Zelda Art Forging of a Hero (Skyward Sword Prequel)

[Ocarina_Player]

So if anyone has read Hyrule Historia, they would've seen the comic short Akira Himekawa did detailing how Skyloft came to be. I thought it was really interesting and I couldn't stop thinking about that first Link. Unlike Link of the video games, he didn't know he was getting tested, which had to make the trials he had been through that much harder, and I feel like there is a story to tell. Unfortunately, Himekawa only got thirty-two pages to tell his story, so I've decided to expand upon it. It starts off where I feel like is the absolute beginning, and whether I continue into where the manga picks up and tweak it remains to be seen. Now, I'm not a writer and I don't plan to be, I would just like to see a cool story unfold. If you have suggestions or cool ideas, by all means, message me!


Prologue

The sun rose gently over the quiet valley. A cucco crowed in the distance, alerting the sleepy little village it was time to start the day’s business. Farmers stifled yawns as they came out of their doors to tend their fields and their flocks. Children rubbed the sleep from their eyes as the went about their morning chores before scurrying off to lessons. But today, nobody was going to lessons or getting their work done. Today was the day they attacked

“Mommy, what is that thing?” The little boy tugged at his mother’s skirts as she was trying to milk the cow. The young woman turned to see her son pointing at a cloud of dust coming down the road from the mountains. It was too big to be a trade caravan. At any rate, market day had just passed. When she finally saw the shapes in the dust, she screamed. They were monsters, they could not be described as anything else. Big, red, bulbous looking creatures armed with clubs and swords, and adorned in skulls. They came thundering down the main road, shrieking like nothing the townspeople had ever seen or heard before. The men tried to fight them off with whatever they had on hand, but pitchforks and axes did nothing to slow them down. Anyone who stood in their way or didn't get out of it fast enough was cut down. The village guard heard the cries and tried to muster themselves, but before they could even lay their hands on their weapons the attackers were upon them.

By mid morning, when the village should have been vibrant with the sounds of activity there was deathly silence. There was no sign of life, save one. The little boy peered out from under the haystack his mother thrust him in. It was so quiet, they had to be gone right? “Mommy?” he whispered quietly. “Mommy, is it safe to come out now?” He heard no answer, so he mustered his courage and willed himself to open peek around the barn door. As he surveyed the carnage that was once his village, a loud, long scream filled his ears. He didn't even realize it was his own.




Chapter One


“Caaaaaptaaaaiinn!”

Link could hear his lieutenant calling, but he still wouldn't open his eyes. It was a perfect day to knock off his knightly duties for a few hours. The sun was bright and a warm breeze whispered through the leaves of the tree he was laying against. He was trying to keep a hold of the dream he just had. He couldn't remember much, but it was pleasant. There was a beautiful girl in it, and she--

“CAPTAIN!”

A pack landing heavily on his stomach, jerking him awake. “Ow! Geez, Shira!” Link groaned as he pushed the pack off of him. The young woman towered over him and tapped her foot impatiently. “I have been looking all over for you”, she said. “The king wants an audience with us, and here you are, hiding in the park, napping!”
“Woman, we just spent three weeks riding hard and sleeping rough to take out a band of rogue Lanayru robots, I think I’m entitled to nap”, Link retorted. He finally got up and stretched his arms. What was that dream about? He thought. It felt so nostalgic...

“Well while you were taking your ‘well entitled’ nap, Raoul and Piro have wandered off to the tavern. We’re going to have to drag them out and sober them up before we go to the castle.”
“Ah well that won’t be a problem” Link laughed. “Really Shira, do you ever take five minutes to not be a soldier? Your blood pressure won’t handle that kind tension for so long”.
“Oh, you know I can cut loose, Captain”. Shira replied mischievously as she led the way down the street. “I just prefer to do it on Raoul”.
“Yeah, see, this is what I’m talking about. Most people have normal hobbies to blow off steam, beating up on your squad mates shouldn't be one of them”. He shook the dust off his tunic and straightened is cap. There. Perfect for seeking an audience with the king. Shira only rolled her eyes at him and kept walking. Link trailed behind, trying to conjure up any image of his dream, but it simply wouldn’t come to him. Oh well, he thought. If it wasn't worth remembering it can’t have been that great…

