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A Boy who becomes a Hero to his kingdom’s Princess
Written by: ZelLinklover101
Link had been living with his uncle who works as black smith outside castle town; for as long as he could remember. Heck he would always walk past a shield and sword that hung on the fireplace mantle. His uncle had told him when he was ten that these were family heirloom gifts from the Hylian royal family since his great grandfather served that king as one of the knights of Hyrule.
Now, at thirteen Link did not fancy himself as a knight, but instead as an adventurous boy whose dream was to be an apprentice to his uncle once he turned seventeen. He never once thought about serving the current royal family as a knight in training as he had no fencing skills. His uncle still was not allowing him to be an apprentice in his black smithery. Link main job was to fill out customer orders and then to deliver the goods. However, his life was about to change much later this very evening.
As Link lay lopsided on his wooden bed in a deep sleep, he heard faintly cries for help from a girl his age.
“Link, YOU MUST RESCUE ME! My name is Princess Zelda; you will find me in a dungeon cell deep under the castle. I am being held hostage by a man called Agahnim.” She hoped that her message had been received by Link. Alarmed, Link shot out of bed and ran into his uncle’s room. As he rapped on the door, he spoke. “Uncle, are you awake? I just had a bizarre nightmare.” His uncle replied, “Yeah Link, go ahead and enter. By chance nephew did you hear the voice of Princess Zelda?” Link said to his uncle. “Yes, but how did you know?” Link’s uncle proceeded in explaining to him that he too had the nightmare. His uncle then said to Link. “Nephew, I must go and see the King. I will rescue Zelda with her father’s help. Please bring me my shield and sword.” Link asked him. “Why do you want me to stay here? I can be of help to you can I not?”
His uncle replied. “Link staying put for now is of a great help to me.” Link did not detest any further and brought his uncle his cloak, shield, and sword. He was not a boy to whine much.
As his uncle was running hurriedly past the town square to reach a garden passage which leads into the main castle hall. He discovered the slain body of Zelda’s father the King. There were not any slash marks that he could easily discern. He thought some kind of dark magic must be in play which troubled him more deeply in connection with the princess’s capture.
Link although he understood that he must not anger his dear uncle, could not remain where he was sitting at their kitchen table. He had to act in some way as the princess called for his help too. In a rush he grabbed his own cloak, a lantern, plus a wooden training sword with a pot lid as a shield. Following what he hoped were his uncle’s boot prints illuminated by his lantern, Link entered into the castle’s outer court. He felt unnerved at just how empty the castle was at night. Walking from corridor to the next seemed an endless maze to him. Once he peered into the second door he had just opened, Link called out by barely a whisper. “Uncle, you are in here? Have you located the princess?” A voice did respond to Link. It did not belong to his uncle; this Link was sure of.
“Boy, you seek the princess Zelda do you? Well, you will not find her for I have made well and sure of it.” “SHOW YOURSELF! WHO ARE YOU?” Link raising his voice in anger asked this unknown voice aloud. The voice revealed himself, “I am called Agahnim. The princess is with me as my Lord Gannon needs to urgently speak with her. Such a matter surely does not concern you? Does it young boy?” Link hesitated in believing this man who calls himself Agahnim; somehow he understood that Zelda must be close.
Just then Link’s uncle shouted: “Link, get away from that snake of a man!” Before Link could utter anything not even a whisper, a struggle ensued between his uncle and Agahnim. Link stood watching helplessly in horror at the scene that was transpiring. As his uncle lay in a disheveled heap near his feet, he called out to his nephew: “Link, you must save the princess. You are Hyrule’s only hope. I am sorry that I had not told you before, you like your father before you, my dear older brother; are a knight of Hyrule.” At these last spoken words, he passed on.
“Uncle NO! Come back to me!” Link wailed in his disbelief. He took notice that Agahnim had fled further down the corridor. He chased the man who had just murdered his beloved uncle. Agahnim had it appeared fled and got away. Clutching his pot lid shield and sword even tighter Link continued his search for Hyrule’s missing princess.
Some several months later…..
Link who had been traversing Hyrule for sometime was beginning to come to terms with being a descendent of Hyrule’s elite knights. He had been told by countless strangers some of whom who knew his uncle and parents, that he was indeed following a most noble path. He had pursued any possible places that had contained clues to Zelda’s whereabouts. He grew stronger in his training of handling a sword and shield; better ones gifted to him by strangers whom he helped with their troubles.
He was however having serious doubts about the existence of a Legendary Sword. Link had searched countless wooded area one after another with no such sword to be unearthed.
As his hopes of saving the princess much bleaker finding her were ever faster fading from within him; Link’s hatred of Lord Gannon grew ever rising steadily. It dawned on Link that in order to save Zelda whose voice of loneliness appeared sharper in tone in his dreams; he must find this legendary sword: this so-called Master Sword. With this weapon he could defeat Gannon, but was he ready to do so? Had he really trained long and hard enough to best such a foe? He had to hold on to his hope as well as his assurance that he is a knight of Hyrule.
Following on a lead about an ancient forest’s location; whom he got a good word from a faraway tavern inn keeper. Link was desperate that hidden in there perhaps very deep amongst its vast trees and shrubs was the key to locating the legendary sword. The Master Sword. As he stepped over moss covered logs, twigs, and leaf piles; Link could glimpse a rusty shape glinting in the light given off from a setting sun. Having finally reached the mossy stone wherein the sword lay, with all his strength Link pulled on its hilt.
A few more pulls and he had finally freed the sword from its resting pedestal. No longer rusted over the sword gleamed a brilliant silver bathed in shimmering moon rays. Link tired from this laborious task fell asleep where Zelda’s pleads of her impending rescue grew the loudest in his mind.
“Link, You Must Save Me! I am trapped inside Gannon’s tallest tower. You will see his castle of ruin once you leave this most sacred forest.”
He awoke early the next morning and saw the silhouette of a grand castle in ruins, just beyond the outer tree line high atop a steep hill. It was a two days journey for him to reach the steep hill. Here link climbed upwards and onwards until he reached the castle’s gates; or rather where the gates should be if they had not already rotted away. Inside Link found a stone stair case in which he thought would reach the tallest tower. It led to a barred door. He slashed down the bar which opened the door.
There was the princess Zelda chained to the wall below the only small window in the tower. Suddenly in a poof of thick purplish-blue smoke Gannon stood. “So, tell me boy, can you really defeat ME?” Snarled Gannon. “YES!” Hollered Link back to him. A clash of swords ensued; Zelda watched in suspense as well as in awe of this boy. A gaping whole now appeared in the tower wall; shattered stone debris was everywhere. With three strong thrusts of his newly acquired master sword, Gannon staggered with each step falling out of the tower to meet his impending demise. Link and Zelda heard the sickening thud from Gannon from so far below them.
“Oh, young boy, you saved me.” Princess Zelda said calmly. He had just finished unchaining her, when she spoke to him a second time. “May I know your name? Brave young boy.” He said to her, “My name is Link, princess.” She looked into his blue eyes as she told him. “Thank you, dear Link for recuing me.” He looked into her green eyes as he said, “Shall I take you home now, princess Zelda?” She nodded.
Once back in her own castle a grand ceremony was held in Link’s honor. Zelda was happy to have Link as her trusted knight. Link was happy to have Zelda as his dearest friend for life.
FIN
