Hunter climbed the stairs to his favorite spot in the entire academy. After he showed the Pendant to Spyro and Qibli, after another long day of classes, and being unable to sleep, he decided to take a walk, and maybe draw a bit. He stepped onto a platform with handrails that he could just reach. There were mountains on either side of him and the railing was a small lake that quietly bubbled like a stream. Above him were leaves that let moonlight, but kept bugs and flys out. It was like it was made for him. It was perfect.

Hunter sat down on the stone platform, pulling out his sketchbook and charcoal. The night air was cool, and the soft bubbling of the lake nearby calmed his nerves after a long day of strange discoveries. He had no idea why he couldn't sleep, but something was pulling at his thoughts—something he couldn't quite figure out.

He flipped to an empty page and started drawing without much thought, letting his hand move as it pleased. At first, it was just shapes and lines, but slowly, the image of a sword began to form. Its blade was long and gleaming, the hilt adorned with intricate designs, almost royal in appearance. As his hand moved, the Pendant under his tunic began to pulse softly.

Hunter noticed the gentle warmth coming from the Pendant but didn't stop sketching. If anything, the pulsing made him feel more connected to the drawing, like his hand was being guided by something unseen. He added more details—a symbol engraved on the sword's guard, wings stretching out from the hilt, and a gemstone embedded in the center. It felt familiar, but he couldn't place where he had seen it before.

As he finished the drawing, the Pendant grew warmer, and for a brief moment, he swore he could feel the sword in his hand—the weight of it, the cold metal, the power that hummed through its blade. He blinked and shook his head, startled by the sensation. The Pendant's warmth faded, but Hunter sat there, staring at the drawing.

He unclasped the small lock that ensured that nobody could steal it without him noticing and held it with one hand. "What are you?" he whispered, clutching the Pendant's string. "Why do I feel like this is more than just a drawing? Why am I talking to imitate objects again?

The Pendant did not answer, but its presence was undeniable as if it was silently telling him that the sword he had just drawn was important—something he was meant to find. Is it? He thought. He sighed and thought. Probably not.

Hunter sighed and closed the sketchbook. "Guess I'll figure it out eventually," he muttered, standing up and glancing back toward the academy. He'd have to bring this up to Spyro and Qibli tomorrow (Do I though? He thought to himself. I mean it is mine.), but for now, he needed some rest. As he made his way back to the dorm, the Pendant pulsed one last time, as if to remind him: the mystery was only just beginning.

"D.A.D.A:" Professor Iginitus said at the end of class the next day. "You practice it and Pray you never have to use it. But, we live in a chaotic world where anything can happen. I am teaching you these things so you can never use them, but you may very much have to. Expalliamis, Stupify, and Protego may be your greatest tools against the Dark Arts. Now, I have been informed that Professor Silver has canceled the rest of your classes. Goodbye and have a good rest of your day."

After Professor Ignitus dismissed the class, Hunter caught up with Spyro and Qibli outside. The afternoon sun was high in the sky, casting long shadows across the courtyard. Hunter had his bag slung over his shoulder, ready to head to the library.

"So, guys," Hunter started, "you wanna head to the library with me? We could look up more about the, um, wands we found," he said awkwardly because there were other dragons around, clearly enjoying the sudden break from classes.

Spyro gave an awkward smile, scratching the back of his neck. "Uh, actually, I can't today. Professor Silver gave me some extra lessons on advanced magic. You know, the whole 'dragon thing,'" he said with a chuckle. "Gotta keep up, or I'll end up blowing something up by accident."

Hunter raised an eyebrow but nodded. "Right. That's important. What about you, Qibli?"

Qibli shifted uncomfortably and avoided Hunter's gaze for a moment. "Yeah, about that... I've, uh, got some stuff to do with Moon." He paused, clearly not wanting to get into specifics. "She's helping me with something. Research, you know?" He forced a smile. "Promise it's nothing too exciting."

Hunter felt a pang of disappointment but forced a grin. "Sure. You two go ahead. I'll just… head to the library on my own."

