Chapter Text
Chapter 1: The First
What makes a hero? Someone who fights fearsome monsters? What if your hero was a war criminal? Would you believe that they were your hero, a hero that would save the world? That is where our story begins.
He was chained up against a wall, bloody and bruised. His green tunic was torn to shreds. He looked as if he hadn’t eaten in days. His bare stomach was showing with cuts and bruises all across the skin. You could see some of his ribs. His hair was dirty, but yet it was pretty. It was platinum blond. This man had an evil look in his deep, cerulean eyes. It was the look of a man who wanted to kill.
“Link,” a cloaked figure said. It was in a frightened, worrisome tone. The prisoner's name was Link. He looked up from his clutches. The stare pierced right through the cloaked man. He tensed, the hairs on his arms stiffening up. Little bumps popped up on his arms. “The Demon Lord killed the man that framed you.” The cloaked man stated. Link’s stare didn’t let up.
“He’s going to send his army. We need you to fight.” Another cloaked figure said in a very quiet voice. Link’s stare shifted to this man. He bared and gritted his teeth, wanting to cuss out these men, yet he stopped himself. His mouth twisted into a wicked smirk. Some of the men looked frightened of this sudden display.
“My own men, those that locked me up here, need my help.” Link let out a hearty laugh. It sounded dry and cold but he meant it. “For what? For me to die? Is that what you wish for? You trusted Lord Dagianis more than you trusted me. You left me to die here!” Some of the men looked down, feeling sorrowful. “Now you have nothing to say?! What more, my sword is broken. I cannot run.” Link flexed his wrists. The tendons showed in his skinny, malnourished wrists.
One of the men walked forward, kneeling down to the chained up man. He held up a sword to him. It looked brand new, as if a blacksmith just forged it. Link’s glare stopped and relaxed. The scrunching in between his blond brows stopped. Suddenly a pain hit him like a brick to the face. “Where did you get that?!” He seethed. He jolted forward, only a little bit due to the chains binding his wrists to the wall.
“Orville fixed the blade.” That man kneeling said. Link’s eyebrows furrowed again. His mouth was slightly gaped open. He was making a look of disgust. “We are honored to present this blade to you.” A brown haired man said. “Our hero, Link, we need you to help us.” The prisoner let out another hearty laugh, This one was much louder than the last. It was as if he was going insane. Maybe he was. Link had been locked up here for so long he lost count of the days. He slouched after his laughing fit. The pose looked painful to his arms. He was numb to the pain. It didn’t bother him anymore.
“Oh bullshit!” Link seethed. “Why should I believe you?” He hissed. His voice was laced with vile.
“We did not believe your prophecy of the King's attack,” One of the cloaked figures stated. “We deeply regret that now. We need you to fight him. You are our hero.”
Link let out a heavy sigh. “And here I thought I could sleep in peace.” His wrist cuffs unlocked with a click. Dark purple cuts were present on his wrists. “If you wake the sleeping lion, you get the fangs.” He threatened.
The chains on his ankles came off next. The same deep purple cuts that were on his wrists were present on his ankles. He took a step forward, stumbling. He fell to his hands and knees. Link’s legs felt like jelly. He hadn’t walken in so long. They would not cooperate at all. He felt tired and weak. Pitiful, he thought. Two of Link’s men helped him up.
Link gagged, From what, no one knew. He took another step, this time being able to carry his own weight. He took the dark green tunic and crimson scarf one of his men was holding and got changed. It was a little bit of a difficult task but he got it done, slowly but surely. He let out a deep sigh as he felt around the deep purple coloration of his wrists.
The belt that kept Link’s scabbard in place didn’t fit. It was loose around his torso. He was too skinny. His cheeks were hollow and it looked as if he hadn't eaten in months. Dark circles were under his cerulean blue eyes. Link huffed through his nose as he put on his bracer, gloves and then his boots.
Link walked out of his prison. The sun was blinding to his blue eyes. He was overly pale. He hadn’t seen an inch of sunlight in 4 years. The light was blinding for a few seconds. The man had to keep his eyes down to avoid harming them. Even then, the stone of the balcony was blinding, but it was better than that goddess-damned sun.
The ashy blond man leaned over the railing of the prison. “My beloved land of Hylia!” His cerulean irises shook, “it’s…It's been destroyed!” Link breathed out. It was shallow. He looked below him to the sound of Hylian’s cheering. “The people of Hylia haven’t lost their pride or spirit, though…”
Link turned around to face his men. They were all chatting away and laughing. Link tuned them out. One deep breath in, one shallow breath out. One in, one out. He turned around and leaned over the railing again. Link closed his eyes, and took in a deep breath through his nose and out through his mouth. It was nice to finally breathe in that fresh air he had been longing for. It was something that Link hadn’t felt in ages.
One of Link’s men gasped, followed by, “There’s something in the sky! Shoot it down!!” Link’s men took out their bows and started to shoot whatever it was in the sky. Link looked up. He gritted his teeth.
“Hold your fire!” He shouted. “There’s someone on that bird!” All of the men stopped their fire. A giant red bird with a long bill landed in front of Link. He took a tiny step back, not knowing if he should be frightened, though he was cautious. The bird was a good two feet taller than he was. It stared down at him in a threatening manner.