Link's eyes hadn't adjusted yet. He was in a warm, dark place, and the ground felt hard beneath him, but through the buzzing in his ears he could hear ambient voices. Men, women, children. Footsteps on cobblestones. Shouting, laughing, coughing. He could smell food, waste, and body odor.

"Zelda," he called out weakly.

"I'm here," came her reply.

Link blinked his eyes several times, and the fuzzy image of Zelda came into view. Her pale cheeks were flushed and her hair had partly fallen out of her braids. She was missing her bandana, but then Link saw it on the ground beside her, along with the supply bag. She looked just as scared as he felt.

"What happened?" he asked, looking around.

"That spirit back on Din's island must have used some sort of magic to transport us out of there," said Zelda.

"But where are we?"

Link stood up shakily. Perspiration was already forming on his face and neck from the warmth, and the impact from the magic and the sudden heat made him dizzy.

He could tell that they were in an alleyway. The humid streets had an unpleasant stench to them, and even though it was still daytime, it seemed dark.

Zelda opened the supply bag and rummaged through, making sure everything was still intact.

"The last water jar hasn't broken," she announced.

"Water?" hissed a voice that was uncomfortably close by. It sounded diseased and elderly. Out of the shadows of the alleyway crept an old, spindly man who was missing all the hair on his head except for a few wisps. His eyes were bulging, and too large for his face. His bones poked out of his snow-white skin.

"You have clean water?" he demanded. "Give it to me. Please, I'll pay you." He was begging Zelda. He grabbed hold of her skirts, and she pulled away, startled.

The skeleton of a man pulled a pouch from inside his left shoe. "I have money," he said. "Please, I need water for my family. We're all sick."

Zelda stared at him. "How much?" she asked, nodding to the pouch.

"Sixty five rupees," replied the old man. "Please, take it."

She seemed to struggle with the choice, then to Link's horror, handed over the last of their water to the old beggar.

"Thank you," he wheezed. He left the pouch at her feet and scampered away with his find, coughing.

"What did you do that for?" Link asked incredulously.

"For the money," Zelda said, pocketing it. "We'll need it. And besides, we still have the Alfos powder to purify water. He looked like he needed it more than we did, anyway."

"We still need to find out where we are."

"Well, wherever we are, we'll need to get more food soon," answered Zelda. "We're down to the limes and pumpkin seeds. And we should probably find a better place to stay than in this alley." She rose to her feet and slung the supply bag around her shoulder, then retrieved her bandana and tied it around her hair, even though it must have been stifling.

They strolled out into the bustling streets, which were packed with people. Most of them were lighter in color in comparison to the Kakari, with fairer hair and sick-looking eyes. They seemed perfectly at ease living in such a crowded, filthy place, as if they were completely used to it, but Link and Zelda looked around in disgust. Waste and garbage littered the cobblestones, and in the heat it gave off a horrible stench. The shouts of townspeople stung their ears as the poor haggled for food and the poorer sat slumped on the streets, coughing. One thing they all had in common seemed to be sickness. Every man, woman and child looked frail and ill, but they all went about their business as normal.

Lining the streets were tall buildings sandwiched together that appeared to be several stories high. Apartments, taverns, shops, inns, and bars. Outside, the narrow streets were filled with stalls selling food, carts filled with crates of goods, horses, skinny dogs, old beggars, young children with filth on their face, the occasional dark Kakari with his sword strapped to his person, and a scattering of Ilians trying to sell their expensive, exotic goods like tea, honey, and spices. There was a commotion everywhere Link looked.

"Sari," Zelda said finally. "That spirit dumped us in the slums of Sari."

The old beggar's demand for fresh water finally made sense to Link, as did the sick faces of the townspeople. They were all drinking the Merk's polluted water. Link remembered hearing Rikh's story of his family's move to Hillwind because of all the disease. Back in their home province, the other townspeople didn't seem to have the same idea. They all stayed, waiting for their health to fail.

Zelda removed her bandana. "At least we blend right in," she said, tucking it into the supply bag.

