(Zgen) Evil’s Bane [T]

[Doran_Bladefist]

Here is the first three chapters of "Evil's Bane", a fanfic in progress. It is based primarily in the OoT vein, though I do borrow a bit from others. It starts out towards the ending of OoT, though I have adjusted it a little and am writing my own continuation. If there is any comments/reviews/criticism to be had so far, I'd love to read them! As far as how long this is going to be, who knows? With my writing, stories only come to an end when they are finished so it could be under fifty pages, could be two-hundred. I guess we'll just have to see

P.S. Oh, and just so you know, the first chapter is the bulk of the thread, the others not so long. I wasn't planning on doing any more with this, but I just felt the urge to do it this morning. Hope you like!

P.S.S. Also, you may notice that the first chapter seems to end, wrapping up as if it were to be finished. This was the original intent, but the continuation came after. Yes, I need to edit it a little to make it fit in better, but for now I'm going to do my best to ignore it until the main story is finished and I can clean it up.



 Chapter One: “Heart of Darkness”



“In the land of Hyrule, there echoes a legend. A legend held dearly by the royal family that tells of a boy who became a man. He embarked on a great journey to the deepest darkest corners of the earth, battling the forces of evil, testing the limits of his will. All to fulfill his destiny which is, above all else....to save....me .”

- Princess Zelda, 2047 HC


Sword and shield at the ready, the mighty hero leapt from stair to stair, charging the inner sanctum of the dark lord, Ganondorf Dragmire, the great destroyer of the Sacred Realm. Breaking through wave after wave of Lizalfos, Wizzrobes, Stalfos, Darknuts, and Iron Knuckles, the battle-hardened gallant pushed through insurmountable odds to reach his foe.

With the Master Sword in hand, he was but a boy with a blade. Sent on an impossible quest by his princess, he found himself just another pawn in the grand scheme, a master plan of villainy to conquer and subjugate all the free races of his homeland, Hyrule. He had failed to see the darkness behind the veil, but in turn had learned to see how things aren’t quite the same in the dark as they are in the light.

Blessed with the power of the Goddesses, Link held the courage to triumph over this foreboding. With the help of his friends found along the way, some now lost to the sands of time and space, he fought through drowning lakes, bone-chilling caves, skin-eating deserts, and poisonous forests of emerald. Hunting his quarry across the very fabrics of time, no other hero of old had more proved their worth of legend.

And here, now, approaching the top of the dark lord’s spire, the fate of millions living, as well as the destinies of the coming generations, were all depending on this small, insignificant boy from the forest. Armed with the weapons of his ancestors, he pillaged the King of Thieves’ hordes, ground his armies into dust, and laid to waste the desert powers of an empire. A child of destiny, he forged himself in the heat of battle and grew to unbelievable strength; courage needed for the impending conflict.

Reaching the crest of Ganondorf’s castle, the steadfast Hero of Time brazenly entered, no fear in his eyes as he dauntlessly treaded upon the inner sanctum. His weapon now sheathed, he armed himself only with his faith and his resolve to set things right and return things to how they should have been.

Sitting near the end of his self-absorbing shrine upon that throne of power, the dark lord sat bemused. Seeing this speck of a child before him, he couldn’t believe it. A boy with a blade had sundered the breath of an army, silenced the chants of the witches, and had released the healing waters of the Zora’s. Light was again entering into the realm, and he could not bear it any longer.

Wordless, the imposing Gerudo King rose to his feet and gestured to his right, an evil leer upon his dark lips. There, imprisoned in a transcendental crystal of black magic, was the princess Zelda. Completely suspended, she was obviously aware yet powerless to intervene.

The hero’s eyes grew stern and his breath fluttered. He thought the princess long since dead, as Ganondorf was assuredly to claim her piece of the Triforce from her, the Triforce of Wisdom, the power of the Goddess Nayru.

“You seek answers.” Ganondorf said darkly, his voice coarse and foreboding. “But all you will find here is your death. I will finish what the wars started, those seventeen years ago. You were not meant to live. Your mother should have died in my tower, long before you came into this wretched world.”

The hero reached back with his left hand and withdrew the Master Sword, evil’s bane, his right hand gripping tightly his Hylian shield. His anger grew at the mention of his mother, and it was all he could do to prevent himself from lashing out at the dark king in a rage.

Ganondorf laughed devilishly. “Do you seriously think that some rusty weapon of the old-age will help you here? My power is absolute! The power of the Gods!! You’re no hero. You’re no protector of time. You’re a weakling, a coward, and a Hylian. A boy amongst men in the shadows of darkness.

“Your mother knew better than to fight when the time came, so she ran. You should do the same....while I allow it and you are still capable.”

As if drifting into a dream, the room blurred to white and the boy found himself alone in a grove of white. Singing softly like the wings of a butterfly, the hero could hear the princess’ voice in his head.

Don’t listen to him, Link! He’s trying to tear you down, as he did me. Your mother died to save us all, you’ve known that all your life. Don’t let him rule you!

Look into your heart, Link of the Kokiri, son of Rachel, and see what is right and true. Ganondorf sees through stained glass, crooked and colored, but to defeat him you must look through the purest of waters. Leave all that binds you behind, even if it means all that you hold dear and true.

Remember what Rauru said, in the Temple of Light? ‘Evil cannot triumph over the pure of heart, only self-defeat can destroy hope.’

You ARE the Hero of Time, Link. Become the man I know you to be. Take up Evil’s Bane as your sword, and I shall be your shield! Fear not, the coming of the storm!

Instantly returning to the room, Link refocused his eyes, the dark lord still before him.

“Fool of a Hylian!” The desert man reached behind his throne and retrieved his bladed staff, pointing the menacing scythe at his enemy. “Then let us see the doom of your race in all it’s faded glory!”

Focusing his dark energy, Ganondorf released a powerful wave of magic into the room. The pointed spire of the roof evaporated into nothingness and the walls of the tower melted into air. Zelda’s prison faded and disappeared, leaving the boy and Hyrule’s antithesis alone at the top of a circular pedestal, a scalding abyss of lava nine levels below them.

“Behold!” Ganondorf raised his right hand in a fist. “The power of Din!”

His hand began to glow with an unearthly heat, the mark of the Triforce of Power clearly etched into his shadowy skin. Just then, Link felt an itch the face of his left hand, the Triforce of Courage reacting to the close proximity of it’s sister shard.

“I see know.” Ganondorf said, his face turned sour. “The courage of Farore rests within you. All this time searching, and it was within this scrap! Had I known, you wouldn’t have lived passed opening the Temple of Time!

“So here, in my tower, all three pieces of the Triforce are within my grasp! Foolish boy! Knowing any better, you would have buried yourself under Lake Hylia when the waters raised!

“Now I need but reach out my hand and this world will end! Paving the way for a sunless paradise, my vessel in which I intend to travel the stars!”

The hero eased his thoughts and cleared his mind. Focusing the power of the Triforce of Courage that lay within his soul, he fought out the apprehension that was building and took a step forward, signifying his will to strike down evil wherever it should choose to flourish.

Ganondorf chuckled and raised his staff above his head, his muscular form filling all of Link’s sight. “Then come!”

Dashing forward, his Pegasus Boots churning up dust as he flew, the Hero of Time leapt across the slim divide between him and his adversary, striking downward with the Master Sword with all the strength he could muster.

