#001 The Dark Festival [PLOT]
Jul 14, 2017 12:59:05 GMT -5
edited on Dec 20, 2017 1:26:11 GMT -5 by Aryllia Queensguard
Post by Jade on Jul 14, 2017 12:59:05 GMT -5
THE DARK FESTIVAL
For the first time in days, the skies were calm. An uncanny storm for that time of the year had poured down upon the encampment of the Heroes of Hyrule, forcing everyone into their tents to avoid the drenching torrent and rusted blades. Thunder soon accompanied it, crashing through the sky, a great battle of elements fought above their heads.
The feeling was foreboding to Princess Zelda. She hoped the storm was not an omen for things to pass. But, strangely, when twilight fell on the night that she was to have her audience, the rain stopped. Trees dripped water into puddles already formed, but any trace of a storm was gone.
The meeting point was in the middle of the camp, lit by a circle of torches, as well as the moonlight above, a moon so bright and full, it looked like it could fall upon the world. Zelda and her attendants stood, waiting. She would have to be there soon, she promised Artemis she would be there by nightfall.
As the sun dipped lower, a figure emerged from the woods, decked in the whites and reds of the Gerudo. Zelda found herself straightening up a little bit, and she felt Nyssa tense next to her. Artemis, on the other hand, seemed relaxed as he could be, and gave Zelda a soft smile when she looked his way.
“She can help you. I promise this.”
She only had time to nod before the witch had reached the circle, sinking into a deep curtsy before the Heroes of Hyrule. The gesture was returned in kind, albeit subtly, and only then did Nynaeve rise, her eyes locked on the heir to the throne. Zelda couldn’t shake the feeling if familiarity behind those eyes, as if Nynaeve knew her, somehow. But Artemis’ hand took hers, and she was calmed as Nynaeve spoke.
“It is an honor to finally stand before you, Zelda of Hyrule. It has been many years since I have served your bloodline, though the last time was on much better terms. Yet here we are… And there you are, chosen one of Hylia. It seems desperation has our paths crossing again.”
There was an uneasy shifting in Zelda’s guard, but a raised hand from Artemis put the men back at ease. He looked at Nynaeve, and Zelda could see her smile back.
“Your brother was kind enough to request an audience for me, and I am ever so grateful you accepted. However, talking here will get us nowhere. I wish to speak with you, Zelda, and I wish for you to be alone. The knowledge I hold is for your ears only.”
A breath caught behind Zelda, and a whisper came to her.
“Zelda, don’t be foolish enough to-“
“Everyone, leave us.”
Nyssa’s request fell short at the command of her Queen, but she nodded, lowering her spear as she backed off. The soldiers saluted, and returned to their posts. Only Artemis stayed, a confused look on his face, but the witch stepped forward, cupping his cheek with a soft smile.
“Dearest prince, I will speak with you once your sister and I have finished our business. I have not forgotten my promise to you.”
He looked into her eyes, and from her point of view, Zelda saw trust. Strangely, it put her at ease, and she watched as Artemis left. When he did, Nynaeve turned to her, eyes meeting, a soft smile resting on the Gerudo’s lips.
“Come, my dear, we’ve much to discuss. Let us take this to the proper place, however.
The resting place of the Master Sword was often off-limits to all those not close to Zelda, so it felt strange to have an outsider in the area. Zelda was seated as Nynaeve circled the blade, studying it, and the ruins around it. There was a mystical air around her observations, clearly she was using some sort of magic.
“Such a majestic blade, now silent… Only to be drawn by the hero of legend. This is quite the conundrum you have here, heir of Hyrule. Your hero is trapped, and it seems he will never get free.”
Those words cut deep to Zelda. She had heard them before, scorn from those who had told her he was gone, to move on. Still, she kept her chin up, eyes on the sword.
“I have not given up hope in returning Link to us. I would not have invited you here if I did not believe you were capable of helping me.”
A chuckle came from the witch, as she ran a single finger along the crossguard of the sword.
“You trust in my powers. How… Wise of you, Zelda. I see that the Goddesses couldn’t take that entirely from you. What you ask of me, though, is the highest treason to Farore, Din, and Nayru. Does that not concern you?”
She hesitated at that question, looking down. Why would Nynaeve ask that? Was it a taunt, or a test? Still, she had come this far, she couldn’t back down now.
“The Goddesses are blind to what is right for the world. If it means peace, I will defy the Goddesses themselves. Such is my resolve.”