“Haha! I win again! Another round, Rosie!” A large, redheaded man slapped down a few cards on the scratched oak table as the other players grumbled. This made his third win in a row, but his companion was getting more and more nervous with each round. Piro fervently wished Raoul would stop playing with obvious cardsharps; sure, while they were cheating they couldn't call Raoul out on his tricks, but if he kept winning rupees off of them they were bound to snap. Raoul broke the little archer out of his anxious reverie by slapping a mug of beer in front of him. “C’mon, kid! Lighten up, I’m gonna be able to buy you a new bow after this round.” That’s when another player across from Raoul had enough. He stood up and towered over the table, a hand on his sword. “Actually punk, I think you’re done for the day”, he growled. “You can leave your winnings right there too”. He gave a wicked smile and gestured toward the other players, who also stood. “Consider it a fee for the privilege of playing with the Devil’s Claw gang”. Oh no, thought Piro. Please don’t start a fight, please don’t start a fight, please don’t--
“Listen here, bub. We both know we were cheating throughout this game, it’s not my fault I’m better at it than you. So I’m going to take what I rightfully won, I’m going to finish my beer, and then I’m going to walk out that door. And if you know what’s good for you’ll sit your *** back down in that seat and stick with a game you’re good at. Maybe go-fi--”

And that’s when the table flipped over. Rupees and glasses went flying everywhere. The gang leader charged Raoul with a ferocious roar and they both went crashing into another table. Everyone got out of their way and lined the walls, egging them on and already placing bets on who was going to come out this brawl the victor. Poor Piro was pinned against the bar by three of the other gang members. He threw up his hands in surrender and said, “Whoa, he-hey, now! I wasn’t even in the game, how about you all let me buy you a round and we just watch our friends duke it out?”
A man with a missing tooth and a scar across his cheek just laughed. “We could, but it’s been a while since I’ve had a good and proper bar brawl. Too bad you don’t look like you’ll last two seconds.”
“Then how about you turn around and try me?” A voice came from behind the toothless man. Just as he turned to see what idiot would get in the middle of his fight, a fist shot out and sent him flying, narrowly missing Piro, and straight into the bar. A few more of his teeth dropped out of his mouth. Piro almost cried with relief. “Boss! You couldn’t have come at a better time!”

Link grimaced and shook out his hand. That guy’s face was a lot harder than he thought it was. “Alright gentlemen, I have no doubt my rambunctious friend over there started whatever nonsense this is”, He jerked a thumb at Raoul still wrestling with the gang leader, “but I’m going to have to ask you to consider the matter settled and be on your way; we have appointments to keep.” The other two answered by charging him. So much for this being easy, he thought. The first one tried to club him with part of a table leg, but he swung at nothing but air. Link was already behind him and kicking out the back of his kneecaps. The man howled in pain as Link jerked him back and rammed him right into his friend as he tried to help. Both went down with a crash. Link stood over them and said, “I’m going to repeat my first offer, but only once more”. This time, they took it, and couldn’t stumble for the door fast enough. Piro stepped over the unconscious toothless man and went to Link. “Oh boss, he did it again! Raoul can’t just call out cheaters when he sees them and tried to play them only this time he really picked some nasty guys and now they’re fighting and I can’t stop them and--”
“Whoa, whoa, Piro! Slow down, Shira’s about clear this whole thing up.” Link threw an arm around Piro’s shoulders and pointed back at the brawl in the middle of the room. By now Raoul and the gang leader had gotten back to their feet and getting ready to go at each other again. Or they would have if a slim young woman didn’t stand between them.