Ganondorf Dragmire grinned. Blocking the futile assault with merely his left forearm, he chuckled his intentions and swept the boy away with an inherent abominable grace, his red cloak billowing behind him from the force. Looking at his arm, he could see a slight scuff on his armor, nothing more than a scratch in the darkened steel.

“Do you see now, boy?” Ganondorf showed the score. “Master Sword indeed!”

Taken aback by the lack of damage inflicted on the Dark Lord, Link took a step back and readied his shield in expectation of a retaliatory move.

Ganondorf couldn’t control his vile laughter. “Do you not see?!? I..AM..A GOD!!!”

Taking his bladed staff in both hands, the Gerudo King charged the scythe with black magic and charged at the boy. Swinging the black-fire-burning rod, Ganondorf crushed down on the boy, hatred seething through his teeth.

Incapable of parrying such brute strength, Link rolled forward and narrowly dodged the flaming cane as it smashed into the floor, creating a deep crack in the chiseled stone. Now behind the Dark Lord, the hero swung the Master Sword at the Gerudo’s Achilles, an attack that would fell any creature on legs.

Glancing off, the attack only made Ganondorf even more vain. “Please, try something a little more clever. I am growing bored with these pokes and pricks.”

Circling around with amazing speed, Ganondorf swung a mighty right hand like a hammer, striking the hero across his right temple. Flying to the edge of the tower, if his mind had but been a little more somnolent he would have surely rolled off the edge and down into the molten rock at it’s base. Gripping a slit in the rock, he pulled himself back to the relative safety of the towers facade.

Slowly raising to his feet, the boy’s right eye started to swell from that crushing blow and a slight trickle of blood ran down his chin.

“Do you see, boy?” Ganondorf dropped the staff, no longer feeling the Hylian a direct threat. “Even with that magical stick in hand you are nothing more than a recreant fairy-herder! Come at me, I will not even defend! Let’s see what other futile attacks you have!”

Gritting his teeth, Link dashed at the Gerudo. Jumping through the air, he quickly sheathed the Master Sword and threw his fist down to the ground, erupting the gray stone in a blazing explosion of fire and heat.

Withdrawing back a few feet, Link half-expected Ganondorf to be at least singed, but was horrified at the sight of the dark lord not even moved.

“Din’s fire?!? Ganondorf himself couldn’t believe it. “By the Goddesses, boy, what do you think I am made of?!?”

Repeating Link’s attempt in his own fashion, Ganondorf snapped his fingers and the entire top of the tower was engulfed in a conflagration hot enough to rival the liquefied rock at the base of the tower.

Ducking behind his shield to defend himself from the blast, the boy was surprised to see himself encapsulated by some kind of blue-tinted crystal, shielding him from the heat of the fire.

Link! The hero could hear the Princess calling him from some nethermost plain. He’s too powerful to defeat with just a blade! Realize the truth! The Master Sword is just that, a sword. YOU are evil’s bane, Link. You ARE the Master Sword! The power is in you....and me.

Link didn’t understand.

The Triforce, Link! He holds the power of Din, force and fire his only weapons! You can’t fight him with that power, your not strong enough! You can’t be! Only courage and wisdom together can defeat the dark lord.

I entrust it to you, the power of the Goddess Nayru. May her love descend upon you in this dark time and give you the strength you need.

Link felt a curious swell within him, as if being lifted up from the ocean. Simultaneously he felt a pinch, the Princess Zelda’s voice going silent and the feeling of her presence leaving the boy.

Taking in a deep breath, Link dropped the shield and stood to his feet, the force of the blazing inferno at the top of the tower passing around him like a rock parting a stream. His eyes turning solid white, Link removed the Master Sword from it’s scabbard and pointed it towards Ganondorf, the sheen of it’s blade starting to glow brightly.

The Black King ceased his display of fire and stood astonished, the boy before him standing firm against his colossal strength. Seeing the Master Sword returned to such power as of legend, he quickly retrieved his staff, holding it in a defensive position.

“Still just a boy.” Ganondorf said defiantly.

Culminating a ball of dark-energy in each of his fists, Ganondorf rushed the boy and swung his staff, the blade close enough to shave off the boy’s left ear.

Ducking and rolling, Link made the same move as he did before, coming about and facing the back of the dark lord. Sheathing the Master Sword, he quickly whipped out his fairy bow and instinctively loaded an arrow. He didn’t know why he did it, it just seemed like the right thing to
do.

“What are you going to do?” Ganondorf stared down the arrow that was pointed at his chest. “You have the Master Sword and yet you threaten me with a sliver of wood? Enough of this charade! You’re end is now!”

The giant of a man charged at the minuscule boy, his burning staff flailing wildly in the wind. Link knew he should fear it, but he didn’t. Instead he felt a calming peace come over him, and the sage Rauru’s presence could be felt in Link’s fingertips. Carousing across the shaft of the arrow like arboreal vines of light, Link’s entire body turned luminescent with the powers of the Light Sage. A paragon of light amongst the dark and dreary landscape of modern Hyrule that could be seen all across the land from the high mountaintops all the way to the distant lakes of Hylia.

Fill him with light. Rauru’s thoughts could be heard. And he will fall.

Loosing the shaft from the taut strings of the fairy bow, Link closed his eyes as the missile struck home.

Falling back a few feet, his mind disbelieving, Ganondorf looked down to see the arrow protruding from in-between his ribs, firmly lodged within his right lung. A sliver of a crack appearing in his armor, he could see a faint light coming from within.

“What is this?”

Ganondorf felt a numbing sensation in his chest and for the first time felt weakness. Looking up to his adversary, he, for a brief, intangible moment, held a begrudging respect for one who at last could challenge his superiority.

“I will not fail.” Ganondorf said antagonistically. “You’re people will wither and die, my kind will rule the stars once again!”

Wordlessly answering, Link reloaded his bow and fired another arrow into the dark lord, this one hitting him cleanly in the gut.

Gasping as the power of light started to fill his darkness-infested body, Ganondorf fell to a knee and gripped the shaft of the second arrow. Trying to remove the arrow, he spit out a vile darkness that was his blood, the shaft unwilling to budge.

“Is this how you would defeat me?” Ganondorf’s ways were never to change. “Like a coward in the distance? Still no honor in your wretched house. Your father was the same, unwilling to risk his own life but plenty able to send those whom served him to their deaths.”

Link stood to his feet and selectively launched another arrow into Dragmire’s other lung, the poisonous light of the sages starting to make his skin lighten.

“Fine.” Ganondorf placed a hand on the ground to steady himself. “Murder me. It is you’re descendants that will pay, if not you. I will have my vengeance, wether in this life or the next, and you will be long dead when I return to conquer! I curse you!”

Ganondorf was clearly losing control of himself, growing desperate as the power of Din and light started to consume him. “Curse you!! And your house!! And your Children!! All the comings of the ages are for me to command, and you shall never be rid of me! This I swear, the Triforce of Power within my soul, that you will never be complete without me!!

Ganondorf pushed himself to his feet, his armor cracking and his red cloak turning to shreds. “I am Ganondorf Dragmire! King of the Gerudos! High Lord of Hyrule! Commander of the Triforce of Power! I am a God amongst men, and you are nothing but a shadow in the dust!”

Lifting up his staff he charged at Link, the Gerudo’s eyes turning red with hatred. Reacting defensively, the boy dropped the bow and unsheathed the Master Sword once more, throwing it like a spear into the heart of the Black King.

