The Odyssey of Trent
                            by Sir Michael (eggersgb@compuserve.com)

     chapter 1

       North castle sat there on the mountain like a sentinel. Tall
     purple towers and a large drawbridge accented the monolithic
     structure. It had taken builders twenty years to construct the
     castle and the building had stood on the hill for centuries. Many
     righteous kings ruled over the vast island of Hyrule. Some were
     better than others. Some ruled longer. But each eventually turned
     power over to the next of kin. Most did it through a ceremony of
     ritual. Harkinian, Hyrule's current king, would do it through
     death....his own death.

       Lightning flashed over the castle. Thunder and rain accompanied
     it.

      A heavy rain, one that came down in sheets, pounding on trees
     and roofs alike. The thunder cracked the air like a glass jar
     shattering on a rock. It had rained for only a few hours, since
     sundown. Strangely enough, as the rain poured harder, Harkinian
     grew more and more ill.



       His malady had started abruptly. A slight headache that evolved
     into a fever and dizziness. He refused the doctors suggestion
     that he should retire. It seemed wrong of him to lie down for a
     mere fever. But as the hours passed he grew unable to think and
     found himself sitting in bed.

       "Sire", an aid informed, "your breathing is becoming raspy and
     irregular. How do you feel?" Harkinian felt his forehead with the
     back of his hand.

       "I'm a bit hot and...and...", rasped the king. He tossed his
     head about, mumbled a few words and motioned for the aid to come
     closer. "Bring my daughter to me at once."



       The aid obeyed and several minutes later he reappeared with a
     beautiful young lady who was very much pregnant. She walked
     briskly to the ailing king and took his hand.

       "Daddy?", she whispered. Harkinian looked blearily at her.

       "Zelda, my daughter. I fear my night is drawing near." his
     breathing shortened and he coughed several times. "It is
     imparative that you keep order and safety in the kindom when I
     pass." Zelda shook her head as tears welled up in her eyes.

       "No", she sniffed softly, "no you won't die. I won't let you."

       "You have no choice. You must grow up and accept what you have
     denied for years.", the king rasped painfully. A young man of
     Zelda's age walked slowly into the room, followed by a small
     fairy. They stepped up to the king.

       "Your majesty.", he nodded. Harkinian managed a grimacing
     smile.

       "Ah Link. You came, good. I am pleased that you are the one who
     married my daughter. Keep her safe, and stay by her side through
     all things. If there comes a time where she cannot rule my
     kingdom..." Harkinian removed an emerald ring from his hand and
     placed it on Link's. "...you must take her place as the king. Do
     you understand and promise me?" Link nodded in obedience. The
     fairy flew up to the kings face.

       "And me?", she chirped.

       "Spryte, you will watch over my grandchildren when I am gone.
     Their safety is your responsability.", he croaked. The fairy
     stared back in pure awe. A mighty task for such a small creature.



       Several minutes of silence followed. Only the pouring rain made
     any sound. Then Zelda looked up. Her father had stopped
     breathing. She took his limp hand in hers, she knew. She was
     about to weep when a feeling of horror came over her face. It
     wasn't the horror of knowing that her father was dead. It was a
     horror of knowing what the ancient scrolls had said would come
     next.

       She began to run clumsily towards the door but collapsed
     screaming halfway there. Link ran over to her.

       "Zelda! Zelda, what is it baby?!"

       He found her doubled over on the stone floor clutching at
     herself as if she had been punched squarely in the stomach. She
     was crying openly and randomly the cry would elevate into a
     scream of pain.

       "Spryte...", Link barked, "GET IMPA NOW!"

       Spryte flew out of the room and down into the courtyard. She
     knew where Impa's hut was and flew into an open window. To
     Spryte's surprise, Impa had already gathered her medical bag and
     was running out the door to the king's bedroom. Spryte followed.



       The door to the king's room burst open and Impa ran in,
     followed by Spryte. Without a word she knelt next to the sobbing
     princess and placed a hand on her swollen womb.

       "The prophecies are true. The child is angered. It yearns for
     order and justice. It pleads for freedom from its world into ours
     and calls for revenge against its eternal enemy, GANON..." Impa
     looked into Link's eyes. "Pick up your wife and follow me to your
     room." Link did as the ancient woman told and gathered his
     agonizing mate into his arms. They proceeded into he and Zelda's
     bedroom where he gently layed her down on the bed. Impa
     reapproaced the princess.

       "The child will be born within the hour. You must now leave
     Link.", the old woman commanded.



       He and Spryte slowly backed away and left the room, closing the
     door behind themselves. With emotions tearing at him like a lion,
     Link ran out into the courtyard and the storming rain and
     thunder, which had by now turned into a near hurricane. He
     clenched is fists and roared up into the thundering sky, venting
     his anger and fear to the gods. The rain and wind blew harder and
     he screamed louder, daring it to confront him. The lightning and
     thunder cracked the heavens. Link didn't care. He yelled and
     screamed, all the while calling for a challange from the oblivion
     of existance.



       Suddenly, a cry pierced the thunder and wind. Link stopped
     yelling and listened. The cry continued, but it wasn't Zelda. In
     fact, it was a cry which he hadn't heard in years. Not since he
     was a young boy had Links ears been approached by such a sound.
     It was the sound...of a newborn child. Link raced back into the
     castle and up to his room. The door burst open and he rushed over
     to the bed. To his amazement, he found Impa by the window,
     washing her hands in a wooden bowl full of water. In bed was
     Zelda, smiling wearly and cradling a small bundle of linen. He
     knew what it was

       Link looked down at the baby as tears began to stream down his
     cheeks. Zelda looked up at him. She was exhaused and ached all
     over. She held up the squirming baby to Link. He gently took the
     newborn into his arms and held it close.

       "This is our son.", the princess whispered. Link couldn't
     believe it. He was holding Hyrule's future in his arms.

       "Hello there, little one.", he cooed.



                            ********************



       The sun shone out onto the castle. It was quite a beautiful
     day. People in the market were selling their wares. Members of
     the castle cleaned and tidied up the rooms. Out in the stables,
     the horses were being groomed and shod. And everyone was anxious
     to see the new addition to the royal family.



       Up in a tower of the castle, the queen of Hyrule, Zelda, was
     slowly rocking her newborn son back and forth in the rocking
     chair which had been in the family for generations. The rocking
     seemed to sooth the child who laid there in her arms sleeping. On
     the back of his right hand was a birthmark in the shape of the
     Triforce. At first Zelda thought that the birthmark meant
     something, but then she decided that it was only a coincindence.



       Zelda was troubled. She still did not know what to call the
     child. It had been only a week since the baby's birth and yet
     Zelda and the child's father, Link, had not thought of a name.
     Not one seemed to suit him. There was some thing different about
     the baby. She couldn't put her finger on it but it was something.
     Still she was thankful for her son's existance.

       All of her life Zelda had dreamed of having children. But she
     had never found a propor suiter to whom she could marry. Princes
     came and went but none seemed appropriate. Oddly enough she
     always thought that she WOULD marry a handsome prince and he
     would become the king. Never did it cross her mind to marry a
     farmboy/adventurer.



       Zelda walked over to the shimmering crystal pyramid which
     hovered above its marble pedestal. She took her baby's hand and
     touched it to the surface of the object. The green crystal glowed
     brighter and the hum eminating from it raised in volume. Then the
     crystal spoke. The voice was soothing and feminine.

     'I am the Triforce, Hear my voice throughout the kingdom. I give
     the words of courage, power and wisdom. Your child will rule this
     land someday, But only after being raised by others far away.'



       Zelda was about to respond when the door opened. In stepped
     Link. He was dressed in his usual green and yellow garb. At the
     sight of his son, a large grin grew accross his face. He walked
     over to the new mother and smiled down at the baby.

       "How's my little boy huh?"

       The baby woke up and stared back at the young man with a kind
     of indifference. Link's grin melted into a look of utter
     perplexity. The baby's stare was humbling.



       "Well," Link began, "Have you picked out a name
     for...uh...him?" Zelda turned away and walked towards the child's
     cradle.

       "No, and that's what worries me.", she pouted, easing the baby
     down into the bed. He flailed his arms the way babies do, "For
     some reason I can't think of one. It's like we're not allowed to
     name him."

       "Yeah, I can't think of a suitable name either. I wonder why
     that is?", Link replied.

       "I dunno...this has never happened before. Usually a baby is
     named within days of his or her birth. There must be something
     different about our son." Zelda walked back to Link and put her
     arms around him. "And the Triforce said that our baby will be
     taken from us......that someone else is going to raise him. Oh
     Link, what ARE we going to do?" The young adventurer hugged his
     wife.

       "Whatever happens, Zel, thngs will work out for the best.
     You'll see.", he consoled. They walked out of the nursery and
     down the stairs. Little did either of them know what was about to
     happen next.

      Down in the knights' mess hall, several of the castle guard were
     taking their morning breakfast. Laughter and drink went all
     around. Milk and bread and cheese and fruit were served by the
     maids, who refilled the goblets of the rowdy bunch.

       "Here", barked one of the guards, "fill this, GIRL!" The maid
     filled the cup to the brim, then watched as the man sloshed it
     down. The others were partaking of the food and heartily enjoying
     themselves. One of them told a crude joke (The joke is obscene
     enough that I wont repeat it here), and everyone laughed.
     Everyone that is, except Farbin.

       "Farbin!", muffled one of the guards thru a mouthfull of cheese
     and bread, " A rabbit....screaming girls? Get it?
     Hahahahahahaha!" Farbin didn't laugh. He didnt move a muscle.

       "You idiot! Youve been staring at your food for several
     minutes, moron! What's wrong with you?", another chided. The
     laughter stopped as everyones' attention turned to the catatonic
     guard. Finally, Farbin spoke.

       "I must save the kingdom.", he replied in a monotone voice. The
     others turned to eachother quizzically. Farbin stood up and
     walked briskly out the door, slamming it shut behind him. He
     walked accross the courtyard and up the stairs to the newborn
     princes room. Halfway up the stairs, he stopped suddenly. The
     voice in his mind spoke....it was the Triforce.



     "Go Farbin, get the prince.

     Take him to the fisherman Rintz.

     Out of the castle you must be,

     The baby's destiny is off to sea."



       The soldier ran up the remainder of the stairs and entered the
     prince's room.



                             *************************



       Zelda sat on the large canopied bed in the royal bedroom,
     brushing her hair. It was a bed of purple, with dark red wooden
     frame. The pillows were large and soft and fluffy. On the
     comforter was the embroidered gold symbol of the Triforce, as it
     was carved on the headboard of the bed.

       "This is where Link and I lost our innocence," she thought
     warmly, "What a night to remember! Boy, was daddy suprised when
     he found us the next morning!" She looked over to her husband
     sitting on the other side of the room, polishing his shield.
     Zelda laid the hair brush on the nightstand next to their bed and
     walked over to the wardrobe. Opening the doors, she began to
     chose what she would wear for the day.

       From nowhere, smoke filled the room. A loud chuckling pierced
     the air. Neither Zelda or Link knew who it was. It wasn't Ganon,
     it couldn't have been. Ganon had been gone for years. It couldn't
     be Ganon, IT had to be someone else.

       It stood eight feet tall and wore a dark red robe over his
     body. Only It's feet and hands could be seen. From beneath the
     hood of It's cloak, glowing red eyes shone like death itself.
     It's stench was worse than anything you could ever smell. Zelda
     turned away from It and grew nausiatingly sick. Link lunged for
     his sword, but with the flick of a wrist, the robed thing knocked
     him across the room. Link fell, the wind knocked out of him. It
     then turned It's sights on the Queen. She ducked out of the way
     of a jar It had thrown. The jar smashed into a million pieces.
     Zelda ran for her bow but It caught her in an energy beam which
     threw her against the wall, and began to suck the life from her
     body.



