Book I: Enter The Destined
Chapter 1: The Courage To Fight
It was just like any other day. Or at least that's what he told himself to steady his nerves.
The old, battered breastplate easily slipped on but remained loose after he tightened the straps. It didn't help that it was battered with dents, testament to a lifetime of service; in fact, the various armour and training weaponry on the racks had probably gone through more than everybody here, even the two guards who stood by the Colosseum doors.
A quick glance around the locker room revealed just the kind of people who signed up for the Royal Knights of Hyrule, and frankly, there was...something left to be desired. A few looked to be green boys from the country in search of adventure, while others were probably prisoners given a chance at redemption. At least the competition was already thinning itself out, with some of the latter already being hauled away after harassing the other recruits.
Link closed his locker and gave himself a final once over.
"Sword, check. Shield...not the best, but functional. Breastplate, pauldrons, greaves and bracers..."
He sighed and stretched his neck, but as he turned for the exit, a meaty arm shot past and barred his path. It belonged to a portly man who smelled similarly to how he looked, while his two friends were equally inebriated.
"Ehhhhh? What's this? Since when are they letting girls into Royal Knights?"
"Since forever, you twat," the one behind him replied, narrowing his eyes as if reading a particularly confusing book. "Best be careful, though. She may be pretty, but I bet she'd fold you up faster than the militia did when they came to the tavern -"
There was a loud smack and the second thug went reeling, but Link was more confused as to whether he should feel emasculated or pity for someone who was drunk before lunchtime.
"I thought so," the first one grumbled, focusing on him once more. "Besides, I wasn't gonna be untoward ya. Just a little worried, is all. You sure you up for this? It's mighty dangerous work but if you ever think you need a bit of help out there..."
Link's ear twitched and he tried to move past but was blocked off by the third goon.
"Hey, what's yer big deal? Gordan's just tryin' to be a gentleman here!"
"No, no, you know what? Sure. Kids these days don't know the meanin' of respect," the first one - Gordan - replied, sneering at Link and stepping closer. He towered over him, and it took all of Link's willpower to not recoil at the stench of old booze.
"Perhaps we go for a bit of a warmup, eh? You know, get a good stretch in," Gordan smirked as he cracked his knuckles. "Don't wanna pull a muscle out there against monsters and shit."
Link peeked around and sighed as his line of sight to the guards was obstructed by the goons and weapon racks. Gordan noticed this and roughly shoved him into the lockers, holding him in place with a hand on his shoulder.
"Don't think yer gonna get any help around here, missy," Gordan snarled. "You walked in here. It's all on you, and if you don't show the respect we deserve -"
"We're gonna show it for you!"
The arm on his shoulder disappeared and so did Gordan as a young man with cropped brown hair and sky blue eyes came from behind and kicked him away. He tumbled and took the second bully with him, and the third goon shortly followed when he wheeled around and saw nothing but an oncoming fist.
With his lackeys downed, Gordan huffed and spluttered but was prevented from standing as another young man with long red hair and emerald green eyes planted his foot upon his chest.
"G-guh! Why, you -"
"Ah, ah, ah. Too easy," the redhead sneered, and though Gordan tried, he was too weak to free himself. "Heh. You can't even handle yourself in the locker rooms. This isn't the fucking alley behind Telma's Bar, you know. Can't believe the Knights lowered their standards to let people like you try out."
"And for the record, if you've taken an extra second to get a good look at him...yeah. You'd realize he's not a girl. But it doesn't change the fact that you're a creepy asshole." The brunette smiled and turned to Link. "Name's Pipit, and this knight in not-so-shining armour is Ralph."
"Link," he replied, glancing towards the downed thugs bemusedly. "Um...thanks for the help."
"Yeah, no worries," Pipit nodded back, and Ralph half-kicked, half-stomped the thugs away right as one of the guards came over and glanced between the two groups.
"Save the fighting for the Colosseum or we'll throw you into the cells where half this sorry lot came from."
"Yes, sir!" he grinned, and after a few, tense seconds, the knight huffed and returned back to the entrance, chain mail clinking lightly as he walked. The brunette sighed and was joined by an irate Ralph in examining Link for injuries.
"Everything okay? You don't look like you're hurt or anything, but you never know."
Link shrugged.
"Then all's well that ends well," Pipit nodded, though Ralph merely crossed his arms in disapproval. "Why were they ganging up on you, though? I mean, sure, they look like they woke up in an alley after losing a bar fight the night before, but you didn't...do anything to provoke them, right?"
"...no," Link quietly replied, looking off to the side. "I was minding my own business."
Pipit made to speak but Ralph beat him to the chase. "Even then, if they're being cunts then you gotta do something about it. Maybe it's because they surprised you or something, I don't know, but you ain't gonna last long in the bloody Knights if you let others push you around."
"Ralph!" Pipit hissed. "That's enough -"
"No, no, let me have this," the redhead snapped, not once removing his gaze from Link's. "People see that you can be pushed around, they're gonna take advantage of that. Doesn't matter if it's the tryouts like today or another job sometime else."
