A/N: Hi everybody! Since I have been making you all wait so long (my apologies for that by the way) I decided to put up the prologue and the first chapter of the Demon Sword as a thank you for all your patience with me. Think of it not exactly as a teaser but rather more of a promise that I have not forgotten it and the book will be out. School is finally finished and so I can now finally start writing again. I plan to start posting the chapters to this in earnest at the beginning of October at the latest. I apologize for the practical year of silence, life and school hit me kinda hard and rudely ate up my leisure time. So, thanks again for your patience. I hope you enjoy this little sneak peak. The rest will be coming soon. As you can probably tell by the summary, and in the spirit of many a Zelda game, this book will have its fair share of time play in it. This is something I've never tried to write before but I've been having fun playing with the idea and its possible implications and I hope it turns out and is as exciting to read as it has been to storyboard for and write for so far.
Side Note: Also, for those who don't know, this book will soon be a sequel to The Empress and The Shard of Twilight, but please, dear reader, don't be deterred by that if you have not read the other two. This novel could easily be read as a standalone. Anything alluded to in my previous books as well as related themes or characters will be explained. So you should be able to jump right into the adventure with minimal to no confusion.
Disclaimer: I own nothing; not the Legend of Zelda, not its characters, nor its story line, not the computer I'm typing on, my pencil, or even the recycled newspaper clippings I managed to salvage to use a notepaper. The only things that belong to me are the ideas in my head and perhaps my pants. All I do is write for writing's sake, so all credits to the original writers/creators/owners.
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The Demon Sword
~x~X~x~
Full Summary: Hyrule has entered a tentative peace and Zelda has come of age. The stress of an upcoming coronation is added to the already existent strain of keeping the peace, forging and maintaining alliances, and mending tensions within the kingdom. To add to that, a queen is expected to wed. Zelda finds herself torn between her own desires and what tradition dictates to be prudent. Meanwhile Link finds himself investigating some strange happenings inside the kingdom with potentially deadly implications. However everything could change when an event of the distant past sets in motion a chain of events that sends the past colliding headlong with the present. Peace, after all, is never a guarantee and it certainly cannot last forever. (post TP)
"This was to have been his moment, his victory. It was a contest he had not been able to afford to lose. He began to regret his ill uttered words of confidence. He had stood proudly, only moments before, thinking his skill enough to claim victory.
He lay now in utter ruin, humiliation stinging nearly as much as his wounds, while the crowds chanted the name of another. That sound penetrated his consciousness as slowly and painfully as the realization that he had lost more here than he could ever have possibly imagined."
Prologue: Echoes of the Past
~The Knight School, Skyloft, Sky Era, Middle of the Second Age~
Link made a face as he dug his spoon into the warm pumpkin soup that sat steaming before him on the table. He couldn't help but grimace as he brought the spoon slowly to his mouth. He tried to swallow it quickly but he was not fast enough. He desperately tried to forestall the gag reflex whilst resisting the urge to stick out his tongue in disgust.
He hated pumpkin soup. Perhaps, he thought to himself idly, perhaps he should have tried to become a cook's apprentice instead of setting his heart on knight's school. At least then he might actually have something semi-palatable to eat for dinner.
He looked down at the watery orange colored mush before him and wondered, rather un-seriously, if it was not yet too late to switch occupations. Unfortunately for him, it was pumpkin season and that meant lots of the school's cook, Mrs. Henya's, pumpkin inventions. Culinary terrors rather, he thought with a frown. In his opinion, the only thing pumpkins were fit for was pie and the only thing that his soup was fit for was the slop heap- not that he would ever tell Mrs. Henya that.
He glanced around the mess hall, trying to judge if anyone else found the meal as lacking as he did. He was the odd one out again he realized as he glimpsed the faces of his fellow students. The clattering of silverware and plates and the familiar hum of conversation met his ears. This sad meal would be the only one he would get, so he forced himself to eat it, shuddering as he did so.
Whist he was on the subject of complaining, he wished idly that the mess hall did not have assigned seats because he was put in the precarious spot of sitting next to the school's most popular and ruthless bully who, unfortunately, had it out for him. He wished he could sit next to Fledge- the only boy his age who paid him any friendship and who was as unpopular and odd as he was if not more so. Or, better yet, with his best friend on the girls' side of the room.
