Hero of Hyrule and The Exiled

Chapter One: Awaken

    Deep beneath Hyrule concealed a dark secret sealed away for centuries. The most feared, powerful and treacherous entity lay in the deepest catacombs under the castle. In a tomb of darkness. The empty vessel of the Demon King lay in wait, his inevitable return is soon to come. For the poor Princess and her Knight are drawing unknowingly closer to his corpse.
    A dim light rounds the corner of the stone walls, dripping echoes and splashing footsteps fill the silence. The princess holds a torch ahead to guide the way for her and the silent knight. He follows her closely, a hand gently hovers over his scabbard. Ready to defend her of anything in the unknown.
   "This way Link." A hint of excitement in her whisper.The pair walk down a dark hall and find themselves at the top of a stone staircase. The light only rimming the frame into the room below. " Shall we?" She nods her head to below as she turns to look at Link.He only nods and follows her lead. The two cautiously descend the stairs, a weight growing on the Princess's chest. A strange aura of black and red can be seen in the atmosphere as they draw nearer to the room.
    The princess's brows furrow with worry, " This strange gloom keeps getting thicker." She moves the torch to the right as they meet at the bottom. Strange blue glowing stones catches their attention. She ponders at them for a second and then to the dark corner leading deeper ahead. She turns to Link, who is glancing around at the stones. "We've been descending for awhile now.These tunnels are deeper than I thought...what could be down here?" Her face stern.
   She begins walking again, Link following closely at her tail. " I never imagined this was all beneath Hyrule Castle.." she mumbles as she looks around in awe. The room in illuminated by the blue light of the glowing stones and the soft yellow of the torch. More and more dripping of water can be heard in the distance. The air seems to be heavier down here; and an unsettling feeling hangs with it.
    She stops in her tracks and seems lost in thought for a moment, pondering at the stones.
" People have been falling ill after coming into contact with the gloom drifting through these caverns." She pauses, contemplating their surroundings more. " Though here it seems ..misty and not concentrated enough to harm us."
   Link takes in all of this information from behind.
" We'll keep going—with it coming up from beneath Hyrule Castle.." She breaks away from her concentration and turns to him, her face twisted with worry. " We do not know what waits below. So we will need to be ready for anything.But I know I will be OK with you, Link." A soft smile on her face from finding comfort in even his name. " Let's go solve this mystery." Her voice now filled with determination. Link nods and they continue on their mission. Coming to more stairs, the princess can feel herself become more and more worrisome. She hadn't fathomed just how deep this path goes.
    Link and her walk side by side as they near another dark room. Just before they cross the threshold, the Master Sword begins glowing blue, exactly as the stones from before. The princess gasps at the sight. " Link!" She calls out. He stops dead in his tracks. " The Master Sword..it must be sensing something!" Her interest is definitely at its peak now. " I knew we had reason for concern." She grimaces at the light from the sword. "Ever since the end of the Calamity, the castle has fallen into neglect." Link turns to her as her voice falls softer. " But I never could have imagined anything like these tunnels were hiding here... We must be careful as we move deeper." She pushed forward yet again, guiding them with the torch. Link, hearing her worry, unsheathes his sword. The blue light shining all the way down the magnificent blade. He makes extra sure to stay close to her, his nerves now seeming to rise too.
The enter a long corridor with fallen debris and carved out stone pillars.A fallen one near their path peaks her interest yet again as she gasps in awe of it.She gently kneels before it and holds the torch closer. After a mere second of analyzing it she speaks up. "These ruins are from an ancient civilization." She continues to study it, "Wait...something is written here." Her hand feels along the carvings. Her eyes grow wide as she comes to a conclusion. "Might these ruins be...from the Zonai?"
