Zelda: Restoration

by Paisley Park Provincial

Times have changed in Hyrule. The Royal Family is no more, the Sheikah have been destroyed, and the land is ruled by an evil priest. As a cataclysmic event draws nearer, is there any hope for the once proud land? Loose WW/ST connections.

4. What Came to Pass

Chapter 3: What Came to Pass

"Um, hi". Alarius didn't really how to greet the God standing before him. He wasn't used to formally greeting people at the best of times, let alone when in the presence of a deity. This verbal introduction coincided with a brief raise of Alarius' right hand. Dorilineus smiled politely in return, and strode towards the centre of the cave, motioning Alarius to sit on one of the stones which formed a little circle nearby. Horos joined them, producing a match as he did so, which he used to light the pile of logs which lay in the middle of the makeshift communal area.

For a few seconds there was silence. All the questions that Alarius had wanted to ask seemed to be stuck in his throat, and all he could do was sit, awkwardly darting his eyes around. It was Dorilineus who spoke first.

"You seem nervous, young man. I assume it is strange to encounter a God, let alone in the flesh, but why don't you tell me how you feel?"

Once again, the God's words filled Alarius with an inner calm. His inhibition draining, Alarius spoke.

"Nervous is perhaps too strong a word my lord, simply because I have no real idea how I feel. I mean, I can't really say I'm too surprised by your actual existence. I've never really read into the past of this land, but from what I've read and what I've been told it's not as if you Gods have never existed, and were just a way for us to find communal identities. I've always assumed that you existed, and as such your simple presence does not shock me too much. However, your presence in relation to me is I suppose what is making me nervous, if indeed that is how I feel. I'm sure you can appreciate the surreal nature of this situation. I seem to be meeting you for a reason. I am not being addressed by you as part of a crowd, but because you have a specific need for my presence. In all honesty my lord, the main problem I have is not coming to terms with you, but everything else going on around us."

Once again, the God of the Sea smiled, a line of silk-like white teeth revealing themselves as he did so.

"You come across as having quite the intellect young man, and I have no doubt who I should thank for that. However, do you not feel somewhat daunted by my presence, given the stories you must have heard during your childhood?

Alarius shrugged. "Not really. In all honesty, I don't feel it's a concern for many people in Tares. As I'm sure you're aware, this is no longer an affluent place, far from it. Many live in poverty, the city is essentially controlled by the black market, and people are leaving in their droves to the other cities. Whether you and the other Gods did conspire to usurp Narm is not something I really dwell upon. If you did, then maybe you were right to. Things couldn't be much worse here. We've all been told that the land was in disarray and despair before the second uprising, but in all honesty I have no way of knowing. All I've ever thought about is Alfonzo and The Wolfo. Kardopolis propaganda isn't all that prominent here. I couldn't care less."

"I see. That is good to know." Dorilineus turned to Horos. "I assume you know most of this?"

"Yes, Alfonzo has always kept me informed. He felt it best to keep his education on the safe side in case we were ever rumbled."

Dorilineus nodded sagely in response to this. With a light stroke of his beard, he once again addressed Alarius.

"Alarius, you are obviously aware by now that the man sitting beside us is out of the ordinary. You also are aware that I am a God, a God whose name, along with those of my companions, has been smeared throughout the years. However, I would dispute this greatly, and if you would let Horos and I be so kind, we shall divulge to you our version of events, which shall no doubt differ greatly from what you have heard in the past. I shall also warn you now. Much of what we shall tell you will concern you. It will be scary, daunting and at times almost impossible to believe. I'll also make it clear that this disclaimer is more for reasons of good manners than to give you a genuine choice as to whether you hear this or not. Apologies. That said, we must continue. Are you ready?"

"Well, to be honest, I'm just happy to be talked to with such respect." Alarius said with a smile. "I don't think I've ever been forced to do something so politely. But yes, Lord of the Sea, I am ready."

"Fantastic, though do please desist referring to me as your lord. I prefer to be called Dor, though those who know me often refer to me by my full name, or indeed by my favourite official title, Captain. Agreed?"

Alarius really liked this guy. "Yes, Captain" he replied, subtly repressing a smirk, Alfonzo had also often wished to be referred to as "Cap'n".

"Good, and please, remove your over garments. I know it's warm down here, but you're still rather wet. That refers to both of you by the way Horos. I don't want you dripping water over my stones for the next hour."

After the pair had rested their coats by the fire, the time for explaining was finally upon them.

"Would you like to start?" Dorilineus asked Horos. "I do think we should start with a bit about you. At least he knows who I am"

Horos nodded. "Alarius, as you've obviously worked out, I am not a normal member of society. Normal members of society do not get chased by the Emperor's Guard. I am in fact a member of a different group. I am a Sheikah. Does that term mean anything to you?"

Alarius gave his customary half shrug, half shake of the head. "Very vaguely. They guarded something back in the Old Land? I don't know."

"Ok, that's not a problem. Well you're correct in that the Sheikah did protect something. Our tribe were responsible for the protection of the Hyrulean Royal Family way back when. In the Old Land we dwelt in a town called Kakariko. For a time many thought we had died, along with the rest of the Royal Family. Are you familiar with the Great Flood?"

