The Legend of Zelda: Blood and Spirit

Chapter 1: Beckoning Dreams

Blood and Spirit

Book 1 of the Bound Destinies Trilogy

Chapter 1: Beckoning Dreams

"Link... chosen hero of the goddess Hylia..."

A strange, yet heavenly voice called out to the hero as he stood within a mysterious forest, sunlight just barely spilling through the tall trees. Oddly enough, the voice seemed to be coming from a specific direction, and no more than a second after it first spoke to him, the bright, trilling sound of what seemed to be a flute or something close to it, began to echo throughout the woods, as the feminine voice rung out once more.

"Hero..." it said, a certain desperation starting to creep into its otherwise calming tone. "Please... Come this way..." A light breeze began to rustle the trees in a certain path ahead of the hero, showing him where to go. "I am in need of your aid... A corrupting power pervades my own champion... I am in need of your strength to free him from the evil that binds his soul... Please... Help save my dying land as you have saved the land of Hylia... Find your way here from the forest of your world... Come with the goddess' reincarnation... Please, hero... You are my last hope..."

The mysterious voice faded away, as did the forest itself, as another, much more familiar voice called out to him cheerfully and rather abruptly. "Hey! Wake up, sleepyhead!"

Link groaned sleepily and rolled over, trying to ignore Zelda, but as usual, she persisted. "Come on, Link!" she said brightly, leaning down to his level to make sure he could hear her. "Its another gorgeous morning on the surface! The sun is shining, the birds are singing..." She sighed wistfully as she rose to stand once more. "Its just amazing! Its always so beautiful down here!"

"But its so early..." the hero muttered, begrudgingly opening his eyes to glance up at her.

Zelda couldn't help but giggle at his morning grouchiness. "Oh come on..." she patronized. "If anything, its late. In fact, I think I let you sleep in for a change!"

"You've never let me sleep in, Zel," Link protested with a slight smile as he sat up, finally waking up fully. "And sometimes I think you never will..."

She grinned cleverly at him. "Aw, don't be like that..." she said sweetly, taking a seat on the temple floor beside him. "After all, I was nice enough to wash these for you down by the creek earlier." She handed him a bundle consisting of his green knight uniform tunic and cap. "And all before you even woke up."

The hero frowned as he took the clothes from her and slipped them on overtop his undershirt. "You shouldn't have done that," he said patiently. "Going out there on your own could be dangerous. I don't want to loose you again."

Zelda felt her cheeks redden a bit, but she smiled good-naturedly nonetheless. "I was fine," she said, glancing towards the sunlight that spilled in from the broken part of the Sealed Temple's ceiling. "There aren't any monsters wandering around in the forest anymore now that Demise is gone and besides, I wasn't alone..."

"What do you mean?" Link asked in confusion.

The girl's smile became mysterious as she lowered her voice to almost a whisper. "What I mean as that, all over the surface, there are loyal guardians, whose responsibility is to serve and protect Hylia... or... well, me now, I guess, hidden within the shadows. They're of Impa's tribe: the Sheikahs. I've haven't seen any of them except for Impa herself since we've been here, but I know that they're there, watching us from the shadows and making sure that I'm safe."

"I thought that was my job," the hero said with a joking smile.

Zelda laughed as she rolled her eyes at him. "Yeah, well how do you plan on protecting me if all you do is sleep all the time?"