Sand and loose leaves from prickly shrubs found their way into Link's clothing as he inched his way forward on the warm ground. A trio of pronghorns grazed obliviously on sage bushes, occasionally their ears flicked when there was a small noise and their heads would rise in unison, it didn't take long for them to continue eating. He nocked an arrow and took aim at the plumpest one. It moved in front of the small herd and unknowingly made itself an easy target, Link released the arrow and heard a thump as it struck its target. The pronghorn made two bounding leaps before collapsing in a heap, the shot had been clean and the animal didn't suffer.

The remaining two leapt away and were long out of sight before Link even stood up, he retrieved his arrow and pulled the body by the horns into a small clearing out of the brush. He whistled low and waited for his horse to come find him, she was hidden behind a small rock formation. Epona was a magnificent cherry bay horse gifted to him five years ago when he became an official member of the Mounted Guard, it was no exaggeration to say that she was one of Links most trusted friends. That might have sounded absurd to non-members, but one's horse became an extension of themselves, some even claimed they shared souls.

Epona cantered towards him and stopped with a snort, she rubbed his torso with her powerful neck, he patted her and gave her one of the many sugar cubes he kept stored in his bag. She bobbed her head to show she wanted more, but unfortunately for her he was trying to cut back on her treat intake. Link petted her nose and slung the pronghorn on her back, he hopped in the saddle and had her walk back to the commune. There was no hurry and he didn't want to tire her out by making her gallop back with a large load.

He pulled out his bottle of safflina extract and rubbed it on his skin to protect it from the sun, he covered his neck and head with a scarf as it was an especially hot day today. There were a few clouds in the sky but they always just barely grazed the sun and didn't create any shade, he pulled out his canteen and sipped at the cool water.

Epona stopped in her tracks and pawed at the ground while snorting, she reared a few times and trotted in a circle. This was unusual behavior for her, she was not one to shy at coyotes or monsters, she had the bloodline of a purebred Dinrae horse which were well known for their unwavering bravery. He patted her in an attempt to calm her down, unfortunately she was beyond spooked. Getting off her was a difficult task with her stomping around but he managed to dismount safely. He hummed a tune at her that he used to hum when she was a foal, she shook her head and looked ready to bolt.

A strange mist appeared in the air, fog was a rare sight as there wasn't enough moisture for it to form, he'd only ever seen it after a heavy rainstorm. There was an ethereal feeling to it, he quickly realized this was not naturally forming. He pulled out his sword but he doubted that'd do much good against a cloud. There was a dark movement in the plumes, something in the air pressure changed and made him sick to his stomach. Despite how much he wanted to throw up he stood his ground and prepared for an attack.

A giant beast showed itself, it seemed to be half flesh half fog. It was pure black with red droplets oozing out of sides, they sizzled when they hit the ground. The eyes, or what he guessed were eyes were a blinding orange and they looked like they belonged to an intelligent being. The beast licked its snout with its long black tongue, it took a step forward and the earth trembled. Link kept his sword trained on it even though he was positive whatever he was seeing wasn't a killable thing.

"Put that stick down, Child of Light." it commanded in a deep raspy voice, fire flickered on its body as it spoke, "Will you not hear my tale?" Link stared at it in wonder as the form continued to ooze and shift, he lowered his weapon slightly but he didn't trust this spirit in the slightest. He'd never seen a spirit before but that's what this thing had to be. He was taught that spirits would often guide people when they were lost but this one didn't exactly look friendly and kind.

"Now there's a good child. That stick of yours would be no match for me." it hissed the last part out and continued, "I am a spirit of Din's Chosen, my vessels are split in two. One rejects me while the other holds me captive, you must free me from the false vessel who keeps me imprisoned." Link took a step back, he wondered if Epona could outrun this demon. "I must warn you now there are dire consequences if you do not do this, you will lose everything dear to you."

More shapes formed in the mist; Lesinea on fire, people being slain by monsters, Epona being pecked at by vultures. There were unfamiliar places being demolished by a wave of black smoke, great forests cut down and lakes of blood aplenty. The apparitions ceased and all that remained was the dark spirit, it looked down at him with contempt.