"Again, it rings a bell but it's very vague"

"Well it's not worth me describing the whole story, but essentially, it involved the land being flooded by the Great Goddesses upon the request of the King of Hyrule. That is how the Great Sea which lies far to the East came to be. At the time, many thought that the Royal Family, and our own tribe, had ceased to be. They were wrong. Both survived, each maintained by a tiny number of people. Eventually, a girl named Tetra came to recognise her destiny, and along with the Hero of Winds founded the land we dwell in today, and her offspring re-established the royal lineage. For my tribe's part, we were represented at this time by an individual called Nudge. There were a group of people who assisted Miss Tetra, including an ancestor of Alfonzo's, but Nudge was the only Sheikah.

Now, when we arrived in this land, New Hyrule, we continued to serve the Royal Family. Indeed, as the land prospered, so did our numbers. We were never a particularly populous group, but over the years our number reached as high as a couple of hundred. Oh, and for the record, we can marry outside of our tribe, but the number of children we can have is limited to two between Sheikah parents, and one between mixed. Just in case you were worried about certain sexual misdemeanours. Anyway, where was I? Ah yes. Well, for years we prospered, and our protection of the Royal Family remained secure. Even our God dwelt with us upon the land. The Great God Il-S-Pa. Yet after a long-"

"Il-S-Pa." Alarius interrupted with a raised hand which constituted an apology. "Now that name means something to me. Remember I don't take all this stuff literally, not at all, but there's a story about him. He was the one we were told initiated the usurpation of Narm, the God who began the plot which led to the Power God's downfall. His tribe was never really mentioned, but Il-S-Pa I remember."

Horos screwed up his mouth, and Alarius could see that he was biting his tongue. At this point, Dorilineus decided to step in.

"Alarius, I have no doubt when you tell us that this is what you have been told to believe. That said, I was alive at the time of these troubles, and I must tell you that this is an erroneous statement. I feel I can tell you this with confidence, as I witnessed and was sadly involved in much of what I am to describe.

I was born to the Goddess Farore and the Hylian Saerus. I shall explain the various lineages of my fellow deities later, but for now bear with me. In my youth, I spent many years travelling the various seas which surround our great isle. My travels took me all around the Southern and Eastern seas, and I was lucky enough to appreciate much of what this great world has to offer. During this period, and following my permanent return to New Hyrule, the land was prosperous. All the gods and all the peoples dwelt peacefully. However, between my two cousins, Talor and Narm, a rift was created. Over time this rift widened, and eventually came to a head when Narm struck down Il-S-Pa's daughter at a time when he was consumed by a terrible rage. We know this happened because my fellow cousin Keat confirmed the cycle of events to Talor and Il-S-Pa, but also to me on a separate occasion."

"You spoke to Keat about Narm? When did this happen?" Horos piped up, his voice still on edge.

"It happened, dear Horos", Dorilineus replied with a very definitive tone "when he was fleeing the violence of cousin Talor. He would not have lied to me. He would never have lied about such an issue. Impassh was one for whom he had the utmost respect. Yet this is not the time. I am sorry, Alarius, for I digress.

Following this outburst, Narm fled the land. He dwelt on Xexionia for many years. I assume you know of the tie that this land now holds with Xexionia?"

Alarius nodded. "Know of it? Every other story I hear in The Wolfo is a sailor moaning about how the treaty has restricted trade to Tares. The only legitimate trading that this city secures nowadays is via the Xexionians. Everyone else has stopped trading with us. It's the reason the port is so desolate. It also means that we have to put up with them in the pub from time to time, and they are, if you'll pardon my Cobble, almost exclusively odious, pointless individuals."

"Hmmm, well far be it from me to pass judgment on those men." Dorilineus said, "Though of course I have no doubt that your own characterisations are entirely accurate. Now, as I was saying. For many years Narm dwelt on Xexionia, and a very uneasy peace was maintained. Then, to cut a very long story short, he attacked this land. Following a great battle, Narm was struck down by Talor, who used a blade fashioned by Il-S-Pa. He did not die, but was instead turned to stone and sealed away in a remote location.

Now, I must admit that many of our actions following this battle were appalling. We slaughtered many fleeing Xexionians, and we didn't do enough to ensure that strife between the two nations would not occur again. Still, we deities between ourselves decided on one thing. We decided that we could not risk another war between the Gods, as it may very well have resulted in the destruction of the land, which at the time was still so very young. Therefore, we sealed ourselves away, and left the land to develop on its own.

I may have digressed a bit, and to be honest the time we have is by no means enough to fully explain what happened in the distant past. I do have something that will help though. Horos, if you'd be so kind as to reach atop of that ledge to your right."

Horos did so, and in a few seconds had retrieved a pair of books. Upon returning to the circle, he laid them down before Alarius. They were plain, old hardbacks, and several pages of the book were dog-eared from having been folded. Scanning the front covers, Alarius read the titles. He hadn't heard of either book before. The book on the top of the small pile was green in colour, and had on its front the title Hyrule's Cosmology and Early History, whilst the other was named The Land We Live In: A Geographers Guide to Hyrule. As Alarius was inspecting the books, Dorilineus began to speak once more.

