Hello everyone! This is my first Legend of Zelda fanfiction. I'd love some feedback. Any input is great. Thanks!
A cool summer breeze swept through the stained glass windows and quartz pillars of the Temple of Time. The sleepy blackbirds and pigeons native to the Hyrule Capitol had finally silenced, leaving only the soft buzzing of cicadas and lively chirps of crickets as the stars peeked out from the black, tenebrous curtain in the sky.
All of the monks residing within the temple's walls had retired for the night, save the caretaker himself, a young man named Arrah. Slowly and deliberately, Arrah locked the main doors and swept the lines of long, mahogany pews in the main chamber with a decrepit broom. Then, he set about extinguishing the torches. With the task done, Arrah entered the Secred Chamber, where the legendary Master Sword was kept and protected. Only the high priest, the Royal Family, and himself were allowed into the chamber freely.
But something was amiss within the chamber that night. Arrah was suspicious to find a faint golden glow emanating from its depths. This should not be happening. Had someone broken in? The very thought brought a knot to Arrah's stomach, settling there like a stone. Arrah had no means of defending himself. He paused, trepidation urging him to go back and find help.
Nonetheless, Arrah continued on, his bare feet scuffing on the smooth marble floor.
Arrah entered the chamber, and immediately his eyes fell onto the Master Sword. Arrah had anticipated the light to come from an intruder's torch, not the sword itself.
But the sword was glowing, or rather pulsating with the same golden light that had drawn Arrah to the chamber.
Arrah knew instantly what was happening, but it was impossible. The only way the sword would glow was if the master of the sword was calling it from the pedestal.
The master of the sword...
The sword's light grew fainter by the second, until it faded altogether. For a moment, all was silent. Arrah stood frozen.
Suddenly the sword burst from the pedestal and into the air in a burst of intense golden light all by itself, the steel singing throughout the chamber. It hovered for a moment, bobbing.
Then it disappeared.
Arrah snapped out of his trance, panic coursing through his veins. He had to find the high priest. He whirled around and dashed out of the chamber without a second thought.
The sun had finally risen above the horizon, and not ten minutes after, heat waves were rolling off of the sand dunes, distorting his vision.
He had to use his hand as a visor to see. Why did the sun have to rise in the east? Why not the west?
He had once asked this to Kali, his teacher, when he was small. "To change the course of the sun is to change the course of the world," she had said. "There are better ways to impact history, my prince. What you do with your life and how you lead our people will change our world, and to be a good king, you must rule with power, wisdom, and courage."
Kali had pounded that lesson into his brain for years to the point that he became sick of it, but he cherished it to this day.
Ganondorf had recently come of age, and it was time to travel to the green land of Hyrule and renew the alliance between their kingdoms.
It was time to leave his home for the first time, and already he was sick to his stomach.
The Gerudo Desert, while barren of nearly all life, was rich with precious gems and metals, and production from the quarries was at an all-time high. Hyrule exported their rich food and wood for Gerudo iron and gold.
Swallowing heavily, Ganondorf and his escort party reached the gorge, stopping at the foot of the suspension bridge that crossed a tributary of the Zora River. This was it. Ganondorf stared ahead at the winding path on the other side, his eyes trailing ahead until the road curled around red sandstone boulders and out of sight.
A snort to his right caught his attention. "Getting cold feet, my king?"
Ganondorf rolled his eyes at Kali. "Says the one who wouldn't show up at the feast last night."
"You know I hate big feasts. Too crowded and sweaty."
Ganondorf turned to fully look at her. "We won't see each other again for some time."
"I know."
Silence fell over them for a few seconds, but it was not uncomfortable.
Ganondorf sighed.
"I don't know if I can do this, Kali." His eyes were filled with a raw uncertainty that only Kali was allowed to see.
"Of course you can, brother. And though I cannot go with you, I know that you will do just fine."
She shot him that little half-smile she gave to only him. Ganondorf looked away, down at his hands. "Maybe you are sure, but I am not."
Another pause.
Kali sighed. "I want you to have this." Ganondorf lifted his head, and he saw Kali remove her necklace and hold it out to him. Hung on a simple gold chain was a large ruby pendant encased in a gold backing.
"I cannot take this. It was your mother's."
"And now I want you to have it. Perhaps it will bring you luck." Ganondorf searched her eyes, then her outstretched hand, and took the necklace, placing it around his neck. "I will cherish it. Thank you, Kali.
"When I look upon it in the foreign lands, I will think of our people, and I will think of you."
A cuckoo crowed in the distance, and Kali looked towards the sun. "It is time. I must head back."
She maneuvered her horse, facing the opposite direction. She made to move forward, but stopped at Ganondorf's side. Extending her arm once more, they grasped each other's forearms in a farewell gesture, and she leaned her forehead against his. "Be careful, little brother."
Ganondorf smiled. "Always."
They broke away, and Kali continued back down the path to their lands. Ganondorf watched her go. She rode until she reached the bend of the road. Then, she turned her head back to him and gave him one last smile.
Then she was gone.