Another small laugh, and Nynaeve stepped back to put her attention on the heiress.
“You have chosen wisely, once again. My people hold no faith in these spiteful Goddesses, but rather a healthy respect. One that has been lost since the Triforce was shattered. It is because of this that I offer my assistance, for the world needs the hero to be balanced.”
“So there is a way?”
For the first time in a long time, hope filled Zelda. The promise of freeing Link was put before her, and it felt real. She needed this answer, this closure.
“Yes. Only one blessed by Hylia herself may draw the stone from the pedestal. However, though you are, your power is weak, diluted over years. It is still powerful, but a mere sliver of Hylia’s former grace. The process we would use will draw your true, primal potential out. Then, and only then, will you be able to remove the sword from the pedestal. But-“
“It’s not that simple, is it? There’s more to it.”
The witch sat next to her, nodding. A hand crossed over her face, and suddenly, Zelda was staring into the wooden visage of a much older woman, a hag of sorts, before it was gone with another wave of the hand.
“To draw your true potential out, you will wear your history as you would a mask. Quite literally, in this case. For many years, masks have been used as conduits of power, and forging one from your divinity is well within my power. However, there are two things I must mention.
First of all, drawing the sword alone will not unlock the Sacred Realm. It is merely one of two keys. The other is the fabled Ocarina of Time, formerly in your family’s possession. I have located it in Hyrule Castle, via my contacts, so it must be stolen back. With that and the sword, the Sacred Realm will open to Hylia’s whims.
But the second point is of the Sacred Realm itself. For something to be freed from it, something must be traded away. To free the legendary hero, the Mask of Hylia must be left in his place, until the Triforce is reforged. Once it is offered, he will be freed, and you must flee the realm. The Master Sword will keep you safe.”
Zelda gulped, tensing as the nerves began to form. So much was nesseccary to free Link from his prison? It only made sense, to defy the Goddesses as such. Still, she put thought into it before nodding.
“I’ll do it. It is the only way. What do we do from here?”
“From here, we plan.”
A week had passed since Nynaeve’s visit, and in that time, a plan had been set into motion. Across Hyrule Field, a small group of riders travelled towards Hyrule Castle, Sheikah garb evident, even from a distance. What the outside eye wouldn’t know was that the Royal Family had donned the disguise of their former guards, Sheikah forms the perfect disguise to get into the castle. Zelda rode at the forefront, flanked by her siblings, Nyssa, and Nynaeve taking up the rear, shackled as she rode behind a guard
The plan was simple. For some time, Nynaeve had been wanted by the ruler of the Rogue Order, for the power she could offer to him. Thus, the disguised royal family would give him what he wanted. But, once she was prisoner, she would escape, and allow them into the castle via a secret entrance, to fetch the Ocarina.
It was a perfect plan, but more riders in the distance caught their eye. Nyssa was the one able to identify them, from a distance. A group of Zora, almost a procession, riding to the city at the same time as they did. They paused to let the group arrive first, before going before the gates, requesting entrance to bring an important prisoner in, and admittance was granted. What they didn’t expect, however, was what they saw inside the gates. A great festival in place, and members of the many races among the other people.
The merriment confused them, and offered a brick wall in their path. No Sheikah appeared to take Nynaeve to the dungeons, so she proposed a different idea. Using the rooftops, she and the Royal Family snuck under the cover of the festivities, to the castle gates.
They were unguarded. The infiltration was almost too easy, but soon, they were within their old home, running through the hallways, in search of the room where the relic had always been kept. Only then did the sound of guards catch up to them, and they split up into parties of two, Kura and Artemis in one, Nyssa, Nynaeve, and Zelda in the other. But the trio further split, and soon, Zelda found herself running, narrowly avoiding corners where she heard guards shouting. But she found herself before a door, marked with the sigil so prevalent in her life, that of the hero, and burst through it.
And there it was. Shining with a polished blue, the Ocarina sat where it had for years, strangely clean for how dusty the rest of the room was. Zelda took it, before Sheikah magic touched her. Nyssa had managed to get back in contact with her, and she followed the shadows to her family and guard. But Nynaeve was nowhere to be found. Frantic, they had to turn back to find her, but as they ran through the lower levels of the palace, they found it unguarded.
Suddenly, a clap of thunder shook the castle, catching them off guard. Zelda saw Nyssa shiver, then look out a window.
Something was happening in the Town.
