Chapter 1: City of Honey Colored Water

Epona walked along the moonlit dirt road at a steady pace. Link, now seventeen years old, was sitting on top of her in a drowsy state. It had been four years since Link had defeated the evil mask, Majora. They had left the land of Termina soon after, but never returned to Hyrule. Link still had hope that he could find his lost friend, Navi.

Link didn't take much with him when he left Termina. He had the Mirror Shield with him. Link had always admired its design. While the gloomy face on the shield crept most people out, he thought that it looked rather cool. He also had his Gilded Sword, although the blade had once been the weak Kokiri Sword. During his adventure in Termina it had been upgraded into the Razor Sword, and then into the Gilded Sword. After he had helped save a Great Fairy, she had given him the magic ability to temporarily transform the Gilded Sword into the massive Great Fairy's Sword. Big as it was, it felt light as a feather. However, it would quickly drain his magic power.

He also had his hookshot, the Lens of Truth, Ocarina of Time, pictograph box, and a magical mask. He had once had many masks, but he had given most them all up just to get a single, certain mask. He had once carried with him the Deku, Goron, and Zora masks; however, after the defeat of Majora, the souls in the mask were finally granted piece. The mask he carried with him now was one of great and terrible dark power, the Fierce Deity Mask. Whether the power was evil, Link didn't know, but it was obvious the power was of dark origins. The power of the mask had only ever worked during his fight with Majora. Afterward, every time he wore it, it did nothing. Yet, whenever he looked at the mask, he could almost feel the power of darkness pulsing from it. He had only kept the mask so it wouldn't land in the wrong hands.

Link let out a loud yawn, and had Epona stop walking. They moved a little ways off of the road and began to set up camp for the night. Link took the tent that was strapped to Epona's saddle and began setting it up. Once finished, he unequipped his weapons; and took off his tunic, chain mail suit (a reward he had been given a while back for protecting a travelling merchant caravan), and boots, leaving him in just his white under clothes and socks. He was hungry, but was too tired to fix anything. Link crawled inside the tent, and fell asleep almost immediately, the long grass underneath acting as the cushion he didn't have.

Link awoke very early the next morning; the sun hadn't even started rising. Crawling out of his tent, Link stretched while yawning loudly. Epona was sound asleep beside the tent. "It's still pretty early. Then again, I've always been a morning person. I'll just fix something to eat while I wait for Epona to wake up." Link began searching around in one of the saddle bags, and pulled out two pieces of bread and a jar of red Chu jelly. Using the little magic skill he possessed, he conjured up a small flame to toast the bread; afterward, he spread the jelly over it and began to eat.

Hours later, he and Epona were once again travelling the dirt road at a steady pace. Link pulled out a map that he had bought from a merchant in the last town he'd visited and studied it. The closest town was Derter, a city that rested by a lake whose water had supposedly been blessed by the Goddesses, giving the water a honey-like color. He estimated that they would reach the city by around nightfall.

"Hey kid, wake up! I ain't got all day!" Link awoke to the feeling of a light slapping on his face. He raised his head, and stared into the eyes of an impatient guard. "'Bout time you woke up! You want into the city, you have to pay a toll."

Link handed over twenty rupees without saying a word. Link never talked much. Unless it was somebody he knew well, he chose not say very much at all. He loathed his shyness, but there was nothing he could do about it.

The guard unlocked the city gates, and motioned him inside the city. "Horse stables are located left of the entry gates. I'm sorry, but horses are to be stationed here until you're prepared to leave. Don't worry, we have a stable hand who tends to the animals."

Link placed Epona in one of the stables, and then approached the guard. "Excuse me, sir, but could you point me towards the nearest inn?" "I can search for any leads in the morning," he thought.

"Aye, I can. Follow the left street all the way to the end. Once there, you'll see the Dragon Mug. It's both a bar and an inn. There's also the Gold Palace Hotel, but unless you're loaded, you'll never be able to afford a room there."

