Brave Maiden - The Legend Of Zelda

CHAPTER 14 - THE PRICE OF JUSTICE'S ABSENCE

Arbiter's Grounds, home of the worst and vilest criminals that Hyrule ever had. While very imposing and impressive in its architectural feats, its interiors truly defined absolute hopelessness. The inner walls were shaded by a decaying tone of brown; either it was by the usage of time, or that texture had been splattered blood. The air had an eerie and low moan coming from prisoners condemned for their crimes. Torches glowed green and blue fire, adding to the darkly nature of this place's insides. Tall statues of enchanted armored warriors lurked at every corner of the place. If some prisoners would manage to even attempt to escape their cell, those statues would come to life only to cleave their bodies in half.

My hasting steps along with Impa's echoed onto a wide hall's cold stoned floor. Not far on my left, a Sheikah was torturing a Yiga clan member. The latter was horribly bruised from head to toe. He wailed painfully when his handler folded one of his fingers in a 90-degree angle upward. I dismissed it, the matter being futile for now. While composed on the outside, untamed fury raged inside of me. Among all of the prisoners in here, I would have never believed in a million generations that Ravio, head of House Hylia and carrier of the Master Sword, would occupied a cell here.

Yet, here we are...

I still was baffled about what Urbosa and the others had told me, but they were the Champions. They'd rather die than lie to my face. And my son... awakening his divine powers in such an emotional turmoil! It was a miracle that the castle was still in one piece. The damaged caused to it where substantial to say the least. He hasn't awakened up since then... The trauma of seeing his beloved raped: this was the worst way for his power to manifest. Goddesses know how this will impact his spiritual journey to master them.

But more than anything... Little Zelda... Oh, why...? Of all people, why her? Why did she had to go through his horrendous and painful ordeal? Of all people that could have harmed her, it had to be one of the persons she looked up to. That we looked up to! The entire kingdom even! Right when after discovering the imminent rise of the calamity Ganon! Damn it all!

At my arrival, the armored knights opened the gates to his cell.

I entered and saw him. The most famous hero of Hyrule, now reduced to this: a rapist. In a cell that was lit by float torches of emerald and azure fire, he stood still on knees. Long and thick chains extended from the wall shackled his ankles, wrists, neck. Surrounding him were a dozen of Sheikah soldiers, diligently surveilling him day and night without the break of a sweat.

Ravio's gaze was that of unending regret and guilt. As it should. The once joyful and proud Champion was no more from what I was seeing at the moment. But what made my blood boil with anger was that he barely had any injuries, despite being blasted by pure energy.

"Apparently," Impa guessed my thoughts, "the Master Sword's aura protected him from the prince's outburst of divine force."

"If this is a divine prank, I fail to see the laughter behind it."

I walked to him, towering over his imprisoned self.

"Look at me." I ordered him. He reluctantly rose his head to meet my gaze. "Explain yourself."

"I..." he weakly started. "I... panicked..."

I grabbed his hair and violently pull his head backward. "You're going to have to do better than that!!"

"I..." Pain was visible in his expression. "Seeing the Ravoth soldiers trying to rape her, I-I panicked! I thought that being related to the royal family would be a curse to her!"

"Horse shit!!" I pulled harder. "So, what? Raping her was the solution? You 'let' your feelings for poor Zelda cloud your judgement that easily? You, the fucking legendary hero? You did this vile act for your own fucking benefits!!"