       Link regained his composure, grabbed his sword, and hacked away
     at It, but to no affect. It quickly stabbed the young man in the
     side and kicked him back accross the room, all the while
     continuing to slowly kill Zelda. Link pulled the dagger from his
     side, blood drooling copiously from his wound. He still couldn't
     understand what this thing was and why it wanted he and Zelda
     dead. All he knew was that it had to be stopped.

       It released the half-dead queen and turned It's full attention
     on her raging husband. Link plowed into It with his full weight.

                              ***********************



       A horse galloped out of the castle at a full run. Farbin was at
     the reins. In his arms was a screaming bundle of baby.

       Farbin detoured thru Alanar Woods to ensure that no one who was
     following him could continue. After several days he arrived in
     the northern sea town of Taricha. The ocean was calm and there
     was a large mass of people buying, selling and trading along the
     coast line. Ships and boats alike bobbed up and down to the waves
     of the sea. Overhead, seagulls called to one another. Farbin
     dismounted his horse and trudged into the crowd. People pushed,
     shoved and edged their way like a moving mass of floating
     objects. Farbin had no idea where to start looking for Rintz, the
     fisherman quoted to him by the Triforce. Amazingly, the Triforce
     spoke again. And the voice seemed to eminate from the child in
     Farbin's arms.



     'On a ship with sails of gold,

     Meet a man whos brave and bold.

     To him give the precious newborne babe,

     A kindom great, you will then save.'



       The soldier looked around and saw a ship with flatly colored
     gold sails. He made his way thru the crowd and up to the plank
     which led to the ship. Bumbling down the plank was a man of short
     stature and a sour face. He had dark hair and a mustache. He wore
     a blue shirt, black vest, and black baggy pants. A largely
     buckled belt held the pants up. Big leather boots rounded off his
     attire.

       "Sir, ", inquired Farbin, "Are you Rintz?" The man stopped and
     gave the knight a look of suspicion.

       "What's it to you, bub?!", the man retorted. His breath was
     that of dead animals. Farbin shuddered.

       "I have been instructed to give you this. Take it.", Farbin
     ordered, shoving the baby into Rintz's hands. The lumbering man
     looked down at the crying child with a certain distaste.

       "What the?...I'm not even from around here and I don't want
     your......kid?" He looked up and noticed that the man was gone.
     Farbin had disappeared into the crowd. Glancing down at the baby,
     he saw the mark of the Triforce.



       "A royal child of Hyrule!", he gasped. He reswadled the child
     took it into his ship, making sure that no one saw it. The
     helmsman, Rintz's youngest son Adoren, unroped the ship from the
     dock and the vessle began to lurch away from Hyrule. Rintz's
     eldest son Koreb called out a traditional saying as the ship left
     the port,

       "Home, home to Dubatio....and the world of the people of the
     sea! Onward back to Dubatio, the only home for me!"

       Spryte peered out from the baby's blanket and said her
     goodbyes. If only she knew how final those goodbyes were.



                           **************************

       Farbin ran. He ran and ran into the woods. He knew that if he
     stopped, he would die. But after about an hour of running he had
     no choice and sat down against a tree. From somewhere around him
     he could hear growling. The growling of hungry, angry dogs. He
     picked himself up and began to run again. A hissing sound flew
     through the air and an arrow hit Farbin squarely in the kneecap.
     He dropped to the ground in agony. Then he saw IT, the thing in
     the cloak. It had a bow in Its hand and it was quietly laughing.
     Next to It were two dogs, foaming at the mouth, ready to kill. It
     let go of the leashes and the dogs lunged at Farbin. A cry of
     terror and pain rang out into the forest.

     chapter 2

       The warm wind swept quietly over the bay. The waves crashed
     against the rocks with a soft rythmic gurgle. All of the birds
     had gone home to rest, as had the sailors and the fishermen. All
     that was left was a young man, 19 years of age. His hair was
     light brown, almost a sandy blonde, and his skin was almost
     white. He had strong yet soft features. Expressive eyebrows
     shadowed large hazel eyes. His nose would have been perfect
     except that it was slightly snubbed at the end, like an elf. He
     had a strong jaw and thin lips. Long hair was pulled back into a
     pony tail and held there by a tie. A few bangs hung down into his
     eyes. And his ears were not round like the ears of the people he
     had always known and loved. His ears....were pointed.

       He wore a white shirt which had been undone down to the second
     or third button. A dark red vest covered with beautiful gold
     embroidery was worn over the shirt. Loose purple pants clung to
     his waist and were bottomed off with small, tight fitting black
     shoes. Around his neck he wore a gold chain, to which at the end
     dangled a golden triangle. At the center of the medalloin, an
     upside-down triangle had been cut out and replaced with one made
     of Sura Stone, a stone many times more beautiful and precious
     than emeralds. Its green color shimmered in the evening sunset.

       A girl of about 21 years was running toward him. She wore a
     white and blue dress with red shoes. Her long hair was black and
     her ears were rounded like ours. Her skin was dark, as if she had
     a deep tan. It was his sister, Muari. She stopped a few feet from
     him and placed her hands on her knees to catch her breath.

       "Tre...Tre...*gasp*...Trent! Mama and Papa want you back in the
     cottage. It's supper time." Trent didnt move, "Did you hear me, I
     said that its supper time!" The boy whipped around and shook his
     head.

       "Sorry, " he apoligized, "I zoned. Saw that damn triangle again
     and it was speak...no, thinking to me." Muari shook her finger at
     Trent in a disciplinary way.

       "Well, don't let it happen in front of Papa! He hates that"
     Trent shrugged and the two walked towards the cottage.



                             *************************



       The stew was boiling when Alia removed it from the fire. She
     placed it on a towel on the table and laid out the eating dishes.
     A bottle of Crousa juice and a loaf of bread was also placed onto
     the wooden table. Rintz sat in the corner, fixing a fishing net
     with the care of a seamstress. Rintz loved his fishing, it was
     his love and his life. His father and his father before him were
     fishermen, and Rintz wanted his boys to follow in his footsteps.
     Adoren and Koreb were already adept at fishing and sailing, they
     always seemed to make Rintz proud. But Trent never did take to
     the idea of the surf and the smell of fish, and that forever
     grated on Rintz.

       Trent and Muari stepped into the tiny cottage and removed their
     shoes, as it was customary of all Dubaitans to do. They washed up
     in a wooden bowl and sat down to eat. Rintz set his fishing line
     and net on the ground and sat himself at the head of the table,
     opposite his wife. Ailia took the ladel and one by one filled the
     bowls with the hearty stew she had prepared. The bread loaf went
     around as did the Crousa juice. When Trent saw his stew he almost
     gagged. Staring back at him was the head of a fish. Wide eyed and
     ugly. Trent grimaced at the decapitation and pushed the food away
     from him. Seeing the head, Rintz snatched it up with a fork and
     shoved it into his mouth. The boy was thankful his father had
     removed the gross thing from his bowl and began to partake of his
     dinner.

       "Trent," Rintz rumbled, his cheeks bulging with bread and stew,
     "You and me are going to market tomorrow. I gotta get some things
     for the boat and I need your help." The boy stared down at his
     food and sighed. He hated going to market. Nothing was
     interesting there. Just a bunch of stupid old people selling
     things that didn't matter. "Okay.", he responded. Wanting to get
     to bed, Trent greedily slurped down the stew and stuffed his face
     full of bread. He washed it down with the juice and took his
     dishes to the sink. Then he quietly walked back to the ladder and
     climbed it up to his loft. Once up there he shut the door,
     leaving his family behind.



       Trent's loft was possibly the coziest room in the cottage. All
     around, small candles burned, lighting the room with a soft,
     flickering glow. The ceiling was made of wooden beams which
     supported the thactched roof of the cottage. Covering the floor
     was a giant fur blanket and all of the furniture was large and
     very comfortable to sit in. A small treasure chest sat on one
     side of the room. Inside were Trent's clothes and things he liked
     to take with him on his small journeys into the mountains and
     forests, away from the sea. Opposite the chest was a bed, which
     had a simple wooden headboard. Large pillows and a thick, puffy
     comforter were laying on top of it. It could get cold in Dubatio
     and so everyone did anything to keep warm. Trent's room was also
     the most spartan of all rooms. Nothing was there that wasn't
     needed. No knick-knacks or trinkets. Everything had a purpose,
     everything... except Trent.

       He removed his clothes and jumped into bed. 'Ah,' he thought,
     'Nice and toasty.' He knew that he had to be up early for the
     market, and he needed all of the sleep he could get. He pulled
     the covers up and snuggled down.

       "Psst, hey!", he whispered. A small fairy appeared and alighted
     on his pillow, trailed by a stream of pixie dust. She was a
     little person, only three inches tall. She had straight brown
     hair with thick bangs which covered her forehead down to her
     eyebrows. Her hair flowed down to her shoulders and was swept
     back on the sides. Her eyes were a chocolate brown, her lips were
     a bright red. Violet eye shadow and pointed ears gave her a
     slightly magical look. She had a nice bust line, tight waist, and
     long legs. Delicate hands and feet, and long eyelashes accented
     her daintiness. But her most prominent features were her wings.
     Large dragonfly wings which made a small fluttering sound when
     she flew. She always seemed to wear the same clothes; a pink
     sleeveless blouse and a short pink skirt. A small band of gold
     would hold the two garments together. But now at night, she wore
     a green nightgown. Strange as it may seem, for all of the women
     Trent had ever seen in his life, none were as beautiful in any
     way as she. For she was his one and only friend, Spryte.

       "Hi!", she whispered back. She was always glad to see him.

       "Where have you been? I've been looking for you all day!", he
     chided. The fairy sat down on the pillow and looked up at the
     boy.

       "I was out having fun. I played with the frogs, flew with a few
     birds, and collected some clovers! It was fun", she giggled. Her
     voice was always very high and squeeky. Much higher than most
     women, it was even higher than a child's voice.

       "Papa and I are going to market tomorrow and I was wondering if
     you wanted to come along.", he inquired. Spryte clapped her
     hands.

       "Oh boy, oh boy! Yes I would, I love the market!"

       "Okay, I'll wake you up tomorrow morning."

       Trent blew out the last candle and the two of them settled down
     for a long night's sleep.



                          *****************************

       Trent woke to the brightness of the sun. It was morning and the
     rays shone thru his window to his bed. He sat up and stretched
     his arms, giving out a yawn of much tiredness. He looked down at
     his pillow to find Spryte sleeping soundly upon it. He sat there
     and stared at her. 'If only she was my size', he thought, but
     then pushed the idea away. How could he think such a thing, she
     was his friend and only that. He nudged Spryte with his finger
     and she stirred. Sitting up, she yawned and then rubbed her eyes.

       "Good morning, little one", he said sweetly, "Ready for the
     market?" Spryte flew off the pillow and over to a wooden bowl of
     water which had been warmed by the sunlight. In front of the bowl
     was a three sided, five-inch tall partition for her privacy.

       "Yep!", she replied, undressing and stepping in. Her nightgown
     flopped over the top of the partition. Trent tossed on his
     typical garb and grabbing a few small pouches, he looped his belt
     through them and buckled it. Spryte hummed a lullaby as she
     washed herself with a small sliver of soap. After much splashing,
     she stepped out of the wooden bowl and grabbed a small
     washcloth-sized towel. She proceeded to dry herself all over.

       "My clothes please?", she chirped. Trent blindly handed her the
     pink outfit she always wore and she slipped it on in no time. She
     then flew over to the young man and hovered just in front of his
     face.

       "Good morning.", she said, kissing him on the cheek. It was a
     Dubatian custom which Spryte had picked up from observing Alia
     and Rintz. She flew into Trent's shirt pocket and made herself
     comfortable. Trent climbed down the ladder to find breakfast on
     the table. He and Spryte quickly ate away and then joined Rintz
     and Alia in going to market.