"This will be your future if you don't heed my words. Do this one simple task, defeat the false king and you will be spared of this future." the spirit vanished with those last words and he became aware he'd been holding his breath in. There were no remaining signs of the spirit, the fog was gone and the sand that seemed to melt from the fire was back to normal. He wondered for a moment if he imagined it, but Epona was still spooked. Link went to her and calmed her down, he wanted to get out of there as soon as humanly possible. Lesinea soon came into sight and one of his fellow guard members waved at him as he rode by.

The butcher wasn't too far, he dropped off the antelope carcass and washed his hands in the provided sink. He took Epona to the stable and took care of her, a small stone managed to wedge itself into her hoof, thankfully she made no fuss when he yanked it out with tweezers. She knickered and Link spent extra time petting her in the shade. Thankfully it seemed she was fine now and completely recovered from the strange encounter.

Eventually he put Epona into the pasture and made his way to the marketplace, there was food abound and he had a handful of rupees that were begging to be spent. There were curries, kabobs, fresh fruits, and a large selection of pastries. He ended up buying a roasted goat stick and a couple different fruit pies. People greeted him when he walked past, he tried his best to wave back but it was hard with full hands. He solved this problem by sitting and eating the kabob, it was tender and perfectly seasoned.

With his hands a little less full he traveled to the training grounds, he hoped to give the wildberry pie to Riku but she was busy training a group of beginners how to use a sword. She glanced at him and he pointed at the pie while setting it down on her bag of supplies, she nodded and gave him a thumbs up. The rest of the pies he brought back to his room, he devoured the apple one and left the rest on the counter to be eaten later.

His dog lazily thumped her tail on the floor and looked at him with expectant eyes, he couldn't say no to that look and fished her a piece of jerky from his bag. She devoured it and stretched on the floor. Her gray muzzle showed her age, nowadays she spent most of her time being spoiled inside, he didn't want to strain her by going on too many hunts and patrols. He scratched her ears before putting his things away.

There were unfletched arrows strewn about, along with some dirty clothes that needed to be cleaned. He rounded up the clothes and shoved them into a basket, he brought them to the river and scrubbed them. Waiting for them to dry wasn't exactly thrilling, he wandered around and decided to go into the auditorium, the younger kids should be practicing their instruments and he always enjoyed hearing them play. He sat in the rafters and whittled a few sticks with a small knife he always kept in his pocket. It helped take his mind off of things, he wondered if he should tell his dad about the spirit or if he would be laughed at for daydreaming.

Today's practice was nice, the kids were improving more and more each week. He made himself comfortable and yawned. It had been a long day and he was tired from the hunt earlier, he didn't even feel himself falling asleep. A few hours passed by the time he woke up, alarmingly there was no longer the sound of music playing, instead there were a bunch of adults arguing with each other. He quickly realised this was a council meeting.

He carefully climbed down the rafters and froze behind the stage curtain when he picked up bits and pieces from what they were talking about.

"-doing well this year, happy to report this was the largest wheat harvest in twenty years. And what of our horses this year?"

"All of our mares have already foaled, Gerudo City bought most of them." Link recognized this voice as his old horsemanship teacher, "However we did have a theft of two prized stallions, one was recovered from a Hylian found hiding in the wastelands. The other one's whereabouts are unknown."

"This problem is getting out of hand," a different member said, Link didn't recognize her voice, "there are more reports of Hylian spies, some have managed to sneak their way into the cities. Even now their armies line up at the border of Centrailia City, it's only a matter of time until they invade the free lands."

"We have to be more thorough then, we can't trust any of them. I propose we work with the cities to conduct a search for the Hylians and weed them out before they have a chance to strike."

Link had enough of it, he quietly made his escape and snuck out through the back entrance. He hurried to his room and ignored everyone in sight, he sat on his bed and shoved a pillow in his face. His origins were no secret, he knew where he was from and he was easy to pick from a crowd. There were a few times when someone would refer to him as a Hylian when their backs were turned, many assumed he was deaf so they didn't realize he didn't need to read lips to understand them. It was never anyone from the Adinaya house, it shouldn't hurt then, but it still felt like a dagger to his heart when it happened.