“Move it, lady! I gotta teach this punk a lesson!” the gang leader growled at Shira. Instead she tossed her long braided hair back and replied, “Teach who a lesson? Him?” She pointed at Raoul. “Let me spare you some wasted time then. This idiot had to take the written exams for the knight trials three times before he could be a page.”
“Shira!!!” Come on, I thought we agreed to never talk about that!” Raoul yelled. “And out of the way, I’m taking this cheating ******* down!”
“Oh Raoul, you know I wouldn’t get in the middle of your fights without a good reason, but unfortunately.” and like a flash she flicked a small rock she had hidden in her hand and hit the gang leader squarely between the eyes. He fell with a deafening crash. “We don’t have the time”, she finished. She bent down and gathered up most of the rupees that had been scattered in the fight and placed them on the bar. “There,” she said to Rosie, the tavern keeper. “That should cover the cost of damages and then some.” Rosie gratefully collected the pile of gems and thanked Shira profusely. Link nodded his approval and turned to leave. Raoul caught up with him and sputterd “Uh, hey! Waitaminute boss! some of those rupees were mine!” Link turned to Raoul and said “Ah, but you admitted that you won those by dishonest means, and I just know you would feel terrible about keeping them and not helping pay Rosie back for the damage you caused”. With that Link strode out the door, beckoning back to everyone to hurry up. Raoul bowed his head and grumbled, “I could’ve learned to live with it”.



At the castle entrance, two guards stood to attention at Link and his companions’ arrival. They told him that they were notified of his summons and motioned him through. The castle courtyard was still just as breath-taking as Link remembered. Lush green hedges formed geometric labyrinths that people could wander through on a sunny day. Water bubbled merrily out of elaborately sculpted fountains, and the scent of exotic flowers could be smelled on the breeze from the gardens that wound throughout the place. Unlike most of the other high ranking knights, Link and his crew hardly ever came to the castle. They preferred to put their skills to good use in the outer territories, protecting the more rural villages. Dangerous assignments like that robot pirate Dreadfuse were their specialty. Anytime the kingdom needed a sword or a helping hand, Link wanted to be there.

They had passed through the great entrance hall and strode down the corridors to the king’s council room. Raoul nudged Link and asked “Hey, we’ve barely been back a day. What is so damn important that his highness wants to cut into our vacation time?” Link shrugged. “Search me, Shira was the one who told me about it”, Link turned to Shira but she shook her head and said, “The messenger said all would be explained when we got here”.
They reached the doors and Link knocked, waiting to be admitted. Whatever it was, it had to be serious. The doors opened and an attendant showed them into the room. A large, round table of dark, polished wood was in the center of the room. Several lords who served as advisers were seated around it, with the king himself at the center. Link and his team knelt as they entered.

The king stood up and said, “Rise, my most valiant knights!” He then motioned for them to stand. He gave them a warm smile and said “I have just received word from Lanayru that you dispatched those dreadful pirates with ease. Thank you for your continued service”. Link just bowed his head in gratitude for the praise and replied “That’s what our job is, your majesty. I take it there is another one you need us to do?”
“Ah, yes”, The king returned to his seat and continued with the business at hand. “There have been reports of strange looking creatures in the villages up to the north. Some of these villages we have lost contact with completely. The people there are terrified for some reason and refuse to go investigate for themselves, and so I have promised I would send my best soldiers to see to the matter. Sir Link, you and your team shall lead a another squad and see what is happening out there. I do not like the idea of my subjects being threatened by some unknown force!” He banged his fist on the table as he said this. Threats to his kingdom were not taken lightly. In this, Link could sympathize completely. “Rest assured, your highness” Link said, “we will get to the bottom of this. Nobody threatens the Kingdom of Hylia on our watch.” Shira, Piro, and Raoul nodded in agreement.

“Thank you, Sir Link, I know I can count on you. Meet with Captain Horace at the the stables, and may the Goddess watch over you.”
Link gave a short bow and left, his team right behind him. Their little vacation was over, it was time to get back to work.

 

[Dragoncat]

I like what I see, especially you including a female knight, Shira. Yay for gender equality! I'm not in a reading mood right now though, so...I skimmed it. Will probably read it all later. If you leave a comment on my Stormy Skies, you'll earn yourself a loyal reader of this. That's a promise. It's also SS, but a sequel.

I did read the entire prologue though since it's shorter, so I must ask: does that kid have any connection to anything? Or is he just a random, never to be seen again character?