                               *********************

       The market was crowded. People were everywhere. Tall people,
     small people, fat and short. The smell of fish, vegetables, and
     farm animals could be sensed for almost a mile away. From inside
     Trent's pocket, Spryte could hear people talking and yelling,
     animals calling, kids laughing and crying. But mostly people.
     Alia immediately grabbed some vegetables and paid the old woman,
     shoving the food into her sack. She then proceeded to spy some
     fruit and began to talk to the man selling it. Rintz moved to the
     area where wares and supplies were sold and like a serious child,
     looked and explored the entire lot of the items. He grabbed
     Trent's arm and pulled the lad beside him, for he was wandering.

       Out of nowhere, trumpets sounded. Only these were not the
     trumpets of the Dubatian Royal Family. The trumpets of the
     Dubatian Family were high and singular, these were lower, larger,
     and richer in sound One man was calling,

       "Make way for the Regent Kydil of Hyrule! Make way for the
     Regent Kydil of Hyrule!" From above the crowd, Trent could see
     flags waving and drawing closer, accompanied by the sound of
     hoofbeats. Hushes and murmurs went all around the mass of people.
     As the crowd parted, four large horses carrying a knight a piece
     slowly trotted by. Behind them rode an extremely rich and noble
     man, the Regent. He was gazing about the people, as if to look
     for something. When his gaze reached Trent, he stopped his horse.
     The Regent's eyes wandered down to Trent's right hand, noticing
     the Triforce birthmark. Trent tried to hide the mark, but the
     noble man had already seen it. He walked his horse to the young
     man, only to be stopped by Rintz.

       "Do not shield him, peasant.", the Regent ordered. Rintz slowly
     backed away. 'There is something powerful but wrong about his
     voice', Trent thougth. He didn't know why, but the Regent didn't
     seem right. From inside his pocket, Trent could hear Spryte
     crying. He would ask her about it later. The Regent grabbed
     Trent's hand and examined it. Letting the lad's hand go, he
     quickly grabbed Trent by the face and hoisted him up into the
     air. Of course, people gasped.

       "I have a proposition, BOY.", the Regent sneered, "You go to
     Kuadio cave and I will have a surprise waiting for you." Trent
     flailed his appendages like a bug flipped upside down. The
     Regent's grip was so strong, it was making it hard for Trent to
     breathe. The Regent slowly let him down and stepped his own horse
     back into the line. With a wave of the noble man's hand, the
     party was off again. Trumpet sounded, as did the royal criers,
     telling of the Regent's approach. The crowd gathered around
     Trent, eager to see what the Regent was interested in. Trent
     picked himself up and darted out of the crowd. He could hear
     Rintz calling for him to return, but he didn't care. He ran into
     the woods. All he wanted to do was to get away from everything
     and everyone. Deeper and deeper into the trees he ran. But his
     legs got tired and he sat to rest. He was shaking all over.
     Nothing like that had ever happened to him. He sat quietly and
     heard the birds chirping in the trees. And he heard crying, it
     was Spryte.

       Trent looked down into his shirt pocket and saw Spryte curled
     up and crying uncontrollably. He gently picked her out and placed
     her into his hand.

       "Why are you crying?", he asked. He had never seen Spryte cry
     before and it worried him that she would begin now.

       "I don't know", she sobbed, "Tha...that...that man, Kydil,
     wuh..whu..was evil." Trent gently stroked her tiny body to
     console her.

       "Well, don't worry. He's gone. And he won't hurt you, okay?"

       "Oh-okay", The little fairy sniffed, nodding in agreement. She
     flew up to her "giant" companion and gave him the biggest hug a
     fairy could give a Hylian. Sitting down on his shoulder, she
     leaned against him warmly.

       "So, what now?", she inquired, rubbing the tears from her eyes.

     Trent paced back and forth, then looked down at his right hand.
     "We will go home, gather all our things, and head for Kuatio
     cave.", he responded, "I want to know what that guy was talking
     about. Maybe it has something to do with my birthmark. What a
     perfect reason to finally leave home!"



                              *********************



       Trent and Spryte reached their home around mid-day. They slowly
     creeped into the doorway and made their way up to his bedroom.
     Trent immediately began to pack all of his things when a knock on
     the door broke his concentration. He dropped what he was holding
     and went to see who it was. It so happened to be Alia.

       "Trent, where have you been and what ARE you doing?", she
     asked. Her question wasn't so much one of frustration as it was
     of concern.

       "I have to go on a quest, starting with Kuatio cave. The Regent
     of Hyrule told me so. And besides, I can feel that this is
     something real important. So, I'm leaving home.", he responded.
     His hands fidgeted nervously, " Please don't stop me. You know
     how I've loved adventures and this seems to be a BIG one." Alia
     walked up to Trent and put her hands on his shoulders.

       "Then you must go. I have seen it in your eyes since you were
     first given to me that you would not stay here like the others.
     Your destiny lies out....there...somewhere." She was at a loss
     for words. She motioned with her hands as if to point somewhere.
     "You're right, you do need to leave home, it is finally time."
     She helped Trent and Spryte pack and gave them enough food for a
     night and a day. When Rintz heard about Trent's voyage, he was
     surprized but overjoyed. He gave Trent the family's best horse
     and saddle, then sent the two on their way.



       By nightfall Trent and Spryte had reached the small villiage of
     Ubilista. Their journey had begun.



                           ***************************



       It was raining when Trent and Spryte arrived in Ubilista. All
     around, Trent could see shops and huts with candles and torches
     burning brightly in the night. Several of them had music
     eminating, but most were silent. The horse slowly walked down the
     cobblestone path between the buildings. To his right, he saw a
     doorway with a picture of a bed and goblet above it. 'Ah, an
     inn.', he thought. He jumped off of his horse, whom he had named
     Windrunner, and tied him to a post beside the door. With one tug
     he opened the door and stepped inside. On his left, a fire was
     burning and several people were gathered around a table eating
     food. To his right was the big, burley innkeeper, behind his
     desk. Trent, soaked to the bone, muscled up a little bravery and
     walked up to the counter. The man gave him a look of total
     uninterest.

       "Uh, I uh, would like a room?", Trent asked sheepishly. The inn
     fell quiet as all turned to look at the young man.

       "I dunno, would you?", the inkeeper teased, still chewing on
     something. Trent, feeling insulted, pounded the table and
     demanded, "I wanna room DAMMIT!"

       "There you go!", responded the innkeeper with a grin. He handed
     Trent the sign in book and Trent signed it nervously. The
     innkeeper turned away from Trent and yelled,

       "Hey, Stalla, get this boy a room!" From behind a curtain, a
     portly little woman emerged with a wooden spoon in her hand.

       "Oh, Denit, hush up!", she chided, then turned to Trent, "Oh,
     my! Haven't had a fresh one here in ages. Well, we need to get
     you a room, won't we, yessiree. I'll get your things and take
     them up right away, uh-huh!" She scurried out the door and
     returned with Trent's belongings. Passing Trent and Denit, she
     made her way up the stairs.

       "Better follow her.", said Denit. Trent followed Stalla up the
     stairs, down the hallway, and into a small but clean room. She
     laid his bags at the foot of the bed then wiped her hands on her
     apron.

       "Change clothes then come back down. We'll get you something to
     eat.", she piped, passing Trent and heading back down the stairs.
     He closed the door and changed into some dry clothes. Upon
     returning to the main room, he was seated by a young girl of
     about his age. She had dark black hair which was held in a pony
     tail by a big red bow. Her large brown eyes were half hidden by
     bangs, and she had very soft features. She wore a white blouse
     and a green skirt. On her feet were small black shoes. 'Wow, what
     a babe!', he thought. For although very much a peasant girl, she
     was naturally beautifull. She walked back behind the curtain and
     returned with a plate of food. Roast Gisit (a kind of Dubatian
     duck), steamed vegetables, mashed Fopolic root (which was the
     color of yams but had a slightly spicier smell and taste), a
     small bowl of Yenyli gravy, and a hunk of bread. A pitcher of
     warm Holitu beer was already on the table. The girl set the food
     on the table and poured a goblet of the beer for Trent.

       "Thank you.", Trent said politely as she began to walk away.
     She gave him a slight smile and blinked softly. He could see in
     her eyes that she wanted to say something back, but couldn't. She
     turned and proceeded to make her way to the other guests. Stella
     shuffled over to the lad, who was very much shoving the food
     down.

       "Oooh, I see we have a hungry boy here, yes-yes!", she chuckled
     patting Trent on the shoulder, "That girl you were trying to
     flirt with was our maid, Kamberlee. Because she is unwed, she is
     not to talk to anyone but us. It is Dubatian tradition, ya'
     know."

       'Traditions of Dubatio suck', Trent thought, still wolfing down
     the delicious dinner.

       "But I will let you in on something," chimed Stalla, "Kamberlee
     is telepathic. She knows what you're thinking. And if you really
     open your mind to her, well...just try it sometime. I have yet to
     meet a man who can stay focused." With that said Stalla toddled
     back behind the desk. Trent finished his meal and called for
     Kamberlee to refill his drink. As she began to pour, Trent stared
     at her and tried to hear what she was thinking. Suddenly he heard
     a voice, a soft, sultry female voice. A light hearted music
     filled his mind too. 'Kamberlee?', he thought. The girl continued
     to fill the goblet.

       'Hello adventurous one. I see you can hear me. Meet me in your
     room tonight, when the wolf howls, and I will tell you what you
     want to know.' The girl walked away. Trent was left dead silent.
     He sloshed down the beer and stood up to stretch. Looking around,
     he saw a player losing at a card game and decided to try his
     luck. He walked over to the card table and pulled up a chair. The
     other men looked at him.

       "Well, gentlemen", he asked, "whats the game?"



       Later that night Trent walked up the stairs with the bag of
     gold he had won at the card game. As he proceeded down the
     hallway, he heard a wolf howl. Remembering Kamberlee's words, he
     quietly sneaked up to his door and opened it. To his surprize he
     found Kamberlee lying on his bed seductively, wearing only a
     satin nightgown. A candle's flicker was the only source of light.
     There was only one thing going through his mind, what did she
     want? Trent stepped into the room and closed the door. He walked
     over to his bed and sat down next to her, wondering what was
     next. Closing his eyes, he began to concentrate and tried to hear
     her voice again. And then, she spoke to his mind. The catchy
     music returned as well.

       'You are the chosen one, do you know that?', she asked, sitting
     up.

      Trent shook his head slowly. 'I have waited for you for a long,
     long time. I have known that you would come along.' She placed
     her hands on his cheeks and kissed him. 'I felt it years ago and
     since then, I have had the same dream off and on. A man with a
     fairy would save the world. And you are that man. So, ask any
     question and I will answer it.' She went right on kissing him.

       "What is in the cave of Kuadio?", he asked, "How are you a
     telepath? And why do you call me 'the chosen one'?" Kamberlee
     grabbed Trent by the shirt and pulled him down on top of her.
     'Inside the cave of Kuadio is a large spider who is protecting a
     treasure chest of much legend and value. He eats anyone who tries
     to steal it. I am telepathic because I am from a people who live
     south of here. I call you the chosen one because you are. Now
     stop trying to fight what you feel and kiss me.' Trent's emotions
     were ripping his heart to pieces. He had never been in this
     situation and knew not what to do. So he did what he thought was
     right. He gently pushed Kamberlee off of him and sat up.

