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SS Manga - Chapter Three: The Tempered

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The Master Sword was lying on the anvil. Hammers in the hands of the five knights–Link included. The other four were waiting for him to make the first strike, yet Link was hesitant.

All of them, as part of their qualifications for knighthood forged their own blades personally. None of them had tempered an already existing sword, nor had they forged one from scratch in many years.

Link could barely hold up his hammer. During the four years of his imprisonment, he had not the opportunity to lift his arms, let alone a hammer. He could barely hold it off the ground. Why did Hylia think that he, of all people, had the strength to temper the Master Sword? Yet he knew that at that very moment, the goddess was desperately holding back the unseen evil. It was his duty to reform this sacred sword.

With all his strength, Link lifted his hammer above his head. He saw his reflection in the blade of the sword: his bony and pale face staring back at him like a ghost. It reminded him of what he was once capable of. With pain coursing through his arms, Link brought the hammer down on the red-hot blade. Sparks flew and the metal bent. His arms were ringing with pain as the shock flew up his arms. He gasped in pain. This would be much harder than he'd anticapated.

The other four knights followed suit and began to beat their hammers against the blade. Link again found the strength in him to raise his hammer and bring it down, his arms numb with a dull pain. Each time his hammer met the Master Sword, his mind drifted to the past. Lost in memory, he remembered what had caused him to be in such a weary state.


Before his imprisonment, there were various signs of calamity throughout the land. Crops were withering, herds were disappearing, and humans were being killed by neither man nor beast. Link knew that these signs were not mere misfortune–they were signs of something far worse. He kept having increasingly vivid dreams of a horde of monsters laying waste to the land of Hylia. One night, his nightmare seemed all-too real.

"Soon, I shall control everything." The voice was saturated with evil. "Once I get my hands on that 'inheritance of the gods.'"

He awoke in a cold sweat. That demon… Link knew it from somewhere. The skin of the demon was covered in dragon-hard scales and it fierce red glow in it's eyes. The Demon King!

A feeling of dread swept over his entire person. He had always been subject to premonitions such as this, yet none this vivid… and none were wrong. His first thought was to warn the people. Danger was imminent. They needed to prepare.

"Knights of Hylia!" He found himself in the knights quarters, the attention of all his comrades was on him. "An army of demons is preparing it's assault on us. We must be ready!"

Four knights approached him, the rest returned to their business. "What is the meaning of this, Link?"

"I know for a fact that these ills of the land are not natural. They are the wrath of demons."

"How do you know this?"

"The ruin of fields… The herds that disappear without so much as a trace… The people that are brutally killed in their homes… These are a sure sign of disaster." Link was having a hard time putting what he felt so strongly into words. "I know that it is the demons."

These five knights, having experience with Link's usually-accurate insights, believed in him. The knight commander put his hand on Link's shoulder. "We must inform the people."

All together, they left the barracks.  


Link felt a ringing pain in his arms. The world dimmed and he found a hammer in his hands. Sparks were flying from the fresh-struck metal. How had he lost himself in the past like this? He looked at the faces of his friends encircling the anvil.

The knights no longer had hammers in their hands; they were holding the blade of the Master Sword in place with tongs instead.

Rasuka was standing next to him. "What's wrong? Are you alright?"

Link was confused. "Where are your hammers?"

"We weren't able to keep up with you."

"Our hammers were doing no good—only yours would bend the blade."

Link looked down at the Master Sword. The blade was… different. Yet it certainly seemed that only the place where Link's hammer hit had been bent. He brought his hammer up again, feeling less pain in his arms than before, and struck.


"You must all listen!" A small crowd had formed below the tower where Link was standing. "We must prepare or the demon army will obliterate this land of Hylia!"

The footsteps of heavily armored guards approached him from behind. "Hero Link."

Link turned to face them.

Lord Dagianisu, accompanied by two castle guards, was standing behind him, looking at Link with a sort of disgusted face. "What do you think you're doing?"

"There is an imminent threat to this land. I am trying to warn these people."

Dagianisu scoffed. "What threat?" He waved his arms about. "There is nothing wrong here—I don't believe you."

"Even if you don't, I know it to be true and my fellow knights believe me." The four knights who had accompanied him out of the barracks stepped forward and nodded.

"I see…." Dagianisu's face formed a melted frown and he descended down the tower stairs. Suddenly, a wry smile covered his face. "And soon we shall all see!" He slammed the door shut behind him.


With increased vigor, Link poured all his strength into the Master Sword. The blade itself was vastly different than before: there was no fuller or central ridge. But with this last strike, it seemed to be complete.

Link replaced his hammer with a set of tongs and set the blade in the forging fire. It needed to be heated and cooled to remove any impurities that may have built up due to his human nature. But while the blade was slowly heated, Link again lost himself in the past.


