Xitra awoke with a start from the desk. He had been leaning on it all night and his left face hurt like Zelda’s own nursemaid had pinched every square inch of it. He looked around, spotting the short stack of papers he had used to put the fairy on last night and sat up and stretched.

Then, his eyes shot open as he noticed the bed was missing a fairy. He looked around for it everywhere on the desk, opening all the drawers on the desk, looking excruciatingly for any sign of the small creature. He stood up to look else where in the room when he heard a small laugh, like one you would hear from a librarian when she finds your choices of books funny. He reached for his weapons, and then remembered that he had thrown them aside the night before, not wanting them to get in the way of him helping the fairy, deciding he would have to use hand to hand combat.

Spinning around, he threw aside the chair and readied himself for an attack. What he saw was an entirely different image of what he thought he would see. He expected to see a big man who looked extremely violent, but all he got was a scrawny blond headed man with a single, though big, sword on his belt. He was wearing entirely black with a long sleeved leather robe and black leather pants. He also wore glasses of some sort, something that Xitra could take to slightly impair him if it came to fisticuffs.

Before Xitra had a chance to speak, a small red creature appeared over the mans shoulder. It was the fairy that Xitra had helped last night, and it looked fully restored to its original spastic attitude that fairies had about them. It jumped from the mans shoulder and toward Xitra, using its wings as her arc began to descend, darting forward and side to side. Once the thing reached Xitra it hugged him briefly, then flew back to the stranger. Xitra thought of why the fairy would be with him, racking his brain until the answer popped up. The man was friendly. He relaxed his position and then waited for the man to speak. When he didn't Xitra began to ask the questions.

"Who are you?" Xitra, despite the fact that the fairy seemed to like the stranger, did not completely trust the 'Stranger' as Xitra had dubbed him without knowing it. He crossed his arms, waiting for the answer.

"My name is Orysius, your teacher of the arts of battle while you are here in this, for the lack of a better word, school." So it's a school. Xitra thought about it for a second, then remembering what the Domerii had said before, "I will procure a teacher for you," that was what the thing had said before, and why it had taken so long was surprising to Xitra, it could walk through the walls for Nayru's sake.

"So you’re the teacher that the critter spoke of?" Xitra adopted the voice of a rancher he had met before, just to try to conceal his true nationality. The only reason for it, two actually, was one, the man had alcohol on his breath, and two, Orysius's ears were round. He must be Gerudo and snuck in. If I play my cards right, he might stay alive. Xitra chuckled in his head at the last remark. He wasn't a comedian, but he had a sense of humor. A strange sense of humor, but still, he knew what was funny.

"You can cut the charade Xitra Hynin, adoptive son of Gregory the Sheikah, half-Hylian boy warrior." Xitra was surprised to hear what he just said. He racked his brain for an explanation, but only one came to his head. He is working with the Domerii for certain. They themselves said they had a mind reading device in the gate, so that must be where he got the information. Then he noticed that he didn’t have that all year tan of most Gerudos. What was he?

"Good, that hurt my throat. What do you want from me now, or is this just introductions for the school year?" Xitra chuckled again, but under his breath. He loosened his muscles and limbered his stance even more. He almost had a cramp in his right leg from how long he had them tense.

"That’s not very funny, why are you laughing?" Orysius looked at Xitra with a slightly cocked eyebrow. Xitra's heart skipped a beat. How did he know I laughed, I barely even did. He could maybe know that future sight that I know, but I'm the only one for miles who could possibly have gotten the same training as from the Sheikahs. Maybe they aren't the only ones who have the technique?

"Wow, you really know your stuff, and that little chuckle after your last sentence wasn't very well placed either." Now it was Orysius's turn to be surprised, but if he did Xitra only saw a hint of it. Orysius stayed limber, but his left arm tensed slightly, his heart getting a jolt from the skipped beat and the resulting jump had made his arm move, but nothing else.

"Wow, you have that little technique too, huh? Not so secret is it," Orysius spoke as if to himself, but to Xitra's ears it was as clear as day. "Well, small world, or worlds if that is what you prefer."

"Why are you surprised, the Domerii didn't tell you that to? And what do you mean worlds?" Xitra cocked an eyebrow. That was no slip of the tongue.

"I mean there is not just Hyrule out there in the black abyss of space." Orysius began to walk to the desk that Xitra had used to nurse the fairy that was currently behind Orysius's back, witch Xitra got another look at when Orysius walked past. The man placed his hand on the golden wood, sliding his fingers along the surface.

"I suppose this is wet because you helped my friend last night from the cougar?" Xitra could only stand there, wondering how Orysius knew, but got out a "yes" so he could hear Orysius more.

"How long has it been sense your last frolic in the woods?" Xitra kept looking at the man with the fairy on his shoulder, and was about to answer his question with a "never have", but saw that the fairy was whispering in Orysius's ear.

"So that's when he found you?" The fairy nodded, and whispered into Orysius's ear again. The man in black turned toward Xitra, walking toward the door. Reaching for the handle, he stopped, letting his arm fall to his side.