       "You need to leave. We mustn't do this.", he said. Kamberlee
     looked at the pillow under her. She wanted him, oh how she did.
     And there was so much she wanted to tell him. About him, about
     her, about them. But seeing as how he was the chosen one, she
     obeyed. Trent followed her to the door, only to be given the best
     kiss he had ever recieved. Giving in, hetook her in his arms and
     kissed her back. A deep, emotional, passionate kiss. For a
     moment, time stopped. He and Kimberlee were the only ones in
     existance, they were one. The kiss ended only to be followed by a
     nice long embrace. He could smell her hair. It had a nice natural
     smell. One that permeates your mind and puts you at ease. He also
     heard her heartbeat. It seemed like the most familiar sound he
     had ever heard. The embrace felt like it lasted for hours. Then
     he let her go. They said their good-nights and she left down the
     hall. Trent stood there in the doorway watching her until she
     entered her room. Suddenly the door across from him opened. A
     rather gross man stepped out and gave Trent a most unkind sneer.

       "Stop staring, punk!,", he jeered, "It aint nice." The man
     walked the length of the corridor and down the stairs. Trent
     turned back into his room and shut the door quietly. He ran over
     to his bed and flopped down onto it. For several minutes he laid
     there. Did he want to cry? Did he want to laugh? Both. He wanted
     to do everything and nothing. That girl gave him a feeling like
     he had never felt. He was in love and scared at the same time.

       Spryte flew down onto the pillow in front of Trent. She had
     seen the whole thing.

       "Well,", she said, "That was totally wierd! What came over
     you?" Trent shrugged his shoulders and sighed.

       "I dunno, I've never felt like that.", he moaned.

       "And you've never acted like that either." Trent ignored her
     and got ready for bed. Seeing how he wasn't listening, Spryte did
     the same.



                            **************************



       The next morning, Trent and Spryte made their way down the
     stairs with their belongings and ate a large breakfast. After
     thanking Stalla and Denit for a nice stay, they grabbed their
     bags and headed out the door. Suddenly Kamberlee appeared and
     gave Trent a big good-bye kiss. Spryte rolled her eyes.

       'We'll meet again, I promise.', she communicated to him.
     Knowing that he had to leave, she stepped away and Trent saddled
     onto Windrunner. He and Spryte rode off out of the town and
     towards the cave ahead. He wanted to take Kamberlee with him but
     realized that the spider was too dangerous, if there even was a
     spider.



       Several hours later they arived at Kuatio cave. Inside was dark
     and smelled of rotting food. Trent dismounted and grabbed the
     sword and shield Rintz had given him. Spryte flew close by if
     case anything happened. The two made their way into the cave,
     unsure about what would come next. Deeper and deeper they went.
     The sound of water dripping and wind howling filled their ears.
     Around a corner and down a narrow corridor Trent found a small
     but beautiful treasure chest. Unfortunately, there were also
     heaps of dead soldires who tried the same thing as Trent.

       "Maybe, we should leave.", Spryte whispered.

       "No!", snapped Trent, "I can feel it. I'm here to get THAT." He
     pointed to the box with his sword. As he began to walk toward the
     chest, a shadow fell on him and began to grow in size. He looked
     up to see an enormous black spider descending upon him. Trent
     backflipped and it landed just between the lad and the chest.

       "Itssss miiiiine!", it hissed, "And I am hunggggggryyyy!"

       "Shouldn't fight on an empty stomach!", Trent chided as he
     lunged at the creature. It shot a rope up to the ceiling and
     pulled itself up just as Trent's sword swashed in the air, ready
     to kill it. Hanging there like a pendulum, it laughed the way
     most spiders did, by hissing.

       "Dowwwwn I commmme!", it warned, dropping from the ceiling at a
     phenominal rate. Trent steadied his sword and just as it reached
     the lad , he hacked at its eyes with the mighty tool. Blood
     squirted everywhere. The big insect fell to the ground with an
     earth-moving slam, its eyes cleaved in two. Trent stood their
     panting. This was his first battle and he loved it. Regaining his
     breath, he made his way around the dead bohemoth and over to the
     chest. He kicked it open and looked inside. There he found a pair
     of ear-rings and a piece of rolled up parchment.

       "What?", he yelled in dissapointment, "This is IT?!" Spryte
     flew over to him.

       "Maybe those ear-rings are magical.", she chimed. Trent put
     them on and he could suddenly read Spryte's mind.

       "Wow! I can read your mind, Spryte!", he exclaimed. The fairy
     was uneasy about this but felt that she had nothing to hide from
     him. She let him explore all areas of her psyche. A look of shock
     came over him.

       "Spryte....I didn't know that you felt that way about me.", he
     whispered. Spryte's cheeks flushed.

       "What? Is that wrong?", she asked.

       "No...Its just that...", he didn't continue. It didn't seem
     fair to her if he did. He grabbed the parchment and began to
     read.



       "Brave soul. You are the chosen one. You might know that by now
     or you might not. No matter. This is the beginning of your
     quest,,,your ODESSY. An evil one has set for himself a trap by
     leading you in this direction. You shall be his undoing. Now,
     take this parchment and go. Go to Brynnel. And fulfil your
     destiny!"



       Trent backed away from the chest and ran out of the cave.
     Leaping onto his horse, he grabbed Spryte out of the air and
     shoved her into his pocket. Turning towards the East he was about
     to kick Windrunner into gear when a club met his skull with full
     force, knocking him unconscious. He fell to the ground where
     three men in Arabic type clothing stood over him.

       "Get him back to the ship, quickly.", one of the men said. The
     other two hoisted Trent onto his horse and began to run towards
     the eastern sea. Spryte was shoved into a small bag which was
     tied shut and secured. The bag was placed into one of Trent's
     pockets.

       Spryte had no idea what was going on. But she would find out
     soon enough.

     chapter 3 - Odd Faces

       The sea crashed against the ship in giant waves, with foam
     spewing up and down the side of the hull. On the deck was
     Al-Fahil, a "for -hire" kind of fellow from a land not well
     known. Beside him were El-Risha and Dachim, his cohorts. They
     always tagged along wherever Al-Fahil decided to go. Sometimes he
     thought that they were bothersome, but most of the time
     they were quite
     usefull to him.

       "Go back and wake the Hylian kid.", Al-Fahil ordered. At the
     moment even he was under orders. He hated taking orders from
     another, but considering the price he was to be paid, he let it
     slide. El-Risha skittered back to the crews quarters and entered
     one of the rooms. It was a small room, all wood. Opposite was the
     bed/couch where Trent laid. He
     had been sleeping for days. A good blow to the back of the head
     assured that. Above him was a small cabin window, circular with a
     cross beam. At the foot of the couch was Spryte, in a cage which
     hung from the ceiling. All she had been given to
     eat for days was a piece of greens. No water. She had tried to
     make herself comfortable, but it is not easy to make oneself cozy
     in a wooden cage. Especially when it is next to a drafty window.
     The ungodly trap was swinging with the rocking of the ship,
     making Spryte even queezier.

       El-Risha walked over to Trent and shook him. The lad woke up to
     the biggest headache he had ever felt in his life. Sitting up,
     his vision was blurry. ' What's standing in front of me?', he
     thought. He clasped his head in his hands wishing his headache
     away, but to no avail.

       "Al-Fahil wants you up.", El-Risha jeered.

       "Where's my fairy?!", mumbled Trent. He looked around but
     couldn't find her. El-Risha walked over to the cage and gave it a
     good swat.

       "Right here! And aint she cute!" Seeing his little friend
     trapped made Trent's blood boiled. How dare this oaf cage a fairy
     like that! He ran over to El-Risha and slammed the man against
     the wall of the room.

       "If she's been harmed in any way I'll KILL YOU!", he growled,
     his voice rising. His eyes were still seeing spots from his
     headache, which was growing by the minute. Thanks to the
     ear-rings, he could see the fear in El-Risha's heart and let him
     go. The man quickly darted over to the other side of the room,
     scared to death. Unhooking the cage from the
     ceiling, Trent set it down onto the table by the cabin window. He
     opened the door to the trap and
     scooped out his limp little fairy, placing her back into his
     pocket.

       "Get me the master of this ship and a bowl of food.", he
     barked. El-Risha raced out the door. "And water too!", he added.
     He opened his pocket and peered inside. Spryte laid there
     shaking. Trent patted her with his hand.

       "Where are we?", he whispered.

       "On a ship. We've been here for days.", responded the fairy,
     still shaking. Trent sat there and thought to himself. 'We must
     be out to sea, but where are we going?' A small whine broke his
     attention.

       "I want some water", Spryte moaned, "I'm thirsty."

       "I know. I know. I'm having someone get some for you right
     now.", he cooed, "Food too."

       Al-Fahil appeared with a bowl of mush and a pitcher of water.
     He bowed to Trent and placed the food and water on the table by
     the window. Trent took the pitcher of water and poured himself a
     glass. He then lifted Spryte out of his pocket and brought her to
     the glass to drink. She drank large gulps of water, taking in as
     much as she could. When she was
     finished, he held her weak body to the bowl of food were she ate
     mouthfuls. Trent turned his attention to Al-Fahil.

       "Where are we?", he asked. His headache continued to pound him.

       "You sir are on the sailing ship Corintianus. It is the
     master's ship.", the Arab answered quietly, " We are sailing for
     Brynnel. We will reach Windora port in a day and a night."

       "Why did you kidnap us?" Trent wanted all the information he
     could get. Al-Fahil shuffled a bit, then sat down opposite the
     lad.

       "You see, it was under orders. He, the master, wanted your
     journey to the shore to be safe.", he wavered, "If you had
     continued on the course we supposed that you would have taken,
     you would have been killed by the Greebs."

       "Who is he?", Trent asked. For although he could sense
     emotions, Trent could not read names.

       "He never told us. Suffice to say he paid us a hansome wage to
     get you here!" Al-Fahil's words were deviously cheerful. Yet
     Trent had no choice but to trust him. He looked down to see
     Spryte curled up in his hand. Opening his shirt pocket, he gently
     dropped her down in, then went to work eating the mush. Though it
     tasted terrible, he was famished. Dachim enterd the room and
     whispered something to his fellow Arab. Following Dachim,
     Al-Fahil left the room and closed the door. Trent finished dinner
     and leaned back onto his bed/couch. He looked longingly out the
     window. This trip was turning into a nightmare.

       *****************************

     A day or two later, the Corintianus docked in Windora bay. Trent
     and Spryte were led off of the ship and their bags were given to
     them as well. Walking off of the dock, they were met by an old
     man who began to study them intently. He looked them up and down,
     scrutinizing over every inch of their bodies.

       "Uh...what are you doing?", Trent asked. The old man held up
     his hand to silence the lad. He looked into Trent's eyes and he
     jumped for joy.

       "Oh, good! Now our Nadina will be found!", he chortled., "Come,
     come with me!" Trent and Spryte left the three men to follow the
     elder. They walked thru the town and up to a small hut in the
     woods where an old woman walked over to them.

       "Enter please.", bade the old man. They did as he said and
     entered the hut. "Sit,sit I have something to ask you."

       "Can you go find my grand-daughter? She left for the woods and
     hasn't returned.", he asked. Trent was suprized. Why would this
     man ask such a thing?

       "Why do you want me to find your daughter? Can't someone else
     do it?"

       "No, no! You must find her. I see it in your eyes that you
     will. Trust me.", the old man said, "And if you do....I will give
     you something special as a reward." Now Trent wasn't the rescuing
     type, but the idea of a reward was very tempting. So, he agreed
     and was off into the woods that afternoon. The forest was bright
     and cheery, unusual considering that most
     forests are dark. For hours the two meandered through the trees.
     They felt like they were getting nowhere. Then Trent suddenly
     stopped walking.

       "Spryte, why do we seem to be getting ourselves into situations
     like this?", he asked. The little fairy peeped out of his pocket.

       "Because you can't say no! You've always liked adventure, and
     have to meet any challenge, it's your nature." He nodded in
     agreement and the two continued walking thru the woods. From
     overhead they could hear a girl calling to them. Trent looked up
     but she was nowhere to be seen.

