The Legend of Zelda
Summoner of the Sun
Ye Disclaimer: Thou must know this by now, but alas, one must repeat this for the sake of totality. I do not own Zelda, nor do I own anything in the word that is copyrighted.
Chapter Two- Child of light.
"Link!" called Father Laeke.
It was a cloudy afternoon on Orel Hill. Orel Hill was a quiet town, nestled in the shadow of Death Mountain, which had been called that ever since the beginning, although now, it was a mountain of life. Towns and villages fed off its energy, and rivers and trees grew on the sides of the mountain. Only a few dark caves posed a threat to the people, but they were blocked off.
This town, Orel Hill, was built on the hills of the same name, and it was a nice place to live. It was so far away from civilization, as the name Death Mountain was still grounds for myths of the ghost of Ganon. But this was all just children's spooky stories. No such Ganon ever existed.
All the children in his village made fun of his name. Link, the corny old knight that saved the world. No one believed in the legends anymore. The kinder children asked him if he was related to the Hero of Time, but Link simply avoided it, as if he were some sort of mute.
Link was an outcast. He had no parents, and he was a hard-working assistant to the Orel Monastery, which was a small church complex composed a few buildings and a beautiful spring where Link would go to escape the harassments of everyday life in Orel.
Link was one of the few children who knew the legend of The Hero of Time fully. There were three Heroes who brought down the evil spirit Ganon, and the third must have died by now, unless he lived to be 123. It was possible, and Link wished to meet him.
Link had few friends. Most were adults. Father Laeke, Sister Solan, Sister Luran, Sister Setas. He also knew the shopkeepers well, and every day he would go to hear stories from his aunt. She wasn't actually his aunt, but they were so close, that when Link would run away from the Monastery to look at the stars, Aunt Relana would let him sleep on the roof of her humble hut at the edge of the Continuing Woods.
Lately, though, Relana had grown sick, and looked older than ever. Link knew she was to die soon. Link himself was young, twelve years old, and in just a year he would be able to leave his village, and even perhaps lose his name, which had caused him much pain throughout his youth.
Link was not interested in swords or pirates, or riding horses across Hyrule Field. Link wanted to be left alone, and he was so busy trying to be alone that he never truly decided what he wanted to be. Instead, Link carved drawings of the Hero of Time into the back wall of his dormitory, and when the wall was full, he would draw it on parchment, and tack it to the wall. His room was a forest of drawings depicting the sacred Triforce, and the evil Pig Monster Ganon.
Link had come to the village when he was seven years old, and as he arrived, Relana had kept him in her home for a few days, asking him to practice using a sword, or nocking a bow. But Link, shy and distrusting of people, refused to cooperate.
"Link!" cried Father Laeke again. "Coming, sir!" shouted the boy as he carried a heavy bucket of pig slop to the stable. Father Laeke soon sent him off to the well to fetch water. And then cornmeal. And then he had to bake some bread. And then after baking the bread, Link sat down to study. For hours, he would glance at his ongoing drawing of Ganon, and then turn back to read and translate ancient Hylian scribes.
At last, Link was allowed to explore the town. At night, the less mature children were indoors, and less people bothered him. Link smiled happily as he walked down the cobbled road to Aunt Relana's abode.
"Is that you, Link?" said Relana as he entered.
"Yes, ma'am" said Link eagerly. But he remembered her frail state of health, and hushed his voice was he sat in a wobbly chair across from her.
The old woman, wrapped in a raggedy cloak, smiled at him slightly. Link smiled back and played with his shoelaces.
"I have not days left, Link." Relana said suddenly. Link, surprised, looked down humbly.
"Why do you have to die, auntie? Why did the Gods allow people to age?"
"But Link, this is but one life in a sequence of others, one that will lead us to the Golden Land, where we will live forever, in peace, and in the company of the Gods." Said Relana patiently.
Link swallowed and looked out the window at the inky night sky.
"Link...grant me one last wish. Please show me your drawings."
Link hesitated. What would she say? The same thing she said when he was 7, no doubt.
"Father Laeke, I see no promise in the boy. His will to wield a weapon or to acknowledge the existence of the Hero of Time wanes as he stays here. He is most definitely just a dreamer, a boy who will grow up to become an astronomer. He is lost in the stars, and looks in them for guidance, instead of looking deep inside himself for the answers. He will not be the chosen child."