It was hard to move about the streets without being touched by a multitude of coughing strangers. Link muttered several "excuse-me's" every time he bumped shoulders with someone before giving it up altogether.

They peered at the signs hanging from the buildings lining the roads, looking for an inn.

"There's one," Zelda pointed. "Fifteen rupees a night."

"Ten rupees a night," Link said, pointing to a different one.

"I'm sure five extra rupees would get us the highest level of comfort in a place like this," laughed Zelda, following Link to his choice.

The upkeep of the building was awful, but it was large, and inside it was dark and cool, and much more orderly than the outside. A thin, pale woman sat behind a counter, with brown hair piled on top of her head to keep it from sticking to the sweat on her face. She smiled when she saw them enter.

"A room for two?" she asked, eyeing them as if she thought they were lovers.

"Sure," replied Zelda. "But only because it's cheaper. We'll be staying for just one night." She placed ten rupees on the counter, and gave a slight cough for effect. Link held back a laugh.

The innkeeper dropped Zelda's rupee into a cash box and handed her a key labelled with the number 2.

"And what are your names?" she asked, pen at the ready.

Link could see Zelda hesitate.

"Impa," she replied calmly.

"Link," said Link, who couldn't think of a reason to use a fake name.

The innkeeper scrawled down the names on a piece of poorly-made Sarian parchment, along with the date and the room number.

"My name is Carla," she said with a smile. "Enjoy your stay. Dinner will be served in a few hours."

"Thank you," said Zelda.

Link followed her up a staircase to room number two, which was a small room with two narrow beds and a lamp in between. The beds were covered in light sheets, and the window was closed to keep the stink of the streets out.

Zelda claimed the bed furthest from the window, dropping the supply bag on the ground beside it. Link sat on his own bed, which was firm and lumpy, making him suspect the mattress was stuffed with hay.

"I wonder what's for dinner," Zelda said, her voice slightly muffled by her pillow. "I could use real, hot food. And a bath. And a good night's sleep."

"Why did you attack Daegal?" Link asked.

Zelda didn't move, and it was evident that she was not interesting having that conversation. But Link pressed her.

"That wasn't the plan," he said. "We weren't supposed to hurt him."

"I didn't hurt him."

"But you were going to. You charged at him with my knife. He was scared, and he couldn't remember me. How is the Triforce doing that to him? Why can't he remember me?"

Zelda finally sat up. "I was afraid this would happen," she said, though to Link she didn't sound overly concerned. "There's only one thing we can do now."

"Find a way to get him to snap out of it," interrupted Link.

"I'm sorry, but—"

"Obviously force doesn't work, so maybe we can—"

"Link! Listen to me," Zelda cut him off as she jumped to her feet. "It's too late. Too late. Why don't you understand what too late looks like? There is no way we will be able to break the influence the Triforce has on him."

"We've only tried once," Link exclaimed angrily. "He's a person. My friend. We can't just give up on him, it's not his fault."

"It happened, and there's nothing we can do about it," Zelda retorted. "I can't help your friend now. Nobody can. He's not himself anymore. You heard what he said. He isn't Daegal."

Link shook his head, willing her words to not be true. "Regardless, what are we supposed to do now?" he asked.

Zelda sat back down and thought for a moment, trying to give him as few options as possible. "We should do what Farore told us. We have to keep the other shards away from Ganondorf before—"

"Daegal," Link interrupted gruffly. "His name is Daegal. Not Ganondorf."

Zelda gave a small nod. "And I know you don't want to hear this, but he needs to be sealed away." She was trying so hard to sound compassionate, but Link could see right past it.

"What does that mean?" he spat.

"For your sake, I'm trying to phrase it as lightly as possible—"

"Well stop it."

"He needs to die."

There was a silence that lasted many seconds in which Link was able to process the situation all over again. The person he loved more than anyone else in the world not only didn't love him, but didn't even remember him. The countless days in the forest had all been lost. Every memory was gone. The kiss didn't mean anything to him. And Link might never get it back.

"I'm sorry—"

"You're not sorry," Link grumbled. "You don't care about him. You only care about the Triforce."

