The Legend of Zelda: The Book of Zadrena
Disclaimer: I do not own Legend of Zelda or affiliated works. All copyrights are reserved by Nintendo. This is fan-made story and is not intended to represent Nintendo's works in any way, nor infringe on the IP other than being a project I wish to work on. As such, I will not garner profit from this nor accept donations for this story. Any resemblance to stories in progress by Nintendo or later related projects are purely coincidental.
Chapter One: The Festival of the Hero
"Are you not awake?!" The voice broke through the nightmare, clearing the darkness with a shining light. "Link, I've only been calling you for the past fifteen minutes! What are you doing?! Do you not remember the importance of today?!" an angry, older man's voice called, waking Link from a dreadful sleep. The young man bolted out of bed, but still appeared intensely groggy, eyes not wanting to lift themselves awake despite the disturbing nightmare that had plagued him, as it had several nights now, each night becoming more and more vivid. That black flame, swallowing up the light, threatening to consume the golden power that held this land together.
"Finally awake, eh? Why do I have to come into your house to wake you up? You're an adult, Link! I shouldn't have to come babysit you and remind you to do your chores or get up for your work!" the irate voice continued, jarring Link more and more awake as he realized he was in trouble, again. "The blacksmith is terribly unimpressed with your recent lack of attendance. You say that nightmares have been to blame, but no one has nightmares that frequently that interfere with your important work scheduling," the voice continued. Link finaly recognized it as his uncle's voice, a man in his sixties who was now a retired captain of the Hyrulian guard. As usual, he was far from pleased with Link's performance over the past week. Link could have come up with any excuse, said any reason, and it wouldn't have convinced his uncle. His uncle had become convinced that Link's inadequacies were the fault of his past foster care, and wouldn't let anything convince him otherwise.
Link turned his head and called down, "I will be down in a minute, uncle!"
"Make it less than a minute, if you please! Today's a very important day, if you would use your head to remember!" the old man said, stepping to Link's door and stepping out, slamming the door shut with such vigor that Link feared the hinges would break or lock in place.
Link lived in a small house with an attic turned bedroom, accessible via a wooden ladder. The old one broke, and the new one reflected Link's handiwork, sturdy and well-crafted. The bed, however, was of the design of his aunt, as well as the blankets and pillow. As Link came down his ladder, still dressed in his white linen sleeping clothes, he fought to remember what the day was. What was so important that his uncle and the smith had kept hammering into him?
No sooner did he remember than he began his race to get ready and out the door. He threw himself at his wardrobe, flinging open the doors with nearly the vigor of his uncle, and threw his clothes out onto the floor until he found the outfit he was searching for. Within a minute, just as his uncle had requested, he was out the door and flying down the road. He passed by his uncle, who watched him go with a heavy sigh, stamping his cane softly into the grass while his nephew bolted to the dirt road that led away from his house. "A slow mind and a lazy streak to boot. That boy's going to learn to snap that habit or he's going to go nowhere in life," the uncle mused, giving a weary sigh and closing Link's door, but not before sighing at the mess the young man had left on his floor.
Link had donned the garb required for this day, for it was the day that men dressed in green to celebrate the annual day of the Hero, the one who had liberated Hyrule in ages past. Link's outfit was extremely similar to the Hero than most, even including the green cap, which most men didn't bother trying to make or wear, most now thought of it as archaic and unnecessary. He cut a path down the dirt road, kicking dirt up behind him with each heavy fall of the leather boots he wore. He knew he was in deep trouble, as the smith had specifically requested that he come significantly earlier than usual. After all, the festivities of the day would take over and there would be no time for real business. He looked into the sky, and his heart sank. It was nearing ten o'clock in the day already.