The force of the blade entering his body threw Ganondorf backwards and onto his back. Unnaturally still alive, he struggled to remove the blade which seemed to leech onto his body like a vine, holding firm against his strength.

“Not yet!” Ganondorf screamed, tearing the sword out of his body, his heart still attached to the ardent blade.

Rolling over in agony, the dark lord shivered and convulsed, his hands holding over the gaping hole in his chest, but soon fell still.

Taking in a deep breath, Link closed his eyes and felt a sense of relief pass over him. It was done, Ganondorf had been defeated and shuffled loose. Hyrule was safe again, the progeny of civilization will continue to thrive and rebuild. Walking to the edge of the tower, he spied outwards across Hyrule field and the great beyond of the Wildlands.

Link! The boy could hear the voice of his childhood friend, the Kokiri sage of the forest, Saria, whispering in his mind.

Turning his head back to Ganondorf’s corpse, the boy could see that the heart of the villain, while pierced by the sword and no longer within his body, was still beating. Glancing over to where the body should have been, there only lay a smudge on the rock, a shadow of the man. The ground started to quake and pieces of the tower started to crumble, the base laughter of the Black King carried on the wind and echoed amongst the distant mountains. Link wasted no time in retrieving the Master Sword, sliding the black heart off with his boot and kicking it off the tower and into the charring lava below.

Run, Link, run! Saria screamed into Link’s mind.

Little did he know, those would be the last words he would ever hear his friend speak.

Running to the opposite ledge of the tower, Link saw a distant arm of a flagpole, dramatically jutting forward about halfway down the cylindrical castle. Nearly four flights down, Link quickly dove off the edge of the tower and flipped out his Hover Boots, using them with his hands to slow his drop enough.

Hooking the pole with the inside of his elbow, Link slid down the angled shaft and flew through a stained-glass window, one that previously was in old-Hyrule castle in the throne room. Rolling against the near wall, the hero was surrounded by falling rock and fleeing Iron Knuckles who paid little attention to the regicidal maniac in their midst while the tower collapsed.

Ignoring his enemies as well, Link got to his feet and started to make for the nearest stairs when he heard a faint call, coming from somewhere deep within the castle. Throwing away all inhibition the hero ran to the cry, hurdling over the crumbling stone and the dead he had left behind while he ascended the tower only minutes before.

Coming to a vaulted door, he pushed through the heavy iron-clad slats and entered what looked to be a sacrificial chamber, the Princess Zelda strapped to a gold and purple-velvet covered table. She looked like she wasn’t breathing.

Rushing over to her, Link quickly cut the leather cords that held her down and heaved her slender frame over his shoulder. Invoking the powers of Nayru, Link erected an impenetrable shield of reflecting crystal to shield the Princess from the falling rock and scant defenders still in
the tower.

Kicking out a near window, the hero pulled out his hookshot and took aim at a near wooden timber that made up a canopy over the main entrance to the castle. Launching the spring-loaded grappling hook at the timber, it firmly took hold and yanked the two out of the window and into the open air.

Locking the chain at it’s distance, Link swung around the front of the castle. Perfectly timing the descent, he released the clamping mechanism on the hookshot and dropped the two on the Light Bridge that connected the castle to the mainland; a passage to supposed safety. Nearly sliding off the side of the bridge, a fortuitous gust of wind from the underside of the bridge steadied the boy and the comatose Princess in his arms.

Relieved to have had made it out of the castle, Link turned and watched as the imposing shrine to death shifted and crumbled into the lake of lava, in turn ending the symbol for the seven years of tyranny and oppression that had plagued the Hylian people.

But the question remained and the boy searched for signs of him all over the ruined grounds: where was Ganondorf?

Gently laying the Princess down on the mainland, Link placed a dirtied hand on her slender neck, feeling no beating of her heart to the touch of his fingers. She looked angelic, her skin light and her face showing no signs of pain. She was as Link always wished to remember her: a Princess of Hyrule.

Defeat settled in. Even though Ganondorf received a mortal blow, the cost seemed too high to the young man. The land was devastated. The inhabitants all but enslaved and destroyed. The Kokiri were gone, the Deku tree dead. The Zoras were encased in ice, perhaps never to awaken. The Gorons where sacrificed to a fire-breathing dragon, few remain. The Gerudos, whom a male was only born every one-hundred years, was without a heir and would quickly die out and fade into the other races.

Even then, with all this death and destruction supposedly behind them, had anything really changed? The Black King was still out there. Link could feel it, and it was only a matter of time before he resurfaced again.

“Link?”

The boy jumped to his feet, startled by a familiar voice.

“Is it done?”

The hero looked down. The Princess’ eyes were open, tired-looking against the setting sun. Incapable of reacting to the sudden sight of Zelda being alive, he stood there emotionless like a statue.

“Is it done, Link?” The Princess asked again.

Just then, a slight rumble could be heard coming from the base of the ruined castle. Link turned to Zelda and shook his head, knowing now that this fight may never end.

“Help me.” Zelda held up a gloved hand to her friend.

Taking the young woman’s delicate hand, Link raised her to her feet and helped her steady herself, her footing seeming to be feeble and unsure.

“I’m fine.” Zelda reassured her companion. “At least for the moment. Don’t worry about me. All that matters now is him.”

Unbeknownst to the two would-be saviors of Hyrule, down in the bottomless depths of the lava flow was Ganondorf’s heart, slowly sinking as the molten rock tried hopelessly to consume the mantle of evil that pervaded it’s sole existence. Still beating, the heart was a testament to the dark lord’s intentions: eternity absolute.

Branded upon the heart’s surface was the form of a triangle on top of two others. Starting to glow and pulsate, the power of the Triforce could not be undone.

Bursting forth from the lava, the demon-god Ganon forced it’s way to the surface. It was the body of Ganondorf, unmistakably so, but the soul of the man that once was no doubt had been consumed. It’s eyes shooting flames that licked across the creatures face, it vaulted into the air and took space above the ruins of the castle.

The sky grew dark, but no clouds or stars were anywhere to be seen. Darkness crept into the world, though not through the absence of light. Evil had just been birthed. Anything before had just been a fluttering of infamy. This was pure sin amongst the living, the dead in their tombs turning to ash and the very fabrics of the Sacred Realm starting to unwind.

Lightning struck. Thunder roared through the impenetrable heavens. It was all Zelda could do to prevent herself from falling into terror, her piece of the Triforce still in Link’s possession.

“Ganondorf.” Zelda spoke into the open.

Answered only by the demonic laughter of the beast before them, the phantom raised a hand and with a lifting motion the lava field below lifted up to the level of the castle and the mainland. Link and Zelda stepped back, but didn’t flee. A grin could be seen on the face of the distant Ganon and he screamed a ghoulish screech, the lava answering by instantly cooling and reverting back to solid stone.

Dropping to the ground with an aerial grace, Ganon moved his head to the side and stared at the reflecting beauty of the Light Bridge. Then, with a disgusted wave of his hand, the bridge turned to ash, cracked, crumbled, and fell to the ground. Appeased with his own wretchedness, Ganon folded his arms and awaited a response from the two Hylians before him.

Link again took sword in hand, holding evil’s bane in his left grip. Offering his fairy bow and his quiver of arrows to the Princess, he knew that he would need her help if there were to be any hope of defeating this immortal.

“I can’t.” Zelda said, backing away. “I’m not strong enough.”

Link placed a dirtied hand upon the Princess’ cheek, feeling a warm tear pass down over his knuckles.