 

[Ocarina_Player]

Thanks! Actually you also indirectly helped prompt me to write again. I used to write a lot of fanfics as a teen when I was a lot less critical of everything I did, but your story is so much fun that I'm sitting there like "well damn it woman, you could just start writing too..."

The boy does pop up again, actually very soon. I'm trying to include as much of what was in Hyrule Historia while still making it my story. That's why Link has three other partners because of that one panel after he gets out of prison, but I changed one to a woman because, yeah, have you noticed the LoZ series is kind of a sausage fest? There needs to be more girls that are not just romantic interests! If you wanna talk plot spoilery things you should message me.

Oof. I just realized that when I copypasted my story from my google doc to here that none of my formatting carried over. I'm gonna fix that because right now it looks like a giant wall-o-text :S

 

[Dragoncat]

Yeah the wall of text thing was why I skimmed it. Thanks for the comment on mine too And I agree with you. There needs to be more awesome female warriors like Ashei and Karane.

Finally read it properly. I have a feeling that Devil's Claw gang will be causing trouble in the future...

 

[Ocarina_Player]

Maybe? Maybe not. It depends how stupid I decide they are. You would think most people would know not to cross a lady who can knock them unconscious from five paces away.

Anyways, Chapter 2! I'm sorry these are long, but I never seem to know when to stop... :3

Chapter 2

Lord Dagianis was peeved.

He sat in his manor’s inner courtyard, his sanctum sanctorum, and brooded about what a soft-hearted fool he was forced to show allegiance to. His best troops for some tiny, worthless hamlets beyond the mountains? What a frightful waste of rupees and manpower, he thought. He picked up his tea and broodily stirred his honey into it.

Today’s council meeting revealed that his majesty was more on top of the kingdom’s affairs than he gave him credit for. He had thought it would have been much longer before he would take note of the more distant villages’ cries for help, instead it took no more than a two days for him to send that knight and his oddball group of his to investigate. Of course Dagianis heartily agreed to the decision and praised his wise and caring leadership in front of him and the other lords. It would not do well for his plans to show an ounce of dissension. If there was one thing Dagianis truly prided himself on, it was his ability to feign sincerity and compassion to his colleagues. Many a lord fell victim to his schemes yet still came to him for sympathy and guidance because they could not dream to think Lord Dagianis could do them harm. He could embrace a man while driving a knife into his back and he would never even know who killed him.

Some good came of this unexpected furthering of his plans, however. He had been meaning to look into this elite squad the king always spoke so highly of, and with them gone it was much safer for his spies to gather all the intelligence they could. He dispatched his trusted man the minute he got out of the meeting, and in fact, should be coming with a report right about…

“My lord, our spies have returned with the pertinent information”

Ah yes. Punctual as always. Sometimes Dagianis wondered if the man could read minds.

“Thank you Penethor. If you wouldn’t mind reading the highlights out to me” Lord Dagianis replied, as he leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. Penethor cleared his throat and began, “Hmm, yes, first we have Shira Everell”

“Of the noble house Everell?”

“The same, my lord”

“I see. Continue.”

“Joined the service because at the time the family had no sons to send. She quickly rose through the ranks due to her skills with the glaive and resourceful thinking. Her father, Lord Everell, owns the largest trading company on the eastern coast and is in charge of the kingdom’s trade agreements. He is highly respected at court and--”

“Yes yes, this much I know”, Dagianis cut him off. He saw the man at court often, always surrounded by admirers and those looking for favors, but unlike him, Everell genuinely sought to work with those looking to improve the kingdom. Another idealistic fool. Dagianis knew he had a daughter but he didn’t realize he allowed her to join the knights corp. What an utterly mind boggling thing to do. Her value as a marriage prospect dropped sharply in his opinion. Had he a daughter she would stay shut up in his manor learning only the skills necessary to be a powerful man’s consort and married off to the highest bidder.

“Continue with the next one”

“Piro Agamon. Only son of the great mage Agamon, but showed little magical talent of his own. Originally was studying to be a scholar but was recruited by the knights for his skills as an archer. What magic he has he uses for his arrows so that they never miss and even have some special effects, such as bursting into flame or freezing on contact.”