"Maybe he was hard pressed because he was outnumbered. I'm sorry, Link, but my friend here can be a little...excitable -"
"Well, if Link is joining up to fight like we all are, he should also know not every fight's gonna involve packing iron. How're you gonna deal with shitty bosses? Shitty coworkers? It's the best time to start as any, Link, and I doubt Bokoblins, Lizalfos or whoever the hell we fight out there's gonna care if you stay quiet."
"Hey, chill," the brunette sternly cut in, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder. "I think he gets it, and he doesn't need you busting his balls after we just got him out of that."
Link snorted under his breath.
Ralph sighed and pushed Pipit's arm away. "Alright, alright, sorry. It's just that I hate seeing people let others walk all over them. Better us than others, but yeah, the bottom line is that you're not hurt or anything. Are you?"
"From riffraff like those guys? Only my pride."
"No, I'm fine," Link replied. "But thank you. I appreciate it, and you're both...right."
"Well, okay. I do agree with my friend here, though, even if I'm not as antagonistic." Pipit shot a look at Ralph, who merely shrugged it off. "But I admit, I'm kinda curious as well. Was there something that prevented you from fighting back?"
He glanced between the exit, the goons sulking in the corner and glaring back before meeting Pipit's gaze once more.
"Because I'd have instantly wiped the floor with them."
"I, um, don't want to ruin their chances of getting in," came out instead. "People need a win once in a while."
"Hah! Talk about a one-eighty. Well, we'll see if your attitude holds up in the ring," Ralph snorted as he walked away. Pipit offered a lopsided grin, equally disbelieving his statement.
"I see. Try not to be too cocky, though. We'll be watching you out there, and locker room shenanigans or not, I won't hold back once we cross swords."
For the first time, his taciturn expression broke with a subtle smile of his own.
"Wouldn't have it any other way."
Pipit nodded and clapped his shoulder before rejoining his friend, and as he was left alone, Link sighed and sagged against the locker. Truthfully, he was glad that the two had shown up to take some of the heat off him. At least Pipit seemed to have noticed his slight awkwardness when talking to others, especially when communicating the truth - if anything, it would've been worse if he was forced to handle it on his own.
Ralph thought him cocky, but on the contrary, it was the exact opposite. Though he mentally chastised himself for saying it as such, he hated the spotlight or showing off for the sake of being obnoxious. In reality, after years of training, the real challenge was holding back, acting weak and hiding his skills.
Link eyed the group of entrants slowly congregating around the exit. His heart was pounding, and not because of any sort of anxiety; while Ralph's eagerness was more evident and Pipit's, well hidden, nothing sated him like a good, hearty meal and the thrill of the fight.
The pride of a well-earned victory over dangerous opponents.
The relief that his efforts were enough to save others and that he'd never lose he cared about again.
=== I ===
The satisfaction of being able to enjoy a moment of well-earned comfort after finishing his chores early for the day.
Link nestled contentedly in the tree branch, closing his eyes to birdsong, a gentle breeze and the occasional patter of wildlife bounding through the woodland floor. Situated at the northern end of Kitano Village, Retsam Forest was his sanctuary whenever he needed to escape his nagging little sister or another boring day in school. It wasn't too far (or hard) to sneak out from under everyone's noses to get a little peace and quiet.
Of course, half the fun was staying undetected as well, and a grin split his face as he lost track of how many times he won hide and seek with the other kids from the village. It wasn't fun when his sister cried, though - she just needed to get good, for Farore's sake! But despite that and the fact she always pestered him from the moment he woke up, he still loved her dearly.
"One day, Aryll, you'll get as good as me. But not as good because I'm the king of the forest and no one can ever beat me! And this king needs his beauty sleep."
Link wondered how he could fit that in the rest of the day. It was only mid-afternoon, but what was an hour-long nap or two? Or three? Naps were supposed to give people energy, right?
"Meh. I'll deal with it when it comes."
For now, he'd focus on the one thing that became tradition before he fell asleep - namely, the stories his father told them before bed. More often than not, it was only him as Aryll got scared when they were much younger, but now that they were thirteen and eleven, she also couldn't get enough of those tales.
Link made whooshing and clanging sound effects as he daydreamed. First off was the story of the Sky Knight, an ancient myth about a Hero who rode a giant bird to save a Goddess that fell from the heavens above.
"Girls are kinda yucky though since they have cooties, but big birds and flashy magic swords...?"
The story was awesome and he could only hope it was true. They already spent enough time in class debating the validity of a flooded Hyrule and the Hero who sailed it, and whether the Hero of Time was a Hylian, Goron or Zora.
But amongst all the myths he learned from his father and in class, the legend of the Hero of Twilight was his favourite.
"If only I could meet the man himself. They say there hasn't been a warrior like him since he ended the Age of Twilight four thousand years ago. No greater friend, no worse enemy. The kingdom was shrouded in darkness, when out of the forest a man in green appeared with the Master Sword and the strength of a hundred wolves! Bow! Shing! Kapow!"
