Entertainment was scarce at the stable. Occasionally, Trott's obsession with getting a rare cut of valuable meat would spice up conversations among the employees. Other times, rain would fall on the area, replacing the sun with life sustaining precipitation. Most interesting were the stories passed down between the workers of the stable. Of particular note were the tales spun by the oldest person of the stables: Toffa.

Most stories that Toffa spoke of revolved around the experiences of his own grandfather, who allegedly had the honor of working in the royal stables of Hyrule Castle. At the moment, the entirety of the stable staff was gathered outside. Everyone was sitting around a small fire after a meal of various cooked greens and mushroom skewers. Most of the stable workers had finished their meals and put the bowls away to be cleaned, the eldest of the group started to describe a favorite story of his. Nearly everyone was paying attention, with the exception of little Haite, who was nearing exhaustion after a long day of acting as any ordinary child would.

"My grandfather swears up and down he saw a magnificent stallion just beyond Safula Hill." Toffa said in a willowy voice. "It bore a white coat and a mane that was the color of straw, just like the thoroughbreds that the royal family used. He thought they had all perished during the Calamity, but perhaps one of them fled the destruction. That stallion might be a descendant of an escapee from those days before the catastrophe.

Embry was skeptical. "I doubt a horse that distinct would go on without being seen by someone else. We've gotten plenty of travelers pass by from the north, and not one of them ever mentioned a strange stallion near Safula Hill, at least to my knowledge."

"Do you think a horse just goes out of its way to be seen, sonny?" Toffa asked. "Of course it wouldn't be seen so easily! Most folks are just trying to make it from one stable to another. No time to look for another potential steed when they often have one already."

"I'm sure that stallion is out there somewhere, grandfather." Canni assured.

"Of course it is." Toffa replied as if the answer was obvious. "I just pray that I'll get to see it up close one day."

The campfire crackled as the conversations became more idle. Embry gazed up at the stars, with his wife leaning on his shoulder. Toffa, who was usually the slowest to eat, was focused on spooning the last of his meal into his mouth.

"I've never heard of a story of any horse of royal lineage. Sounds pretty incredible, that a fancy breed might have survived out in the wild." Chesty commented.

"This world has seen stranger things, lad." Toffa said.

"Hey Chesty," Trott inquired, "do you got any stories?"

The young man thought for a moment, and then remembered a story from an old newspaper from long ago. The events that were alleged in the article took place not far north of where he and his family lived. As he recalled the story, his eyes fell on the drowsy Haite, and he made a realization. It was no story for little children.

"Myti, would you mind putting Haite to bed? I don't think it's a story she would enjoy."

Myti blinked, but then glanced down to see her sleepy daughter. "Oh, I see." She scooped up her daughter, whispering motherly words to her half conscious child. As she departed back to the employee quarters, Embry asked an obvious question.

"What kind of story is this?"

"A monster story. It's nothing graphic, I assure you, but I wouldn't let Haite listen if she were my child."

Embry nodded. "That sounds like a good idea."

The group idly waited until Myti returned to her seat beside her husband. Chesty cleared his throat, having thought long and hard of how to describe the story to his old fashioned audience. They would likely not know anything about the firearms that were present within the story. From what he could tell, it was a long shot that cannons existed, let alone muskets, so he had to alter the story to make sense to his Hylian acquaintances.

"Well, don't keep us in suspense." Embry said. "What's this monster tale of yours?"

"It's a centuries old story that was picked up by some publisher years back. Kind of like that rumor mill that Canni talked about a few days ago. They used ink pressed paper to inform the people where I come from, and one such story that was picked up was called the 'Man Mountain.'"

Eyebrows were raised at the title of the story they were about to hear. "Man Mountain?" Trott asked.

"A half man, half beast from the deep swamps."

Now everyone was alert at Chesty's description. There were credible tales of such monsters in more remote areas of Hyrule, but their perception was of a different kind of monster. None present had any inclination of what Chetsy was talking about.

"It took place almost two hundred years ago, in the swamplands far to the south. Two hunters were in the bottomlands, tracking for all kinds of game. Eventually, they came across a series of footprints unlike anything they had ever seen."