“Never fear.” The hero whispered with a weak smile.

Link returned the Triforce of Wisdom to Zelda, never once considering of keeping it for himself. Her strength of mind returned, Zelda nodded to the Hero of Time and took the bow and quiver without further thought or speech. Loading a shaft onto the tense string, she closed her eyes and said a silent prayer to herself. Invoking Rauru’s power within her, Zelda infused the arrows with that same evil-burning light that Link had and stepped forward first towards the demon-god.

Ganon laughed.

Rushing forward, Link threw all his strength into his Pegasus boots and darted towards Ganon with blinding speed. Launching one carefully aimed Light Arrow, Zelda hit her mark and it exploded into a brilliant fireball of light. The demon momentarily blinded, Link pulled out his hookshot and shot it forward, the piercing tip latching onto Ganon’s armor.

The hookshot pulling the boy at his foe at an even faster rate than the magic boots could manage, Link flew through the air like an arrow in his own right. Master Sword at point, Link surged the blade through the chest of the demon and twisted it upwards, lodging the blade firmly within Ganon’s body. The blade went straight up his throat and into his skull, the hilt pressing deeply into his chest.

Swiping the boy away with a claw that could shred steel, Ganon giggled and started to move towards the boy with a victor’s gait.

Lying on his face on the rock, blood rushing from him freely, the demon gripped Link and lifted him up by the scruff of his neck, proudly displaying him for Zelda to see.

Zelda couldn’t help but load up another Light Arrow and launch it at Ganon. Reacting as if he could see it before it happened, Link grabbed Ganon by the neck with his right hand and swung himself around, giving the demon what looked like a bear hug just as the arrow struck the hero square in the back.

Zelda gasped and dropped the bow, terrified of what she had done.

The bolt firmly in him, Link managed to look up at the demon in his grip. Ganon grinned at first, ecstatic to see the Hero of Time finally vanquished, but then his face turned to horror when he saw the boy smile back.

His body virtually infected with the healing powers of pure light, Link melded himself with the Master Sword embedded within Ganon’s body, causing the demon’s body to also be drawn into it’s reflective blade. Belting out curses in indiscernible languages, Ganon breathed his last free Hylian breath as he disappeared into the Master Sword, his evil permanently imprisoned.

Zelda rushed to the sight, the sword falling from the air and clattering upon the craggy surface. Stooping over Evil’s Bane, she shed a tear onto it’s glossy blade and for a brief moment saw the face of her champion, a friendly smile was all he gave as he faded into the light.

All that remained of Ganon and Link were their shadows, permanently etched into the rock below from the brilliance of the light.

Taking the sword in hand, Zelda empowered the blade with the Triforce of Nayru, Goddess of Wisdom, and the three pieces of the relic were again whole. The blade was returned to the Temple of Time and again sealed, the three Spiritual Stone Keys returned to their native peoples. No one knows what happened to the Ocarina of Time, the final key to the Sacred Realm where the Triforce now rests, but most think it sang it’s final note as the sun rose the following day; a lament for the fallen hero.

Kokiri friend, son of Rachel and Carnelian, the Hero of Time, the savior of Hyrule, the Master of the Winds. These are all names of the legend that would be told amongst the peoples of Hyrule for generations to come, but to Zelda he would simply be known as Link, her quiet hero.

As for the hero himself, only time could tell where he had gone.



Chapter Two: “A Cold Awakening”



“The rising sun will eventually set, a newborn's life will fade. From sun to moon, moon to sun. Give peaceful rest to the living dead.”

- The Composer Brothers



Link’s sleep was restless, frigid, and dark. Flashing images of old wounds and past foes cut through his psyche as a sickle glides through wheat. He could see faces. Hundreds of faces, ally, enemy, and stranger alike, flickering around him as his memories faded into one another. Some were just as he remembered them, warm and friendly. Others were not so pleasant.

“Link....” Their voices were ethereal and distant, many blending into one. “Brave Link....dost thou still have the courage?”

Just then, Link felt Saria’s presence singled out from the horde. He couldn’t see her, but he knew she was near. Even in this dreamscape, he realized he was in danger as his childhood friend only came to him when menace lay in wait.

Frozen down to his soul, Link desperately tried to wake himself, only to find he was trapped within his own mind. Confused, he searched his thoughts for what brought him here, for what entangled him in this madness.

All he could see was a blank slate; darkness begetting shadier schemes. But somehow he knew who he was. He could feel his friend Saria, somewhere in this labyrinth of suppressed memory. He knew he wasn’t alone, but he couldn’t help but feel that way.

Then there was a light in the distance. At first hazy and intermittent, it soon grew and brightened. Warming the chill in his veins, Link could feel the sweet breath of life fill his slumbering body. His eyes opened, as if for the first time, and laying before him he could see it: the Master Sword in it’s pedestal.

Surrounded by crumbled stone and feral vines, the blade was rusted and dull; a sign of age and neglect. Link was worried of what had become of it, seeing a steadfast relic of the ages in such a state of decay.

The boy looked around him, seeing at once foreign and familiar places. Odd, old things littered the ground, debris and ruins long since cast aside and forgotten. Shattered mirrors, tumbled statues, and fallen chandeliers were all about the legendary blade. Long, arching fingers of stone clawed their way into the sky overhead; the bones of an kingdom.

As his memories returned, Link finally recognized where he was: the Temple of Time.

In awe at the rampant chaos about this sacred grove in the forest, Link moved towards the upright blade in the ground. Not one part of the blade was as it should have been. The blade was rusted and chipped, a slight crack running across it’s center. The hilt was covered in drooping vines of gossamer hedge. The pommel was slightly crooked, as if someone intent on taking the sword tried to crush it with a hammer when the blade wouldn’t budge from it’s nest.

Link reached out to touch the once might weapon of the Goddesses, but jerked back as he heard a wicked laughter fill the grove. Searching around for the source, there wasn’t anyone else in the grove, but Link knew that he was definitely not alone.

Rummaging about his clothing for weapons, Link found himself lacking. Drawing near the Master Sword, he stood by it to await his foe from the darkness.

“It is time, boy!” Ganondorf’s coarse and powerful voice echoed into the decrepit temple. “For all your meddling, for all your triumph, here we are in the ruins of what you saved. And for what? For your beneficiaries to destroy it themselves!”

Link’s face was stern, unmovable. It was as if it were yesterday that he sacrificed himself to defeat the Gerudo King, and yet things had changed so much.

“I am free once again!” Ganondorf said with wicked glee. “The Triforce of Power in my fist, there is nothing to stop me! You, trapped within these walls of air, are doomed to be imprisoned within the very magic you used to destroy me!

“Look! The very blade you would use against me is broken!

“So tell me then, Hylian spawn, where are your Goddesses now?”

Then Link saw him. Entering the grove as if from nowhere, Ganondorf’s towering frame of black armor dauntlessly ventured forth. Carrying a luminous sword that looked as if it were made of light, he charged forward at the boy, hatred burning in his eyes.

Link instinctively reached out and gripped the Master Sword. With all his might he pulled on the blade, it’s body refusing to budge.

Swinging that foul blade, Ganondorf Dragmire cut clean through the Master Sword as Link rolled away, the hilt and pommel of Evil’s Bane flying off into the trees with a dark, whistling sound. Link looked at the severed blade in horror, the weapon of the Goddesses destroyed so easily.