"Oops," came the grating sound of his nemesis's voice cutting through his thoughts.
Link gasped as the contents of his half finished bowl of soup spattered all over his novice uniform.
"Oh my, I am so sorry," the school bully Groose mocked.
Link felt his face darken with indignation. He almost started to rise before he slumped back down. Petty retaliation was not the knight's way. Also, the sight of Groose's several minions standing to his enemy's side made him quell his first inclination to retaliate even further. The last time he had tried to stand up to Groose, when his gang had been around, had ended badly for him. It was not that he tried to hit or fight back because it was against the Knight's code of honor to physically hurt his own classmate, outside of training spars and formal duels. But he had discovered that day that an attempt at courteous reasoning words had little effect on a bully. Groose did not seem to pay much attention to the oath he made to follow the knight's code.
At least Groose had saved him the problem of having to eat the soup himself, he thought now, silently debating whether or not he could trust his tongue to make a civil reply.
Groose was no more than a freshman like himself and yet he obviously thought that he was something more. This was probably because he was twice as tall and muscular as everyone else. The upperclassmen either never noticed or hardly saw it fit or worthwhile to intervene. So, unless Groose was caught by the teachers, he bullied freely, his actions unchecked.
It was then that the cook tottered out of her kitchen to see how her latest pumpkin invention had gone over. Her sharp hawk eyed gaze settled on him and the mess.
"Honestly Link, you are one of the most clumsy knights I have ever had the displeasure of feeding. As soon as the supper bell rings I expect you to clean this mess up. The next time you try this blatant waste of food you will be scrubbing the entire kitchen."
The whole mess hall became silent, all of the students' attention drawn to the creaky voice of the cook. Link felt his cheeks burn with humiliation. Groose and his lack-wit minions snickered. The furious cook refilled his bowl to the brim.
She sighed, shaking her head in resignation, "I can't stand to let one of my students go hungry," she added in a softer tone, "and I expect you to eat it all," she added menacingly.
Link stared miserably at the extra portion. To make matters even worse, drill master Crowald would give him extra work and training detail if he did not find a way to get the stain out of his uniform before tomorrow at his drill practice on the parade grounds. He looked up to see the cook hovering over him with a vulture's fixity of purpose, resembling nothing more than a furious witch with her curving nose and flyaway white hair. It appeared that she was going to stay and watch him enjoy her handiwork. Link lifted his spoon at ate, trying his hardest not to make a face.
He left the mess hall five minutes after everyone else, having cleaned Groose's mess under the cook's watchful eyes. He had worked quickly because he wanted to have at least a bit of free time before curfew. He was surprised to see Fledge standing outside the doors to the kitchen near several barrels of supplies.
"Mrs. Henya hired me to move the supplies to the kitchen," he explained answering Link's unspoken question. Fledge's face was red with exertion and he looked towards Link expectantly. "You don't suppose you could help me?" he finished pleadingly.
Link tilted his head curiously to the side. Surely Fledge had the strength to lift a barrel. After all, they were only sixty pounds, and they had been training as knights for the better part of their short lives. But, admittedly, Fledge did not have a reputation for strength.
"I'll give you a half of my pay," Fledge wheedled.
"You've got yourself a deal," Link smiled, lifting one of the large barrels with a grunt and taking it to the kitchens.
"Sorry about what happened with Groose tonight," Fledge managed to gasp as he tried to drag his barrel after him. "Oh and earlier today when he stole your lunch."
"Is it bad to hope that it gave him indigestion?" Link asked innocently as he set down the barrel.
Fledge chuckled, "that's not very chivalrous Link."
"True, but neither is Groose. I did not much care for the look in his eyes and that smile he gave me after supper. I think he is planning something."
"He is always planning something nasty," Fledge pointed out.
"Yes but I think it is going to be something particularly devious, especially since the ceremony is tomorrow," he said thoughtfully, a slight frown marking his features.
"I think it's because he is jealous," Fledge told him softly, "jealous of you and jealous that you have the affection of his dream girl."
Link blushed slightly then smiled at the thought of Zelda and her beautiful baby-blue eyes, her sweet manner, and the friendship they had shared since childhood.
"Did you know he has drawn a picture of my face and has sewn it onto his punching bag?" Link divulged.
