CHAPTER TWO - INTO THE PALACE OF HYRULE
Link made his way outside and began walking through the rain. It was everywhere. The storm was the worst he had ever seen in his young life. The wind whipped around him and howled like a wolf through the trees. Leaves blew left and right, hitting Link in the face as he walked. The rain blew horizontal in sheets. The sky was completely black. He could barely see a few feet in front of him. Link stopped and tried to light his lantern. The tiny flame blew out immediately after being lit. The only light Link had was when the lightening split the heavens above. It was truly a miserable night.
Link continued to walk forward, and turned to right, towards the path to the palace. He still couldn't see anything. He hoped against hope that he was going in the right direction. He pressed on.
Eventually Link's eyes adjusted to the darkness enveloping him and he could see better. It made traveling in the night much easier. An earsplitting boom reverberated through the darkness around him. He jumped from fright. He wasn't expecting it.
Desperately Link wandered through the night, looking for any sign of the castle. He still couldn't see anything good enough to detect the towers in the distance. He needed to find the bridge that went over the moat around the castle. That would lead him inside. If he could just find the water, that would lead him to the bridge.
Link kept going, following the faded path in front of him. At least he hoped it was the path. The lack of light made everything look distorted and strange. He didn't recognize anything, although he had probably been here a million times.
Finally, Link's heart leapt. Lightening had just gone across the sky and illuminated everything for a split second. He glimpsed a familiar tower in the distance. He turned toward it and closed his eyes. Picturing the surroundings in his mind, as he knew them.
Completely sure he was moving in the right direction, Link continued onward. Sure enough, soon Link's feet scraped stone and he knew he had found the bridge. He gripped the side of the stone railing and moved forward.
Faintly Link saw figures moving in the close distance. He stopped and ducked down, hoping the darkness of the night would hide him well enough to not be seen. He remembered what he had heard about the palace guards and decided it best that he didn't approach them. But now how would he get in? The palace doors were being guarded. There was no way around the soldiers. He turned around and cautiously ran back to the other side of the bridge. He was sure that the pounding rain would muffle his footsteps as he ran.
He turned to the right and made his way down the other path, following the wooden fence that surrounded the moat. He walked to the end of the path but he already knew there was nothing there. He had explored this area since he was able to walk; he knew it like the back of his hand. There was no other way into the castle this way.
I am a prisoner in the dungeon of the castle. Please help me. I know there is a secret entrance into the castle garden somewhere....
There was the voice again. Link was now thoroughly convinced that the princess Zelda was communicating with him telepathically from the dungeon. She had to be.
Link ran underneath a tree to get out of the rain. He took off his pointed hat and wiped the rain out of his hair. He was drenched to the bone.
He decided to think about what Zelda had said. There was a secret entrance into the castle garden.... He had never known about any such entrance. He knew it had to be somewhere very near the castle. But he had explored this area extensively.... He couldn't think of anywhere it could be.
Then Link remembered that there was a thin trail just after the bridge on the right side. It went off on the right side of the castle. Link had always been to afraid to get to close to the castle and had never explored there. That had to be where it was! Link turned and ran back toward the bridge.
Moving cautiously, Link made his way back across the stone bridge. He stayed low and kept to the right side, hoping he wouldn't be seen and could just make a dash for it.
He neared the water's edge and could faintly make out the outline of a soldier in the distance, standing right in front of the door leading to the castle's courtyard. He would have to be extra careful so he wasn't seen.
Slowly he crept up to the edge of the bridge, keeping his eyes on the guard at all times. He prayed to the gods that they would not bring another flash of lightening now.... He crept closer and closer to where he knew the path was. Still luck was with him. The soldier still would not leave though. He couldn't move any closer because the guard had a clear view at him from his post. Link had to do something.
Getting an idea, Link searched around the ground for something. Anything that he could throw. Finally he found a small stone lying behind him. Still crouching low, Link aimed for the castle wall to the left of the guard and threw it. It hit the stone wall and made a noise that caught the guard's attention. He looked around and slowly made his way around the side of the castle, looking for whoever had made the noise. Link saw his chance and dashed down the path. He ran along the wall until he didn't feel anything. He had come to the right side of the castle. Feeling that he was safe now, Link stood upright and slowly explored the area. He checked every bush that he saw and searched around the tree in the corner of the wooden fence. He didnt find anything. Slowly he followed the stone path around the side, lifting up bushes as he went. Still nothing.
