The Legend of Zelda - The Tainted Blade (Season 3)

Beneath the Dungeon - (S3:E1)

With the torch held to the side in her left hand, Adara Cruza swept away the dried-out spider webs draping across the narrow cave. Darkness stretched out beyond the torchlight into a deep emptiness radiating cold. Water drips echoed in the distance. The cave was taller than it was narrow, and she could stand straight despite being able to reach out and touch both cave walls at the same time.

"Princess," said the gruff lieutenant Gripka standing behind her. A dozen soldiers followed her, a torch held by every other one and swords drawn by the others.

Adara cringed. The new title came as a result of making her claim to the royal house of Akkala. Being one of only two surviving females in the royal line, the other King Gazamin's own thirteen-year-old daughter, the King had quickly bestowed the title upon her as well.

It was unfortunate. She had never wanted such a title and had never dreamed of it even when her father told her their relationship to the royal house of Akkala. But it had been the only way to escape the dungeon and earn the royal pardon of Gazamin. He had given the pardon quickly, having a general dislike for Morien the Great and a desire to tie the Triforce of Courage to his throne.

From wanted to royalty. From tied up to pampered by servants. From despised to respected. Not even a Rito bard could concoct such a story.

"Don't call me that unless we're in the castle," she snapped at her lieutenant. Though somewhat unkempt and rough around the edges, with graying temples and a graying beard, lieutenant Gripka led his men like a father.

"Yes, your Highness," he replied.

"Nor that," she said, glaring at him.

The man faltered, his lips moving behind his bushy facial hair. "What then shall I call you?"

"Captain will do."

"But that is a lesser rank. Surely you don't mean..."

"Address me by Captain or be dismissed," she said.

He nodded his head. "Yes, Captain."

Adara consulted the map of the passageways directly beneath the Akkala Citadel. The ancient dungeon was strangely devoid of monsters, despite the foul stench and the sticky spider webs everywhere.

"Only a few rooms remaining," said Gripka, looking at the map over her shoulder. "The repository is nearby."

Once released from the Akkala prison and having revealed her identity to King Gazamin, Adara had pleaded her case for help to find a way to defeat the Demon King Demise, should he escape his prison within the failing Master Sword. He had given her free reign of the Akkala library and archives and pledged whatever military assistance she might require, though Adara believed mortal soldiers would be useless. It was in the Akkala library where she discovered the location of an ancient repository deep beneath the Akkala Citadel. Documents claimed it to be filled with ancient histories of Hyrule, recorded by a hermit who had taken residence in the caves long before the Citadel had been built over it. The first portions of the caves had been appropriated for the Akkala prison, the deeper levels bricked in, and the rest of the passageways forgotten.

Only the king and a few librarians knew of the existence of these deeper passages. When Adara read of them in the histories and sought permission to seek out the repository, the king agreed and the bricks between the prison and the passages were demolished. After a week of searching in the royal library, she had found no answers. Perhaps, if they still existed, the ancient histories recorded by the hermit might give her what she needed.

Adara rounded a bend in the passage and came to an open archway. The blackness beyond it seemed untouched by the torchlight. She moved to enter, but Lieutenant Gripka grabbed her arm. She glared at him, but he just motioned to his knights. Four of them dashed in.