Guttural laughter escaped from Dragmire’s lungs. “Now do you see, boy? It was all for nothing!”

Ganondorf lunged at the small boy, the fearsome tip of his engulfing sword flying through the air like a stream of liquid rock. Link was despaired, but his courage and his will to defeat evil didn’t falter.

Rolling forward under the singing blade, Link flew into Ganondorf’s legs, causing the Dark Lord to tumble and fall, nearly onto his own sword. Seeing no chance in defeating him in this meeting, Link bolted off towards the trees, snatching up the Master Sword hilt as he went.

“Curse you, Link!” Ganondorf screamed into the jungle as he watched the boy run. “Your days are numbered!”

Returning to the pedestal with the shard of the Master Sword jutting profoundly into the air, the Dark Lord grinned.

With his vile tongue dancing behind his teeth, he whispered ever so softly into the grove. “And so are the days of those of which you are ancestor.”

Link ran and ran and ran through the drooping trees and wind-blown rock. Never before in his previous adventures had he chose to flee rather than fight. Unsettling in it’s nature, Link had to accept defeat for this day.

After many arduous miles of overgrown jungle, Link finally came to rest at the base of a trickling waterfall. Judging by the shape of the land, he was sure it was once a grand river, now just a small stream bubbling amongst the rounded stones.

Dropping to his knees, he held the Master Sword’s hilt in his hands and looked at it’s once wondrous form. Rusted to the very core of the steel, the knife was useless, cancerous, and defeated. Gripping the hilt tightly, he held it to his chest and cradled it like a child in his arms, praying for strength to return.

Looking at his left hand, he could see the outline of the Triforce of Courage, though it was faint and barely visible. Link wondered to himself how long had he been trapped with the Dark Lord within Evil’s Bane, the prison made by the goddesses to contain evil. But even with Ganondorf caged, it seemed like the land had still fallen into turmoil and regress.

And then the thought hit him: where was Zelda?



Chapter Three: “Old Friends - New Friends”



“The flow of time is always cruel... its speed seems different for each person, but no one can change it... A thing that does not change with time is a memory of younger days... “

- Sheik



Physically exhausted from the speedy flight and mentally exhausted from the shock of recent events, Link fell into a comatose state in the soft earth and bushy hedges near the river. He couldn’t think at this point. What was he to do? Ganondorf was back out into the world and the only weapon against him had been shattered. He needed to get some bearings.

Then, as he lay there motionless, a tall, gaunt person came into the corner of his eye. Close, a mere ten feet away, the figure was stooping over the stream and gathering water in a leather pouch. He must have been an adventurer: a woodsman out in the forests and mountains, possibly on the run.

Unsure of the man’s leanings, Link quickly sprung up and wrapped around the man’s back, neatly placing the rusty Master Sword at his neck.

“Whoa, there!” The man said, obviously not afraid as he put his hands in the air. “Didn’t know this stream belonged to anyone. Apologies.”

Link sensed this man wasn’t a dark being and released his grip. Backing away he lowered his fragile blade and showed his hands in earnest.

The stranger turned to face the boy, hiding any expression at the sight of Link’s pointed ears.

“Quite a weapon you got there.” The woodsman commented on the rusty blade. “You new to the region?”

Link pondered the thought for a moment, but then relented with a nod.

“Well then, let me be the first to welcome you!” The man said cheerfully. “I am known as Cale, and this jumbled mess of a woodland is known as Creydo, the royal forest. What’s your name?”

The boy responded quietly.

“Link, eh?” Cale said with a warm smile, having seen a myriad of lost travelers in the region lately. “Welcome, Link of the Creydo. This is a place of new beginnings for many, and I hope it will be good to you. I’d ask where you’ve come from, but most would rather it be forgotten.

Cale finished filling his water pouch and strung it to his hip. “I’m heading to the Fortress City for a festival. One of the biggest of the year. Care to join me? We could get you set up until you figure out where you want to be?”

Link was unsure if he wanted to see the world so changed, but knew it was the only way to set things right before it was too late. He gave the woodsman a nod.

“Good!” Cale approached and put a firm hand on the boy’s shoulder. “Then come with me, Link of the Creydo, and I’ll show you the time of your life.”

Following the adventurer for a few miles, the two came to an opening in the forest, the choking foliage shifting into roving grasslands of amber. Link thought of Hyrule Field when he saw it, but couldn’t be sure as the landscape was so vastly different to all those sunsets he grew up with.

“See there?” Cale said, pointing due east at a massive castle in the center of the field. “Ersatz Fortress, this kingdom’s seat. Impressive, yes?”

Link nodded, taking note of the similarity of the fortress design to Ganon’s Tower, mixed with Hyrule Castle.

Cale turned back to his new friend. “It’s been there for centuries. You ever hear of it?”

Link shook his head, his eyes never leaving the dark towers.

“Good! It’ll give us something to talk about for the remainder of the journey.

“It was built after a great war, the two fighting hardly even remembered now. The tale goes that the old country that was here, High Rule I believe it was called, was decimated by disease, famine, and desert raiders before succumbing, the very forests taking back the land that was stolen from it.

“And after decades of neglect, the land was finally raised up again under a new king, supposedly descended from the very knights that first tamed this land, and he built his castle in the very center of the realm. Not a very wise decision, as it would be impossible to defend all around at once, but a strong statement of the man’s will to control the kingdom.

“And soon after that, the entire realm under his rule, he vanished. No statement, no reason, no heir, no nothing. Just up and gone! Can you believe that? Becoming king just to run away?”

Link couldn’t take his eyes off the fortress as the two plodded on.

“He must have been mad.” The woodsman continued. “Anyhoo, after the kingship failed, a tribe of warrior women came and snatched up the realm for their own, and here we are.

“Which leads me to my first point that you must understand.” Cale stopped and turned to Link, looking him square in the eye. “Ersatz can be a very unforgiving place, especially in times like these with strangers coming from all over the world to live. You may not be welcomed, least of all with....”

Cale looked at Link’s ears. “You better cover them up. Most people here, myself included, have never seen Highlander before. I thought you were all wiped out centuries ago with the fall of your kingdom, or even just a piece of legend. Forgive my asking, but where did you come from?”

Link didn’t know what else to do other than shrug, the truth being to difficult to explain to someone who didn’t know.

“I see. Well....here.” Cale reached into his bag and handed Link a brown woolen hat. “It may be a little warm for this time of year, but it’s better than getting dragged away into the Empress’ inner keep. Your dress isn’t that impressive either, but this time of year in Ersatz anything goes.”

Link threw the cap on over his head, tucking his ears into the itchy fabric.

“Good!” Cale said, trying not to laugh at the silliness of how Link appeared in his green tunic. “Let’s hurry then, we want to get into the city before nightfall!”

The two walked at a fast pace for the final leg of the journey, reaching the high gates of Ersatz just before the sun began to set over the now-distant Creydo woodlands. Looking to the north, Link finally saw a truly familiar sight that hadn’t changed at all: Death Mountain. He wondered what ever became of Darunia and Link, Darunia’s son who carried the same name as him.

Taking note of Link’s pause, Cale stood next to him and also gazed up at the bare peak. “That’s the Cursed Mountain, Link. Gaze upon it, but do not ever venture there. They say it is full of monsters, ones who breath fire and eat stone while they wait for human prey. Best let it alone.

“Come, before they close the gate on us. No one is allowed to enter or leave once nightfall comes.”

