ChargewithSword
Zelda Dungeon's Critic
- Joined
- Jan 13, 2009
- Location
- I don't want to say.
Chapter 1: A Pig Boy's Task
Loosely Based on the Disney Movie, The Black Cauldron, which is loosely based on the books from the Prydian Chronicles.
The story begins in the southern portion of Hyrule, what is commonly known as the Eldin Province. It was a dense forested area that has stood tall for many a century amongst most normal woods. The most popular title for Eldin Province though, is, "The Pedestal of Magic" and that name is rightly given. The forest commanded the majority of the magical elements of Hyrule and was home to the many "magic" folk of the land, including Fairies, Kokiri, and ,more recently, wizards.
Speaking of which, there is one particular wizard who resides in this mystical province who goes by the name of Aginashan. He was an old and powerful sorcerer who dabbled in many spiritual arts and was a widely known celebrity back in his day. Sadly with age comes obscurity and not even the Great Aginashan could escape that fate. So, when that time came he faded away from the public's eye until he seemed nothing more than a myth. The real myths never die though; they always manage to live on in the most unexpected of places and for Aginashan, this was no exception.
When he had been forgotten long ago, Aginashan had chosen to take up residence in a log cabin, in the southernmost part of the Eldin province. He chose to go here since he found that he was able to study in peace amongst the forest life. The only other person who lived with him was his apprentice, Link. Aginashan found him abandoned on the road many years back when he was still a baby. Aginashan took the boy in when no one else wanted him, gave him a home and a father figure.
Link was always dreaming of a different life. He longed to be a warrior instead of an assistant pig keeper. The problem though, was that he was almost, too ambitious and unaware of the dangers in the world. Thankfully, Aginashan made sure to keep the boy's head out of the clouds. Overall, they lived a peaceful life in their little cabin. nevertheless, peace is always disrupted, and sometimes, it's done in the most shocking methods.
"Something's wrong," murmured the sage to himself. "I can feel it in my bones, and the Kokiri know it too. They've hidden themselves deep in the Lost Woods and don't even show themselves to my words. The fairies have all disappeared as well; you don't see them anywhere."
Aginashan had been sitting in his study all morning with little attention paid to anything around him. He didn't even notice his pet cat creeping around his table. Most likely, Cat (the creature's name) was hungry, but Aginashan was too deep in thought to pay attention.
"I wonder," he murmured to himself. "Perhaps it has something to do with him. If so, then the seal on his powers has already weakened. so I suppose I should make the journey to the sacred grove. I'd best start packing."
Aginashan then turned his head at the sound of a large meow. He then got up from the seat of his desk to see where it came from. It was Cat, begging for food. Aginashan then said, "Yes, yes, yes, Cat I know you want your breakfast, but right now thinking is more important."
Cat's eyes then widened to give him an innocent demeanor. Aginashan then laughed and said, "Alright, alright you rascal. I suppose food is good for the thought. Come on, let's see what we have."
Aginashan then lead Cat to the kitchen. When he opened the door he looked towards the area where a pot was boiling. The top then started to overflow with the residue of a white substance.
"Oh dear me," exclaimed Aginashan. "Link! The pot is boiling over Link!"
His attention was then focused towards the window where a young boy stood. He was clad in a green tunic with white tights. His hair was a natural drench of brown that covered the majority of his head. Though he seemed frail, he was a very well kept lad, with a good amount of muscle.
"Oh, Agin," said Link. "I was just thinking: What if the war* is over, and I haven't done any fighting."
"Then it'll be for the better," proclaimed Aginashan while scrounging through cupboards for food. "War isn't a game Link, people get hurt, or even killed!"
"But I'm not afraid," stated Link as he walked to collect the contents in the pot. "I-Aow!" Mistakenly, Link forgot to hold a cloth before touching the handle on the lid.
Aginashan laughed and remarked, "You see? If war ever came to this portion of the world, you'd have a great deal more to worry about, than a burnt finger."
Link rolled his eyes at Aginashan's comment and grabbed for a towel. He used the towel to safely lift the lid of the pot. Link then got a ladle and pulled out some strange white substance from the pot.