Link looks down at the carvings, not understanding a thing they say, but he has heard of the word " Zonai" before. Only a few times has he heard Zelda and Purah discuss them. Zelda stands, now heading over to look at a pillar on the wall across from this one. "Oh! Look at this.. I'm sure they're Zonai in origin.I've seen designs like this in my studies." She pulls the " Purah pad", that was given to her by none other than Purah herself, to take a picture of the carvings. " The Zonai are said to have lived long ago..in the time of earliest legend.They possessed godlike powers and had a prosperous civilization in the sky." Another snap shot goes off. " Many history books tell us about the Zonai, but none gives us the full picture.Much is still unknown about them." Shes puts away the Purah Pad and continues walking. Link is seeming overwhelmed trying to soak in all of the information she unloaded onto him. His eyes lingering a little longer on the pillar. Zelda trails off to an archway a the end of the corridor. Two tall stone statues are set on either side of it. Their height towering above them. Zelda stops to take another picture of one. " Is this what the Zonai looked like? They seem so different than us, and such large ears.." Links eyes follow hers to the top of the statue. The top like a T-Shape, it's neck long, trailing up to an animal like head with big long ears. They both state up in awe of it. " How did the ruins of a civilization in the sky end up here beneath the castle?" She thinks aloud to herself. Her attention now turned to the archway. " It looks like the path ahead goes even deeper. Let's continue, Link."
Link has a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach, but keeps his stoic demeanor.He decides to lead the way by a few inches between them. They follow it and descend more stairs of an even longer corridor. More of the mysterious Zonai statues line the walls as they pass. Just as Link steps foot into the new room he can hear chirping coming from a corner. He draws his sword into a defensive stance as Zelda lingers behind. In the dim light of the torch two Keese bats charge at Link. An easy foe against the famous Master Sword Link wields. As the first draw closer, Links hand raises the swords and strikes it down. Slashing the Keese with one swift swing. As the first falls the second meets the same fate. Link listens a second for more but determined they're safe now.
The taps of Zelda running come from behind him. " You're not hurt are you,Link?" Her eyes darts over his body against the light. Of course he was fine, but ever since the reckoning of Calamity Ganon and their separation for 100 years after his near death injuries, she has become more doting of him. She gives a small smile to Link as she finishes checking him over. A small gasps suddenly comes from her as her eyes fixate in the wall behind Link. The giant wall covered top to bottom in foreign carvings. A whole tapestry of stone.
They both turn to it, Zelda looking in amazement. "look at these murals..." another excited gasp leaves her mouth as she steps towards it. She holds the torch higher for a better view. " The written histories of the Royal Family include stories of a great war fought long ago. It was a conflict between allied tribes and someone only ever referred to as the Demon King." She looks on.
Link studies over the first section of the carvings, they seem to depict the monsters he faced during the Calamity. They know them as Moblins and Bokoblins. His thoughts get interrupted by Zelda. " Is it possible? Do these murals depict the same legend?" His eyes follow her as she scurries over to the beginning of the Murals. " This is similar to the statues we saw earlier—a Zonai." It shows a giant Zonai creature in a meditative sitting position, raised into the air with arms stretched out by its sides. There seem to be 7 tear drop shapes above its head in an arch. Beneath it, familiar looking shapes pop out to Zelda. " And these figures look like Hylians." She backs away to take it all in, stepping shoulder to shoulder with Link as the survey it together. " This depiction certainly suggests that the Zonai descended from the heavens." Her eyes move to the next mural and her feet follow. The next mural seems to depict a Zonai and Hylian hand in hand, facing each other...almost intimately. Two of the tear shapes float above their heads, looking as if to form a heart.
" It is said that my ancestors—the first of Hyrule's royal family...were born from a union with gods who had descended from the heavens." She takes a breath to soak in the murals. " These murals tell a similar story, and if they are accurate, then the gods mentioned were the Zonai...They must have forged a relationship with the Hylians of that time,working together to establish...the kingdom of Hyrule!" She says stupefied. The next mural shows a large man with long hair, grasping upwards towards another tear.
Zelda's excitement changes to that of disquietude. " This figure...He seems to be stealing something of incredible power from the young kingdom." Her face stern as she analyzes it. " This all aligns with what I've read during my studies." Her voice becoming more alarmed, she rushes to the next. " And then this...It shows the Demon King! And the fierce battle against him." She backs away. The giant depiction of the Demon King, now actually resembling a true demon, looks down at them, leading an army of monsters.Zelda's heart races, " If the creature depicted here really does represent the Demon King, then..." Small Hylian figurines show down the left corners, depicted as knights in a defensive stance to the monsters. " Incredible!" Zelda exclaims. " This mural must be the Great War recorded in the royal histories!"