Finally he came to the end of the path. It just ended halfway to the end of the castle's right-side wall. Link didn't see anything. He spun in a circle, looking around him in all directions. That's where he spotted it: a lone bush sticking out of the ground in the middle of a stone circle. That had to be it.
Link went over to it and gripped it tightly at the roots. He tugged upwards with all his might. After a few tugs it eventually gave way a little and the soil around it began to loosen. After a few more pulls it came out of the ground completely. Link looked down at the ground where the bush used to be. But instead of seeing grass, or a trapdoor or something, there was nothing. Just a hole in the ground. A pitch-black hole. Link was afraid to go down it. He didn't know how deep it was or where he would end up. But thinking of the trapped princess in the dungeon, he mustered up all his courage and leapt down the hole into the darkness.
Seconds later Link hit the ground in a puddle of water. It was quite dark, but there were dim lights on the walls. Link could barely see the stone walls around him.
Picking himself up from the water, Link straightened out his tunic and put his hat back on. He picked up his lantern, which had fallen a few feet away from him and moved on. Link surmised he was probably in the sewers of the castle above.
Slowly he moved on, cautious of any soldiers or anything else that could be lurking in the darkness. He walked on in the dark, dank, sewer until he saw another figure in front of him. He ducked down again and hid in an indentation in the wall. Cautiously he peeked around the corner at whatever was standing there. He was expecting to see another guard, but that wasn't what he saw.
"Uncle!" Link whispered.
"Link? What are you doing here? I told you to stay in the house!"
"It was my dream uncle. I don't think it was a dream. I heard the princess calling to me; pleading with me to rescue her from the castle dungeon. She said that Agahnim had taken control of the castle!"
"Aye, that he has my boy. I have been noticing the signs for the past months. I have been doing much listening and observing lately. Indeed all the signs point to a change in the royal family. Nobody has been allowed in or out all season. And now the soldiers have taken ill. They are acting strangely. Like under a trance. I fear the worst has happened in castle."
"Did you come out then to look, Uncle?"
"I did Link. I approached one of the soldiers and they attacked me. I ran here as quick as I could. They are not acting normally, the soldiers. Something, or someone, must be controlling them."
"Agahnim?" Link asked.
"I think so, Link. But why, I can only guess."
Both uncle and nephew stood in silence for the next few moments. Both were lost in their thoughts.
"I was worried about you Uncle. That is why I left."
"I understand Link. You were very brave in doing so. You sensed something was wrong and didn't want to sit by idly. I don't blame you. You just did what I would have done."
"What do you think the voices meant?" Link asked.
"It can only be Zelda, Link. I have long heard that she has magical powers of her own. She can only be contacting you telepathically."
"Why me?"
"I do not know, Link. But the fact that you were contacted can only mean one thing: you are the only one she feels can come to her rescue. There is no choice now. You must go to her rescue."
"But --," Link stammered.
"Link, my boy. Do not worry. Zelda obviously thought you were worthy enough to come to her aid. She wouldn't have contacted you if she didn't think you could do it."
Link stood motionless for a moment, thinking about what this meant. He would have to go deep into the Castle of Hyrule and find the princess. Not to mention avoiding all of the guards that would inevitably be lurking around.
"Then so be it," Link said, determined. "I know what I must do."
"That's my boy. Now take these. I entrust to you the family sword and shield. They are not of the best quality, but they will do for now. I will also hand down an old family secret to you. If you hold the sword and concentrate with all of your will, you can focus the blade's energy and release it, destroying all enemies within a close range. This technique will come in handy when you have to fight off multiple enemies. Now go! Go and rescue the princess!"
"Thank you, Uncle! I will not fail!"
"Do not stray from your path Link. May the spirits of our ancestors protect you. Good luck."
