The Legend of the Hero of Time:
Long ago there was a country chosen by the god's power. The people who lived in this blessed land, called the Hylians, were said to be able to hear the voices of the gods. They, together with the Gorons, Zora, Gerudo, and Kokiri carried out unique lives. Even in this rich land, the footsteps of destruction began to creep in. The Evil One seized the power of the gods, and wrapped this land in evil, and the once beautiful land fell into ruin. It was at that time a being clad in green appeared out of nowhere. Granted the power of the gods, defeated the evil power at the end of a furious struggle. Peace returned to the land. Having appeared by crossing time this person was called the Hero of Time, and became a legend in the kingdom.
Prologue: The Letter
After a very hot and sticky day, the old potter smiled. Extra time in the curing oven did not appear to have damaged the porcelain. When he walked into the small brick building and found his granddaughter napping propped up on the only chair's two back legs, he could not resist and startled her awake. Luckily, she managed to catch herself before she crashed to the floor. He grinned at the memory. Lunnaei slept, the porcelain cooked, but no harm done. His granddaughter would be very relieved.
As he looked at his latest batch of wares, most everything looked better than expected. Well, all but one, though it would be the perfect gift for his granddaughter. She wanted one of her own for years, but he put off giving her one. Fragile objects and Lunnaei were never a good combination. As he put some of the items away on the cooling shelves, he heard the door open behind him. He did not turn, he knew who it was.
"Grandpa?" she asked quietly, "Did everything come out alright?"
He set the last of the pieces on the shelf, mustered up his best frown, and turned around. "Well, Lunnaei, everything appears in order, though the ocarina meant for Lord Dorian's son didn't fare so well."
"Oh?" She said and turned to leave. As she reached for the door she stopped, turned back around and said, 't his letter came for you." she held it out without looking at him.
'Thank you," he said as he glanced at the seal and she was almost out the door when he stopped her, "Lunnaei?"
"Yeah," he heard a sniffle.
"Lunnaei today is your birthday. We can't have you crying on your birthday."
"I'm not crying." another sniffle.
'Then your nose appears to have sprung a leak."
She ran over and gave him a hug and said, "I'm really sorry Grandpa."
"No, don't cry." he said as he returned a squeeze and felt a twinge of guilt for making her worry.
"But I wrecked?"
"Bah, those pieces will be fine. In fact, that ocarina looks good. It's just the wrong color, not quite what was ordered."
"Really?" she sniffed again as she pushed her tears away with her sleeve. "What color is it?"
"You can find out after it cools," he said and turned her back toward the door, "besides you'll have to hurry if you're going to be on time for you lesson."
"Oh my, I forgot about that," she said in a rush and bolted for the door. Again, she stopped and came back to him. After one more hug she said, 'Thanks Gramps, you're the best."
"You're going to be late." he shook his head as she rushed out the door and cringed when the door slammed shut.
"Sorry!" came a muffled apology through the door.
He looked again at the letter; it held the Royal Crest of Hyrule on it. "Well what do you know about that." He did not open it; instead, he put it in his pocket and set about preparing the molds for another ocarina.
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"So when are you leaving, Pop?"
The potter looked up from his mug. He regarded his only child with a tired expression and said, "Who said I was leaving?"
"I read the letter." The potter looked at the table he had left it on when he came into the house, and then looked back at his son. The younger potter shrugged, "You shouldn't leave stuff lying around if you don't want people to read it."
"Well, I wasn't really considering going."
"Sure you were." Lem said as he took a seat at the table. "Otherwise you would have thrown it into the fire the way you did the last three," he added when he noticed his father strange look. "I clean the ash out of the hearth remember?"
"Obviously next time I'll have to toss it in the kiln."
"You'd never do that," his son said flatly. His gray eyes twinkled with mischief as he said with a grin, 'the smoke would've contaminated the glaze."
"Hmmphth, know me that well do you?" He took a longer drink of his tea. "So you think I should go?"
"I think you've planned to for a long time."
"You think so?" He responded without looking up.
"Yes, I think. Don't worry Pop, Lunnaei and me will be fine. How long has it been since you went on vacation?"
"I wouldn't consider it a vacation."
His son smiled. "Fine, call it a working vacation. It would do you good. Besides, you're not gonna get many more chances like this. I hear the weather in Hyrule is nice this time of year. See the sights, visit the market, tour the castle?" His son's voice was lost in the clatter of his own half forgotten memories as he looked out the room's only window. The sound of someone knocking at the door pulled his attention back. His son got up from the table and answered it and from the voice, he knew it was the town constable.
