The Legend of Zelda
Scepter of the Sages by Saravena Moonshadow

Disclaimer: Link, Aryll, Zelda,
Hyrule, and many other characters, creatures, and places in this
story belong to Nintendo. (The story line and some other characters
and places, however, are mine.)

Rating: PG-13 (violence/blood
and sexual situations)

Author's Note: I don’t
know if this would be considered a AU (alternate universe) fic or
not, because it doesn’t follow any of the original Zelda games’
story-lines. I rated this fic the way I did because some chapters may
have implications of sexual activity and a lot of blood is
spilled! And if you haven't noticed, I have redone this chapter and
will probably be redoing Chapter I, since I've gotten a little better
at writing.

Enjoy!

Prologue

The king’s
household was silent. So silent that a deafening ring could be heard
in one’s ear. Only a few minutes seperated this eerie ringing
from the shrill, pained screams of dying men.

The only sounds
that echoed off of the stone walls were the sorrowful cries of fair
Cliantha, the king’s young wife, now widowed. Her face was
buried in her hands, and brine seeped between her fingers as it was
shed from her eyes.

The nauseating
fumes of life-blood hung in the air, heavy as a damp blanket. The
young queen couldn’t bear to raise her head and look upon the
numerous corpses, which littered the entire chamber. She couldn’t
bear to see her husband’s lifeless eyes…helplessly
staring…as they did in her dreams.

I had seen this
all before…in nightmares that I thought had ended…but
now they come to life, and I could’ve stopped them…why
didn’t I say anything? Why?

Her thoughts halted
as the icy presence that lingered behind her drew closer.

A low, sinister
chuckle emitted from a man’s throat; a chill, like winter
rain-water, spilled down Cliantha’s spine.

“My dear
queen…” the man began, “…what tomfoolery
brought you to the altar with this ill excuse of a man?”

Claintha rose her
gaze to meet his, her eyes overflowing with both loathing and tears.

“He couldn’t
protect you the way I could’ve. Neither you or the
little princess would be alive…if I had intended to kill you.”

“You
monster!” Cliantha cried, “You foul cretin! I’d
rather join Harkinian at your blade than be your posession! You’ve
rid the world of a great ruler, a kind father, and a loving spouse.
In addition, you’ve smote those who have loyaly defended him
for years, and will never return to their families but to be buried.
I would be at endless shame to stand at your side!”

She burst into
tears, leaning forward, her body wracking with sobs. Her corn-silk
hair brushed the bloody floor, and the ends were stained a brilliant
crimson.

“Your sharp
tongue won’t bring him back, Cliantha. Neither will your
senseless grovelling. I suggest you cease this, before I change my
mind about Zelda…”

“Don’t
you dare touch her!”

“I’ll
do with her as I wish, my queen, unless you cooperate!”

“M-Mommy?”

Cliantha’s
breath caught at the sound of her daughter’s small voice. Her
eyes went to the open doorway and, sure enough, Zelda was standing
there in her white night-gown. Beside her was her nanny, Impa.

“Zelda!”

Cliantha scrambled
to her feet, but had only run a couple feet before the dark man moved
between the two.

“I thought I
ordered you to keep the brat in her room!” he snarled at Impa.

“Forgive me,
sir. Children such as she don’t stay put for long.”

What the hell?

“Impa, are
you mad? Why do you follow his commands?”

“She doesn’t
know any better. And neither will you or Zelda before the sun graces
the eastern horizon.”

He suddenly lunged
forth and grasped Cliantha’s forehead.

A quick
incantation emitted from his lips, and, almost instantly, Cliantha
fell unconsious. As the world around her faded to black, as did her
memories.

~*~

The village of
Ruelle, located along Hyrule’s eastern border and at the edge
of the Woods of the Lost, was a very secluded province. Not many
travellers bothered (or even dared) to trek through the vast woodland
that stood between Ruelle and the rest of the world.

Hidden more than
ever in the impenetrable blanket of night, the village was quiet save
for the chirping and croaking of crickets and toads.

And, of course, the
household of Sir Jeroth was still awake and full of commotion. Jeroth
had recently returned from his weekly duty as a guard at Hyrule
Castle. He had invited a couple friends with which to have a few
drinks.

The trio sat at the
family’s large, wooden dining table, and Jeroth was pummelled
with questions from his chums.