Chesty gave rough estimations of the footprints' proportions using his hands. He also describe the length and width in terms that all of the stable workers could easily understand. "The tracks were easily human-like, with five toes at the end. However, each impression in the ground was almost five hands long and just over two hands wide. Keep in mind, these were experienced hunters, and they had never ever seen tracks like this, so they were understandably startled by their discovery."

The entire group around the campfire had their eyes glued to the measurements Chesty showed with his hands. This was indeed not what they were expecting.

"That night, the two hunters made a small camp with a steady fire. While they tried to sleep for the night, they were awoken as the woods around them became filled with horrendous, deep, bellowing screams. So terrified were the two outdoorsmen, that in their haste to escape, they simply grabbed lanterns, their bows, and abandoned the rest of their supplies behind. It was their skills as trackers that saved them from an uncertain fate, for they used the stars above them to make their way north, far away from the woods where their encounter took place.

"Eventually, the two hunters made it back to civilization. As they rested among the local villages, the memories of the previous day still fresh on their minds, the two men told nearly everyone about their terrifying experience. All who heard the tale had great concern about the size of the creature's tracks and its bellowing, inhuman screams.

"The vivid details of the story soon inspired multiple men from the villages to form a posse. Their goal was simple: track and kill the beast before it posed a risk to their villages, no matter how remote its territory in the swamps to the south. Over a dozen men swore an oath to do their part in slaying the creature, and they armed themselves with the weapons of the age. Each man equipped themselves with bows and limbing axes, but some carried crude swords, long knives, and makeshift spears. Upon gaining sufficient arms with which to kill the alleged monster, they traveled south, towards the bottomlands where the creature supposedly lurked.

"This quest to hunt down a forest beast proved to be a very tedious affair. Getting down in the swamps was easy, but for almost two weeks, the men found nothing. Hour by hour, they looked high and low, living off of whatever game they could catch and cook by an evening fire. All of that frustration came to an end when, after two weeks of fruitless searching, the posse of men found tracks that were remarkably similar to those described by the two hunters from before. So, after finding their proof that the creature was in the area, they set up camp nearby, with the goal of tracking the creature at first light."

Chesty lowered his voice, mentally enjoying the unadulterated attention he was receiving. "A few hours later, just about all of the men had dozed off. The woods surrounding them were eerily silent, without even a gust of wind to rustle the leaves overhead." He paused, slowly glancing over his audience. Everyone looks quite tense with anticipation.

"Suddenly, an enraged, bellowing scream tore apart the calm in the clearing that the men had set camp in. There was terrible racket of crashing underbrush and snapping tree branches as heavy footfalls stomped towards the resting posse as they started to awaken. The creature had appeared as if from nowhere, and it was on the warpath.

"The camp became panic-stricken as the men desperately got to their feet to defend themselves. Though most were caught completely off guard, some had smartly slept next to their weapons, and had managed to raise them against their bestial foe. Arrows were loosed in half-hazard abandoned in the general direction of the terrible noise. A few who were within arms reach of the hulking brute dared to strike at it with hand held weaponry, hitting the creature multiple times.

"Despite their efforts, the beast was hellbent on inflicting death, and it killed the majority of the hunting party. So mighty were its blows, that it slew the posse members one by one, killing them with single strikes to the head and neck with its fists. Screams of panic gave way to gargled death cries, and by the end of the battle, only a few survivors remained. However, the beast, while vicious, was not invulnerable to the weapons of its victims. With each arrow and spear point that perforated its body, it slowly lost strength.

"After almost half an hour of struggle, the survivors of the attack finished the creature off. As they examined its body with torchlights, they discovered to their horror that it was a thirteen foot tall, hairy monster. It had massive hands and feet, burgeoning muscles, and an eerily human-like face that was contorted in a feral death grimace.

"The survivors of the attack were left terrified and demoralized, and they soon believed that the danger was not over. They feared that the sound of the commotion would draw the attention of other monsters in the area, so the last surviving members of the hunting party gathered what weapons they could, and navigated their way out of the swamps. Coincidentally, the men neglected to bring back a piece of the monster to verify their claims, but the story circulated in local papers, and it is just one of many tales of violent encounters with half beast men in the dark of the wilderness."

Toffa let out a breath he had been holding. "That's quite the tale, sonny. Can't say I've ever heard tale of a monster like that."

"Keep in mind, it's just a story." Chesty said casually. "Many of those publishers had a reputation for making fanciful stories to get more attention. However, some of the details of that story are quite interesting, to say the least."

