Chapter 4

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The beginning of something new…



“And the librarian didn’t raise any heck about you asking for “The Book of Fernaira”?” Calhan asked as they passed under the overhead to the bridge into Hyrule town on their way out to Kokoriko Village two weeks later. Actually the librarian had fainted at the mention of the book but Gerad wasn’t going to tell Calhan that detail. They had made the librarian swear not to tell anyone that they had asked for the book on pain of loosing his job. They had threatened his life first, or more, Sheik had, but he didn’t care as much for his life as he did for his job.
“Yeah he was more than happy to show us where it was.” Selene said. Calhan was still skeptical but let the matter drop as he turned his attention to his guarding. The ride to Kokoriko was short and uneventful. They had packed light considering the time they were spending away from home. Selene was in a white shirt and brown pants as was Gerad.
They entered Kokoriko with no fan fair to greet them not to anyone’s disappointment, and made their way to Sheik’s house. They arrived at a fairly large house with Sheik jumping up and down waving his arms and his mother standing still next to him with her usual serious face. Gerad and Selene dismounted and led their horses to the barn. Sheik joined them, “How was the trip?”
“Uneventful, and short actually. I thought you lived farther away.” Gerad said unsaddling Artimus and giving him some oats and a good rub down.
“Really what made you think that I lived far away?” Sheik asked hopping up onto the rail in between Artimus’s stall and Starfire’s.
“Well last time ya’ll were at the castle Dahrin said that he had to travel with you the longest when all of you came to the castle.” Selene said over Starfire’s back as she rubbed her down.
“Oh, yeah, that’s because mom and me had traveled to Gerudo Fortress to do something for politics or another important thing like that. So we were already there.” Sheik replied with a shrug of his shoulders.
“What’s this I hear about my home?” Dahrin’s voice came from the door to the barn. Sheik smiled to see his good buddy and stepped from the rail to the stall door without loosing his balance.
“When did you get here?” Sheik asked squatting down to be almost eye level with him.
“Just now, you’ve all been in here for about an hour or so your mother said.” Dahrin replied walking Desertstorm into his stall. He began to brush him down as he continued talking with his friends.
“So how was your ride over here?” Selene asked stepping out of Starfire’s stall and shutting the door behind her.
“Relaxing actually, we didn’t run into anything on the way and other than a bit of rain it was good.” Dahrin replied patting Desertstorm and stepping out of the stall.
“Well mine was a bit more interesting.” Meria said as she entered towing Eyona behind her. Sheik immediately perked up at the sight of Meria. She smiled at him as she passed him to put Eyona in her stall.
“What do you mean?” Selene asked as Meria passed by.
“Well first Eyona wanted to run the opposite way I was headed.”
“And then when she joined up with us we had some psychotic duku scrubs trying to pelt us to death with duku nuts.” Aerica finished as she entered the barn with Orchid behind her and Meko hovering around her.
“Sounds interesting.” Gerad said smiling at Aerica. Selene rolled her eyes and went and hugged Aerica hello. Aerica smiled and hugged Selene then went and put Orchid in her stall.
“If you can say getting hit by a duku nut that’s going faster than you can fly is interesting.” Meko said crossing his tiny arms and landing on Aerica’s shoulder.
Gerad chuckled, “Well no, I wouldn’t call that interesting.” Meko glared at his sarcastic tone.
“Alright younglings dinner is in four hours ya’ll have the rest of today off so enjoy yourselves, there are some rules, Sheik I expect you to tell them and to follow them yourself.” Impa said from the barn door. She turned and left them standing there in the barn looking at each other with huge smiles.
“Ok so what’re the rules?” Dahrin asked looking up at Sheik. “Oh, just that we can’t go into the royal cemetery since that’s where the shadow temple is, Oh and no messing with the cuckoos.”
Gerad shrugged his shoulders and said, “Wasn’t planning on going to any cemeteries.”
Sheik hopped down from his perch, “Come on, I’ll show you around the village.”
“But this is a perfect time to test some of your powers.” Calhan said coming into the barn with Slaughter in tow. He wore his guard uniform and his longsword at his side. “We can learn later, I think we should take a walk around the village to acquaint ourselves with the feel of the place.” Gerad said walking past Calhan to wait outside with the others. Calhan shrugged and stalled Slaughter then left with the others.

