Chapter Text
Steeling herself for what waited ahead, Zelda stepped through the dark tunnel that would lead her to her destination. The light on the other side was blinding and made her flinch, her grip on the harp tightening as she was met with even more foliage and trees than before. Beyond the leaves, she could spy the top of the temple she was tasked with exploring.
She was still awestruck at how beautiful the Surface was, especially with its colours and hues. Compared to Skyloft it was so much more vibrant and full of life, even if it was a guessing game of when she would suddenly be met with the snarling face of a Bokoblin or the ravenous jaws of a Deku Baba.
She’d made sure to take the old woman’s words to heart of being careful, but as she gazed upon the temple beyond, they quickly slipped her mind.
The way it stood out against the green was so fascinating to her. It was far bigger than the buildings she was used to, and its architecture was incredible. How someone had been able to make something like that so grand and glorious in a presumably quite primitive world was beyond her. And unlike the Sealed Grounds, it was presumably perfect condition.
So enthralled was Zelda as she stepped forwards that she didn’t notice the suspicious-looking flower in front of her.
With gnashing teeth and flailing tongue, the Deku Baba leapt forwards, grazing Zelda’s arm with its fangs at a terrifying speed.
The pain was incredible, making her let out a loud yelp as she was struck. She collapsed to the ground, letting go of the harp as she moved to cover the wound.
Zelda was now frozen with fear, eyes clenched tight and half-expecting the carnivorous plant to take another swipe at her, sinking its teeth into her leg and viciously tear into it.
Instead, she was met with a pitiful shriek from the Deku Baba and the familiar sound of a sword slashing through the air. There was then a heavy thump of something large hitting the ground.
At that, a small yet hopeful thought crossed her mind.
…Link?
She opened her eyes and was met by the severed head of the Deku Baba, its mouth agape and teeth now stained in green fluid. Immediately she sprung to her feet, but the head remained completely motionless.
Trying to calm her breathing, she finally looked up at her rescuer.
Whoever he was, it certainly wasn’t Link. The stranger was much taller and older, with clothing so bright and colourful, he stood out far more than even the trees. Hell, he didn’t even look like he would fit in this world at all. There was an air of royalty about him that Zelda couldn’t quite place, slightly putting her on edge.
Smiling sweetly, he bent over to pick up the harp and brushed it free of dirt and grass.
“I believe this is yours?” He spoke softly and calmly as he stepped over the Deku Baba like it were just a small rock in his path and held it out to her, but there was something about him that made Zelda hesitate to take back what was hers.
The smile quickly faded, then his eyes came to rest on where she’s been hurt.
“I don’t suppose you know any healing magic, hmm?”
Zelda looked down and to her horror, her sleeve was almost soaked through from shoulder to hem with a thin stream of blood. Her clothing didn’t help either, making the red practically shine against the white.
“Oh my-” She cut herself off as her hand rose to cover her mouth in shock. She didn’t realise the Deku Baba had struck her so badly.
“Please, allow me.” The stranger stepped towards her suddenly, making Zelda recoil.
“Wait!”
He stopped, clearly surprised by her order.
“I- Who are you? What do you want with me?”
“Me? Why, surely you’ve already been told?” His eyes had an odd glint to them as he spoke, but she couldn’t place why. “I am the servant the Goddess sent to take care of you on your quest, dearest Zelda.”
He held his free hand out towards her.
“You may call me Hiram, if you feel so inclined.”
Naturally, Zelda refused and instead eyed him suspiciously.
“How do you know my name?”
“I was told by the Goddess Herself, of course. Saves on lengthy introductions, don’t you think?”
She tried her best to remain calm and glare back at him, but he only responded with a friendly grin.
“…If you’re are indeed the Goddess’ servant, why are you dressed like that?”
Hiram tilted his head.
“Whatever do you mean by that? I’ve always dressed like this.”
“Still feels a bit… much. For just a servant, don’t you think?”
The corner of his mouth twisted into a slight grimace, but he quickly covered it by straightening his posture, looking off into the distance thoughtfully, and puffing out his chest.
