OOC: This occurs some time before the events of HA1. I've been wanting to write this for a while. Queitar is one of my favorite NPCs and I felt like doing a bit of a back-story on him. I titled this topic as such because I thought of writing this story when I was listening to Letter from a Thief by Chevelle for some reason.

IC:

The sun was setting on Hyrule and it was not a moment too soon. Queitar hadn't had a good meal in days and needed an opportunity to steal some money or some food. Stealing from the market wasn't an option. After years of making a living off of thievery, he learned that he could only rob the market so many times before they caught him in the act and punished him. After that, they would be on the lookout for him and stealing from them would grow difficult. So instead of stealing from the market, he stole from many of Saria Town's inhabitants and presented himself as a normal customer at the market.

Most of the individuals he stole from were oblivious to his existence, and although it was advantageous, it disgusted him. This town was full of successful people who were ignorant of the fact that there were others who had fallen on hard times. In the twenty years since his parents died, rarely had anyone given him a helping hand. Even if they did, it was usually to get him out of their hair. No one truly cared.

Then he saw him: the most flamboyant Zora he had ever seen. The two meter tall aquatic creature was decked out in all kinds of woman's jewelry, at least 500 rupees worth of it. If he could steal one bracelet off his wrist, he would be able to buy food for weeks. Just as he was thinking that, he saw the Zora tap on a window and say to the the young woman inside , "Excuse me, miss. Is this big spooky dark alley a safe shortcut to the potion shop?" Queitar didn't hear her reply, but the Zora started walking down the alley.

A greedy, sinister thought came to his mind; he could kill the Zora and take everything he owned. He had lived in poverty for too long, and he deserved to be free of his shackles. Queitar had never killed before, but this would be easy. All he had to do was sneak up and cut his throat. There would be no witnesses. He could easily remove the jewelry and flee to another town, where he would sell the loot a piece at a time so it wouldn't look suspicious. Every fiber of his being told him that what he planned on doing was wrong. Yet, deep down, a small voice told him to do it.

And he did. In the twilight, he crept into the alley, pulling out his dagger. The Zora was in the darkest part of the alley, seemingly motionless, with his back facing Queitar. He ran towards the rich man, calloused soles silently striking the stone pavement. As he reached the Zora, Queitar first clapped his hand over the victim's mouth, then, as he moved to put the dagger to the neck, the Zora threw his hands in the air and let out a high pitched squeal. Just as he was about the pull the dagger across the Zora's flesh, he felt the Zora grab him by the arms and flip him over his back. Queitar hit the ground. Hard.

This was quite unexpected. Queitar had always heard that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, and this Zora was no exception to the rule. He would have to fight this man to the death. There was no other option. If Queitar let him go he would notify the authorities and he would be locked up for attempted murder. He tried to free his arms of the Zora's grasp, but his mind went blank when he looked into the Zora's empty eye sockets. The feeling of cold steel slicing across his wrists brought him back to reality. Blood spurted from his wounds as he tried to pull himself off the ground. That was when the Zora say in a voice much lower that it was when Queitar first heard him speak, "I'm sorry Queitar. I didn't want to greet you this way."

"What? How do you know my name?"

"I've been watching you, as you've strove to live a better life, failing time and time again," said the Zora, black eyes piercing Queitar's soul. "But I seem to have misplaced my manners; I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Wyndisis." Wyndisis extended his hand to Queitar, who had managed to pull himself into a kneeling position.

The stunned Queitar stared at his bleeding wrists. "Oh, I'm sorry," said Wyndisis. "Here, let me fix that." Wyndisis waved his had and Queitar felt a tightening sensation around his arms and the bleeding stopped.

"How? Why are you doing this? I just tried to kill you. How can you show me such kindness after what I did?"

"Oh, don't let it bother you," said the Zora. "As far as I am concerned, that water is under the bridge. I came here to do you a favor, but I am going to need your help in return."

"What can you give me?" asked the human.

Wyndisis revealed a shark-toothed grin and said, "You are a selfish little man, Queitar. I like that."

Queitar thought back to when he was a child, providing for his dying parents when he was too young to provide for himself. The memories angered him and brought tears to his eyes. He shouted at the Zora "Just give me something! I've lost everything!"

"Very well," said Wyndisis. "I will give you what you want." The Zora held a few of the many necklaces he was wearing in front of is face. Wyndisis' ridiculous look was offset by his chilling voice and his pitch black eyes. "But before I tell you what I want from you, I want you to understand that I can give you much more than an affluent fool lying dead in an alley ever could."

"I'll do anything!" Queitar yelled in desperation. "You can't make my life any more difficult than it is now."

"I'm pleased to see you want to leave your old life behind. Living here in your solitude made you a waste of a man. I will make you worth something.

"As the sun sets," Wyndisis continued, "it casts a shadow of Hyrule to the east. Within the shadow lies the land of Nardora. I need your help opening the door to that kingdom."

"What do I do?"

"You are going to build me a lighthouse, one that shines rays of darkness rather than light. That will bring Nardora to life."

"You want me to build a lighthouse?" asked Queitar. "I've never built anything."

"I don't need you to build it. I need you to manage the project. I have more pressing things to tend to myself."

None of this made any sense, but if that is what it took to free him from the chains of poverty, he'd do it. "That's all?"

"That's all I want from you," said Wyndisis. "I made sure you got the better end of the deal, just as I knew you'd want. I can teach you to use your dark emotions to empower you. Through me, your downfalls will become your strengths."

Queitar, who had to fight for everything he ever gained since his parents fell ill, didn't know what to say to Wyndisis, the man who showed him such great generosity. In tears, he uttered something that he hadn't had the opportunity to say since time immemorial: "Thank you."

"I am pleased to have you at my side, Queitar. Just remember that without me, you are nothing."

This opened up a new chapter in Queitar's life. He was free.