Chapter 5: The Hero's Ceremony (Part 1)
The Hero's Ceremony.
A special tournament where the Sages chooses the next Hero against the Demon King.
All the participants are given many trials by themselves, followed by many fighting matches against one another. The Sages were to observe them for those with the most potential as a hero, in strength and spirit.
The royal family would sometimes send a member to oversee the ritual.
But overall, it had more of a casual tournament setting.
"That's what I've gotten from the book so far. Seems like it's not as intense as I thought."
Link looked over the pages for any more details on the sacred ceremony. The Lost Woods was lively that evening, as they fumbled through many different strategies on how the pass through the tournament. All in all, there should be no bloodshed among the participants.
"Link, you're really going to join the Hero's Ceremony?"
Saria's eyes saddened as they looked back to the village, which was setting up and constructing more platforms and sections for the tournament. There were many more candidates from all over Hyrule, looking forward to becoming the next hero.
But if I win, I'll have to be the hero. But I also want to get out of the village…
He sighed and looked through the other training weapons that he could use.
"Spears, longswords, axes. There's also bows and arrows, but only for certain matches. Not everything seems to be competitive for once. Maybe it won't be that bad."
Nikki flew over to Link and perched on his head.
"Link, they might not be as heavy as the training sword you used against Raven. It's worth a try! You might be good at something!"
Link kneeled down to pick up a training spear.
"Good idea. This is much lighter than the sword."
He immediately felt a sharp glare behind his back.
Should I say something to Saria? It looks like I'm ignoring her…
Link turned around to face Saria and nodded as he answered her question.
"Yes, I will. D-Don't worry, I won't leave you behind like this. I'll come back and visit as much as I can. Please…"
Saria gently stood up and patted his head like a child.
"It's fine. You have always wanted to go outside the village. It's your wish after all."
"…"
There's not much time left to train. I might have to go with what I have…
Link looked up to the sky, thinking about what he could do.
The days to the Hero's Ceremony were numbered.
Time flew by fast.
By morning on the first day of the Hero's Ceremony, the village was draped in many ceremonial decorations. Banners of the various races all over Hyrule flew side by side in the streets. A large road aisle was quickly reserved for the Sages to arrive and began the tournament.
"Link! Do you have any potions on you?"
Raven gestured to Link as they waited for the announcement.
"What did you need it for? Are you sick?"
"No, nothing like that. Maybe some kind of boost?"
Does he seriously want to cheat?!
Link looked down on the ground in dismay. The sounds of trumpets and drums was heard in the distance, signaling the start of the official Hero's Ceremony inside Totem Village. The crowds gathered in awe, in anticipation of the Sages' arrival.
"The Sages have come! They have come! Clear the way!"
The guards near the aisle shooed the crowd farther away, as a highly decorated carriage passed through. Its cloud white exterior was marked a distinct golden Triforce emblem.
That's looks like the official emblem of the royal family. It's actually starting…
The crowds cheered onward as the horses led the carriage to the village's center platform.
It was usually used for gatherings and many local festivals and served as a makeshift town square. Shinda, with his glistening white hair, walking up to the stage with the sages following behind him.
"Silence, everyone! Your Sage is here, welcoming you to witness the Hero's Ceremony."
He slowly raised his hand up, silencing the rest of the crowd.
"It has been one century since the last Hero's Ceremony was done. Do not fear, since the royal family has been dealing with some conflicts lately. So I'll be the one to oversee the tournament this time around. Please accept the circumstances, especially in these dire times."
The royal family isn't overseeing the ceremony this time? What's going on?
Link turned around and saw a figure lurking in the trees behind them. It quickly vanished out of sight. Shinda continued onward with his speech, explaining his position.
"Ahem. The Hero's Ceremony will continue as intended. The princess is busy and cannot attend it at this moment. I understand that it's such an unfortunate situation, but the ritual must go on. All participants will follow through."
The crowds were immediately filled with gossip and confusion.
"Princess Zelda? She's not here?"
"But it's such an important ceremony! Why would she…"
"What about the prince?"
Link overheard the conversations around him turned worrisome. He turned to face Raven, but he seemed to not be paying any attention to the commotion in the town square. His face was blank, staring into the distance. However, his expression looked melancholic.
"That's enough! Don't pry too much into these matters! The Hero's Ceremony will begin shortly. Be patient!"