“I’ll have you know, Your Grace, that someone such as I can’t say no to a little colour and vibrant sense of fashion. A loyal subject must look the part, should they not?”
“I suppose…”
Hiram offered his hand a second time.
“If I may?” He nodded to Zelda’s red sleeve.
Still nervous yet not wanting to ruin her new garments, she took back the harp.
“Make it quick.” She stood still as he moved to examine the wound. She felt herself shrink inwards with how he leaned over her, placing a hand over the cut. He was surprisingly cool to the touch.
“Just hold still for me and it will be over before you know it.”
There was a tingling sensation as he worked his magic, with Zelda watching in awe as a soft light appeared under his hand.
They stood there for a moment or two as the tingling intensified then eventually faded altogether. Hiram released his grip on her with a flourish, grinning happily.
“There we are! Good as new.”
Zelda looked down and, true to his word, he had healed her. She raised her other hand up to touch the skin beneath the tear in her clothing and to her surprise, there was no evidence the cut had been there in the first place. No scarring, not even a slight bump.
“How- Did you do that!?” She said, incredulous.
“Hmm, that spell is hardly noteworthy.” He put an arm behind his back and place the other on his chest. “But if you thought that was impressive, you should see what else I have in my arsenal.”
“Like what?”
“Well-” He cut himself off as he turned to face the temple behind him. “In order to prevent the enemy from catching up to us, I will have to destroy parts of this chasm to hinder their progress. Can’t have you being whisked away all of a sudden, can we?”
Zelda paused, then quietly nodded.
“How far do we have to go to reach the end of the temple?”
“Oh, it’s not too extraneous. Only a few minutes away from the entrance.”
She looked from him to the temple, then back to him. The unnerving vibe she’d gotten from him at the start hadn’t completely faded, but she tried her best to brush it aside. If Hiram was working with the enemy, why on earth would he bother healing her? Surely, he could just swipe her up and take her to his leader, regardless of how injured she was.
“Do you… know who the enemy is?”
“Of course! Why do you ask?”
“Well, I’m still unsure of why I’m even here in the first place. All I know is that my task is to find these springs on the Surface and pray at them to… ‘awaken’ something inside me? I’m assuming that’s why they want me in the first place, right? Because I’m special.”
“Far more than you could currently comprehend, yes.”
She must have looked at him with a worried expression because he placed a hand on her shoulder, standing close beside her.
“But that isn’t something you should fret about just yet. Once you reach your first spring, I promise everything will start to make sense to you.”
“Are you sure?”
He nodded, then moved to one side to let her pass.
“Positively! Now, do you wish to continue to stand here, all confused? Or are you ready to have your questions answered?”
Taking a deep breath, Zelda stepped towards her goal, Hiram following close behind. She walked up the steps to the gigantic stone doors, only to be interrupted by the sound of breaking stone and the earth tearing itself in two.
She quickly turned to look behind her and indeed, Hiram had completely destroyed the path and rendering it impassable. She looked at him, shocked, but he only responded with a wide grin.
“As I said: I’m only doing this to hinder the enemy. It certainly wouldn’t look very good on my part if I lost you after only just a few moments of finding you.”
She kept an eye on him as he stepped towards the door, examined it for a moment, then raised a hand towards it. As if on cue, the stone doors creaked open, scraping against the ground so harshly from years of inaction, it made Zelda wince.
Satisfied, he turned back to her, an arm extended towards the steps leading into the temple’s dark depths.
“Ladies first!”
To Zelda’s surprise, the air was quite humid when compared to outside. Gigantic mushrooms grew out of the ground, bathing the surrounding area in a soft blue light. Somewhere in the building’s depths, she could hear the gentle gurgle of running water. Light scuttling and squeaks alerted her of the temple’s current denizens, so she stuck close to Hiram’s side as they continued further into the temple.
For whatever reason he seemed quite pleased with himself, humming a tune as they walked. Every now and he’d stop and glance down at her, making Zelda fidget and grip the harp close to her chest. Whenever she caught him doing so, he’d only smile and go back to humming before repeating the same process all over again.