"That's because I'm trying to save the kingdom!" shouted Zelda, jumping up again. "Which should be our primary objective. This isn't just about you and Daegal. It's so much more than that, and you're refusing to see it. Sometimes, we need to make sacrifices in order to survive. I know you care about him but right now there are more important things to care about. Your home, and your family. Daegal is the one who is putting them in danger. It's sad and horrible and infuriating, but he has to be sealed away. That's the way it goes. You act like I have some sort of say in this, but I don't, Link."

She was starting to calm down. "I understand that this is the hardest thing you've ever done, and the hardest thing you'll ever do. But the decision has already been made for you. The power of the Triforce is too strong for us to manipulate or even understand. If you want to be mad at someone, be mad at the goddesses. But please don't be mad at me."

"Look," Link growled. "Within the past few days, I've been attacked, threatened, screamed at by a fourteen-year-old girl, sent on a mission to save the world, and told that my best friend might be evil. Not to mention, he doesn't even remember who I am anymore. And now, you want me to kill him. So yeah, I'm a little mad at you."

He flopped onto his bed, ignoring the discomfort.

"Well maybe you'll feel better after food and rest," suggested Zelda.

"Maybe," Link mumbled. He could feel his eyelids grow heavy, and without slipping his boots off, he fell asleep to the bustling sounds of the city below.

When dinner was ready, Zelda was afraid to nudge him awake. She didn't want him to angrily recoil at her touch.

"Link," she called softly. Link made a groaning sound in his sleep, protesting. "Link!"

"What?" he whined.

"Wake up. The food's ready. Did you have a nice nap?"

"Yeah, fine," Link said grouchily. He sat up in bed and smoothed out his hair, then followed Zelda to the dining room where Carla was waiting for them. She sat at the head of the table, cheeks rosy from the heat, in front of a spread of meat, rice, and cakes. Mugs of beer were set next to each place at the table.

Link sat down at Carla's right, and Zelda sat across from him.

"Have the two of you settled in all right?" she asked them, pulling a strand of damp hair from her face and tucking it behind her ear.

"Very well," answered Zelda. "In fact, your beds are so comfortable, Link fell asleep upon arrival."

Ordinarily, Link would've been embarrassed. But he didn't care anymore. He wasn't feeling hungry yet, so he grabbed his mug of beer and downed half of it.

"I'm glad you found it to your liking," Carla said to Link, but he ignored her.

Carla shook off his rudeness and turned her attention back to Zelda. "Are the two of you from Sari?"

"Yes," said Zelda. "But we're not from this area."

"You mean we're not from the slums," interjected Link.

Zelda's polite face fell and she glared at him. "We live near the salt marshes," she said through gritted teeth.

Carla looked surprised. "Why would a wealthy couple like you take a trip to this part of the province?" She started on her dinner, certain that she was about to hear an interesting story.

"Well," began Zelda, after taking a sip of her beer and holding back a grimace. "We're actually leaving the province. We just needed a place to stay for the night. Tomorrow we'll be on our way to the Provincial Road."

"And where are you headed?"

Zelda hesitated. "The Goron Domain," she said finally. "To buy specially made tools. The Kakari equipment works well enough but the sellers just aren't very reliable, now are they?"

Carla grinned. "That's a long journey," she remarked, fascinated. "And it looks as though the clothes you've brought are much too warm for the upper Eldin region." She indicated to Zelda's long dress.

Link suddenly felt sick at the thought of the heat. When he had left Hillwind, he'd gone with the assumption that he wouldn't be leaving the Faron Woods. He was dressed for chilly autumn weather. He laughed at the thought of seeing a Goron in person.

"If that's all you have, I would be happy to let you borrow an old dress of mine," continued Carla. Zelda was about to decline, but Carla stood up anyway and rushed out of the dining room, leaving her dinner behind.

Link finally started to attack his own food. "That was nice of her," he muttered.

"Very kind," agreed Zelda. "Though if she knew who I really was, she wouldn't be lending me clothing."

"Does everyone in Hyrule hate you?" Link asked.

"Everyone who lives outside Castle Town hates the royal family," Zelda answered hastily. She gave him a glare, ordering him to change the subject.

