Chapter Text
It was an unusually silent night, something Link always dreaded, for the silence allowed thoughts to be established in his head.
Link rolled over onto his side, trying to reach a better position to fall asleep in, but remained unable to sleep; the cursed silence allowed him to think to his mind’s content. Suddenly, but to no surprise, Link had a memory of his now long dead father.
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He was back with his father some seven years ago, and his father was giving him an important speech before leaving for Hyrule yet again. The two were standing atop a high cliff a few miles west of the house, a spot where young Link could look out and get a good view of the vast kingdom of Hyrule in the distance.
“This world of Hyrule... It’s quite a vast world, isn’t it?” the burly man spoke in a deep voice, “You can even reach those mountains in the distance, if you walk far enough... Even in all my travels, there are still many stones left unturned by my hand.”
Young Link remained silent as usual, looking up at his father, as if he knew words of wisdom were about to spill from his father’s mouth.
“Link, my boy...” his father continued, “Everyone in this world has a role to play, a burden to carry... A ‘destiny’ of sorts, I suppose you could call it... But you see, you and I, we come from a special and ancient bloodline, and it is our duty to protect this beautiful land with our lives. That is why we are soldiers, after all. It was your grandfather who discovered it, your mother who foresaw it, and myself who first felt the ancient power within my veins.”
He looked down at his son, and his expression turned grim.
“You see, you have a role to play too, Link.” he went on, “You will be needed one day, as the kingdom’s final line of defense, or something like that. But just because you are destined to do so, does not mean it will just happen. You must continue to train to become a powerful warrior, okay? Even more so than you already do. You must follow my path and serve the good people of Hyrule. This is your burden to carry, and you must carry it alone. No matter who is by your side or how many allies there are, whether they be your closest friends or people destined to stand with you, you must still fight your own battle. There are some things only you can do, if fate decides it. Do you understand, son?”
Young Link nodded his head.
“Now, I must go say goodbye to Aryll. If you’re interested, I’ve got a fancy wooden sword waiting for you in your room.”
Link rolled onto his other side, thinking about the memory he had just thought back to. He knew not what his father meant about destiny and burdens, but he understood well that it was his duty to protect the good people of Hyrule when the necessary time arose. But for all he knew, such a time didn’t necessarily have to arise... Or perhaps he was wrong.
For the time being, his future was uncertain. It had been a year since Link had last graced Hyrule with his presence. Since the death of his father, Link’s only mentor had been his gruff and grouchy uncle, who occasionally visited to give advice and such. Though his uncle was more unapproachable and distant than his father ever had been, he gave off a far kinder aura. Link’s father, wise as he may have been, was a cold and harsh man, instilling fear in all around him, and drilling military duty deep into his son’s head through perhaps unorthodox tactics.
A year ago, Link’s Uncle had warned him that dark things were happening across Hyrule. His uncle convinced him to take an indefinite leave from military service and go into “exile” back at his old place in the all-but-forgotten forests of Ordona. Link had a high enough standing in the military to get his way when it came to taking vacation. Originally, he had desperately wished to take his “exile” somewhere more interesting or friendly, such as the beautiful Domain of the Zora, but apparently even that was off limits now.
Link never understood his uncle’s ramblings about corruption and evil and darkness. Ever since his father disappeared seven years ago, his uncle had been convinced that Hyrule was controlled by bad people and bad intentions. Link didn’t really buy it, but then again, what did he know? It seemed like his uncle just couldn’t get over the grief... He only complied with his uncle’s demands because the man was a force not to be messed with. Friendly and courageous as his uncle may have been, he was not a man to cross.
But perhaps there was some truth to his uncle’s mad conspiracies... Link had heard rumors that, seven years back, there had been a “change in leadership” high up in the government, but Link knew little about it. He had never seen the Royal Family of Hyrule, aside from getting one glimpse of a beautiful young princess when he was but a boy on a rare visit to the capital with his father.
“Does that beautiful, princess, still live at that castle, I wonder?” Link thought.
All Link knew was that he would not be going back to the capital or Zora’s Domain or Hyrule in general if his uncle had anything to say about it. And for whatever reason, Link had come to quite prefer the quiet and simple life of the woods, by himself and without worry. He had even started writing a diary recently, to organize his daily thoughts.
Every morning he would go out for a hunt, to find a woodland boar or a deer, and that would make three meals for the day, plus some snacks here and there. It sure was a better feast than the old military diet. Link was far stronger than the average human, and he had a far greater love of food to go with it. And even with all the respect he had among soldiers, he still had received the same portions as everybody else back when he was on duty!
“Perhaps I should save these thoughts for breakfast...” Link realized, “I won’t be awake in time for breakfast if I stay awake any longer...”
And with that, Link drifted off...
Deep in the scarcely traveled forests to the south of Hyrule, the bright sunlight shone through the forest canopy and through the window of a log home built near a side road; the light was bright enough to wake any inhabitants of the dwelling.
The “cabin” was quite unique, a two-story structure built into a large tree. The main floor was where most of the action occurred; a kitchen, dining area, two bedrooms, and some miscellaneous rooms. The upper floor was like a lookout post on a watchtower, built onto the tree trunk like a treehouse. Resting on the lookout was an old, dusty telescope. The house also contained a basement, albeit quite an empty one with nothing of interest, just junk, and a strangely disturbing darkness that enveloped the area. Out front, was a cooking pot that had served as the site of countless cooks, and a training area.
