THE LEGEND OF
ZELDA
A HERO'S COURAGE
BOB LANGAN
-PROLOGUE-
There was a kingdom called Hyrule, a prosperous land blessed with green forests, rolling fields, and towering mountains. Hyrule was a land so vast that it was divided into four respective provinces. The Ordona and Faron Provinces of the south yielded great forests. The Eldin Province of the East gave way to the grand Death Mountain and the modest village that lay at its foot. The massive Lanayru Province contained not only the great Lake Hylia, but the very Castle of Hyrule itself. Finally, the Peak Province in the north gave way to the great unknowns of the frigid Northern Range of mountains. Throughout the ages, these factions of Hyrule had flourished as a whole.
The wise ones said that the reason for this was that Hyrule was a special land, a land blessed by the power of the Gods. Many yarns throughout the years had been spun to explain just what that vague explanation meant. The secrets behind this power appeared to be so great that some sages swore to keep them secret. Others embarked on quests to uncover those secrets in any way possible, even at the expense of Hyrule itself. Whether it be the great war of centuries past, or the more recent plague of the twilight, many of the dangers Hyrule faced was due to the very power it kept hidden, a power that could turn deadly in the wrong hands…
Yet there had always been those willing to defend the land, and according to legend it was the deeds of a lone boy that had kept Hyrule strong. A boy whose ancestors exposed the lord of darkness hundreds of years before, whose ancestors had saved the land from drought and corruption. It was a boy who had ended the schism between light and shadow, and prevented the rise of darkness. It was a boy that many dared to christen hero.
Dawn. The sun grazed the forests and valleys with its rays. Energized, life began another day. A figure emerged on horseback from the southern woods of Faron, darting north across the great fields. His horse never wavered, never slowed. The earth seemed to make room for his charge, the trees and shrubs swaying away, the creatures moving to the side of the road with what was almost respect. Such behavior was fitting for someone so beloved by Hyrule, someone that was considered a champion of the land, a savior.
He continued his speedy travel across the field and through a small valley. A wide wall grew over the horizon, the tops of buildings and a large castle behind it. Hyrule Castle Town was the heart of Hyrule, the throbbing center of commerce and communication. Hyrule Castle stood above it and from there Hyrule was governed. The castle was his destination.
He swiftly crossed a drawbridge and entered the thriving marketplace of the city. It was mid-morning, and people were already congesting the city square. Those who noticed his swift entrance looked at the horse, and noting the identity of its rider, greeted him with warmth and subservience.
"Hello, welcome back!" one townswoman said.
"Please, you must be exhausted from your journey, eat!" A merchant offered him food.
"I love you, please! Have my children!" A particularly passionate young woman called out.
He chuckled as he waved them off. They love me, he thought. He made his way up the steps at the north of the town square, crossing a great drawbridge. The guards nodded to him with honor.
Entering a great garden, the man disembarked from his horse. The grand castle of Hyrule towered above him. It's been too long, he thought. He looked around, anxious. Suddenly, what he was looking for appeared at the large entrance to the castle.
A beautiful young woman in a blue dress walked down the castle steps towards him. Her hair was bright as gold, her eyes as peaceful as the great seas of the east. She began to run towards him, her face full of delight. The man felt his own face show the same emotions.
"You're back!" Princess Zelda said, embracing him warmly.
He embraced her back. "I've missed you, Zelda. I'm sorry I didn't return sooner. It didn't go as I as well as I hoped."
Zelda pulled away, studying him. "Did you find what you were looking for?"
"No. It was another dead end," he lowered his head in resignation, "I'm beginning to think I never will, Zelda."
Zelda's face showed compassion. She ran her hands across the white tunic that covered the man's chest, placing them on the gray cape that concealed his shoulders. "You'll find it," she said, lifting one hand to stroke his long, ivory hair, "I'll help you. I promise."
The man's gray eyes brightened. "Zelda, I love you," he said.
"I love you too, Rome," Princess Zelda replied. And slowly, they kissed.