Hmmm, a magic user. Even one as unrefined as this can always prove to be troublesome; no magic user ever revealed all of his tricks. This young Piro bore some watching.

“Next is Raoul from town of Bardstrome. He comes from a long line of knights and peacekeepers although he doesn’t seem to show the wit his predecessors displayed. Took the written exams three times before they would admit him into the knights corp. What he lacks in intelligence he makes up for in skill on the battlefield, for the man has never been bested in combat, save for one.”

“Oh? And who is this rival?”

“That would be the captain of this little group, Link.”

“Link? Link who?”

At this, Penethore’s lips curled into a sneer. “It seems that is his only name. He came from some miserable little village so small it doesn’t even have a name. His parents and most of the village were wiped out in a raid when he was a child. He was sent to his uncle to be raised, where he was training to be a blacksmith. When his uncle died of illness he wandered to the capital where he joined the knights corp and rose very quickly through the ranks. He shows considerable talent with the sword and bow as well as great tactical and leadership skills. When his majesty ordered an elite squad to be formed to take care of unique and difficult problems, he was the first to volunteer and asked to put his own group together. He had chosen the three previously mentioned, and they had been working together for the past several years with much success. So much so that his majesty had honored him with the title of ‘sir’, even though only those of noble rank or legacy have any right to be full knights.”

Oh wonderful, thought Dagianis. One of his majesty’s special projects. Ten years ago, the king had opened up the knights corp to anyone who showed the skills to serve. If they proved their valor, the king would personally bestow upon them full nobility, granting them large tracts of land and a sizable monthly stipend, even a place in court. The decision was celebrated by most of the kingdom since it finally gave them some social mobility, so long as they proved useful to the security of the land. However some of the noble class did not appreciate sharing their high status with people who came from pig farmers and cobblers, but it was not enough to stop many of these common-born knights from becoming folk heroes. The king treated all of his knights the same, regardless of birth. It seems this Link is one of them.

“If he is a full knight, then why have I never seen him in court?”, asked Dagianis. Most of these commoners were quick to situate themselves within the political sphere; once they had a taste of power they became ravenous for more. A flaw Dagianis was quick to take advantage of.

“It seems once he was granted his knighthood, he used the land and money he was bestowed for what remained of the people from his childhood village and established a new town for them in the northern prairies of the Faron province. His stipend goes to the town, and he spends most of his time away on dangerous missions with his squad. It seems the lad is utterly and completely loyal to the kingdom. He has no ambition or desires that anyone has been able to exploit.” Penethor gave a chuckle, “Perhaps that's why you’ve never heard of him before?”

“Hmph,” Dagianis grunted, “It’s true, I have no use for fools that can’t be bought. However I don’t think we will need to worry about them for much longer, his majesty has just sent them to investigate the incidents in the outlying villages” Dagianis’s lips curled into a vicious smile. “I’m afraid the little folk hero and his cronies have met a problem a little too… unique, even for them.”



Link shuddered and pulled his cloak a little closer to himself. It was an awfully warm day to suddenly get chills up his spine. He hoped it wasn’t a bad omen. They had set out from capital a few days ago, and when they came to the first of the northern villages they could reveal very little of what was happening to the outermost settlements. All they could get out of them was some terrified gibberish about monsters wreaking havoc. It seemed there was nothing more to do but go to one of these ransacked villages and see for themselves. One brave man, Kurt, offered to be their guide. He was already in the fields when the strange creatures attacked and when he saw them coming he fled straight for the mountains. He was very worried about what may have happened to his friends and neighbors. He lead the troop of polished knights on his old mule through the mountain pass, where they outlying villages were. For the most part these villages were cut off from the rest of the kingdom due to the difficulty of the trails. Were it not for the mogmas and gorons helping maintain the passes through the Eldin range, they could never get there. Link had hoped that the king would agree to set up a larger security force specifically for this type of situation, but the council always seemed more concerned with protecting the more lucrative trade routes in the Lanayru province. Whatever was going on over there, he hoped it was enough to change the council’s mind on that matter. An abrupt halt brought him out of his thoughts. They were out of the pass and Kurt had stopped dead. Link and his team pushed their way to the to ask what the hold up was. When they looked passed Kurt’s stunned face, they saw what the matter was...