This got Cat's attention quickly as he ran towards a nearby bowl. When Link dropped the food in the bowl, Cat licked his lips in hunger. However, when he actually put his mouth near the food his eyes bulged out like springs. Then he put his paw over his heaving mouth in disgust.
Aginashan noticed this and then said, "No, no, no, Cat that is not for you, it is for Rosei."
Link rolled his eyes a complained, "Rosei, Rosei, Rosei. It's always Rosei!"
"And one day mah boi, you might know why," softly spoke Aginashan before handing Link the bowl. "Now, no more daydreaming, you have chores to do."
Link took the bowl and quickly walked out the with scarcely a word said. Aginashan could only sigh at this and walked towards the pot. He only wished Link would try to absorb Aginashan's advice.
"He's so young, so anxious, and so blind to the dangers of the world.", he muttered to himself.
Aginashan then lifted the lid of the pot to see if he could clean any residue. "Ho! Look Cat, look," he exclaimed. "Just enough left for you!"
Cat's face widened with horror and he darted for the next room, as swiftly as the wind. "Was it something I said?", pondered Aginashan.
**
Outside of the cabin, Link stomped towards the pigpen. He just couldn't agree with Aginashan. He just didn't know how Link felt. He could handle a sword properly, but even then Aginashan never let Link out to fight.
"He just doesn't understand," grumbled Link. "I'm not a little boy anymore. I should be doing heroic deeds, for Hyrule, not waiting hand and foot for a spoiled pig."
When Link reached the pigpen he kicked the door open and walked towards a little house. He then dropped the bowl and kicked it inside the house, but it was quickly thrown back.
"Hu-what," stammered Link. "Oh, I'm sorry Rosei. I guess I got carried away."
A the sound of his apology, a small pig appeared from the pen. She was seemingly off balance with her weight, with her rear sporting a little more fat than her upper body. She then gave the bowl of food a dirty look. Link then said, "You'd better eat it, Aginashan made it especially for you."
Rosei smiled at Link and quickly took a bite of the food. She chewed it quickly and attentively, but suddenly, her face went sour. She then swallowed with a loud gulp and stuck out her tongue in disgust. Aginashan had apparently outdone himself this time; the food tasted worse than yesterday.
"Is this to be my life; pampering a pig," questioned Link, walking out of the stable. "I'm a warrior, not a pig keeper."
"Agin probably thinks I'd be afraid, but I wouldn't. All I need is a chance and I could be a famous warrior."
Link then picked up a stick and started to swing it around. He performed multiple sword techniques that would impress any normal swordsman. Since Link would train himself daily (behind Aginashan's back) he was well aware on how to fight. Rosei was interested in Link's swordplay and moved towards him.
"Look at me Ros, I can do it!" , he boasted.
Link then swung the stick near Ros, scaring her in the process. He then swung at some nearby ducks, frightening them away as well. All the while he boasted, "Haha! I am the mightiest hero in Hyrule."
Suddenly a goat walked nearby. Link took this opportunity to swing the stick near the goat as well. He then said, "Ah ha, there you are. His majesty, the evil magistrate!"
Link then struck the goat at the horns, causing it to shake. The goat didn't like this of course, but Link wasn't paying attention. "Heh, even the evil magistrate shakes with fear," he boasted before turning to Rosei. "You see Ros, everyone runs from the famous, Link of Caer Agina-"
But before Link could finish, he was ramed by the goat pushing him and Rosei into mud. Link then pretended to die in front of Rosei. "Ugh, Hyrule's finest warrior draws his last breath." , he grunted before "dieing."
Rosei looked at Link worridly, not realizing he was only faking. She nudged him on the cheek and noticed him open an eye with a slick smile on his face. Before he could say anything though, a shadow appeared over them.
"Agin!" ,gasped Link.
"Not, quite the blade for a hero.", mocked Aginashan.
"Well, I was just, I um," stuttered Link, looking for an excuse. "Rosei got dirty."
"Oh, I see," muttered Aginashan looking at Rosei and petting her. "Another dream Link?"
