Sword of Destiny [The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild]

one

Link usually didn't seek out trouble, but the whispers got to him.

His father had brought him along to the Woodland military training camp for the weekend. He was meant to watch as the royal guardsmen underwent their training. So far everything they had done was something Link had already mastered. He was twelve, and already he could defeat most of the guardsmen. Only the seasoned guards managed to knock him down. But Link was too young to be in the army, so he could only observe.

The first night there, Link was attempting to fall asleep when he heard the guards talking about Great Hyrule Forest.

And venturing into the Lost Woods.

It had been a long day of rough training and getting shouted at, and the men were excited to test the rumors of the Forest, to do something reckless.

A soldier said in the dark, "No one can navigate the Woods."

Another hissed, "And it kicks everyone out. It brings you back to where you went in."

"What if we found the Master Sword?"

"Don't be ridiculous, only a hero can find it."

"Yeah," another whispered. "But what if it's one of us? You know what's been happening. The monsters have gotten worse since the Queen died. Some say the Calamity may be approaching."

Calamity Ganon. Ten thousand years ago, a primal evil arose from the depths of Hyrule Castle exactly as a great prophecy predicted. The goddess Hylia gifted her power to the Princess and a sword that repelled evil to a chosen hero. Together, with machines built by the Sheikah, they were able to defeat the Calamity and seal him away.

Thge Master Sword now slept deep within Great Hyrule Forest and the Lost Woods.

When the men snuck out late that night, Link followed them. He, too, wanted to test the rumors of the Woods, but he wanted to see what happens when you get lost. They said the Lost Woods were impossible to map, that if you were there for too long the Woods would magically bring you back to where you started.

He did not dream of finding the Master Sword. He was only a child--he was no make for a hero. Not yet at least.

Link was small and quick, his feet light on the grass. The men knew nothing of his pursuit.

They had all brought their weapons, so Link did, too. Everyone had heard of the monsters in the Forest. Stalkoblins and moblins, keese and chuchus. It wasn't safe to go alone or unarmed.

When they arrived at the entrance to the Lost Woods, Link hesitated. The men were spooked, too.

There was a thick, impenetrable layer of white fog. It began just at the edge of the forest and drifted towards them in gentle waves. A lone torch burned next to a small stone ruin of a doorway. There was no one who could have lit it.

The men, after several moments of deliberation, went in.

Link waited.

There was no screaming, but it seemed all sounds had disappeared inside the fog. The men's hushed voices vanished at once. Was experiencing the Lost Woods really worth it? All accounts said people were returned unharmed, unless they had encountered a monster. And Link could handle monsters just fine.

He was undoubtedly going to be kicked out just like the rest of them, but the thought was exciting. Link was tired of being dragged around to different training camps with his father. When you were a better fighter than over half of Hyrule's army, you tend to get bored. You wanted something to happen.

Link gripped his sword, grinned, and dived into the fog, hoping for a thrill.

Immediately, he got chills. The air was crisp, and he could only see a few yards in front of him. The dense canopy above blocked out all moonlight. In the distance, just hardly, he could see a torch burning. Assuming it was the other men, he followed.