At the meeting his aunts and dad didn't say anything, why was that? They should have been the first ones to shut that topic down, but they didn't. He pressed against the pillow and squeezed it. Would they want to kick him out? He was Gerudo, this life was the only life he knew, but it seemed not all would agree with that. He wondered if it would be best for everyone if he left. Riku wouldn't have to worry about juggling her studies, work, and hanging out with him. His dad could focus on his job. It wasn't like he contributed that much, he was merely average. Maybe the fog spirit was right, he had to leave before he caused any more trouble.

He tossed the pillow aside and searched his room for stray rupees, he found 60 which wasn't an impressive amount but he was certain that'd be enough to go on for a while. He shoved a fresh pair of clothes in his bag along with two canteens of water, a handful of dried meats, the pies he bought earlier, and a slate with some chalk. He shoved a pillow under his blankets to make it look like he was sleeping and left his room behind.

He paused when he walked by the bookshelf and stared at a portrait of his dad and him that had been painted when he was a young child. This was crazy, he didn't know what had gotten into him, a fog settled in his mind and his hand tingled like he slept on it wrong. Something told him he had to go, a gut feeling was instructing him to travel north. He grabbed the picture and shoved it into his bag.

He rubbed his head and felt the cool metal of his circlet, he took it off and looked at it. The ruby was as shiny as it was the day he got it, the copper was in near pristine condition save for a few minor scratches that came mostly from rough housing. His hands trembled, surely this wasn't the answer and he was overacting. No, another part of him supplied, he had to leave. Leaving was the only way to solve this problem. He set the circlet down on the table, it no longer belonged to him.

Sneaking around the commune during this time of day was easy, the residents were typically eating dinner at this time and socializing in the market. No one was at the stables, Epona happily trotted to him when she spotted him near the gate. He quickly put her tack on and placed his bag in her saddlebags, she snorted indignantly and stomped until he offered her a treat.

The trickiest part was leaving without the patrols seeing him, fortunately being a guard himself meant he knew the routes and times they took. He guided Epona through a trail of bushes and went the long way around the commune, the front was more guarded as that is where any enemies would come from rather than behind.

Whenever he tried to think if what he was doing was rational, there was something that pushed those thoughts away. If he didn't do this then his home would be destroyed, he couldn't have that on his conscience. He rode forward with only one goal in mind; go north.

This part of the desert was unfamiliar to him, he rode past a few lone lizalfos that thankfully ignored him. They were creatures that for the most part kept to themselves unless provoked. He stopped beneath a small grouping of trees to let Epona rest, he leaned against the trunk and watched the sun slowly sink on the golden horizon.

Travelling at night was the safer option, despite many monsters and predators being nocturnal, he preferred having to deal with them instead of the scorching day heat. It was a full moon so it was fairly easy to navigate around, he avoided the main road the best he could and went straight north. He thought he saw a wolf trailing him but when he stopped to look for it he saw nothing, maybe he was finally losing his mind.

Gerudo City was between him and Centrailia City, being discovered would spell disaster for him, there were too many people looking for Hylian spies and he knew they would treat finding him in a 'shoot first ask questions later' manner.

He knew what to look for and stayed far away from torch lights, he did his best to lead Epona behind shrubs and cacti to stay hidden. They trudged on until the sun rose, vultures circled nearby and landed far away on an unseen carcass. He stopped near a shrub and rested, Epona grazed on the brown grass. The water level in the canteen was dangerously low, he pulled out a piece of tough jerky and slowly chewed on it. In hindsight he should have packed more supplies but he was sure he could make the trip in one night, obviously that wasn't the case.

Gerudo City was behind him, he knew that much, he was over halfway to his destination. He saw a cloud of dust rise into the air and motioned at Epona to lay down, she loyally obeyed and was somewhat hidden in the foliage. Link peeked through the leaves and saw two Gerudo guards racing their horses, they were here for leisure not business so they weren't on the hunt for intruders, he would be safe for now.

Sleeping in the wilderness was easier than he thought it would be. Epona proved to be a wonderful pillow and the plants protected him from the sun. When dusk came he deemed it safe to continue on his journey. Epona knickered and shook her head when prodded, she had never been this far away from home, he felt bad for bringing her out of her comfort zone.

Insects chirped and buzzed when he rode by them, a desert fox darted by them to feast on the bugs, Epona showed no signs of spooking. The terrain changed from loose sand to compacted dirt, not unlike the scrublands back home. The only difference was the massive pillars of rocks and cliffsides. These must be the highlands, he was getting closer to his destination.