Spyro patted him on the shoulder. "Don't worry, we'll catch up later. Maybe we'll find something cool tomorrow."

Qibli offered a small, apologetic smile. "Yeah, definitely. We'll hang out soon, promise."

Hunter waved them off as they walked away, feeling a bit deflated. He wasn't mad—they had their own things to do—but it still stung to be left alone. The Pendant pulsed beneath his tunic again, as if reminding him that he still had plenty to figure out on his own.

With a sigh, he turned and headed toward the library, determined to solve the mystery of the Pendant, even if he had to do it by himself.

When he got there, Hunter sat at the back of the library, surrounded by a pile of books. His eyes skimmed over ancient runes and spells, dusty pages that had probably not been touched in years. He was on a mission, but after an hour of searching, he still hadn't found anything even remotely useful about the Pendant, Or anything, for that matter.

Frustrated, he closed another book, sending a small puff of dust into the air. "Ugh, come on. There's got to be something," he muttered to himself. He rubbed his eyes, feeling the weight of the long day on his shoulders. Both Spyro and Qibli were busy. That left Hunter alone to puzzle this out, and right now, he was coming up with nothing.

He grabbed the next book from the stack and flipped it open, his eyes half-glazed over. It was another history text, filled with stories of old wizards and their legendary battles. He wasn't expecting much from this one either until he turned to a page near the back.

There, in the middle of a page, was an illustration. It took him a second to register what he was looking at, but when he did, his breath caught. A sword—no, the sword. He had seen it before.

In his drawing.

The blade was drawn with incredible detail, its sleek, silver form etched with intricate markings, and its blue hilt glowing faintly, almost as if it were alive on the page. There was no name or description attached to the drawing, no hint as to what it was or why it was there. It just existed, perfectly preserved in the book's faded pages.

Hunter stared at the image, heart racing. The Pendant beneath his tunic pulsed faintly as if reacting to the sword on the page.

"What the…" he whispered, running his fingers over the illustration. He knew what it was, or at least he thought he did. But why would it be here, buried in some ancient text? And what did it have to do with him, or the Pendant?

A shiver ran down his spine. He had a feeling that this wasn't a coincidence, but he had no idea what it meant.

Hunter closed the book, taking a deep breath. "Okay. No answers here. But something's definitely going on." I don't know what but it's going on.

His fingers toyed with the Pendant, feeling its faint hum beneath his skin. Whatever this sword was, and whatever connection it had to him, he knew one thing for certain: this was only the beginning.

He was about to leave but then he remembered something. The Restricted Section. The place where he got the Pendant in the first place. Why hadn't he thought of it sooner? He walked over to the bookshelf door and saw someone he didn't want to see. Starflight must have been curious and wondering how in the world they escaped because he was checking out the door, possibly seeing if it was hollow (Hunter knew it wouldn't matter if he found it, see as they were invisible for everything, but Him finding the Restricted Section could end badly for them, that is if they figured out who sunk in.). Hunter could hear him mutter, "The thing is when Clay and Tsunami were setting the bookshelves up last year, they would have known about a secret tunnel."

Hunter's heart skipped a beat. Starflight being this close to the entrance was the last thing he needed. If the bookish NightWing figured out what was going on, he'd be in deep trouble. He froze for a moment, his mind racing for a solution.

Maybe I can just slip by... no, he'll see me.

Then an idea struck him. With a flick of his wand, he whispered, "Muffliato."

The spell created a faint buzzing noise, enough to muffle his movements without being too obvious. He slowly started to back away, careful not to make any sudden movements. Starflight was too absorbed in his muttering to notice.

As Hunter took another step, he caught sight of a small stack of books on a nearby table. They weren't his, but he recognized them—books on defensive magic that Starflight had probably borrowed earlier. Maybe this is my chance...

Another quiet incantation and Hunter flicked his wand toward the books. They wobbled, teetering on the edge of the table. With one last nudge from his magic, the top book fell with a loud thud, scattering the stack across the floor.

"What the—?" Starflight jumped, turning away from the bookshelf.

Perfect.

