Before I begin this, I want everyone to be aware some facts beforehand. Now, this fic is a story inside the Zelda world created in the
Shattered Sword. The story itself begins in New Hyrule, though depending on where it goes after that, it will cross paths with Earth. This story begins in the middle of a conflict that has destroyed New Hyrule under the influence of Shadows One. That's all I'm going to reveal as of right now.
And with that, I begin. Comments are welcome.
Legacy's Dawn
Part One
The boy’s ears perked up, glancing over the hedge of brush he was clearing away. A wolf howled in the distance, and his eyes lit up at the prospect of fresh meat. It had been several weeks since he had heard another creature’s cry, and he was beginning to run low on the salted beef that usually sustained him, stolen from the farmers that lived several miles off. He set down both his long knives, directing his attention to where the call had issued from. He could just as easily send Link, but it would be better training to fetch the beast himself. The boy had been training for many years, and was not afraid.
“Do you hear it?” a voice asked on his left, prompting the boy to turn to the shadows. The disembodied voice of Link he knew well sounded eager, Link wished to hunt once more. “Do you hear it, Xander?”
The boy named Xander nodded, sheathing both of his long knives, Orca and Balmung, into the holsters on his belt. Readjusting the headband that held back his short mane of red hair, Xander peered through the dim light of the winter’s day, his crimson eyes gazing intently in the direction he had heard the wolf. His brisk traveling garb, while different from the outfit he had worn on Outset, consisted of the furs of the animals he had trapped and defeated over the two years, with Link’s help. It was his task to look after Link, just as it was Link’s to watch over Xander.
“Let’s hunt,” the boy answered, rising from the stump he sat on, snow falling from his pants. He had been sitting there for some time, training his body to fight against cold. “Come.” Link’s long shadow fell into stride against the boy’s, and together they descended into the dark forest they lived in.
Xander had grown past the age he was now, which couldn’t have been more than twelve, becoming a warrior worthy of Master Fangor’s training. It had been almost two years since he had been abandoned, to train and grow with Link, until the time was right. Until they could defeat Shadows One. Xander barely thought of life before the forest, it seemed like a warm dream. He shivered, not because of the cold, but rather because of the memory. Orca’s death, and Master Fangor taking him in. The Gilla Blade. Everything he had was taken away in the blink of an eye, and he had traded his life as apprentice under Orca for the adventures of his Master. He had only been ten, his face bronzed by the sun of the Great Sea. Now he was twelve, and already a man, if not physically, then mentally.
Link wasn’t much better, he was only two, and he had had to grow up even quicker. Because of who, and what he was. Still, he was the only friend Xander had, and that was worth something. He heard Link panting with anticipation, waiting for the hunt to begin. He knew that Link could smell the wolf, even though he couldn’t exactly see Link. He liked to hide a lot in the shadows, until the time was right to attack. Xander understood, and they had founded a very good system for catching animals who thought that Xander was alone. The boy drew Orca and Balmung, feeling their cold, glimmering steel against his gloved hands. He walked out of the shadows, wandering into the clearing he knew the wolf was in, and would enter.
He didn’t have to wait long, and was soon rewarded with the wolf wandering into the clearing, leaving the confines and safety of the snow-capped trees that stood around them. It grinned a wolfish smile, baring all of its stained teeth in challenge. Xander looked down on it, thought it was almost as big as he was, holding up his knives. “Let’s see what you got,” he muttered. The wolf growled.
Orca and Balmung flashed, just as the wolf’s face bared itself, and the beast reared, charging at the boy. Xander deflected the first set of claws, scoring a deep slash along the flank of the beast’s left side. The animal moaned, and Xander grinned, lending himself and his talents to the task at hand. The wolf was still standing, though Xander saw he had pierced some major organ along the cut. Blood tricked from Orca’s blade, and Xander swung Balmung around as the wolf attacked again, howling with dark lust. Xander dodged the beast, goring the other side of the wolf. It howled again, whining in pain.
“Now, Link!” Xander ordered, lowering his weapons.
The wolf never saw the dragon as he descended, jaws wide open. The emerald beast chomped down on the wolf, wings beating loudly. His fangs met the wolf’s head, gripping roughly on the neck, and twisting until Xander heard the hard snap of the neck bone severing, and the wolf’s body went limp, dead.
Xander looked up at the dragon, who was almost as big as his Master Fangor. With a look of mild amusement, Link the dragon removed the body from his fangs with the scaly claws that were his forehands. His jade eyes glinted intently at Xander, who picked up the carcass from the snowy floor of the forest. Link beat his wings, shrouding Xander in shadows.
“That should last us a day or two,” Xander said, examining the corpse. It was a heavy wolf, with plenty of dark meat inside the hulk. “Three, if we start that diet of yours.” Xander grinned, looking at the slowly-expanding girth of Link’s pale underbelly. Link chuckled, light steam emerging from his narrow nostrils.
“Let’s head back home, Xander,” he retorted, leaning forward to walk on all four of his limbs. All three toes on each of his legs crushed deep into the snow below. “It’s getting cold, and I hate this freezing climate.”
“But you hate it when it’s warm too,” Xander pointed out, beginning to drag the carcass of the defeated wolf to the place they called home, nestled deep within the woods.
Word Count- 1020