It was just shy of noon whence the Kokiri girl departed from the old man's doorstep, sending a bitter smile backwards to the close entryway. Radomir was already gone out for the day with his children in tow to allow her time to rest and then leave unnoticed. The less they knew, the better.

With an exhale, the girl stepped off from the short path and onto the street back towards the more lively section of town; she had much work yet to attend to before the impending event. She took off, weaving through the alleys and paths as her walking staff clicked and clacked against the cobbled ground.


[center]***[/center]


Guards rushed about through the large plaza and nearby squares at the city's center. shouts conveying messages and barking orders at each other. The troops of men clad in gambesons, breastplates, the occasional hauberk and tabards with the stylized characterstic sallet of the City Guard flashed and chinked as an uncharacteristically high number moved about. Even the snide and arrogant Guard Captain Mathias himself was about, involving himself in questions, investigations and arrests personally. Rumors of local gangs erupting into open warfare spread via whispers in the streets. Violence and unrest was in the air, setting a sense of foreboding mixed with excitement to the lively, bright day of late spring.

[i]What I would give to be part of it all[/i], one young man sourly mused from a balcony high above, mouth buried in his arms crossed atop the rail.

[color=slateblue]"Now, then, regarding your-Link, are you even listening?"[/color] the grey-bearded man called back upon noticing the youth's attentions were no longer in the room.

[color=green]"Yes, I am,"[/color] he sighed as he turned around, still leaning heavily on the barrier with his arms outstretched to either side. [color=green]"Regarding my what? My last piece?"[/color]

[color=slateblue]"Yes,"[/color] the man said with a mild glare over his spectacles. [color=slateblue]"Quite unlike your current manners, it was well done and got a fair amount of attention, buried five pages in as it was."[/color]

Link sighed and nodded with a glance off to the side again. [color=green]"Sorry. Just... I'm really getting tired of this. Of always only being able to watch and never [i]really[/i] do anything. It's like being in a cage when everything in you is screaming at you to run."[/color]

The man blinked-then exhaled long, slow and heavy as he lifted his hands up to remove his glasses, lay them on the table and wipe them down his face.

[color=slateblue]"I know. I know it's eating at you. The mandate is absolute, though. The public [b]cannot[/b] know that you exist. It will either drastically damage the temple mandate that there are to be no more Heroes of the Cycle until the end... or that the end is upon us. Either way, the damage that will do to the state will be immeasurable. This is the most free position any of us could think of. And at least you have an excuse to go and [i]watch[/i] it all as a reporter."[/color]

[color=green]"I know that! And I am grateful, Nicolas. Just..."[/color] his fingers drew themselves tight, clenching down on the rail. [color=green]"... it's not enough anymore. I feel like I'm going crazy."[/color]

Nicolas sighed yet again and leaned back into the seat of his chair, chuckling somberly. [color=slateblue]"Only twenty-one and you're already shaping up to be one of the best reporters in one of the greatest empire the world has ever known's major news establishments and you're like a starving pup. Your ambition is as ravenous as your talent, you know that? Hell, none of the legends ever mentioned the Hero being a prodigy at [i]writing[/i] as well."[/color] He looked back up to meet Link's lost, ferocious blue gaze. He kept it for a long pause, then sighed. [color=slateblue]"Alright. I've something different you can try out, then."[/color]

Link lifted a single brow; eager hope shined in his eyes through his poor make of stoicism.

[color=slateblue]"There is a major event going on tonight in the central plaza at midnight. I've a few reporters already attending. I want you to there, taking pictographs and notes on the spot. I am not going to tell you what this is about; this is to test how well you can react to live situations under stress. Alright?"[/color]

Words were hardly necessary to express his answer given the surge of breath through his chest and shoulders, nevermind his beaming smile. [color=green]"Aye! I'm on it!"[/color]

[color=slateblue]"Good,"[/color] he smiled tiredly before dipping a hand down to pull out a small box and a key from his person. With a click, it opened to reveal a hoard of small, brightly-colored gems of an elongated hexagonal shape-rupees. He withdrew a handful of reds and placed them on the far edge of his desk. [color=slateblue]"Your payment for your last article and a show of appreciation for your cooperation. Go find some other things to investigate in town today until the event at midnight. Enjoy yourself-just don't stand out too much, alright, kid?"[/color]

Much as an overexcited child, Link grinned and grabbed up the crystals with bellowing laughter before racing towards the door, calling out friendly exclamations to people as he made his way down the building and out into the central plaza below.

The older man exhaled, knowing full and well what awaited the bighearted boy still edging on adulthood later that night. It was a horrid thing-however, it was also high time he saw. He had to see it for himself and come to terms with how the world was. There was an order to it and he was part of it.