       "Where is that coming from?", he murmured. He stopped to listen
     and found that the voice was coming from up in the branches.
     Staring harder, he saw a girl high up in the tree, caught by her
     ankle in a noose. She was squirming like a mouse to try to get
     free, but to no avail.

       "Are you Nadina?", he asked.

       "Yes, please get me down!", she cried. Trent wondered how he
     would accomplish this. He drew his sword in hopes that an idea
     would come to mind. Pointing it at the rope holding Nadine, he
     wished that he could just shoot the rope with an arrow, causing
     her to fall. To his surprize, an energy bolt in the shape of his
     sword blasted away and hit the rope dead on. It split in two and
     the girl fell down through the branches and into his arms.
     Thankful that she was alive, she put her arms around him and
     gave him a big hug.

       "Thank you, oh thank you!", she said. He looked around,
     wondering what to say. He blurted out the first thing that came
     to mind.

       "Uh, your welcome?"

       Later that evening they returned to the hut with Trent still
     thinking about his sword. The old man was overjoyed to see his
     grand daughter and brought out a small box.

       "I have been saving this for a special man. My ancestors called
     him the 'Triangle Man'. They told me to wait for him and give him
     this when he finds something precious of mine. You have and I
     give you this in return." The old man gave the box to Trent and
     he opened it. What he found in the box was a beautiful black
     leather glove. It fit onto Trent's left hand and lower arm
     perfectly. But he had an obvious question.

       "What does this glove do?" The old man smiled and brought Trent
     outside where they walked up to a boulder on the side of a hill.

       "Smash that boulder with your fist.", he said. Trent hit it as
     hard as he could with his right hand, which was bare.

       "OWW!", he exclaimed, clutching his bruised hand. He was in
     some real pain.

       "No,no stupid, your OTHER fist.", the old man retorted. The
     young man did as he was told and smacked into the boulder with
     all his might. To his amazement, the boulder crumbled. Trent
     stood there with his mouth hanging open.

       "Wear it for when you need it.", the elder informed. Trent
     thanked the old man and went to gather Spryte. As he walked into
     the small house, the old woman handed him a parchment.

       "This parchment was given to me by a man who stopped by here
     just days ago.", she said hesitantly, "He told me that 'Triangle
     man' should read this." Trent peered down at the parchment and
     began to read.

       'So, you've gotten this far.....good. Now there are fourteen
     items which you need to find in order to get home. That's right,
     you've found the first two already, the Ear-rings of Thought and
     the Glove of Strength. I will only tell you the next one that you
     need. It's the Belt of Protection. To get it you must make your
     way to the Island within the Land. Once you get that item, I will
     tell you where to go from there.'

       Trent stuffed the paper into his pocket. Who was this giving
     him directions? How did this guy know where he was? He looked at
     everyone nervously and coughed to clear his throat.

       "I must be going. C'mon Spryte.", he mumbled. He gathered his
     things and walked out the door, where his horse was waiting for
     him.

       "My horse? How did he get here?" The old man walked up.

       "I led it off of the Corintianus when you arrived. Oh yes, the
     man who gave my wife the parchment, told me to tell you to meet a
     woman from a far land in a pub on the sun. That's all he said."
     Trent mounted Windrunner and galloped away. As the horse ran, he
     looked down into his pocket.

       "Time to visit a pub.", he stated confidently. Spryte nodded.

       *******************************

       "The Flaming Pub", Trent read, unsure how to picture it. Was
     the bar on fire once? Were there transvestites behind this door?
     He tied up his horse and stepped inside. Loud music permeated the
     thick pipe and cigarette smoke. Bottles of half drunk alcohol
     smashed against the wall. All around people were seen laughing,
     arguing, dancing and fighting. Rowdy
     music was playing in the corner. Walking up to the bar, Trent
     ordered a drink and looked around for a woman who would want
     anything to do with him. As far as he could tell, the only women
     who were there were either bar maids or drunk prostitutes. The
     bartender reappeared with a mug of Lauyith, a stiff drink not
     unlike a mix of Vodka and Mint Schnapps. Trent remembered the
     drink from his childhood. He remembered his father and uncles
     gathered around the table in the living room, slugging down
     pitcher after pitcher of the light swill. Trents first experience
     at drunkeness
     was due to this concoction.

       He took the mug and slammed the whole thing in one drink.
     Immediately his head started spinning and his balance began to
     drop off. He grabbed the edge of the bar for support. Slowly but
     surely things began to clear. But unfortunately the wrong thing
     came into focus, namely a large Huluth.

       Now Huluths were ugly at best, horrifying at worst. They stood
     six and a half feet tall and looked like a cross between a
     Bulldog and a Dragon. Their short tempers were only used to
     extort from rich travelers what they deemed valuable. And this
     Huluth saw the Triforce necklace about Trent's neck...he wanted
     it. He grabbed Trent about the collar and hoisted him up off his
     feet.

       "Hey kid, give me necklace.", it growled. Trent looked around
     for support. As he suspected, everyone was simply staring in awe
     at what the Huluth would do next.

       "Uh, can I have something in return?", the young man asked, his
     bartering skills totally futile. The Huluth stared him in the
     face.

       "You can have your last prayer!" Trent knew then and there he
     was going to die.

       From across the room, two people arose. One of the two was
     dressed from head to foot in a dark, forest green suit. A gold
     sash was tied around her waist and gold mask covered her face,
     hiding her identity. Her associate was dressed in a blue version
     of the same, but without the hood and mask. His short hair was
     brown and he looked surprizingly like
     Trent. He drew a dagger from his belt and threw it into the back
     of the Huluth. Seeing it sink into the monster's flesh, he then
     jumped out of a window, making his escape. Reeling from the pain,
     the Huluth dropped Trent and screamed in agony, clutching the
     protruding weapon. Blood trickled down its back. The masked woman
     leaped off of a table and landed just behind the beast, another
     knife in hand. She jumped onto the Huluth from behind, and with
     one swift move, slit the creatures throat. It crashed forward
     onto the bar, blood pooling on the surface. As the room hushed up
     from the death of the Huluth, the strange woman grabbed Trent by
     the wrist and headed out the door of the pub, with the lad
     trailing behind. They ran down several alleys and finally stoped
     in a small, empty, courtyard where a white stallion was waiting
     for them. But as Trent got
     closer to the horse, he noticed that the 'horse' had wings and a
     horn. 'Wait a minute', he thought, 'This isn't a horse, its a
     flying unicorn!'

       Trent slowly stepped back from the beast and stared closely at
     the garbed enigma beside it.

       "Who are you?", he asked impatiently. She pulled off the hood
     over her face to reveal a face unlike anything Trent had ever
     seen. All he knew was that she was, for all her strangeness, very
     attractive.

       She was, for all intents and purposes, Asian. Her skin was
     darker than Trent's and her eyes were not as large and noticable.
     She had straight, black hair that ran down to her waist and thick
     bangs which covered her forehead. She looked to be about
     twenty-five to thirty and had a lithe, yet well toned figure
     which was decidedly feminine. The young woman walked up to Trent
     and held out her hand in friendship.

       "My name is Sing Ta-Chu Kitowa.", she introduced, "This is my
     unicorn, Shaa-Do-Lan. You may call me Sing." Her voice echoed in
     Trent's head, for he was not used to hearing an Asiatic accent.
     He shook Sing's hand and began to introduce himself.

       "Hi, I'm..."

       "I know who you are", she interrupted, "You are Trent. And your
     fairy...", she remarked, pointing to his pocket, " ....is named
     Spryte. I have been told of your past and future together. And I
     am here to guide you on your quest."

     chapter 4 - The Lovers and The Lost Ones

       The next three days of travel were hell. Rain poured, wind
     blew, and it was cold, cold, cold. The group tried to stay dry
     but to little or no effect. About the only one who was able to
     keep dry and cozy was Spryte. She was safely tucked inside
     Trent's shirt pocket beneath his jacket where she slept through
     most of the dreariness. But there were times when she would
     rather have been the size of us. She could help in carrying
     supplies and things, aid in hunting food, and contribute to
     conversation. But she was a fairy and fairies always stayed
     small. Or did they?

       After traveling all night, they finally arrived in Moldera
     around sunrise. Sing had known that it was Moldera by the flags
     that waved in the air. Every thousand paces or so, Molderans
     placed four pink and purple flags in a row, marking the border
     between them and Brynnel. Guards paced back and forth between the
     flags. This morning the group of travelers had been fortunate,
     there were no guards to stop them. Yet that made Sing uneasy.
     There were always guards there, what had happened to them? Her
     unicorn, Shaa, shook its head nervously. She patted the beast's
     neck to quiet it.

       The rain had cleared and there was a peacefulness about the
     woods. No birds were chirping, no trees were rustling. It was as
     if the entire forest was holding its breath in terror. Finally,
     Spryte broke the silence.

       "This is wierd. Why aren't the birds singing?", she asked.
     Trent didn't take his eyes off of the trees ahead of him.

       "I don't know.", he mumbled. Quietly, he placed his right
     handdown to his sword hilt, ready to draw at a moments notice. He
     was ready for anything, and 'anything' happened. Just in front of
     Windrunner, a Moblin lept out from behind the bushes, brandishing
     a spear. A second later, eight other Moblins joined him and
     surrounded the team. The lead Moblin walked up to Trent and eyed
     the bags which hung off of the adventurers saddle.

       "Ha! Time to pay up, boy!", it sneered. Its voice was
     suprizingly high and scratchy for a a blue, red-eyed, bulldog
     which wore spiked leather armor. Its lower canines stuck out
     rather far and its claws were as razor sharp as the spear it was
     holding. It smelled of unwashed socks and its

     eyes told of ideas so dispicable, that they shall not be
     mentioned here. The very idea of being robbed by one of these
     things made Sing's stomach churn, and so she kick the nearest two
     in the face. Their mouths filled with blood and broken teeth. She
     then jumped off of her unicorn and brandished her swords, ready
     to chop the grotesque canines into dog chow. Trent dismounted
     Windrunner and unsheathed his sword. Grabbing his shield for
     protection, he lunged at the Moblins, skewering one through the
     chest. The beast dropped to the ground dead. Sing engaged two
     Moblins in combat, ducking, dodging, and blocking them move for
     move. With a swift spin of her swords, she beheaded one of the
     creatures and cut off the left arm of another.

       Spryte knew that Moblins loved to kidnap fairies and sell them
     for a handsome price. Flying out of Trent's pocket, she made her
     way into the hollow of a tree and kept herself hidden. Oh how she
     hated to watch a battle without being able to help her friends.
     'Thats it," she thought, 'I'm tired of being useless. If we make
     it through this, I'm doing something about my size.'



       With a swift kick to the chest, Trent slammed a Moblin into a
     tree, where he drove his sword through its head. In one ear and
     out the other. Turning to help Sing, he found another of the vile
     things charging at him, ready to kill. Suddenly it stopped
     charging. An arrow had shot halfway out its throat, followed by
     blood which began drooling from its nose and mouth. It
     instinctively squirmed and grabbed at the protruding arrow, then
     dropped to the ground dead. Trent looked up to where the arrow
     had taken flight and saw the man in the blue garb dashing thru
     the tree branches like a squirrel. 'This is the second time he's
     saved my life', Trent puzzled, 'Why?'

       The other two Moblins turned and ran in fear. Not letting the
     chance slip from her fingers, Sing pulled out her bow and armed
     it with two arrows. With the greatest of ease, she pulled back on
     the draw string and let them fly. Both arrows sailed straight at
     the Moblins and struck them point blank. The first arrow sliced
     through the chest of one creature. It fell dead. The other Moblin
     took it in the head as it sailed smoothly through, exiting out
     the animal's right eye. No chance.