Following the man, Link passed through the massive archways that led into the city within it’s walls. Tucking the hilt of the Master Sword into his belt, he draped his tunic over it to keep it hidden from prying eyes.

It was a wild city, full of merchants, entertainers, soldiers, and adventurers alike. Link thought to himself that if Hyrule had this many fighting men in wait when Ganondorf attacked, perhaps things may have been different. Perhaps none of this would have ever happened.

“Hey there!” Cale said to the boy with the wandering mind. “You here or you off battling a dragon?"

Link gave him a smile. If only he knew.

“Good! Come, let’s get you set up before the festival starts. Don’t want to miss the party, now, do we?”

Coursing through the mob of people like rocks in a stream, the two travelers came upon a shop. Motioning to the boy to follow, Cale walked on in and began perusing clothing.

“Here!” The man said with a hint of excitement. “Take these.”

Link looked at the man blankly.

“Oh, no don’t worry about it.” Cale said with a wink. “I’ve got all money in the world!”

Link thought the getup a bit too colorful and baggy for his taste, but agreed so he could blend in more with the rest this new world.

“Fantastic....” Cale also wasn’t sure of how it looked on him, but knew no one would ever guess that he was an outsider. “Well then, what are you waiting for? Let’s go!”

Taking Link to a large square in the city, Link was amazed to see things like acrobats, fire-breathers, jugglers, and contortionists in the crowds of people. Passing through, the two engaged in mild-mannered frivolity such as races, lawn bowling, and drinking contests until they came to an archery competition.

“Can you shoot?” Cale asked of the boy.

Link nodded halfheartedly, not wishing to draw attention to himself.

“Oh, come on now. Don’t be shy!” The man working the archery range said. “Any fool can shoot a bow, let alone a pistol.”

“Here, let’s see what you got.” Cale grabbed a bow from the counter and strung an arrow for the boy. “Try for the center.”

Link tested the bow’s string. It was loose, probably needed to be replaced, but he knew all about the tricks these festival-folk would try to make you lose. Taking aim at the nearest target, he let loose the arrow which struck on the far outside of the target.

“Oh, too bad.” Cale said. “Guess I’ll have to show you up.”

Cale reached behind him and pulled out a beautiful ash bow, ornately decorated and obviously a sign of the man’s trade. With one of his own arrows, he launched a bolt that flew like the wind, striking the nearest target dead-center.

“Here.” Cale haded the bow with a strung arrow to Link. “Try it with mine.”

Taking aim at the same target, Link’s first thought was to only do slightly better, but his pride got the best of him and he let an arrow fly into the distance, striking the farthest target on the range with perfect accuracy.

“Well....done....” The man behind the counter said. “Wow! That target never’s been hit before with a bow! Pistols, yes, but never a bow!”

“Lucky shot.” Cale undermined the boy’s skill. “Bet you can’t do it again.”

Link looked Cale in the eye, noticing the man’s tone was slightly off from normal. Just then, he knew he did something he shouldn’t have. Taking another arrow, he launched it in the same direction, but struck it in the ground.

“There, you see?” Cale said with a grin. “Lucky shot.”

“Too bad.” The operator said. “I thought you where really that good.”

“Yes, too bad.” Cale gripped Link on the shoulder. “Come, let’s try something we can actually win.”

Walking off into the crowd, Cale kept his eyes forward but whispered to Link in a harsh tone. “Never do that again in the city. Unless you want to be taken by the armored guard and forced into the army, you need to be average. Understand?”

Link silently nodded, having heard stories back at home about Gerudos taking Hylian children to raise them as their own soldiers.

“Good!” Cale returned to his cheerful self.

Cale was about to take Link into a mead hall when the booming sound of one of the massive city bells rang out into the city. The crowd grew quiet and started to rush towards the northern end of the fortress, near the base of one of the towers.

“Well, never mind that then. Come, Link. It’s time for the Empress to join the party.”

[Doran_Bladefist]

Here's the next chapter.

Chapter Four: "Heroes of Songs Unsung"


"They say we Hylians have big ears in order to hear the voices of the gods...but I’ve never heard them!"

- Hyrulean Villager


Moving towards that massive obelisk that was the inner keep of the Empress and her government, Link and Cale grab a couple of flagons of mead and stand in the crowd. Gazing up, there was an outcropping about ten stories from the ground, a balcony from which any official could address the people of Ersatz. It was as if you were listening to the very Goddesses themselves.

Then she came to the cheers of the mob below. So high even Link’s Hyrulean eyes could barely see her, but he could swear he knew her. At least, he thought he did.

"Ah....there she is." Cale said with a whimsical sigh to Link. "The Empress of all Ersatz and the surrounding badlands. She’s quite a beauty, from what I hear, but unfortunately from this distance we may never know.

"More mead?" He asked of the Highlander.

Link didn’t respond. Staring upwards at the prominent figure in the sky, he was entranced. He felt so uncertain about her, a monarch of such a country, but felt that he had to see her.

"Don’t even think." Cale said sternly. "I feel as if I know you, Link, and I can read your thoughts better than that sham of a fortune teller back there. Breaking into the tower is punishable by death, on the spot! Madness, friend!"

Link smiled.

"Fine, be that way. But don’t go getting blood on that nice new shirt I bought for you."

The crowd grew silent, the Empress’ hands in the air.

"Well, here we go." Cale said, the mead making his fingertips feel a little fuzzy.

"People of Ersatz." The Empress’ voice was clean and crisp, like an autumn leaf flowing down a stream. "We are here this day to celebrate great deeds and heroes of legend. From the curses of The Mountain, to the secrets of the eastern woodlands, fallen men and women of honor ask us for this day. From the great lakes to the south and the vast seas of the west, those taken by the water Gods also ask us for this day.

"But, more importantly, the Great Hero asks us for this day. A day to remember, a day to celebrate, and a day to honor his sacrifice to rid the world of evil. Though centuries have passed since this great deed, we are here this day in due part to his valiant triumph over the darkness that plagued this land."

Link looked away, taking glances at those in the crowd, people enthralled by the story told by their Breathtaking Empress. Could it really be that what he had done had passed on for so long through the generations?

"And so, let us take up a cup." The Empress took a golden chalice from a servant and raised it to the heavens. "All hail Ganondorf."

The crowd all yelled hail in unison and drank, toasting their great hero of old. Link's face turned placid and he froze, flagon of mead still in hand.

"And to the defeated foe!" The Empress continued. "That the Highlander may never again roam this world, lest we fall into darkness and despair under their villainy!"

The mass drank again to the demise of Link’s people. The boy checked his hat to ensure his ears were still in tight.

"Your not drinking?" A stranger noticed that Link wasn’t raising his glass.

Link looked the man square in the eyes, the boy’s demeanor showing his nervousness amongst a crowd of possible enemies.

"Who are you?" The stranger asked of Link, others starting to take notice.

"He’s a friend of mine." Cale jumped in, trying to draw the attention away. "My brother. Just came in from the woodlands."

"Your brother doesn’t toast to Ganondorf, the Hero!" A large, burly man stepped in. "Blasphemy, to ignore his sacrifice!"

"He did too drink, didn’t you Link?" Cale was at the end of his being able to protect the outlander. "They just didn’t see, right?"

Link was grabbed by the collar before he could respond. "Lies! I know what I saw!"

"Order!" The loud, thunderous voice of a gold-armored knight rang out from the Empresses side. "What is this disturbance on the Day of Heroes?"