Before Starflight could piece together what had happened, Hunter darted past the distracted NightWing, slipping through the small gap in the bookshelf door. He made sure to close it quietly behind him, his heart pounding.

Inside the Restricted Section once again, Hunter took a moment to catch his breath. He'd have to move fast; there was no telling how long it would take Starflight to get back to his investigation.

Hunter took a deep breath and carefully watched Starflight. He didn't have time to wait for him to leave—he needed to get back into the Restricted Section. There had to be something in there about the Pendant. Slowly, he backed away from the bookshelf door, thinking through his options. He couldn't risk using the door with Starflight so close.

Was there another way in?

He recalled The Marauder's map that led him to the Restricted Section in the first place. The memory of a tunnel, hidden behind an old tapestry, flickered in his mind. If he could just get to that room…

As Starflight continued inspecting the shelves, Hunter snuck down another corridor of the library, searching for a second entry. He turned a corner, his heart racing with excitement and nerves. Finally, he spotted the tapestry, dusty and old, hanging in an unused corner of the library.

With a swift glance over his shoulder to make sure no one was watching, Hunter ducked behind the tapestry and pressed his hand to the cold stone wall. Nothing happened. He frowned, tapping the stones with his knuckles, but the wall stayed solid.

"Come on…" he whispered under his breath.

Then he felt it—a faint warmth, like the stones were responding to him. His Pendant, hidden beneath his tunic, hummed softly against his chest. He pulled it out, holding the emerald toward the wall. Slowly, a section of the stone slid away, revealing a narrow, shadowy passage.

Hunter couldn't help but grin. "Gotcha."

He slipped through the opening just as it sealed behind him, leaving him in near-total darkness. The air was cool and musty, the faint smell of old books and magic hanging in the air. With his wand outstretched, he whispered, "Lumos," and the tip of his wand lit up, casting long shadows on the stone walls.

Carefully, Hunter made his way down the passage, each step taking him deeper into the restricted area. It felt different this time—more ominous like the walls themselves were watching him. He shuddered but pressed on, determined to find out more about the Pendant.

When he finally emerged into the hidden chamber where he'd first found the Pendant, everything was eerily quiet. The same old bookshelves, filled with forbidden tomes, loomed around him. But something was different now—there was unsettling energy in the air like the room was waiting for him.

Hunter moved to the back of the chamber, scanning the titles of the dusty books. Most were written in languages he couldn't read, but he kept searching, hoping to find something—anything—that could give him a clue about the Pendant's origins.

After a good while of searching, Hunter's eyes landed on a worn, leather-bound book on a low shelf. The title, written in faded silver script, was barely legible: Legends of the Relics.

His heart pounded. This could be it.

He pulled the book from the shelf, brushing off the dust coating the cover. Slowly, he opened it, the pages brittle with age. Most of the text was faded or written in ancient runes, but as he flipped through, one image caught his attention—a drawing of a small gem, glowing faintly with a teal light.

Hunter's breath caught in his throat.

The Pendant. That's what it said. Not in any ancient language, not in Dragon, in plain Human. Needless to say, Hunter was bewildered. He flipped through the small section on it. "Let's see, bonds with the wearer, protects the wearer from unnatural causes of death, heals wearer from wounds in seconds for small cuts to hours for broken bones, and… crap, the rest of it's in that weird rune language. Well, better than nothing I guess."

He put the book in his bag, thinking that maybe he could decode it. After a short walk back through the tunnel, he was back in the library. He looked at a nearby clock, reading the time 1:27. Damn, He thought. I lost track of time fast, huh?

Hunter hurried out of the library, his mind spinning with what he'd just read. The Pendant wasn't just some weird artifact—it was ancient, powerful, and possibly more dangerous than he realized. "Protects the wearer... heals wounds?" It didn't make any sense, but it explained how he survived the bite from that shadow dragon.

He gripped the Pendant beneath his shirt, feeling its familiar hum. What exactly was he carrying around with him? And why him? He felt like this was bigger than anything he'd signed up for, but now there was no turning back.

