hiding, Link reflexively ducked his head back down, realizing at the last second that the dragon was scanning the area, possibly for him and Dayto.

After a minute, Volder let out a long-winded roar, then began to speak. "Here me, Children of Nayru," he boomed, his voice echoing throughout the volcanic crater. "I know who sent you. I know why you are here. You have failed. The key leaves with me. Tell your master he is to surrender himself and the other keys. If he does not comply, the destruction of your homes and your people shall continue. Consider this a warning."

Keys? The bow is a key?

After delivering his address, Volder let out another terrible roar. He then flapped his wings, rose back into the air, and took off, flying to the west. He soon passed over the cliffs and disappeared out of sight once again.


"Is it gone?" Dayto whispered, shivering behind Link.

"I think so," Link replied, stepping out into the open. He waited there for a while, staring at the horizon, expecting Volder to return at any moment, but he did not. The dragon's parting words echoed in his head, and left him worried. If what Volder had said was true, then there would be more monster attacks, and the attacks would continue until the Hero gave them something. But Volder only thought the Hero had the keys he spoke of because Link had lied to him about it.

What if the Hero doesn't have them? What if there truly is no Hero in this era? Will the dragon and his lackeys continue to pillage and burn for no reason, all because of me?

The thought worried Link. He had enough to worry about without having to bear the guilt of being responsible for monster attacks, of all things.

"Hey, is that not your sister?" came Dayto's voice from behind him.

"What?" Link had been so deep in thought, he hadn't noticed Linkle running towards them. Trailing behind her were the four veteran adventurers they'd been traveling with as well as Dayto's companions, but he barely noticed them. "Elle!" he shouted. When she got closer, he held out his arms, expecting her to tackle him with a hug. However, she ran right past him, drawing her shortsword. "What?"

"Aghhh!" Dayto shouted as Linkle plunged her old sword into his shoulder. When she pulled the sword out, he fell to his knees, pressing his hand to his wound.

"You son of a bitch!" Linkle shouted down at him. "You could've gotten my brother killed!"

Link chuckled at the sight. "He got stabbed again," he said under his breath, amused by the situation.

"Bloody hell! What is it with you two and my shoulder?" Dayto complained, still writhing in pain.

"Fuck you." Linkle wiped the blood off her shortsword and sheathed it, then she finally turned to Link. "Brother!" she said with a relieved smile, as if spotting him for the first time. She then moved to embrace him.

"I'm so glad you're alright," Link said, returning the hug.

"You, too." Linkle let go of him and stepped back, then gestured to the others as they arrived. "Gaile and I found the others," she said proudly. "They were further down in the mines."

Link glanced at the others and noticed Fin's arm was in a makeshift sling. "What the hell happened to you?" he asked.

Fin shrugged with his good arm. "Well, you should see the other guy."

"He'll be fine," Breen said. "Gaile already healed him as much as she could." As Dayto's companions joined him and helped him to his feet, Breen tapped Gaile on the shoulder with her staff. "Sweetie, would you mind helping that strange man with his wounds as well?"

"Of course," the priestess replied, casting a cautious look at Linkle as she approached the man she had stabbed. Lighting up her staff, she began to heal him.

"So, what'd you two get up to while you were gone?" Breen asked Link.

"We found the dragon," Link replied.

"Yeah, we saw," Breen said, gesturing to the cliff where Volder had perched before.

"We arrived above ground just before the battle ended," Russ explained.

"Right, but I meant before that," Link clarified. "The idiot and I found the dragon's treasure hoard. He attacked us and we escaped back to the surface."

"You found its hoard?" Fin asked excitedly. "Well, did you get any of its treasure?"

Link reached into his pockets and felt the rupees he'd taken. "A bit, yeah."

"Keep it," Russ said, holding his arm in front of Fin who was no doubt about to ask for a share of it. "Since the dragon got away, I imagine our reward shall be significantly reduced."

"I can't believe you fought the dragon without me!" Linkle complained. "What was it like? Was it a lot bigger up close? Did it try to eat you? What were its weak spots? They always have a weak spot."

"Hey, hey, calm yourself," Link said, pushing her back to regain his personal space. "I didn't even really fight it. I just ran."

"Oh, damn." Linkle stomped her foot. Then she appeared as if a thought had struck her. "Oh! It talked!" she said. "What did it mean about the keys? And who is the master it was talking about? Did it mean the Kokiri girl who sent us?"

Kokiri.

It suddenly occurred to Link that both the person who had given them the quest and the person who had first owned the bow were both Kokiri. "The dragon had the Dodongo Buster's bow," Link said aloud. "That was his 'key.' I don't know what the others are supposed to be. Perhaps there is a connection between the Dodongo Buster and that other Kokiri who gave out the quest."

"The Kokiri!" Linkle said excitedly. "They live near where the Master Sword is kept. Did you meet them when you visited the sword?" she asked the adventurers.

Breen nodded her head. "Yeah. Real friendly folk. A bit odd, though."