Link giggled at the imagery, and after some time was eventually lulled to a comfortable sleep. Still, it felt too short for a good nap as he blinked himself awake, with pale orange light filtering through the canopy above. He groaned dramatically and half-scrambled, half-vaulted off the tree back to the forest floor -
Right in front of a surprised Aryll, who squeaked and tossed a small pebble she was clutching point-blank into his face.
"A-Aryll! What the heck was that for? You've could've taken out my eye! And how did you find me out here -"
"Because you said to look for you left of the path if I needed to find you! It's not like we're playing hide and seek right now, you big dummy," she sighed, fixing him with a good-natured frown as he rubbed his forehead. The young, blonde pigtailed girl wore a blue sundress decorated with red flowers, and despite her efforts at looking disappointed, a mischievous grin eventually broke through.
"Anyway, you need to come home already. You know how Grandma doesn't like you staying out when it's darker, and something's going on with Dad in the village."
Link raised an eyebrow. "Huh? What's happening?"
"I dunno, but all the grownups are making a big fuss out of it," Aryll replied, looking the slightest bit nervous as they both began the trek back home. After crossing a small stream, the treeline slowly receded until they emerged into the town proper. Kitano Village nestled between rocky hills and grassy valleys, with the confluence of the Fir and Squabble Rivers meeting below amidst fields of wheat and barley. The Dueling Peaks towered to the northeast, casting half the settlement in shadow, but it didn't stop them from seeing the torchlit crowd gathered by the front gate.
But it didn't stop them from seeing the commotion in the plaza; beneath the shadow of a small stone keep that was the town hall and stockade, a troop of riders led by their father approached, holding some sort of...thing that was bound and held captive by one of the village militia.
Link and Aryll paused, shared a glance and then took off running towards the developing commotion.
"D-dad!"
"Dad! What's going on?"
"Aryll? Link?" The knight on the lead horse replied, dismounting as the crowd parted to allow them through. With long, blonde windswept hair, a weathered breastplate and a dark brown cloak around his shoulders, Sir Raven was promptly bowled into by two children-sized projectiles. Link looked up when he released them, remembering for not the first time who he wanted to emulate: tall, strong, an awesome warrior and the coolest man Hyrule ever knew.
"What are you two doing here? Why aren't you two at home? It's not safe for children outside when the sun goes down!"
"Y-yeah, but we saw things going on down here and -"
There was a loud, guttural squeal as the captive red Bokoblin suddenly thrashed in place, fighting to break free of its bonds. Shouts of panic rose from the crowd and Raven moved to block Aryll's sight of the creature, but Link merely stood still and took it all in. Several of the other guards wrestled it to the ground and struck it hard on the temple, knocking the Bokoblin unconscious.
But Link didn't miss how it locked eyes with him in the last few seconds, eyes filled with a primal sort of malice before it went dark.
"Aryll, take your brother and go home. You know how your Grandma needs your help when making dinner. I'll be right with you soon, okay? There's just some grownup stuff I need to take care of."
"Okay. Come on, Link. I think we're having omelettes tonight -"
"I wanna see what you guys are gonna do!"
Aryll and their father turned to him with pleading and annoyed expressions, respectively.
"What do you mean? Let's go! Dad just said so -"
"No, I wanna see what's going on!" Link pleaded, meeting Raven's impassive gaze. "Dad, you always said that as I get older, you'd start training me how to fight monsters and stuff! Isn't this like part of that or something? Seeing what kinds of enemies I'll be facing -"
"That's not the issue here."
"But Dad, it's not even scary or anything! Sure, it's kinda ugly and weird but -"
"Look, right now, there's still a lot of work I need to do with the militia. Just because I retired due to injury doesn't mean I get any less busy...anyway, I'll be back before last light. I'm sure you two are getting hungry, anyway."
Link pouted, looked away and crossed his arms. Aryll groaned indignantly and tugged his arm while a few of the guards chuckled at the sight. After a few moments of silence, Raven sighed and knelt to face him at eye level.
"I haven't forgotten my promise, Link. Retired or not, a knight's honour is as good as their word, and that involves knowing when to keep fighting...and when to fall back so they can fight another day. I know you take that lesson to heart, sleeping every moment you can in class or when you're supposed to be doing your chores."
Link snorted.
"I'll ask you this, though - do you at least know what it is?"
He nodded. "Bokoblin. They're sometimes alone, but often work together in packs."
"Very good. At least you don't sleep through those specific lessons," his father chuckled, standing back up. "If you go home right now, there's a chance that maybe, just maybe, I may or may not show you its guts and how to make a potion out of them. But only if you're good!" Raven sternly replied, though it did little to diminish Link's excitement. "If dinner isn't ready by the time I come back -"
"Aaand we're off! You better promise, Dad!" Link called out as he took Aryll by the hand and led them back through the crowd. Raven smiled, shaking his head as he turned to address the situation. It had been a while since they brought a monster back like this, and the last time Link pestered his father why they did it, Raven mentioned something about asking questions and was always offhanded about the specifics.