As he stepped into the bright afternoon sunlight, Hunter couldn't shake the uneasy feeling that the Pendant wasn't done revealing its secrets. But for now, he'd have to focus on the next problem—finding Spyro and Qibli.

With the rest of the day free, he knew they'd be in their usual spots. And with any luck, he could fill them in on what he found... or at least get some help decoding that weird rune language.

Hunter made his way toward the courtyard, glancing around for any sign of them. But the more he searched, the more he realized something was off. Spyro was nowhere to be found, and neither was Qibli. He checked the usual places, the training grounds, the hideout—but still nothing.

Finally, he spotted a familiar figure standing near the tower steps. It was Spyro, talking to one of the professors, deep in conversation.

Hunter started toward him but hesitated. Extra lessons? The words came back to him. Maybe Spyro had a lot going on with his own magic studies. Still, it felt weird not having him around when Hunter needed help figuring out something this big.

He sighed and turned to head back to his dorm.

Collapsing on the bed, his mind raced for ideas. His brain usually did this when he had trouble with something, but it usually ended with him on a random sidetrack that was completely unrelated. He took a breath, trying to give his brain more oxygen to help him think straight. Think, Hunter, Think! Finding a translator tome could help, but only Starfight knows where those are and he's already looking for the Restricted Section. I could try Stonemover, but why would he know a random language? Silver? No, he'd get suspicious. Wait, don't the other two humans come from another continent? What were their names again? Link and Zelda? I guess I could try them.

Hunter spotted Link by the courtyard, standing quietly near one of the benches. Alone. That made things a little easier. Hunter walked over, trying to keep his nerves in check.

"Hey, Link," Hunter called out, and the Hylian turned to face him, nodding in acknowledgment.

"Got a second?" Hunter continued. "I, uh, need help translating something, and I'm kind of stumped."

Link raised an eyebrow, silently gesturing for Hunter to continue. Hunter pulled the book out of his bag. "I found this in the Library." Hunter improvised, not wanting Link to know the whole story. "Most of it is this weird Language. I don't know what it says and I thought that you knew, being from a different continent and all."

"Hyrule." Link said. "But yeah, Maybe I can help. Anything Pacific?"

"Actually, yeah," Hunter responded, flipping to the page with the Pendent on it. "Here."

Link scanned the page for a good minute before letting out a low whistle. "That is something else huh? What you've got here is a weird combination of Old Hyrulen, Zoni, and a lot of a language I've never seen before. Where'd you find this?"

"Fiction and Magic. Why?"

"Well, It's just that some of this stuff is not even from Pyrrhia. Yet it's somehow in…Well I wouldn't say decent, but relatively good shape for a few hundred-year-old book." Hunter tried to keep his expression neutral, even though his mind was racing. A combination of languages from different worlds? That couldn't be a coincidence, could it?

"Yeah, that's kinda why I need help," Hunter said, shrugging casually, though his grip tightened on the book. "I don't suppose you can read any of it?"

Link studied the page again, his eyes scanning the ancient runes. "I can make out bits of the Old Hylian. Some of the words here talk about protection, a bond... and something about a price, but the rest is beyond me. This Zoni stuff—I've seen it in ancient tech we uncovered that's unfortunately inactive or just straight-up broken, but translating it? That's above my skill."

"A price?" Hunter asked, feeling a familiar unease settle in his stomach.

Link nodded. "Artifacts with this kind of power don't come free. There's always some kind of cost. Might not be obvious at first, but it'll show up eventually. Or it might not. Hard to tell."

"Do you think there's any way we can figure out the rest of it?" Hunter asked

Link was silent for a moment, thinking. "Maybe. I know someone who could help with the Zoni language, but the other part... that's trickier. Whoever wrote this book was dealing with forces that even Hyrule barely understands."

The Pendant suddenly grew brighter and a little hotter on Hunter's skin. What the…? He took it out from under his tunic. Link didn't notice, but looked around, clearly concerned. The Pendant grew brighter, but thankfully not hotter, with every second that passed, and Link noticed after a couple of seconds, and said, "Please tell me that it normally does that."

