Sword of Destiny [The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild]

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But the torch did not move, and instead Link found that it was not the men, after all. It stood by itself in a brazier, blowing in the wind.

A ringing echoed in the distance.

Link spun around.

The wind changed directions.

Again, a speck of light, far away. He waited in silence before he followed it. Then he came upon another torch. And another. This repeated for ages, until he couldn't find the next one.

Link's sandy hair brushed his cheeks as the wind changed directions again. An unlit torch leaned against the last burning brazier. Link lit it.

He had neither seen nor heard any trace of the men since he entered the Woods.

He shivered, and followed the embers of the fire, for he had no other instruction to go by.

Link wondered when the Woods would dispose of him. The time it took for people to disappear in the stories varied. Some say they fell asleep, some say they vanished instantly.

High pitched laughter echoed from what seemed in all directions at once. Link couldn't tell if it was friendly or not, but it seemed far away.

Link proceeded cautiously. There were goosebumps on his bare arms, and he wished he had worn more clothing. It was warmer outside of the Forest.

There was a crash in the brush behind him, and Link whirled around just in time to block a blow from a stalkoblin. He parried it and sent the monster flying away. It fell apart in a pile of bones but continued twitching. He dived for the skull with his sword and shattered the bone. All at once the creature disappeared in a muted explosion of purple smoke, leaving behind its weapons, an arm, and a horn. Link pocketed the horn and readjusted his grip on the torch; he had almost dropped it.

The wind changed directions again, pushing him so suddenly that he stumbled. His hair whipped around his face, stinging his cheeks and hurting his eyes. He followed the wind with no resistance. There were no more torches in the distance, and he was going to vanish any moment now, anyway.

His fire illuminated his path just enough that he was able to receive a clear enough warning when enemies approached. He escaped a few more monsters with only a scratch on his wrist.

He was lost in the Lost Woods for what felt like hours.

The strange ringing continued until it didn't, and that was when the light began to change.

The leaves above thinned until once again moonlight shone through. The wind calmed, and the fog faded. The foliage became thicker and greener, full of life.

And little forest creatures peered through at him.

Link started. He had never seen one before, as they were meant to be mythical, but seeing one now they could not be mistaken. He knew the stories. And these did not look like any sort of animal he had never seen.

Link dropped his torch in a puddle, forgotten.

More of the forest spirits--koroks, Link recalled--popped out. Some floated in the air with pinwheels, others were up in trees or on the ground. They all stared at him. They were small and green, maybe only a foot tall, and wore leaves on their faces like masks.

Ahead was a clearing.

Distantly, deep in the back of his mind, dread pooled.

A sword, bright and gleaming and legendary, stood tall before an ancient cherry blossom tree. A beam of moonlight struck it just so. Silent princesses bloomed around the pedestal, too many to count. They made a perfect triangle around the sword.