But in the end, Link contented himself with thoughts of how perilous and dashing his father must've been, surrounded in the thick of it by monsters aplenty yet emerging with barely a scratch. He expected nothing less from someone who was once amongst the kingdom's finest swordsmen; in fact, Link wouldn't be surprised if Raven was secretly a legendary Hero too.
They passed some houses and crossed a small bridge to reach their house by the forest's edge, but he paused right before he entered.
"Big bro? Is everything okay?"
"Yeah. Go on ahead, I'll be just a second."
Aryll gave him a suspicious look before going in, and Link sauntered over to a nearby oak tree and his mother's grave beneath it.
"I promise to be a fighter you'd be proud of," he grinned, glancing over the letters carved into the headstone. "Dad's gonna teach me to be the best there ever was! When I start, I'm not gonna stop until I'm strong enough to protect everyone in this village, the kingdom and beyond! I...I just wish you'd be there to see it."
Link sighed and turned to head back to the cabin.
The large black wolf hidden within the bushes huffed and disappeared into the forest.
=== I ===
Link jolted awake, panting heavily as he clutched his sheets and frantically glanced around him.
Save for the pounding of his own heart and a passing breeze that drifted through the open window, rustling the curtains, the room was completely silent. His desk remained clean and bare of anything on top, while his training sword and rucksack lay in the corner shadows. It was just like he left it, but it only annoyed him further instead of putting him at ease.
It probably had more to do than the nightmare than knowing everything else was okay, however, and so he was left with no other choice.
Link threw off the covers and padded to the window, shivering slightly at the cold floor and sweat across his torso. Ever since the nightmares began three years ago, he quickly found that being close as possible to the outdoors was the only thing effective at calming himself down. The journal beneath the mattress used to be an option, but after the shenanigans Aryll pulled when she discovered it one day?
"...thankfully she can't pick apart my thoughts so easily these days. Nayru help her if she can actually see just how terrible the dreams get."
He focused on how the full moon cast a calming light upon Kitano Village and Retsam Forest, with the Dueling Peaks spearing into the night sky to pierce the moon itself. It was relaxing and therapeutic, giving him an odd, yet familiar sense of freedom that only the outdoors could provide.
But he still couldn't stop seeing fire and shadow while hearing the innocent wail into the night. There was a blood red moon, a mass of churning darkness that seemed to have a will of its own -
And no matter how he tried to hide or ignore it, the black wolf always found him. Link gulped and looked at the forest, and though he saw nothing past the treeline, he had a feeling that whatever the monster truly was, it would find its prey eventually.
"Bad boy. You've been hunting me for a while now, but joke's on you, I've been training for just as long. I'll be in Hyrule City once I turn nineteen to join the Royal Knights. Something tells me you're not exactly capable of sieging the kingdom's capital, even if you're good at ruining my sleep."
Link sighed and quietly made his way to the kitchen. Illuminated by errant moonlight, he poured a glass of water and sat on a couch by the hearth, staring into the cooling embers.
A minute became two, then three, then four, and Link frowned.
"Man, I'm tired. I'm still sore from all the sparring last night, and while I'm excited to train with spears today, Dad doesn't slow down at all. Doesn't help when I have nightmares like once or twice a week and can't sleep no matter how much I try."
For several long minutes, Link crossed his legs and finished his water, occasionally glancing at his father's sword on the mantle. It still amazed him sometimes that Sir Raven was a close friend of the King and once commanded the Royal Guard Brigade; part of him relished the thought of getting into the same, more so being able to spar with the top soldiers of the kingdom.
"Should I ask to be with Uncle Rusl when I join up? He leads the Ordon Brigade, the Knights' dedicated cavalry unit, but the Faron Brigade sees a lot of action against the barbarians in the south. Maybe I could get experience with one of them first then try out for the royal guards...hmm, choices, choices..."
Eventually, Link decided the most obvious choice was to go back to his room and try to get some sleep. Finishing and washing his glass, he made to walk up the stairs were it not for a shaft of moonlight blinking from one of the ground floor windows.
"Hmm? Aryll, is that you?"
The day she learned to be sneakier than he would be a dangerous one indeed. With a dramatic sigh, Link walked back to the window and found nothing unusual outside, but when he returned to the stairs again, a shadow covered another window by the door. Then another. And another.
Link froze.
Pale red light began shining through the front windows, revealing the Bokoblin-shaped shadow that stared through the door with maliciously bright blue eyes.
For one long second, man and monster simply stared at each other, unblinking yet daring each other to make the first move -
And the silence was literally shattered with the sounds of shattering glass and splintering wood. Adrenaline set Link loose and he bounded to the fireplace, snatching his father's ceremonial royal guard sword right as a red Bokoblin broke the front door down.