Ganondorf wasted no more time. He spurred his horse across the bridge and out of sight.
The bright sun was low in the sky when Ganondorf finally entered the great, lush, valley that housed the Hyrule Capitol at its heart. Spread before him were rising, dipping, rolling hills and myriads of colorful wildflowers, golden waves of ripe grain. Fluffy, chickering birds of all hues fluttered through the air, singing over the valley.
But the most breathtaking view was the Capitol City itself. Great stone walls glinted in the copper sunlight and the tall belfries of temples and watchtowers peered over the rest. Above all was the castle, standing well into the heavens. The towering castle pierced the very clouds and its wide stone bridges seemingly floated in midair, connecting to blue-tiled spires, all surrounded by an expansive ward.
Never before had Ganondorf seen so much life. The only plantlife he had honestly seen in his homeland were shrewd cacti and dusty tumbleweeds. Never had he known how blessed a kingdom Hyrule truly was.
Until now.
All before him was a feast for the eyes. He stared for a clean ten minutes before moving on. His excitement to see the Capitol City equaled his anxiety, and both were growing steadily. Ganondorf tamped down on them both as best he could. He could not ruin this first impression with the King of Hyrule.
After a few hours, Ganondorf entered the formidable, lumbering gates of the outer wall. The massive, oaken drawbridge was lowered, and all manner of folks flowed like a running river in all directions. Sound and movement, life thrived from everywhere around him. There were carts loaded with grain pulled by mules, and food vendor stalls laden with exotic fruits, vegetables, and meats. Young children of many races, laughing and skipping, dashed down alleyways, and young women with long, pointed ears, babes slung in silken wraps on their chests, hung laundry on clotheslines between dwellings. Disciplined lines of gallant, armored soldiers marched through the streets, and the people adored them. Nowhere was silent.
Ganondorf drank it all in as he made his way to the shining castle in the distance.
Ganondorf had expected there to be a long chain process of getting inside the castle walls, but this was ridiculous.
When he had arrived at the outer gate, he'd shown his missive papers to the guards there, and they took him into a waiting building while his papers were authenticated, but apparently, the man for that job was out sick that day, so he had to wait an entire awkward hour in a room with a silent guard while they went and tracked the guy down at his home.
And currently, Ganondorf was still sitting in an uncomfortable wooden chair at a nondescript desk, staring at the wall. A very uninteresting, white, plain wall.
...
Oh, come on.
There was no sound except for the stupid ticking of the clock on the other wall, and Ganondorf was about ready to smash it to shut it up. Instead, he sighed and turned to look at the guard at the door.
"So... do you do this often?"
"..."
Nothing. Figures. The guy is probably asleep under that weird visor on his helmet.
Ganondorf wondered how the knights even see out of those. In the desert, it mattered not how well your armor guarded your body, but how well you guarded yourself. Most of the Gerudo's steel went into their weapons and construction projects.
He was contemplating smashing the clock again when he heard faint voices from outside.
In entered some knight, probably a captain or other, who handed him his papers as he stood from the wooden chair. "Your papers are authentic. Welcome, King of the Gerudo."
A band of knights escorted him into the castle over a great drawbridge not unlike the one leading into the city. Ganondorf did his utmost to walk with a sense of proud regality. Here, he and he alone represented his people, and it was time to meet the king.
He was led down a somewhat straight hall to large double doors.
"The king is in the throne room now. He has instructed us to let you enter." And with that, the knights bowed and backed away, leaving him on the threshold between the two rooms. Ganondorf stepped onto the plush, red carpet leading to the thrones, and entered the throne room.
The room was vast, with a high ceiling similar to the rest that Ganondorf had seen. Towering granite columns wer arranged throughout the room, and an opulent glass chandelier hung in the center.
At the rug's end were the thrones, and in the tallest sat King Daphnes. A middle-aged man with a greying beard and square face, he was the image of a proud king.
On the left of the king sat the young Princess Zelda. She couldn't have been more than a teenager.
The last throne was empty, for the queen that had once sat there had passed on many years ago.
Ganondorf kneeled before the King to show his respect.
"Rise." Ganondorf stood, and the king continued.
"It is an honour to meet you, King Ganondorf of the Gerudo."
"The honour is all mine, Your Majesty," Ganondorf replied. He had a feeling that this whole conversation was just going to be a round of niceties. He inwardly groaned, but what did he expect? Just don't mess up, he told himself.
For a few minutes, they discussed the meetings Ganondorf would attend and other uninteresting things when the doors burst open, hinges creaking in distress. At least ten soldiers walked in, quickly kneeling. One kneeled in front of the others, sporting a violet plume from his helmet. The leader, Ganondorf supposed.
"General Dalgo. What is the meaning of this?" The king asked.
"Apologies, Your Majesty, but there has been a severe disturbance in the Temple of Time."
"Tell me."
"It's the Master Sword, my lord."
The general gulped, looking up into the king's eyes.
"It has been stolen."
Please, tell me your thoughts? How do you like Hyrule so far? And the characters? I tried to make a good premise to begin the story. Please tell me what you think!
Thanks!
-RP