Legend Begins Again

The Kingdom of Hyrule.

A prosperous realm home to it native inhabitants, the Hylians. For centuries the Hylians have lived in peace, governed and watched over by the benevolent and wise royal family.

But peace is a luxury that simply cannot last forever.

In recent years a darkness has begun to spread throughout the land. Slowly shrouding it in shadows that creep ever closer to it's heart. It is only a matter of time before the darkness completely consumes everything.

But hope is not lost. For like many times in the past the land can be saved. The princess of Hyrule, touched by the goddesses, is ever vigilant and devoted to it protection. Though young she has proven herself a capable leader as she works to combat the threat with her astute mind and seemingly bottomless wisdom.

But alone she lacks the power to save her land.

She will need more than wisdom.

She will need courage.

She will need a hero.

A loud whistle rang through the air as a train made it's way across a field toward it's destination. Riding inside were many Hylians, all going about their own business, heading riding the train for business and leisure. The Hylians spoke, ate, stared out the windows, and slept as they passed the time, simply enjoying the train ride.

And sleeping at the end of the row, snoring, with a cheek smashed up against the window with a slightest hint of drool dribbling out of the corner of his open mouth was a young boy. Anyone who glanced at the boy would assume he was no older than 12 years. He was dressed primarily in green. He a wore green sleeveless tunic over a lighter green long sleeve undershirt with a green cap on his head. On his feet were beigish pants that extended down to meet a pair of brown boots. At his waist was a black belt with a golden circular buckle. He had choppy blonde hair and fair skin, and beside him was a large burly man who was his companion and only relative.

With a loud whistle the train slowed down as it came into its station. The boy and his uncle slept through the whistle, only awaking as the train came to a jarring stop. The man woke with a start, sitting up and rubbing his eyes while the boy fell out of his seat and onto the floor. With a groan and a yawn he picked himself up and got back into his seat as he and his uncle rubbed their eyes, stretched their, arms over their head, and cracked their necks in unison.

Soon they stood and grabbed their belongings from the overhang and making their way off the train. They walked side by side, the man towering over the young boy, wearing a sleeveless red shirt that showed off hair but muscular forearms. The man yanked up his trousers to cover up his rather rotund stomach, but ignored the strange looks he and his nephew received from the other pedestrians who stared curiously at the odd balding man and boy dressed in green and wearing what look like a nightcap.

Together the pair looked around for a directory, eventually finding one posted up on a board. It showed not only the train station but the roads leading to the various small towns in the area. After a bit of searching they found the town they needed to go and made their way toward the station's exit. The walked the road, spying their destination in the distance. They had quite a bit of walking to do.

But they were used to this.

They reached their destination by nightfall, coming upon the small town of Kariko village. The man led the way, pushing open the door of what they believed to be the local tavern and inn.

"Hello, anyone there?" the man barked out loudly as he entered. He was met with the curious stares of several the town's inhabitants who were wondering who this stranger was. The man ignored the as he looked to the man standing behind a bar. He smiled warmly as he strolled up to the bar with his nephew in tow.

"Hello there good sir. Me and my nephews here be humble travelers looking for a place to stay and maybe some warm food. I was hoping you'd be able to accommodate us," the man asked politely.

The tavern owner paused, cup in hand. But with a smile he set it down to greet his guests. "I see no reason to deny your request gentleman. As long as you have the coin to pay you're more than welcome to stay here."

The man let out a hearty laugh, belly jostling with mirth as he slapped a hand down on the table jovially. "Well then, let me get a pint, and some milk for the boy," he requested as he set a blue rupee down on the counter. The tavern keeper smiled as he took the rupee and filled a mug from the tap. The man took a seat, setting his belongings down under his stool as his nephew took a seat beside him.

The tavern owner hand the boy a glass bottle of milk, which the boy accepted with a smile as he uncorked it. In unison he and his uncle brought their drinks to their lips and threw their heads back, quickly and steadily chugging down their drinks. They finished at practically the same before they slapped the empty container down onto the countertop with a refreshed sigh.

"Whew. Now that hit the spot," the man said with a small belch. With a chuckle the tavern owner offered them some food, they accepted, eventually dinning on an order of cucco and enjoying the warmth of the tavern.

After their meal the man reached down into his bag before pulling out a folded up parchment. He opened it up, smoothing the wrinkles as he revealed a map. A rather old, but still mostly legible map. He placed a finger down onto it as he trailed over it's surface. Eventually finding their location on the map.