With a smile and a nod to his uncle, Link was off.
Link made his way outside and began walking through the rain. It was everywhere. The storm was the worst he had ever seen in his young life. The wind whipped around him and howled like a wolf through the trees. Leaves blew left and right, hitting Link in the face as he walked. The rain blew horizontal in sheets. The sky was completely black. He could barely see a few feet in front of him. Link stopped and tried to light his lantern. The tiny flame blew out immediately after being lit. The only light Link had was when the lightening split the heavens above. It was truly a miserable night.
Link continued to walk forward, and turned to right, towards the path to the palace. He still couldn't see anything. He hoped against hope that he was going in the right direction. He pressed on.
Eventually Link's eyes adjusted to the darkness enveloping him and he could see better. It made traveling in the night much easier. An earsplitting boom reverberated through the darkness around him. He jumped from fright. He wasn't expecting it.
Desperately Link wandered through the night, looking for any sign of the castle. He still couldn't see anything good enough to detect the towers in the distance. He needed to find the bridge that went over the moat around the castle. That would lead him inside. If he could just find the water, that would lead him to the bridge.
Link kept going, following the faded path in front of him. At least he hoped it was the path. The lack of light made everything look distorted and strange. He didn't recognize anything, although he had probably been here a million times.
Finally, Link's heart leapt. Lightening had just gone across the sky and illuminated everything for a split second. He glimpsed a familiar tower in the distance. He turned toward it and closed his eyes. Picturing the surroundings in his mind, as he knew them.
Completely sure he was moving in the right direction, Link continued onward. Sure enough, soon Link's feet scraped stone and he knew he had found the bridge. He gripped the side of the stone railing and moved forward.
Faintly Link saw figures moving in the close distance. He stopped and ducked down, hoping the darkness of the night would hide him well enough to not be seen. He remembered what he had heard about the palace guards and decided it best that he didn't approach them. But now how would he get in? The palace doors were being guarded. There was no way around the soldiers. He turned around and cautiously ran back to the other side of the bridge. He was sure that the pounding rain would muffle his footsteps as he ran.
He turned to the right and made his way down the other path, following the wooden fence that surrounded the moat. He walked to the end of the path but he already knew there was nothing there. He had explored this area since he was able to walk; he knew it like the back of his hand. There was no other way into the castle this way.
I am a prisoner in the dungeon of the castle. Please help me. I know there is a secret entrance into the castle garden somewhere....
There was the voice again. Link was now thoroughly convinced that the princess Zelda was communicating with him telepathically from the dungeon. She had to be.
Link ran underneath a tree to get out of the rain. He took off his pointed hat and wiped the rain out of his hair. He was drenched to the bone.
He decided to think about what Zelda had said. There was a secret entrance into the castle garden.... He had never known about any such entrance. He knew it had to be somewhere very near the castle. But he had explored this area extensively.... He couldn't think of anywhere it could be.
Then Link remembered that there was a thin trail just after the bridge on the right side. It went off on the right side of the castle. Link had always been to afraid to get to close to the castle and had never explored there. That had to be where it was! Link turned and ran back toward the bridge.
Moving cautiously, Link made his way back across the stone bridge. He stayed low and kept to the right side, hoping he wouldn't be seen and could just make a dash for it.
He neared the water's edge and could faintly make out the outline of a soldier in the distance, standing right in front of the door leading to the castle's courtyard. He would have to be extra careful so he wasn't seen.
Slowly he crept up to the edge of the bridge, keeping his eyes on the guard at all times. He prayed to the gods that they would not bring another flash of lightening now.... He crept closer and closer to where he knew the path was. Still luck was with him. The soldier still would not leave though. He couldn't move any closer because the guard had a clear view at him from his post. Link had to do something.
Getting an idea, Link searched around the ground for something. Anything that he could throw. Finally he found a small stone lying behind him. Still crouching low, Link aimed for the castle wall to the left of the guard and threw it. It hit the stone wall and made a noise that caught the guard's attention. He looked around and slowly made his way around the side of the castle, looking for whoever had made the noise. Link saw his chance and dashed down the path. He ran along the wall until he didn't feel anything. He had come to the right side of the castle. Feeling that he was safe now, Link stood upright and slowly explored the area. He checked every bush that he saw and searched around the tree in the corner of the wooden fence. He didnt find anything. Slowly he followed the stone path around the side, lifting up bushes as he went. Still nothing.
