::Genruo's Study::

In each of his six hands, Sung Chiang toyed with a crystalline sphere.

Since the opening of the portals, the ties between the newly joined worlds had grown stronger -- even if the people on those worlds were only dimly aware that anything had changed. Sung Chiang was now able to reach out and pluck visions and divinations from the newly opened worlds; within each sphere was displayed some random image of daily life in these worlds beyond the World of Crystals.

Each of his pairs of eyes fixed on one sphere, before quickly moving to another. He wanted to learn as much as he could about the people and places of these new worlds -- the people and places that, he hoped, the prophecy of the Canon of Changes were promising would one day be his to rule over.

"I have done all that I can," Genruo said.

Sung Chiang rolled the six spheres away into his sleeves and approached the spirit of Genruo. "And how much is that, exactly?"

"The beginning of the prophecy is much clearer now, I think," Genruo began. "Both my Canon and the Sahasrala scrolls speak very plainly of the opening of the worlds. The scrolls do not seem to provide much insight beyond the imediate realm of the World of Light... but it does corroborate with the early passages in my Canon. They both talk of... an apprentice? Possibly an heir."

"Possibly?" Sung Chiang said.

"Forgive me, master... but even with the Book of Mudora, there are parts of the scrolls that are left intentionally vague. I am doing the best I can with a language I'm not familiar with."

Sung Chiang sighed. "Continue, then, spirit. What about this heir?"

Genruo skimmed over his notes. "The heir will claim the throne... for... himself? Maybe herself. It is unclear. He will do so by claiming... claiming and assembling, rather... several objects of great power. It says the heir will have the backing of a Dark God."

Sung Chiang smiled. "Doubtless, that line speaks to me. For I am rather a dark one, yes?"

"Of course, master," Genruo said.

Sung Chiang held one of his spheres aloft, and it displayed a radiant, golden image. "Do you perhaps think that these 'objects of great power' are the vaunted Triforce that the people of Light seem to hold so dear?"

"No," Genruo said. "The Triforce is spoken of later in the scrolls, separately. And the objects that the heir requires are numbered seven. ... No, wait, maybe eight. Again, it's unclear. But these objects are not even in the realms your minions visited. They are on an entirely different continent."

Sung Chiang thought. "I suppose the most obvious thing to do, then, is approach the Hylian heir with an offer of friendship. See how willing he is to travel for the sake of fulfilling our prophecy."

"And if this prince of the Hylia turns out not to be the one we need?"

Sung Chiang shrugged. "If he is not the heir spoken of in the Sahasrala scrolls, then he is of no use to me. What will happen to him after depends entirely upon my whim."