“What the…?” Raoul’s words died in his throat. There was no way to describe the carnage. Bodies lay rotting in the sun, picked over by guays. Several of the soldiers gagged on the awful stench of rancid meat. Shira turned to Kurt and asked, “Did you have any idea what was going on here?” Kurt could barely choke back his tears to reply, “N-no, all I saw was the dust they kicked up, and the screaming! Oh why didn’t I go and help them!?!” He buried his head in his hands and sobbed. Piro rode up next to him and put a comforting hand on his shoulder. “No, Mr. Kurt, you did the right thing, if you went back you would’ve ended up dead too. Right, boss? Boss?”
But Link wasn’t listening. He was barely even seeing the grisly scene before him. He was looking at another village, a smaller one from a long time ago. The sounds of screams filled his ears, and the smell of burning wood and flesh was overpowering. He was a little boy again, running through the chaos looking desperately for his mother, when--

“Captain!”

Shira’s voice snapped him out of his nightmare. It had been so long since he thought of that awful night, but it had come back to him as vivid as if it happened only yesterday. He shook his head and tried to bring himself back to the troubles at hand. Get it together, Link. He silently reprimanded himself, you can go to pieces after you take care of the villagers.

“Sorry, I’m listening. Everyone dismount, start looking for survivors. You two,” he pointed to a couple of soldiers, “Go back and tell the remaining villagers what happened, and grab as many volunteers as you can. We can’t let these people go unburied for another day.” The two soldiers saluted and took off at a gallop, probably glad that they didn’t have to sift through that slaughter yard. Everyone else dismounted and began to search through whatever buildings were still standing to look for anyone still alive.

“Be on your guard, everyone,” Link called to them as he drew his sword. “We don’t know what’s still around here”. Everyone else drew their weapons and spread out. The farther into the village they went, the worse it looked. Farmers and guards were strewn about, hands still clutching their weapons. Clearly they had tried to hold whoever attacked off to give the rest of the village a chance to run. Raoul peered into the school house and quickly turned his head and retched.
“Ugh, nobody look in there. Just… don’t.” Link’s horror was quickly turning to rage. Rage at whoever did this to these innocent people, and partly to himself. He couldn’t help but feel like he failed these villagers. If only he had pushed harder to get more troops to support the northern settlements…

He entered a farm house on the edge of town. A woman was in the yard, cut nearly in half, a milk, a sickle in her outstretched hand. Piro came up next to him. “I’ve never seen raiders do something like this”, he said. “They can be ruthless at times, but to wipe out an entire town…”
“I don’t think it was raiders”, Link replied. “None of the supplies seem touched, not even valuables like jewelry, look.” He pointed to a gold necklace that was still around the woman’s neck. “Whoever did this wasn’t looking for loot, it’s almost like - wait, did you hear that?” Link jumped at a rustling coming from the barn. Piro quickly knocked an arrow and stood beside him. “Do you think it’s a survivor?” He asked. Link inched closer to the barn door and tightened his grip on his sword. “Possibly, but just incase have a freeze arrow ready”. Piro nodded and whispered a few words, making his arrow tip glow an icy blue. Link took a deep breath and threw open the doors. At first they could see nothing but some cows munching on corn. Not only had the attackers not bothered with the farm animals, but somebody had been refilling the troughs. Link called out, “Hello? Is anyone there? We’re here to help!” A cow looked up briefly from its breakfast and went straight back to eating, unimpressed with Link’s offer. Piro looked around nervously. “Well, maybe they already le--EEEYAH!” Something small and fast dropped out of the rafters and onto Piro’s head. Before Link could do anything to help, the thing was already streaking for the door.
“Wait, stop!” Link tried to call out, but whatever it was had already reached the entrance and was suddenly bounced back into the middle of the barn and dived into a pile of hay. Raoul stood at the door, rubbing his abdomen.

“Ow! What the hell just ran into me!?!” cried Raoul.

“Whatever landed on my head, that’s what!” Piro moaned.