"As I was saying, when Narm was finally defeated, we took it upon ourselves to leave this land, after each of us had made sure to construct a great temple in our adopted city, so that we could maintain our relationship with the people. For many years, it must be said our absence was hardly felt. Life carried on for the people, the land flourished and progressed, and for many hundreds of years there was very little strife.

However, this peace could not be maintained forever. As you are obviously aware, there is only one god who is now worshipped in New Hyrule, and that is Narm. Our temples have been torn down, and our diplomatic relations are nonexistent with all other nations other than the Xexionians. This abrupt change came about roughly two hundred and fifty years ago. Although the worship of Narm was outlawed following his petrification, a small group continued to honour him secretly. Over a significant period of time, this group obtained and established significant political power. Then finally, they grabbed their chance. A man named Kardus usurped the royal family and established dominion for both himself and his family over this land."

"But why didn't anybody oppose him?" Alarius asked incredulously. "If the people knew he damage that Narm had caused previously, why on earth did they not fight back?"

"Because" Horos now interjected "Kardus was a particularly clever man. He manipulated the circumstances to his advantage spectacularly." He slid over towards Alarius. "Take my hands, and I'll try and give you an impression of what happened"

Alarius raised an eyebrow, and didn't move. Horos sighed, and shook his head briefly.

"My my, quite the little homophobe aren't we? Guess Alfonzo didn't raise you quite as perfectly as we could have hoped. Come on Alarius, hold your hands out, this is important."

This shamed Alarius into action. Horos was right of course. He wasn't comfortable with touching other males, unless his palm was scrunched up or his hands were being used to hold an opponent in place. Nevertheless, at that moment his embarrassment far outweighed his reluctance to engage in physical contact with another male. Keeping his eyes averted to avoid seeing what he imagined would be disappointment on his companions' faces, Alarius swung his body forty five degrees and held onto Horos' hands. The old man emitted an amused exhalation from his nose, and grasped Alarius' hands tightly.

"Ok. Before we begin Alarius, I shall press upon you the fact that you will not be in danger at any point whilst we undertake this exercise. Whatever you think is happening is not corporeal. Is that clear?" Alarius nodded. "Good. Now, if you'd be so kind as to look up and slowly focus upon my eyes."

Alarius followed the instructions. Awkwardly so, but he followed them none the less. Slowly raising his radiant eyes, he met Horos' gaze. For a few seconds nothing seemed to happen, but then Alarius found himself mentally transported from the cave. The picture that formed before him was blurred, but the voices he could hear were clear. He was present in what seemed to be a chamber. A rather regal chamber, elaborately decorated and spacious. Without willing himself to do so, Alarius walked towards the door of the chamber, and listened.

"Omniel, what on earth is the meaning of this!"

"Shut up, if you please Your Highness"

"What! You dare to talk to me like that? This is my home! I am your superior for Talor's sake. You are in my employ, my commander in chief of the Hyrulean Armed Forces."

"Correction, I was in your employ. However, as of a few months ago covertly, and as of a few hours from now officially, I am in the employ of Master Kardus, though even that is questionable. He's promised me quite the role."

"You bastard! What have you do-hrrrrrrrrrrghhhhhhhhh"

Alarius could not be sure, but it sounded very much like the owner of the angered voice had just been run through. Ears pressed to the door (still through no action of his own), Alarius continued to listen.

"What it means, You. Stupid. Fat. FUCK, is that I'm betraying you. I'm going over to Kardus. Me and all of my men. A little fire was built up in your house some twenty minutes ago, and when it combines with the liberal splashing of cooking oil we're placing on your kitchen floor, this place will be destroyed. That will mask the actions of my men, who have surrounded this building, and are now going to ransack it, making sure that every single member of your household is killed in the process. Then, when the scene is investigated, by me of course, a heinous accident will be declared the cause, and emergency bodies will have to be established to deal with the tragic demise of the Royal Family.

In all honesty I wanted to kill you last, just so you could see your life crumble around you, but hey, we can't always get what we want. Now, get off my sword, and let me do my work. Men, make sure nobody is alive. Kardus insisted upon it, and I am not going to get on that man's evil side."

A body could be heard slumping to the ground. The figure Alarius was inhabiting pulled away from the door at this point, and turned towards the inside of the room. Alarius' vision was far clearer now, and he saw himself pick up two chairs and press them against the door, along with a bookcase and a dressing table.

"Sala?"

Alarius turned in shock. Before him stood a little girl, who looked no older than four. A beautiful little girl with long blonde hair, which was straight for the most part but curled at the ends in organised little ringlets. She was wearing a very regal dress of pink, white and gold. Her cheeks were red, and there was a terrified look upon her face. Alarius was amazed that he'd been unaware of her presence this whole time.

"Sala, what is going on?"

Alarius felt his hosts' body smile, and lean in towards the little girl, clasping her shoulders and kissing her forehead as he did so.

"Princess, listen to me very carefully. Do you remember what your daddy told you the day we met?"

"That if I am ever in danger, you will protect me. You will protect me and take me to a safe place."

"Good girl. Now, this is one of those times, and you must act as I say with as much speed as possible. In that drawer there are some brown clothes. Change into them. As soon as you have done so, shout out to me. Quickly now."

