Nine
Link shifted nervously. Beside him, the wizard Majacen smiled reassuringly.
"Relax," he said. "This is a great honor, one you well deserve."
The two of them stood in the first courtyard of Hyrule Castle, immediately beyond the huge double doors that led into the city. The courtyard was packed with people, for this was the day of Zelda's coronation. Two weeks had passed since the battle and the eruption of Death Mountain, and Link had spent most of that fortnight in a bed of some kind, recovering from his injuries. Thanks to the efforts of Majacen and Zelda, he was mostly healed now, though very lucky to be alive, he knew.
Murmurs and whispers surrounded the two men, the throng idly chatting while waiting for the crowning ceremony to start. He could hear them whispering about the Hero they had been told about, how they were eager to see him finally, and Link fidgeted again.
Being famous was going to be difficult, he knew. Luckily, Majacen had a remedy for that, though Zelda wasn't going to like it.
Link pushed a finger into his collar and attempted to stretch it out a little. The servant who had provided the shirt he wore under his sleeveless green tunic had starched it or something, and it dug into his neck uncomfortably. He was dressed in his Hero's outfit, which had been cleaned and repaired by the castle servants, until no trace of the damage it had suffered in the battle with the Sorcerer was noticeable. His weapons and chain-mail had been polished until they shone, and he'd noted with surprise that someone had even oiled the leather of his quiver, which he wore on his back under his shield.
He had even gotten a haircut. That had been an odd experience; he'd never had a proper haircut before, since growing up on the streets, he'd usually just hacked it off himself when it got too long. To actually have someone who cut hair as an occupation work on him was a bit surreal, combined with all the other fittings and other assorted grooming he'd had. Link was totally unused to being fussed over, and he found that he did not like it. How did Zelda and Gareth ever put up with this all the time?
Next to him, Majacen was dressed in his usual brown robe and gray cloak, his sword's hilt polished and gleaming in the sunlight at his side, but he had also repaired his outfit from the damage it had taken in the battle with the ghouls and the subsequent eruption, which, it turned out, had finished the last of them off, leaving Majacen free to seek shelter from the mountain's fury without pursuit.
The wizard had somehow removed the singe from his beard, restoring what had burned, and had braided a few small gold beads into it for the occasion. He was not taking part in any of the ceremonies, at his own request; he had said he wished to keep a low profile at this time.
Link watched from the back of the crowd as a hush fell over the gathered people. Since he was taller than most, he easily saw over their heads that Zelda had emerged from the castle, her brother Gareth and a few other dignitaries a few steps behind.
Her long golden hair had been elaborately arranged and braided, and she wore a richly embroidered gown of deep sapphire blue, reflecting her alignment with the Goddess Nayru. Triforce patterns and other symbols were worked on the skirts in slightly lighter blue thread. Even from this far away, she looked very beautiful, and Link smiled as he heard a number of whispers in the crowd in front of him to this effect.
A tall man with graying brown hair, dressed in richly made robes of red and purple, came out and held up the crown. It was made of finely wrought gold, with silver intertwined through the graceful curves of the band in flowing patterns. At the front was a golden Triforce symbol, and directly opposite it was a large, circular red ruby. On either side were mounted an emerald and a sapphire, encircled by delicate leaves of gold and silver. The crown was one of the treasures of Zelda's family, impressive even from this distance.
Zelda bowed her head, and the man, whom Link knew was the Prime Minister, beamed as he set the crown gently atop her head.
In a loud voice, he proclaimed with great formality, "I present to you Her Royal Majesty, Queen Zelda Nohansen Hyrule II! Blessed be her realm!"
"Blessed be Hyrule!" the crowd shouted back, before breaking into cheers and applause. Link joined in, grinning widely. He could see Gareth's smile even from this far away as the younger royal applauded, sharing a brief happy look with his sister.
After a few minutes, the applause died down, and Zelda stepped forward slightly to address her people.
"I thank you for your support," she began. "Though our kingdom will grieve long over the tragedy of my family's deaths, I promise you, I will do my very best to rule the Golden Land as fair and justly as my father and his father before him."