Fledge paled visibly, "I hope I am not next. In my opinion I have suffered enough at the hands of Groose,"
"I suppose I should be glad he is hitting the picture and not the actual thing this time," Link said hopefully.
By the time he had finished helping Fledge move the barrels and finished getting all the pumpkin soup out of his uniform, he knew he would not have any extra free time this night. Disappointed, he headed to his room on the men's side of the dormitory. He made it just in time for the lights out signal. All his free time was over—and the rules clearly stated that no one should be out past lights out. But, for once, that did not deter him. He had promised to meet Zelda earlier that day and he intended to keep it. Hoping he was not too late he headed to his window. His room was on ground floor so, after making sure the coast was clear, he slipped out of his window. Alert for any night watchman on patrol, he headed around to the front of the building to the side. He leaped onto a crate, did a short wall run, grabbed on to the ledge roof and hoisted himself up. This was the spot Zelda had told him to meet her at. Not seeing her, he sat on the edge of the roof and looked out at the stars.
"There you are," a soft voice said from behind him.
He turned to see Zelda, the headmaster's daughter, his best friend since childhood. She tossed her head and the moonlight glimmered of her flowing blond tresses. She was beautiful, he thought as she sat next to him. He smiled almost foolishly at her.
"You promised you'd meet me after dinner, where were you? I was worried that you had forgotten."
"Groose got me with one of his bulling pranks. I had to wash my uniform before the drill master saw it. Groose was always... well Groose, but he seems to have it in for me even more than usual," he said sadly.
"It is probably because the Knight Ceremony is tomorrow. You and he are tied for first in every class except for swordplay, which you hold the title, and areal skill on a loftwing which he holds the title. If you try really hard, you can be the one who wins. You can graduate to the level of senior before anyone else. Don't let Goose bother you, you know you're the better man. Maybe if you actually practiced with your loftwing you could jump ahead of him. After all, airmanship is one of the most important skills of a sky knight. You were the first to master riding after all. I am sure if you practiced you could actually win."
He smiled at her. "If it means that much to you, I will try my best to win."
A moment of silence passed between them. Link looked at the clear sky above and then down at the clouds that blocked the view of the fabled land below their island in the sky. As he looked towards the dense cloud cover, he spoke.
"Do you know the feeling like you want to be a part of something, to explore, to travel where people have only dreamed of going, to see new places, do something important?"
She looked at him deeply, cautiously—and yet almost hopefully. Then she actually nodded.
"I don't have it." He finished simply.
"Link," she said darkly nudging him playfully. "Promise you will meet me early tomorrow morning," she urged suddenly, "please."
"Why," he asked curiously.
"Just promise," she insisted.
"Alright, I promise."
Link's eyes flashed open. He had never dreamed of his own past before, perhaps it was because this was the anniversary of that night; the night before the day when everything he had ever known had changed forever. He shook his head at the memory. Life as a youth at the knight's school had been rather trying. He had won the competition and had graduated to the rank of knight but he had little enough time to savor being move up to the senior class because he had been sucked into an adventure below the cloud cover of Skyloft to the fabled surface. It had all been in an attempt to save his friend which led to saving the entire surface as well as Skyloft.
He had been granted the highest rank of knight when he came back and he still held the title of Knight of Skyloft, some even referred to him as the Hero of Sky. For a short period of time, he had born all three pieces of the triforce and the experience of this and his adventure had changed both him and his perceptions of the world slightly.
He and Groose, as unlikely as it seemed, had even forged themselves a friendship, fighting together to save their homeland and the woman that they both loved. Groose still had a knack for annoying him, but now they held a certain understanding and respect for each other. If one looked at them now it would be hard to tell that they had once been enemies.
Zelda had given him her harp as a token of her love and he carried it with him always. The thought of her brought a longing smile on his lips. She had first given it to him out of necessity, during his adventure but when he had tried to give it back, she had insisted that he keep it. On his adventure, he had supported himself with it by becoming a sort of traveling bard. The job still suited him well and often. Even now it was his occupation of choice. He was offered meals and a roof over his head in exchange for leys songs and tales. A life on the road was full of adventure and, in the wake of the massive adventure that had changed his life, he found he rather liked it now. Even though he had started out as one a bit opposed to wandering, a life on the road suited him well, especially since the people of Skyloft were beginning to colonize the surface. Zelda had dreams to build a kingdom and he had been helping but, for need of a break, he had gone traveling for a time.