Link had never shown anyone his drawings. But, granting one last wish to the old woman, he slowly placed his crinkled caricatures in her hand. But she did not grab them, and they fill limply to the floor.
"Aunt Relana!" cried Link.
"ZZZZZzzz."
Smiling, Link placed the pictures in his chair and left the house quietly.
Relana opened her eye.
"There is promise in this boy yet."
As Link quietly walked down the path to the Monastery, an unnatural red light began echoing off the walls of the houses. Shouting and grunting could be heard in the distance. The few people on the streets ran inside, and a few returned with swords and shields.
Relana looked out her window at the distant boy. He was right in the path of the Peilan Pillagers, and he would be trampled, or sold into slavery by the ruthless bandits. They had not invaded for months, and the village had been caught off guard at sunset.
She pressed her bony hand against a picture of the boy hanging on her wall, and the panel opened. Reaching inside, she pulled out the Sword of Spirit. The boy would prove himself in battle in the most dangerous of situations. But he was showing signs of promise, and they would be revealed.
"Ack!" cried Link, as a black horse nearly trampled him.
"Why are you in my way, boy? Aren't you supposed to be at home in your little bed? Out of my way!"
Link took out his slingshot and pelted the burly man in the forehead.
Silence. Then, from the thieves, laughter. Growing in intensity.
"Hahahah! What a foolish child! I like you!"
Link eased. But the man reached down and grabbed the child by the collar, raising him to his eye level.
"I like you so much, I might not kill you right away. What if I feed you to the fishes back at our fortress? I'm sure they haven't had Kokiri in a million years!"
Relana stopped in her tracks. Kokiri? But that can't be! The Kokiri die if they leave the Lost Woods. Everyone knew that. The bandits were mistaken, surely!
"Link!" she cried, and she tossed the sword at his feet.
Link looked down on it.
The tip of his boot tapped the silver blade, as if cautious of an inanimate object.
Link blinked.
The bandits leaped off from atop their horses.
The sword lay at Link's feet.
But Link would not pick it up.
TO BE CONTINUED
Ye Disclaimer: Thou must know this by now, but alas, one must repeat this for the sake of totality. I do not own Zelda, nor do I own anything in the word that is copyrighted.
Chapter Two- Child of light.
"Link!" called Father Laeke.
It was a cloudy afternoon on Orel Hill. Orel Hill was a quiet town, nestled in the shadow of Death Mountain, which had been called that ever since the beginning, although now, it was a mountain of life. Towns and villages fed off its energy, and rivers and trees grew on the sides of the mountain. Only a few dark caves posed a threat to the people, but they were blocked off.
This town, Orel Hill, was built on the hills of the same name, and it was a nice place to live. It was so far away from civilization, as the name Death Mountain was still grounds for myths of the ghost of Ganon. But this was all just children's spooky stories. No such Ganon ever existed.
All the children in his village made fun of his name. Link, the corny old knight that saved the world. No one believed in the legends anymore. The kinder children asked him if he was related to the Hero of Time, but Link simply avoided it, as if he were some sort of mute.
Link was an outcast. He had no parents, and he was a hard-working assistant to the Orel Monastery, which was a small church complex composed a few buildings and a beautiful spring where Link would go to escape the harassments of everyday life in Orel.
Link was one of the few children who knew the legend of The Hero of Time fully. There were three Heroes who brought down the evil spirit Ganon, and the third must have died by now, unless he lived to be 123. It was possible, and Link wished to meet him.
Link had few friends. Most were adults. Father Laeke, Sister Solan, Sister Luran, Sister Setas. He also knew the shopkeepers well, and every day he would go to hear stories from his aunt. She wasn't actually his aunt, but they were so close, that when Link would run away from the Monastery to look at the stars, Aunt Relana would let him sleep on the roof of her humble hut at the edge of the Continuing Woods.
Lately, though, Relana had grown sick, and looked older than ever. Link knew she was to die soon. Link himself was young, twelve years old, and in just a year he would be able to leave his village, and even perhaps lose his name, which had caused him much pain throughout his youth.
