Chapter 2

Hylia, and the Blade of Evil's Bane

"Link? Link the hero, our hero."

This voice was not that of Kyo, it was softer, and sweater then his. A voice that I yearned to hear for so long, Orville's voice. I didn't want to glance up, I felt ashamed that my only friend had to see me like this.

"Link, please listen to our pleads." Orville started to plead. "My friends and myself have things to update you on."

Friends? This perked my curiosity enough for me to look up and see who these 'friends' were. Stand alongside Orville were the three people I wished to speak to the most; Tadashi, Masaki, and Kyo. I took in a deep breath, thinking of a reply to give them. I thought about what Orville had said, then it dawned on me, they had things to update me on.

"You said that you wanted to 'update' me, but tell me this. Why, in the great name of Hylia, would you wish to waste your time updating a doomed man?"

"This is why." Masaki stepped forward to confront me. "You see, the man that had you locked away, Lord Dagianis, is no longer with us. Demise's army was much stronger then we anticipated, and we were forced to retreat after Dagianis's death. The reason that we are here, Link, is to ask for your help."

"Touching," I began. "but let me ask you this. You, Masaki, handed my sword away to be broken', then put me away knowing deep down that I was being framed, but you cowered away just like Orville. Tadashi, you were on the same page as Dagianis so to speak, you agreed to put me away. Lets not forget Kyo, he as tortured me for four long years. With that in mind, why should I help you?"

At that point, Tadashi stepped forward to join Masaki. When he stepped forward I noticed that he clenched something in his hands. It was a sheathed sword. The scabbard was the same as mine, but the sword it held was not one I remembered. All that was visible was the hilt, the hand guard was shaped similar to mine expect instead of wood it was metal. Crimson felt raped around the handle, and had a metal attachment at the end.

Once Tadashi joined Masaki he spoke. "We misunderstood. The true reason for locking you up was to save ourselves, if we would have question Dagianis more, we would be locked away like you. Link, please, we need your help. I've personally seen the way you fight, and if any of us can defeat Demise it's you. This sword in my hands is yours. While you were locked up, Orville repaired it on your behalf." With that Tadashi placed the sword in Orville's stretched out hands. Orville, who by now knelt by freshly cleaned clothes laid out for me, bowed his head and spoke to me. "Link, my best friend and hero, it would be my honor if you would except this blade, and join us in the fight to save the dear land of Hylia."

I couldn't refuse my friend, how could I. This would be my chance to escape, and who wouldn't take that? I felt a smile creep to face before I spoke. "And I thought that I'd be able to sleep here just a little more, but if you wish to wake the lion, so to speak, then you need to give him fangs."

At that Orville looked up, joy painted of his face. "So does this mean that you'll help?" he asked.

"Of course!" With that, Tadashi and Masaki wasted no time releasing me.

Once I was released, I took a good look at my wrists and ankles, which were once bond to the wall. They were harnessed tight enough to leave my wrists and ankles looking bruised and beaten'. While I was examining myself, Orville gathered my clothes from off of the floor, and handed it to me. I wasted no time striping my old clothes and replace them which these new ones. As I put on my close I noticed that there was more then just my usual white undershirt and tights, and green tunic and hat. I received chain mail, with sleeves that came to about my elbows and the bottoms stopped at my waste. In addition, there was a pair of brown gloves with scarlet gauntlets, and a pair of gold shoulder guards with the crest of Hylia embellished on them. I place these on, excepting them as gifts, then turned back to the men that freed me. Masaki then approached me holding a crimson mantle, similar one that Dagianis wore.

"Link," Masaki said "we want you to take this mantle. It's not just the one that Dagianis wore, no. It symbolizes the leader of Hylia. Link, Hylia also needs a King, will you be our King?"

I was taken' back by this. There's a catch, of course there's a catch, there's always catch! But, what do I do. Do I decline them and run the risk of being chained to the wall again? I truly don't want to go back there, so that option's out. All that's left is to except the mantle, but I truly don't want to be King.