"By the way, another of the students here would like to see you in the cafeteria. It's a no combat zone, so leave your weapons and armor on your bed when you go there." Orysius reached once more for the door, stopped again, this time keeping the hand on the knob.

"Hurry Din, I don't want you stuck in a room like last time." Xitra thought he was talking about the goddess Din of his homeland, but he noticed the fairy was not on Orysius's shoulder. He looked to the fairy still on the desk, still glowing like a candle, fastening the belt and dagger he had taken the night before onto her waist. Hearing Orysius's words, she flew off the table to Orysius's shoulder. Once the fairy was secure, he opened the door and left, closing the doorway without a single creak on the hinge.

* * *

Five minutes after the meeting with the teacher, Xitra was once again outside the room he called 'home' and in the main lobby. The usual throng of warriors was bustling as usual, and Xitra even caught a glimpse of men, and a few women, entering through gates that looked just as Xitra's. He stared for a moment, watching them. For a split second he blinked, and upon opening his eyes found that the door was gone from the wall they had just seemingly been attached to.
He continued through the crowd almost mindlessly, searching for the cafeteria he had been told to visit by Orysius. Asking where the place was could be very bad, others seeing Xitra as weak or stupid could be possibly fatal. Then who would the person who wanted to meet him talk to?

After about three minutes Xitra went to the outside wall to think, leaning on it to rest his legs. There should have been a sign or something. I wonder where the Domerii are at times like this. . .

"Right here." A small pink sphere like head of a Domerii came out of the wall almost going through Xitra's arm. Xitra was startled, almost jumping into the crowd and getting trampled, but before he could that feeling of being frozen was going through his body. He stopped moving before the numbness had gotten to his feet.

"I wouldn't do that Mr. Hynin. The medics here can fix you, but it would take longer than the usual stab wound." Xitra, still frozen, began to levitate toward the wall. Once back on the ground, the numbness left his limbs and he could once again move them.

"The cafeteria is this way Mr. Hynin. Follow me." The Domerii that had come out the wall began to levitate toward the center of the coliseum of a building. Xitra followed without question, knowing that the Domerii hadn’t shown hostility to him since he had come to the crazy place of twenty-feet fitting in three and other things of the magic sort. Back home almost no one can actually use magic, and even those who do can’t use it very well.

After three minutes of walking through the crowd, literally floating through for the small Domerii, Xitra was brought through a large archway into another large room. Other than the lobby that they entered from, Xitra could actually see the other end of room. Long golden tables of wood ran the length of the long room, resting on golden tiles, golden chairs tucked neatly in with almost another hundred people sitting in the others eating something or another. Xitra began to realize that he had lost his traveling companion.

Looking through the hall, Xitra still couldn’t see the small being. Deciding that searching would be hopeless with everyone else there, even if they were sitting down, he continued on through to the other side where a line had formed. Everyone was without armor, no leather, steel, or other defenses were to be counted. A sudden bizzzt went through the air behind him. Turning around he saw a man with a robe on him and no protection to be seen. The man was lying face down wearing a dark purple robe and black boots. The hood he had been wearing fell form his scalp. Another person, whom Xitra could not see well seemingly to be Orysius because of a small red light floating around him, walked to the fallen one. Upon opening the man’s robe, he saw small daggers held in place by belts. Orysius was correct when saying that the place was a no combat zone.

Xitra continued on, keeping his eyes straight ahead and not looking to the sides. He went to the line that had gathered and saw it led to a window in the wall. Trying to assimilate as best as possible, he went to the end and waited quietly. Another minute passed as the line moved forward. Another few people joined the line, a few left the line. Soon though, Xitra got to the window and was handed a small tray with a few items on it. Once receiving it, he walked to a lonely looking seat and sat down, not even looking at his food.

Once seated he stayed still for a few seconds, then looked at the things on the tray. One item that immeadeatly caught his attention was a small box that looked like a strange bird cage he had once seen at a dignitary’s palace. He remembered because the bird inside wouldn’t shut up. He picked it up, feeling the coldness of some liquid inside. Holding it up to his ears, he shook it, listening to the sloshing inside. It was milk. He tried to read the symbols on it, but he was quickly discouraged because the runes were in a language he couldn’t understand. He looked at the other items. There was a small rectangular napkin that looked like it would unfold if he wished, and a fork and knife. Both of them were some kind of white material, and upon testing the durability, or just bending it, saw it wasn’t very sturdy. The no combat zone thing, thought Xitra, shaking his head at the thought. He would have to enjoy the meal with half a fork. In a bowl of the same material as the fork and knife, there was leaf like vegetables in pieces, some tomatoes thrown in as well. A salad on the side sounds nice, Xitra almost smiled sarcastically. The main course was a small piece of meat in the center of the tray. Marinated steak, if only I knew how to open that container of milk. Picking up the knife and half a fork, Xitra began to dig into the slab of meat.
* * *
Xitra was finished with the meat and salad soon after starting. Only a few bits of green leaves and tomato juice remained, along with the sauce from the steak. The napkin was a bit dirty, and the fork looked as if it were about to bust again. The knife had been little help, the edges so dull that Xitra had to use almost enough pressure to break that too. The container still stayed were it was, only a bit warmer than what it was before. Still unopened it mocked Xitra’s ingenuity, but the marination of the steak satisfied Xitra’s needs for liquid.

