Captain Adara led the way down the hall opposite of how Zel arrived. Zel followed close behind, wrapped sword pressed against his chest, with the six soldiers of the second cavalry bringing up the rear. After only two turns of the hallway and a flight of stairs, they exited back to the exterior of the castle onto the winding street that led to the turreted Sanctum. The wind whipped across the deserted cobblestones. To the left, the slope of the castle exterior led to the tall gates of the castle wall. Despite the winding of the road and the buildings in the way, Zel could still make out the tops of the doors and portions of the wall that stretched in either direction. Men lined the walls...facing inward, not outward.
Beyond that, the inner and outer Castle Town blanketed the landscape, its inhabitants going about their business, unaware that in a few moments Hyrule might change forever. Beyond Castle Town, Hyrule Field stretched into the distance. A copse of trees to the right might have been the garrison where Rangtar had been taken, though he couldn't discern the disguised building from the trees.
As Captain Adara faced the Sanctum and set a deliberate pace, her red hair blowing in the wind, Zel kept searching for signs of life in the castle. Other than a handful of servants, Zel had seen no one other than soldiers since he had arrived. How could such a massive palace be so deserted? Nothing about reaching his destination met his expectations. He wished Dasan or Crofta were still with him to tell him what to do; better yet, his father Gramor. He couldn't imagine anyone advising him to stay. Something was wrong with this place. The truth of it chilled his bones. Or was that the sword whispering to him again?
At the final turn, high above Castle Town, they reached the columned promenade of the Sanctum, a tall, open-air cathedral where the royals of Hyrule received official guests and held ceremonies. Soldiers at attention lined both sides of the promenade, dressed in the same colors as the soldiers behind him. More of the second cavalry. Upon each of the columns, the Hyrule crest flapped in the cold wind blowing down from Mount Eldin.
They passed through the high walls of the Sanctum entrance and into the royal reception chamber. The circular room had arched entrances on all sides with more soldiers guarding each. Buttresses flanked the walls and a balcony full of royal attendants gazed down. High above, bells hung in the central tower. Birds flew through the open lofts, cooing softly.
A circular dais filled the center of the Sanctum, upon which a golden throne perched. King Endrick stood before the throne, dressed in velvet robes of purple and blue. A golden crown rested upon his black hair. His hard, square face barely moved as Captain Adara and the soldiers knelt. The king's piercing eyes focused on Zel, and Zel awkwardly fell to one knee.
"Is it true?" asked the king, his booming voice echoing from the walls.
Captain Adara shoved Zel forward in the small of his back and Zel stumbled to his feet. The king's eyes dropped to a silver table at the foot of the dais. Heart drumming, Zel shuffled toward the table, lay the sword down, and pulled back the wrapping fully.
Tense silence greeted the revelation. Zel expected a little fanfare or excitement, but the king gazed upon the sword with hunger. The dread in Zel's stomach thickened.
"Where did you find this?" asked the king.
"It was found in Lurelin Bay," said Zel. "A hinox pulled it from the ocean floor and drowned doing it."
"A hinox?" The king lifted one eyebrow. "Do you deal with many such monsters in Lurelin?"
"Monsters are drawn to the sword. It's why we brought it here."
"We?" The king smirked. "You are alone. Did you not make this journey by yourself?"
Zel shook his head slowly, not sure what to say. King Endrick most likely already knew about Rangtar, but how much? "Not by myself," he finally said. "Three others set out with me. We were attacked by a lynel and I alone escaped."
The king nodded. "Are your companions dead?"
"I..." Zel's voice cracked and he stared at the floor. "I don't know."
"I've heard of this lynel," continued the king without a hint of concern. "My captain here tells me you begged for its life. Why?"
"I think something is wrong with the sword," Zel said, his heart racing. "The lynel seemed to know why."
The king's eyes cut to Captain Adara as he glided down the steps of the dais and stood in front of the sword. A tug at Zel's tunic by Captain Adara made him step away.
"Does anyone other than the people of Lurelin know you are here?" asked the king.
Zel shook his head. "Not that I know of."
The king nodded. "Good. That makes things easier to clean up."
"Clean up? What do you mean?" asked Zel
King Endrick didn't answer. Instead, he turned his full attention to the sword. As the king studied the tainted blade, one hand hovering over it, he narrowed his eyes. He inspected the lower blade first before stopping to linger over the corroded notch where the blade bent at an odd angle. After a moment, he moved to the hilt and the yellow diamond. He leaned in closer, brow furrowing, and gently touched the dried black flecks encrusted on the jewel.
The king rubbed his fingers together and inspected the substance. A feral desire spread over the king's face and Zel wanted to rush forward and snatch the sword away from him.
"So it is true," said the king softly. "My visions were real. What joy is mine that the sword of legend would be found in my time. With this, I could unite the kingdom again. With this, I could expand my rule."
"You can't use it," said Zel. "There's something evil inside it. I think it's trying to get out."
King Endrick stared at him. "I know the stories and I do not subscribe to their doomsday implications."
"Just look at it!" Zel pointed to the blade.
The king turned with a wave. Several men bustled away as the king ascended the steps to the throne and sat. "The sword's condition does not bother me. I have prepared for such a day as this. Over the past few years, I have been given visions of the sword's return. These visions told me of the sword's dilapidated state and what to do about it. There is a curious piece of magic that you may have forgotten in a quaint place like Lurelin. The sword is meant to rest inside a certain pedestal. When placed there, the magic of the pedestal protects and repairs the sword." Several royal attendants, flanked by two soldiers, entered pushing a low wooden cart bearing a carved stone monument, etched on the front with the Triforce symbol.
"Where did you get that?" asked Zel.
"The Hyrule Forest," said the king. "The Lost Woods to be more precise, though they are lost no more. I have taken care of that particular nuisance."
"What did you do?" asked Zel.
"What I had to do to rid the forest of magic. What the visions told me to do." The attendants stopped beside the table and reached to unload the pedestal. "No," said the king. "I want it in the center. Move the table."
Zel's arms and legs went numb as the attendants slid the table and the sword. Soon, the pedestal took the table's place in the center of the room. King Endrick stood again and descended to the sword. He clasped the hilt firmly and lifted the crooked blade. After easing behind the pedestal, he slowly eyed all of the soldiers and attendants in the room.
"You witness history today," he boomed with a regal flair. "You witness the rebirth of this once great nation. I, King Endrick the Third, claim the lost Master Sword as my own. I call upon all peoples of this once great nation to recognize this authority and bow to the throne of Hyrule again." He lifted the sword high above his head, tilting it so that the lower bent edge lined straight to the pedestal. "And my name shall become the new name of legend."
Eyes glinting and mouth open in a teeth-bared smile, the king thrust the blade down and into the waiting pedestal.
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The Legend of Zelda - The Tainted Blade (Season 1) | WATTYS WINNER 2018
Fantasy2018 WATTY WINNER (Originally as Oliver D. King) | It's been three hundred years since Calamity Ganon was defeated and two hundred and eighty years since the Great Hyrule Civil War. Now an ancient secret, that once tore the land apart, is rediscover...