It only took an hour of calm riding until he saw the soft glow of city lights in the sky. He could see the tall buildings already from where he stood along with the massive canyon Centrailia City was famously built into. All around him was farmland filled with crops and grazing sheep.

He urged Epona into a brisk canter, he patted her neck and quietly promised to give her all the treats she could possibly want when they reached their destination. There was nothing dividing the city from the desert, no guards, no walls, no watchtowers. People were free to come and go as they pleased, at least from this direction. The canyon side was a different story, there was a massive wall separating New Hylia and Centrailia City.

Link made sure his ears were tucked in his hair and covered by a green bandana. A few people passed him when he veered onto the cobblestone path leading into the city, none of them paid him any mind. There was a sign welcoming travelers, the torches were lit with a strange blue fire. The sides of the road had luminous stone barriers, the road itself had smaller glowing pebbles that created intricate designs in the pathway.

He stuck to the outskirts and found a bare building to lean against, he was too tired to do anything else and he didn't want to explore the city this late at night. Epona stomped her foot and rubbed her neck against the wall, Link gave her the last sugar cube from his bag. She settled down and stood in place, Link trusted her to not wander off and he soon fell asleep.

It was an undisturbed sleep, he awoke at noon and was pleased his horse was still in place, she must be terribly hungry. He needed to find someplace safe to keep and feed her, he rode her around the outskirts of the city until he found a stable. It didn't look dingy and there was lush green grass in the pasture. A throat clearing behind him startled him and he turned his head to see a middle aged man, presumably the owner of the stable looking at him.

"Can I help you?" he asked politely, Link dismounted and nodded.

'Can you sign?' he made the motions slowly but the man just squinted his eyes and frowned.

"Sorry kid I'm not fluent."

With a displeased sigh Link dug into his bag and grabbed his chalkboard, he was glad he thought to bring it. He scrawled out a question and asked how much it was to board for a week, he showed the man the board expectantly.

"50 rupees for a week." he replied and Link's heart sank, that would only leave him with ten rupees and there was no way he'd be able to survive on that. The man must have seen his hopeless expression and decided to take pity on him. "Are you new here, any family in the area?" Link simply nodded and then shook his head. "Are you good with horses?" Link enthusiastically nodded his head and wrote that he helped breed and raised horses. "I've been looking for a good stablehand, tell you what, work for me for a week and we'll see how well things are going then."

Link signed a thank you and then bowed, he couldn't believe his luck.

"Go on and take care of your horse, meet me back in my office so we can go over some things." Link nodded and led Epona towards the stable. He took her saddle off and placed it on one of the empty hooks, she also received a well earn brushing. Once she was taken care of he released her into the pasture to rest and eat. He went back towards the office which seemed to have been a house at one point.

He took a seat in the chair while the man finished looking at some papers.

"The name's Mika, what should I call you?" Link wrote his name and showed it to Mika. "Alright Link, here's how things will go. You'll be in charge of the basics; cleaning up the stalls, feeding, polishing tack and making sure the horses are put away at night. Later on I may have you run errands for me. In turn you will receive five rupees per day, you will have food and lodging provided to you. Do we have a deal?"

Link had no issues with that and nodded, he was extremely grateful for this kindness. Five rupees wasn't a lot by any means but he was being fed and given a place to sleep so he couldn't really complain. The fact Epona had a safe place to stay was the most important thing to him. This arrangement would do nicely.

"I already took care of the chores before you showed up, come on I bet you're starving." Indeed he was hungry, he longed for something that wasn't tough strips of dried meat. He followed Mika up the stairs which is where the kitchen and bedrooms seemed to be located. On the wood stove was a pot with a delicious smelling soup inside. He never had soup like this before, it had a tomato base and the spices used were none he ever had before. Honestly he couldn't tell if he liked it or not but he was appreciative nonetheless.

On the walls he noticed a few medals on display and yellowed drawings strewn about, there were a couple vases filled with purple flowers on the counter and end tables. Overall it was a nice home, if a bit lonely. He wasn't used to houses that homed only one small family, that was something he was going to have to get used to.

"Since you're new here, it might be good to show you around so you don't get lost. You up for a stroll? You can ride one of my horses to let yours rest." Link nodded and they went into the pasture to grab two appaloosa horses, his was a stumpy looking gelding. They trotted on the main road and Link took in the sights.