"What kind of details?" Embry asked.

"The footprints, the bellowing screams in the woods, the description of the monster. Those are surprisingly consistent with other such tales."

"And it's called the Man Mountain?" Myti inquired.

"That's just one of many names, most of which come from languages long past from common tongues. But, that's all I have."

"That was pretty scary." Canni admitted. "I can't imagine that kind of terror. It sounded like fighting a small Hinox." The young woman shivered at that thought.

Things slowed down from there on. More idle stories were passed from one person to another, more akin to brief anecdotes than full narratives. Every once in a while, phrases like, "before the Calamity," and "after the Great Calamity" reached Chesty's ears.

There was something distinctly ominous about that particular phrase: the Calamity. Chesty was well aware that an antiquated land had rather artful language to describe various disasters. Such apocalyptic incidents were chalked up to actions of the gods, or some other related factor, as blissfully ignorant persons were liable to prescribe.

That distinct word bounced in Chesty's mind, and his curiosity had to be satiated.

"I have a question." Chesty stated.

"What's your question, Chesty?" Embry asked, glancing at the recent hire.

"What is the Calamity you guys are talking about?"

Instantly, the mood changed, with all of the other stable workers staring at Chesty with visible shock. Embry and Myti locked their gazes onto the young man as if they had seen a ghost in the distance. The once bored and distant look in Trott's eyes immediately became replaced by genuine surprise. Toffa nearly dropped his spoon, his cavernous visage looked alarmed while his granddaughter looked between Chesty and her grandfather with concern.

Eventually, most eyes fell on Toffa, who gave a heavy sigh. He wearily put his nearly empty bowl to the side, cleared his throat, then stared grimly at Chesty.

"The Great Calamity," he began, "was the day that the royal seat of power in Central Hyrule was obliterated in the span of a single evening. That day, the hopes of millions of Hyruleans were cruelly shattered by an evil so primal, so destructive, that its roots can be traced back to thousands of years before our time. That evil was called: Calamity Ganon."

Chesty stared back, transfixed by the utter seriousness of the old man's words. A sliver of regret ran came to mind. He did not wish to cause an my undue distress, as was apparent on the faces of his coworkers, but he decided the best course of action was to listen respectfully. Out of nowhere, a chill ran up the young man's spine.

"It happened almost one hundred years ago, just after summer came to these lands. His royal majesty, King Rhoam Bosphoramus Hyrule, first of his name, had received a terrifying prophecy. Calamity Ganon, the ancient evil descended as malice incarnate from the Demon King Demise, was destined to return to the land of Hyrule, after ten thousand years of being sealed away by the power of the descendants of the Goddess Hylia. His Majesty sought to defy this prophecy by following the steps that allowed our ancestors from eons ago to defeat the Calamity.

"He sent out search parties to all corners of the land, searching for large contraptions created by the Sheikah people called Divine Beasts. These giant creations were used in the ancient past to fight Calamity Ganon so long ago. As fortune would have it, the massive beasts were shortly discovered and excavated. Along with those beasts, the king sought other ancient machines that were used to fight back the Calamity and the horrors that were to be unleashed by that ancient evil."

"How did they know for certain that this... Calamity Ganon was to ravage the land again?"

"Aside from the prophecy?" Toffa asked, not offended by the new question. "The appearance of monsters, namely. Terrible creatures driven by malice began appearing in the forests and mountains of the world. Evil things of all shapes and sizes began to terrorize the people. That was happening months before the Great Calamity struck. With each passing day, those monsters became more numerous, more clever, and much more dangerous."

"And that was a sign of things to come?"

"Oh yes... that was an omen of the doom that was waiting in the wings. In order to properly use the Divine Beasts, pilots were needed to guide them against the Calamity. Four warriors from the different races of Hyrule were selected for their skill and were appointed the title of 'Champion.' Alongside them, a Hylian Knight, wielding a sacred blade that could cast down evil, and the King's daughter, Princess Zelda, were to join them against Ganon.

"The Hylian Champion's role was to directly battle the Calamity once it revealed itself. Using the Sword that Seals the Darkness, he would weaken the evil alongside the Divine Beasts, in preparation for Princess Zelda's role. She was to use the sealing power inherited from countless generations as a descendant of the Goddess Hylia, to cast Calamity Ganon away, ensuring peace for another ten thousand years."