In a way, the house reflected the inner workings of its now sole inhabitant, none other than greatest soldier (and perhaps chef) to ever grace Hyrule with his presence, Link.
The young man opened the front door and walked outside into the yard, with a huge yawn to greet the world. His thoughts were interrupted when he tripped on a small dip in the ground, causing him to nearly fall over. It was only his near inhuman reflexes that prevented him from landing face-first on the ground.
“Sixteen years, and I still trip over that thing!???” Link thought with concern.
Then it suddenly occurred to Link. No, 16 was wrong. It was his birthday! He was turning 17 years old... A legal adult at last! Not that he particularly cared... Even as a minor, he was already living by himself with a wide range of skills, talents, and expertise, plus experience as a soldier captain with Royal Guard potential.
Link had graduated from the training academy at the youthful age of 11, about a year after his father’s passing. He immediately got employment as soldier in the Hyrulean Army, perhaps the youngest soldier in all the land. Eventually, by 15, he held the rank of Captain plus a few awards, and by 18 he planned to be a Royal Guard member, perhaps even a member of the fabled Knights of Hyrule, like his father, uncle, and grandfather before him.
But of course, things had changed... His uncle’s demands had set him back who knows how long, and here he was, enjoying himself away from the rest of the world! At this rate, he might never go back to Hyrule... Why go back, anyway? Sure, he had friends here and there from his travels with his father and later as a soldier.
But it had been a while since Link had contacted any of those people. And he figured they probably didn’t notice nor care too much that he was gone. He would not really be bothered, either, if he were in their position, would he?
That was the truth. Link was in so-called “exile” in Ordona, living out life to his heart’s content in his pristine forest dwelling, not a care in the world, aside from making sure he got his fill of Seared Steak every night.
Now, his train of thought shifted to his birthday meal and the celebration itself.
“Well, I do not have anybody to celebrate with... Perhaps Colin and the kids from the village would be interested? Though, I probably shouldn’t be wasting their time. Kids are busy after all, doing kid stuff and such...”
“You know what.” Link thought as a genius idea struck his mind, “Perhaps to celebrate, I shall make my morning hunt extra special! I will catch myself one of those really big Boars down in the Deep Woods!”
Link shuddered at the thought for a moment. He had never been to the Deep Woods. They were a darker part of the forest that was rarely visited by humans. He was courageous though, for what harm could lie in some unfamiliar woods? It was true, however, that strange things did indeed happen there and nearby there. Supposedly, buried somewhere in the Deep Woods, was a gateway to an even stranger forest , beyond even Link’s imagination.
There was an odd mountain out beyond the borders of Ordona, surrounded by a strange forest called Jungle, most likely the stranger forest from the rumors. Link had never been to a Jungle, nor did he know anybody who had, but the rumors down in the village suggested that it was nothing like the forest he called home, and some even said that the Jungle was inhabited by weird creatures.
“Well, I’m sure the Deep Woods are quite safe.” Link concluded, “They aren’t a Jungle, after all.”
Although, it was true that Rusl from the village had warned everyone against going to the Deep Woods after a mail carrier was found dead there, even convincing the mayor to forbid villagers from traveling there.
Link did not care either way. He was no villager, and he was going to his Gourmet hunt down in the Deep Woods, and he for sure was not going to end up a dead man.
Perhaps he would even be lucky enough to encounter monsters there? Of course, monster encounters were a terrible thing, but Link desperately wanted to fight something, to make sure his combat skills were not rusty. Maybe he would even get some nice horns from a kill! According to rumors he had read about in the mail, there had been a significant increase in monsters nearby.
Of course, this was old news. The last decade or so had seen a huge increase in monsters across the land, especially in rural areas, and the government was quiet on the subject and slow to respond, to say the least. Link remembered one specific incident, near the Rauru Settlement north of the capital.
He was around 12 years old, back with his first unit. He remembered the captain of that unit being a big Hyrulean nationalist and a particular jerk. Link had noticed the village on fire in the distance, a group of Bokoblins launching a huge attack. The captain did not care at all; he only cared about reaching the destination. Link had tried to speak out against him, only to find himself being berated for being a foolish young child with just brawn and no brains. It was that incident in particular that led to him being transferred to a much more welcoming unit, where he remained until he himself became a captain.
But if the rumors were true, and monsters were now showing up in places as forgotten and obscure as Ordona, that could only mean bad news...
Link changed into his Hylian Tunic and Hylian Trousers; this was the outfit he typically wore in public. The forest was not exactly public, but one never knew who they could encounter in the woods.
Link also put on a handsome Hylian Hood and cape; it was not particularly beneficial to the hunt, but Link thought he looked great in it. Better than he did in Soldier Gear, at least.
“What weapon shall I bring today?” Link asked himself.
Obviously, he would use a Bow and arrows for the hunt, but he always brought a sword and shield just in case. He usually took his wooden Emblazoned Shield, but he was not sure which sword to bring this time.
“Hmmm...” Link pondered, “Perhaps the Forest Dweller’s Sword? The last gift from my father.”
He picked up the wooden sword and sheathed it. He gathered everything and set out beyond his yard. It was time. The hunt was on.
Link made his way toward the Deep Woods, unaware that this decision would forever leave a mark on his destiny, and that it would lead to a fateful meeting with a particularly important individual.