I pondered my options for a bit longer and came up with an idea. "I'll except this mantle, only to lead Hylia's army to victory but nothing more." I took the mantle from Masaki and put it on. "Once this war is over though,you need to look for a new leader."

"We'll see." Orville added, and with that we exited the dungeon.

We started walking up the stone spiral staircase that lead to the top of one of the castle's many towers. The inside of the tower was filled with the sound of people chattering away amongst themselves, I suspected that the villagers have come to see if I was to be their new King or not. We approached a window, which I peeked out to see how big the crowd was, it was much larger then what I expected, although I wasn't sure what to expect. My quick peek out the window caught the attention of one spectator who screamed, "I think I see someone in the window!" This startled me, and I backed away from the window, that's when another individual yelled out

"Did you see who it was?" Then the one who spotted me answered. "No, I just saw someone, I swear." With that, the crowd fell silent.

From there on it was silent, which made the walk to the top seem eery. Then, we came to a wooden door that lead outside. Masaki, who was the only one walking in front of me, got the door for me and stepped aside to let me exit first.

The first thing I saw was the mountain scenery that spread across the horizon, and what a scene it was. It was so long sense I felt the sun on my skin, and I never wanted to leave. As I walked closer to the edge of the tower, the cheers of the villagers snapped me back to reality. I listened to them cheer that they had a new king, but I couldn't help myself from spacing off again. I looked to the horizon and thought to myself, 'Oh my precious, precious land of Hylia. If you truly need my help, then I will fight for you, against any threat, forever.'

When I had my fill of nature, I turned back to the men that stood beside me. They all turned their attention to me, and that's when Masaki spoke. "Men, let us join hands." Masaki stuck his hand out in front of himself, followed by Tadashi, then Orville, and finally Kyo. Then, they looked to me, waiting for me to join them, and I didn't hesitate. Once, our hands were joined Masaki continued. "Let us, all of us, fight for Hylia!" After Masaki finished speaking I started to nod my head then said. "For Hylia." That prompted Orville, Kyo, and Tadashi to collectively shout "For Hylia!" We stood there, hands unjoined and for once in my life I felt safe, and excepted by everyone, and it felt good. Then someone started to yell.

"WHAT IS THAT?!" said a men and myself turned to were the person was pointing at. Off in the horizon, a large shadow was sweeping across the land. As this shadow got closer, the creature casting it started to come into view.

This creature was a bird, but not any bird I've ever seen, it was much to large. It was mostly colored crimson, except for it's chest and cheeks, they were colored white, its flight feathers were white as well except for the tips they were striped purple and gold. Its talons, eyes, and beak were also a golden color, but as the bird got closer purple markings started to become visible.

At this point the villagers started to panic. People started to yell. "What do we do?" question one. "I'll tell you what we do," began another, "We protect our new king! FIRE ARROWS!" With that, the common villagers ran in fear leaving Hylia's army to fight this monster. All of the archers made there way to the front, and began shooting arrows at the bird.

As arrows flew at the beast, it started to move more gracefully, skillfully dodging the arrows, and what it couldn't dodge, it would use its beak to break. Then, with a high-pitched scream, it took aim at the archers, knocking almost all of them over. The bird then, turned its back to me so that it could keep its attention on the archers, who have, by this time, gotten back up and continued to fire away. That's when I noticed that the bird wasn't attacking my men, but protecting what looked like a petite hylian that was riding on its back.

"WAIT!" I shouted. "There's someone on it, hold your fire!" and the men stopped upon my request.

The bird waited, watching to see if they would continue firing. When it felt as though it was safe to turn, it did so. The bird flew up to the tower that I stood on, and there it landed. The bird then bent down, allowing the petite women to hope off.