"Oy, Jerry!
Any chance of war a-comin’?” asked Daimon, a middle-aged
man with a beard that came down to his plump belly. “I’ve
been polishin’ me dad’s ol’ scabbard, and’ve
been hopin’ to put it to use!”

“Yes, is
there?” agreed Hane, a younger man the frame of a scarecrow,
“I’d love to go to war with the Gerudos!
Especially if there’s a chance I’ll get caught by one.”

Daimon let out a
hearty laugh.

“Hane, ya
dolt! Ye’ll do anythin’ to get at the ladies, aye?”

Jeroth smiled and
shook his head.

“They’d
probably kill you before they’d bed you, Hane! Err…nah,
sorry, boys. No chance of war as far as I can see.”

“Eh. Now tell
me, Jerry…what be the name o’ the king new right-hand
man?”

“Uh…I
believe it’s Ganondorf .”

“Yeah. Isn’t
he Gerudan?”

“He’s
their leader. You know the whole deal with the Gerudan race, right?
One man is born only every one-hundred years. Simply by being
a man of the Gerudan race, you’re automatically their
king!”

“Now…why
would the king be trusting a man who’s the leader of a group of
highly-attractive, thieving cut-throats?” Hane inquired,
sipping from the pint in his hand.

“I suppose
it’s some kind of peace treaty. Maybe if we make ammends with
Ganondorf, then the Gerudos won’t steal from us or declare
war.”

“Heh…there
goes my fantasies.”

The whole group
guffawed at this.

A wooden creak
sounded as the front door drew ajar. An elderly man with a thin head
of hair was the first to step inside, followed by a young boy. Their
clothing was darkened with rain-water, clinging tight to their skin.

“A cloudburst
after a week of sun? Why must nature be so unfair in choosing her
days of change?” the man huffed, “Bella! Link’s
soaked to the bone! It’d be best to bring him a new change of
clothes, before he catches something.”

“Right away!”
rang the voice of Jeroth’s young wife from the upper floor.

She hurried down
the stairs with a thick blanket, which she draped around the little
boy’s shoulders. Then she paused.

“Link, what
do you have in your hands?”

“Nothing,
mum.”

“Nothing? It
sure looks like something! Let me have a look.”

Link hesitantly
parted his cupped hands, and something large and black flew at
Bella’s face.

She shrieked,
flailing wildly as the small creature buzzed frantically around her
head.

“Aagh! A
beetle? Link! What’ve I told you about--”

“Please, can
I keep ‘im?”

“Absolutely
not, young man! Your baby sister would have a fit with that
disgusting thing buzzing about the house!”

“I’ll
keep him in a cage!”

“Link! I said
‘no’! Now get rid of it!”

“Bella, it’s
just a bug!” Jeroth laughed, “What harm can it do in a
cage?”

“We have
no cages, Jeroth! The thing can be poisonous!”

“I’ll
make ‘im a cage. And beetles are not poisonous unless
their brightly colored. You know that!”

“Whatever,
Jeroth! Just keep that atrocious thing out of my sight!”

The wailing of a
baby interrupted the conversation. Bella let out an exhausted sigh.

“Now see what
you’ve done!” she snapped, “I just got her to bed,
too!”

As Bella stormed up
the stairs, Daimon chuckled.

“Eh, think I
should go. I’d hate to be in the middle of a family feud.”

“I have to be
getting home, myself,” Hane agreed, “I’m helping
Gorden repair the old stable first thing tomorrow. His daughter’s
got a new horse!”

“Well, then
I’d hate to keep you. Good night.”

Hane was the first
to go out the door. Daimon turned to follow, but halted as Hane
suddenly let out a pained scream. A dull thud was heard as he
stumbled to the ground.

“Hane!”

Both Jeroth and
Daimon rushed to the door. The first thing they saw was Hane lying on
his stomach, not two feet from the doorway. A thick arrow-shaft had
pierced his chest, and the bloody head was protruding from his back.

Jaroth looked up
and further into the distance. His insides went to ice at what he
saw.

At the woods edge,
he saw hundreds of glowing, ember-orange eyes gazing around at the
village. The eyes of creatures Jeroth only knew to be of ill-will.

“Bella!
BELLA!”

“What is
it, Jeroth?” Bella replied impatiently.

“Hurry! Hide
the children!”

“Why?”
her tone instantly turned to worry, “What’s wrong?”

“We’re
surrounded!”