Finally he came to the end of the path. It just ended halfway to the end of the castle's right-side wall. Link didn't see anything. He spun in a circle, looking around him in all directions. That's where he spotted it: a lone bush sticking out of the ground in the middle of a stone circle. That had to be it.
Link went over to it and gripped it tightly at the roots. He tugged upwards with all his might. After a few tugs it eventually gave way a little and the soil around it began to loosen. After a few more pulls it came out of the ground completely. Link looked down at the ground where the bush used to be. But instead of seeing grass, or a trapdoor or something, there was nothing. Just a hole in the ground. A pitch-black hole. Link was afraid to go down it. He didn't know how deep it was or where he would end up. But thinking of the trapped princess in the dungeon, he mustered up all his courage and leapt down the hole into the darkness.
Seconds later Link hit the ground in a puddle of water. It was quite dark, but there were dim lights on the walls. Link could barely see the stone walls around him.
Picking himself up from the water, Link straightened out his tunic and put his hat back on. He picked up his lantern, which had fallen a few feet away from him and moved on. Link surmised he was probably in the sewers of the castle above.
Slowly he moved on, cautious of any soldiers or anything else that could be lurking in the darkness. He walked on in the dark, dank, sewer until he saw another figure in front of him. He ducked down again and hid in an indentation in the wall. Cautiously he peeked around the corner at whatever was standing there. He was expecting to see another guard, but that wasn't what he saw.
"Uncle!" Link whispered.
"Link? What are you doing here? I told you to stay in the house!"
"It was my dream uncle. I don't think it was a dream. I heard the princess calling to me; pleading with me to rescue her from the castle dungeon. She said that Agahnim had taken control of the castle!"
"Aye, that he has my boy. I have been noticing the signs for the past months. I have been doing much listening and observing lately. Indeed all the signs point to a change in the royal family. Nobody has been allowed in or out all season. And now the soldiers have taken ill. They are acting strangely. Like under a trance. I fear the worst has happened in castle."
"Did you come out then to look, Uncle?"
"I did Link. I approached one of the soldiers and they attacked me. I ran here as quick as I could. They are not acting normally, the soldiers. Something, or someone, must be controlling them."
"Agahnim?" Link asked.
"I think so, Link. But why, I can only guess."
Both uncle and nephew stood in silence for the next few moments. Both were lost in their thoughts.
"I was worried about you Uncle. That is why I left."
"I understand Link. You were very brave in doing so. You sensed something was wrong and didn't want to sit by idly. I don't blame you. You just did what I would have done."
"What do you think the voices meant?" Link asked.
"It can only be Zelda, Link. I have long heard that she has magical powers of her own. She can only be contacting you telepathically."
"Why me?"
"I do not know, Link. But the fact that you were contacted can only mean one thing: you are the only one she feels can come to her rescue. There is no choice now. You must go to her rescue."
"But --," Link stammered.
"Link, my boy. Do not worry. Zelda obviously thought you were worthy enough to come to her aid. She wouldn't have contacted you if she didn't think you could do it."
Link stood motionless for a moment, thinking about what this meant. He would have to go deep into the Castle of Hyrule and find the princess. Not to mention avoiding all of the guards that would inevitably be lurking around.
"Then so be it," Link said, determined. "I know what I must do."
"That's my boy. Now take these. I entrust to you the family sword and shield. They are not of the best quality, but they will do for now. I will also hand down an old family secret to you. If you hold the sword and concentrate with all of your will, you can focus the blade's energy and release it, destroying all enemies within a close range. This technique will come in handy when you have to fight off multiple enemies. Now go! Go and rescue the princess!"
"Thank you, Uncle! I will not fail!"
"Do not stray from your path Link. May the spirits of our ancestors protect you. Good luck."
With a smile and a nod to his uncle, Link was off.