She paused, and the crowd applauded again. As Link listened, Zelda went on for a few more minutes about her plans, what she intended to do now that she sat upon the throne of the Chosen Land of the Gods. She meant to find a peace with Holodrum, their neighbor to the east, and also seek out new trade routes to the west, to the cities along the coast that received shipments from Calatia across the sea.
Finally, Zelda gestured to the guards who stood at the foot of the stairs below her, and the Hyrule Soldiers in the crowd before the gate split, gently prodding the people off the main avenue leading up to the doors of the central keep. The people looked back curiously, and spontaneous applause broke out as they spotted the tall figure clad in green, holding a long purple-blue staff in one hand.
Link squared his shoulders and tried to move in as dignified as fashion as he could down the white stone path, resisting the urge to break out in a silly grin from the pride he felt in the adoring looks he was receiving from the crowd.
When he reached the white stone stairs in front of the central keep of the castle, he stopped on the lowest step, looking up at Zelda, Gareth, and the other nobles standing above him. Gareth grinned at him from next to his sister, waving subtly with one hand. In the other the boy held a jeweled sword in a richly worked scabbard, the sun reflecting off of the silver and gold inlays.
"This is the man who saved my life and that of my brother," Queen Zelda announced. "He journeyed through many perils in search of a way to stop the one who hunted us, and he bravely fought the evil Sorcerer atop the Gorons' mountain. Though he nearly perished, he threw down that monstrous servant of darkness and made the land safe once again.
"He is a Hero, and rightfully does that title belong to him, for he bears the Triforce of Courage, and he is a warrior in the Goddesses' service." Zelda paused for a moment, smiling down at Link.
"Let all praise Link, the Hero of Lightning!"
The crowd erupted with cheers, and, as arranged beforehand, Link turned to face the crowd and lifted the Staff of Lightning above his head. He let a few bolts arc down its length, enough to be seen but not enough to do more. The people cheered all the louder at this, applauding enthusiastically for several minutes, until Zelda finally held up her hands for silence and they quieted.
"Approach, Hero," she said.
Link turned and ascended the stairs until he was only a few steps below the Queen, then knelt, one hand on his knee and the other holding the Staff of Lightning upright at his side.
Link heard a clear metallic ringing as Zelda drew the sword her brother held, though he kept his eyes on the stair in front of him.
"You showed great courage on your quest, Hero," Queen Zelda continued, "and boldly faced down what would have made a lesser man turn back in fear. Prince Gareth and I owe you our lives, and there can never be an adequate repayment of this debt.
"However, I will give you what is in my power to grant. Like the wolf of legend, you bravely defended us from foes with power greater than your own, and prevailed.
"Therefore, I give to you a lordship in that wolf's name, Fenris, and proclaim that your family is a noble one, to be granted whichever lands you choose as your dominion."
Zelda touched the blade of the sword to his shoulder as the crowd cheered again, and when they finally quieted down, she sheathed the blade and handed it back to Gareth.
"Arise, Lord Fenris," she said, smiling at him.
Link smiled back as he stood, and the crowd erupted with cheers and applause once more. He breathed deeply, looking up at the fluffy, lacy white clouds overhead, framing the radiant orb of the sun, and felt a great sense of pride and happiness swell within his heart.
He could never have imagined himself at this point only a few months ago, and still, he could hardly believe all he had seen and done.
Today was a good day. As for tomorrow, well, each day would have to be taken one at a time from now on. The Sorcerer might be dead, but his quest as Hero wasn't quite over yet.
--
--
Much later, during the waning hours of the coronation's celebratory banquet, Link and Majacen sat in a pair of chairs they'd brought to one of the castle's balconies that looked out over the city, sipping a cup of the tea Majacen seemed to always have on hand, one tasting faintly of lemon and somehow always the perfect temperature.
"So," Link said, looking out over Castle Town, lit in silver moonlight. "When do you want to leave?"
Majacen took another sip of his tea. "As I said before," he said, "I think you are well enough to travel now, though we will keep an easy pace until your full strength returns. This task is essential, but not urgent."
Link sighed. "Zelda isn't going to like this," he said. "I think she wants me to stay here."
Majacen frowned behind his beard, an expression that somehow conveyed resignation, a bit of sadness, yet resolution at the same time. "You and I must complete this now," he said. "I do not know when I will be able to work for a long period of time with another Bearer of Courage in the future, since foresight is not one of the gifts given to me."