It was in this fashion that Link found himself bolting down the lane as fast as his legs could carry him, wind rushing past him, somehow managing to not dislodge his hat from his head. He reached a white paved road and got on it, on foot, not even waiting for a carriage to take him to the castle town. It was just a half hour walk from his house, but he was going to set a brand new record for himself at the pace he was running. The castle town's walls loomed before him, the road paved in stone affording him the ease to keep a steady running pace as he made his way past groups of traveling farmhands, carriages pulled by horse, and even the trotting horses of the guard.
"Ho there, Link! Slow down for a moment!" one voice called, he ignored it, he was already late for his duties and didn't have time for idle chit-chat. A lady called, "Late again, eh? You'll never make it as a blacksmith at this rate!" Once again, in one ear and out the other. He hadn't the time for whatever anyone thought of him "shirking" his duties, he was on a mission to get there in time to help.
He was in the gates and flying down the crowded streets. He worked his way through the bustling and busy crowd, offering an apology to every madame he pushed past, until he managed to turn off into the smithy. Already, the forges were hot, hammers clinking on anvils. He had no idea just how late he was. Everyone else was already here, earlier than usual. After all, today was the day that the Festival of Heroes was to take place, and a prayer offered to the Gods was to be the highlight. Rumor had it that this year, Princess Zelda herself would offer the prayer and lead the crowd herself.
The captain of the guard himself was here, Captain Ramsford. He stood tall and proud, dressed in the regalia of Hyrule's finest captains. A red coat studded with gold buttons down the front, a tall red hat brimmed with ebony and emblazoned with the Hylian eagle, immaculate dressed black pants with tall, polished black boots, and white gloves trimmed with gold. On his right hand, he bore a shield of fine metal, emblazoned with the Triforce, the Hylian eagle, and etched into with his marks of valor. The smith was working on a sword for him, or had been. The final touches had been made and it was being presented to the captain as Link got in the door.
"This is some of my finest work, Captain. You won't find a better blade in all of Hyrule," the smith said, an air of pride to his gravelly voice. The smith was a man in his forties, and to say he was an imposing figure would be a little more than correct. He stood well over six feet tall and had well sculpted muscle, often hidden by soot with patches gleaming with the sweat of his work whenever Link saw him. He had a balding head, but a terrific black beard that hid the singes he got from his work. His eyes were narrow but gleaming, piercing straight to the heart of whomever he glanced at like the blades he crafted. He wore heavy gloves during his work and all the trappings of a blacksmith, his tools on a belt about his waist and his front covered in a leather apron. Often, he worked with a filthy, once white, once sleeved shirt and tight, inflammable leggings and heavy leather boots, laminated to keep them from becoming alight as well.
The captain beheld the blade, a longsword of master craftsmanship, with an etching of the ancient dragon of the sky engraved into the sword along its length. Link stepped inside, hoping that he could sneak by while the captain admired the sword, but his coming in, huffing and puffing as he had been, did not to unnoticed. "It's a shame you weren't here earlier, Link. I was thinking of inviting you to the castle to meet the Princess. Your work up until the past few days has made me consider you in high regard. But I guess that's not an option this time, now is it?" the captain spoke. The captain was gentle but firm in his tone, and he turned to look at Link with some disappointment.
"Says nightmares to blame for his lack of work and his tardiness these past few days. I don't see how the same nightmare can be the same excuse every day. Gone from a hard working lad to a delinquent in less than a week, he has," the smith said, turning and looking at Link as well, with a bitter disappointment evident in his face. Link ignored it as best as he could, his livelihood riding on whether he could do his work or not in silence, he felt. So what if he wouldn't join the festival this time, if he could get his work done and prove himself, maybe there was still a chance, even on this important day.
Normally, there was a lot to do. Not this time, however. Everyone had done most of the cleaning up and all of the busywork for the day, like doing the shipments. All the shipments were on delay because of the festival today and most all of the sorting was done. It was as if a full day had already passed and Link had not been privy to it. He had taken up cleaning and was in the middle of mopping the floors down when he was confronted once again by the smith. He did not look pleased. "Four days, going on five, have you been late for work. This time, you're so late that there's practically next to nothing important for me to give you outside of cleaning up and soon cleaning out the chimneys and prepping the forges for next work period. We're going to close in an hour, Link! What were you thinking?! You knew how important today was and I had to work to clean up what you should have been doing!"