To stop the discomfort from getting to her, she thought it only necessary to ask a few questions to pass the time.
“Since you know who the enemy is,” she started, looking up at him, “Do you know what they look like?”
“The monsters? Or the leader?”
“Leader.”
Hiram’s eyes flicked to the side then back to her, as though trying to recall an appropriate description.
“Well, where to start?” He raised a hand above his head. “They’re about a head taller than I. Muscular, intimidating, not someone you’d like to meet in the woods at night. Absurdly skilled in the art of swordplay also. Perhaps one of the best swordsman to have existed on the Surface.”
Zelda gave him a look.
“It’s only a small compliment.” He said hurriedly. “And to their credit, they are what is known as a Sword Spirit. It would seem utterly ridiculous if a being like that had no skills whatsoever in that field.”
“…What’s a Sword Spirit?”
He rolled his eyes, presumably amused at how innocently she’s asked the question.
“A special kind of soul that’s been bonded to a magically forged weapon. It’s not something an ordinary human could ever hope of making.”
Zelda paused, taking in what she’d been told.
“Does that mean… they want to kill me?”
She stopped and stared at him, waiting to see how Hiram would respond. He remained unresponsive for longer than she anticipated, making her stomach churn.
“Truthfully, I don’t know. And even if I did, why would I tell you?”
Zelda went to say something, but he held up a hand to silence her.
“There’s a phrase you people use that goes ‘Ignorance is bliss’, correct? Would you not feel more at ease not knowing the villain’s true motives than living on edge for the rest of your adventure?”
“But what if they grab me when your back is turned? Or knock you out unconscious so you can’t save me?”
At that Hiram laughed, catching her off-guard.
“Trust me, Your Grace, now that I have you beside me, I wouldn’t dare let you out of my sight. Someone like you is far too important to lose. And if you need confirmation, I am perfectly capable of fighting my corner. You worry about your problems, and I’ll worry about mine.”
Dumbstruck, Zelda said nothing as Hiram continued onwards, only stopping when he reached the doorway that lead into the next room.
“Now, do you wish to ask me anything else? Or shall we keep going?”
She stood still for a moment, trying to gather her thoughts.
What if he was actually working with the monsters’ leader and she was unknowingly walking into a trap?
Yet, even then, she doubted herself. This was indeed the place the old woman and the kikwis had pointed her to. And Hiram had been able to confidently answer her questions without much hesitation, which could imply he hadn’t thought up an answer on the spot.
However, he could also just be a very good liar.
The duo’s eyes met as another thought crossed Zelda’s mind.
He hadn’t given her a name yet for the leader, but the old woman had. If he answered correctly, then Zelda decided she would be willing to trust him. If he didn’t however, then she’d have to think up an elaborate plan of escape when he wasn’t looking.
“What’s the name of the person chasing me?” She loudly blurted out, startling even herself. Amazingly, he was unfazed and responded with confidence.
“Demon Lord Ghirahim.”
She blinked, not expecting such a calm reaction.
“Ghirahim?” She had to be sure she’d heard him correctly.
“Indeed. That is who your pursuer is.”
Zelda felt her cheeks flush in embarrassment, somewhat ashamed she’d been so distrustful of her new companion, especially with how he’d treated her thus far.
Yes, he was… odd. To put it lightly. And there was something about him that felt intense and strange, but his answer had been genuine. She shook her head, unaware of how much her nerves had overcome her judgement. The reality of the situation still hovered over her like an insidious entity, threatening to drown her in a wave of despair and fear of what lay ahead. She still had no idea if returning home was even an option at this point. And she couldn’t deny that it absolutely terrified her.
“Sorry, I- I’m still getting used to all this.” She choked, averting her eyes.
He chuckled softly, then walked back to her side.
“And I don’t blame you. It’s not everyday someone like yourself gets thrown into a world they don’t understand.”
Zelda smiled and nodded.
“But you’ve made it this far, haven’t you? That’s quite impressive for someone so young.”
At that she laughed, her confidence slowly returning.
“I’m not that young you know. But. Thank you.”
Hiram smiled, content.
“You’re very welcome, Zelda.”