The girl ran off to the corner of the room. Meanwhile, the host moved towards the opposite corner of the room. Approaching the wall, they touched three individual bricks, one after the other. Behind him, the floor began to open. Quickly and quietly, the wooden floorboards parted, revealing below them a small square hole, which lead down towards a staircase.

Meanwhile, the noises and screams in the background grew in volume and frequency. Turning around, the host saw that the girl they had called Princess had almost finished getting changed. Once more Alarius felt the figure smile at the little girl. She looked very scared, and Alarius could tell that she was willing herself not to cry.

Then, a noise sounded. A sound of bodies hitting the door. With swiftness and grace, the host moved toward the hole in the floor, beckoning the little girl towards it. The pair were soon inside, and the passage began to seal itself behind them. As it was on the verge of closing, Alarius felt the eyes he was borrowing look down (were those breasts?), and rummage in the robe he was wearing. From them a small ball bearing emerged. As the hole in the floor was disappearing, the body brought the ball bearing to their lips, and blew on it. The vision began to fade, but lingered just long enough to confirm the ball's trajectory, shooting as it did into the upper part of the far wall before disintegrating.

A second or so later, Alarius found himself back in the cave, still holding Horos' hand. Detaching them so that he could rub his eyes, Alarius took in a few deep breaths. After he had finished both of these actions, he turned his gaze back towards Horos and gave him an inquisitive look.

"That was a memory of what happened that day. The events may not have happened quite as you just saw, but it is, I imagine, a pretty accurate depiction."

"And that wasn't you in the vision?"

"No." Horos smiled faintly and shook his head. "I'm not quite that old. That was, as I said, a memory, a memory of one of my ancestors passed down throughout the years. Her name was Selaia, and she was the guardian of the royal's daughter at the time."

"So that girl was the Princess?"

"Yes. That was Princess Zelda."

"And the man whose voice I heard? That wasn't the Kardus you were talking about was it?"

"No, he was simply entrusted that task by Kardus. That was the voice of General Omniel." Horos virtually spat the name out. "He was the head of the Royal Guard at the time, and sold himself out after being promised the world by Kardus. He betrayed every oath he ever took, just to get his hands on a little extra power and money. Sadly, Kardus was no fool. He had Omniel killed within weeks, the moment his usefulness expired. Shame, I would have loved to have a memory of Selaia introducing herself to him on a dark night."

"What about Kardus? What happened afterwards?"

"As I said, Kardus was no fool. He had meticulously planned his actions for a long time. I will not deny that part of that was our fault. For hundreds of years the Sheikah had maintained a network of spies, a force so effective that there was a time when we almost had no need for diplomats, so sufficient was our knowledge of the world around us. However, as peace continued, we began to get sloppy. Our senses were dulled. Kardus picked up on this, and used it to his advantage. By the time he had initiated his plan, it was too late.

After Omniel "investigated the scene", Kardus took it upon himself to address the Hyrulian Council. Under the guise of restoring stability, he was granted emergency powers. He claimed that the royals had been murdered by us, the very people euntrusted with their safety. He then used Omniel to purge himself of any potential opponent, be it by arresting them, or simply murdering them. Any potential threat was accused of conspiring with the Sheikah. Following the purge, he removed Omniel permanently, placing the blame for the violence on him.

Then, over the next few years, and with nobody brave or foolish enough to challenge him, Kardus began to manipulate history. As such, we were hunted down. Kardus was always bound to hate us. It was our deity's daughter who was indirectly responsible for Narm's initial flight, and it was Il-S-Pa's sword which struck Narm down all those years prior. Accused of treachery, every Sheikah was declared an enemy of the state, wanted dead or alive with no questions asked. Many of us fled, but Kardus had money, and assassins needed jobs. We were virtually wiped out.

Then, he began to reintroduce Narm back into the public's conscience. The official story was changed. Books and people that said otherwise were destroyed, and the Gods who had helped to protect our land were manipulated to assume the role of usurpers. Their temples were destroyed, their worship outlawed. Kardus also drove any non-Hylians from the land. Gorons, Zoras, Cobble, whoever. At the same time, he also signed a treaty with the Xexionians, to strengthen the cult of Narm and his own position. Within a few years he was Emperor, our capital was renamed Kardopolis, and his family have ruled ever since."

Alarius had listened intently to this, and for a few seconds absorbed the silence that Horos' story culminated in. He had to ask the questions. Questions which he knew would undoubtedly change his life. He wasn't stupid. Horos would not have told him this story, the events of the previous few hours would not have happened, and he would not be in the presence of a God, if his role in future proceedings was going to be immaterial. Yet he couldn't do it. Despite the inevitability of the situation, the boy who had lived his life wishing for nothing more than a chance to escape monotony and experience adventure was now held back by his own insecurities and fears. He had never felt like such a hypocrite.

"Alarius?" The soft voice of Dorilineus floated back into the conversation. "Are you alright?"

Right, enough of this moping. Being scared is fine, it's a part of change, but this attitude isn't. Regardless of what they say, you will cope with it. You shame Alfonzo with your cowardice. Alarius, speak!