Shinda angrily silenced the crowd again.
Is this the kind of sage we have? He sure doesn't sound really friendly…
After the announcements were over, Shinda walked up to the altar in front of the other sages around him. In an instant, a golden statue appeared in the center of the square. The Triforce emblem glistened, signaling the start of the Hero's Ceremony.
"Let the games begin!"
A rush of fireworks and the sound of drums played in a fury of excitement. The crowd cheered, happy to finally another competitive yet symbolic ritual of the next Chosen Hero.
"Link! You're doing pretty good!"
Nikki flew above Link's head as he faced another opponent, keeping his distance from them. With a training spear in hand, he tried to keep his aim towards them. The opponent aimed at his left side, but Link quickly blocked it. Seeing his opponents being confused was becoming predictable.
"Do you really need to say that? I'm not that good. It's only because they expect you to use your right hand to attack. But you aim in the opposite direction instead…"
I wonder how Raven is doing. He will probably win the match as soon as it starts.
Link looked across from him to see Raven in another match as soon as it ended. His quick and calculated movements outmatched them in an instant. The wind blew and it was over.
Scary...I hope I won't have to face him again. It's less stressful this way.
The early matches of the Hero's Ceremony was very casual and light. They were warm ups for the participants as well as allow the sages to see if any of them had the hero's spirit within them. He continued to participate in the countless activities that were offered.
"Great shot, Link! You have decent aim!"
Link's arrow hit its target, but his direction was lopsided, causing the apple to fall down.
"Is the axe too heavy for you?"
"Y-Yes…"
His back ached from carrying it for too long. It was another test of endurance.
"Watch out! They're angry!"
"Gah!"
A swarm of bees rushed in his direction, as he tried to get their honey.
What kind of ceremony is this? Has it always been this…random?
Link removed his sweat with a handkerchief and sat down near a ledge. He looked back towards the tournament square, with the sages observing them at the center. Nikki rested on his shoulder, quietly watching the others near them.
"Raven sure is taking his time. Hopefully he doesn't hurt anyone with his skills."
"I hope not. He isn't that kind of person."
Apart from him asking to cheat…
Link closed his eyes and sighed in disappointment. The atmosphere was lively and hectic, with the hopes and dreams of others to become the next hero. The tournament was rife with gambling and bets, seeing who would be the winner. Many people had their eyes on Raven, his brother, due to his sheer swordsmanship skills.
A simple fighting tournament was child's play to him.
There was no contest.
"But I can't give up now! I just need to show my resolve for my parents, so that they can let me leave eventually. Winning or losing shouldn't be important here. I'll just try to play fair…"
He got up from the ledge and puffed himself up.
Nikki flew happily over him, dancing around the air like a firefly.
"That's the spirit! Now let's look for your brother!"
"Good idea."
The two of them ran off, not noticing Shinda glaring behind them from the town square. Link's aura glowed brightly, vastly different from the other participants. Not too far from them, Raven's aura glowed similarly.
Two people with a similar aura.
That was impossible.
"What's the matter, sir? Do you need more delicacies to eat during your observations?"
A servant bowed before him, offering up a plate of fruitcake.
"Leave me alone. Something isn't going right."
Later that evening, Shinda went to a meeting with his hooded guests. They ranged from upper-class noblemen to those in the peasant class. Various backgrounds supported the Demon King and were against the royal family's rule.
"What's the meaning of this? A second hero?"
"Are you sure that you're just tired? Preparing for the whole ceremony did take a toll on you."
"Isn't something like that impossible? Just get rid of him."
The whole council gave him many suggestions, as he thought about what to do with Link. A second person with the hero's spirit was impossible, even within its myths and legends. There could only be one. Only one hero. This was something akin to blasphemy.
"Silence! We know that this shouldn't happen at all, let alone be possible. Yet it happened, didn't it? This is against the standards to being a hero, so he should be punished like a traitor. Make his tasks harder and more miserable, and if that doesn't work, our hero will deal with him. Regardless, Raven is meant to win this tournament no matter what."
The others gasped in surprise and horror.
"That's an excellent choice! He is just a nuisance after all. Shouldn't be that hard to deal with. Let's just go with that…"
Shinda nodded in response.
They had to get rid of this unexpected pest, one way or another.