Linkle turned back to her brother. "We should ask the Kokiri about it when we go to claim the Master Sword."

It took Link a moment to remember that he had promised their next journey would be down south to the Faron Province so she could try to pull the Master Sword from the stone. "I… suppose." He realized too late that he'd made the mistake of revealing too much information to his sister. Had he said nothing, perhaps this business of keys and Heroes could've been dropped.

Well, I doubt we'll run into the dragon again if we head south.

He doubted they'd find any information in Kokiri Forest either, but he didn't care. As long as they could remain safe, he'd be satisfied.

"How does it feel?" Gaile asked when she finished healing Dayto's arm.

The other adventurer moved his arm, rolling it at the shoulder experimentally. "I feel grand, my lady," he said. "You are as kind and talented as you are beautiful."

Link, Linkle, Breen, and Fin all rolled their eyes.

"I am happy to have helped," Gaile replied. She then turned to her companions. "There are many others who require aid," she said.

"We'll assist," Russ said, volunteering for everyone. The others nodded their heads in agreement.

"Very well," Link agreed, stifling a sigh. He was dead tired from everything that had occurred so far. All he wanted to do was find an inn back in Rudania and spend the night in a warm bed.

I hope Goron inns don't only offer slabs of stone to sleep on…


That night, Link joined his companions at a Goron tavern, along with dozens of other Hylian adventurers. Ostensibly, they were celebrating their victory at having defeated the Lizalfos horde and driving out their dragon master. However, to Link, it felt like a hollow victory. The dragon had easily beaten them all, and the only reason he'd spared any of them was probably because he didn't even see it as worth the effort to hunt the rest of them down after his first devastating attack.

Still, the survivors had all gotten paid handsomely. The quest to drive out the dragon had been completed, regardless of the fact that the dragon still drew breath, so all who were involved received a portion of the reward. Additionally, the quest to reclaim the stolen Goron treasures had been completed. The Gorons would probably be salvaging treasure from the abandoned mine for weeks, but it was back in their possession nonetheless, so all the adventurers received another sum of rupees on behalf of Darongo, Guardian of the Goron Treasure Hold.

Well, I've heard worse excuses to drink.

When they sat down at their table, they were almost immediately greeted by a Goron carrying a tray of mugs. However, they must've been mugs for Gorons, because they were the largest mugs Link had ever seen.

"Ah, now that's an ale," Fin said enthusiastically as the gigantic mug hit the table in front of him, letting out a thunk and splashing ale onto the table. Russ accepted his with a nod, scooting it closer to himself with both hands.

"Bloody hell," Breen said in amazement. "I'm supposed to drink all that?"

"You're celebrating, brother!" the Goron server said. "No need to limit yourself to just one."

"Oh, none for me, thank you," Gaile said, waving her hand to reject the mug the Goron was placing in front of her.

"Okay. Hot milk for you, then, brother." The Goron handed her a smaller mug with a different drink inside.

"Milk for her, too," Link interrupted as the Goron attempted to put an ale in front of Linkle.

"What? Fuck that!" Linkle complained. "I spilled blood today. Gimme a woman's drink!"

"Whatever you say, brother." The Goron gave both Link and Linkle an ale, then left their table, his footsteps shaking the ground enough to cause ripples in their drinks. Link sighed, and both Fin and Gaile laughed at the exchange.

Fin raised his mug, although he did so with no great ease. "To pay day!" he declared, making a toast.

Russ raised his next. "To victory."

Continuing around the table, Breen tried to raise hers and almost spilled it, but managed to join her companions' mugs above the table in the end. "To a job well done!"

Gaile raised her mug of milk, looking very out of place comparatively. "To Hylia's mercy."

Linkle barely waited for Gaile to finish speaking before she shoved her mug up into the air with the rest of them. "To another step in the Hero's journey!" She gave Link an expectant look until he rolled his eyes and reluctantly joined the toast.

"To getting out of there in one piece." He glanced at Fin's arm, still in a sling. "Mostly." The six of them clinked their mugs together and shouted "Aye!" to varying degrees of enthusiasm, spilling more than a little ale in the process. Then they all tilted their drinks back and began to gulp them down.

Link took a couple gulps, then placed his mug on the table in front of him. Everyone else soon did the same, with Fin letting out a satisfied "Ahh!" as he did. However, Linkle continued to chug hers, still holding it to her lips as she drank greedily.

"Will you please?" Link reached over and grabbed the drink from his sister, forcefully ripping it from her hands and slamming it onto the table. She looked like she was about to complain, but then she began to cough.

"E-Easy, easy…" Gaile tapped her on the back a few times with the palm of her hand.

Link sighed, thoroughly embarrassed. "Well, uh, so what are you four doing now that this quest is over?" he asked the group.

"We're heading back to Kakariko," Breen replied. "They had some good jobs available last time we were there. And even if those ones have expired, there's always good work in the big cities."

"We'll be heading back down the mountain with you, then," Linkle said, her voice a little hoarse from her coughing fit. "We gotta pick up our horse from the stables before we head down to Faron."