Link nodded his thanks and began walking through the dimly lit streets. He noticed that every house he passed was made of wood; even the sidewalk he was walking on was made of wood. Only the city walls weren't made of wood. "This town would be doomed should a fire start." However, he quickly noticed that it was Fairy Wood, a magical type of wood that grew in the Lost woods; it was fire proof. "Or maybe not."

The loud noise of the bar became silent immediately after Link entered. Every patron in the bar was staring at him; actually, they were staring at the gold sword on his back. Link began blushing deeply as his shyness began to kick in. "Oh, why do they have to stare at me like that? Haven't they ever seen an adventurer before?" He approached the bartender, whom he assumed was the owner of the building. "Excuse me, sir-"

"My name's Kent, runt." The bartender didn't look very friendly at all. He stood almost seven feet tall, was very muscular, and he was missing his left eye. Smoke from his cigar floated upwards into his long, thick, gray hair. Hanging on the wall behind him was a polished steel battle axe. "Whaddya want?"

"I was hoping you could rent me a ro-"

"Fifty rupees for one night, one-fifty for three, and three-fifty for seven. That's the way it is. No other options." Kent glared down at Link with his right blue eye, which had a small cataract.

Link handed over three orange rupees and one purple rupee. "I'll be staying a week, sir."

"Aye. Give me a minute to go get your room key. Be back in a few." Kent slid off of his stool and went into one of the back rooms. While waiting, Link took a glance around the bar. Their was about five tables, all of which were occupied by some gruff looking people. Most of them were either drunk, gambling, or both. Link noticed that almost all of them had a cutlass. "Pirates, maybe? This town is right next to both a large lake and the ocean."

"Here ya go, runt. Room Seven. All of my rooms fit two people. Somebody else already rented out the other bed, so looks like you'll have some company."

Link sighed with annoyance, and grabbed the key. "So much for some privacy..." Link began making his way up the stairs to the second floor. At the end of the hallway was Room Seven. He opened the door and was surprised to find the room empty. It was a plain looking room. Two large beds occupied one side of the room. A single light was dangling from the ceiling. On the other side were two wardrobes and a desk that was used for writing. In the center of the room lay a large rug made from the skin of a black bear.

Link removed his equipment, tunic, and chain mail; and then flopped down heavily on the soft bed. He fell asleep almost instantly.

Link awoke to a sharp poking on his right cheek. Being too sleepy to even think about what was causing the poking he carelessly smacked whatever it was away lightly. A few moments later the poker resumed its activity, causing Link to groan with agitation. He opened his blue eyes and looked into a pair of bright hazel eyes. Link let out a surprised yelp and rolled off of the bed. He quickly stood up an examined his attacker.

The girl looked to be about a year older than he, and had a mischievous grin on her pretty face. Her short, neck-length blond hair was a tangled mess, and all she wore was a white silk night gown. "Awww, did I wake you up? I'm sorry." It sounded like she had a Hylian accent.

Link sighed with annoyance. "Who are you, anyway?"

"The names Meliadoul Gustev, though most call me Mel. I'm the one who rented this room's other bed. And you are?"

"Link." Her questioning look was enough for Link to tell she wanted a last name. "Uhhh...Bewolve. Yeah, Link Bewolve," he lied. He never told anybody his real last name. He had never learned what it was himself.

"Link Bewolve, eh? So what brings a..." Her eyes landed on the Gilded Sword. "...simple adventurer such as yourself to this town?" She returned her questioning gaze to Link, who began looking else where. His shyness always gave him trouble when talking to pretty girls.

"I'm, uh, looking for somebody." He began looking out the window, watching the townspeople begin the morning chores and the children playing.

"Really? Where do you come from, stranger?" She moved to stand directly in front of Link and made eye contact, causing Link to blush deeply. She had that mischievous grin on her face again.

"U-um...The Hyrule Kingdom."

Meliadoul's hazel eyes lit up like fireworks. "Gosh awmighty, the Hyrule Kingdom!? That's all the way over on the other side of the damned continent! I was born there meself, but my family moved away when I was five." A look of sadness crossed her face, but it was quickly replaced with mischievous grin of hers. "So tell me, mate. Who's this friend 'o yours that your lookin' for?"