Five men past Xitra while he was eating his meal. One of them seemed to stop, but he was just talking to another person quietly. He waited a while after eating his meal, staying for the person who wished to see him. Another few passed him, one bigger than the last, until another figure in a gray full-body robe went past him, but returned again only a few seconds later. Xitra turned to face the stranger standing behind him. It was a full body robe, but not big enough to conceal telling features. The person was about five feet tall, and wore a loose belt along the waist. The buckle was golden, along with rings used for notches. The robe covered the feet, but he could tell from the movement that the stranger was wearing high heels. Woman, thought Xitra immeadeatly, he looked at her hands to confirm, but the nails were clipped just as a mans would be, so he looked to the shape, slender and looked and a bit pasty. Feminine. He looked at her face and sure enough the shadows obscured the top of her face like a mask, but her lips were a light pink and slender like her hands. Definitely female.

“So are you the one who wished to see me?” Xitra leaned backward so his back rested on the table, waiting for the reply.

“I am right now, aren’t I,” The woman sat down next to Xitra, and then pointed at his milk container, ”Are you going to drink that?” Xitra shook his head, and upon seeing that she took his milk carton and took one side of the top, using her fingers to pry the two sides apart. Then she folded them back so it looked like an arrow, pushing the protruding ends toward the point. An opening appeared where she was pushing and Xitra slightly blushed. If he could have understood the runes that probably would have been obvious to do.

She pushed back her hood and Xitra could now see her face. Her hair was in a bob cut, brown and straight. Her complection was that of a teenager, so Xitra thought she was about his age. Her nose was straight and short, and her eyes were not too narrow and not too far apart. She could almost be mistaken for Zelda herself. Once pulling back the hood, she actually chugged the m ilk. Only a little pilled over the side, but it still surprised him how quickly it was gone.

“They never put enough in these things.” She shook her head and chuckled at that, then she turned to Xitra, coking an eyebrow when she saw him.

“What’s wrong with you?” Xitra realized his mouth was open. He closed it quickly and almost bit his tongue.

“So what did you want to talk about?” Xitra said quickly to change the subject.

“I just needed to wish Orysius’s new victim– er, a student good luck.” She quickly smiled and blushed, but Xitra was smarter than that.

“What do you mean a victim?” Xitra’s interest was piqued.

“You haven’t heard? Almost none of the students have beaten his tests, including when you have to fight him when he sees you have earned that privilege.” She looked in the milk carton once more and took another quick swig of what had collected at the bottom.

“And who has beaten him?” Xitra didn’t really worry about what she said, but it wasn’t too much to ask.

“Some prince, an animal of some kind, a few others, and a Sheikan man named Gregory.” Xitra’s heart almost skipped a beat at the last name.

“Gregory? As in my father the greatest mercenary warrior in the world Gregory.”

“I believe that was his job, yes. He’s your dad?” The woman coked an eyebrow again.

“Would I lie to you, miss. . . . ?”

“Carmile, miss Hadry Carmile. And don’t call me misses unless you want a broken jaw.” Hadry raised a playful fist after placing the carton in her hand on the table, smiling. Both of them laughed like old friends.

“How did you figure out how to open these, what do you call them . . . Cartons?” He picked up the empty container of milk and shook it slightly.

“The letters on it don’t transfer to your world? It’s called ‘English’ and it originated on the planet ‘Earth’. Same as my teacher. When the Domerii had decided to put in a cafeteria here, she suggested to use the milk cartons from her world as cups, as you well know there are no weapons permitted in here. Someone could have made something out of metal like these cups so this was the best choice.” Hadry leaned back in her chair on the back to legs and placed her feet on the table.

“What do you mean ‘transfer’?” Xitra looked at her with a coked eyebrow once more.

“Well, let me put it simply. Sometimes languages and knowledge leak into other worlds by interconnected people. In fact, on Earth there is a man who lives in a country called ‘Miyamoto’ who is a hot spot of activity. He even picked up on the legend of the hero of time on his first journey of his many incarnations. Something you should know about.” She looked at Xitra with a smile dancing across her lips. All Xitra could do was look astonished.

“Are you okay,” said Hadry, “Your mouth is hanging open. . . .”

The two talked for almost two hours until Hadry looked upon a small device on her wrist. She explained it was a ‘watch’ and was a gift from her teacher. Leaving, she wished Xitra good luck with Orysius and bid him adue. Xitra also retired for the night, leaving the cafeteria to his room, never once bumping into a single beast bumbling through the foliage or claws going at him through the night.

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My BA warriors.Xitra HyninKarpov "Smith" Birdro