Chapter One

He was the kindest lad you could ever meet. His name was simply Dorf. He was easily the strongest in his village. He used his strength to help his village. He was a humble man. If anyone ever needed something done, he was always the first to volunteer a helping hand. Never did he seek reward, though he would accept if offered. At first glance, one might think this was a lad who had earned nothing but good things. But upon closer inspection, one would find that his life had been touched by tragedy.

Dorf's mother and father had died shortly after he had been born. Dorf never got to know his parents. Monsters had attacked their village. Many were injured, but in an attempt to protect their newborn, Dorf's parents were murdered. Graciously, the entire village treated him like family. Every village child was his sibling and every village adult was his aunt and uncle. The village was the reason he grew up to be the man he was. No bitterness against the monsters laid within his heart. No desire to take action against any creature that had done him harm rest within his mind. He was peaceful and loving. He only sought to help those he could. If he had any selfish desire at all, it was to remain in peace in his village. However, the fates would not allow for a peaceful life. The gods had other plans for him.

The time came when he began having nightmares. They were vivid. They left him with a cold sweat. The nightmare consisted of a backdrop of flames. One creature stood in the center of these flames. He was monstrous. However, he was silhouetted. No description could be made other than his size. His size was tremendous. Every night, Dorf would dream the same dream. Each night, the dream was more vivid. Every time the dream came, Dorf found himself closer to the creature. Eventually, he was right up close to the being, but still, no detail of the thing's face was evident.

One day, Dorf was reaping the Autumn harvest for the village. Soon, Crestin would arrive to bring the goods to the Castle Town Market where he would sell and buy what the town needed. Crestin arrived just as Dorf finished loading the carts with the harvest. "Dorf, I'm so sorry I'm late. I should have been here to help you but I've got some bad news!"

Dorf looked up at his friend. "Bad news? What's wrong?"

"Dina is having contractions. She may give birth soon!"

Dorf was both puzzled and joyous at the same time. "She's going to give birth? That's wonderful! How is that 'bad news?'"

"You see, I can't leave her now. I need to be here in the village to take care of her! She is my wife after all!"

Dorf got a glimmer of where this might be going. "But, the harvest – Castle Town Market - you're supp-"

"I know, I know. But I can't leave. I just can't. I need to ask you to deliver the harvest. I'll make a list of prices so you'll know how much to sell things for, and I'll make a list of what we need you to buy."

Dorf was shocked. "You…you do know I've never left the village before, right?"

"Yes. Yes I do. But this will be good experience for you. You can take my horse. She's young and the cart is very sturdy, so you can ride swiftly without the cart breaking off. You won't have to worry about any monsters attacking you. But just to give you peace of mind, I'll loan you my sword and shield as well as a map of Hyrule. It's only a day's journey, so if you leave bright and early tomorrow, you won't have to camp out at night."

Dorf was frightened to say the least, however, he had never turned down a request for help before. Dorf's mind scrambled. Oh boy…I've never left the villag before, nor do I want to…but Crestin needs my help…We could find someone else to do it…but… Of those who have heard this story, some say that the first glimpse of pride in young Dorf's life surfaced at this moment. "Yes. Yes I will take the job."

Crestin smiled. "I'm glad. Thank you so much Dorf! Stop by later today to pick up my sword and shield. I'll give you the map tomorrow." And with that, Crestin was off to see his wife.

Dorf turned to walk back to his house. I'm probably gonna regret this…

On his way, he was stopped by a young girl. "Dorf!"

Dorf turned to see her. "Artisa!"

"Dorf, hi! Why do you look so worried?"

"Worried? I'm not worried. What would I be worried for?"

"I don't know. You just look a little worried. Is everything OK?"

Dorf smiled at his friend. He had always had a soft spot for Artisa. She really did care about him. She was the only one who knew about his nightmares and she had been working with him to find the source of the nightmares. "Artisa, trust me. Absolutely nothing is wrong. I'm fine."

"Not another nightmare I hope?"

"No. Not another nightmare. Everything is okay."

"Alright. So I was talking with some of the younger kids and they were talking about a picnic of sorts. We're going to have one tomorrow at noon. I'd be honored if you would join us." Artisa used the word "honored" with a hint of sarcasm. The two were always looking for an excuse to spend time together, however, neither one of them wanted to seem desperate for the other one's company, so the village children usually became their excuses to spend time together.

Dorf was about to graciously accept the invitation when he remembered his obligations to Crestin. "I would love to. However, I promised Crestin I would deliver the goods to Castle Town Market tomorrow. I'll be buying and selling for the next few days."

Artisa was stunned. "But you've never traveled outside of the village before!"

"I know Artisa, but I'll be fine! I'll be armed and I'll have a map! What could go wrong?"

"A monster could catch you, you've never held a sword before so you wouldn't be a huge threat to anyone who comes your way. And map or no map, you've never traveled before. Dorf it's dangerous!"

Dorf thought for a moment. She has some good points. I'm sure someone else would be willing to do this… But that pride swelled up a little more in him. With a desire to impress Artisa, he responded with "Listen to me. I'll be gone for a few days and then I'll be back. No worries. Okay?"

Artisa could sense a hint of fear in his voice. She knew he didn't fully believe what he was saying, but he was determined to do this. "Fine Dorf. Go on ahead. But just be careful. Okay?"

Dorf smiled and agreed to be careful. He went home to take his rest.

That night, the nightmare occurred again. There was more to it this time. Dorf found himself face-to-face with the creature before him. The creature's face was in a clearer light now. His skin was tinted green. Orange hair bordered the being's face and a hard, evil grin was positioned above the its square jaw. The thing grabbed Dorf by the neck and held him high in the air. The monster tightened it's grip as Dorf struggled to get free. With a deep voice, the creature uttered Dorf's name. The shock that this being knew his name was enough to jolt Dorf out of his bed. Covered in sweat, Dorf sat up and began to tremble. "What's happening to me?"