He took the harp from where he had laid it aside, by the edge of his bed, and caressed the strings, strumming a small melody. He had been welcomed at the knight school and had been given an empty dorm room. It had become a sort of tradition for him to come to the school this time every year, to help instruct the cadets about the surface. This was because—of all the people aside from Zelda—he was most familiar with its intricacies. He stopped his light strumming when he heard a frenzied knock at the door.
He hastily rose and flung door open. On the threshold, stood Groose and Pipit, another old friend from when he had been enrolled in the knight school.
Groose jumped back with a suppressed yelp, "I am never going to get used to how tall you got."
Link pursed his lips, "surely you did not pound on my door in the middle of the night to tell me that."
"Of course he didn't," Pipit interrupted, shooting Groose a dark glance. "Link, get your gear and meet us at the edge of Skyloft- hurry."
The urgency in Pipit's dark eyes, made Link shift into action. Hurrying back to his bedside, he grabbed his cloak, bucked his sword at his side and slung his harp and shield over his shoulder. He made sure his gauntlets were securely fastened as he ran out of the school at a rapid jog. The school sentries let him pass without comment which was good because he had no idea what he would have told them if they had asked.
In less than a minute, he reached the edge of Skyloft where Groose and Pipit stood waiting. Groose, with his muscular frame, flaming red hair, and brightly colored clothing, was hard to miss even in the darkness of night. He contrasted drastically with Link's own unobtrusive tunic of grey and green. The only decoration on it was the knights' symbol of a loftwing embroidered artistically in front of the bardic symbol of a stylized tree. He had long since grown out of his first knight uniform and Zelda had made him this one. The handsome dark-haired Pipit was dressed as inconspicuously as he in a dark colored knight's tunic.
"Tell me, what is the problem?" Link asked, tossing his dark golden hair out of his eyes
"You will need to call your loftwing," Pipit said, casting a glance around him, "something urgent has come up. I will explain on the way. "
With that, he and Groose leaped off the edge of the island in the sky and whistled for their birds. Link trusted Pipit and Groose implicitly and followed suit. He was soon hurtling spread-eagle towards the surface far below. As he fell, he brought his fingers to his lips in a piercing whistle. At the sound of his call, his crimson loftwing came streaking through the air to catch him on its feathered back. Link griped the giant bird's sides with his knees and twined his fingers around the leather circlet around its neck, which served as a hand hold and reigns. He murmured to his bird softly as its powerful wings flapped upwards and glided them forward, supported by an invisible air current.
"Come on," he whispered, stroking the bird's soft crimson plumage, "let's see what is so important that we must be roused in the middle of the night."
His losftwing easily caught up with the two riders ahead of them. The only sound was the light rushing of the wind as it passed and the riders glided through what seemed to be a world of starlight.
"Took you longer than usual to catch up, Snippit."
"Groose, I am twenty seven years old, are the degrading nicknames really still necessary?"
Groose was silent for a moment before he replied, "you are still as lanky as you were ten years ago, so yes, it is necessary, Twiglet."
Pipit snorted in impatient disapproval, it was obvious he had something highly important on his mind.
"Explain the problem to me," Link said turning to Pipit.
"This might be the biggest crises since the catastrophe ten years ago. Lady Zelda sent me to find you." Pipit said as he urged his bird to a faster pace.
"What has happened?"
"The Demon Sword has been found."
Link felt his face pale and for the first time he fully understood his friend's urgency.
"Are you positive?" he asked his voice barely above whisper.
The look in Groose and Pipit's eyes gave him all the assurance he could ever want. Gritting his teeth, he leaned forward over his bird's muscular feathered back to make himself more streamlined as he urged his loftwing to greater speeds.
Highwaymen
~Upper Faron Woods, Era of Twilight, Beginning of the Third Age~
~x~X~x~
Link stood motionless against the thick trunk of a rowan tree. He watched silently as the bandits swarmed out of the surrounding woods to encircle their target: a merchant's wagon. Screened by the brush and shadows of the tree, Link remained unseen by both the merchants and the bandits. Though, that fact was not surprising. He was an adept woodsman and could remain unseen if he chose.