"You're going to try to pull the Master Sword from its stone?" Russ inquired.

"Yep!" Linkle replied proudly. "Link can try if he wants, but only I need to, because I know I'll be able to do it."

"Hm," Russ grunted. "Use caution. Lots of adventurers try it, but it's not as safe as it sounds."

Link furrowed his brow. "Why? Are there a lot of monsters in the area?"

"Well, yes. It's just past the Lost Woods, after all," Breen said. "So there're plenty of monsters, and you might, well, get lost."

"And turn into a Stalfos," Fin said cheerily, raising his glass.

"But that's not what Russ meant," Breen finished.

"Yeah. Remember what we told you on the way up the mountain?" Fin asked. "Don't touch the sword for too long. If you do, it'll start to suck the life force outta you, or something."

"Pull it only briefly. If it does not budge, you are not worthy, so let it go," Russ explained.

"Well I know I'm worthy," Linkle declared. As she spoke, she moved her arm to gesture to herself dramatically, but ended up bumping her hand against her mug. It nearly tipped over, but she caught it at the last second.

Fin laughed. "Better hope hand-eye coordination isn't a requirement for worthiness."

"Shut it." Linkle picked up her beverage and began to gulp it down once more.

Link was about to say something to her about it, but something caught his ear. He thought he heard someone say his name from across the room. Curious, he looked over his shoulder, scanning the other patrons of the tavern. It was full of Hylians he recognized from the day's raid on the Lizalfos-infested mine, but he hadn't interacted with many of them, much less given them his name. Finally, his eyes landed on Dayto.

Oh, fuck.

"Where are you going?" Breen asked as Link stood up.

"I might need to kill someone. Be right back." Link walked away to confused stares and laughter from his table.

After making his way through the crowd to the other side of the room, Link found Dayto sitting with his two companions as well as some other Hylians, including several women who appeared to be hanging on his every word. "So, then the dragon comes right at me, its armor like tenfold shields, its teeth swords, its claws-" Upon spotting Link, Dayto's face lit up. "Ah, speak of the devil! Here's the man of the hour now!" Several of his listeners seemed excited by this news.

I hate this guy.

"Dayto, what is going on here?" Link asked plainly, trying to keep his expression as neutral as possible.

"I was simply regaling our fellow adventurers here with the thrilling tale of how you and I faced down the terrible Dragonlord Volder on our own in the bowels of the abandoned north mine," he said proudly, no doubt loving the attention he was getting.

"What was the dragon like up close?" asked an eager adventurer who looked even younger than Link.

"Did you manage to harm it at all?" another more experienced-looking adventurer asked.

"How did you know it needed the bow?" asked a young girl holding a staff.

A woman who looked a little older than Link grabbed onto his arm, leaning into him. "Do you really know the Hero?" she asked, smiling at him expectantly.

"Yeah, who is he?"

"What's he like?"

"Tell us!"

Link could feel a pounding in his head. "Excuse me," he said, nudging the girl off of him and holding up his hands for silence. Then he cleared his throat. "I'm afraid you're mistaken. I don't know the Hero. Dayto, may I speak with you outside?"

Dayto looked nervous, but he smiled warily and stood from his chair. "Sure thing, old friend." Some of his listeners around the table groaned in disappointment. "Not to worry, not to worry. We shall return momentarily," he assured them.

Link walked straight out the door and into the hot Eldin night. There were some Gorons walking around the streets of Rudania, but none of them were close enough to eliminate the feeling of privacy. Dayto soon joined him, sighing as he stepped past the large Goron-sized door and let it swing shut behind him.

"Oh, what now? Are you going to stab me again?" Dayto asked in annoyance.

"Spoken like someone who hasn't been stabbed enough today."

Dayto looked frightened for a moment, then glared at Link. "Look, why don't you just tell me what you want, okay?"

Link furrowed his brow. "No. No, no, you don't get to take that tone with me, jackass," he said, poking the other adventurer in the chest. "Who said you could go around telling tales about me?"

"All I did was recount our experiences with some fellow adventurers over a round of drinks," Dayto argued. "It's not like I took credit for anything you did. You saw how they were in there - they love you. The ladies love you. Your heroic deeds are going to be known far and wide some day!"

"I'm not interested in being known." Link pressed his hand to his face and sighed. Had it been Linkle in this position, she would've been thrilled.

If only we'd switched places today.

"Look. This is a… temporary form of employment," Link explained, although what he said was rather hopeful on his part. "I am only traveling with my sister until she gets this whole 'adventuring' thing out of her system. If people think I'm some brave hero who fights dragons, they're gonna start expecting me to do things like that all the time. And if people think I have connections to the Hero, well, I imagine the people who want to find him will be hounding me nonstop for information I don't have."

And that's to say nothing of the monsters who are apparently looking for him…

Dayto looked confused, or maybe disappointed. "So… you really don't want to be a hero?"

Link shook his head.

"And… you don't want me to tell our story?"

"Tell it all you want. It's a boring story anyway," Link said. "Just leave me out of it." Having made his point, Link walked past Dayto and went back inside the tavern.