She pans down each mural starting from the first, her heart rushing with excitement at the miraculous find. " This is the Imprisoning War and the events that lead up to it!" She bursts with excitement and turns on her heals to Link, making him flinch. " Link! This is a huge discovery!" She fumbles around for the Purah Pad and Link takes ahold of the torch from her. " Alight then. Now to use this invention of Purah's. I'm glad I didn't leave it behind." Her hands nervously fumble with the tech as she turns to take picture of the Murals. As she takes pictures of each mural carefully she stops in surprise at the last. It seems time has made rocks and debris chip away and fall, covering the last mural. Zelda seems dissatisfied. " Oh, it looks like the rest of the murals are obscured..." She sighs softly and pockets the Purah Pad , taking back the torch. " Just what is this place?" Letting then question hang in the air as she turns to look on last time around the room. " Maybe we'll find more answers farther as head.Link, let's keep moving deeper." She takes one last glance at the crumbled lost mural, wishing she could uncover its secrets.She turns on her heels and continue. Link takes a moment to look at the murals one last time, soaking them in before trailing behind her again, getting back on track to their mission.They continue walking towards another dark archway, it seems more gloom mist hangs in the air around it. With an uneasy feeling, Link draws his sword again to move ahead of her, allowing the blue light from it to guide him down the path. Puddles of gloom mist now scatter around the floor. The sensation of the atmosphere nearly takes your breath away as it seems almost harder to breath here. As if you're riddled with allergies and plant your face into a flower field. That stuffy feeling follows them as they creep closer down the mysterious path. This Corridor seems longer, no more statues or carvings decorate the surroundings.Only quiets taps of dithery feet and the looming silence between him and the princess.The corridor trails down more shorter stairs. It seems almost never ending the deeper they go. The only change of pace being a few twist and turns along the way.Finally rounding the last left corner, they meet at the top of another stairs. This one seemingly longer than the last. The presence of gloom mist following it the whole way down. Link cautiously creeps forward, Zelda not too far behind him.
Link reaches the bottom first. His eyes widen in awe at the sight before him. The stairs comes to a ledge overlooking a giant swirling green and blue light, emitting from the center of the room that's surrounded by even more gloom mist. He can hear Zelda gasp behind him. The torch rushes past him to look over the ledge. She's astonished by the sight before her. "What is this place?" Knowing her question would go unanswered. " Let's continue, Link. But we MUST be extremely careful." She pushes past her looming anxiety and puts on a brave face. " Ok." Link simply replies. His tone low and nonchalant; however his instincts tell him this place is nothing to mess around in. Zelda notices a flight of winding stairs leading down off to the side of the ledge. She insists to lead ahead with the torch, but Link watches her geeky closely. His hand gripping his sword tight that hangs by his side.
They draw closer to the mysterious glowing. "What is that ?" Zelda pushes forward. A figure seems to be at the center of the source of light.
She moves to get a closer look. Her eyes dart over the figure, and her mouth agape. It's a corpse. A mummified corpse, putatively being held down by a " severed" arm. It's pushing against the bodies chest.The light source appears to be actually coming from the arm. It's illuminating a light green from its skin. Gloom is seen seeping out of the corpses chest, it's mouth agape, eyes merely empty black sockets. Shimmers of gold accents on jewelry and a staple piece upon its forehead. It's hair, a muted dry red color, flows down to the floor below it. Tattered clothes hang off the brittle decaying remains. It's truly a loathsome sight.
Suddenly, as they step a foot closer to it, the arm creaks...and falls. A small ,light yellow,glowing stone falls and clings to the ground at Zelda's feet. A small gasp escapes her and she kneels apprehensively to pick it up.The stone cold to the touch in her gentle grasp. As she turns it in her hand to gaze upon it, she notices the familiarity. It's was exactly that of the year shaped stones from the murals. And just as soon as the discovery, a bright yellow light shines from the stone. She gasps.
And with that moment, the curiosity of the cavern, the unwavering inquisitiveness to go deeper, the hunger to know more of the light before them, and that single step closer. Has brought them unknowingly to their horrendous fate. For what they don't realize is the moment the stone began to glow, the corpses heart began to beat. Thump...thump...thump.
It's fingers began to twitch, immediately gaining Zelda and Links attention. They twitched and creaked, and soon...it's whole body began to move. Moving in stiff rigid manners as it shakes off the time it had been sealed away. And almost as suddenly as it convulsed, it dropped. It's head hanged and back arched as if it went lifeless for second time. Zelda's heart now raced at what was unfolding in front of her. She was petrified.