Link was not interested in swords or pirates, or riding horses across Hyrule Field. Link wanted to be left alone, and he was so busy trying to be alone that he never truly decided what he wanted to be. Instead, Link carved drawings of the Hero of Time into the back wall of his dormitory, and when the wall was full, he would draw it on parchment, and tack it to the wall. His room was a forest of drawings depicting the sacred Triforce, and the evil Pig Monster Ganon.
Link had come to the village when he was seven years old, and as he arrived, Relana had kept him in her home for a few days, asking him to practice using a sword, or nocking a bow. But Link, shy and distrusting of people, refused to cooperate.
"Link!" cried Father Laeke again. "Coming, sir!" shouted the boy as he carried a heavy bucket of pig slop to the stable. Father Laeke soon sent him off to the well to fetch water. And then cornmeal. And then he had to bake some bread. And then after baking the bread, Link sat down to study. For hours, he would glance at his ongoing drawing of Ganon, and then turn back to read and translate ancient Hylian scribes.
At last, Link was allowed to explore the town. At night, the less mature children were indoors, and less people bothered him. Link smiled happily as he walked down the cobbled road to Aunt Relana's abode.
"Is that you, Link?" said Relana as he entered.
"Yes, ma'am" said Link eagerly. But he remembered her frail state of health, and hushed his voice was he sat in a wobbly chair across from her.
The old woman, wrapped in a raggedy cloak, smiled at him slightly. Link smiled back and played with his shoelaces.
"I have not days left, Link." Relana said suddenly. Link, surprised, looked down humbly.
"Why do you have to die, auntie? Why did the Gods allow people to age?"
"But Link, this is but one life in a sequence of others, one that will lead us to the Golden Land, where we will live forever, in peace, and in the company of the Gods." Said Relana patiently.
Link swallowed and looked out the window at the inky night sky.
"Link...grant me one last wish. Please show me your drawings."
Link hesitated. What would she say? The same thing she said when he was 7, no doubt.
"Father Laeke, I see no promise in the boy. His will to wield a weapon or to acknowledge the existence of the Hero of Time wanes as he stays here. He is most definitely just a dreamer, a boy who will grow up to become an astronomer. He is lost in the stars, and looks in them for guidance, instead of looking deep inside himself for the answers. He will not be the chosen child."
Link had never shown anyone his drawings. But, granting one last wish to the old woman, he slowly placed his crinkled caricatures in her hand. But she did not grab them, and they fill limply to the floor.
"Aunt Relana!" cried Link.
"ZZZZZzzz."
Smiling, Link placed the pictures in his chair and left the house quietly.
Relana opened her eye.
"There is promise in this boy yet."
As Link quietly walked down the path to the Monastery, an unnatural red light began echoing off the walls of the houses. Shouting and grunting could be heard in the distance. The few people on the streets ran inside, and a few returned with swords and shields.
Relana looked out her window at the distant boy. He was right in the path of the Peilan Pillagers, and he would be trampled, or sold into slavery by the ruthless bandits. They had not invaded for months, and the village had been caught off guard at sunset.
She pressed her bony hand against a picture of the boy hanging on her wall, and the panel opened. Reaching inside, she pulled out the Sword of Spirit. The boy would prove himself in battle in the most dangerous of situations. But he was showing signs of promise, and they would be revealed.
"Ack!" cried Link, as a black horse nearly trampled him.
"Why are you in my way, boy? Aren't you supposed to be at home in your little bed? Out of my way!"
Link took out his slingshot and pelted the burly man in the forehead.
Silence. Then, from the thieves, laughter. Growing in intensity.
"Hahahah! What a foolish child! I like you!"
Link eased. But the man reached down and grabbed the child by the collar, raising him to his eye level.
"I like you so much, I might not kill you right away. What if I feed you to the fishes back at our fortress? I'm sure they haven't had Kokiri in a million years!"
Relana stopped in her tracks. Kokiri? But that can't be! The Kokiri die if they leave the Lost Woods. Everyone knew that. The bandits were mistaken, surely!
"Link!" she cried, and she tossed the sword at his feet.
Link looked down on it.
The tip of his boot tapped the silver blade, as if cautious of an inanimate object.
Link blinked.
The bandits leaped off from atop their horses.
The sword lay at Link's feet.
But Link would not pick it up.
TO BE CONTINUED