Full with a thick haze and the stench of expensive cigars, the air in the bar was ablaze with conversation about the recent attack on Parapa Village. The room was cozy with classical music soothing the ears of the occupants. Many shady looking people sat at the bar, others nestled into couches with two-dollar whores, and other poor saps losing all of their rupees at the poker tables that dotted the establishment. The people here were fatcats of their own craft- it wasn't any ordinary bar. Ornery Cucco? Maybe the owner of the franchise would be lucky to be invited to such a bar. No, this one...

The Red Rope.

When you saw that sign on the door with the red snake-like figure coiling around a kinght's helm, you knew what you were getting into. This was the kind of place where the most powerful people in all of Hyrule met. Good or bad, it doesn't matter. Here is where all the talk happens. Whether a wiseguy needed to get popped, or someone needed to break an egg in the castle... These were the kinds of folks you didn't mess with. And me? I don't belong. I don't belong here, and I'm smack in the middle of the mixture. A spy? Not really. I wouldn't even call myself a private-eye, really. I'm like any regular Dick or Jane, 'cept I carry a sword and a promise. A loyalty to none but my client.

My client?


Quickly in one fluid motion, a hooded man at the bar whirled around in his stool, and shot across the bar at breakneck speed towards a fat ugly man in an expensive suit. Before anyone could react, a knife was plunged deep into the man's neck. A fat cigar fell out of his mouth, and by the time it hit the ground, the assassin was headed for the door.

My client... Bread. Sugar. Dough. The cash.

The man reached into the pockets on his jacket, and when he removed his hands, the dagger was gone, and between each of his fingers was a small black object, spherical in shape. He let them fly towards the door, and a massive explosion rocked the bar. The door flew from the hinges as the man made his escape. Arrows were on his heels, as everyone in the bar was packin' a biscuit. A crossbow- cutting edge tech that required little training or effort.

I knew what I was getting into... It was worth it for the money. It's always worth it for the money.

A twisted smile spread across the man's face as he raced up the stairs. Arrows soared around him, his cape catching a few holes as he enjoyed the panic he'd inspired behind him.

I gotta admit though... It ain't just the money. The panic I create... The stir that I cause... The push that I give disaster...

The man's teeth were sharp like a natural-born carnivore as they glistened in the light provided by the torches that lined the stairs.

I thrive off of the panic I inspire! It isn't just a job! It's a high-adrenaline lifestyle!
At the top of the stairs, two guards appeared, obviously having heard the explosion. They were each armed with swords, and fully armored from head to toe. The man's smile faded momentarily.

Go figure. I can never have any fun these days without having to clip a cop or two...

The smile returned wider than ever.

Whatever the case... You don't enter the Red Rope with an ice to freeze unless you come heavy- and I always come heavy!

The man, never breaking his stride up the steps, opened his hands towards the guards at the top of the stairs. The air grew thick with a magical incantation, and one of the guards immediately recognized it.

"A SPELLCASTER!" He cried out. "Get behind me!" He called out to the other guard. The assassin didn't even hesitate. A cry echoed throughout the hallway that caused the guards to skip a beat.

"ELEMENTAL EXPLOSION!"

The guard at the top called out in response:

"SHIELD OF NAYRU!"

Shield of Nayru? Now that's one fancy spell. That's no ordinary pair of guards up there... Either way, I ain't gettin' pinched here.

After all was said, the magic happened. For the second time, the area was wracked with an explosion. The shockwave itself nearly knocked the guards off their feet, but they held strong. A blue transparent shield appeared in front of the two guards. When the magic hit, it had taken the form of Shadow, the polar opposite and weakness of a defensive light spell.

"Damn... Did he... Did he choose the element?" Muttered the guard who cast the shield. The flow of magic began to cause a bright yellow crack to appear the shield, which spread out among the entirety of the magical barrier, until finally...

It broke.

And as it broke, the assassin sailed through the magical shards of shield that filled the air. A sadistic laugh was all that remained of the hooded man when the guards managed to get to their feet.

My client. The money. My only loyalty is to the one who pays the price. As a mercenary, I'll always get the job done. And then the papers print tomorrow... And Herman Rick is a dead man for all to see...

The whites of the man's eyes overtook his pupils.

"It'll be a hell of a payday for Jackal the Merc."