The corpse twitches slightly, and then... it's head darts into their direction, it's eyes awaken and glow a piercing red. Gloom emitting from them. It's mouth still agape, now barring monstrous fangs. A low booming growl comes from within it.What's even worse is a flurry of gloom erupts from the reanimated body, streaks of it surrounding them. Zelda gasps in fear as a streak rushes at her directly. Link, her heroic knight, leaps in front of her and parries the sudden attack with the Master Swords light. But this wasn't without consequences. The gloom erupted back at him and the pointed sword, enveloping and slithering down the swords and to his arm. Pain immediately shoots up Links arm and winces at it, attempting to pry his arm away with the other. It was no use as it had nearly fully covered his right arm. A staggering moment went on as her tried to free himself, and just as the he thought it was swallow him whole, the streak of gloom evaporated.Leaving a trace amount behind on the blade of the Master Sword and his right arm just half way up his bicep. It was now black. The pain becoming unbearable but he kept his stance.
More gloom shoots from the corpse and flies right at Link. It was determined to kill him.
He grits his teeth through the pain and swings the sword down on it with all his might. The sword shattering to pieces against it.The tip of it flying off and slicing the cheek of the corpse, blood burning on its cheek.The corpses gaze has never left them.The gloom that attacked has gone, but Link is severely wounded. His heart and head raced, he needed to protect her, but his arm is weakened. It's almost as if it's slowing decaying from the inside out.
" Link." Zelda rushes to his aid. His arm is blackened and the clothing around it charred off.Suddenly, the body speaks. In a low , hoarse, grumbling voice it utters, " Was that the sword that seals the darkness? A blade that shatters so easily against my power cannot save you from me." Towards the second sentence he begins to arise, creaking away in rigid movements. " Zelda.." he looks to her and utters.She can only look on in horror.
He turns to Link. "You, who carries that fragile sword...are link." He croaks out. Links breath heaves as he holds his injured arm with his brows furrowed. He gasps slightly at his name coming from the ancient mummy. " Rauru put his faith in you...and that was all you could do?" His tone mocks Link. The body is now fully upright, looking over them from afar.
" How do you...know our names?" Zelda speaks up, her voice shakes. The body becomes surrounded by streaks of gloom again, the time more concentrated around his heart. His hands moving as if they're controlling it. Almost as suddenly as it appears he thrusts the gloom above him, it surges up and engulfs the ceiling. The force so powerful the very ground beneath them shakes. And with that power, it moves the earth above them. Zelda's grip tightens in horror as she watches the solid earth be moved so easily. The gloom pushes and pushes. The mound of earth continues rising.
Above Hyrule, a loud boom echoes the land. Followed by what can only be described as an earthquake. The very soil below the castle begins to rise into the air. A wave of dust covering the land in the vicinity. Loud rumbles carry on as the entirety of Hyrule Castle begins being thrust slowly into the air. Debris of it and the earth crumbling down from it. Red and black gloom erupts from underneath the pit of land as if the very fires from hell have made its way to Hyrule. Ear blaring roars can be heard from the blast. The civilians look on in bewilderment and horror as it all unfolds before them. Some having to dodge falling earth. It's truly a sight from hell.
As the castle is raised out of the earth , the gloom decreases and vanishes and the very ground beneath the body crumbles and falls into a dark void. It was as if he wanted to fall down there, knowing he would not perish.
Link winces and falls to his knee, clinging to his almost dead arm. He gasps at the pain. " Link!" Zelda rushed to him once again. The world crumbling around them. However the moment she calls to him the ground below gives way.She falls.
Link, though injured immensely, runs after her, carelessly leaping off into the darkness below. Her torch just barely illuminating them.As he leaps he reaches out his injured arm, as it was closest to her. It was as if all time slowed down. They fell through the air for only a moment, reaching out to one another.Sadly, she could not reach his. They both fell hopelessly through the air and link gasps as she fell further from his grasp...and suddenly, as she continued getting further, a light from the stone in her pocket shined brightly. So bright it engulfed her. And just like that...she vanished with her arms still reaching out for him. Once she vanished, Links falling coming to a jolting halt. He looks up to his good arm caught by the arm the once sealed away the body.It glowed onto his face and without warning, sucked him through a green void. Links world went white, then dark. The last thought on his mind was saving the princess and what would become of the corpse that was now awake.