Link looked down and said nothing. He had no answer that he could give that would get him out of this earful. Then, however, the smith said, "Link, if you don't turn up your game and actually fight for your place here, I am going to let you go. There's a dozen men out there who would take your place in a heartbeat. I can't have someone in my apprenticeship that can't turn in on time and offers the same excuse for his shoddy work ethic on the same basis every single time. I've been kind to you, but this is your first warning. If you don't wake up and cut it with your actions, I will turn you loose. Am I understood?"
There was a long moment of silence before Link just nodded his head, not wanting to bring up that nightmare again. Link was given his set of instructions and asked to close down the shop, which would likely take most of the festival. He would only be out for the prayer and would have to sit in the back for it. This was not turning out to be his day. The fact that he had gotten this warning from his master had also dampened his mood. His uncle was not going to have nice things to say to him about this.
Shortly after Link started again, the door swung open as a new customer arrived. "Sorry, we can't take another customer, lass, if you'll-" the smith started before uttering a gasp. "Princess Zelda?!" he asked, and a collective gasp swam through the smithy. Even Link turned his head up. This was the first time he beheld the princess of Hyrule, and he would never forget the sight.
She wore a pure white dress that wove into a deep pink front, decorated with the Triforce and the emblems of the goddesses. Her hair was done back, held with a hairband, her ears decorated with beautiful ornamental earrings, one of Din's sign and the other Nayru's, with Farore's sign laced into a necklace she wore around her neck. Upon her right hand was a simple, golden ring. Her blue eyes fell upon him immediately and it was as if when their eyes met, something shifted in how he felt at that very moment. He felt uplifted and cheerful again, willing to do anything if only to catch her attention.
"Good morning, Master Grayson. I was hoping I might borrow your apprentice, Link, so he might enjoy the festival!" she spoke. Her voice was angelic and like a song to Link's ears, he couldn't help but pay attention to and cherish her words...especially when he heard that she had come for him specifically.
A murmur passed through the smithy. "Why him?" Link heard one man whisper, his gaze turning to glower at Link, as though he were a criminal that did not deserve such praise. The master, however, said, "Link may not leave the smithy until his chores are done, Zelda. I can't have him slacking on his chores, Princess, if you'll excuse me for denying him that."
Zelda looked to the smith and asked, "He's been troubled by nightmares these past few days, has he not? I would think you would take his statements seriously and offer him some recourse, for he has not had his mind to his own for some time."
Grayson was taken aback. "Well, yes, he's been troubled by nightmares, he has told me as much himself. But princess, you must understand, even if he's been having nightmares, I cannot permit his tardiness or his decreasing work ethic of late! I can't imagine that any single nightmare would cause him that much stress that he would lose his ability to work...and he must have his chores finished if he is to-"
"That's enough," Zelda said, suddenly stern in her voice. "If I said that I had dreams that plagued my sleep, would you be so eager to dismiss them? Would you treat me as a delinquent for those reasons?" After the smith shook his head, she then spoke, "Then believe him the same. And let him come with me. I would not come and ask his name if I were not certain that he deserved nothing less."
"Well I'll be. I didn't realize that Princess Zelda herself would be so...so determined. By all means, if you wish...I apologize for holding him back," Grayson said. He turned to Link and uttered a sigh. "Well, consider yourself lucky, boy. I will handle the closing, then." He stepped close and said, "Stop coming in late, though. You hear? This day is an exception, on behalf of the princess."
Once all was settled and done, and Link was out of his work apron, Zelda stood by the entrance, her gentle smile once again apparent, and it was setting Link's heart aflutter. "Come, then. Let's enjoy the festival, the Festival of the Hero."