After a pause, Toffa lowered his head, taking in a considerable breath of air. It was as if merely recounting the harrowing tale was exhausting him. Canni partly embraced her grandfather, and the old man gave her a nod to assure her he could go on.

"That day... when the Calamity struck... Princess Zelda was on a pilgrimage to Mount Lanayru. Something about praying in the waters of a sacred pool atop the mountain's icy peak. She was accompanied by her personal guard, the Hylian Champion, and the champions who acted as pilots of the Divine Beasts. That day had been achingly beautiful, according to my grandfather.

"Then, as the Sun began to set that day, the ground shook, as if a giant had taken its first strides over the land. Buildings shivered, and masonry cracked from the sheer power of the tremors. The skies above Hyrule Castle, the grandest structure in all the land, shifted from golden to a foul, corrupt violet. Lightning split the sky, a wicked vapor swept the land below, and above the castle, a monstrous form appeared.

"Half serpent and half boar, it was composed of the same, mauve clouds that swirled like a maelstrom above Central Hyrule. Its eyes glowed like hot steel from a forge, and it slithered through the air as effortlessly as a fish swims through water. As thunder roiled across the heart of the kingdom, the creature rose over the highest tower and let out a bellow that curdled the souls of everyone that heard it.

"It was Calamity Ganon, come to bring absolute ruin upon Hyrule. Yet this was but the start of the cataclysm. Ganon's very essence was scattered throughout Hyrule. The malice that was unleashed infested the machines intended to combat it. Those Shiekah made contraptions suddenly turned against the people. They casted a light that destroyed stone and incinerated every living thing they struck. Pandemonium spread through Castle Town.

"My grandfather, one of the royal stable workers, was one of many who fled for their lives. He had to abandon his friends, and his king, only narrowly escaping death. Thousands were not so lucky. Within a matter of hours, Hyrule Castle, and most everything in the local garrisons and villages was in flames. Those who fled, mostly left for Kakariko or Akkala. My father fled westwards along with a scattered few who did not have the luxury to move south or east.

"It was said that the four Champions who were to pilot the Divine Beasts were slain shortly there after. King Rhoam allegedly evaded death, and rallied at the Great Plateau with a small force at the Temple of Time. He died before the steps of the sacred temple, fighting desperately to rescue his kingdom. Some speak of the valiant actions of the Hylian Champion, who defended Princess Zelda until he was literally on death's door. As for the Princess, whether she was killed as well, we do not know..."

Toffa sighed heavily, the wrinkles on his face becoming exaggerated with the somber turn of the story. "The people of Hyrule were now leaderless. Some of the finest warriors of the age perished, falling like wheat before a scythe. Death, fire, and anguish consumed the land.

"The only comfort was that come the next morn, the Calamity had vanished, apparently being sealed by some divine intervention. So much was lost, all within hours, and those who survived, were left to start over, trying to sew together the threads of their lives in a land scorched by evil unbound.

"That, young man, is Calamity Ganon. An embodiment of primordial malice that brought the apocalypse to Hyrule." Having concluded the tale, Toffa dared to relax. The atmosphere around the campfire became subdued, whatever joviality that remained long gone.

"I think I'll be heading to bed." Toffa mumbled. He carefully rose to his feet, then hobbled on inside the stable.

"Me too." Trott said.

One by one, the laborers either returned to their posts, or went to bed, with Chesty being no exception. Before turning in for the night, he took Embry aside.

"I'm sorry for-"

"Don't be." Embry said. "It's good to relearn the shadows of history. Between you and me, this world has gotten a bit more dangerous since the Calamity ended all those years ago. Perhaps tonight was a wake up call that nothing is guaranteed."

Not a word more was said that evening. When Chesty undressed for bed, he allowed new questions to stir in his mind, most of which related to the tragedy described by old man Toffa. Not one answer could be guessed when his eyelids closed in a dreamless slumber.

The story that Chesty tells comes from an 1829 newspaper that was re-enacted in the Skunk Ape episode of Monsterquest. Rest assured that things will be getting a bit more interesting come the next chapters.

By the way, which of the other races of Hyrule do you believe Chesty will encounter first? (Hylians don't count as he has already met and worked with them.) Feel free to put your own ideas of what Chesty will see or do going through this journey.