Training instantly kicked in. With a cry, Link leapt over the couch in a jump attack, carving halfway through the club it brought up to parry. The Bokoblin angrily spluttered and decked him in the jaw, sending him over the couch, but he scrambled out of the way as it copied his move and destroyed the coffee table.
Cursing under his breath, Link ducked under a slice and strafed sideways when it swung vertically. He then ripped the sword free from the club and punched it in the snout, sending it into the hearth, then repeatedly rammed the blade into the Bokoblin's heart until it dissipated into purple smoke.
Without missing a beat, Link dashed to the door, taking in the flare arrow falling from the sky and the din of battle from a village under nighttime assault.
"Link! What the hell is going on!?"
He whipped around to see his father in a tunic with a sword atop the stairs, while Aryll and his grandmother stood off to the side, worried and afraid.
"Don't just stand there! Spit it out!"
"T-the village! Kitano's under attack!" Link replied, glancing frantically around the ruined living room and back at the fireplace. He then noticed the blade was slick with ichorous blood, and try as he might, his equally drenched hands refused to let go of the sword.
"T-there was also a Bokoblin, I-I think. Or, no, I'm sure, but I killed it because I was worried they'd hurt you guys. I know it was a monster, but is that what it feels like? I don't think this blood is mine. I-is this what it means to -"
Link felt a hand on his chin lift his gaze up.
"You did well," Raven intoned, and his gentle blue eyes steadied his hyperventilated breathing. "I wish we could sit down and talk, man to man, but we have not the time. You said the village was under attack, no?"
Link nodded as Raven pushed past outside. The shadows shifted by their right, and Link cried out when they leapt after his father. There was a flash of silver and Raven came to a stop in a defensive stance, while the bodies of two more Bokoblins collapsed headless into the grass.
"Dad! There's - I - w-what do we do? What about Grandma and Aryll? Where do we take them -"
"Farore above, what happened to the militia?" Raven growled as he turned back and went inside. "Right. Take your sister and grandmother down to the keep -"
More glass shattered, followed by his sister's screams as two more red Bokoblins began wedging themselves through the broken windows. Link yelled as he charged the first, shoving the piglike monster against the kitchen sink. Too close for swords, he drove a knee into its crotch, eliciting a pained, angry squeal before responding with a powerful headbutt. Link fell down stunned, but a flying vase shattered across its face before it could pummel him with a club.
The Bokoblin slowly looked over and fixed Aryll with a furious look, but it gave Link the vital seconds needed to grab his sword and thrust it into the monster's gut.
But seeing the second one with a rusted axe in hand, bounding unopposed to the stairs?
Link cried out, realizing that he'd be too late to make it as Aryll screamed and their grandmother moved forward to shield his sister behind her -
And the Bokoblin was blown away as Raven surged forth, impaling it to the wall in a burst of fatherly strength. The monster gurgled as he withdrew his blade, and was silenced completely when Raven severed the head.
Raven then hunched over, clutching his back with a shallow breath.
"D-dad! Grandma, Aryll -"
"Go!" Raven wheezed, pushing Link away when he came closer. "I'm fine, it's just my old injury acting up. I'll take up the rear -"
"Dad, no! We're not leaving you behind -"
Link yelped as his father suddenly backhanded him across the face, then caught him by his collar before he tumbled over.
"By your mother's memory, I will not fail to protect my family when it counts," Raven whispered, eyes flush with anger before giving a quick kiss to Link's forehead. "Take them to the village keep. It's the only defensible building around here. I'll be following along right behind you, okay? I won't be far, I promise."
He heard Aryll sniffle behind them, along with the grunts of oncoming monsters not too far outside. Try as he might, he couldn't stop the moisture building in his eyes as well.
"D-dad -"
"Go! I command you as your father and a knight of Hyrule - take my mother and your sister to safety! I trust in your ability to protect them!"
The air went silent for a single, tense second before the kitchen wall was suddenly torn open. He panicked upon realizing that the following guttural roar belonged to some kind of Moblin, and from the shadows outside came Bokoblins that began to clamber through the windows.
Raven hugged his mother and whispered to a crying Aryll before falling upon the intruders with a cry. His grandmother gave him a firm nod, and Link hoisted her onto his back as he ran out the front door with Aryll right behind him.
The cool night air hit him like a wall of ice, but Link pushed past it as he ran across a bridge, then down a small slope towards the village centre. It wasn't too hard to see, considering the full moon and the fires that consumed a few houses, and the village militia was in the thick of it while archers fired from the stone keep's battlements.
Entering the village proper, they had to veer away from the melee by snaking through a few alleys and fighting a few errant monsters, but as they emerged into the square, a single muffled roar was the only warning before the building next to them exploded in a shower of splinters.
Aryll steadied him before he could fall, then helped their grandmother off his back as a black Moblin approached with a giant, jagged dragonbone claymore.
"Go," Link whispered as they backed up. It stalked towards them with beady pink eyes and two of the village militia rushed over to help, but the Moblin batted one away before being stabbed with the other's spear. It grunted in pain, then grabbed the poor man and hurled him into his buddies across the square.