Nynaeve felt the eyes of the hundreds of Hylians, Zora, Goron, and her own Gerudo, as they watched her be brought before the leader of the Rogue Order. The festivities had stopped as he stood, slowly, listening as her crimes were named.
Thief. Intruder. Assassin.
When the words left his lips that she was to be sentenced to death, her own curled in a knowing smile.
The line of soldiers in front of the crowd stepped forward, their weapons at the ready, turning to face the crowd to stop any rioting.
But Eleazar knew something was wrong when their weapons pointed to the crowd. His suspicions were confirmed when a bright light flashed from around him, stunning and blinding all. When the light cleared, he stumbled back, eyes wide, lips tight. Something had rattled him, but he had no time to think about that. His focus turned towards the ten soldiers that stood before the crowd, now brown-cloaked figures, armed with polearms fashioned of metal tendrils, like the arms of a tentacled beast. Each wore a mask, modeled simply of a human’s face, obscuring their identities. As they stepped forward, spears pointing at the crowd, Ezeazar’s voice raised over the crowd.
“We have more intruders! Either find them, or stay here under my watchful guard. No funny business allowed.”
With a wave of his hand, the cloaked figures stood at attention, eyeless but watching for anyone to try anything against him. He hoped they would.
The escape route out of Castle Town had been compromised. Zelda had ran with her siblings and retainer to escape, frantic, the blue ocarina safely tucked against her stomach. They had evaded guards thus far, but Artemis had been split from them, and she was left with Kura and Nyssa. Horns and the cries of guards kept them on their toes, but they had managed to find an alley where they could breathe. The sisters took the time to sit, while Nyssa stood vigilant, spear at the ready.
The soft thump of someone landing on the ground near them caught them off guard, but they sighed when they saw it was Nynaeve. She said nothing, just held a finger to her lips, as she pointed upwards. On a low rooftop, they could see a masked, cloaked figure, looking around. For some reason, the view sent chills up Zelda’s spine, and she whispered to the witch.
“Who are they?”
“Acolytes of a long-forgotten god. We don’t have long. I have secured a way out of the town, but only Zelda can come. Any more would attract their attention. Here, though.”
She handed a small wooden trinket to Kura, a carved camel.
“Any Gerudo who sees you holding this is obligated to help you. We have no time. Find your brother, and don’t get caught. Zelda, we must go now.
Before any more words could be said, Nynaeve was leading Zelda off by her hand, leaving the other two shocked as to what had happened.
The alleyways they ran through were surprisingly empty, despite the ruckus they could hear around them. The plan was risky, as they had to go through the crowd of people that had formed, to a building where there would be a tunnel to the waterways.
“They’re fine. The time for the ritual is soon. We must make h-“
Her breath caught, and she stopped, looking forward. Before her was one of those masked figures, weapon in hands. Another footfall came from behind them, and with a turn of the head, the two saw another, walking in sync with each other. They were pinned in. Nynaeve looked around, surprisingly calm for being pinned in the alley.
“Hylia, our god needs your grace. Come willingly. Your death shall be quick.”
Zelda froze at those words, but a harsh laugh came from the lips of the witch. She stepped forward with no fear, looking directly at the mask of the one before her.
“If you want Hylia’s chosen so bad, go through me.”
The thrust of the spear stopped at Nynaeve’s breast, before it met a resistance of some sort, one seemingly made of shadow burning with green flames. Zelda saw a smirk curl on the witch’s lip, before she looked back.
“Don’t listen to them. They aren’t here for you. But it seems they came earlier than I expected.”
“That expected? Nynaeve, what is the meaning of this?”
In tandem, the two dropped to one knee, bowing to the witch, and she turned to face the Princess, covering her mouth to laugh.
“In time, dear sister, I will explain. For now, we must make haste to the Temple. I think this time… We’ll take the easy way.”
Anyone who would enter the alleyway later would find the two bodies of acolytes lying there, masks removed, and their eyes burned out. Where there had once been the Princess and the witch, there was now only a circle of flame.
The moon watched overhead as Castle Town broke out into chaos.
Some, inspired by fear of the Rogue Leader, searched for the intruders.
Some, in secret, went to assist them.
Some, in spite, thought of removing the mockery of a monarch.
Eleazar, with new information, sat upon his throne, smiling. He was truly gifted by the Goddess.
The Royal Family, divided, thought of nothing but survival. They had little time.
What is it that you will do?