"So where are we going, anyway?"

"Weren't you listening?" Zelda asked. "We're going to the Goron Domain."

Link stared at her. "You were serious about that? What do we need from the Gorons?"

"Specially made tools," Zelda said slowly, as though he had trouble understanding her.

"For what?"

Zelda sighed. "Now that Daegal has the aid of the Triforce, we're going to need our own aid. The power of the Triforce can't be defeated by our weapons, but the Gorons happen to make special ones that will work, with the help of the Goddesses."

"Something tells me not all of the Goddesses will want to help us," Link replied grouchily.

"It's a long journey," said Zelda. "Maybe that problem will take care of itself in the meantime."

Link ran a hand through his grimy hair. He didn't like any of it, and he didn't plan on going through with any of it. But he didn't protest. Zelda, after all, was a princess. She was used to getting what she wanted. Even though he had no intention of killing Daegal, Link decided to let it be for the time being. Eventually, Zelda would come to realize how insane her plan sounded.

"So what kind of weapons—?" Link stopped when he heard Carla's footsteps making their way towards the dining room.

She entered with a sweep of fabric, which Link guessed was Zelda's new dress. It was Tinnish green, like lush fields in the sun, and short-sleeved to keep the wearer cool. Zelda eyed it gratefully.

"We're probably around the same size," remarked Carla. "Though I haven't worn this since I was younger. It's a younger sort-of-dress, I suppose."

Zelda rose from her seat and took the dress in her hands.

"The bathroom is down the hall, if you'd like to try it on," Carla said.

"Would you mind if I bathed first?" Zelda asked.

"Not at all. You are both welcome to the bath." Carla smiled at Link, and out of guilt for his earlier rudeness, he managed a smile back.

Carla collected the dishes and carried them away to the kitchen, leaving Link to listen to the sound of Zelda bathing once again. He tried to recall the contents of the supply bag, and make a mental list of what they would need to collect before leaving Sari. More food, definitely. Limes and pumpkin seeds would be hardly enough to get one person out of the provinces. It would be difficult to find clean water in the slums of Sari, so beer would have to do.

The rest depended on the route they were planning on taking. The quickest way to the Goron Domain was to pass through Ili, Vera, and eventually Alfos, but the Bulblin forces would surely cut them off. The longer way would make the trip about four times as long, and supplies would run low, but it would be safer.

Link found himself wondering how Athol was doing. She probably still hated him, which was understandable. He had to bring Daegal back to her. She would never forgive him if anything happened to her brother. Though she had a strange way of showing it, he was the person she loved the most. He was the one who told her stories of their mother when their father refused to talk about her. He kept her company and put up with her when no one else wanted to. Athol needed her brother, possibly more than Link needed him.

He heard the bathwater being emptied into the drain. Several minutes later, Zelda appeared in the doorway, wearing Carla's green dress. Zelda's frame was considerably fuller than Carla's, so the fabric was slightly stretched.

"It's a little small," Zelda said sheepishly. Link had never seen Zelda embarrassed. It made him feel like he shouldn't be looking, so he stood up and headed towards the bathroom.

"Looks nice," he offered as he passed her.

Link had never bathed in Merk water before, and he was not looking forward to the experience. In fact, he had never used indoor plumbing. He groaned, swallowed his pride, and called for Zelda.

"What?" she asked.

"I don't know how it works," Link mumbled.

Zelda couldn't hold back her laughter. "Sorry," she said. "I shouldn't have laughed."

Link glared at her. "I just don't know how to turn it on."

"I know. Not your fault." Zelda bent over and turned the valve, and a stream of cloudy water sprayed from the faucet. Link watched as the tub began to fill.

"Just switch the valve back off when it's full," Zelda instructed. "And when you're done, pull the drain. There's soap on the shelf and towels in the cabinet."

"Thanks," said Link.

"No problem."

Once she was gone, Link removed his tunic and boots. He stepped into the tub and was surprised by the heat of the water. Slowly, he lowered himself, trying not to inhale the smell. He shut off the water and grabbed the bar of soap, lathering himself in the smell of Hillwind.