“Did anyone see where it went?” Shira had just caught up and looked around the barn.
“Everyone shush for three seconds and back up!” Link waved them all away. He dropped his shield, sword, and cloak to the ground and walked cautiously over to the hay pile. He could see two bright, hazel eyes peering out from the stalks. Link picked a spot at a comfortable distance and sat down. He smiled warmly and called, “Hey there. You’ve been taking pretty good care of your cows all by yourself. But what about you?” He reached into his pouch and pulled out an apple. “A growing kid like you can’t live off of corn and cow’s milk. The eyes blinked and the hay pile quivered just a tiny bit.
“Oh trust me, there’s a lot more back by the horses if you’re really hungry.”
Finally a head popped out, and Link could see a young boy, no older than nine or ten. Bits of hay and straw stuck to his dark hair, and he could see the boy was starving. He wondered if he even left this barn since the attack. The boy crawled the rest of the way out and stood infront of Link. After a moment’s hesitation, he snatched the apple and scarfed it down, core and all. Link chuckled and reached out to the boy, but he jumped back. There was such a terrified look in his eyes, but it was one Link was all too familiar with. He held out his hand and said, “It’s okay, really, nobody is going to let anything happen to you.” The boy stared at him for a little longer, then looked at his outstretched hand. Tears began to circle his eyes. Before Link even knew what was happening, there was a small child clinging to him and sobbing all down his tunic, but he didn’t mind. He held him tightly and said, “Look kid, I know something awful happened here, and that you are very, very, brave to stick around and take care of your animals all by yourself, but it’s okay now. You don’t have to be alone anymore. My name is Link, and I’m going to protect you, I promise.”





Told ya the kid would show up again.

 

[Dragoncat]

Daiganis...you sexist pig. Locked up and married off to the highest bidder? No thanks

Anyway. I thought when Link was thinking about the past, that he was the kid in the prologue grown up. That wouldve been interesting too, but I see you decided otherwise.

 

[Ocarina_Player]

Yup, he's a dick.

And nope, I have other plans for the kid, but some more of Link's childhood may pop up later on...

 

[Ocarina_Player]

Chapter 3! I'm sorry it's so much exposition, I promise it's gonna get exciting soon...


Chapter 3


“Orville? Orville, is that you, lad!?!” Kurt cried out and came running to meet him when they returned to the campsite. Link carried the boy the whole way back from the barn and let him borrow his cap, which he had pulled over his eyes so he didn’t have to see his friends and neighbors scattered on the ground. At the sound of Kurt’s voice, he lifted the cap and peeked out at who was calling him. Kurt ran up and took the boy off Link to give him big hug. “Oh bless Hylia, somebody made it! What about your mother, son? Did anybody else get away?” But Orville just stared at him. Kurt grew worried and set the boy down so he could get a proper look at him. “Come now lad, don’t keep me in suspense, there has to be someone else who made it!” Orville tried to speak, but still no sound would come out. He turned and buried himself in Link’s cloak. Link could feel his small shoulders shaking so he knelt down and told him, “It’s alright Orville, you don’t have to speak right now. Why don’t you go with Shira? She’ll have one of the medics take a look at you and then get a hot meal, okay?” Shira smiled and held out her hand. “Come on kiddo, you’ve got to be starving.” Orville cautiously took the knight’s hand and allowed her to lead him away.

Link turned back to Kurt. “We’ll send some scout out to the woods and see if anyone ran out that way, but I don’t think there are anymore survivors”. Kurt slumped to the ground, “Everything is ruined. So few of us got away, where can we go after this?” Link put a hand on his shoulder and gave an encouraging smile, “Well, if you don’t mind the trip, I know a village that would be happy to take you in and get you back on your feet….”

It took two days to find and bury all of the villagers. Only the few who had fled to the mountains had survived the carnage, and all agreed they would rather travel to Link’s village than stay in this slaughteryard, and so they had packed up whatever they could carry and prepared for the long march to their new home.
In all that time, Orville still did not speak a word. The medics said there was nothing physically wrong with him, but he was probably in shock. On the morning of their departure, Link found him sitting in front of his mother’s grave. Link sat beside him and for a while said nothing. He knew from experience that there was nothing he could say to this boy to make him feel any better, and although it hurt him, Link tried to think back to when he had lost his home and family, when he felt like there was no reason to keep going…

“Orville, it’s time to go.”