"This one wont drink!!" The large man holding on to Link’s shirt bellowed. "A spy!!"

"Bring him forward." The Empress said calmly. "Let him answer for himself."

Roughly moving the boy through the crowd, some men with daggers drawn, Link was thrown up onto a platform in the center of the crowd. Entering into the square, a platoon of dark-armored guards surrounded the platform, shielding the boy from possible acts of violence. One of the guards, his armor golden like the one on the balcony, stepped up onto the platform and put a firm grip on Link’s shoulder.

"Are you of Ersatz, stranger?" The gold-armored one asked of the boy. "Where is your country?"

Link didn’t know what to say. Where was his country?

Taking the boy’s silence as an act of treason, the knight swiftly swung an armored fist, striking Link across the face and causing the boy’s hat to fly off into the crowd.

Seeing the hat no longer disguising the boy, Cale quickly mingled into the crowd and disappeared.

The crowd grew silent as Link rose to his knees, his ears protruding plainly for everyone to see. Even the golden knights were taken aback, as no Highlander had been seen for well over a hundred years. They were supposed to be extinct.

"A Highlander?" The knight whispered. "A Highlander?!?"

"Death to the heretic!" A voice cried from the crowd, soon followed by others.

"Silence!" The knight in the tower commanded.

The Empress stayed motionless, unsure of what to do. The law was clear in regards to those of High Rule. They were prophesied to bring about the end of the world, as they had done in the past, and must be eliminated.

"What do we know of this Highlander, Sir Ironside?" The Empress asked of the golden knight. "Has he been followed since entering the city?"

"We thought him just a woodsman." The gold-encased knight answered. "He showed skill in the archery range, but tried to mask it. Other than that, he’s never been seen in Ersatz before."

"Hmm...." The Empress pondered this strange newcomer. "What do you recommend, good Sir knight?"

"Beheading." Ironside said without thought or conscience. "Now. For all to see. We were going to bring him in and do it quietly, but now the people are involved. It must be done."

The knight raised his hand, the one below responding by drawing out his sword and placing it against the back of Link’s neck.

"On your order, Empress."

She mulled over the point for a few moments, the crowd in utter despair over the lack of swift judgement. This was the Day of Heroes; bloodlust was running rampant, but she just didn’t think she could bear it. There was something about him, strange and familiar, but in the end her position won out.

"On my order." She whispered to herself. "The sentence is death, by the heading. Carry on, Sir knight."

A wicked smile on his face, the knight baring the blade at Link’s neck pulled back the knife and prepared to swing.

"Let this be an example for all the people of Ersatz to follow." Ironside said with a hint of pride to the mob below. "The only good Highlander....is a dead Highlander."

Flexing his muscles for the kill, the golden executioner stepped in to swing, but was met full force with an arrow, striking through the weak decorative plates and lodging deep within his chest.

Chaos erupted in the crowded square. The knights all stormed the center platform to aid their captain, only to be met with a hail of barbed shafts from all unseen directions. It was as if they were everywhere, veiled shadow archers striking out at their unknowing masters.

"Seal the city!" Ironside belted out as he rushed the Empress back into the tower. "Call in the outer rings, sweep through the streets, and pull those cowards out from their holes."

Shutting themselves in the tower, Ironside left the Empress and headed towards the armory with a disgusted gait, a stride fit for a warrior. Of all days to have a fight within the fortress, the renegades had to pick this one. He should have known better. He should have recognized the threat when he first saw that Highlander enter through his gates.

Coming to the end of a large hall, Ironside brushed the heavy oak doors aside and entered into the armory. His temper fuming with self-doubt, he felt like he needed to crush someone.

"Esclados!" He belted into the vast weapons storehouse.

"Aye?" A quiet man replied from behind some crates, unseen to Ironside’s eyes.

"Ready the city for war! High Rule’s stain has returned!"

[Draconic]

A bit hard to understand, but not a bad story.
And it's Hyrule not High Rule. And Hyrulian or Hylian, not Highlander.

[Akìtsune]

Originally Posted by Draconic

A bit hard to understand, but not a bad story.
And it's Hyrule not High Rule. And Hyrulian or Hylian, not Highlander.

Very good. I look forward to seeing more of this. Comprehension was okay on my part.
Keep up the good work.

[Doran_Bladefist]

"Highlander" and "High Rule" are used purposefully, as the names of places and peoples have changed through time....or are they yet to change? Even for me, nothing is certain. I don't plan stories out, they become too cliché and structured when I do; focus is lost. My stories evolve and grow as they are written, and I can only hope that I do the series justice.

Oh, and thank you, Akìtsune, for the comment. Yes, I probably will have another chapter or two within the next few hours.

[Doran_Bladefist]

Time for more!


Chapter Five: “The Shadows Amongst Us”


“Restless souls wander where they don't belong. Bring them calm with the Sun's Song.”

- Anonymous


Diving off the platform, Link’s initial reaction to the anarchy building in the streets was to disappear. Ersatz had become a dangerous place for him and without weapons or armor he was a good as dead. Then the thought came to him.

Dashing through the square, the people around him pushing and shoving to get away from the Highlander, Link made his way back to the archery range. Seeing the man behind the counter was gone, the unabashed Link snatched up the flimsy bow and a case of arrows, slinging the cheaply built quiver over his shoulder.

“There he is!” A boisterous voice said from the crowd.

A squad of knights entered the square, all of them baring teeth of serrated steel in their grips. Link quickly set an arrow on the bow, his fingers delicately holding on to the dirtied fletching at the butt of the shaft.

“Gonna shoot me, boy?” One of the knights said with a chuckle. “You couldn’t even hit a twenty-foot target with that piece of junk!”

Then the Shadows came. Coming out of the darkness like wraiths from their tombs, men drenched in ashen dusk and smoke mingled into the small contingent of knights, their bodies passing through wood and stone as if mere water and air. Taking the armored men one by one back into their dark nests, the Shadows quickly silenced their cries, leaving the boy alone in this jungle of madness and dark magics.

“Come!” One of the masked Shadows said to Link in a darkly female voice, reaching out to him with an ethereal hand. “While you still can!”

Link saw no lie in the strangers gray eyes and took her arm, the other pulling him into a near wall.

Feeling as if the very life was draining from him, the Link glanced around as the landscape began to shift and change. Walls, once thick and impenetrable, were but transparent barricades of hazy light. He could see everything, even into the farthest reaches of Ersatz and the surrounding countryside. Soldiers coming and going, Shadow people taking them at will, and the terror building within the chaos.

“Here!” That masked woman said, calling to the boy. “This way! Hurry!”

Link did as he was told, following the Shadow through a maze of walls, underground tunnels, and hidden cisterns buried within the city’s heart. Reaching a large staircase, the two Spiraled downward for what seemed an age of damp stone and mossy steps.

Silently, Link and his guide went deeper and deeper into the bottomless abyss until they came to a set of heavy oak doors. Large and foreboding with intricately detailed knots in the woodwork, Link could see an inscription on the bulky slats but the meaning eluded him. It was something akin to Hylian, but with more curves and circles. Curious still, Link couldn’t see through this door, as he could all the others in the upper world after the woman touched him.

“It’s the language of the old world,” The veiled woman said. “The inscription here. In the common tongue it means: If I cannot bend evil, then I shall move heaven.

“Don’t worry, you will be safe here....for now. I suppose you have questions. Who wouldn’t, given circumstance.”