It was moments later and following strange looks or jealous griping that Link found himself in a place he never thought he would be, walking alongside a lady he never thought he'd meet face to face, let alone talk to or walk with. His heart had gone aflutter, as she was one of the most beautiful ladies he had ever met. Her face was smooth but strong, her hair was silky and truly golden, her eyes were beautiful but laden with a hidden wisdom that none might expect, and her every motion and mannerism was elegant. But the question burning on his mind, was "why"?"
But almost as if she read his mind, Zelda spoke, "Link, I came here because I felt inclined to do so. If I must say, I saw you in a dream. A dream that you and I were here together. Though the festival did not look quite so as it does now."
"I...I see. You have prophetic dreams, then? And you can interpret them?" Link asked her, they were now among the crowd. Link noticed how the crowd seemed to naturally part for her, how people treated her with such respect, but also the baffled expressions they had to see her holding hands with her. It was igniting a fast spreading rumor that they were dating, of all things.
Zelda appeared troubled but did answer him with truth first, saying, "Link, I believe that your nightmares, should I be correct in assuming them, are a sign of dark things to come." But then she smiled again and squeezed his hand. "But do not think of those things, Link! Come, let us enjoy our time here! There are three hours before the ceremony!"
So it was that Link found himself enjoying a great festival held in the honor of the Hero and the Gods. There was great food, plenty of games, and Link even got a chance to prove himself by joining a short race, practicing some parkour through the city, and even joining a sword dueling tournament. He performed well in all of them, and in most all the events that Zelda brought him to. More and more, people began to take notice. The one who performed the best would, after all, be offered a place at Zelda's side in the ceremony. And so it was, that by the time that the ceremony drew near, Zelda gave Link the highest honor of being by her side when the ceremony began.
When it was time, Zelda brought him to the Town Square. It was here that the marvelous statue of the Hero stood, crafted of perfectly sculpted marble. The statue portrayed the Hero holding aloft the Blade of Evil's Bane, presumably against the evil Ganon, who time and time again had risen against the kingdom of Hyrule, but had since fell silent, assumed to have been finally vanquished once and for all. At the base, etched in an ancient and now unknown language, was a plaque celebrating the Hero. The only people now who remembered were the Messengers of the Royal Family, and the Royal Family itself.
The crowd of people were lined around the statue, with a clear circle defined where only those approved by the Royal Guard or the Princess or the King himself could stand. Link was brought in with Zelda, standing beside her. He was given a sword and a shield to hold by one of the guards, a ceremonial longsword and a ceremonial shield, but it felt good to be given these nonetheless. He graciously accepted, and stood by Zelda. Many commented just how much alike the Hero of Old Link looked, how many began to wonder if he just might not be the spitting image of the Hero in every way, as he had shown so far.
All at once, a voice from an older woman, tall, white haired and dressed in a uniform Link had never seen before, rang out among the crowd. "All hail his Majesty, King Hyrule!" All at once, the crowd kneeled, and Link kneeled as well, knowing he was only right to do so, and Zelda made no motion to stop him. Even the lady knelt, her blue robes flowing with her as she knelt, and Link could hear armor beneath it shifting as she moved. The king, whom Link had only ever seen at a distance, now strode through the parting crowd, dressed in royal red robes lined with gold. Beneath it he wore teal pants and a white shirt. His hands were adorned with jeweled rings, one for the color of each of the eight sages of the land. He wore the royal crown high upon his head, his white hair flowing into a white beard that made him look aged and wise but terrible and powerful. His eyes fell upon Link and Zelda and a smile broke his face. But he said nothing to Link, not yet.