She was a beautiful women, she had bright blue eyes, and long blonde hair that framed her face. Throughout her hair was twisted white ribbons with multicolored beads and features, and on her head rested a headband with about five different colored beads in the front. She wore silver hooped earrings, a white flowing dress; the collar had a cut-out pattern with a blue gem in the center, and her sleeves draped down and attached to her middle finger.

She looked back to us, her right hand rested on the birds chest. "It's quite alright, hylians." she said, looking up to the bird then back to us. "He won't hurt you. Allow me to introduce myself, I'm the Goddess, Hylia, and this is my friend. He's a Loftwing, a bird of the gods."

"G-goddess!?" Masaki said. Then one of the soldiers spoke. "It is our guardian goddess, Hylia!"

Well this is turning out to be quite a day. To think I started out this day locked in a dudgeon, now I'm meeting a goddess. Then the Loftwing started to stir.

He took a step forward, stretched his head out to take a better look at us, that made Tadashi, Masaki, Kyo, and Orville back away in fear, then lifted his head up to return it to its previous position. A voice then came from the Loftwings' detraction, but it wasn't the Loftwing, his beak didn't move as he spoke, unless it could speak telepathically.

"Hylia," the Loftwing turned his head to look at her. "I'm afraid that our search is in vain. I mean look at your beloved hylians," he starched his right wing to us. "they cannot tell us gods from demons, that is how useless they really are." he returned his wing to his side. "The one that we are looking for will not be here." He looked back to us and stretched out both of his wings. "The one who will join me in the fight against Demise, and someone worthy enough to be my Master!"

I didn't care for his speech, not at all. "WE ARE NOT USELESS!" I yelled, that made the Loftwing lower his wings. "If you are searching for people to fight with you, we are here! We are planning to defeat Demise!"

The Loftwing then open his beak slightly, then closed it again, and asked. "My, my, you are a feisty one. Now tell me, who might you be?"

"My name is Link, the lead knight of Hylia. Now listen, Loftwing, although we are humans, there are some among us who are willing to fight for our land."

"Well then, if what you say is true, then show me what a hylian is worth." With that the Loftwing took to the sky leaving Hylia by herself.

I turned my attention back to Hylia, by this point she was now holding a blade in her arms. The sword's hilt was a royal blue, and seemed like a normal sword except the hand guard fanned out like wings of a bird, and in between these two wings was a gold colored diamond.

"The Demon King will soon be upon us." she started "He has fearsome powers and will stop at nothing in his search for the Triforce. I am here today because I cannot stand aside and watch my land and people die. But there is still hope!" she turned her gaze to the sky. "The Loftwing will show you the way to the sky, were you will be safe."

"Hylia," Orville said. "I'm afraid to tell you this but, we can't fly, and that Loftwing has already left us."

"Ah, yes, but you see I have this blade in my possession. This is the Master Sword, the blade of evil's bane, it has the power to sunder the Earth and support the land as it floats to the sky. Yet, there is but one issue. The Master Sword was created by gods for gods alone to use, in order for it to be used here on Earth, it must be reforged by human hands. But not just any hands, no, hands of this lands most honorable hero." Hylia finished her speech, and began to approach us. She stopped about five feet from me, and with both hand she presented the Master Sword to me.

"Hylia, please, I couldn't possibly touch such a sacred sword. I was imprisoned for so long, and my honor is tarnished beyond repair." I tried to convenes her that there are others that were pure enough for this sword, but they seemed to fall on deaf ears.

"I see, I have but one question for you. Do you wish to punish those who imprisoned you, or will you save them from a fait most grim?"

"It is true that they did imprison me for no reason at all, but when it comes to saving my friends, I will always choose them over revenge." And with that I took the Master Sword from Hylia, and held it high above my head. I turned back to my men, who were cheerfully clapping their hands, and parsing me.

"Shall we, Link?" asked Tadashi

"We shall!" I relied

Tadashi then turned around and shouted to the soldiers below . "STOKE THE FIRES, WE'RE GOING TO THE SKY!"