       Sing gathered herself together and replaced her swords. Slowly
     they eased into their hilts on her back. Trent wiped his sword on
     the grass and followed Sing's idea.

       "Good fighting!", he complimented, "Where did you learn to do
     that?"

       "Back in my home land of Kai-Peo. We are the best fighters in
     the world.", she replied smugly.

       "No doubt. Maybe you can teach me a thing or two about your
     combat."

       "That's partly why I am here.", she said, "There is much for me
     to teach you, and I will teach it all in good time." Trent
     latched his shield onto his saddle and looked around. Something
     was missing. And that something was Spryte.

       "Where's Spryte?", he asked, patting his pocket., "Spryte!
     Spryte, where are you?"

       "Over here.", a small, chirpy voice called. Trent turned around
     and peered into the woods.

       "Spryte?!", he exclaimed in a whisper, "Is that you?"



       From out behind a tree, a beautiful, bearfoot young woman of
     Trent's height appeared. She had short brown hair, a pink blouse
     and skirt, and large dragonfly wings. For Trent, the very shock
     of seeing what he saw confused him. 'It can't be you', he
     thought, 'It just can't.' But as hard as he tried, he couldn't
     convince himself otherwise. It was Spryte.

       "Hi.", she said, a slight hint of nervousness in her high
     voice.

     Slowly she walked up to him, her eyes and wings sparkling in the
     tree-filtered sunlight. Trent's heart raced. He began to sweat.
     Many times he dreamed about this, but never did he imagine that
     it would actually happen. As she stood merely a breath away, he
     touched her face with his fingertips, parting her thick bangs to
     more easily see her beautiful, pouting eyes.

       "Oh my.... Hello?", he whispered at a loss for words, "Wow.
     Is...is it true?"

       "Yes it is.", she answered. She was nervous enough to faint,
     and her stare towards the ground showed it, "Do you like it. I
     mean...me?"

       "Oh, God yes. I love it.", he stuttered. She looked back up at
     him, her large, brown eyes gazing back into his. "YOU...I mean
     you. I love y......yes, I do." He couldn't believe what he was
     seeing. He wanted to do so much more than touch her. And he
     sensed in her mind that she wanted the same. But now was not the
     time nor the place. He wrapped his arms around her and gave her a
     warm, embracing bear hug instead. She hugged him back and moaned
     softly as her body pressed up against his. For years, she wanted
     to feel this, as did he. And now....

       "I'm just so frustrated at not being able to help you.", she
     quietly said, still hugging him tightly, "Or enjoy the things you
     enjoy. So I broke my people's code and...well..."

       "I'm glad", he replied, warmly. Several minutes passed, they

     didn't want to let go. The trees rustled in the warm wind of the
     morning. Birds chirped gaily as the sun streamed down through the
     leaves, bathing the two in its warm glow. As the embrace ended,
     he took her hand into his and kissed her palm. The 'palm kiss'
     was a Fairy custom which was more passionate than a kiss on the
     cheek, but not so as one on the lips. Growing up with Spryte,
     Trent learned far more about Fairy customs than just about any
     other Hylian.

       Sing impatiently mounted Shaa and turned to face the two
     life-long companions.

       "We had better get going. Lust, or love, at the wrong time is
     wasteful.", she observed, "And besides, we still must find the
     next item on your list." Trent nodded and helped Spryte up onto
     Windrunner, then jumped on himself. At a single command, the two
     beasts broke into a gallop and headed thru the woods, their
     riders anxious to continue the quest.



                                 ***************



       After several hours of riding, they cleared the woods and
     approached a path which headed in three directions. A sign next
     to the road indicated that one direction lead to Hukip Villiage,
     another traveled to the town of Citho, and the third made its way
     through Yari City, and to the capital of Moldera, Vendace. Trent
     turned to Sing for advice.

       "Which way?", he asked.

       "We go to Vendace.", she answered, "I was told to take you to
     Vendace."

       "Who told you that?"

       "The man who brought you to me. Now we must go, the sun sets
     soon." The three turned in the direction of Yari City and began
     trotting down the trail. On their way, they passed both familiar
     and foreign sights. People on horses, people on foot. Sometimes a
     mighty caravan would pass but most of the people they met were
     poor farmers and merchants.

      At one point they saw a woman peddling goods, some of which
     caught Trent's eye. The team stopped and Trent dismounted
     Windrunner to see what the old one had to offer. (He always liked
     items which were rare or considered by him to be of possible use
     someday.) He bent down to examine some of what she had and he
     liked what he saw. There were jewels, trinkets, statues, rugs and
     other odds and ends. After much probing and questioning, Trent
     finally decided on a beautifully carved dagger. It seemed to have
     an exquisite gem set in its handle, but the old woman couldn't
     tell him where the dagger was made. He bought the dagger and
     thanked the woman. He then mounted Windrunner and the group
     proceeded to Vendace.



       After a short stop in Yari City, where Trent and Sing watered
     their beasts, they arrived in Vendace Capital. It was a
     magnificent city built atop a large hill whose mote ran one
     hundred feet across and fifty feet deep. Outlining the city was a
     seventy foot high wall of protection, obviously intended to keep
     enemies out. As they crossed the bridge into the isolated realm,
     they saw the most amazing thing in their lives. It appeared as if
     every house and inn were joined together with the castle to form
     one giant super-structure; with the exception of small, closed in
     gardens, there was no isolationism at all.

       The three passed through layer after layer of connected
     buildings. Like a giant rose, the city and its streets spiraled
     upwards toward the center castle, which sat at the top of the
     hill. Every walkway was covered to protect from the elements.
     Only shafts of light filtered through to the streets. The people
     were dressed rather colorfully, thought the predominant colors of
     choice were. Finally they stopped by a shop, a tailors shop,
     where Spryte could have a decent set of clothes tailored. Trent
     had mentioned the idea and offered to pay the full price.
     Stepping in, they saw a forest of beautiful garments of golds and
     reds and purples and blues..just about any color you could
     imagine was there. Behind the counter was an old man. His face
     was wrinkled and worn, and his eyes shone through his small
     spectacles like two black marbles. His nose was large and hung
     down like an elephants trunk. The puckered mouth and absence of
     lips and teeth added to the aged look. He sat mending a skirt and
     quietly humming a tune, all the while mumbling unintelligently.
     His gnarled, fat hands moved like lightning, deliberate and
     quick. Trent walked up and cleared his throat, indicating their
     prescence.

       "Oh, hello..", the old man said smiling, "What can I do ya
     for?"

       "I'd like a few dresses...if you don't mind, and some shoes
     too.", Spryte piped up. The old man stood up and waddled over to
     her. He gazed at her and mumbled to himself, possibly wondering
     how he was going to fit her.

       "Well, what do you want in a dress?", he asked, shrugging his
     shoulders, "I can make anything you want, you name it. Just short
     of an armor suit of course." Spryte smiled and walked over to a
     few dresses hanging by the door. She rifled through a few and
     grabbed one out of the rack.

       "I like this one!," she exclaimed joyfully, "Can you make me
     this?"

       "Sure. I can make you that dress.", he answered, "Uh...but what
     do you want for it? Do you want frills, embroidery, red or blue
     colors?"

     Spryte thought for a moment.

       "I want a green dress with a nice collar, short sleeves, and a
     big red bow in back!", she chattered, "And lace around the ends
     of the sleeves, just like this one. And some nice small shoes
     too. And I want a blue one of those and a yellow one." The old
     man walked over to her and took a few quick measurements, still
     mumbling. He jotted some notes down onto a piece of paper and
     walked back behind the counter.



       "I'll have it to you by tomorrow afternoon.", he chimed. They
     said their thank you's and left for an inn to eat and sleep at.
     Traveling just a few yards away, literally, they found a cozy inn
     and hitched up the horses. Entering, Sing rented a few rooms for
     them and they carried their bags upstairs. The inn here was
     quieter than the one in Ubilista, the three of them were the only
     ones there besides the lone owner of the place.

       Dinner was exotic but pleasant, and Trent and Sing talked of
     what was in store tomorrow. Spryte sat and stared at everything
     as she scarffed down her food with her hands, for she had not yet
     learned to eat with utensils. She peered at everything intently.
     Her's was the wonder of a small child, but in reverse. Spryte had
     never seen everything so small and took absolute delight in just
     looking at it. Trent and Sing continually had to explain to the
     ever inquisitive owner that Spryte was a newly 'big' fairy.





                                 ***************

       After dinner, Trent returned to his room, where he undressed
     down to his boxer shorts, slipped on a bathrobe for modesty, and
     leaned back on his bed contemplating his journey. It had been
     just two weeks and already he had fought several battles, met
     many new people, and seen a friend 'grow up'. This was not what
     he had planned or expected at all. What the hell was next? His
     door opened and Spryte entered the room in a green, satin
     bathrobe, motioning for Trent not to speak as she closed and
     locked it behind her. She flew over and laid down next to him
     where, feeling rather affectionate and vulnerable, she scooted in
     close and gave him a friendly hug.

       "Hi there!", he greeted.

       "Hi."

       "Nice nightgown, where did you get it?"

       "Sing let me have it, cause I don't have any clothes that fit
     yet.", she responded. He nodded in understanding.

       "So what's up?", he joyfully asked, turning to face her.

       "I feel lonely.", she said softly, "Can you just hold me?"

       "Oh...", he whispered, "Okay." Slowly, he warmly took her into
     his arms, and hugged her tightly. For several minutes, they laid
     there in embrace.



       All his life, Trent had but one friend, Spryte. She was there
     when he was a baby, entertaining him in his cradle



       He smiled and ran his fingertips through her hair
     affectionately. Feeling quite secure in his presence, she laid
     her head against his chest and listened to the sound of his
     breathing and heartbeat. Soft and rythmic, it gave her a feeling
     of safety and warmth.

       "Do you want to know something, Spryte?", he asked, deciding
     that now was the time to get up the guts to finally say what he
     felt. She looked up into his eyes.

       "I love you more than life itself.", he said.

       Slowly, she brought her lips to his and kissed him. It was her
     way of saying, 'I love you too.' Without hesitation, he kissed
     her back. Long and hard. It was incredible. It was beautiful. As
     the kiss lingered, their minds opened up to each other. Before
     they knew it, they were telepathically linked. And all either of
     them sensed was love. Pure, passionate love. They kissed over and
     over. He began to run his shaking hands down her back, lightly
     touching her wings as they fluttered in pleasurable sensation. As
     she sat up, she guided his hands around and down over her
     cleavage to her hips. Slowly, she undid the tie around her
     waist,letting the green robe fall open. For the first time in his
     life, Trent saw Spryte in all her natural beauty. His eyes
     feasted on every bare curve of her lovely body. No longer was she
     an 18 year old fairy girl, but a woman who wanted the love of a
     man. He brought her back down to him and they rolled over, with
     him ending up on top. She slid the plaid boxers off of his body.
     Looking down, she realized that he was ready to make total love
     to her. She licked her lips in sensual excitement as her eyes
     said to his, 'Do it...Take me!'....

     He did.

                                 ***************

       Several hours later, the two were quietly lying on the bed
     together. The only thing either of them were wearing were their
     extremely wrinkled bathrobes.

       "Do you want to sleep here tonight?", he asked, somewhat
     joking.

     She responded by hugging him tighter and moaning softly. He
     pulled up the covers over them both and they snuggled down.
     Blowing out the single flickering candle, he began to softly
     stroke her wings, lulling her to sleep. He quickly dozed off as
     well, thouroughly exhausted from their shared "first experience".



                                 ***************



       Waking up the next morning, Trent tried to get up, but
     couldn't. Thinking about the romance of the night before, he
     remembered that there was a fairy sleeping on top of him. He was
     intruigued by the way that she embraced him like a giant teddy
     bear, but a knock on the door broke his concentration. As slowly
     as he could, he eased her off of him and climbed out of bed. The
     door knocked again. Slipping on his boxer shorts and tying his
     bathrobe, he stumbled over to the other side of the room.

