Excerpt: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight's Return

The town of Lochmill was nestled in the mountains northwest of Hyrule. Unlike its rural cousin to the east and further north, Stonedell, Lochmill was a larger community similar to Hyrule’s Castle Town. Boasting neighbourhoods that snaked up the mountain-side and a natural defense of hills and rock, the town was a prosperous stop along the main trading routes that wound through the region. Virtually un-reachable in the deep of winter, the town turned in upon itself to weather the cold and storms that descended upon them with a near-constant vengeance. The blanket of snow that frosted the town gave the impression of a child’s snowglobe after the chips settled over the model inside the dome.

It had been a quiet year for the denizens of Lochmill, with the usual bustle of tradesmen and travelers coming and going. The regulars who made the town their home during these months were bedded down with friends and family, while those that were caught by Mother Nature’s whimsy took refuge in the Inn. One of these visitors was currently camped out deep within the mountains, the unfortunate guest of the forces of fate with an abomination laying behind and death laying before. No one had noticed the young girl with the Hyrulian features, as she had caused nothing resembling trouble and was generally regarded as a very courteous and amiable young woman.

Yet another visitor went unremarked at all, as he had kept to the shadows and walked among them as a non-descript traveler, forgotten by those that stumbled upon him the instant he had left their sight. He currently made his home in the cathedral that sat upon the highest promontory overlooking the town, merged with the shadows of the place folks went to for solace and sanctuary. He knew the girl camped in within the bowels of the earth would emerge and come to this place, and when she did he would be waiting for her.