"Go!" Link yelled, breaking Aryll out of her panicked stupor and sending them both to the keep. He watched the guards let them through before facing the Moblin once more.
Time itself seemed to slow at that moment; with the cries and clashing of iron alike melding into a tense, droning sort of ambience that isolated him with his enemy. But against all the fire and chaos, Link felt...calm. Focused. His heart pounded like never before, and whether it was adrenaline or the shock settling in was up for debate.
Despite his fear, he remembered only his father's instruction. Despite widespread panic, Link assured himself that his family was secure in the safest part of town.
Despite the enemy that clearly outclassed him and the others he faced so far, the only way forward was with his sword in the monster's heart.
Link ignored the faint, warm itching on the back of his hand as he yelled and broke into a sprint.
The Moblin responded in kind, though he drew first blood by dodging its initial slice and grazing its thigh. It recoiled and tried to stomp him, but Link stumbled away before he could be flattened. But he couldn't counter the Moblin suddenly punting him with the pommel before scoring a nasty slice across his chest when it drew the claymore back.
Gritting against the sharp pain, Link grunted and rolled sideways to avoid the Moblin's vertical strike before leaping with a jump attack. There was a sickening squelch as he dug into the monster's forearm, but rather than retreat, the monster smiled, dropped its claymore and grabbed Link by the face.
The panic he ignored for so long came back with a vengeance, and all Link could do was angrily thrash about as he felt its grip tighten, slowly crushing his skull while blinded and suffocating -
And Link collapsed into the stone, heaving for air as the Moblin dropped him with a pained gurgle. Some of the archers atop the keep began firing at the monster, and a few lucky shots managed to distract it long enough for him to half-leap, half-scramble several feet away.
The black Moblin eyed him once more before roaring its challenge and surging forward.
Link responded in kind with the last of his energy, and man met monster with a loud crash as their swords collided. Though the Moblin was surprisingly agile for its size, Link shook off his panic and fought defensively, constantly dodging to tire it out and save his own strength. It was equally counterbalanced with the monster's pure resilience, and Link realized that it wouldn't be too long until the tide turned against him.
The Moblin seemingly realized it too as it once more took the initiative. Link backflipped over the initial swing but was forced inside the blacksmithy to avoid its oncoming spin attack. Crashing through the broken walls, the Moblin's wooden sword caught alight from the forge before bringing it down on Link with brutal force -
And the royal guard sword shattered from the impact, sending him crashing against the opposite wall. Orange and heat filled his vision as he came to, and Link realized with horror that the monster's errant movements had set the wooden structure aflame.
His heart dropped when he realized the closest exits were barricaded with debris, and his only way out was through the beast itself.
"I suppose this is how it ends, huh? I've never heard your voice or that of your sisters before...but Farore, please keep my family safe, and Din, give me the power to see them again. If not...then to take this fucker down with me."
Panting heavily, Link grunted through the increasingly sharp pain in his left hand as he grabbed a nearby hammer and charged once more like a man with nothing left to lose.
The Moblin roared, sweeping towards his legs in a crescent -
The room exploded with sharp, deafening ringing and golden light -
=== I ===
And Link's vision was consumed with a flash of white. It quickly faded to grey, black, then a dull, almost calming mix of blue and green before his sight came back to focus. The forest was dark as it was still nighttime, though he failed to recognize it despite its oddly familiar aura.
But what he knew without a doubt was the feeling of clear and present danger. There was a clearing nearby that overlooked a vast, open field, and upon the cliff waited that same hulking wolf from his dreams.
Link was weightless and unable to move, even as it broke into a sprint. For just a moment, he was able to recognize the finer details of its body as it pounced; its fur wasn't actually black, but a mix of stained white and deep, dark green that exuded ash-like particles. Faint orange veins travelled from an intricate-looking scar on the forehead across its body.
And while the right eye was completely overtaken by the same colour, the other remained a stunningly vibrant blue.
The wolf bit into his neck and darkness filled his vision once more, though when he cried out, his voice was lost to the void. But there was no pain and any fear he might've had was suppressed.
In its place, he only felt an ironclad will and raw, ancient anger.
=== I ===
Link twitched at the soft patter of drizzle upon his face, followed by a rush of cold when he realized that he was laying down on pavement slick with water.
He sat up and wondered how much time passed since he blacked out, though the sheer soreness he felt all over suggested it hadn't been too long. Looking around, the din of battle had mostly died down and was audible in the distance, and filling the plaza in place of monsters were the Royal Knights of Hyrule.
"Nayru be praised! You're alive," a voice next to him sighed in relief. A figure in the armour of a knight commander knelt next to him, and the man removed his helmet to reveal a familiar and most welcome face.
"U-uncle Rusl...?" Link coughed. His throat was rough and patchy, and it was borderline painful to talk. "Where...? What -"
"You're still in Kitano Village, and rest assured that the situation is under control," Rusl replied, patting his shoulder. "I've ordered my troops to deal with the stragglers in the valley, so you're all safe now. How are you feeling?"