Link pulled the drain when he was finished and watched the bathwater swirl down the pipes with fascination.

After drying off and redressing, Link joined Zelda in their room. She was combing her damp hair with her fingers.

"You could use a shave," she said, eyeing him.

"Thanks," Link replied. He sat on his bed, facing her.

"To answer your question, we're looking for silver arrows," said Zelda, untangling wet strands of hair.

"We're leaving tomorrow?" Link asked.

"Yes. We'll have to take the Main Road this time. There's no way I'm invading Bulblin territory again. Tomorrow we'll buy more food and be on our way." She studied his face. "I'm sorry about all of this."

"It would be easier if we didn't talk about it," Link retorted.

Zelda nodded. "I understand." She crossed the room to Link's bed and opened the little window so her hair would dry faster.

Immediately, Link could hear the commotion of the busy streets. The crowds didn't dwindle with nightfall; they seemed rowdier and more belligerent.

"Thief! Stop him!"

"Get away, beggar, or I'll have you killed!"

Zelda seemed to laugh at the chaos. "It's like they're not even trying," she said to herself. "These provinces couldn't rebel even if they put their minds to it."

Link hadn't ever thought of the Eldin provinces rebelling. It didn't make sense. The provinces would lose their primary income and the Bublin issue would remain unsolved. Castle Town had an arrangement with the Eldin Region, and while it wasn't a very good one, it was still an arrangement. To destroy that arrangement would be stupid.

"I've never been much involved in Hylian politics," Link answered.

"Figures. You're from an isolated region. Hillwinds only care about what benefits them."

It stung, but it was true. Hillwind only traded with the provinces that could return the favor, mostly Kakariko.

"But I don't care much for politics, either," Zelda continued with a smile, and Link knew she was joking.

Zelda pulled the window shut, granting them a peaceful silence. The lamp in between the beds made the room glow warmly, and Link suddenly felt tired again.

"Get a good night's sleep," said Zelda, ruffling her hair. She stood up and returned to her own bed, and collapsed into it as if it was the most comfortable surface she'd ever experienced. She was asleep in minutes.

Link reached over and turned out the lamp.

He had dreams of Daegal, or at least he thought he did. It was more of a constant feeling of dread throughout the night that something was wrong, but he chalked it up to nightmares. When he woke up the next morning, he was stunned to find that it was still real.

00000

Link and Zelda were dressed and ready early in the morning before Carla was even awake. The groggy city light seeped in through the window, and they could hear the bustling beginning on the streets as shopkeepers opened their doors and merchants set up their stalls.

"Ready?" Zelda asked.

Link nodded.

"We need to stock up on food," she said. "Because there are no more stops until we get to the Goron Domain."

They checked out of their room and filled the empty water jar with Carla's homebrewed beer. Zelda stuffed it into the supply bag, and they emerged into the sweltering streets of Sari.

The impact of the heat and booming voices startled Link, but Zelda seemed undeterred. She wanted to leave the province as soon as possible, so she grabbed Link's arm and dragged him along, at the same time scanning the shops and stalls with her eyes.

"Now, just as a reminder," she said to Link. "We are looking for food. Not luxuries, such as cigars. Understood?"

Link scoffed. "Yeah. There's a stall selling food."

They made their way through the warm, smelly crowd to a stall owned by a man so dark-skinned he had to be Ilian. His wares were not plentiful, but looked safe. Lined on his cart were fruits and vegetables, and crisp loaves of bread.

The owner did not smile. He looked on with a face like stone, and his large eyes scrutinized them.

Link peered at the selection. They were all foreign to him; oranges, tangerines, lemons, bananas, pomegranates, grapes. Even the corn looked unfamiliar. Instead of the golden color he was used to, the Ilian corn was brown, almost red.

Zelda looked pleased. "Good morning."

The Ilian gave a curt nod.

"We'll take some of your oranges, please."

"Two rupees each."

Zelda gazed expectantly at Link, who dug into the supply bag for the money. Zelda took eight round oranges and paid the Ilian 16 rupees.