"Her name is Navi-"

"Ohhh, a woman, eh? Tell me, is she as good lookin' as meself, or does she not even come close to my level of supreme beauty?"

"W-what? W-well...I..." Link was speechless. "Oh man. I'm not used to situations like these."

Meliadoul let out a light chuckle. "Ah, I'm just messin' with ya, Link. Anyways, time for me to get dressed and go to work."

Link sighed with relief, but his face immediately turned a deep shade of red. "What are you doing!?" The girl had dropped the night gown and began dressing right in front of Link. He quickly averted his eyes back towards the window, only to see her reflection. He closed his eyes tightly.

"Eh? What's wrong? A good lookin' fella like you ain't never seen a naked woman before, that it?" She had an amused grin on her face.

"W-well..." Link quickly changed the subject. "Shouldn't you dress someplace more private?"

"Like where? The hallway, where that perverted bastard Kent could see me? This room doesn't have a changing room, ya know. Besides," she said with an amused grin, "You don't seem to mind, what with all the starin' you're doin'."

Link quickly realized that he was staring at her, and he wasn't looking at her face. He shut his eyes tightly, and his face felt as if it was on fire. He heard Meliadoul giggling at his embarrassment. "All right, Link, I'm done. See ya later, I reckon." Link opened his eyes, but she was gone before he could see her.

"What a weird way to start the morning," he thought. Link quickly got dressed and left the room. When he reached the bar, he noticed how different it was from the night before. Instead of rowdy pirates gambling away their money he saw families sitting at the tables eating breakfast and preparing for the day's events. "Maybe this place acts as a restaurant during the day and a rowdy bar at night...I'm starving."

Link made his way to one of the tables and took a seat. The waitress, a red head girl who looked a year or two younger than he, came over to him with a menu in her hands. "Good morning, sir! What can I...get...for...you?" Her eyes landed on Link's hat.

Link, however, didn't notice her staring and began looking at the menu. He didn't recognize a single meal on the menu. "I'll have the, uh...um..." His eyes landed on what looked like some sort of red jellow. "Some of this...stuff." He looked at what the name of it was. "Spicy Chu Jelly and Bell Peppers? Ewww...I changed my mind, I don't want that. How about the, ummm...Okay, I honestly don't recognize a single meal on this menu."

He heard the girl giggling at him. "Hey, it's not funny! I've never been to this kingdom before and-"

"Link! Don't you recognize me?" The young girl sat down across from Link and stared him right in the eyes.

"Whoa, no way! Cremia!?" Link stared dumb-founded at the beautiful woman in front of him. "Wow...It seems like she hasn't aged a bit. If only I were seven years older..."

"NO, STUPID!!! I'm her younger sister, Romani! How could you think that I was that grouchy old hag!?" Her cheerful smile was now a fierce glare.

"Oh...Sorry, Romani. Gosh, you look exactly like your sister." Link noticed that that only caused her glare to intensify. "Darn it. I forgot that she always hated the fact that I had a crush on her sister. I better come up with something fast." He chuckled nervously before saying, "Of course, you don't look exactly like your sister. You're much more prettier than she was at that age." In a flash, Romani's death glare was replaced with a cheerful smile.

"Yeah, that's what I thought." Unlike her older sister, Romani never bothered trying to cover up her country girl accent. Hear one word from her and you could easily tell that she was a country girl. "So, what brings you all the way out here, Link?" Also unlike her sister, Romani was a tomboy. She always dressed in plain clothes, nothing fancy like what her older sister wore. She wore very little make-up, and the only jewelry she wore were a pair of copper earings and a plain copper ring with a green rupee in it.

"I'm still searching for that friend of mine." Before he had left Termna, he had said good-bye to the ranch girls, and told them of his reasons for travelling. "An old oracle I met two years ago told me of a fairy spring that is home to the Queen of Fairies. According to him, once a fairy accomplishes its mission they always return to their queen. This fountain is my destination."