Link then gave up on his excuses and said, "But Agin, won't I ever be anything but an assistant pig keeper?"
Agin then rebutted, "She's a special pig Link. Now give her a nice bath. I'll be gone for most of the day so you'll have it to yourself when you're done with your normal chores."
"I can tell Agin," stated Link. "You have your hiking cap on."
It's true, Aginashan sported a green cap whenever he would go hiking in the woods. He also wore a set of green robes along with it. He found that green matched his spirits and his lengthy beard. He then said, "Of course my boy. Well, now I am off. Take care of yourself."
"Good-bye Agin," shouted Link "I'll see you later today."
Aginashan then departed to the woods, leaving Link alone with Rosei. He then started carrying her to a tub. "Well Ros," stated Link. "I'll guess I'll still be a pig-keeper, when I'm as old as Aginashan. Oh well, maybe if I am lucky, adventure will come here. Though I doubt it."
**
~Later that day~
In a deep forested area, near the Lost Woods and beyond the Kokiri forest, was the Sacred Grove. It was a celestial place that only few ever trodden to or even manage to see. Here in this place was a hidden secret lying within it's bowels. That secret was what Aginashan was here for.
As he walked up a flight of stairs, he felt troubled. This was because he sensed no presence of evil here. If there was no evil, then that would mean that he might've been mistaken. However, he would get his results when he saw the sword. And boy, did he get his results.
Once reaching the top of the stairs, Aginashan saw it. The Sword of Evil's Bane, commonly known as the Master Sword. Everything in the grove was untouched. Not a single soul had touched this grove in ages. That was the troubling part though.
"No, no, no," he stammered. "If he has not released the seals around the sword, then that means there is something else plaguing me. The question is: What else could make my hairs stand up like this. These are troubling times indeed. OH, if there's anything worse than incoming evil, it incoming evil that you don't know about..."
**
Later that night, Link noticed that Aginashan had returned. When he went to greet him though, Aginashan didn't say a word. The only thing that he would say was a small mutter. He would mumble, "I don't understand, they seemed fine..."
Link didn't understand what Aginashan was talking about specifically, but he chose to stay out of it. Wizard business was often far above his head, of course, it was also interesting. It sounded as if there was danger in the forest; if that was the case then Link could have an excuse to prove himself as an able fighter. Still Link didn't ask him, since not only was Wizard business complicated, it was secretive. So Link decided to keep out of it.
Dinner was quiet that evening; it had (thankfully) been Link's turn to cook, so the only other thing he heard from Aginashan was a "thank you" and a "delicious." Overall, it was a quiet even, but the night was quite loud. Aginashan would chant stridently, keeping Link up all night. It wasn't until midnight, that Aginashan went to bed.
For the next few days, things went along peacefully. The only thing that really bothered Link was that the forest was getting oddly quiet. It was almost as if all the life was being siphoned away from it. This was somewhat troubling, but Link managed to keep his courage at a high. He wanted to be prepared for anything to happen. Of course, Link wouldn't be prepared for what would happen today.
It would all start when Link was giving Rosei a bath as usual. As he scrubbed her back, he noticed Henwen was beginning to jitter and whimper. Suddenly, Henwen burst out into full squeals and started jumping and struggling.
Link then asked, "What's wrong Ros? Stop it! Please, calm down Ros!"
Suddenly Aginashan opened a window and yelled, "Link, what's going on?"
"I don't know," replied Link. "Rosei just started squealing as if a monster was here!"
Aginashan turned pale at the sound of his words. He then commanded, "Quickly lad, bring her inside."
Link obeyed Aginashan and carried Rosei inside the house. When he got inside he noticed Aginashan lighting a candle near a small pot of water. "What's that for?" ,asked Link.
Aginashan didn't answer him though and instead said, "Put Rosei down Link. I never use her powers, but I am afraid I must."
As Link placed Rosei down near the pot he asked, "Powers? What powers?"
Aginashan then grabbed his walking staff and said to Link, "Link, what you are about to see, you must never reveal."