"I am also interested in your corn, and that wonderful looking bread you've got."

For the first time, the Ilian gave them a slight smile. Glad for the business, he handed over three loaves of bread.

"Twenty rupees for all three," he said.

Zelda accepted the bread and Link handed over the money.

"And I'll give you four ears of corn for a rupee each," the owner said.

The transaction was made, and the food was stuffed into the supply bag.

"Traveling?" the Ilian asked.

"Far away," replied Zelda. "Thank you for the food."

"Thank you, as well."

"Are we done?" Link asked as they abandoned the Ilian.

"Not yet," Zelda said. "I don't want to leave without meat. But I doubt they have anything very good, here. They might have seafood, though."

A string of beggar children wove through the streets by their feet. Their faces were grubby and dirty, and the sound of wet coughs echoed through the alleyways. Link shivered, despite the heat. Sweat had formed on his forehead, causing his clean hair to stick to his skin. All he could think about was how worthwhile the journey ahead was going to be. He would endure anything for Daegal, if it meant he would get him back.

"There." Zelda pointed to another stall, this one run by a Sarian. It appeared to be a fish market, though the sight of the fish made Link want to gag.

"There?" he asked, grimacing.

"Yes, there. I understand that you're used to a certain standard of living—"

"Zelda, look at it. If we want to stay healthy we will stay away from that fish.'

Zelda ignored his complaints and made her way to the fish market. "Don't be such a baby," she said, inspecting the fisherman's wares. Everything was the same murky color.

"Do you have anything canned?" Zelda asked the aging Sarian.

He was a tall, skinny man with light blond hair and a scruffy face and neck. He wore an apron smeared with fish insides.

"Only sardines," he replied gruffly.

"How much?"

"Five rupees a tin."

"Great," said Zelda. "We'll take one." She handed over five rupees and selected a package of sardines that Link did not want the displeasure of tasting.

"Now can we get out of here?" Link asked, once they were out of the fisherman's earshot.

"Certainly," Zelda responded. "I figured we should save some money, just in case the Gorons aren't generous enough to lend us their materials simply for the good of the kingdom."

"You think they'll fork that stuff over for ten rupees?"

"No, I'm hoping they'll help us out of morality. I hate to start using threats, but anyone who obstructs us from getting what we need is aiding in the destruction of this land and its people, which all comes down to treason, if you want to get technical," Zelda explained.

"But they're Gorons," said Link. "They aren't human, and they're not under your rule."

"Still, it would be the end of the world as they know it. And nobody wants the world to end. Except, apparently, Din."

The narrow, polluted streets of Sari all emptied into a wider, more travelled road. People were entering and exiting the city, either bringing in more goods to sell, or heading home to their own provinces. It was still early, so the sun shone brightly and calmly, and a smile began to tug at Link's lips.

"What's that smile for?" Zelda asked.

"Because for the first time since I left Hillwind, this feels like a real adventure," replied Link, who was still pretending to follow through with Zelda's plan of sealing Daegal away. It was a large bridge that he would have to cross when he came to it, but for the time being, things would go more smoothly if he kept his true intentions a secret. He would bring Daegal home. He had no other choice.

"Good attitude," said Zelda, visibly pleased at what she thought was a change of heart.

Finally, the smell of the city began to fade away, and they entered the clear Provincial Road. It was sandy and dry, but not as polluted, and the air wasn't as thick. Travellers strolled by, each face diverse. Frail Sarians, gruff Kakari, dark Ilians, clear-eyed Tinnish, glamorous Verans. On the Provincial Road they all mixed together, coexisting. The only people missing were the Alfs, who were isolated by the menacing neck of Hyrule Field, out of sight, out of mind.

It was a whole new world that Link had only ever imagined, and heard about in Jørn's stories. It was so big, accommodating vast amounts of people, more people than Link had ever seen. He decided it was a shame that Hillwind took such pride in being so independent.

The sun shone down on their journey along the Provincial Road, until at last, they came to the end, and the beginning of an even bigger road winding around the vast Hyrule Field.

"The Main Road," said Zelda. "Prepare yourself for the longest walk of your life."