“. . .”

“You don’t want to be left behind do you?”

“. . .”

“Your cows are already in the caravan. Who is going to take care of them if you’re not with them?”

At this, Orville turned at looked at Link. Finally! He thought, at least there is something he still cares about...
Link stood up and held out his hand, but Orville still stared at him with a question in his eyes. Link took a guess and said, “If you’re worried about going through the mountain pass, don’t. We’ve have the king’s best squads to protect you and your bovine friends. Besides, if you’re really good, you might get to meet a mogma! They’re timid folk, but really fun once you get to know them.” At this, Orville finally smiled, just a little bit. He jumped up and grabbed Link’s hand, but before he took another step he stopped and looked again at his mother’s grave. Link turned him around again and told him, “Listen kid, I know how much you miss your mother. I wasn’t much older than you when I lost my mother in a raid, and like yours she died to save me. She did that so I could live and grow up. Everything I do is thanks to her sacrifice.” He glanced back at the grave, “Your mom did the same thing because she wanted you to be able to grow up and have a wonderful life. The best thing you can do to remember your mother is just that. So what do you say, kid? Are you ready for your first adventure?” Orville looked thoughtful for a moment. As a reply, he began to pull on Link’s hand in the direction of the caravan. Link laughed and followed him. “Good answer!”

If Link or Orville had looked up, they would have seen a giant shadow fly over the village. It was a huge bird, its crimson wings like fire in the sunlight. It made another pass over the village, careful to to stay out of the land dwellers’ line of sight. When he had seen all he needed to, he rose up to the sky above the clouds. There he sought a young woman sitting on a chair she had fashioned from a cumulus cloud. She was dressed all in white, her hair as golden as the sun. She smiled brightly as her companion came to land next to her.

“Tell me, my friend, what have you discovered?”

“I’m afraid the demon king’s onslaught has begun, but the land dwellers seem completely oblivious to the terrible danger that is upon them. They spent two days burying their dead when they could have been tracking down the first wave of bokoblins who are no doubt planning their next attack!”

“Oh dear, you understand humans so little.” The young woman gently chastised the great bird. “They are grieving. To lose so many in such a horrific way, they must be allowed time to mourn them. Next comes the anger, and they will desire justice for their fallen friends. But tell me, what of my knight? Did you see him?”

The great bird’s feathers ruffled and he heaved a sigh. “If you are referring to that scrawny Link character, yes, indeed he was. I don’t understand what you see in him. There are more powerful and more influential heroes in the realm that could better champion your cause. Given the chance the boy would rather take a nap or play pranks on his friends than lead a battle. And here he is worrying about some few villagers than pursuing the fiends who put them in this position in the first place!”

“And that is precisely why I like him” Hylia playfully poked his yellow beak. “Somebody who cares deeply for others will fight mercilessly when they are in danger. But alas, we can do nothing but watch at this point. Whether he proves to be worthy of my blessing or not is entirely up to him.” And with that she mounted the great bird and they took off higher into the sky.

 

[Dragoncat]

Poor kid. At least he still has his father. That is if Kurt is...the way you wrote it makes me think he has some relation to Orville. If not his father, maybe an uncle or something? Never mind. I reread the last chapter. Kurt is the guide. But he could still be related to Orville I guess.

Talking loftwing huh? Cool...it would be awesome if the loftwings in the Sky era could talk too, but this one is special.

 

[Ocarina_Player]

Yeah well the loftwing Hylia rode could talk, and he didn't seem overly fond of humans. Also no, Kurt has no relation to Orville, it is - uh, was - a small village so everyone knows everyone.

 

[Dragoncat]

Makes sense. I had forgotten how small the village was. And exactly. Hylia's loftwing was special.

 

[Ocarina_Player]

Yeah, being the goddess's personal ride affords one some special powers, like speech and a self-superior attitude :p