The Legend of Zelda: The Fate of Hyrule

Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven - ?'s POV

I wake up to the sound of an unfamiliar voice. It's telling me to do something. I try to fight it. I shut my eyes tight and cover my ears. I can't let whatever it is get to me.

But it's already inside me. In my mind. My head throbs as I try to fight against it. But the more I struggle, the worse it gets. My breathing is shaky. My eyes start to go out of focus. Everything goes black.

A cool breeze blows through the air. Blades of grass, wet with dew, brush against my face.

I lift up my head. A flat expanse of field lies before me. I try to stand up, to look for help, but a sharp pain shoots through my legs when I start to move. Yikes. This isn't good.

I am being stoned. Rocks pound against my head. They carve holes in my skull. The voice starts to shout violently. Its ear-splitting sound makes me cringe in pain. It's loud and harsh, the most terrible sound I've ever heard.

The relentless pain drags on. Every inch of my body screams for mercy. I'm breathing too hard to scream. My mouth hangs open, gasping for air as an invisible force crushes my lungs.

No one is going to save me. I'll die. Right in this field. The force will split me in two. I'll choke on my own blood. The booming voice will reach its climax, it will tear my head open.

If it's going to kill me now, let it do it. I can't put up with this terrible pain any longer.

A huge force pounds against my back and cuts off my breathing. I'm being choked to death. It's a terrible, hopeless feeling.

I try to keep my eyes open. My body begs me to shut them, to give up.

My head throbs.

My heart pounds.

My body burns.

My limbs ache.

My eyes slowly start to shut. My field of vision narrows, until only a sliver remains.

I stare at a small, red wildflower for a few seconds, before my eyes close and everything is black.

Then all the pain is gone. I stand. The voice is still present, but its tone has changed. It is no longer loud and harsh. It's beautiful. Its playful tune brings a smile to my face. The soft, quiet words flow through the air like notes in a lullaby. I can hear the words clear in my mind. I know what to do.

I lift off the ground and set off for Hyrule Castle.

As I rise higher and higher, the prairie I'd been standing in turns into a small patch of green, and the forest nearby into an array of green dots. When I'm high enough, I weave through the clouds to pass time. Walking to the castle on foot would've taken days to accomplish, but I arrive in less than an hour.

Hyrule Castle stands on a large island, in the middle of a lake. Many tall towers rise up from the main section of the castle, some sporting flags with the royal family's crest. Inside one of these towers is where I will find the princess.

I make it through the castle with ease. There are guards in silver armor around every corner, but I have no trouble disposing of them with a simple flick of the wrist. They struggle for air and fall to the floor, useless as insects in a spiderweb. Their groans and cries of pain echo through the halls of the castle. 

I find myself on the second floor. Only oil lamps held by guards interrupt the dim light of the hallways.   The guards are oblivious of me for now, so I decide to have some fun. I let a puff of air escape from my lips. The air grows cold as a strong gust of wind flows through the corridors, and the soldiers' lamps go out. Before they know what's going on, I jump into action. Each soldier takes me but a few seconds to rid of. I throw them against the walls, break their bones, and strangle them, all without laying a finger on them. Though the dark mist that surrounds me brings me power, it is poison to the soldiers, scorching and blackening their skin. 

Now the halls are dark and lifeless, as I want them to be. I ascend another set of stairs, arriving on the top floor, where the royal family stays. Portraits of the king and queen are hung around every corner. I stop for a moment to gaze at the two rulers of Hyrule. The king is a handsome man, and the queen is the most gorgeous woman I have ever seen. It's no wonder they have such a beautiful daughter. 

Before I distract myself even more, I turn from the portrait and try to focus. I need to find the princess.

After searching for a few minutes, I stop. Without the sounds of my footsteps echoing through the corridors, I can hear a noise coming from a door at the end of the hallway. 

I know where to find the princess now. I just need to follow the sound of the whimpering baby.