He looked over at Link, his dark green eyes set with an expression Link could not interpret. "You have no permanent attachments at this time, and you are still young. This journey may take many years, but you are suited to it. You will still have time for a life of your own after we are done; I will make sure of it."
The Hero nodded, idly running a fingernail over the inscribed patterns in the Staff of Lightning leaning against the arm of his chair. "I know," he said. "You explained it to me while I was recovering. We have to hide some of my equipment for future Heroes, so they can use it in their own quests without having to go into the temples to find it. Though why you want to go to the Far South, I don't know. Who's going to leave Hyrule to go looking for weapons?"
"I do not know, either," Majacen admitted. "Nayru's daughter was most close-mouthed when she relayed my instructions; I think her mother has some purpose for this, but it is not for us to know at this time." He took another sip of tea. "She did tell me, however," he went on, "that I would live to see its fulfillment, if I am careful."
Link chuckled. "I probably won't, considering that with your lifespan, that could be two or three hundred years from now."
Majacen did not reply, smiling enigmatically behind his teacup.
"There you are, Little Brother!" Dar's voice boomed behind them.
Link turned to see his enormous Goron friend standing in the entrance to the balcony, one hand behind his back and a mischievous gleam in his eye.
"What've you got?" Link asked, an amused smirk tugging at one corner of his mouth.
Dar grinned all the wider. "I've been busy since you defeated the Sorcerer, Little Brother. I got one of our best smiths to help me, but I did most of the work myself."
Interested, Link got up from his chair and moved over to stand in front of his friend.
"Close your eyes, Little Brother," said Dar, carefully hiding whatever it was behind his back. Considering the size of his Goron friend, Link thought amusedly, his present could be almost anything.
Shaking his head amusedly, Link closed his eyes and held out his hands. He heard Majacen chuckle behind him, then Dar's huge feet shuffled on the stone floor a little before something long, heavy, and metal was set on his upraised palms.
"Okay, you can look," Dar said, restrained excitement in his deep voice.
Link opened his eyes to see the most beautiful weapon he had ever seen.
In his hands sat a greatsword, a heavy weapon meant for use by tall, strong warriors, about five-and-a-half feet long from point to pommel. The cross-guard, thick and angular in design like the rest of the weapon, was almost a foot wide, one solid piece of high-quality steel. Intricately engraved lightning patterns crawled over the cross-guard, snaking around a Goron symbol in the center on either side.
Both pommel and cross-guard were a bluish-purple color, close to the color of the Staff of Lightning, and masterfully engraved with lightning patterns. The hilt was wrapped with black wire, and thick, made for large hands like those of Gorons and Link himself. Similar care had gone into the scabbard, which was made of a black metal capped at top and bottom with purple-blue steel, and the same material had been used to make all the mountings for the belt, which could be used either as a baldric and worn on the back, or altered slightly to be worn at the hip.
Enthralled with the exquisitely crafted weapon, Link drew the greatsword and looked at the blade. At the hilt, it was almost four inches wide, but it gradually tapered to an inch and a half before the point. The blade was made of the finest steel Link had ever seen, with a Triforce symbol engraved an inch above the hilt, and more lightning patterns snaking their way down the blade. It looked like it had taken a year to make this instead of only a few weeks.
The balance was incredible; despite its size and weight, Link could tell immediately that he could easily wield this sword with one hand. It was lighter out of the scabbard, too; he would be surprised if this weighed over seven pounds.
"Dar, this is…" Link trailed off, too surprised and too pleased to say more.
The Goron beamed, clapping his huge hands together with a thunderous crack. "I'm glad you like it, Little Brother," he said happily. "I've been working on this since we came back from the Temple of Lightning." He frowned slightly. "I had hoped to get it done in time for you to use it against the Sorcerer, but he attacked before I was finished."
Link looked up from the weapon at his friend. "Dar, this is the best gift I have ever received," he said honestly. "I will treasure this for the rest of my life."
Dar let out a booming laugh. "You're supposed to use it, Little Brother, not just look at it." He gestured to the sword. "I made it a little smaller than the swords we Gorons make for ourselves, but I figured you were tall enough to use it." He chuckled again. "Now you just need to get stronger!"