"Yes Dorilineus, thank you". Alarius spoke each word clearly and strongly. What was that? He thought as he was doing so. Were those my thoughts? His mind had almost seemed separate from the rush of clarity and decisiveness that had just coursed through him. In a very similar way to the wall-climbing incident of earlier, it was as if a part of his body had detached itself from its normal station. Whatever it was, confidence now surged through his body.

"Yes, thank you." He repeated. "I'm fine. However, I still have quite a few questions to ask if that is ok."

"Of course it is. We began promising you answers, yet we seem to have posed even more questions than we had at the beginning. Please Alarius, ask away."

As interested as he was in what his role was going to be in the future, Alarius was intrigued by the vision he had just returned from. So he decided to begin with that.

"In the vision, I saw the Princess and her guardian escaping. What was their fate?"

Horos began to talk once more. "Did your vision end with a ball bearing hitting the wall?" A nod from Alarius confirmed that it had. "That ball bearing hit a specific brick, which opened up two separate fake passages which looked like they could have been used by Selaia and Zelda. At the same time, it also began a time lock, which adapted the passages to change themselves depending on the path that those two took. By the time Omniel's men had found the passage let alone explored it, Selaia and Zelda had escaped.

For the next few years, Selaia and Zelda remained on the run, hiding from Kardus. I've always suspected one of the main reasons Omniel was put to death was his failure to kill Selaia and Zelda. Kardus did not want to run the risk of witnesses. However, there wasn't really a chance to stand up to him. Kardus' influence stretched throughout Hyrule, and even beyond. There was no chance of them ever returning within their own lifetimes. So Selaia took Zelda across the sea. They were still in danger, but far less so than if they stayed. Tragically though, Zelda did not survive. At the age of eleven she caught a terrible illness and died. Selaia was distraught. Her bond with that girl was depthless. She died only a few years later, most likely through her uncontainable grief." Horos' voice was very sombre.

Alarius hesitated a little before continuing. "I'm sorry to press, I really am, but that sounds somewhat incomplete. If Zelda died, then the lineage of the Royal Family ended I assume? If so, what's their relevance in the grand scheme of things?"

"Not quite. For Zelda was the second child of the royals. They also had a son, named through tradition as Daltus. However, as a result of continuous and escalating arguments with his father, Daltus had left Hyrule a few months before. Kardus tried to find him, but luckily Daltus was also protected by a Sheikah guardian. His name was En-Alor. The pair of them heard of the events in Hyrule, and were so condemned to a life in exile. Yet they survived, and over the years Daltus matured, fell in love and had a family. Ever since then, the Royal Family has been preserved in secret by the very small number of Sheikah that remain. We have lived in frozen wastelands, arid deserts, and various other climates, all for the protection of the Royal Family."

"Right. Stupid question I imagine, but this doesn't mean that-"

"No no." Horos' smile returned. Sorry to disappoint you Alarius.

Damn, Alarius thought very briefly. He knew it was very unlikely, but it would have been rather awesome to find out he was royalty. What to ask next though? The narrative obviously still had much more to it, but Alarius felt that it was about time to deal with the question of who exactly Horos was, and how he was able to conjure up memories from hundreds of years ago, or talk to fish. In the end, he decided to kill two birds with one stone and combine both into a single question. He would deal with his own future next.

"So, if the Royal Family has survived for all this time, what is so significant about them now? What has changed to make them relevant? And what is your role in relation to that? How do you have the memories of something that happened several hundred years ago?"

"Ah my boy, many questions, all in quick succession. Though all valid of course. I shall get to the royals in a moment. I think it's best I explain my role first. In relation to the memories, that is an old Sheikah action which we have mastered through generations. Though not many people remember the Sheikah now, when we walked the earth freely, there were many rumours about us, many of which we were happy to let go, as they enhanced reputations of our power.

We are trained, usually from a very young age, to learn different styles of fighting and subterfuge. One of the main ways we do that is through trickery. No more, no less. You caught sight of the flash I created when we were in the alleyways? A cheap trick aimed to disguise and confuse. Likewise with the darkness at the seafront, if indeed you were able to see that. Many of our tricks are nothing more than illusions using light and misdirection.

However, much of that is used so that we can avoid harm, or gain an advantage. We do possess special "powers" if you will, but only because of the way we have been trained. What we can do is achieve different levels of consciousness through manipulation of the senses. For an example, let us take the fish in the tunnel. You were surprised when I said to you that I had told the fish to do something. Why is that?"

Alarius knew his answer would be wrong, but that, he guessed, was the point. "Because fish can't talk."

"Which is, as you may now have guessed, wrong. Fish can talk. If you are trained so that you can hear them and speak to them, fish can be some of the most interesting and witty characters you'll ever meet. Sometimes."

"But how can that work with memories? A memory isn't a sense."

"Of course it is. It's a composite of various senses. If you remember something vividly, it will be because your senses embraced and remembered the events and the feelings that were born from it. I'll prove it. Was the beginning of the vision blurry?"

"Yes"

"That was because Selaia didn't remember it as well, or that a part of the memory has been passed down with slight confusion. Yet while your vision was somewhat impaired, your hearing was not, correct?" A nod confirmed this. "Exactly. For Selaia, or for one of the various Sheikah who have inherited that memory, the early stages of the story are not perfectly clear visually. The words conversely are, because of the significance that they bore. When Selaia had to physically act, she indulged her eyes more intensely, and as such the memory became clearer visually. Do you understand?"