The buildings were all built in different time periods, some were made of mud bricks while others were carved out of granite and marble. Insignias from all of Hyrule's races could be found carved decoratively on most of the trimwork, all sorts of people walked around. He even saw a Rito, he only heard about them in passing as they tended to not travel south of Gerudo City.

It was incredible how large the city was, it was far more vast than Lesinea. In the northern part of the city the large walls separating Centrailia and New Hylia could be seen, it appeared to be made of a dark stone. He shuddered thinking about what lay beyond the border, he pushed the creeping thought of the dark spirit out of his mind.

A shout snapped him out of his thoughts, a boy maybe a couple years older than himself tore through the streets. He was barefoot and was being chased down by a trio of elegantly dressed guards on massive horses. Link recognized their insignia, it was New Hylia's. The boy found himself surrounded in a matter of seconds, one jumped off and pinned him to the ground. He was quickly detained and the entourage rode out of sight.

"New Hylia guards are often allowed to enter the city if there's a report of a Hylian runaway," Mika explained sternly, "doesn't happen often but it's best to keep your head down and your nose out of trouble regardless." Link looked at him with surprise, he felt his head to make sure the bandana was still covering his hair and ears and indeed it was. "I'm no fool, you looked like a lost puppy wandering around the place, anyone would have pegged you as a non-native immediately. You're lucky I was the first person you stumbled upon."

Link took note of that, he was going to have to try a lot harder at fitting in. They continued travelling and he tried his best to memorize the layout of the buildings and streets. The marketplace was in the center with the college district being in the northeastern parts and more businesses being in the southwest.

"I know I don't control your decisions but it would make me feel better if you didn't go out on your own until you know your way around."

Link nodded in agreement, he didn't want to risk anything. The two headed back and Link was shown his room, it was a little bit bigger than his old one. The bed had piles of blankets, there was a stack of books shoved against the wall along with some trophies of varying placements. The name Loren was carved into one of the small gold plates.

Despite the comfortable bed he had a hard time falling asleep, he felt guilty about running away. He wondered how people back home were reacting or if they even noticed if he was missing. He felt bad but what he did was ultimately the right thing, he could never live with himself if Lesinea was burned to the ground.

Over the course of the week Link went right to work taking care of the stable, the horses were happy with the attention he kept providing them. The only time he ventured away from the stable was when he went with Mika as per his request, he enjoyed going with him to pick up groceries to just simply take everything in. Slowly he grew accustomed to the layout and could confidently find his way to the market and back.

At the end of one week Link enjoyed a roasted duck lunch, this arrangement was amazing and he hoped he had done a decent job. It turned out he far exceeded expectations, his pay was bumped to ten rupees per day. Mika was happy with his work and was glad he wished to stay. Link even went to the market on his own to buy a 'thank you' pastry for him to show his appreciation.

Though guilt still ate at him, it no longer took hold of him. He accepted it was necessary and did his best to move on from it, he knew it would take time to heal that wound. The spirit did not make its presence known nor was there any news of Gerudo cities being attacked, this must mean he pleased the spirit enough for it to leave everyone alone.

Life moved on and all wounds healed with time. He found things to do and occupy his mind when he wasn't busy with work, he often went to a nearby library to read. Sometimes he'd play card games with Mika, other times he simply hung out with the horses. It was simple work but it was better than being a poor beggar on the side of the street.

He grew to love and appreciate the city, there was always something new to discover. He found an interesting library in the college district but was told by a stranger passing that it was run by some crazy conspiracy theorist so he steered clear of it and by doing so he found his new favorite food stand that served authentic Gerudo food. As much as he appreciated Mika providing him meals he did miss the taste of the food he grew up with. Link even decided to buy the appropriate ingredients to make a Gerudo meal for his boss. Guardian? Link wasn't sure which Mika qualified was. Link felt like it was probably similar to an apprenticeship, when he was younger he knew plenty of Gerudo went to Centrailia City as apprentices to learn a trade, though they didn't really do that anymore.

While this was not where he expected to end up he was glad the outcome was nice. The city was large and filled with things to do. As long as he stayed clear of the New Hylia soldiers he would be fine. Everything was going to be fine.