“So this is the well that Bongo Bongo was trapped in?” Meria asked trying to peer through the water that shone clear and enticing.
“Yeah up until Ganondorf let him out and Mr. Link killed him.” Sheik said leaning against the well. They had taken a tour the first day and now a week later they new the layout of the town intimately. The first few days they were still getting used to the feel of the place, Impa had taken mercy on them and let them get acquainted with rising early before setting them strenuous chores to do. The girls on the fifth day were assigned to cleaning the house while the boys helped the carpenters with building a new schoolhouse for the children of the village. After the first day of cleaning the girls were so sore they could hardly move the next morning. The boys were in no better shape, but none of them complained about the work and set to it again and again. Weekend had come and all were taking a well deserved rest by the well.
“So what exactly is in the Shadow temple?” Gerad asked.
Sheik stiffened, “Nothing but death.”
“Ok little warriors, time for your first power’s lesson.” Calhan said coming up to them. He was dressed in a brownish orange robe and carrying the power book. They stared at him with quizzical expressions.
“Out here in the open?” Gerad asked.
“Why are you wearing a dress?” Sheik asked at the same time.
“No we have to find somewhere secluded, where we won’t be bothered,” Calhan replied ignoring Sheik’s question, “Do you know of any such place where we can train Sheik?”
“A few.” Sheik said with a small nod.
“Any good ones?” Calhan asked.
“Only one really good one but we’re forbidden to go there.” Sheik replied.
“Heh, you mean the graveyard, don’t you?” Dahrin asked.
“Yeah it’s the only place no one ever goes. Except the grave keeper, who wouldn’t bother or report on us anyway.”
“I’m confused why can’t we go-wait that’s where the Shadow temple is, isn’t it?” Calhan asked.
“Yeah.” Sheik said with no enthusiasm.
“Hmm that does present a problem.” Calhan said putting his finger to his chin in an old thinking habit.
“Why would it?” Selene asked.
“Well in the book it says to practice away from areas that have a high potential of having monsters, ‘cause the monsters are drawn to the energy that the powers create. The Shadow Temple is still probably full of monsters as are the others.” Calhan said.
“What’s this about the Shadow Temple?”
Every one jumped at the sound of Impa’s voice. “Oh nothing we were just discussing what we had learned about the…the…the layout of the village.” Aerica said smiling an over innocent smile like the rest of the group. Meko had fallen off his perch with a squeak and landed in the well.
“Uh-huh.” Impa said as she crossed her arms and looked at the group with an eyebrow raised in disbelief. Meko dog paddled to the edge and pulled himself out; Selene tried to suppress a giggle at his appearance. Meko glared at her as he attempted to shake out his soaked wings.
When no information was forth coming she turned to Calhan, “So, Calhan, the graveyard should be fine to practice in as long as you don’t go to close to the Temple. Normally I wouldn’t let you go even in the graveyard but since the stalfos attack I’ve been a little worried that they wouldn’t be able to handle the next attack on them should it occur.” Impa said looking at each of the dumbfounded faces in turn. “So I’ll make an exception this time and I’ll write to all the others to tell them what to expect when you arrive in a few weeks from now.”
Calhan blinked, “How did you know?”
“Well the robe gave it away but it was really the letter your grandfather sent me before he had died explaining that you were taking his place.” Impa said.
“So we can really practice?” Sheik asked.
Impa looked at her son, “Yes, but only on the weekends. ‘Cause you still have chores to do and reports to make. I will have no slacking and no using your powers in front of other people unless it’s to save them.”
“Understood.” The group answered with mock salutes that Impa smiled at. She left them to it and continued on her way.
“Well now that we have permission lets go check out our training area.” Calhan said motioning his hand for Sheik to lead the way. Sheik sighed and started walking leading them to the graveyard.
“What’s wrong Sheik? You seem depressed.” Meria asked him when they were away from the others.
Sheik jumped and gave a small smile, “Nothings wrong.”

“Ok Selene, since you were the first one to use your powers lets start with you.” Calhan said from his seat on a cemetery bench. Selene shrugged and stepped forward into the clear patch of grass in front of Calhan. They had arrived at the cemetery without encountering anyone and had chosen a training area away from the entrance but also away from the Shadow Temple. “What do I do?” Selene asked.
“Well the book says that it’s based on feelings, so can you conjure up the feelings you had when you first used your powers?” Calhan asked looking at Selene. Selene thought then slowly nodded.
“Ok now focus those feeling at the rock.” Selene did but no matter how much she stared at the rock they had picked out for the target nothing happened. After about ten minutes and with Selene red in the face Calhan sighed. “Ok let’s try something else.”
He stood up from his seat and walked toward Selene. She looked at him with a quizzical expression as he stopped in front of her. Calhan raised his hand and swung it toward her face attempting to slap her. Selene reacted without thinking and blocked his arm then struck him in the stomach with her palm, when her palm connected with his stomach a white light emanated from the point of contact. Calhan flew back twenty feet from the force of the light. Selene stared at her palm as Calhan climbed to his feet.
“Very good, now we know what needs to be done. Ouch.” Calhan said as he walked towards the group.
“Are you alright?” Gerad asked him failing to suppress a smile.
“Yes, nothing permanently damaged, but more importantly, Selene, what did you feel when I tried to hit you and you defended?”
“Fear, anger, and confusion.” Selene replied.
Calhan nodded his head, “Ok now focus those feelings and strike the rock like you had struck me.” He said motioning with his hand to a boulder near the bench he had been sitting on. Selene shrugged, she stepped up to the boulder dredged up the feelings that she had just felt then struck the boulder. Nothing happened.
“Hmm.” Calhan said tapping his finger to his chin. “Did you feel anything else?” he asked looking at her.
Selene shrugged, “It’s hard to describe, but it was sort of a calm rage. I know that sounds dumb.”
Calhan nodded at this then backed up behind Gerad and the others. They stared at him, but he ignored them.
“Ok strike the rock again this time dredge up that feeling mmk?” with that Calhan ducked behind Gerad. Selene raised an eyebrow at him, shook her head, and closed her eyes. Selene thought back to the stalfos attack. She dredged up the feeling that had emerged when Gerad and the others had been hurt.
Everyone gasped as a white light surrounded Selene. Selene opened her eyes and struck the rock. The boulder shattered into pieces of white fragments that shot everywhere. The others ducked and dodged out of the way of the fragments.
Selene closed her eyes again and exhaled. The white light faded and she raised her head. Looking around she saw the others on the ground with their hands over their heads. Calhan stood up and clapped. “Brilliant, absolutely brilliant.”
Selene looked at him quizzically, “What? Did I break the rock?”
Gerad laughed, “I’ll say you did.” He stood up and took a fragment off his shoulder. He handed her the fragment she took it in awe. “Wow!”
“Now we know it can be done without a life and death situation.” Sheik said with his goofy smile. Calhan rolled his eyes and shook his head.
“Alright who wants to try next?” Calhan asked looking to the rest.
Near the group, under the ground in the temple something long left in sleep, awoke.