Link nodded,

“Fair enough.” The woman removed her mask and hood, revealing her colorless hair and gossamer skin. “My name is Mara, and this is my city, Veritas.”

Mara lifted up her hands and pulled back her hair, revealing a set of Hylian ears. Link’s eyes widened and a smile came across his face.

“Yes, we are like you: Highlanders. Though I find you to be strange. I’ve never seen an old-one with blue eyes before.”

“Lady Mara!” A voice called from behind the two, back in the dark tunnels.

“Here, Jarilo.” Mara answered.

A man jogged up to the two at the doors. Having the same look of a ghost, he stopped at their feet, panting for breath and leaning on his knees.

“My Lady....the soldiers....are....” The man looked as if he was about to pass out.

“Take your time, Jarilo.” Mara’s demeanor was cool and calm. “When your ready.”

The man took a few seconds to catch his breath, then stood upright. “Ersatz is in total disorder. If we strike now at the keep....we have a good chance we can overrun them.”

“No.” Mara said plainly. “Conquest is not our goal.”

“But we may not get another chance!” Jarilo’s face turned cross. “We’ve exposed ourselves! They’d be ready for us next time!”

“And for good reason.” Mara reached out and put a hand on Link’s shoulder.

“No offense, my Lady, but what good does a scrap kid do for our kind? Why have we risked all these years of concealment for him?”

Mara smiled and pointed at Link’s ears. “But he is of our kind, is he not?”

“But look at him! He’s got color to him. It’s unnatural.”

“Yes,” Mara said to the other with a weak smile. “But no more than you or I. Call the rest home. We’ve done enough Shadow-work for today.”

Jarilo didn’t argue. Giving Mara a nod, he picked up his feet and ran off back into the tunnels.

“Such a blood-hound.” Mara said, watching the man go. “If he were lord of Veritas, we’d be at war every day of our lives.

“But never mind our problems, let’s look at yours.” Mara turned back to the boy. “What’s your name? ....Link? Interesting, if not foreign. I welcome you to my city, Link, and may it serve you well.”

Mara reached out and placed her right palm flat against the doors. Leaving from the woman’s fingertips, small traces of light wound through the knots on the lumber, it’s face slowly opening for the two on the outside.

“Enter, Link, with my invitation.” Mara said with a sense of tradition.

Link walked through the archway and found himself within a enormous expanse, hidden deep under the soil of Ersatz. A city made of earth and stone, it at once spoke of humility and temperance, yet showed the pride and craftsmanship of it’s people. The symbol of the knot and the sun were heavily prevalent amongst the archways and doors, signs of life and kinship. Link at first thought the people lived in absolute darkness when he traveled down those winding steps, but here he could see a sliver of light coming from the center of the expanse’s roof.

“That is our source of life.” Mara said, taking note of the boy’s observations. “That light is reflected off of mirrors that pass through long chains of tunnels, catching the sun’s rays from the peak of the mountain where it is purest.”

Link looked at the woman, feeling slight pity and a willingness to help.

“I know what you are thinking, but it’s impossible.” Mara said, despair hidden well within her words. “After all these generations of living underground, we’ve become sensitive to direct sunlight. Only by the light of the moon are we able to venture out into the upper world. Even then we have to be extremely cautious to not be too exposed.”

Link looked at his hand, him still being able to gaze through it to the ground below.

“Yes, you must forgive me for that. The only way I could save you from those brutes above was to bring you into our world. What you are experiencing is what we call The Eventide. Most children here can control it at will, but in your case it will take some time to harness it, as you are not born into it’s way. In that you must be careful. Don’t want you getting stuck inside a rock, now do we?

“Eventide is our form of battle. Stealth, secrecy, and fear are our weapons. Learn to use them, couple them with an arrow and bow, and our trade will become your greatest asset the dark times to come. To the upper-folk, we are known as Shadow people, rightfully so, and till now we were just of myth and legend.

“Your coming marks a new age for Veritas. I sense greatness in you, Link, and I think you can help us.”

Link gave the Lady of the underworld a nod.

“Then I suppose I should tell you why I brought you here. It wasn’t just idle curiosity. Our survival is too delicate for such petty undertakings.

“To put it plainly, sunlight, the giver of life, is turning into our greatest enemy. The forces of Ersatz are becoming more and more brazen on the slopes of the Cursed Mountain, pushing further and further with each passing year. Our spreading of superstition and ghost stories worked well for ages, but now there are those who no longer believe in such things. In short, they will soon find our mirrors, and undoubtedly smash them all to pieces. Our people cannot survive in darkness, despite what you might think. These mirrors must be protected!

“Which is where you come in. You are Highlander, one of our own, but you can also travel by day. I want you to go to the Cursed Mountain and protect the mirrors until we can come up with a plan to make them safe again.”

Mara Leaned in close, putting a hand on Link’s shoulder. Her silvery eyes were cold, dead-like even, but in them Link could see immense strength and tenderness, reminding Link of someone he used to know.

“Will you help us?” Mara entreated.

Without any thought for himself, Link nodded with that stern face of heart and determination.

Mara breathed a sigh of relief. “I thank you, Link, for the quest you are about to undertake. Do you have weapons?”

Link produced the rigged bow and crooked arrows he took from the archery range, but kept the Master Sword’s hilt concealed beneath his shirt.

Mara giggled at the sight. “Well, we can’t have you going out on an adventure in not but your skin, now can we? Follow me, we’ll set you off right.”

[Lly]

Daaaaaaaaaaaaaamn.

This story is stellar, and I might even go as far as to say that this is one of the best fanfictions I've read in this site quite a while. Your punctuation and grammar are occasionally a little spotty- I've noticed you tend to forget commas and randomly capitalize words that shouldn't be- but that can be fixed with editing. Your narrative is rich, your descriptions are vivid. You introduce new ideas without overwhelming the reader. Your action scenes are nice, and cntrary to what others said- I found it very easy to follow.

Overall: creative, interesting, just needs a bit more editing. But really, I'm hooked! Keep up the fantastic work! :3

[Doran_Bladefist]

Lly, I thank you for your kind words and I appreciate the input. Yes, I tend tend to fly through my writing pretty quickly, leaving spot-check editing for very last (or I make my wife do it ).

As far as punctuation and other shtuff is concerned, I pretty much taught myself how to write over the past few months so I am still learning and have plenty of room for improvement. I've considered taking some college-level writing courses, as I haven't been in school for a good seven years now, but just haven't been able to push myself through the door. Truly, if you ever want to see something really scary, you should check out some of my older works on my myspace *cringe*

P.S. Oh yes, I almost forgot! This story is my attempt to downsize my writing into more digestible blocks. My previous attempt, an epic 500+ page fantasy novel, was so overwhelming with information that even I couldn't keep track of it all and the story was going nowhere because of it. I'm glad to hear that this is passable!

Thanks again!

[Doran_Bladefist]

More on the way 


Chapter Six: “Tools of the Trade”

“Oh well...It's tough to be a working man.”

- Ingo

Mara took the young boy in the colorful shirt to the heart of Veritas, a center of instruction and conflict laying in wait. Unable to hide her elation and relief coupled with Link’s destined coming, the Lady of the underworld couldn’t help but show a smile on her chalky face as they passed by the common folk, curiosity in their eyes.

“Here we are.” Mara said, stopping just short of a darkened archway that seemed to stretch into improbable nothingness. “And this is where we part way