Upon reentering, he could see Dayto's audience on the far side of the room perk up at his reappearance. However, Link chose to ignore them and head back to his party's table.

"Hey, welcome back," Breen greeted him.

"Ya kill anyone?" Fin asked jokingly.

"No, but the night's not over yet," Link replied as he sat down. Grabbing his oversized mug, he lifted it to his lips and drank deeply, feeling like he needed it now.

"I never liked that Dayto guy," Linkle said, leaning over towards Link, her speech slightly slurred. "I knew the first time I saw him… He's… Something shiny… And like… You know?" As she spoke, she kept lowering her eyelids, then opening them wide, like she was fighting off sleep.

"Elle, what the fuck are you talking about?" Link asked. Reaching over, he put his hand on her mug and tilted it towards him. It was practically empty. "Oh, bloody hell…"

"Sorry, Link," Gaile said, giving him an apologetic grimace. "We tried to stop her…"

"I didn't," Fin spoke up. "I thought it was hilarious."

Link sighed, putting his hands on the table and pushing his chair back as he climbed to his feet again. "Alright, you little drunk. Time for bed."

"No!" Linkle argued, but all she did was slide her empty mug back and forth across the table.

"Turning in for the night?" Breen asked, sensibly nursing her drink instead of chugging it.

"Yep. We'll be up in our room," Link replied, placing a handful of rupees on the table. "See you all in the morning."

"Sleep well," Gaile said. The others wished them a good night as well.

Leaning over, Link scooped his sister out of her chair. "No," she protested again, but this time she said it half-heartedly, as if she'd been asked a casual question about something else. Carrying her in his arms, Link made his way to the staircase at the end of the room.

Luckily, despite being staffed by Gorons, the tavern they were staying in was intended for traveling Hylians, or any other races that weren't twelve feet tall. The double room Link had rented was furnished with two soft beds and a locking chest for their belongings. It didn't have much else, but the siblings had never needed much.

It's better than sleeping in the wilds.

"Oof!" Linkle grunted when Link dropped her onto her bed.

"How are you feeling?" Link asked, stepping over to the door and closing it shut.

Linkle giggled. "My big brother fought a dragon today."

"Sure he did," Link said sarcastically. Her calling him 'big brother' like that reminded him of when she was ten. Apparently the Goron ale was making her even more childish than usual. "Remind me to scold you tomorrow morning when you're sober enough to comprehend anything I say."

Linkle rolled over onto her side and put her head over the edge of the bed.

"Elle?" Suddenly serious, Link stepped closer to his sister. "Are you alright? You're not gonna vomit, are you?"

But Linkle wasn't getting sick. Instead, she looked up at him with a stupid drunken smile on her face. "Today was scary," she said, giggling a little.

"Yeah. You can say that again." Link pressed his hand to her face to push her back onto the bed. She rolled over without much effort.

"But I couldn't be happier," she said, throwing out her arms and legs in a celebratory manner. "This was an adventure. It's just what I wanted. Much better than piling up bales of hay my whole life."

Link tilted his head. "Fair point. But I suppose you haven't considered-"

"Thank you, big brother." Linkle's eyes were already closed, and she had a blissful smile on her face, as if she'd already fallen asleep and were pleasantly dreaming.

It took Link a moment to decide if he should say anything. She was about to pass out, and she probably wouldn't remember this conversation in the morning. "You're welcome, little sister," he decided to say aloud. He wasn't sure if she'd heard him since she didn't react, and pretty soon he could hear the gentle sounds of her breathing as she slept. Link chuckled and shook his head, then climbed into his own bed.

He couldn't get to sleep right away, however. Linkle's words had forced him to think about something. Earlier that night, he'd told Dayto this adventuring business was purely temporary. He'd been telling himself that since they left home. This had all just been to indulge his sister's wanderlust, which he was sure would wear off eventually, and then they could settle down somewhere and live in relative safety.

Maybe I was wrong.

This was the life Linkle had chosen. It made her happy. It made her feel fulfilled. And even after numerous brushes with death, her thirst for adventure was just as strong.

Laying his head on its side, Link looked over at his sister, sleeping soundly. He sighed, but at the same time, he smiled with an odd feeling of contentment.


The journey back down the mountain went a lot more smoothly than the journey up it. Link, Linkle, and the party they'd been traveling with ran into a few more monsters along the way, but they didn't get sidetracked into a Goron mine infested with them this time around. While it was faster going downhill, they still weren't quite able to make the whole trip in one day. However, with dozens of adventurers clearing the way, they were able to camp just off the road in relative safety. Other than that, their only major stop was on the second morning of their journey when they decided to take another dip in Gero Pond, the hot springs where the siblings had first met the party.

The six of them passed through the Maw of Death Mountain and entered New Kakariko feeling refreshed, or at least as refreshed as one could be after more than a day of hiking down a volcanic mountain trail. Link and Linkle accompanied the others to the city square where the public bulletin board could be found, listing all the odd jobs people like them would take.

"So, what's next for you guys?" Linkle asked as they stood in a circle by the board.

"Whatever piques our curiosity," Breen replied, scanning the posted notices. "I already see a few exotic monsters up for grabs."

"Long as they got hefty bounties," Fin joined in.

"What about you two?" Gaile asked in return. "Are you still planning to travel down south in hopes of retrieving the Master Sword?"

Linkle smiled proudly. "Of course! And when I'm declared the Hero, I hope you'll all join my party again."

"Your party?" Link said flatly. She responded by jabbing him in the side with her hand.

"Hm." Russ took a step forward and held out his hand. "Good luck to you both."

Link took the adventurer's hand and shook it. "Thank you. We appreciate all the help you've given us the past few days. It was nice to see how some real adventurers operate." Once he was finished saying his thanks, he elbowed his sister when she did not join in on her own.

"Oh! Yes. Much appreciated," she said hurriedly, reaching out to shake Breen's hand.

The siblings went down the line exchanging goodbyes and thank yous with each of the four adventurers. "May Hylia watch over you," were Gaile's parting words to them.

That would be nice.

With their party reduced to a mere duo once again, Link and Linkle set off for the stable where they'd left Arion. On the way there, they passed by something that caught Linkle's eye. "Hey, look," she said, pointing while she grabbed Link's arm to stop him in his tracks.

"Hm?" Link turned his head, but there was nothing there. All he saw was a patch of dirt that looked like a garden that hadn't started growing anything yet. "Where? What is it?"

"There, stupid!" Linkle pointed again. "Where's the well?"

"The w-?" Realization dawn on Link. Glancing around him to check his surroundings, he realized she was right. The undead-infested well they'd been sent to this city to clear out had completely vanished. It was as if they had filled it in and covered it with dirt, not to mention taking down the wooden fencing they had placed around it. Link narrowed his eyes.

Was the Sage of Shadow telling the truth? Did they identify the necromancer and apprehend them? But why close up the well? Was it irreversibly cursed? Or did they want to cover up something…?

"Guess they gave up on fighting the monsters in it, huh?" Linkle said, sounding disappointed. "Damn. And that was such a cool quest, too. I was hoping we'd be able to go down there again before we left Kakariko."

Link blinked, coming out of his thoughts. Suddenly, he was glad they'd filled in the well. "Yep. That's a shame. Oh well," he said, feigning disinterest. He resumed walking towards the stables, forcing Linkle to hurry after him.

On the way, Linkle drew her new Goron-made sword and began playfully swinging it about. "Would you be careful with that?" Link complained, walking sideways to distance himself from her.

"Relax. I'm a master," she said, striking a pose often seen in statues of the Hero of Twilight.

"Like hell you are. You've only had that sword for a couple days," Link pointed out.

"Well then, why don't you train me like you promised you would?" his sister asked, dramatically flourishing her sword before sheathing it.

"I will, I will. On our way to Faron."

When they reached the stables, Link did not see any of the ranch hands outside, so he decided to walk right in, expecting to find the owner or somebody they could give the rest of the payment to before taking Arion back.

"Link."

"Gah!" Link nearly fell backwards as he rounded the corner. Suddenly blocking his path was a woman in a dark violet cloak. Her hood was covering most of her face, but Link could see white Sheikah hair coming from under it.

"What is it?" Linkle shouted, immediately drawing her sword again. She stepped between her brother and the cloaked figure, getting into a battle stance. However, the cloaked Sheikah woman seemed unperturbed.

After a moment, Link narrowed his eyes, looking at the figure with recognition. "Oh. You're one of those shadow priestesses, yeah?"

The woman nodded.

"Well, for Din's sake, don't go sneakin' up on people like that."

Although maybe that's the point with these people…

"Elle, put your sword away."

"But…" She seemed reluctant, but probably out of disappointment rather than caution. "Fine."

Stepping in front of his sister, Link addressed the shadow priestess. "What do you want?" he asked.

"The Sage of Shadow requests your presence." she said.

Link felt the hairs stand up on the back of his neck. In his last encounter with the old Sheikah woman, he'd been worried that he'd accidentally uncovered some sort of conspiracy he could be killed for. The whole reason he'd been so eager to leave Kakariko in the first place was to get away from her. "If it's about the quest, we've already been paid," he said. "We'd really rather just take our horse and-"

"We've been instructed not to allow you to leave the city until you speak with the sage," the shadow priestess informed him.

We?

Link glanced around the room. It was an empty office with a door leading into the stables where he could hear horses chewing on hay. There were windows and a door leading outside and it was a bright sunny day outside, but somehow, he still had the feeling of being watched.

Linkle gasped excitedly. "Does she want to give us another quest?"

It was difficult to tell with her face shadowed by the hood, but Link could've sworn he saw the priestess's mouth curl into a slight smile. "Perhaps. She is most insistent. Go to the House of the Dead. You will be invited in."

That's comforting.

Link really wanted to try to talk his way out of this, but his whole body was tense, afraid that a Sheikah ninja would pop out of nowhere and kill him if he tried anything funny. He sighed defeatedly. "Very well. We shall meet her there." Link turned to walk away. When he reached the door, he looked back and saw Linkle had not moved. "Come on, Elle. Let's get this over with."

"I wanna see her disappear," Linkle said, not taking her eyes off of the priestess.

The woman tilted her head curiously, but had nothing more to say. A sudden puff of black smoke obscured her from view, which quickly dissipated, leaving no trace of the priestess.

"Cooool," Linkle said with amusement. "Just like those ninjas."

"Yeah, yeah. Let's go already." Link stepped outside, followed shortly by his sister.


The walk through the city on the way to the graveyard was tense. While Linkle skipped happily along, expecting to receive a new quest when they got there, Link's mind was running a mile a minute trying to figure out what the sage really wanted with them, and more importantly, how they were going to get out of this mess.

Maybe we can blend in with the crowd and sneak out of the city. They wouldn't kill a bunch of people just to get to us, right?

Nervously, he glanced over his shoulder. There were many others walking through the streets around them, and any one of them could be one of the Impa family's agents in disguise.

Calm down. You're being paranoid. We haven't done anything wrong. Why would the sage want us dead?

But what else made sense? Did she truly want them for a quest? Why them? There were dozens of adventurers in the city now, and most of them were fresh off of a recent quest. What was so special about him and his sister?

Link felt the temperature drop as soon as he set foot in Kakariko Graveyard again. It wasn't nearly as creepy during the day, but it still wasn't a pleasant place to be. The eerie silence was broken only by the occasional howl of wind blowing through the field of gravestones and the footsteps of the two siblings as they walked towards the temple.

No one was there to greet them when they reached the stairs leading up to the temple's entrance, so they proceeded on their own. Afterwards, they stepped into the mouth of the tunnel and walked down the long staircase into the temple. Link's nervousness grew as they descended further. It wasn't until they got to the bottom when they encountered more Sheikah.

"Greetings, heroes."

Link flinched. Two shadow priestesses stood on either side of the giant stone slab that served as the door to the temple proper. It was impossible to tell if either of them was the one who had met them in the stable a few moments ago.

"Greetings, priestesses!" Linkle seemed proud to have been addressed as a hero. "We are here to see the Sage of Shadow."

"Of course." The priestesses both bowed their heads and gestured to the door. As they did, the circle of torches arranged around the edges of the room began to light themselves, and the great stone door rose to reveal the entrance. "Please proceed into the House of the Dead."

Link paused. "You want us to go inside?" he asked. "The last couple times we were here, the sage came to meet us out here."

"Who cares?" Linkle said, grabbing her brother's hand. "I've been kinda wanting to see what the temple is like on the inside anyway."

"I thought you didn't care about this one," Link complained as she pulled him inside. The two priestesses entered behind them, and the door slowly closed shut once again.

What came next was a darkened hallway. Unlike the cave entrance outside, the hallway was properly constructed and paved, like the inside of a castle, although it felt more like a sewer. However, only a few meters inside, they turned a corner and came to a dead end. There was a large black pit in the middle of the hall, and on the other side of it was nothing but a wall with a terrifying face carved into it.

"Well, great. That figures," Link said, gesturing in front of him.

"Whoa," Linkle said, peering over the ledge down into the pit curiously. "This is so cool! You think it's to keep out intruders?"

Link turned to the priestesses who were walking towards them. "What's the big deal? Is this even the real entrance?"

The Sheikah women did not answer. Instead, they walked right past the siblings, stepping towards the open pit.

"Whoa, whoa, hey! Are you crazy?!" Link moved to grab one of the priestesses to keep her from falling, but she stepped just out of his reach. A jolt of fear shot through him as he expected to see them fall into the pit, but they did not. They both just kept going, walking on air to the other side of the hole. "What the fuck…?" Link muttered.

Linkle watched the proceedings with an elated smile on her face. "Whoa! How did you do that?"

Stopping on the other side of the pit, the Sheikah women turned back to them. "Please, follow us," they instructed in unison. They then walked right through the face in the wall, as if it wasn't even there.

Link smacked himself in the forehead. "Oh, duh!" he said aloud. "It's like at the bottom of the well. Some of the walls were just illusions." Tentatively, he stuck his foot out and lowered it into the pit. As expected, it soon touched an invisible surface, as solid as the rest of the floor. "Come on, Elle," he instructed. Together, they walked across the pit and through the wall.

On the other side was a large, rectangular room. On the far side of the room was another pit in front of a door on the wall that resembled a face with its tongue sticking out, forming a narrow platform in front of it. There were also hand-shaped statues on the wall on either side of the door, giving it the appearance of a monster trapped in the wall. Along the rest of the walls were several more carved faces like the one the siblings had just stepped through. The center of the room contained a circle of torches, in the middle of which was a large statue of a raven. Link knew it to be Karasu, the Goddess of Shadow and Patron of the Sheikah.

"This is so creepy," Linkle said. She still seemed somewhat excited, but Link could tell she was also shaking a little, although she was probably only a fraction as scared as he was. "Where did those Sheikah women go?"

As if on cue, a violet robed, hooded figure emerged from each of the faces in the walls, silently stepping out into the open. Link's hand instinctively went for the handle of his weapon, but he reminded himself not to draw it. None of the figures appeared armed, but they were likely all sorcerers. If they were hostile, the siblings would not be able to fight their way out of this. They would have to talk their way out.

"What's going on?" Link asked. He kept his voice level in an effort to avoid causing his sister to panic, but he said it with enough firmness to let the Sheikah know he wanted answers.

None of the cloaked figures spoke. Instead, they all turned their heads to the doorway on the other side of the pit. A moment later, the bars in the face's mouth slid open. From it emerged a familiar sight. The Sage of Shadow's litter was carried out onto the stone tongue by her phantom servants. When they reached the edge of the pit, they kept walking. However, it did not appear as if the pit was another illusion. Instead, tiny discs of light appeared beneath the feet of the phantoms wherever they stepped, allowing them to walk across the dark abyss.

The phantoms turned and placed the litter on the ground at the foot of the raven statue, then vanished. The door slid open, revealing the small, old Sheikah woman. "Greetings, my children," she said. "Please, come closer." The cloaked figures all turned their heads towards the siblings, giving Link the distinct impression that it was an order rather than an invitation. Hesitantly, he complied.

"Hello again, Sage," Linkle said cheerfully. "We have succeeded in our latest quest to liberate the Gorons from the tyranny of the dragon. We are prepared to accept our next quest."

"Yes, I heard. You and your fellow adventurers have my thanks for defending our great allies, the Gorons," the old woman said, nodding slowly. "However, before I entrust you with any such tasks, I must ask you a few questions."

Link was nervous, but he tried his best to hide it. "What would you like to know, wise sage?"

Impa tilted her head up at him. Her face was blank and her eyes were piercing. "It has come to my attention that you have certain knowledge of the new Hero's identity."

Link froze, screaming internally.

I'm gonna fucking kill that Dayto guy…

"Well, of course he does," Linkle said.

"What?!" Before he'd even had a chance to explain where that rumor had come from, it appeared as if Linkle was about to make it a whole lot worse.

Luckily, she did no such thing. "She's me!" she declared.

Link's shock and rage quickly faded to confusion.

Sage Impa, however, seemed quite interested. "Is this true?" she asked, very seriously.

Link sighed. "No, I'm afraid," he explained. "My sister and I were about to embark on a journey down south to Faron in order to attempt to retrieve the Master Sword. My sister merely wishes to be the Hero."

"And I am," Linkle insisted. "The Master Sword will simply prove it."

The Sage of Shadow turned her attention back to Link. "If this girl is not the Hero, do you know who is?"

"No," Link said firmly, hoping to quell the rumor quickly. "I know nothing of the sort. The dragon wanted to know about the Hero's whereabouts, so I lied in order to keep him from killing me. That is all."

Sage Impa's gaze seemed to tunnel into him, as if she was trying to decide if he was to be believed or not. Link could scarcely comprehend why he would lie about something like this. If anything, a person would be more likely to lie about knowing the Hero in order to sound more important. But after a moment, the sage smiled, lowering her head with a sigh. "Were only my granddaughter here," she said. "Nevertheless, I believe you, my child. I apologize for wasting your time by bringing you here into my temple. It is a matter of grave importance that we locate the Hero as soon as possible, so we must leave no stone unturned."

Link felt himself relax. He was not in any trouble with the Impa family. They were merely searching for the Hero, which was to be expected of Hyrule's leadership. Historically, the Royal Family and the Hero have always had a good relationship. They likely needed him to fight some demon or another.

"Well, fear not, Sage," Linkle proclaimed. "Once I pull the Master Sword from its stone, your search for the Hero will come to an end!"

"In that case, I shall pray for your safe journey, my child," the old woman said kindly. "Now, young man. You said the dragon was looking for the Hero as well, correct?"

"Yes." Link nodded.

"Did he tell you anything else?"

"He said something about keys," Linkle replied. "He took the Hero of Twilight's bow, and he demanded that the Hero surrender the other keys to him."

"The dragon said to me, 'We already have three of them, and we know where the fourth is,'" Link added, recalling the conversation he'd had with Dragonlord Volder. "I don't know what these 'keys' are, though. The dragon did not elaborate any further."

"Curses," Sage Impa said under her breath. "Then it is worse than we feared. The enemy is moving fast."

"What are these keys?" Linkle asked, her face filled with curiosity. "What do they unlock?"

The old woman looked at them hesitantly. "I apologize, my children. I cannot say. I fear I have said too much already."

"Who is the enemy?" Link asked. He, too, was curious. He knew Volder was one of them, but it sounded as though he was only a part of the bigger picture.

"The only true enemy," the sage replied. "Monsters. While we waste our time fighting amongst ourselves, the monsters are organizing - and mobilizing. If they collect all of the keys, I fear it will lead to untold horror for our great kingdom."

"Then let us help you find them," Linkle offered enthusiastically. "Make that our next quest. I am to be the Hero, so saving the kingdom from untold horror is my job!"

The old woman laughed good-naturedly, then put a hand to her chin, considering the offer for a moment. "Well, I suppose you already know of the existence of the keys. If you were to help us locate them before the enemy does, it would be most helpful."

Link did not like the sound of this. He expected adventuring to mean slaying a few odd Bokoblins and Keese now and then for a day's wages. Fighting a dragon had already been enough of a stretch. Now his sister was looking to aid in a mystical quest to obtain some special keys before an army of monsters did? It was just too much. "Sister, I am not sure that is wise," he said. "Despite our recent exploits, we are still quite inexperienced when it comes to adventuring," he explained to Sage Impa. "Perhaps it would be best if you entrusted this task to someone more qualified?"

"Nonsense! It's just finding things. Nobody said anything about fighting monsters yet," Linkle argued. Then she turned back to the sage. "But we will be fighting monsters, yeah?"

"We already have others aiding in our search," Sage Impa explained. "But we could always use a few more helping hands. You said you were to journey to the Faron Province, correct?"

"That's right," Linkle replied.

"There are two keys suspected to possibly be in that area. If you so choose, you may search for them on your way to the resting place of the Master Sword. If, for any reason, you deem it too dangerous to retrieve them, all I ask is that you report your findings. But, were you to successfully obtain these keys, you are to deliver them to us. Either way, you shall be richly rewarded for your assistance," Sage Impa explained.

"See?" Linkle asked, turning to her brother. "That doesn't sound so bad, right?"

Link's instinct was to avoid getting involved, but he knew his sister would never drop the subject now until he agreed. Also, it did not sound as though they were being asked to go too far out of their way, and despite how terrified he was of the Impa family, he could not deny that their money was good. "Very well," he agreed reluctantly. "Tell us of these two keys, great sage."

"Both are likely to be found in the temples of my fellow sages," Impa began. "However, they may still be hidden, and the other sages may not necessarily know of their importance, nor even their existence."

"Ooh…" Linkle cooed, clearly quite taken by the mystery of it all.

"Look for the first key in the Water Temple. It is an item that once belonged to the late Princess Ruto of the Zora Dominion, and it is said to have been given to her by her fiancé as a token of their love," the sage went on.

"Aww!" Linkle seemed to find the notion to be very romantic.

"What is it, though?" Link asked, unsure what sort of item a Zora would give to his lover as a token of affection.

"I do not know for sure, but in place of engagement rings, Zora marriage customs involve pendants of opal and sapphire arranged in the shape of the Mark of Nayru. That may very well be what was given to the Zora Princess," Impa explained.

"I see," Link replied. "And what of the second key?"

"The second key may be found in the Forest Temple," Impa replied. "This one should be easier to find, if it is truly there, and if it is truly what we believe it to be. You may find it helpful to speak to the Sage of Forest, for it is said to be a sword that once belonged to her brother."

"Another legendary sword?" Linkle said excitedly. "Perfect! I'm already going to claim one, so I might as well claim two."

"Yes," Impa nodded. "So long as you turn it over to us once you claim it." She did not sound very threatening when she said that, but Link chose that moment to glance around the room, and he was once again reminded of the fact that they were surrounded by cloaked Sheikah sorcerers. If they did find the treasures the sage spoke of, he would have every intention of turning them in for the bounty, but something gave him the distinct impression that keeping the treasures for themselves was not an option the Impa family would allow.

"We accept your quest, wise sage," Link said, hoping to wrap things up so they could finally get out of the city and be on their way. "Rest assured, if we obtain these keys or find out anything about them, we will send a message to you straight away."

"Yeah! You can count on us," Linkle agreed.

"Thank you, young heroes." The sage slowly nodded her head, and the phantoms that carried her litter began to reform. "I wish you luck on your journey. May the Goddess guide your path." With that, the door to her litter slid shut, and she was carried away by the shadows.

Link and Linkle both jumped as they felt a hand on their shoulders, but it was just two of the shadow priests coming to escort them out. "Come with us, please," one of them spoke.

Walking through an apparently solid stone wall and walking over an apparently bottomless pit was no less unnerving the second time around, but Link happily did so. Going back up the stairs to get out of the temple seemed to take forever, but when he and his sister exited the Kakariko Graveyard, Link breathed a massive sigh of relief.

"Oh, thank the gods," he said, leaning his hand against the first wall he came across to take a breather.

We're not dead.

"I know, right?" Linkle said, apparently oblivious to the potential danger Link had been afraid of. "This is so exciting! We're on an honest-to-goodness quest to save the kingdom, and I'm going to obtain the Master Sword. Oh, I just can't wait!"

"Well, seeing as you're so eager, let's grab Arion and get going right away," Link suggested. "The best route is probably through Central Hyrule, so let's head to the capital first. I've always wanted to go there."