"What are you doing?!" The guards placed heavy shackles on his wrists.

"Don't worry," Dagianisu cooed into Link's ear. "We're going to your trial."

"What trial?"

Dagianisu smiled. "The one that will determine your fate, hero."

Link found himself in a courtroom. It was empty of all except a judge, Lord Dagianisu, and his attentive guards.

"It seems," the judge began, "that Link the Hero is being accused of…"

"Murder." Dagianisu smiled.

"What?!"

A sly grin on his face, Dagianisu continued. "Recently, a crime was committed by Link. It was a simple ploy for attention."

Link sharply stood, objecting silently.

"Sit down, Link."

"As I was saying," Lord Dagianisu went on, "This 'hero' here has been the source of every ill befalling this land! But, it was not until now that we have been able to prove it."

Remaining seated, Link spoke out. "It is the demons who are the source, your honor!"

The judge remained silent, yet for some reason avoided eye contact. "Present your proof."

From under his cloak, Lord Dagianisu pulled out Link's sword. "This," he pulled the blade roughly out of its scabbard. "This blade, your honor, is soaked with the blood of the innocents he cut down last night!" Sure enough, Link's blade was soaked red with blood.

"What?! I have done no such thing!"

"Then explain, murderer!" Dagianisu slammed the blade onto the table at which Link sat.

Link struggled for words, and found none.

"Not only that," Dagianisu said, "but in regards to motive, I have even further evidence. As proof of his craving for attention…" He waved his hand.

Four knights, his closest friends, were escorted into the courtroom by more castle guards.

"These comrades of Link will testify."

The judge droned: "Have you anything to say, knights?"

Although they wished to remain silent, a glare from Dagianisu prompted one of the knights to speak up shyly. "…In these times…" He gulped. "…the strength of a hero is unnecessary. Link was trying to reinforce his status by…"

"Go on," Dagianisu said dryly.

"…By blaming his crimes on demons."

"I rest my case, you honor." With a wave of Dagianisu's hand, the guards escorted the knights out of the room. Before the door shut behind him, Link glanced back at what had been his "friends," searching for some sort of an explanation. Feeling betrayed, he caught Rasuka's eyes for an instant, before Rasuka looked away out of shame. The door shut.

"Hero Link," began the judge, "You are hereby sentenced to permanent incarceration for your crimes against the land, and your Knight status is revoked. Your sword shall be shattered and you shall not be permitted to leave your cell for any purpose."

"So long, hero." Lord Dagianisu sneered. "Escort him to his hew home, guards."

Losing his sword broke his heart. After all he had done for the people he loved, after all the times he saved the land of Hylia, he was accused and sentenced by the very same people he worked so hard for. Even his friends deserted in his time of need. He felt hurt—betrayed. But he bore no grudge against them. Even towards Dagianisu he felt no hatred, despite what the man had done. What Link did feel was sorrow for those who had been killed to make his imprisonment happen. And even when he was chained to the cold stone wall in the dank dungeon by the people he fought to protect did he feel no anger. Merely fear. Fear that his people—the people of the land of Hylia—were doomed for destruction at the hand of the demons.

…and a desire to help them.


Hot steam rose as the Master Sword was quenched. The damp heat brought Link out of his trance. He held the sword up, it's new blade shining with a wet shimmer. Although he did not know what shape for the sword the goddess imagined, Link felt that its new form was the best he could do. He gripped the sword by the handle and headed outside, filled with the determination to help the people of Hylia.

A narrative adaptation of the Skyward Sword manga in the back of Hyrule Historia. Hopefully, this will allow people to "read" the manga even if they can't read japanese. This narrative has been divided into several parts to make it easier, this is the third chapter.
Just so you know, about 95% of what is in this chapter isn't actually in the manga. This whole part takes up exactly one page, to be honest. So if you're looking though the manga for this part, it DON'T REAL everybody. But its mostly on page 14 (if the first page with link talking is page 1).

Enjoy~!


PROLOGUE
Chapter 01
Chapter 02
Chapter 03
Chapter 04
Chapter 05
Chapter 06
EPILOGUE
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Zeraphalanx's avatar
Jealousy truly is cruelty to the grave. It is astonishing what people filled with envy will do. "Link the Hero" that knight earned that title for a good reason. His services as  knight to the Land of Hylia is a testament to that. Often the most devastating things happen to good people like Link for the most petty of reasons like what Dagianisu had.

But still he bore no hatred of him or his friends but had fear of a darkness that he knew was coming that would doom all Hylians. In my opinion I think Link was looking/thinking about the vital matter at hand: the demonic invasion that was coming soon....

Splendid narration I enjoyed it very much. 8-)