Alarius nodded, convinced by Horos' explanation. "Mind if I ask who got it from Selaia in the first place? It must have been hard if there are so few of you left."

"It was En-Alor. After he heard of Kardus' takeover, he did all he could to get back in contact with Selaia. Eventually he did, but only after Zelda's death. By that point, Selaia was an emotional shell. Over time though, he managed to extract the events from her before she passed away. Ever since then that memory has been passed down between the few Sheikah who remain. Or at least, between the ones that we know are still alive."

"Ok." After hearing Horos' explanation, the events of the night began to make sense. Horos must have heard the crossbow fire when he pushed Alarius down, and his ability to sense the presence of others could also be explained through his heightened senses. As Alarius was thinking about this, Horos continued to speak.

"So, that explains why I can do certain things. Now, to your initial question. The Royal Family is important now because, for many different reasons, we are moving into a new period. A period of vast, rapid change, which may swing either on the side of hope or despair. One of the ancient tales of the past ages revolved around the ascension of so-called "Great Kings". Many have ruled Hyrule, both in the old land and the new. Some of them ruled well, others less so, though none were truly catastrophic. However, once every few generations, Hyrule seemed to produce a truly great monarch, whose rule would inevitably inspire a new age of prosperity.

Now, according to most, this was little short of ridiculous. There was no reason for some monarchs to be born "Great". They simply achieved what they did through hard work, intelligence and through the help of particularly competent advisors and generals. This is obviously true to an extent. Nobody achieves anything great without work, and the Royal Family was happy to dismiss the claims made about so called "Great Kings". Despite this, a select group knew that there was indeed substance to this concept. For at certain times, often when Hyrule was soon to face a period of strife, a child would be born with two characteristics which for some reason led them to achieve great things.

The first of these could be found within their eyes. For a very short period following their birth, between just three and five days, certain monarchical children would have one green eye and one blue eye. After this period, the boys' eyes would match each other and become green, whilst any daughters of royal parents would go the other way, and end up with two blue eyes. This was obviously very convenient, as the changing of their eyes to become "normal" helped to keep what made a great monarch hidden from our enemies.

The second aspect could also be masked from our enemies, because although physical, it remained underneath our monarch's robes. For every Great was born with the same birthmark. The top half of a semi circle, often with a few lines around it. The rising sun, signifying a new dawn, and a new period of hope.

So, as you can guess from those examples, we are in such a position once more. Sixteen years ago, a child was born with these two hallmarks. For the first few years of his life, he was raised by his parents, and we kept watch over them. Then one day an assassin found the family's location, after having killed the Sheikah in charge of them at the time. The boy's parents were dead. By all accounts, he should have been too.

However, I arrived just in time, and without being seen, managed to transport the boy to safety. Then, when the assassin returned to look upon his handiwork, I manipulated the scene so that it appeared to contain three corpses. So, to the rest of the world, the boy is as good as dead, which, though macabre, has worked out well for us. As such, the boy now lives under the protection of two of the people I trust most."

"Where does he live?"

Horos grinned wickedly. "Kardopolis."

Even Dorilineus looked surprised. "Horos, really? What on earth?"

"It's perfect, don't you see? The world's bounty hunters think he's dead. That moron Xephadus is convinced he's going to rule forever. As such, the three of them are ready, and everybody else is concentrating on anything but them. Aluura arrived in Kardopolis four days ago. I've left the rest to them."

Dorilineus kept a look of concern on his face, but eventually shrugged his shoulders. "Oh well, I guess they had to be there eventually."

"Excuse me." Alarius interposed sternly, "But what on earth are you two talking about?"

"Sorry Alarius, sorry." Horos picked up in his now jovial tone. "Essentially, this boy has signs of greatness, and the people I've just described have just begun a...campaign if you will, that will hopefully bring about the downfall of the Kardian dynasty, and restore some semblance of equality to the land."

"So why aren't you helping them?"

"Excuse me?"

"If this kid is so great, and if this campaign is as important as it sounds, why aren't you helping them instead of turning up here?"

"Because" Horos' tone became sombre once more. "To this very positive action, there is an equally negative counter reaction. For Narm is waking up. As I mentioned, he never died. He was only petrified, and for the past few years he has been waking up. It is a very slow process, but it is also inevitable. This, Alarius, is where you come in."

So there it was. Alarius finally had some idea of why he had been placed in mortal danger that night. He was somehow connected to the very fate of the land, to the very being who had previously threatened it. He was face to face with his destiny. This time, the inner voice wasn't necessary, Alarius was ready. Without hesitation, he spoke.

"How?

Horos' response this time was not his customary smile, but instead just a simple nod, as if he was acknowledging Alarius' forcefulness.

"The Royal Family has its own phenomena, but so do we. For at the time every great future monarch is born, a parallel child amongst the Sheikah begins to exhibit similar standout characteristics. Every great monarch has been guarded by a great Sheikah, and you Alarius, you are the next great Sheikah."

Alarius was not entirely surprised. This had been the logical way that the conversation had been going, but Horos' vocal confirmation did feel somewhat strange.