He watched as the leader of the brigands drew his black horse alongside the cart, forcing the driver to stop. Link felt a frown grow across his features as he caught sight of the man, studying him carefully, and then shaking his head. It appeared that all the time he had spent carefully gathering intelligence had gotten him no closer to finding the snake that he really wanted—the one truly behind these highwaymen and their string of robberies.
This group here was as small as the three others he had put a stop to; and their leader had the look of a lackey or lieutenant rather than actual commander. The vague bits of information that he had managed to get about the bandit's high leader, painted a picture of a charismatic, arrogant, and highly intelligent man with a taste for high dress. No, he decided as he looked at the bandit before him. This leader was as unkempt and roughly dressed as his small band of followers. Logic as well as his senses told him that this man was not the one that he was really after.
As a member of the Princess's Vanguard, it was Link's duty to seek out threats, both from within and without the kingdom and stop them before they became a problem. The Vanguard was an élite but small group of knights headed by the group formally known as The Resistance. It was a scouting corps that Princess Zelda had created about two years after the Twilight War and the two conflicts that had followed. She had believed that having a group whose sole purpose was to seek and destroy danger before it grew, could be the key to preventing wars and conflicts like that in the future.
It was the Vanguard's duty to act as watchmen but also to protect the people, the provinces and towns, and kingdom itself if it came to it. They also had responsibility to take action on behalf of, and enforce, the laws of Hyrule. They were answerable only to the Princess Zelda herself.
Link's frown deepened as his focus came back to the highwaymen. Though this small band's leader was not the actual head of the crime family that was trying to use Hyrule to grow and flourish, he still had to be stopped. That was a thought that only compounded itself when the merchant and, who Link assumed to be the merchant's wife, cried out in terror as the bandits forced them from their wagon of goods at knife point.
The woman screamed again, in pain this time, as she was roughly shoved against the wagon while the rest of the bandits helped themselves to their belongings. Deciding that this had gone on far enough, Link pressed forwards. He stepped boldly onto the path with his sword drawn, his characteristic hat fluttering slightly in the light breeze around him.
"Vanguard! I think it would be wise if you laid down your arms."
That word had already begun to ingrain fear and command the respect of many a lawbreaker throughout the kingdom over the past year. The highwaymen froze instantly. Their reasons behind their actions rooted both at the sound of the hated and feared cry, and at Link's stealthy and sudden appearance.
It seemed to them as if the princess had used her magic to warp him there just to stop them—an idea that was not too unfounded. All of this heightened a terror that was only compounded when they saw his face. There were several members of the Vanguard who acted in Zelda's name: Ahsei, Auru, and Rusl. But the most feared of all of them was Link. His name was legendary throughout Hyrule. It was a legend that started the day he had begun to fight to save the kingdom from Twilight and defeated the warlord Ganondorf in one on one combat. His many escapades in the few years that had followed had only increased his fame.
Though that was a fact that he usually didn't care to dwell on in normal circumstances, he saw no problem exploiting it when it came down to stopping threats. If he could stop enemies without a fight, then it reduced the chances of innocence getting caught in the crossfire.
At his call and appearance, the majority of the bandits moved away from the cart after only a brief show of indecision. All of them lowered their weapons, aside from one man who was either more brave, or more foolish than the others. Link's eyes instantly picked him out from the group. The man leveled his bow and fired at Link in one fluid motion.
Link reacted instinctively in an instant, leaping to the side in a roll whilst drawing his dagger with his free right hand. He leaped to his feet and deftly threw the blade. His aim was good and he pinned the man to the tree behind him by a lapel of his jerkin. He rapidly closed the distance between them. Reversing his grip on his sword, he blocked the bandit's wild hit and swung the pummel of his blade down hard into the man's head. The brash brigand slumped unconscious to the ground as Link reclaimed his dagger.
During that brief altercation, the leader of the highwaymen took his chance, remounted his skittish nag and galloped away at top speed. Link saw the motion out of the corner of his eye and a wry smile began to tug at the corners of his mouth.
The rest of the highwaymen, however, did not seem eager to try and fight him after witnessing the archer's swift demise. Link kicked away all their weapons and set about trying the five of them together, securely. He turned to the merchant. The man seemed to have finally recovered himself from his fright enough to have retrieved his crossbow.