Aginashan then placed his staff in the water and began stirring. As he stirred, he recited and incantation, "Rosei, from you I do beseech knowledge that lies beyond my reach. Troubled thoughts beyond your heart. Pray you now those thoughts impart."
Once the incantation was spoken, Rosei appeared as if to be in a trance. Her eyes turned from white to a radiant red and her vision was fixated on the pot of water. She lowered her head into the pot and made no movement thereafter.
When Rosei's face was partially submerged, the water in the pot began to writhe. Soon it changed its color to that of a turquoise and with it, images began to form. The first image was that of a long robed man with a glowing right hand.
Aginashan knew exactly what this meant and gasped, "Ganondorf. But I checked the seals on his powers, and they were intact."
A new image then came up. It was that of a long white trident. It was held high in the man's hands as if in victory. Aginashan's eyes bulged in surprise at the sight of this new image.
"The Trident of Power," he gasped. "So, that's how he is avoiding the seals! He found a new power source to siphon from."
Link was watching the whole time in awe and amazement. He was transfixed on the water images and the gorgeous colors that flowed from it. It would change from turquoise to emerald, and from emerald to scarlet. It was truly a dazzling sight. Never had he imagined that Rosei could do such things.
The image in the pot then began to reshape itself again. This time it was the apparition of multiple eyes moving around in a circular pattern. Aginashan immediately picked up on this message and said, "He is searching. But what is he searching for?"
The image once again reformed, but this time to sand and fire. The sand collided with the flame into a mismatch until they formed a great mirror. The mirror was then suddenly surrounded by shadow on every side until it was all absorbed into the mirror. The mirror had now become a great black mirror of shadow.
"The Shade's Mirror," cried Aginashan. "So that is what he's after!"
"The Shade's Mirror?" inquired Link.
Aginashan quietly explained, "It's an a gateway Link; the gateway to a horrible realm. It's been hidden away for centuries, but if Ganondorf should find it and open the portal inside the mirror, nothing could stop him."
Suddenly the image reshaped itself again. This time it was that of a small pig running away from two hands. The hands quickly surrounded the pig and subdued it. Link noticed the similarity and said, "That's Rosei!"
"He knows!" ,gasped Aginashan.
He then stomped on the bowl and cried, "Stop! Enough!"
The lights in the pot suddenly disappeared and Rosei snapped out of her trance. Aginashan then ran towards the cupboards, grabbing bread, apples, and an empty bottle. He then went over to the pot with the empty bottle and filled it with Aginashan's homemade breakfast.
He then explained to Link, "You must leave here at once Link. You must take Rosei to the hidden cottage I have over at the north eastern edge of the Eldin province."
"Hide," spoke Link skeptically. "But why?"
"Only I knew the secret to Rosei's powers," replied Aginashan "But now, The King of Darkness ,Ganon, has discovered it. We must make sure he never uses them to find the Shade's Mirror and open the portal to the Dark World."
"I'm not afraid of the King of Darkness!" pronounced Link.
Aginashan continued to pack things together but stopped to rebut Link, "Then you are a very foolish lad! Untried courage is no match for his evil, you must remember that. Now, come over here and look at this map."
Link obeyed Aginashan and walked over towards where he was. A map had been laid out on the table near him. Aginashan then placed his finger on the map and moved it around.
"Now listen carefully my boy," urged Aginashan. "You shall be travelling northeast from this cottage here to the hidden cottage I have here. You must use this path to get there. Also, under no circumstances are you to head to the northwest."
"Why not?" ,asked Link.
Aginashan then replied, "Lately I have been sensing nothing but evil from that direction, it is best not to risk the chance of Ganon being there."
Link then suggested, "Well, if I have to get there secretly, why don't I just go through the Lost Woods."
Aginashan then stated, "No! Those woods are much too dangerous to travel through these days. If you were to get lost there, you'd become a Stalfos and I do not want that to happen. Swear you won't go there!"
"Yes sir." ,answered Link going over to Rosei to lease her.
"Wait my boy." ,called Aginashan.
Link turned and saw Aginashan holding two things in his hand. His hiking cap and a small pack.