"How am I...? Well, everything hurts, especially my head," Link admitted as he gingerly touched his forehead and finding his hand covered in red. "But how long have I been out? When did you guys arrive? A-and is Dad okay!? Where's Aryll and Grandma -?"
Rusl placed a hand on his shoulder to stop him from getting up. It proved wise as he began to feel a little dizzy soon after.
"Don't worry about them. They're perfectly safe, but you shouldn't move much since you've sustained a head injury." He called out behind him, and Link watched as several medics quickly rushed over. "What you did was brave, though I'd ask that you wouldn't do such a thing again as we'd all be heartbroken if you didn't make it out alive."
"You mean...? Wait, the blacksmith -"
Despite the medics scolding him, Link craned his head around to see the charred shell of the smithy collapsing in on itself, with its fire and those of the other buildings already being doused by the falling rain.
"According to witnesses, shortly after the building was set aflame, there was a brilliant flash of golden light, followed by screaming louder than the fire itself. When a few braved the inferno to retrieve you, they found you collapsed atop a disintegrating black Moblin with its head and chest caved in."
Rusl knelt closer and stared him in the eyes. "You, my nephew, did something that would've troubled even some of my more experienced knights. I can see just why my brother always praised you when he wrote to me. How did you accomplish such a thing?"
"...I don't know," Link whispered as he let the medics finish rendering first aid and place him on a stretcher. It was a lie they both knew was paper thin, but through the soreness, pain, exhaustion and a rapidly oncoming headache, it felt like the easiest route to take.
After all, how could he explain the searing pain in his left hand when his vision turned white? A quick glance at it revealed only fair, dirtied skin, even though he still felt something tingle beneath. He wasn't a sorcerer-in-training at the capital, and while magic was widespread throughout the kingdom and beyond, something told him he should keep his mouth shut.
Especially when a last-second glimpse revealed the very faint outline of a familiar triangle crest disappear from the back of his hand.
Especially when he could still see that aberrant black wolf in the corners of his blurry vision, weaving through the crowds to stalk him in the shadows. Link knew not what it did to him, but he innately knew it was only because of his nightmare's intervention that he managed to live.
The predator had finally caught its prey, but it was too soon to tell whether that was a blessing or a curse.
Rusl seemingly agreed with his statement and ordered the medics to carry him away, but not before Link reached out and tugged on his arm.
"W-wait. What about my dad...? Where...is he?"
There was a stiff pause, and after what felt like eternity, Rusl turned back to him with a stoic expression.
"Rest well, Link. Aryll and your grandmother are waiting for you in the keep."
Link quietly whimpered as he watched Rusl walk away and being directing his troops in the square. He wished that whatever golden power gave him the strength to slay the black Moblin would somehow turn back time and that his uncle would say otherwise, but he was tired. He was spent physically and mentally, and the ache in his heart only grew sharper with every passing second.
Sleep eventually took over when they carried him inside, and a tear rolled down his cheek as all he could dream of were the words a proud father would say of their child.
Far across the land, in a forest as old as time itself, a wolf howled into the night sky before leaping off the cliffside.
=== I ===
Link's eyes snapped open and he took a deep breath.
It had been three years since he lost his father and family home, though Uncle Rusl was kind enough to take them in. Living and training in the Hyrule City metropolis was culture shock in itself, but at least Aunt Uli and his younger cousin Colin helped make things work. He even restarted training with Rusl, and with the memories of the past at his heels, Link pushed himself harder than ever before.
Every swing of his sword meant life or death; it wasn't a training dummy, but a Bokoblin bearing down on a defenceless child. It wasn't his uncle he sparred alongside, but anyone who would raise arms to protect those behind them.
And victory was only possible if he remained absolutely focused on his task. He couldn't wade into battle while distracted, no matter how deep the roots travelled into his heart.
Link sighed and pushed off the locker, walking over to the small crowd near the exit and found two recent acquaintances by the back.
"The man of the hour joins us," Pipit grinned as Link sidled up to him. Ralph glanced over and snorted before looking away. "Still think you're gonna ruin anyone's chances of getting in?"
He shrugged and surveyed the crowd, finding Gordan's troupe studiously ignoring them by the side. "Maybe some, but not everyone's."
"Good thinking. Never underestimate your opponents. I learned that lesson over and over again at the Port Laverra Knight's Academy, and I don't intend to learn it again here."
"...over and over again? Somehow, I don't think it'll go the way you want to."
Link flinched, then shrunk inwards as Pipit threw an arm around his shoulders and guffawed.
"That's the spirit! I knew you had some spunk in ya," the brunette grinned, tapping Link's armour with a fist. "I bet you had similar thoughts when those goons harassed you, though you would've earned a few punches in the process if you said them out loud. Eh, well, could've been worth it, but you wouldn't wanna be kicked out of Initiation before you even started."
Link nodded. "I don't think either of us would've liked to waste our training by getting disqualified."