"Right. So, obviously, I'm a Sheikah?"

"Correct. You seem very calm."

"It's not entirely unsurprising considering given where the conversation was going. What are these characteristics I possess?"

"Well, they're somewhat complex. Firstly, the physical. The stripe in your hair. Every wondered why it's like that?"

Alarius instinctively stroked the area on his head where the silver stripe began.

"That is the mark of a Royal Guardian. All Sheikah work to protect Hyrule and the Royal Family, but only certain Sheikah can act as a guardian to offspring of the royal couple. However, as Sheikah training is done in secret, nobody knows what your stripe signifies. That is one of the reasons you have never been tracked. For the ceremony binding a Sheikah to his child is conducted in secret, and following that ceremony, a Sheikah chooses to dye his or her hair either silver or black."

"I see." Alarius still felt no shock. What Horos was saying was daunting, but he did not feel overwhelmed. "So how does this relate to Narm?"

"That is somewhat more Dorilineus' territory, so I'll let him explain."

Dorilineus rose from his seat. "When we planning to leave this land, Il-S-Pa and I were wary. Narm was defeated, but we did not feel safe. The possibility of his return seemed to loom over us far more than it did our colleagues. So between us we devised a system that could help Hyrule in case a time of need ever descended upon the land again. The basis of that system was founded in the way in which Narm was sealed.

After his defeat, we moved the body to an island located between Hyrule and Xexionia, and sealed Narm within a great tomb. In order for that tomb to be opened from the outside, it is necessary to place an item belonging to each God in the shrine which exists at the front of the tomb. The specific items can be found in the Potho book I showed you. By doing that, the door to the inner areas will open, and one can bring their self face to face with Narm.

However, Il-S-Pa saw the trouble that this could bring. If the items were to fall into the wrong hands for example, and the tomb was opened for malicious reasons, then that would create many a problem.

Therefore, before we left the land, we set up two safeguards in order to prevent this from happening. We implored all of our colleagues to do two things. The first of these was to select an individual to whom each item could be entrusted. We believe each deity did so in secret. To solve the obvious conundrum that is posed here, I shall reveal to you that unsurprisingly, Horos is a descendent of the Sheikah entrusted by Il-S-Pa to look after his welding hammer, whilst, believe it or not, your mentor Alfonzo is related to the man whom I entrusted my great compass to."

Alarius gave an inward chuckle. Now it was explained to him it wasn't too much of a surprise. The long friendship between Horos and Alfonzo suddenly made much more sense, as did the fact that despite being an exceptional landlord, Alfonzo had never upped sticks to where the real money was. Dear Alfonzo. Humble, lumbering, honest Alfonzo, the prophet of a God.

"In addition to this" Dorilineus continued, we also set up a second safeguard. To each God a great temple was built. Logically, it was assumed that this was where one would wish to return the item if they were to ever communicate with the Gods. Instead, we made sure that each deity also constructed a separate shrine, preferably a secret one, and only there could our items be blessed, and granted the right to be returned to Narm's Island."

It was now Horos' turn to interject. "Luckily, because these steps were taken so long ago, almost everyone came to think of this as little more than myth. The Potho book was written literally hundreds of years prior even to the rise of Kardus. As far as the public was concerned, the story of the sacred items was little more than an add-on to a bedtime story. The shrines were also kept secret, as far as we know anyway. To this day I have very little idea where any of them are bar this one and my own.

Not that this stopped Kardus. Kardus was an intelligent man, and he was also paranoid. For years after he took power he tried to find the items. He failed luckily, meaning that they are still out there. He also fell for the initial trick in believing that each major temple was one of the shrines we were just talking about. So he tore them down. Of all the things that happened under his rule, that was ironically one of the best, as it made his successors believe the problem had essentially been dealt with."

Alarius digested all this information. Again, the logical direction of the conversation seemed somewhat obvious to him. He didn't want to sound too conceited though, so he tested the waters of his theory.

"So presumably, if I'm somehow tied into Narm waking up, I presume it is my job to find these guardians and enlist their help in finding the shrines and taking the items to the island?"

"If necessary. To be honest Alarius, it is not really too much of an issue to me whether or not you ever meet the other guardians. All I care about is the items. If you take the items to the shrines, and get them blessed, I couldn't really care less about the Guardians."

"The obvious question then is how do I find them?"

"The items? Ah well, this is where it gets clever, if our companion won't mind me saying. The compass I used to summon Dorilineus just now is a very special item. As this whole shrine business was in part Dorilineus' idea, he decided to adapt the compass to achieve certain things. So while he never saw where the shrines were built, Dorilineus' compass can direct its user to the place where it is most important they go. Your subconscious wish to find the items will lead the compass to direct you. In addition to that, it glows when you are within a certain distance, though this is sadly a variable thing."

"Very clever." Alarius nodded, directing his approval towards Dorilineus. The God shrugged and smiled in response, opening his palms as if to indicate that this remarkable contraption was nothing special. Just as Alarius was about to continue his questioning, Dorilineus spoke up.