     Another knock. "I'm coming, dammit!", he whispered angrily. He
     finished tying his robe and opened the door. Standing on the
     other side of the doorway was Sing, dressed and ready for the
     day.

       "I assume that you will walk over to Spryte's room and inform
     her when you are ready?", Sing asked. Trent nodded quickly.

       "Very well.", she answered, "Then I will be downstairs if my
     assistance is required." She turned and walked down to the
     stairway as Trent closed the door. Trotting briskly over to the
     counter, she ordered breakfast, hoping that the other two would
     soon join her.



       Trent walked over to his suitcase and threw on his usual
     clothes. Then he creeped to the bed and sat down next to his
     sleeping fairy, where he brushed her bangs out of her closed
     eyes. A long sigh was the sign that she had awoken and she laid
     there blinking slowly.

       "Hi, baby.", he said soothingly, running his fingers through
     her hair. She continued to look straight ahead.

       "There's probably breakfast downstairs, are you hungry?"

       "Yeah", the bare-chested girl mumbled, sitting up. She
     stretched her arms and yawned deeply, her wings fluttering. She
     then leaned over and gave him a long 'good morning' kiss. He
     kissed her back and they hugged.

       "I love you so much Spryte.", he cooed quietly. She hugged him
     tighter.

       "Oh Trent, I love you too."

       Standing up, he walked over to the door and opened it.

       "You get dressed and I'll see you down there for breakfast.
     Alright?" She nodded in agreement.



                               ********************

       Spryte joined Trent and Sing for breakfast and the three
     decided that they would go pick up Spryte's new wardrobe, then
     they would try to locate the legendary Vendacian Tunic and Belt,
     which was considered lost forever. Sing had told Trent about it
     along the journey to the city, and Trent thought that if he could
     find it, it would be rightfully his.



       Around an hour later, they headed over to the small tailory
     where Spryte had ordered her dresses. Stepping inside, they found
     more than they expected. The two dresses were there, just as she
     asked, but there was also a riding uniform, a nightgown, a
     bathrobe, slippers, shoes, undergarments and a large fur coat.
     Above the clothing was a tag with the name "SPRYTE" on it. She
     immediatly ran over to the clothing and began ruffling through
     it, enjoying each piece of clothing more than the last.

       From out of the back room, the old man appeared.

       "Oh,", he said,"I see you have found the clothes I made you."
     Spryte turned to him with a gleam of childish joy in her eyes.

       "Yes and their wonderful!", she gasped, "But, why did you make
     all of this for me?"

       "Well, I was going through my back room there and I found all
     of these clothes that could only fit a woman like you. So I
     decided to let bring them out and see if you wanted them. Hell,
     no one else would buy them, they're not in fashion here."

       Trent walked up to the old man and took out his pouch of gold
     coins.

       "How much do I owe you?", he asked.

       "Five coins should be enough.", the elder replied. Trent handed
     the man the money and Sing took the clothes out to the horses
     where they were shoved into one of her bags. Spryte said her
     thank-you's and gave the old man a kiss on the cheek.

     As the three travelers were heading out of the room, the old man
     called back,

       "A young man of your age told me to tell you something. Go
     through the moat wall and look for the items under the castle."
     Trent looked back at the man.

       "Who told you this?", he asked, sure of the answer.

       "He called himself Rintadi. I dont know who he was.", the man
     shrugged.



       Later on that day, the three arrived just outside Vendace
     Castle. It was a massive structure which stood at the pinnacle of
     the city. Trent dismounted off of his horse and walked over to
     the elevated moat surrounding the fortress. Suprizingly, there
     were no guards to be found. Looking across the moat, he saw that
     some of the building stones seemed to be discolored. A ledge
     surrounded the inner wall of the moat, so someone could 'in
     theory' stand there and examine the stones. Trent turned to Sing
     and Spryte.

       "I'm...uh...", he stammered, "Going to see what those stones
     are doing there."

       "Me too.", Sing called back.

       "Wait for me.", chirped Spryte. The two women joined him and
     they all climbed up to the top of the moat wall. Once there,
     Spryte carried the other two over to the other side where Trent
     began tugging on the large faded stones. To his suprize, they
     slowly began to give way. After much work, he successfully
     removed the largest stone and peered into the hole left over. The
     air was musty and stank. He walked silently into the opening and
     found himself in an underground room. The girls followed just
     behind him, making sure not to stray more than a few feet away.
     Spryte cast a small glowing spell on herself to light the way and
     she began to glow like a firefly. As he ventured deeper into the
     cave-like passageways connecting the first room with others,
     Trent saw dead bodies lying in holes in the wall. On them were
     weapons and gifts of jewlrey. 'A catacomb!' he thought to
     himself. From deeper within the caves, he saw a large burial
     coffin. The three walked over to it and stared down. Sing read
     the words on the lid of the sarcauphagus.



       "Tel-Ifa the Great.", she read, turning to Trent, "Who's
     Tel-Ifa the Great?"

       "Tel-Ifa was a mighty warrior of the Molderans. His coffin was
     buried long ago and forgotten. But legends say that his sword and
     shield were made by the great blacksmiths of Hyrule and his belt
     was from Regilop hide."

       "Isn't Regilop a magical animal which can't be killed?", Spryte
     asked.

       "Yes, but it does die of old age. And at that time, only the
     best tailors in the world can turn its skin into a belt of
     leather.", Trent answered, "The belt gives the owner double the
     resiliance to injury. A painful blow hurts only half as much."

       "So do you wish to open the coffin?", Sing asked. Trent
     unlatched the rusted locks and opened the lid to the coffin. When
     the dust cleared he looked inside and found a dead carcas staring
     back at him.

     Trent's eyes widened. For on its chest were the belt, sword, AND
     shield.

     Trent removed his old belt and strapped on this one. A healing
     power ran through his body He dropped his old sword and shield
     and hoisted the ones of Tel-Ifa. They were half as heavy, but
     Trent could tell that they were over five times as strong as his
     old weapons, and twice as big. He loved them. Looking down at
     where he had picked up the tools, he saw a piece of parchment.
     Picking it up he read: DUCK and then RUN! Trent ducked just in
     time for an arrow to whizz over his head and stick into the wall.
     The rooms began to shake.

       "This area is collapsing!", he boomed, "We have to get outta
     here!"

      The three ran for the entrance. Traps were sprung and walls
     fell, but the three made it outside. They jumped the moat and ran
     back into the village were they stopped at a water fountain to
     rest. Panting heavily, Trent turned over the parchment and began
     to read the script printed there.

       'I know that you all make it out. Good. Now that your buisiness
     is done here, go to Benlucca. You will meet me there. And one
     more thing. BEWARE OF THE TIGERS!!!!!'



       This was getting creepy. Who was this Rintadi guy, sending
     Trent on this obstacle course? And why did he know that everyone
     was involved in that cave in? Trent crumpled the paper and threw
     it on the ground.

       "Okay, time to move on to Benlucca.", he ordered. The girls
     turned to him.

       "Wha...wha...what?", Spryte gasped. She hadn't gotten her
     breath back. Trent sheathed his new sword in his belt.

       "Just trust me baby, okay?", he asked. Sing stood up.

       "Fine.", she said, "But first we must go get our horses." The
     three walked back over to the moat and mounted their horses.
     After getting supplies and other things, they let the city of
     Vendace and made their way to a port where they boarded a ship,
     bound for Benlucca.

     chapter 5 -  Wonderous Revelations

  Sing stood in the middle of a garden with her eyes closed. She hummed a
tune, which she knew by heart, and it always helped to calm her mind and
body. Her mother, Jang, used to hum it to her when she was a child. She
missed her mother. In fact she missed her whole family quite a lot. They
weren't dead, they were just fine. But she hadn't seen them in several
years and she wondered what had happened to them in that time. Had Maio,
her brother, married the peasent girl he was so in love with? Were her
father, Bia, and sister, Noe, accepted into the Royal Government? And what
became of her lover, Hoi Gao Uido? Sing walked over to a lone tree and sat
beneath it, trying to focus her mind into oneness. It was a task she
attempted every day, and she usually suceeded.

  Accross the garden, Trent and Spryte were sitting on a marble bench, hand
in hand, talking of their plans after this adventure was over. It had been
two months since they arrived in Benlucca, and having very much fallen in
love with the country, (as well as each other), they decided to make it
their new home. They would settle down here, find a small cottage, and
raise a family. It's what each of them wanted for years. The land was rich
for farming, and the mild mannered people were very diverse and peaceful.
Trent could get a job as a farmer or carpenter. Spryte, of course, would
stay home and raise the little ones. It was a wonderful plan. The two of
them shared a kiss and Trent walked over to Sing.

  "Isn't it great that we found my old friend Oridys?", Trent said
enthusiatically, "He told me that we could stay here at his place as long
as we need to." Sing sighed, her concentration broken.

  "Please, I am trying to meditate.", she growled.

  "Oh, sorry.", he apoligized, "But I thought that you were going to teach
me how to fight better in battle?" The Asian woman looked up at him and
gave him an annoyed look.

  "Patience is a virtue you do not have.", she scolded, "But you will soon
learn. Come, I will teach you the ways of a good warrior." She walked out
of the garden, with Trent following closely behind. The two retrieved their
weapons and proceeded to the courtyard of Oridys' manor.

  "A good warrior does not give into hastiness. He studies his enemy and
uses it to his advantage.", she said slowly. Trent stared hard at his
opponent and made a lunge toward her with his sword. Sing stepped to the
side and hit him squarely on the back of the neck with one of her sword
hilts. Reeling from the pain, the young man fell forward onto the stone
surface, collapsing into a heap. Sing laughed.

  "Ah, impatient child. You're not listening.", she chortled, "Let the
other one make the first move. Then use their own mistakes to bring them
down, as I have done with you. Their foolishness will be your victory."
Trent stood up and brushed himself off. A small trickle of blood dripped
from the side of his mouth. Sing jumped at the lad and lifted her swords
above her head, ready to strike. Trent rolled forward and stood back up.
Seeing an opportunity, he back-kicked the flying woman in the ribs, sending
her sprawling into a heap of farm tools.

  "Like that?", he asked smiling. Sing sat up and nodded.

  "Like that.", she concured. For several hours Sing instructed Trent on
the art of battle, sometimes cutting in with statements on everyday wisdom.
Trent listened hard, for he knew that later on, these lessons would save
his life.

  Around sundown, a tall thin man in a large robe approached the two
fighting combatants.

  "Excuse me, Trent?", he interjected; his low, smooth voice soothing the
two people. Trent and Sing stopped their sparing and turned to him.

  "Yes Oridys?", Trent acknowledged, placing his weapons on a table nearby.

  "I just recieved a letter for you." Oridys gave Trent the letter. Trent
read it and looked at Sing.

  "Um...We've been summoned by the Queen of Benlucca. She wants to talk
with all three of us tonight around 10 PM." Spryte jogged up to the others
and looked at the letter.

  "Ooh...that looks important, huh?", she said inquisitively. Trent wrapped
an arm around her waist.

  "Yeah babe it does.", he mumbled in her ear, "You might want to go get
into one of your pretty little dresses, hmm?" Spryte giggled. Sing rolled
her eyes.

  "Okay!", she chirped. She gave him a quick peck on the cheek and ran into
the manor to change. Trent stared back with a large grin on his face. Sing
snatched the letter and gave it a quick read.

  "I shall go dress in formal attire.", she said, giving the note back to
Trent. Trent turned to Oridys and sighed.

  "What the hell does the Royal family of Benlucca want with us? And how do
they know that we're here?"

  "Whatever the reason my friend", the older man responded, "It must be
important, and I'm sure those questions will be answered when you see
them." He turned away and walked back inside, leaving Trent alone.