He instead spoke quietly to the lady in blue. What words were said, Link could not hear. He then spoke quietly to his daughter, saying, "Thank you for bringing him. It is important the young man of your dreams come to behold this wonderful day with you." He then nodded respectfully to Link and then turned to address the crowd. He gathered himself, but when he spoke, his voice was not soft as it had been with the lady, or Zelda. It was booming and powerful, deserving of a king.
"Citizens of Hyrule! I welcome you again, young and old, new visitors and honored guests. This Festival marks one thousand years that we have celebrated the coming of the Hero! One thousand years ago, a great Hero came to our land of Hyrule in its most desperate hour. Wielding the Sword Blessed by the Gods, this Hero saved the land from evil's hand and delivered unto us an age of peace and prosperity."
"We are gathered here today to offer a praise in the Hero's name, and to celebrate the God's wisdom in delivering us from evil! Today, however, will mark an important difference. While I normally lead the prayer, as has been tradition for the King to do so, this year, my beloved daughter, your Princess Zelda, shall lead the prayer here for her first time, and from now onward." A rousing cheer and applause swept through the crowd, and the King let it continue for a moment, before he raised his hands.
"I ask that all put their hands together as we offer our solemn prayer to the Gods, and offer them our thanks, as well as a solemn request that Hyrule's peace shall be maintained for the years to come." When the king finished speaking, the entire crowd fell to both knees. Some prostrated themselves instead, but all took their customary means of beginning prayer. Link put his hands together, still kneeling. He felt Zelda drift from his side to stand in front of the statue. For what felt like an eternity, there was silence in the air. But then Link heard something, heard words. It was quiet at first, but slowly, the voice grew. Zelda was singing in some ancient language, a language unlike any Link had ever heard in his life. It was a language Link understood nothing of, but to hear it at all put his heart at ease and calmed him deeper than any song or voice he had ever heard. He found himself, along with countless others, chanting the same language, as if it were native to him, but he understood not the words, he only felt the impact, the meaning. He was praising the Gods, praising them for sending the Hero, and asking for their prosperity in the coming ages.
But then, in the midst of their prayers, a laughter began to grow. Laughter, menacing laughter, that grew louder and more clear. One man in the crowd had soon dispersed the prayer, and the crowd moved aside and turned to face a man in the center, a tall man with dark skin and flowing, wild red hair. He was built, wearing traditional Gerudo garb for a male that consisted of a white, sleeveless vest trimmed with silver and white linen, but his shoes were a light brown. He appeared toned and strong.
The prayer ended, the King stepped to the edge of the crowd, anger in his voice. "Who are you to laugh and mock the Prayer to the Gods?! Who are you to interrupt this solemn, sacred song?!"
"Galadrim, your Majesty!" the man shouted in response, his eyes locking with the King's. His eyes were brown, yet alight with a fire that made them appear red, or so Link thought. He looked as if he were a demon, poised to spring at a moment's notice.
"The crown king of the Gerudo tribe not only comes out of hiding but also seeks to deface an important prayer?! What is the meaning of this?"
Galadrim laughed again and shook his head, his eyes turning downward for a moment before he brought them level again. "Crown king of the Gerudo? Oh, but how wrong you are to say that I am only the ruler of so few. No, I have come to take my rightful place, as the true king of Hyrule!"
The crowd began to back away as the guard approached the man. It looked for sure to Link as if this was over. A madman had come to shake up the prayer and succeeded, for what little it was worth. However, the man said, "Before you come and take me in shackles, may I ask, what is said on that plaque? The one that none of you seem to understand, the one that none of you question or try to learn about?" He then added an insidious tone as he asked, "The one that your King refuses to recite?!"
A moment of silence fell as no one had an answer. Even the guards stopped for a moment as an ominous air built around them. It was menace...and Link could feel it. It was as if the skies had begun to darken. Then, Galadrim spoke words in that ancient language that moments ago had been uttered in prayer. These words, however, held anger and malice, and a deep seated hatred. As they were spoken, the sky did darken, for clouds that weren't there before suddenly seemed to appear, and the world around Link and the entire town fell dark as a loud crack, like lightning, emanated from the statue.