"The Compass is also very important as it is connected to this place on many levels. I shall state now than many of the items you will discover will be necessary in order for you to achieve your goal. However, you will evidently never be able to carry them all at once. Therefore, I have adapted the compass so that it can transport items between here and your location upon touch. Whenever you press a special item against that compass, you shall be mentally transported to this place, and can choose your items accordingly. Beware though, for though your mind may be transported during these periods, your body will still be vulnerable."

Alarius blew out his cheeks. "If this were coming from almost anyone else, I'd think they were crazy. Honestly Dorilineus, that is amazing." Dorilineus was once more the picture of humility in response, a small nod being all he did to soak up the praise.

Yet one question remained. The all important one that Alarius had asked some time before. What did this have to do with him, and his role in Narm's awakening?

Alarius asked this again, and for a second there was silence. Neither man wanted to speak, but eventually it was Horos who did the honours.

"Well, to put it bluntly Alarius, the culmination of this quest will result, we all hope, with you killing Narm before he can be restored to power."

"Say what?"

"Alarius, it's not perfect I know, but-"

"No!" the stroppy young man had returned. "I'm sorry, I've taken a lot in tonight, a lot, but really, this is completely ridiculous. I've never had a day's training, I've never met this future king whom I meant to protect, and now I'm meant to kill a God. How on earth is that fair?"

Dorilineus looked like he was about to speak, but Horos raised his hand to prevent this. In a very similar manner to the way in which he had convinced Alarius to trust him earlier, Horos looked into Alarius' eyes and began to speak.

"It is unfair Alarius, of course it is. I cannot pretend otherwise. However, it is the way things must be. That may seem harsh, but it is irreversible. My people, our people, made a pledge a long long time ago to protect both the Royal Family and their home until the very end. This pledge has often been very hard to maintain, but we have done so, not through choice, but through duty. That is not to say that our bond with the royals is not friendly, but there have been times, I assure you, when we have had doubts.

Yet to give up on that pledge would be to give up on the very things we claim to seek. Peace, prosperity and happiness, these are the things that any normal, benevolent society craves. However, often these principles can be questioned, often they can be threatened, and as such they must be defended. We have the power to do so."

"How can you know that? I've never trained or exhibited anything like you have. Your faith is based on what, a stripe of hair and a prophecy? You're asking me to fight a God!"

"Alarius, I assure you that our faith in you is far more concrete than that. You may not be aware of it, but I assure you that a talent flows inside of you. Tonight, I felt it within you, when you jumped the wall. Do you not remember?"

Alarius did. The focus, the slowing down of time, and the clarity that had descended into his eyes.

"Yes, that was just part of our talent, and you can do it without even training. Alfonzo told me of another time that events happened which seemed out of the ordinary, when the scaffolding collapsed. He told me that he saw you sense the falling scaffolding without looking up, despite its sound being muffled by the rain. He saw you not only throw yourself from under it, but also drag the lady who was walking alongside you away too. Your ability has existed since you were born, and you have used it more times than you think. You have the ability.

Do you not see? It is we who are the lucky ones. Many people have their principles threatened or destroyed, but only a certain few can help to bring them back. Is it daunting? Absolutely. However, I would not have it any other way. I would rather create circumstances than be a victim of them. So please Alarius. I know it is daunting, I know it is unfair, but it's been unfair for all of us who have suffered for the last few hundred years. People such as you and I can make the sacrifices made by others all the more worthwhile. I promise I shall help whenever I can. For now though, you must come to terms with what is ahead."

Alarius was silent, but nodded solemnly, swinging his eyes all around the cave, trying to focus on something to fix on. There was really very little else to say. In one night, all the bedrocks upon Alarius had built has life had shifted. Meanwhile, he was about to do what he'd always wished to. Travel and seek adventure. In a way he was happy. In many other ways he was terrified. The voice of confidence that had spawned within him just a few minutes before seemed to have disappeared. There was little point fighting now though. Gathering all the determination he could, Alarius spoke with all the forcefulness he could muster.

"So, where first?"

Horos and Dorilineus reacted the same way. Both gave a proud, austere nod in response to Alarius' question, and the former responded in turn.

"Wherever the compass points. I imagine it will point north, towards ."

"Which shrine would that be?"

"That will be the shrine of Gor, the Goron deity. However, to leave right now would be foolishness. You are tired, and you need rest. Sleep, and depart when you awake."

"Aren't you coming with me?"

"I'm afraid not. Not right now anyway. There are many things I have to do. You will not be alone though. Dorilineus and I have a few things that will assist your journey. That, however, can be explained later." Horos moved swiftly toward Alarius. "For now, it is best you sleep." As swiftly as he had covered the gap between the two men, Horos exposed his palm, and blew the powder which lay upon it into Alarius' face.

Alarius jerked backwards, but almost instantaneously, he felt a wave of lethargy and exhaustion swarm over him. With all the effort and emotion of the evening finally catching up with him, Alarius could not keep his eyes open for more than a couple of seconds. Finally at rest, the Restorer drifted away into unconsciousness.

Ah, yes. A very long chapter. There is going to be a little chapter which act as a conclusion to this introductory part of the story, but I felt that 9,000 words were enough for the moment. I hope this chapter wasn't too wordy. I really wanted to get everything explained before we moved on, and this was the only way I could really do so effectively. Expect a short wait for the next chapter. Happy reading (and reviewing, hint hint)!