"Do you think that you would be able to watch these lovely people?" Link asked, his tone on the last two words carrying more than a trace of sarcasm.
The merchant's back straightened with resolve and he gave Link a rather clumsily executed hylian salute as he nodded.
"Aye, I could do that! I'm right thankful for what you've done sir." The man pointed his crossbow at the captured men. "But, eh, what will you be doing then?" he asked unsurely.
Link smiled at him, "I do still have their leader to catch."
He pulled a horse shoe shaped whistle or flute from his tunic front. In response to the beautiful short melody that echoed forth from it, a powerful roan horse burst forth from the tree-line. Link vaulted onto her back before she even came to a stop and was soon past the merchant, his wife, and the subdued bandits.
The sun was at the low angle of early morning and so accented the shadows, making it easier to see any uneven patches or furrows in the road...or the marks of a horse's hoofs. The ground was also slightly moist from morning dew. All these factors made it so that it was easy for Link to see the highwayman's trail without checking his horse's fast lope.
He broke free of the woods at their north-most point, in a place that was about two miles of open plains from the canyons of Kakariko. As he left the cover of the trees, he could see the dull black steed of the highwayman heading straight for the gap in the canyons. Link turned his horse sharply to follow.
The bandit's horse was in rather poor condition and was already beginning to show signs of slowing unlike Link's own horse Epona. He leaned forward and spoke to his steed as he would to a lifelong friend—and they were. They had been through much together, saved each other's lives numerous times, and knew each other's minds.
"Help me catch that bandit and I might remember where I put that sugar I bought for you a couple days ago," he told her glibly.
Epona snorted as she continued to canter, almost as if she had understood him word for word. Perhaps she had.
He did not give her head but kept her checked in that gentle but at the same time ground eating lope. The highwayman was letting his horse extend itself too early in the chase. It would be worn thin soon, probably in about three miles. Whereas, is he kept to this pace he could go steadily for about fifteen miles without tiring Epona.
Presently, he entered the rock gorge of Kakariko. He passed through the village nestled on either side of the walls. A young Goron he passed along the way even pointed forwards, recognizing a chase when he saw it.
"He took the main path to Hyrule field, brother! Only about a minute passed."
Link waved a hand at the young one. He could see by the tracks that the Goron was right about the direction. He decided to make a gamble and assume that the young one was right about the elapsed time as well—it did fit with his own estimations. He knew that the bandits nag was probably tired out by now as well. He judged speed, distance, and timing mentally as he flew out of the town and cast his dice. He gave Epona her head.
He felt her powerful stride lengthen beneath him into a full gallop. The world around him began to fly by. Soon, he caught sight of the bandit in front of him as he wove through the winding canyon road. The unkempt man heard him coming and kicked his boots roughly into his horse's sides. The animal tried to obey but was totally spent. Link was closing the gap. The bandit was nearing the end of the ravine path. Link felt a smirk of a smile begin to grow on his face as he saw that his mental calculation of speed and distance had been near perfect.
As he thundered towards the end of the canyon, he began steering his horse slightly to the right. Up ahead of him, he knew that the right side of the canyon had an outcropping of rock that stuck forth from the cliff-like walls at a low angle. The ledge then rose gently upwards like a rough uneven sandstone road, twisting into the rock.
He steered Epona towards the outcropping as it came into sight. He judged the moment and made a popping sound with his mouth. She responded instantly, gathering herself and then leaping atop it, galloping upwards and to the right. The bandit continued to follow the main road. That meant, Link knew, that the bandit would have to turn a sharp ninety degree angle in order to head towards the field as soon as he left the canyons. His path would be like that of two sides of a square. Link's current path would almost be akin to drawing the third line of a triangle in order to cut him off.
Just as he anticipated, the highwayman turned sharply to the right. Link continued forwards along the ridgeline. The ground leveled suddenly before him and then continued outward like a low promontory, sticking out a bit further than the sharp cliff like end of the rest of the canyon.
The edge of the promontory flew closer and closer to him and he reached a hand into the pouch at his side, his fingers closing around something. The end of his road loomed up before him and he felt Epona gather herself again. Then she leapt. It was a mighty leap that carried her far out into the air. She reached the peak of her forward jump and then began descending toward the ground of the field, straight over the head of the startled bandit.
