Linktober 2023

Day 2, Temple

It's time to return for the offerings. On this year, the goddess demands a child sacrifice. Two kids are forced to give up their childhood and freedom to put an end to calamity. 

Tags: Link & Zelda, Zelda is Trying, Link Uses Sign Language, Link Needs a Break, Pre-Breath of the Wild

Link had never been there before. He'd only heard about it or seen the top of the steeple riding by the great walls.

Zelda had been here every year – sometimes more – since the day she was born. It never got any easier, seeing it again.

The Temple of Time stood on the Great Plateau, above everyone else. Only a select few were able to tread on the sacred stones, overgrown with weeds and grass. The two children refused to look at each other and were put ahead to walk in front of the rest of the group. They walked the astronomical number of stairs to the Temple like a death march, one with a sword strapped to his back that he found by accident, the other with the world on her shoulders since birth.

They were both twelve.

The shadow the Temple cast seemed to mock them, beckoning them closer to doom with every step up those stairs until they could hardly breathe. But they couldn't show it. Link had tried to stop, but Zelda elbowed him to keep going, and motioned to the hard gaze of her father – the King of Hyrule – standing behind them, watching their every move. The sun warmed rock under them seemed to hum in response to their arrival, excited and waiting.

Link looked around. He couldn't help it; he'd never seen anything like this place before. They walked by a forest – Forest of Spirits – and he saw a wolf with strange markings on its head. He could've sworn the wolf bowed its head to him, looking him in the eye. Through his periphery, after he abruptly turned to stare at his feet, he saw figures at the edge of the forest. Most clad in green to blend in, their features nothing but mist and shadow. But they looked on with pity, yet with a welcoming feel. Link could almost hear the whispers. He wondered what would happen if he went to that forest and never returned. He wondered if the figures would welcome him, unlike the goddess seemed to, watching from inside the Temple.

Zelda walked with her head held high like she was taught. Her back ached and her head throbbed from looking at the sun behind the Temple. Her father's gaze burned a spot on the back of her neck where he stared, and she wondered how Link couldn't feel it. She watched through her periphery as he looked around in wonder, taking it all in. She wanted to talk to him, to ask how he was able to not crack under her father's stare, what it was like growing up all over Hyrule, instead of just in the castle, what it was like having a childhood not plagued by prophesy. But she couldn't, because he hadn't spoken in weeks. He hadn't uttered a word since he pulled the sword. She wondered what went on inside his head most days.

They finally reach the shade of the Temple, and while most of the time getting out of the beating sun would be a welcome relief, the party walked into a house of dancing shadows. Link and Zelda were to stay the night in two of the little rooms leading to the Temple each representing a golden one, while the men camped near the forest. Two guards broke off to prepare the rooms for the night. The little rooms dedicated and decorated for the golden ones seemed to laugh at them. Hylia's Heroes, how pathetic they look. Link looked at Zelda, wondering if she heard the taunts, too. How could she look so sure of herself in the presence of these voices? How could she walk past the faces of the dead like nothing was amiss? How he wanted to ask her... if only he could get his damned mind and voice to cooperate.

The Temple itself was impossibly huge. It wasn't as big as the castle, but as far as temples went it was far more impressive than most others in the Kingdom. Zelda had been to her fair share. She envied Link's lack of decorum and experience. She wished she hadn't been raised to know by heart the respect needed for such an event.

Link stilled for just a moment at the door. Zelda, in a moment of understanding, took his hand in hers.

"Follow what I do," she whispered quickly. "And don't look at the dark corners."

Link, fear apparent in his eyes, nodded and walked on. She let go of his hand. The entire interaction happened in a fraction of a second, and the King hardly bat an eye.

They entered the Temple, their footsteps quiet as they could on the stone, causing dust to fly, yet the sound echoed deafeningly off the tall walls and brightly colored windows. The eyes in the images depicted stared them down. Heroes and Princesses of the past seemed to stare at them with pity or judgement. The farther they went the older the stained glass became. There were two windows left unglazed, letting unfiltered sunlight through, setting the flying dust alight. The rest set the ground and creaky wooden pews in colorful shapes. The closer they stepped to the front the brighter the windows became, although still thousands of years old.

And at the front stood a tall statue of the goddess Hylia, and three smaller statues meant to depict the golden ones. They watched the children through their stone eyes, judging. Always judging.

Zelda knelt on the bottom step; her hands folded in front of her in a gesture that reminded Link a lot like wearing cuffs like they would have in a prison.

"Take your sword off and place it in front of you," Zelda whispers as quietly as she could. Link heard the others shuffling around behind them, taking seats in the pews. Link did as he was told, taking the blade from the scabbard and placing it on the step in front of him, kneeling next to Zelda. He folded his hands the same way, however much it irked him.

"What do we pray for?" he asks in subtle sign.

Zelda hesitates. All the things she doesn't say flash behind her eyes, the resentment and bitterness. A bit comes out in her voice when she says, "We pray the goddess helps us find the strength to deal with the Calamity. We pray she will remain on our sides."

It's like we're trying to win her favor, like she already hates us, Link thinks. But he doesn't say it. He only nods and turns his head.

Link doesn't know how long they kneel there and pray. Or don't pray. Link is pretty sure Zelda is thinking of other things entirely. He doesn't blame her.

The King comes up behind them when it's time to stop. Zelda stands silently. Link follows her as she walks to the back of the Temple.

"What are we doing?" Link asks when they stop in a small alcove in the back, a tub of water there.

Zelda begins to wash her hands. Link copies. "We have to give a sacrifice. It's more customary than anything else."

Link nods.

When they return, a fire is burning in a brazier at the front of the Temple, a basket of perfectly good food next to it. Zelda and Link walk up together, pick up the basket, and dump the contents into the fire. It smells terrible. They kneel again and continue praying – or thinking – until night begins to fall.

Little did the children know that this year the goddess asked for a child sacrifice. She demanded these two children give up their youths at her feet in her ancient Temple. She ripped away their childhoods and replaced them with a life of horrors. She stole their souls to add to an endless chain of agony set by a demon. She doomed their spirits and blood to join a group of men and women that suffered a similar fate.

Those men and women stood at the edge of the Forest of Spirits, watching the procession of two new sacrifices. They watched in horror as more were added to the trap, and they hoped they would be strong enough to save the Kingdom once again.  

Should I post these to my one-shot collection too or keep them here? I can't rlly decide.

Hope you enjoyed! Comments and votes give me life <3