"Fully agreed, friend. Monsters are on the rise, and I intend to become a knight with long years of service for crown and people. I won't disgrace my house like this. And what about you, Link? Why did you choose to become a knight?"
Link pursed his lips and looked down. Why did he, indeed? He wasn't about to dump his whole life story on a stranger, even if he was amicable, but he wasn't about to turn down the first acquaintance he just made either.
"...it's a long story, but I just want to help people. Protect them from monsters like you too."
Pipit nodded in approval as the doors were thrown open, and the murmur of the crowd was silenced upon the arrival of three knights - the lead of whom was clad in the same ornamental and ostensibly hardier armour of the higher ranks. He removed his helmet, revealing harsh green eyes upon a grizzled face, with cropped black hair leading down the sideburns to a bush beard.
"I am Captain Keeta, commanding officer of the Faron Brigade - Hyrule's frontline warfighters against the Zonai barbarians," he growled. "His Majesty the King is sadly unable to make today's Initiation, and so the Lord Viceroy shall lead the qualifying panel along with myself, while Princess Zelda attends as today's honourary guest. Now that the formalities are over, shut your fucking traps and look at me."
Many quailed as his gaze roamed over them all, and for the longest moment, the only sounds present were the occasional hitch of breath against the muffled ambience of the spectators above. Even Ralph cursed under his breath and looked away when it was his turn, but Link remained impassive when it finally shifted to him.
Captain Keeta narrowed his eyes and Link refused so much as to flinch. He then broke away with the subtlest of nods.
"Hmph. All I see are dead men and women...with one or two kids stupid enough to think that they're actually brave. Well, it's the Knights we're talking about, so if anyone's nerves are getting the better of them, this is your final chance to leave. To those who think they have what it takes...see that corridor behind me?"
The crowd glanced behind him into the tunnel, with noise and light emanating from the other end. "That way lies pain. That way lies fear and hardship the likes of which none of you have felt before. But with that comes an opportunity for a second chance in life. With suffering comes the promise of glory in striking down the crown's enemies. We are strong, proud and ready, and if you give it your all in the Colosseum, we just might make you into the same."
Captain Keeta turned smartly away and began heading down the tunnel, followed by his retinue. Seconds passed and none of the initiates dared to move, but Link soon felt everyone's eyes upon his back as he found himself walking to the forefront.
This was it. He paid in blood, sweat and tears to train for this very moment, and by Hylia, he would not fail.
"...this is for you, Dad. Glory be damned, I'm not gonna let you or Uncle Rusl down."
It might've been daunting for others, but all Link felt was calm determination as he stared down the light at the exit. He looked back and found Pipit and Ralph pushing their way through to join him. Courage, it seemed, was not yet lost amongst Hylia's people.
He would slay every monster in the land and more to keep it that way.
Link unsheathed his sword with a clear shing, took a deep breath and walked into the tunnel.
- AN -
Welcome to a brand new story and the second one I've ever begun writing, Bonds of the Triforce!
I'll start off with a fun fact in that I've taken inspiration for the title from BOTW 2 rumours back when it was first announced, and considering my intentions for this story, it just seemed like the perfect fit. Hopefully by the time I begin fully working on this, there'll be more news (or even the release!) of BOTW's sequel so there'll be more canon lore to work with...as a bonus to actually have the sequel to a game that's already four years old as of this chapter's publication. With this, I've begun coming up with ideas for this since August of last year (2020), and though the original plan was to tackle this after I finished my first story - A Descendant of Legends - I've accrued enough ideas and impatience to write the first chapter. Fifty percent to get it out of my system and fifty percent to establish a baseline.
So here's the rundown. As I don't want to be an author that abandons their fics, my primary focus is ADoL first with this in the background. Whenever I need a small, creative break from working on the former, I'll be working on this little by little until going back to ADoL, chapter complete or not. This will continue until Chapter 4 - the final chapter of Book I - upon which this story will go into hiatus so I begin ironing out the actual script itself. It'll be upon ADoL's conclusion, whenever that may be, that I'll kick Bonds of the Triforce into full gear.
And I'll end off here with two things about what to expect, one of which is the only direct spoiler I'll give for the sake of clarity. Book I will be more of an anthology about the main cast than an actual plot-driven arc, and spoiler-wise, the MCD tag refers specifically to Ganondorf; it is, after all, a story about him becoming the King who fell into Calamity. Beyond this chapter, I haven't decided upon other non-major character deaths, and at this point that's unlikely to change. For those who read A Descendant of Legends, this story will have dark moments but I intend to strike a tone that's comparatively lighter.
In any case, thank you for sticking around and reading the first chapter! Concrit and feedback are always welcome. Take care and hope to see you next time!
- Stats -
Publication Date: Apr 15 / 2021
Chapter Word Count: 8015
Approximate Page Length (Times New Roman, size 12, single spaced): 20
- Disclaimer -
The Legend of Zelda series of games is property of Nintendo.