A smile of exhilaration and success etched its way across Link's face as he felt momentarily weightless. Mid-flight, he swiveled in the saddle, took aim, and threw his wind boomerang with a well practiced motion. Epona landed as softly as her weight permitted. A gentle pressure with his free hand on the reigns tuned her to the side just in time to catch his boomerang as it rebounded. There came the clear sound of a thud as the highwayman fell from his horse unconscious.
The black nag continued forwards for a few more strides but, when it realized that there was no longer anyone urging it forwards, it stopped, bending its head to crop some of the sparse grass that grew amidst the reddish sand.
Link dismounted and went to the fallen man's side. The bandit was already starting to stir. A lump was already beginning to grace the top of his head from where the boomerang had struck. Link wasted no time removing the man's weapons from reach and then began to tie him securely. As he bound the other's wrists, he could not help but notice what appeared to be a blue starburst tattooed into the man's skin just above the palm of his hand. The supreme leader he might not be, but that tattoo told Link that he was for sure apart of the gang he was after—a minor lieutenant like the other three he had already stopped.
While the man was still dazed, Link went to gather his black horse. He strained slightly as he hefted the limp bandit over the saddle sideways and secured him there. He then tied the black horse's lead reigns to Epona's saddle and mounted her. He turned her head back in the direction they had come—this time taking the main road.
"I'll find you that sugar as soon as we escort this esteemed citizen and his cronies to Hyrule Castle," he told Epona. "You were amazing back there."
She tossed her mane in a manner that almost seemed to say that she knew that already—silently telling him that she was always amazing.
"True enough, that," he chuckled.
It was about when he was halfway through Kakariko village—shortly after the young Goron from earlier had cheered Link's victory—that the bandit began to struggle, protest, and finally complain about how uncomfortable he was. Link turned to face the man, his features set in a false expression of puzzlement.
"Well that's just terrible, but it wasn't my fault that you were robbing merchants in the woods and even less my fault that you decided to play chase through the canyons; so, I don't know what you expect me to do about it."
Link shrugged and allowed the corners of his mouth to tilt upwards, "Besides, you won't have to worry about an uncomfortable ride for very long; because, once we reach the woods and catch up to your friends, you'll all be walking all the way to Hyrule Castle."
A/N: I hope you all enjoyed this little sneak peek! And I hope that the story, when it is finished will be well worth the wait. I've been styling my interpretation of TP Link loosely off of a yeoman of about the 13th century. He seems to be more of the woodsman/forester type to me, especially with his rural upbringing and nature-like wolf skills and senses, while I think that SS Link would be more like a medieval knight because of his upbringing. I got the inspiration for Zelda's Vanguard mostly from the name itself—the military term for the soldiers that go first into battle, the forerunners. (More of my dorky History Geek moments) Like I made Zelda think in TSoT, Hyrule needs some good watchmen and protectors. Its creation was also mildly inspired by the Scouting Legion from Attack on Titan, the Long Patrol from Redwall, the idea of what the Dragon Riders were supposed to be in Eragon, the Istari and Rangers of Lord of the Rings, the Rangers of Ranger's Apprentice, and The Knight's Watch from Game of Thrones. I think that Hyrule would really benefit from a system similar to any one of these, less chance of any nasties sneaking in unexpectedly *cough cough* Zant and Ganondorf in Tp.
A side note- I write merely for the joy in it, and am by no means a professional, I'm still learning. I try my best when it comes to editing and proofreading, but sometimes my best is rather less than perfect so I apologize in advance for any mistakes in that area. Don't hesitate to let me know if you find any and I will endeavor to fix them as quickly as possible. I really enjoy getting feedback and this does include constructive criticism. As I said, I'm learning and so welcome the chance to find out how to improve myself.
When it comes to the ages I mentioned in the headings, I am assuming that the Manga in Hyrule Hisotria is accurate and so am labeling the age of Hylia as The First Age. From the creation of Skyloft to era of The Hero of Sky and all the way to the era of The Hero of Time I am terming The Second Age, and I'm naming the era after The Hero of Time to be the Third Age (because The Hero of Time really marked a big break, what with the three timelines).
Question: Is anybody excited about the new Zelda game coming out? I've been super impressed with the huge world and really epic-looking graphics. Also ponytail Link looks pretty epic.