Link followed the long dirt road east, and noticed monsters hiding in the tall grass on either side. Link needed some practice with his sword and shield, so he jumped in to attack. Link quickly found himself surrounded by red bits and blue bots, jelly-like monsters that wobbled about, and he knelt down to hit them with his sword. Groups of spear-toting Molblins appeared and tried to rush him, but Link easily defeated them. Link fought on the plains, building valuable experience, until he felt his strength start to leave him.

Tired and wounded, Link traveled onwards to the small town of Rauru. The villagers were friendly and hospitable, and gave much advice to the young hero. An old woman told Link to put a crystal in a statue in Parapa Desert, and a young boy told him to get a candle in Parapa Palace. A young maiden standing outside her house asked Link to see her father before he left town, and Link followed her inside. The girl's father, an old wise man, taught Link the Shield spell, magic which could reduce battle damage by half, to help him survive in the desert.

The way to Parapa Desert lay through a cave deep in the woods to the north of Rauru, so Link braved the dark, dangerous forest in search of it. Red, spidery Deelers hung from the trees, waiting for Link to walk under them. Molblins patrolled the forest, charging Link with their spears, and some Molblins threw spear after spear at him. At last Link found a dark cave in the side of a cliff and went inside.

The cave was very dark, and Link could barely find his way. He kept stumbling over loose gravel and rocks. Seeing something move in the dark, Link drew his sword and got ready to attack. As the monster got closer to Link, he could see it more clearly, and saw that it was a Lowder, a slithering beetle that could eat up life energy. Killing it and moving on, Link saw a distant light, the end of the cave.

Link stepped out into the bright, burning sun, and looked upon Parapa Desert, the sands of which stretched as far as he could see. Link walked and walked, fighting Geldarms along the way. These huge bugs popped in and out of the sand, and were vulnerable only on their heads. Link thought he could make out the ruins of a palace in the distance, but he couldn't tell whether or not it was a mirage.

Drawing closer, Link saw that it wasn't an illusion. He climbed the steps of the white sandstone palace and took a magical elevater down into its depths. Skeleton warriors called Stalfos' tried to block Link's path, but Link noticed that they were poor at handling their shields. He knelt down to swipe at their feet, and the Stalfos' didn't even try to block him.

The candle hidden in this palace was well-guarded. As Link walked across a bridge that led over a pit of lava, it began to collapse, and Link had to run to avoid being dumped in. Later, a huge goblin threw things at Link, forcing him to keep back until the coast was clear. As soon as the goblin let up, Link charged in and hacked away with his sword. The goblin had a terrible aim, throwing stuff right over Link's head, so he didn't last long under the blows of Link's magic sword.

The next enemy guarding the candle, Ironknuckle, put up more of a fight. This iron warrior blocked Link's attacks while stabbing with his own sword, and Link had a tough time hitting the monster while guarding himself. Link and the Ironknuckle exchanged blow after blow, but Link outlasted the metal beast because he had cast the Shield spell to protect himself. He found the candle lying on a pedestal, and, pocketing the treasure, he traced his steps back.

Several Stalfos', goblins, and Ironknuckles later, Link entered the lair of the palace's guardian, Mazura, a tall, horse-faced monster in red armor. Mazura, brandishing his spiked club, walked menacingly towards Link, confident that he could defeat the upstart intruder. Casting the Shield spell to protect himself, Link attacked.

Mazura was so tall that Link had to jump to hit the palace guardian's unprotected head. Roaring in pain, Mazura blindly swung his club, but Link had already jumped back. Mazura had Link cornered, but the brave hero was able to hit Mazura's head and dodge his club at the same time. Defeated, the horsehead disappeared in a brilliant explosion. In the next room Link found a statue, and he placed the first gem into its forehead. In a flash of light, a sixth of the binding force placed on the Valley of Death disappeared.

The next door took Link outside, and he turned around to take one last look at the palace. He was shocked to discover that the entire palace had vanished, and in its place was solid stone.