His nephew leaned in to get a look, studying the map and noting their location on it. He reached a small hand out, pointing to their intended destination and reason they'd come to the village in the first place.

"This is where we're going. Right uncle?" the boy asked as he tapped the image of a building a short distance away from the town.

"Aye lad. Aye."

The tavern owner, having overheard them and become curious walked to stand across from them, glancing at the map. "Looking for anything in particular gentleman?"

"Oh aye. Me and my nephew came looking for some sacredy, forest...place whats it," the man explained casually as he kept his eyes on the map.

His nephew chuckled at his side. "It's a temple uncle."

"Hush lad, that's what is said," the man dismissed as he gave his nephew a small bump.

"The Forest Temple? Why would you want to go there?" the tavern owner asked curiously.

At his question the man smiled wide. He and his nephew sprang from their seat. The man placed a leg up on the stool and struck a grand pose, arm raised and finger pointing to the sky. His nephew mimicked him, standing on the stool and placed a leg up on the counter.

"Why for the adventure of course," the man said grandly. He placed his hands at his hips proudly, his nephew mimicking his every move down to his facial expressions. "Me and me nephew here are what we like to call, adventures for hire," the man explained.

"Adventures for hire?" the tavern owner asked in confusion.

"That's what I said wasn't it?" the man asked in slight annoyance. He shook it, puffing out his chest in pride. "We'll explore the most ancient of dungeons, fight the most fearsome of monsters, and seek out the most sought after of treasures, all for the right price of course," the man added.

"And it just so happens that the very Princess of Hyrule 'erself has requested our service. Asking that we traverse this forgotten temple in search of a legendary artifact," he explained, eyes closed as he placed a finger under his chin, holding his pose and drawn the attention of everyone in the building.

"And what would that be?" the owner asked.

The man chuckled, he and his nephew's' eyes opening to let the man see the fire in their eyes. The man leaned in, beckoning the tavern owner closer. The owner leaned in, curious as to what these strangers had come searching for in the outskirts of their town.

The man licked his lips, taking in a small breath. "That's a secret," he whispered, popping the anxiousness of the tavern owner.

"Well goodnight," the man said suddenly. With that he and his nephew stepped down and grabbed their things. They made their way to the stairs, climbing up without being led. The tavern owner watched in bewilderment as they simply showed themselves to a room.

The people downstairs stared after them, eventually hearing a door being slammed open followed by a feminine scream.

"Oh! Sorry Miss!"

"AH! Curse this bloody map!" the man growled as he and his nephew made their way through the forest in search of the temple dwelling somewhere within. The man turned the map this way and that, trying to get a read on their direction and destination.

"You're holding it upside down uncle," his nephew chuckled in behind him.

The man glanced back before taking another look. With a some fiddling, he realized his nephew had been right. "Ah, there we go. I knew I'd get it," the man said to himself with a smirk. His nephew chuckled from behind as they continued on.

The young boy glanced around at the green of the forest around them, hearing the distant sounds of animals. He took in a whiff of air, smiling at the smell of the grass and trees all around. He kept his eyes out, hoping to see the rare sight that was a fairy. His uncle had told him about them, saying he'd seen them in his youth and that they were a magical, indescribable sight.

"Bah! Where is this bloody oof-" the man was promptly cut off as he walked face first in a stone wall. The man recovered, taking a step back before craning his head up to see they'd come to their destination. They gazed up and the giant stone structure covered in vines and moss.

"We found it uncle!" the boy cried excitedly.

"Course we did lad. There ain't nothing the great adventurer Ein cannot find," the man said proudly.

They circled the temple, eventually coming to it's entrance. They stood before the main entrance, a large stone door with the mark of the royal family of Hyrule engraved onto it. Ein began running his hands along the door, looking for a hidden switch or lever to open the door. The boy did the same, crawling along the grounds on hands and knees as he searched for a hidden tile of stone.

After a few minutes of turning up nothing the boy stood up. He frowned as he stood before the door. "Uncle?" he called back. His uncle grunted in acknowledgment. "What exactly are we looking for again?"

"Some ancient treasure of sumthin'," the man replied. With a breath he stood up. He dug through his pack before pulling out a parchment. "Dear great adventure Ein. The royal family...blah...blah...blah...asks you confirm the location of the ancient and legendary treasure hidden within the Forest Temple on the outskirts of Kariko village," he summarized.

"Something they call...the Mister Sword?"

"Mister Sword?" the boy asked with a chortle.

"Hang on. Ah, Master Sword," he corrected. "Anyway. They just want us to confirm that the thing is in there or not. We get paid either way."