Link rolled his wrist experimentally, twirling the long weapon through a careful pattern. He looked forward to using this, and was sorry that it hadn't been ready in time to use in his duel with the Sorcerer; he was sure that he would have won faster with the longer reach this sword provided.
Grinning, Link sheathed the weapon and held it up with one hand. "Thank you, Dar," he said.
His friend nodded, suddenly solemn. "No, thank you, Little Brother," he said. "You are the one who deserves the praise for destroying that terrible man."
Link reached up to pat the Goron's shoulder. "I would never have made it off that mountain without you," he said, then gestured back at the Staff of Lightning behind him. "And I wouldn't have that without you, either. I can never repay you for everything you've done for me, Dar."
With a serious expression, Link met Dar's eyes. "We're more than friends now," he said. "We are brothers."
Dar nodded slowly, silently expressing the same sentiment in return. "If you ever need anything else, Brother," he said. "You only need to ask."
"Link is lucky to have you as an ally, Dar," said Majacen, stepping over to stand next to them. "I think you are just as much a hero as he."
Dar grinned. "Thank you, Majacen," he said.
Majacen clapped his hands together once. "That is enough talk for tonight," he said, smiling. "You two should go and enjoy what remains of the festivities; we leave by the end of the week."
Dar looked over at Link as the wizard gently waved them off. "Where are we going, Little Brother?" he asked curiously.
Link opened his mouth to answer, intending to tell Dar that he couldn't come along with him and Majacen, but then he thought better of it. One, he would be of great help on the journey, and two, Link would practically have to drop an avalanche on his friend to keep him from following.
Instead, he said, as they walked off back to the banquet hall, "Do you have any pressing duties in your village? Because we may be gone for quite a while…"
--
--
Link and Majacen spent several more days at the castle, and the Hero had to sit through several official banquets, where he was barraged with questions from the nobles and other guests about his quest.
A few, predictably, treated him with a marked difference, descending into condescension upon learning he was 'just a commoner', until the Queen, overhearing a particularly snide remark, sternly reminded the man, a baron, that Link was of higher social standing than he now, since he was a lord, and the Hero besides.
Link contented himself with making a point of twirling his knife skillfully through his fingers, then 'accidentally' letting it slip from his hand to spin through the air and pin the man's cuff to the table.
He very quickly tired of palace politics and intrigue, and actually found himself looking forward to leaving. He belonged out in the field, he knew, not in the palace with Zelda. He found her companionship pleasant, and wouldn't mind at all if he only had to deal with her. But, the other palace residents made his time at the castle at best mildly annoying to the Hero, who was unused to the life of the rich and powerful.
He told Zelda he was leaving one afternoon, as they were sitting out in the castle gardens on a break from her duties.
As he was thinking on the right way to phrase his news, the Queen sat with him on a bench under a large shade tree, chatting pleasantly about her plans for the next few months.
"So, Lord Fenris," she said with just the slightest teasing gleam in her eye, "do you have any plans for your future? I understand a few of the labor guilds have volunteered to build your estate anywhere you like once you claim your lands."
Link hesitated. "About that…" He looked over at Zelda, pausing again as he gave further thought to what he would say. "I'm not cut out to be a lord," he said finally. "This life is just not for me. I can tell that after only a week."
Zelda nodded acceptingly. "I must admit I expected you to say something similar. It must be a rather surprising change from your former life."
Link chuckled. "Yes, it is. I'm grateful to you for the title, but I have to admit I'm not going to do anything with it. I just want a simple life now. But," he said, shrugging a little, "I suppose maybe I'll do something with it someday. There's no time limit on this, is there?"
The Queen smiled. "No. I will make sure that whenever you are ready, everything goes through smoothly."
"Good," he said, leaning forward slightly. "But for now…" He paused again. "I'm leaving," he said finally. "I want to go out on a journey for a while, see a little of the world." He smiled reassuringly as he looked over at her. "I'll be back eventually, though."
Zelda was quiet for a moment, and when he glanced up at her, her expression was faintly sad. "That is your right, I suppose," she said. "I would much prefer that you stay here, but I understand." She looked up at him, and smiled pleasantly. "I hope you have a safe journey," she said. "Will you write?"
