The Legend of Zelda - The Tainted Blade (Season 1) | WATTYS WINNER 2018

The Will of the Darkness - (S1.E7)

That night they reached the Bridge of Hylia, a span that crossed the great Lake Hylia, with stone archways at both entrances and a promenade in the center. The bridge alone would take nearly an hour to cross on foot. As the merchants stopped to make camp beneath the stone shelters at the bridge entrance, Zel pushed forward. He passed an attendant lighting torches along the sides of the bridge. The attendant nodded to him, but kept about his task.

As Zel neared the center promenade, he could feel Rangtar's frustration. The lynel could not cross the bridge without revealing himself, and the distance around the lake was great. For the first time, Zel felt a surge of hope. Perhaps he could put enough distance between him and Rangtar to reach the castle without the lynel stopping him.

A great glow of torchlight waited at the end of the bridge. Low buildings and busy activity suggested a small town, but as he reached the end he recognized it as a military presence. A closed gate covered the exit of the bridge and two guards stood watching him. Zel glanced up to the towers attached to either side of the gate and found two more guards peering down.

"Declare yourself," said the guard to the right of the gate.

"Zel Gogobi of Lurelin," he said.

"What is your business crossing the border after dark?"

"I need to get to the castle."

The guard narrowed his eyes. "Why?"

"I have to deliver something. And there's a lynel following me."

One side of the guard's mouth crooked in a smile. "You must have something good. What is it?"

Zel chewed the inside of his cheek. "I can't say. I have to give it to the king myself."

"Unless you tell us your secret, you will not cross the border tonight."

"You can't! I have to cross!" Zel shouted. "You don't understand...if I don't make it to the castle, that monster will find me again!"

The guard stepped forward and raised his voice. "Do you think you can get to the castle tonight? It's another two days from here. If there's a monster following you and what you have is as important as you suggest, then your best action would be to stay here and let us help you."

"No!"

The guard ground his teeth and took another step.

"What's going on?" came a smooth, authoritative voice. Another man had stepped through the door of the guard tower onto the bridge. He wore a small cape over his right shoulder and his hair was neatly trimmed. At the sound of his voice, every guard stiffened and stared straight ahead.

"This boy wants passage," said the guard stiffly to his captain. "He says he has to deliver something to the castle and claims a lynel is following him."

The captain looked at Zel with a frown. "A lynel, huh?" He paced closer. "We had a report come in just a few minutes ago of a lynel spotted crossing the border on the far side of the lake." He pointed to Zel's left into the darkness.

"Please, you have to let me cross," said Zel.

"What do you have?"

Zel took a step back.

The captain smiled. "It's okay. You can trust me. If it's important enough, I'll make sure you get to the castle safe. No more worrying about the lynel."

Zel's heart fluttered. He didn't want to show the man, but did he have a choice? Zel stepped toward the nearest torch and beckoned the captain closer. Turning his back to the other guards, Zel untied the rope lashing the sword to his back and gently pulled back the wrapping around the hilt, just enough for the captain see the yellow diamond.

"Is that?" gasped the captain.

Zel nodded and hastily covered it back up. The captain marched back to the guards and whispered something to the guard that had challenged Zel. Both captain and guard cut their eyes to Zel. The guard nodded and rushed away.

"You'll come with me," said the captain.

He led Zel through the guard door beside the gate as another guard came out to take the place of the one who had left. On the other side of the gate lay a sprawled military compound, large enough to be a small village. Cook fires dotted the landscape, with several men huddled around each. Zel smelled horses nearby but didn't see or hear them.

The captain led Zel to a small stone house, with a thatched roof, a wooden door, and wooden shutters. He urged Zel inside, where Zel found all the amenities of home...a table, iron stove, and bed.

"Please, sit," said the captain as he waved a hand to the table. Zel lay the sword in his lap and carefully sat. At that moment, the first guard came in with a large bowl of soup. He placed the bowl in front of Zel and produced a steel spoon for Zel to eat with.

The moment the aroma of the soup wafted through the room, Zel's stomach rumbled. He snatched the spoon and ate hungrily.

The captain sat across from him and watched. "Where did you find it?"

Zel paused and eyed him. The captain's eyes flashed with a hunger deeper than anything food could touch. Zel put the spoon down. "When can we go?" He glanced to the guard, who now stood blocking the door.

The captain just stared. Zel slid his chair back to stand. He teetered forward. With both hands he caught himself on the table. The sword clattered to the floor. Zel gazed at the captain, who now appeared blurry. The room spun and the floor lurched. A great tingle spread through Zel's arms and legs, rising like a swell to his ears to drown out every sound. When it reached his eyes, stars exploded and everything faded to black. The last thing he remembered, was the pain of his head landing on the floor.

He was swaying gently. The soft sound of horse hooves on dirt pierced the fog of his mind. He placed both hands on the pommel of the horse and raised his torso to look out into the night. Only, he wasn't on a horse. His hands rested on white and black hair. Directly in front of him was a dark gray muscular back, lashed with weapons.

"No!" Zel shouted, his voice slurred.

"Be still," said Rangtar.

"Where's the sword?"

"It is here." Rangtar half turned his torso and handed Zel the wrapped bundle.

Zel's mouth hung open as the lynel turned back to the road. "I don't understand."

"The humans had given you a sleeping draught and taken the sword. When I found you, they were preparing to throw you into the lake."

"You saved me?"

"Yes."

"What about the soldiers?" Zel asked.

"They were not saved."

Zel wanted to feel something for those men, but a hot anger welled up inside of him. He felt it as surely as he felt the sword's power and as he could sense the lynel's presence. Those men deserved to die. He was glad it happened.

"But why didn't you just take the sword?" he asked Rangtar

"It is the will of the darkness that you should bear it."

"Yes," Zel agreed. He could almost hear the sword speaking those same words.

"It is the will of the darkness that I help you," growled Rangtar.

Zel nodded as he stared at the wrapped sword in his hands. "I know."

--------------------------------------------

--Are you enjoying The Tainted Blade? Subscribe for updates, and please star and comment!--