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The older potter sat quietly at the table, still nursing his tea as his granddaughter sat dejectedly at the other end of the table. She nervously pulled on the long braid she kept her black hair in as she waited for her father to finish speaking to the Constable. Her eyes flicked to her grandfather and she sunk a little lower in her chair. She did not have to wait long as her father shut the door and asked, "Lunnaei, what possessed you to pick a fight with that boy on today of all days?"
"I didn't," she retorted, "He picked one with me."
"That's not the way the Constable tells it," he said arms crossed.
"Yeah? Well, he wasn't there when it started," she sat up a little in her chair.
"Don't get smart," he said with a frown. "This is the third time this month the Constable has brought you home! What's going on with you?"
"Nothing is! Why can't you just believe me! I didn't start that fight!"
The old potter watched the pair with growing amusement. His son, it seemed, had forgotten his own not so uneventful childhood, "Lem? Lunnaei?" The two did not seem to hear him as the argument started to escalate.
"Four witnesses Lunnaei!"
"You mean four of his cronies!" She was up and out of the chair. "You know they'll say whatever he wants them to," and to herself said, "stupid jackasses..."
"Watch you language missy." Lem was pacing back and forth. He stopped and looked the door, "What am I gonna do with you?"
"Well you could just solve all your problems and sell me to the Gerudo!"
"Don't tempt me!" He shouted as her rounded on her.
Things were starting to get out of hand and a little louder the potter said, "Excuse me?"
"WHAT?!" they both yelled at him. He blinked. Lunnaei covered her mouth with her hands. Her father sighed, "Sorry Pop." He turned back to Lunnaei, "Just go to your room. We'll talk about your punishment later."
Lunnaei sniffed and turned quickly away from them and she was through the door and up the stairs before either could comment further.
"You know Lem," the older potter said carefully, "I could take her with me."
His son looked back at him as if he had sprouted another arm. "I don't know Pop. She's gotten so wild lately and I have no idea what's gotten into her. First the lesson skipping, now she's picking fights with the village idiots."
"It's not all that bad. Lunnaei was never one to jump thoughtlessly into anything." He said as he sat back down, "Personally, if she says the boy started it, I'm inclined to believe her."
"Four witnesses, Pop."
"Like she said, four of his cronies, besides I am going to need some help when I get to Hyrule. I'd prefer not to rely on some snot nosed castle apprentice."
"Don't think I can handle her by myself?" his son asked as he sat across the table. The potter said nothing and they sat in silence for a while as each took turns taking sips of their tea. Lem broke the uncomfortable moment when he stood up to get more tea from the kettle. He picked up a small picture above the hearth and said quietly, "I wish Teresa were here, she always knew how to handle things like this."
"She's a good child Lem, just a little stubborn, like her father. Just remember that and it will all work out. Oh," he said as he reached into his pocket, "I never got to give Lunnaei her gift. Give her this and tell her happy birthday."
Lem smiled and took the ocarina from him he held it up to the light and admired it, "Its beautiful Pop, how'd you get the two tone shades of blue?"
"You can thank Lunnaei for that, she dozed off and the extra time in the curing oven made the colors bleed a little."
"She fell asleep." Lem's brow furrowed.
The potter could hear the anger as it returned to his son's voice and said, "Lem, there was no harm done and she's already tormented herself enough about it. Besides, it is her birthday."
"I guess." He said and sighed. After a moment he started toward the stairs, "You coming?"
"No, no I think I'll let you tell her that her punishment is walking all the way to Hyrule and back." He said and watched his son head up the stairs. He reached over and picked up the letter and read it again:
Dear Master Potter,
In commemoration of this, the thirty-fifth year of the reign of His Majesty King Ashtad, please accept this invitation to come to Hyrule. As Earl of the Eastern Province, I would like to commission a number of items to present to the Royal Family during the Feast of...
He turned the letter over in his hands. He'd received so many others like this in the past and ignored them all. Hyrule was the land of his birth yet he never intended to return there. It never felt like home and his promise to return someday hung over him like a dark cloud. He refolded the letter and slipped it into his pocket. Angry shouts above his head told him Lem had informed Lunnaei of her punishment. He smiled, lit a short bit of candle before he blew out the oil lamp on the table. He made his way to his room and set the candle in its holder. All the while, random thoughts of his past before coming here skipped around like rocks on water through his head. With a sigh, he blew out the candle and went to sleep.