"Link" ,he said. "I want you to take this magical pack. In it I have put at least two days worth of food. Also, should you find the need to put anything inside, you'll never run out of room."
Link took the pack and wrapped it around his waist. He nodded to Aginashan and move away. Suddenly he was stopped by the sound of Aginashan's voice, "Wait Link. I also want you to have this."
He handed over the cap he had in his hands to Link.
"You're hiking cap," murmured Link. "But Agin, it's yours. I couldn't possibly-"
But he was stopped by Aginashan who said, "I'm getting old Link. I doubt I'll be hiking much anymore. Besides I want you to have it; something to remind you, that you are always welcome here in Caer Aginashan."
Link then accepted the cap and placed it on his head. He then hugged Aginashan goodbye. Link had never noticed that he had lived in this place for all his life and this would be the first time he ever journeyed into the outside world.
"Good bye Agin," Link said. "I'll miss you."
"And I you boy," replied Aginashan. "Take care."
So Link leased Rosei and walked out the door. As Link was leaving, Aginashan sighed to himself, "So much, so soon, rests on his young shoulders."
This was the start of a whole new adventure for Link, full of danger, friends, and mystery. Where he will become from boy to man and conquer the impossible.
****
Elsewhere, in dark places where birds dare not to sing, where flowers are too frightened to bloom, there was a room. The room was swallowed in the blackness of evil, with a deathly silence following it. No living creature dared to enter here; no bat dares to rest on these beams, no rat scurries through here, no spider made cobwebs. The only living thing in this room was a man.
He was a dark figure, garbed in a heavy robe of the blackest nights. The only clear detail of his face was two cold white eyes that felt like piercings to your soul. His every breath was always trailed by a deep growl emanating from his throat. This man was surrounded by the stench of loathing and resentment.
Then garbed man then began to Every motion he made would part the overbearing mist before him, revealing something horrible. Skeletons, dotted the floor in a cluttered group. Each one was a different skeleton, some of Gorons, some of Zora, some of Hylians; it was a mass assortment of strange bedfellows. However, they all had one thing in common; they were waiting for something, patiently and quietly.
"Yes," growled the Dark Man. "Soon my tribesmen. Soon, the Shade's Mirror will be mine. It's evil power will course through my veins, and I will make you...Mirror Born. Then... you shall worship ME! Yes... then, with you at my hand, I shall find them... the other two."
The man's right hand then began to glow with an eerie light. It parted the darkness and revealed a whole mass of skeletons. In its glow, the masses of dead seemed already to sprawl with life. They waited though, they were waiting for the right time.
The man then laughed beneath his breath. His deep throated laugh echoed throughout the room, making everything else tremble before it. The man then muttered, "How long I have thirsted to be a god... among mortal men..."
--
*The War of Seven Isles. This is the current war going on between Hylians and the Inhabitants of the Seven Isles to the south east ocean.
The dispute is a normal war for resources. The Hylians though are finding it difficult to outmaneuver the natives in their home group.
*****
Well, this is my story, it's an adaption of Disney's the Black Cauldron. (I mean adaption, not just a screen rip off.)
Anyways, for the next chapter cover Image, I am holding a contest. You simply draw me your version of the cover and PM me. If I like it, then I will accept it for the next cover page. In order to do that though, I will give you a preview of the next chapter.
Chapter 2: Four's a Crowd
In this chapter Link is on his way to the cottage in northeastern part of the Eldin Province. Along the way he loses Rosei and meets up with a Deku Scrub Thief called Dekki. It is then that Link finds two pig nappers had stolen Rosei and now Link must save her. Eventually Link does and the two pig nappers (who's names are Lan and Match) want to join him. Them along with the mischievous Dekki prove to be a handful. But are these four really all that useless, or maybe they have a bigger part to play in this story. Find out next chapter.
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I hate them too much tbh, in my writing there is no room for that, I keep telling myself that but I seem to make a few of those here and there, and well, typos are typos, it does not mean that a story is horrible. Yours is not, and if you could get those fixed, it would look better. Take for instance this sentence:
