Hey, there, here's the third chapter! I'm happy that I'm getting some hits on this! I hope you all continue to read. And don't worry, I'll be filling in the holes in Link's past, albeit slowly. Hopefully, everything will be clear to you all at the end.

A quick note: Telma's Bar from Twilight Princess is used in here. There's nothing spoiler-esque in it, so don't worry. If you haven't played TP, I guess you could just think of Telma and the bar as OC, you know?

My updates will slow down a bit now, I'm afraid. School's started up again, and I have midterms (gasp) approaching. But I'll get these out as quickly as I can. I want to reach the end of this as much as you all do! Sorry this chapter is so short…

The Legend on Zelda belongs to Shigeru Miyamoto and Nintendo. Period.

Part Two: Blood Legacy

I walk the streets of Castle Town tonight. It's a night off for me. Not many sightings of freak activity have been reported, and I'm taking the time to enjoy the night and reminisce. I see several inhabitants of Castle Town as I traverse the streets, and they greet me. I stop to talk with a few of them, but don't linger. To be near fresh blood for extended amounts of time is dangerous. I could lose control and go on a killing spree. The thought makes me shudder because I know just how true it is. I've lost myself to my cravings before, and it isn't pleasant. I cross the road to enter the shooting gallery. May as well brush up on some bow skills. Not that I need to; I really just want to show them off. But before can enter the building, I hear a scream from down the street.

"Help! Stop him!"

Dammit. So much for a night off. Now I have to deal with petty thieves. I see the culprit approaching me at a fast pace, and I reach out to stop him. We collide and fall to the ground in a pile of kicking and yelling. Everything seems to stop when we lock eyes. His amber eyes flash, and I see the cat-slit pupils. Shit. He jumps and grabs onto a wall and begins to climb up the high blockade. Cursing angrily, I stand and follow him. I get a hand on one ankle, but he turns and hisses, kicking me off. Feeling annoyed now, I pull out my bow and shoot him through the leg. He yowls and grabs at his wound. It won't damage him permanently, but at least I slowed him down. He twists around and leaps at me. We collide a second time, and I pin him after a struggle.

"Geroff me!" He growls gruffly, thrashing beneath me.

I keep him pinned and say, "So what exactly brings you here, werecat? You didn't honestly come here to steal, did you?"

He stills and looks up at me, "Vampire," he hisses.

"Damn straight. Now you'd better tell me what you think you're doing before I rip you a new hole."

Fear crosses his eyes and he says, "I didn' mean anythin' bad! I come 'ere to tell som'ing to a guy called Link. I saw the gal an' I'm 'ungry, so I though' I could get som'ing decen' to eat. Y'know how it is, right, mate?"

I eye him suspiciously for a moment, then let him up and grab the purse. "So what is it you have to tell Link?"

The werecat looks hopeful and asks, "Do ya know 'im?"

"I might." He looks downtrodden for a moment, so I say, "Look, I know a good bar around here. Why don't I buy you some food, and you tell me what you're here for."

Uncertain, he says, "Well, I'm not s'pposed to tell no one else but 'im. But…if I could get some decen' food, I migh' be coerced into talkin'."

I heal his leg wound and we leave the alley. I give the purse to a guard, telling him I found it on the ground if anyone comes looking for it. We enter Telma's bar and grab a table at the back after ordering some food. Telma winks at me and walks into the back to get the meal ready. The werecat looks around and then spots Telma's cat. He wanders over to talk with it; I wait at the table and keep my eyes on him. I don't trust the man, but he seems harmless enough. When the food arrives, he hurries back to the table and immediately begins to eat with gusto. I watch him as he proceeds to polish off a fried cucco, a large plate of beef, a loaf of bread smeared with goat cheese, and a couple pints of ale.

"So how long has it been since you've eaten?"

He looks at me and says through a mouthful of bread, "Oh, I eat when I can, bu' I never get I good meal like this." Despite my want to distance myself from the man, I feel a fellowship with him. He was something Nabooru would call a "kindred spirit".

"Anything else you two want?" Telma calls over.

"We're fine, thanks."

The werecat looks a little let down that he couldn't order anything else. But if he did so, I wouldn't have so much as two rupees to rub together.

For a few minutes, the only sound at our table is his chewing. When he slows his eating, I ask, "So what should I call you?"

"Werecat works jus' fine," he replies.

"Don't you have a name?"

"Not one tha' I'll give to you. I don't mean to be rude, bu' I can' rightly go 'round telling me name to strangers. The boss wouldn' be 'appy 'bout tha'."

"Boss?" I echo.

He freezes as he realizes that he just let some information slip. He stops eating and glances around like he was being watched. Then he leans forward and whispers, "You didn' 'ear tha' from me."

I raise an eyebrow and say, "What, exactly are you here for again?"

"I need to deliver a message. Do ya know Link? You went an' distracted me with all this food, an' I'm near out o' time."

"I'll deliver it for you."

"No offence, bu' I don' trust ya. If I don' give it to Link, then I'm very well dead." His eyes plead his case and he says softly, "I may be dead anyway."

Just then, a guard I'm familiar with comes over and says loudly, "Oi! Link! You want a pint? I just won some money in cards, and I'm celebrating!"

The werecat looks sharply over at me as realization and anger at being tricked cross his face. "Uh, not now, Maurice," I reply, "Some other time maybe?"

Maurice doesn't push it, as he notices the werecat's reaction. He leaves in a hurry. The werecat looks harshly at me and hisses, "You tricked me!"

I reply, "No offence, but I don't trust you."

We share a tense moment, and then the werecat leans forward and says in a low tone, "The boss wants ya to know tha' 'e's comin' for ya. 'E's got a plan, an' wants your cooperation, right? 'E says ya migh' want to watch your back. An'…an' when ya decide to 'elp 'im, to say 'Belesse'. Ya got that'?"

"Belesse?" I echo.

"Shhh!! Don' go sayin' tha' 'less ya really mean it!"

Frowning, I ask, "What's it mean?"

He glances around uncertainly, then says, "I can' tell ya. I-I can' tell ya anythin' else, right? Listen, mate, I like you. You're a nice guy. Not many woulda 'elped me out like tha', bu' ya need to know tha' big things are 'appenin'. Things tha' aren' necessarily good. Bu' they're 'appenin' anyway." He began to speak quickly, "If-if I was you, I'd stay away from the boss. 'E's…dangerous, an' if ya know wha's good for ya, you'd leave it all alone, y'ear? Once ya get involved, ya can' back out. The boss…e's not a forgivin' man. 'E don' take kindly to people who don' obey. Keep your girlfrien' safe now, an' don' let 'er alone. 'E's got a plan, an' you prob'ly won' like it."

In a rush, the werecat jumps up and hurries away. I call after him, but he disappears through the exit. I follow quickly, ignoring the questions people in the bar call out. I manage to get through the door in time to see the werecat disappear around the corner. I run after him, and when I turn the corner, I see the werecat collapse onto the ground and begin to spasm. I hear the swishing of a coat above me and look up in time to see a dark figure run across some roofs and disappear into the night. Cursing, I run to the collapsed werecat. He looks at me, and I see a dart sticking out of his neck. Poison. The werecat has been murdered. I look to his face, but he's already dead. I sit back on my heels and think about what had transpired. I decide to bury the werecat, but before I can touch him, he begins to disintegrate like the Bats. Soon there is nothing but ash. Even the dart in his neck had disappeared with the body. Feeling sick to my stomach, I begin to walk back to the castle. The werecat's words resound in my mind. He had warned me to protect Zelda. Said his boss had some plan that I wouldn't like. Dread fills me, and I hurry to the castle, hoping Zelda is alright. In my mind I can see that cloaked figure leaning over her with more of his poison darts. Panic grips me and I break out into a run. In my mind, Zelda is already dead. Please don't let it be so! If anything happened to her…I don't know what I'd do. But I can see her now, looking like she's only asleep, but really poison courses through her veins and stops her heart. She's dead, I think. She's already dead, and there's nothing I can do.

End Chapter

Well, there you have it: another installment. Once I finish the fifth chapter, I'll post the fourth. I like to stay ahead of myself, to make sure I don't lag behind too far. Hope to hear from you all!