Link nodded. "Whenever I'm able. I won't be gone too long."
Zelda smiled again. "Well, just know that, whenever you do return, you will be very welcome here. Whatever you decide to do with your life, you may come here as often as you like."
Link smiled back. "I will. Thank you."
--
--
The following morning, Link sat in the saddle atop his stallion Khamsin, and he glanced over at Majacen, who was sitting in a small wooden cart drawn by his own horse, a gray gelding with a white mane.
"I don't know if I like this," he said to the wizard, not for the first time since they'd set out. Dar, walking at his side, nodded his agreement.
Majacen did not answer at first, but Link could see that the wizard was troubled, also.
They were well down the road leading from the southern gate of Castle Town, nearly to Faron Province and the expansive southern forests of Hyrule. The castle stretched up in blue-roofed white towers behind them, slowly growing smaller as they drew further down the road.
"It is best this way," Majacen said quietly, the rattle of his cart over the paving stones nearly drowning out his words.
"I still think we should have told her something about what we're doing," Link said, shifting in the saddle again. "I just know she could tell I wasn't telling her everything."
Majacen frowned over at him. "Would you trouble a young queen who survived the deaths of her family and very nearly her own death, twice, with the news that her would-be assassin had a master?"
Link sighed in frustration. "Well, no, but-"
"And would you further trouble her with the knowledge that the Sorcerer's master is an evil immortal, who would like nothing more than to kill her and her brother and smash her country to ruins?"
Link sighed again, this one close to a growl. "All right, all right, I get it," he said. "But that doesn't mean I have to like it. It feels like lying."
Majacen frowned at his again, as if disappointed that Link still did not understand. "I do not like it, either" he said, a bit of an annoyed edge in his voice. "I have known Zelda since she was a small child, and each of her ancestors stretching back to the beginning of her dynasty. She is just as intelligent as they were, perhaps more, but I cannot burden Zelda with what you and I know. She will have enough problems to deal with during her reign, and I will not inflict upon her the knowledge that her greatest enemy still lives and plots her downfall."
Link glanced over at Dar, who walked silently beside him. The Goron looked up and nodded solemnly, indicating his agreement with the wizard.
"Well, shouldn't I stay here, then?" Link said, not willing to let it go. "What if the Dark God sends another assassin?"
Majacen shook his head. "He will not, at least not within your lifetime. If he sends another servant to do his evil will so soon after the first, it could be seen as a breaking of his oath, and even he will not risk the wrath of his mother and aunts at this time."
The wizard looked up at the line of trees before them, rolling in gentle hills over which the forest was draped like a blanket.
"No," he said after a few moments, "Hyrule is safe for now. But not forever." He gestured up at the greatsword that hung from the back of Link's saddle where he could get at it easily. "Though it may not be in your hand, that blade will see blood in this land someday. Of that, I am sure."
Link pondered this uneasily as they headed into the trees, bound for the uncharted wilds of the Far South.
--
--
For years afterwards, tales spread through the Far South of the Three Wanderers, the old wizard, the young warrior, and the rock-giant, adventurers who braved the darkest jungles, sought out long-forgotten temples, and uncovered their secrets, battling nightmarish creatures no one living had ever seen.
Reports trickled back to Hyrule during these years of a mysterious man who wielded a staff of great power, riddled with exaggeration and hearsay, and it was nearly impossible to sort the truth from the rumor.
Those who would serve the forces of evil soon grew to fear the whispers of the Three Wanderers. Many a predator, both man and monster, met their end at the hands of a young man who struck with lightning, rooting out evil wherever he found it. Those in need of help found it coming to them in unexpected ways during the Hero's journeys.
Stories flourished in the southern part of Hyrule's continent, some true, some entirely fiction, and some a mix of both. It was rumored that, among many other deeds, the Three Wanderers toppled a warlord's regime, throwing down a power-hungry man who had designs on his northern neighbors, but it was argued in the same circles that an assassin had done him in instead, one sent by one of his numerous enemies.
Whatever the truth may have been, the Three Wanderers became a permanent fixture in the local folklore, stories about them circulating for centuries afterward.
The Hero of Lightning passed into legend, both in his own country and lands far away.
--
Author's Note: An epilogue follows. Thanks for reading!