The earth began to shake and the guards stumbled and fought for footing. People began to panic and run in terror from the statue itself, leaving Galadrim exposed, standing on his own. The only weapon that he had was a simple scimitar. "The words of that plaque read as follows in the common tongue! 'Here lies the Hero, who sacrificed all to end the evil of Demise. Let none disturb his tomb save the Royal Family, and let none utter the words to open the tomb to the world lest evil return.'" The statue shuddered, cracks opening up all along it. Then, Galadrim spoke with desire in his voice, strange and unnatural, "Well let's see what evil returns, when evil is already present in the world..."
The statue shattered, an explosion sending all of the guards, and the lady in blue, flying away from the site, injuring the guards to the point they weren't able to come back to help. However, Link, Zelda and the King were protected in a magic barrier conjured by Zelda's magic. It was now them who stood between this evil man and a door that had opened behind them, a stone staircase leading down into a chamber of white.
"You who would open the way to the Sacred Realm without permission shall be named traitor to Hyrule and slain, by my hand if I must!" the King spoke, brandishing his blade, a gleaming rapier that held its own light in the darkness.
"Traitor?! And who are you to name me traitor, Rhashim?!" Galadrim shouted in anger. Link held up his sword and shield, ready to fight alongside the king. Galadrim just laughed again as he said, "You who fathered an impetuous brat who does as she pleases. You who never once brought peace to the Gerudo as you promised. You who would start a war with your own kingdom for lust of power?! You are the traitor! And I shall strike you down myself!"
He drew his sword, but it did not gleam in the darkness. To Link, it appeared as normal as any other sword, save for the fact that it seemed to be swallowing the light around it. Galadrim charged, shattering the shield that Zelda upheld with one swing, Zelda giving a scream as she fell backward. Link spun around to catch her while Rhashim parried Galadrim's first blow. By the time that Link had set Zelda back down, he had turned to witness the fight that had grown fierce. Link could see no way to join it, his skill with a sword not being enough to follow what he was witnessing here. But then, it was over. With one motion, Galadrim disarmed the King, the gleaming rapier falling to the side. Link charged to defend the king, but Galadrim didn't even use his sword. He caught the blade, which Link only now remembered was ceremonial, snapped it in half and kicked Link in the chest so hard he was flung backward, nearly to the edge of the stairs.
"Hmph. As weak as I thought. Some king we have here," the man said, his laughter diabolical as he seemed to take delight in his kill. "As much as I'd revel in ending your life here, it would be better savored if I watched your own nation consume you," he said. He feinted, but did not cut down the King. He instead hit him on the head with the hilt of his sword, the crown flying off of the King's head as he fell to the ground, unconscious. He simply laughed as he walked past Link now, walking down the stairs into the Sacred Realm.
Link stood, took the gleaming rapier, and followed the man below. He attacked the man on the stairs, but his blow never landed. The man simply stepped to the side, took Link's forearm, and dragged him, screaming, down the stone staircase. Link hit his head on the way down, on one of the steps, and his head swam as he landed somewhere down below. He struggled to get up, only to see black coming his way for a moment and then pain the next as a boot struck him and sent him onto his back again. He vaguely recalled laughter as his vision swam. As he turned his head, he saw a black figure, and looking like a black flame against a white light. It looked like his nightmare, vaguely, the black ominous shape swallowing the light, but it was as if the light was threatening to swallow the darkness instead. But he blacked out, the last words he remembered was, "And thus the lock is opened, and evil once again spreads to the nations, breaking the treatise of peace and dishonoring the Gods." He then turned to Link and said, "And this time, not even the Hero, should he be in you, will be able to stop the coming of darkness."
Laughter...laughter and darkness. The final pieces of Link's nightmares had come to him, as light seemed to be swallowed up in the darkness that grew around him.