Memories of Hyrule Past

Chapter 2 - Champion Swordsman

Summary: After losing his father, Link joins the Hyrule army, spends time with some Zora friends, and wins the Hyrule Swordsmanship Championship.

I was still quite young, perhaps 11 or so, when my father died in battle. I never learned the details, but I was suddenly on my own. At one point, I had thought of continuing my education, but that was no longer an option. I had to take care of myself. I should mention that my only other living relatives then were an uncle and two cousins, and it was not much longer before my uncle was killed in combat as well. The obvious thing for me to do was to enlist in the Hyrule army. I was young to do that, but they accepted me. After enrolling, I was stationed at Hyrule Castle, and I worked hard on my training. It wasn't too long before I qualified as a member of the Royal Guards like my father. But I remember this was a tough time for me. I worked around my sadness by keeping active with training.

There was one thing I haven't mentioned that is very important. From the age of four or so, I recognized I had a unique ability which proved its worth in combat: for a brief period, I could wage attacks very rapidly. When this happened, it appeared to me that time slowed down for my adversary, and I could land multiple blows or multiple arrow strikes.

With this ability, my swordsmanship skill was noticed, and the captain of my unit encouraged me to sign up for the Hyrule Swordsmanship competition, which I did. This was an annual event to determine the most skilled swordsman in Hyrule. The tournament used swords that were designed to leave marks on one's opponent so judges could gauge the outcome, but not cause any serious harm other than some light bruising. I worked my way through the preliminary rounds without great difficulty and finally made it to the final round.

I still remember the championship round. It was a huge event, held before a large audience in a coliseum not too far from Hyrule Castle. Attendees included all the officers of the Hyrule knights as well as many soldiers and Hyrule citizens. But the special attendee was the Princess of Hyrule herself. I remember seeing her for the first time. She looked beautiful but very serious and no older than I was at 13 then. Her Highness gave a short speech of encouragement to the two contestants and said she would be presenting the winner with the medal.

"Welcome everyone to the final round of the annual Hyrule Swordsmanship competition," said Zelda. "Our two contestants are both members of the Royal Guards and have demonstrated outstanding skill in reaching this final round. The winner will receive the King's championship medal from me in recognition of their achievement. I wish them good luck and look forward to an exciting event."

Everyone applauded, and then the competition started. My opponent was obviously much older and had a reputation as an exceptionally skilled knight. He was an officer in the Royal Guards, and I knew only the best soldiers were chosen for such an honor. I was very nervous as the competition began. We thrust and parried each other, and then I was careless, and he was able to graze my leg with his sword. The crowd applauded. I knew that was several points against me, and I needed to focus. We circled each other warily, striking sword against sword. Neither of us could score against the other. But then my opponent attempted to stab at me. I was able to jump aside at just the right moment and let loose a flurry attack that was enough to win the competition on the spot. The crowd stood and cheered as I stood there out of breath. I had won! The next thing I remember, I was standing in the center of the arena as Her Highness approached to pin the medal on me. I bowed my head then looked up.

"Congratulations, you have shown yourself to be the best swordsman in all of Hyrule. May I ask how you say your name?" said Zelda.

"Lnk, I mean Link, Your Highness," I said. I was so nervous I couldn't even say my name.

"Well, Lnk or Link," Zelda laughed, "you should be very proud. There is another trial that comes with winning this competition, and we shall meet again soon when the time comes. In the meantime, please enjoy your victory."