"Why do you think they want it?"

"Can't say for sure lad. But they asked that we complete our task as quickly as possible. I assume that means that want it something fierce," Ein said with a shrug. Ein shrugged. Rubbing his bearded chin in thought. "I'm going to circle around, see if I can't find some kind of switch or another way in." Ein went to his bag before bending over and rummaging around his pack. He pulled out a small sheathed sword before tossing it to his nephew.

His nephew caught it before nodding in acceptance. With his own sword at his hip Ein gave his nephew a nod as he began circling around the temple. Soon he rounded the corner and was out of sight. The boy sat down with a sigh, sword in his hands. He leaned back and stared up at the sky, smiling at the beautiful blue sky and fluffy white clouds. He laid back, placing his hands behind his head and daydreaming as he awaited his uncle's return.

Eventually a few minutes passed and he began to grow bored. With a breath he sat up and reached for his own pack. He grabbed it and began to dig through it before pulling out his favorite object. He leapt up, holding it high. "Duh! Duh! Duh! Duhhhhh!" he proclaimed loudly as he held his a slingshot in hand.

He reached into the bag once more before pulling out a small sack of Deku Nuts. He loaded one onto the slingshot before looking around for something to shoot at. Eventually he picked the center of the royal family crest on the door. Taking aim and pulling back until the heard the band stretch he let the nut fly, hitting in between the three triangles dead center. He pumped his fist and cheered himself on before looking for another target.

He glanced around, eventually his attention was drawn upward as he noticed a something shining and yellow atop the temple. It looked to be the royal crest, carved from some kind of yellow stone or perhaps even gold. He stared at it for a few moments before smiling at the challenge. He loaded another nut before directing his aim upward. He pulled back a little more to give some extra distance. He narrowed his eyes and stuck his tongue out as he concentrated.

Then with a small breath he let the nut fly. He watched as it flew upward and hit the top most triangle. He pumped his fist in cheer and self praise before he suddenly noticed how the stone began to shine. He blocked his eyes from the golden light before he noticed that the crest on the door began to glow as well. All three triangles had lit up, glowing and shining, and almost beckoning him closer.

The boy, entranced, took a step forward. Then another. Then another before he was right before the door. The triangle retained their shimmering shine as the boy raised a hand up. He reached out his left hand, slowly reaching for the stone door. But as soon as his fingers touched the stone he yelped and jerked his hands back as he felt a sharp stinging spark.

He waggled his finger around before with a great rumbling the door began to rise. The boy gasped as the door raised itself up and up, stone grinding against stone as whatever ancient mechanisms opened up the way for him. The boy stared in amazement down a darkened hallway, a slight breeze flowing outward and tousling his hair. Curious, he took a step inside. And then another. It remained dark. Dark, dank, and dusty. No one had obviously come here in years.

He wondered how he and his uncle were going to navigate in complete darkness when suddenly the hallway began lighting up. He gasped and watched as torched along the walls just suddenly began lighting, he gazed as they torched on both sides lit up further down the hall. With the light he took another look around, taking note of the intricate carvings along the walls.

He walked a few more steps in and paused, taking not a strange feeling. Almost like something was calling him deeper into the temple. He could've sworn he...felt something. Something familiar and old. His right hand began to twitch and his fingers curled subconsciously, as if remembering something that should have been there.

The boy blinked, suddenly realizing he'd walked farther into the temple then he realized. He was about to turn around when a sound froze him in his tracks. He whirled around to see the door closing on him. Panic set in as he dashed toward the entrance.

As he was running his uncle came into view. He saw his uncle examining his abandoned pack curiously. He called out to him, causing the man to look toward the entrance. His uncle shouted in alarm as he dashed toward the fast closing door. But before one could safely get out and the other make it in the door closed, separating them both.

The man beat on the door, pounding heavy fists against it in vain. "Oh no, no, no,no, NO!" he cried. "Please, don't let me lose him too," he said as tears came into his eyes. The boy was all he had left. It was his duty to protect him. He was more than his nephew. He was practically his son.

The man whispered a prayer to the goddesses, begging them to protect the boy.

The man swallowed as he looked up at the door. "Have courage boy. For I know if anyone can find their way out it's you," he whispered, hoping his beloved nephew could hear him and find strength in his words.

"Good luck Link."

decided to try my hand at something other than the usual Rotbtd stories. Hopefully I can make a good legend of Zelda story.

also if anyone wants to suggest what items link should get or want to maybe submit an idea for something totally new, I'm open to suggestions.