Romani had an understanding look on her face. "I see. I hope you find her someday. Where is this fountain located?"

"Supposedly, it's hidden in a cave somewhere on a gigantic mountain called Evray, which lies on the southern tip of the continent."

"Mt. Evray. I've heard stories of it back in Termina. It's supposed to be twice as big as Snowhead, and it's the nesting ground of many ferocious dragons." A worried look came over her face as she imagined Link getting swallowed by a fat dragon.

"So what brings you all the way out here, Romani?"

"My sister married Captain Viscen. Then she got super lucky and won the town lottery. She decided to sell the ranch and move out here to live in the big city. We've been living here for three years now." A sad and depressed look crossed her face. "I don't like it here at all. Instead of spending all day with animals I have to work here as waitress. The fact that my boss is a dirty old perv doesn't make things any easier."

"You mean that Kent guy?" She nodded. "He seemed like a complete jerk when I spoke to him last night. Want me to beat him up for you?" Link joked.

She laughed and shook her head. "Nah, I need to keep my job, or else the wicked witch will complain about me becoming a lazy girl that will die young and fat." Her face expressed anger; she was obviously thinking of her sister again.

Link began thinking of a way to try and cheer her back up.She obviously hadn't been on good terms with her sister since she sold the ranch. "So, uh, ever had to protect the cows from any more aliens?" Maybe talking about the ranch would cheer her up.

It did. "You better believe it, son! Those last three years at the ranch were tough on me, I tell ya. Fending of them aliens without your help was rough! Cremia still never chose to believe me about them, though. Every time I mentioned them she'd start squakin' like a wet cuckoo, going on about how I was going insane or somethin'. Link, I just got an idea. Take Cremia to your Evray mountain and let her get swallowed by one of those big dragons." Romani was smiling mischievously. That was, until Kent stepped into the room.

"Romani baby, I ain't payin' you to chat! Get your fine ass back to work!" Link noticed Kent looking at Romani with a perverted and lustful stare. At that moment, Link wanted nothing more than the chance to run the pervert through with the Gilded Sword. He stared fiercely into Kent's eyes, silently warning him not to lay a hand on Romani. Kent just smirked and went back to his room.

Romani stood up from the table, smiling warmly. She had noticed how protective Link was. She was glad to have a good friend like him. "Okay, Linky boy, whatcha want to eat?"

Link glanced at the menu again. "Uhhh..."

"Ah, don't worry, I'll get you something good. It's my own specialty. And since you just acted as my knight in shiny armor, it's on the house!" Romani picked up the menu, and walked towards the building's kitchen.

While she was fixing her "specialty", Link began thinking about Kent. "If he harms her in any way," Link told himself, "I WILL kill him. Romani is one of the few friends that I have in this world. I won't let some damned pedophile harm her. A man that looks to be in his fifties having sexual thoughts about a fifteen year old girl. Damned sickening."

A few minutes later Romani was back carrying a plate full of delicious looking food. "The Romani Special," she said, laying the plate down in front of Link along with a large glass of milk. "Eat up, Linky boy."

Link immediately began pigging out. "Mmmm! Thish ish gewd! Where'd yew wearn to cook?" Link was both speaking and eating at the same time.

"What!? How dare you, you little..." Romani took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. She had always had a short temper. "Anyways, piggy-" Link blushed when he realized that he was eating like a pig. "-take this." She handed Link a folded piece of paper. "Those are directions to my house. Come over sometime. We haven't seen each other in years." With that said, she walked off and began tending to the other patrons.

After finishing his breakfast Link bid farewell to Romani (after giving her his hunting knife should Kent try anything), and then walked out onto the streets of Derter. He was going to stock up on supplies for when he continued his journey towards Mt. Evray. Link breathed the cool, fresh morning air in deeply, and began traversing the busy streets of Derter, the city of honey colored water.

---------------------------------

Author Note: Like the story? Hate it? Let me know in your reviews. Any sort of constructive criticism that could help me improve my writing skills is very wanted.