                                    ***



  Around 10pm, the three arrived at the House of Benlucca wearing their
finest. They were approached by the guards who, upon seeing the note, let
them inside. The House was enormous. Gold and silver adorned everything, as
did jewles of unimaginable price. Everyone was dressed nicely. Trent wore a
long-sleeved white shirt with a high collar and flaired wrist cuffs. Over
that was a dark blue velvet coat with several medalions pinned onto the
left pocket. He also wore matching slacks and nice dark shoes. It was a
uniform he kept for special occasions, and though it wasn't royal, it was
the best that he had. Spryte had on the nice green dress which she recieved
in Vendace. Around her waist was a red sash with a bow in the back. She
wore a red headband on her head. The shoes on her feet were small, but
quite comfortable. Sing came dressed in a military dress uniform from her
homeland. It was grey and quite authoritative. Her swords were worn on her
waist for comfort reasons.

  They were led into the royal chambers where they were greeted by a woman
whom Trent guessed was the queen. She was dressed in a royal outfit and had
a small crown on top of her head. She sat on the royal throne which was
adorned with even more silver, gold and jewels than the halways and rooms
the three had passed thru earlier. Next to her sat a woman whom Trent
recognized immediately...Kamberlee. With a large wave of her hand, the
queen beckoned them to enter furthur.

  "Come...", she said, "Come in. I am Queen Helana and this is my assistant
Kamberlee. Though I believe you have met her before." The three approached
the queen and bowed accordingly. Then Trent spoke up.

  "What are you doing here?", he asked Kamberlee.

  "I am the assistant to the queen.", she answered, "I was sent by Rintadi
to Dubatio to help you on your quest. There I posed as a peaseant girl
and..."

  "But why did uh...we...uh...", he interupted, not really wanting to hear
the answer.

  "I'm an Irusican. Iruscians are a kind of people with transpathic
abilities. These abilities let us sense the hidden feelings of others and
emulate them. If I am around a person named Kati who feels strongly for
another person named Jol, then I feel strongly for Jol. And they feel the
same way for me instead of Jol. And I can't turn it off. So the best thing
for me in that situation is not to speak. But naturally, you and the fairy
were passionate towards each other, so...well...."

  "Well that explains everything.", Trent grumbled to himself,
"Except...who is Rintadi?"

  "So why are we here?", asked Sing. From across the room a man of about
Trent's age came walking up. He was the same man who had saved Trent's life
those several times. He wore a black uniform and his blonde hair was pulled
back into a pony tail.

  "Me, I'm the reason why you're here.", he said authoritatively, stopping
just in front of Trent, "My name is Rintadi Syrdek, but you may call me
Rin. Hello Sing, nice to see you again. How are you?" Trent turned to Sing,
who stood there speechless.

  "Who is this?", Trent asked her. Rin spoke again.

  "I am the man who has been keeping you alive and writing you the letters,
telling you where to go.", he expalined, "I saved your life in Dubatio and
Moldera. I brought Sing to you for guidance. I stabbed the Huluth in the
back, forcing him to release you. And I payed the three men aboard the
Corintianus to kidnapp you for your own safety. I am the man who gave you
clues on your adventure, and I instructed people to inform you of the ones
that I gave them...Triangle Man."

  Triangle Man...Trent remembered the old folks calling him that back in
Brynell. He must have told them that Trent was the Triangle Man of their
folklore. Why?

  "Why?", Rin asked, sensing Trent's thoughts, "Because you are, Trent. It
is in your blood, and it is your purpose. My purpose was and still is to
keep you alive. The reason for that you may not know yet. Suffice to say
that it is an important one."



  Trent's head was spinning. Purpose? Clues? Transpaths? He walked over to
a chair a little ways away and sat down. There he buried his face in his
hands, wishing another headache away. Rin reapproaced him and placed a hand
on Trent's shoulder.

  "You are confused, I know. That is why you must talk to Demysti, my
advisor. She can answer all of your questions. Do you understand?" Trent
nodded his head slowly. Rin walked over to Spryte and gave her a hug. She
half-heartedly hugged him back. He stepped back and took her hands in his.

  "Hello Spryte. My, do you look young.", he greeted with tears welling up
in his eyes, "It is so nice to see you again...I've missed you a whole
lot." The only thing she could respond with was,

  "Hello?"

  Rin laughed lightly and just smiled at her. He then walked back towards
the hallway and snapped his fingers sharply in the air. Kamberlee trotted
over to him and the two walked out of the room together, mumbling to each
other. Passing the two, a whithered, old woman shuffled into the room and
over to Trent.

  "Trent...Trent.", she said in her croaking voice, "I have much to tell
you. Come with me to my room and we will talk." The young man stood up and
followed the old woman. The queen motioned for Spryte to follow.

  "Go..follow Demysti and your friend.", she commanded, "But Sing, come
here." Sing and Spryte obeyed the queen and went their separate ways. As
Sing approached the queen, the royal woman began talking to her in a low
tone. Spryte hurried up to Demysti and Trent.



                                    ***

  Demysti's room was dark and quiet. Only a few candles burned for light.
Many ornaments and paintings hung on the wall. Trent sat in a large chair
by the fire, with Spryte sitting on his lap. Demysti sat opposite them.

  "Now, I shall answer any question you have, just ask.", she invited.
Trent thought of the one question he had wanted an answer to for years.

  "Who are my parents and WHO AM I?", he demanded quietly. The old woman
fidgeted with her hands and looked at the cat sitting on the table.

  "I was hoping you wouldn't ask that.", she mumbled, "Very well. I will
tell you.

  You....are the Prince of Hyrule. And your parents are Queen Zelda and her
husband, Link of the Soril-Kokiri. The Triangle around your neck and on
your hand is a symbol of your family's power...the Triforce." Trent
couldn't believe such an incredible statement.

  "What?!", he whispered.

  "Spryte knows.", Demysti said, pointing to the fairy. Trent turned to his
girlfriend.

  "You know this?", he asked, "And you never told me?" The young girl
looked at him with a sorrowful gaze.

  "How could she?", the elder continued, "What would have happened if you
or anyone else knew? Now listen closely because I'm not going to repeat
myself.

  "Long ago, there was a war. Between the Visarians and the kingdoms of
Catalia and Hyrule.The Visarians nearly conquered Calatia, killing King
Sorenden. Queen Medila barely escaped with her life and took their only
child, the newborn Prince Link, to a small villiage in the now dead
Soril-Kokiri town of Gardarika. She married a local winemaker named Arn and
they raised Link together along with children that she had with Arn. When
Link was but 12 years old, all the villiage folk and nearly his whole
family was killed by the Tanol Raiders. Only Link and a few siblings
survived. He wandered aimlessly for years until he rescued your lover,
Spryte, from Moblins. Later, he saved your mother, Zelda, from the clutches
of Gannon, the dark Prince of Power."

  "What?", Trent interupted.

  "Hush... Zelda, your mother, was the Queen of Hyrule. She was the only
child born to King Harkinian and Queen Alina. Harkinian and Calatia's king,
Sorenden, had planned to marry Link and Zelda when the time was right but
Hyrule was plunged, along with Calatia, into war with the Visarians. Since
Hyrule was so much stronger than Calatia, it easily drove out the Tanol
intruders. Alina died of a fever when Zelda was just six and Harkinian was
left to raise the girl on his own.

  When she was fourteen, Zelda was kidnapped by Gannon, and Link came to
her rescue. As a reward he became keeper of the Triforce. As the years
passed they fell in love and were soon married. You were born a year later
and then smuggled out of the kingdom for your own safety, for Hyrule came
under attack by an army of evil. You were raised by a fisherman and the
rest is history."

  Trent sat there motionless. Spryte stared at him unblinking. Finally
Trent swallowed hard and spoke. His voice was steady, emotionless, and
unwaivering.

  "Is the Triangle speaking to me in my daydreams...the Triforce?"

  "Yes.", Demysti answered.

  "Am I to reclaim my throne?"

  "Yes."

  "What am I to do now?"

  "You must seek the Laurilasi, in Jueland. They will help you on your
quest."

  Trent and Spryte stood up and procceded to the door. As Trent opened the
door, Demysti uttered a wonderous revelation.

  "And Trent, there is something important that you should know...", she
croaked, "Spryte is carrying your child. She will give birth before Spring
arrives."



  The news surprized even Spryte, who had no idea of this. There was a
moment of dead silence. Then the two left the room, shutting the door
behind them. Once outside, Spryte turned and gave Trent the biggest bear
hug she had ever given him. Her wings fluttered as tears began streaming
down her face in joy. He wrapped his arms around her and hugged back,
letting out a deep sigh. This had to be the happiest moment of their lives.

  Footsteps resonated thru the hallway. As they got closer, Trent could see
that it was Sing. She stopped just short of the two people, a confused look
on her face.

  "What is the news?", she asked.

  The two lovers finished their hug.

  "Its wonderful Sing!", Trent exclaimed, "Spryte is pregnant with our
baby!" Sing was taken aback, she didn't understand.

  "I knew not that the two of you were that close."

  "Well", said Spryte, "We are."

  "Congratulations, I guess.", Sing praised uneasily.

  "So, what did the queen have to say?", Trent inquired.

  "She just wanted to know a little about us and our travels.", the Asian
said, "Nothing more." More footsteps in the hallway. It was Rin and some
other gentleman who was slightly younger. They trotted up to the group and
began panting heavily, trying to regain their breath.

  "Kamberlee...has...assembled...a small...caravan. We...will
leave...tomorrow.", Rin wheezed.

  "Leave for where?", Trent asked.

  "Where you're going,", the shorter man piped, "Jueland!"

  "My friend Kurik and I just talked with the queen.", the golden-haired
man answered, pointing to the other guy, "We are going to join you on your
adventure. Trust me, you'll need us."

                                    ***



  The five people said goodbye to Queen Helana and Kamberlee, and left the
building. Outside was Windrunner, Shaa, and another horse which was hitched
to a covered wagon. Appearently, the groups bags had been retrieved from
Oridys' house, for he was standing behind the wagon, loading their things.
Sing walked up to Shaa and began petting him. Trent's eyes widened.

  "That's a caravan?", he exclaimed, "There's only one...something!" Rin
laughed.

  "Right you are.", he chimed. "The covered wagon is for the ladies.",
Kurik added, "It's dry in there so they don't have to get wet, in case it
rains." Spryte rolled her eyes.

  Sing meandered over to the wagon and looked inside. Inside it was dark,
dry and soft, a comfortable way to travel for some, but boring for others.
Something inside her said that it wasn't honorable to sit in a covered
wagon while the men braved the elements. But a louder voice told her to
enjoy the 'fair' treatment. She bounced her eyebrows to Trent and winked at
him, a sly grin covering her face. Then she quickly hopped inside. Trent
scooped Spryte up in his arms and the fairy squeeled in suprize. 'What is
he doing?' she thought. He carried her over to the wagon where he climbed
up and laid her down next to Sing on the large, fluffy, soft blankets
inside. Spryte sat up and crossed her arms, pouting in insult.

  "Just because I'm....you know...,doesn't mean that I'm fragil and
helpless!", she chided as her wings drooped down. Trent just smiled,
winked, and climbed back out. As he mounted Windrunner, Sing leaned over to
Spryte and whispered,

  "My grandfather once said, 'Enjoy the moment.'" Spryte couldn't help but
to start giggling, she was right.

  Sing called out ahead, "Rintadi, you may ride Shaa while I sleep,
alright?" Rin mounted the Unicorn.

  "Thank you ma'am!", he yelled back.

  Kurik jumped onto the wagon's horse, named Anni, and everyone waved
good-bye to Oridys. The 'caravan' was on its way to Jueland. But peace
would not be there to greet them.