"I don't know," Hunter replied, concerned. "Probably not. Why?" Hunter suddenly Heard voices, not from other dragons (They were enjoying their day off, not paying any attention to the two humans), but in his head—more than two this time. Like a panicked room of dogs when a thunderclap hits their ears, there were Random sounds coming from all sides of him, removing him from the ability to think straight.

Link said something, but whatever it was Hunter couldn't hear him. All he could hear was a mix of Run! Get Out! Their Coming!. Hunter had one Question. Who's 'Them'? One voice suddenly screamed louder than the others. GET OUT! NOW! Then, before Hunter had time to react, a loud sound Sounded.

BOOM!

He got launched back, and rubble covered him from the waist down. Hunter mustered the strength to look up. Strange monsters were standing in the smoke. Then, it hit him. They were here for him.

The Dark Master's Minions hand found him.

…︎I︎N︎T︎E︎R︎E︎S︎T︎I︎N︎G︎,︎ I︎S︎ I︎T︎ N︎O︎T︎,︎ DRAGON OF LEGEND?︎

Yes, I suppose it is.

Y︎O︎U︎ T︎H︎I︎N︎K︎ I︎T︎ C︎O︎U︎L︎D︎ B︎E︎ H︎I︎M︎?︎

Who? Hunter?

Y︎E︎S︎.︎ h︎u︎n︎t︎e︎r︎,︎ A︎N︎D︎ H︎I︎S︎ B︎R︎O︎T︎H︎E︎R︎ S︎p︎Y︎r︎O︎

Hmm. It's possible. What do you think, Varith?

They passed the Trials, did they not?

They did. And the boy made a drawing of The Master Sword.

i︎s︎ t︎h︎a︎t︎ n︎o︎t︎ e︎n︎o︎u︎g︎h︎ p︎r︎o︎o︎f︎ f︎o︎r︎ y︎o︎u︎?︎ w︎e︎ h︎a︎v︎e︎ n︎o︎t︎ h︎a︎d︎ a︎ n︎e︎w︎ h︎e︎r︎o︎ s︎i︎n︎c︎e︎ t︎h︎a︎t︎ N︎e︎w︎ L︎i︎n︎k.︎ H︎e︎ c︎o︎u︎l︎d︎ b︎r︎e︎a︎k i︎t︎.︎

He's right You know. He could do it.

You two do too much wishful thinking. He knows nothing of Hyrule.

Nor did the Hero of Winds.

He doesn't count. The Flood wiped Hyrule off the map. How could he?

︎ ︎T︎h︎r︎o︎u︎g︎h︎ t︎h︎e︎ o︎l︎d︎ L︎e︎g︎e︎n︎d︎s︎.

… sigh damn it, your right.

Checkmate, Z

…

…︎W︎h︎y︎ d︎o︎ y︎o︎u︎ s︎t︎i︎l︎l︎ l︎o︎o︎k d︎o︎u︎b︎t︎f︎u︎l︎?︎ I︎s︎ t︎h︎i︎s︎ n︎o︎t︎ w︎h︎a︎t︎ w︎e︎ a︎l︎l︎ w︎a︎n︎t︎e︎d︎?︎ A︎ n︎e︎w︎ h︎e︎r︎o︎?︎

Yes, I did, and I still do A, but every time we have a new Hero, we think they might break the Cycle, but they don't, and The Loop just repeats.

I get it. But, this time is different. He's not from Hyrule. He could have fresh opinions. And the Loop could break because eventually, trade with Phyrria could become frequent enough that it can't continue.

Yes, that could be true. Or…

O︎r︎ w︎e︎ m︎i︎g︎h︎t︎ b︎e︎ d︎r︎a︎g︎g︎i︎n︎g︎ a︎n︎ e︎n︎t︎i︎r︎e︎ c︎o︎n︎t︎i︎n︎e︎n︎t︎ d︎o︎w︎n︎ w︎i︎t︎h︎ u︎s︎.︎

Well, we'll find out soon enough. But for now,

(All we can do is sit and watch.)

*Determination