Sin of Sheikari Chapter 5
Chapter 5: Those Who Dwell in the Five Temples
Dawn gazed mournfully upon the village as it always had, casting a pall over the dilapidated, forgotten cottages that was as haunting as it was blinding.
Yet, Zelda had never once considered leaving this place, even on the days she was certain she’d used up all of her tears. That was until she uncovered a memory she’d long tried to bury, of the day her father told her of her mother’s passing.
Two years had passed since the queen had disappeared into the night, setting off for the Gerudo Desert. No one had known why she’d left so abruptly and without warning…or why she had been attacked once she’d reached her destination.
“There is a place deep in the Haunted Wasteland, farther than even the Gerudo dare to go,” Zelda could remember how the torch light made her father’s sharp eyes all the more imposing, his scowl nearly disappearing under his great, white beard as he spoke. “Your mother would have awful visions of this place, saying there was something there which should never be found. Something that should be destroyed.”
Zelda had peered up at her father, blue eyes filled with bewilderment. The king had sighed at her innocent expression, his features becoming less bristled as a result, before gesturing to a mirror hanging up on a nearby wall. “I would catch her gazing at her reflection at times, almost as if she was in some sort of trance. You must understand, Zelda, that your mother was not a vain woman, though she was strikingly beautiful. No, it was as if she saw something that no one else could.”
Zelda had nodded, one piece of the puzzle setting in place. “Like my visions.”
The king had grunted, satisfied she was now following along. “I believe so. Your mother set off, trying to find that place hidden deep within the Haunted Wasteland. And that was where they found her.”
Zelda had wanted to ask more, but her vision had begun to blur as her father rose to his feet, his mantle sweeping over him like a curtain shutting out the sunset. She’d swallowed the first sob before it could escape her mouth, knowing this wasn’t the place for such reactions. Not here. Not with him.
“Your mother was a strong woman,” Zelda had thought her father was going to reach for the mirror and shatter it on the floor. Yet, instead, he’d taken down a golden harp her mother had kept amongst her belongings, though Zelda had never heard her play it. Her father had held it at arms length, staring at it as if it possessed some sort of answer. “She chose to go alone, to face the dangers by herself. I couldn’t protect her.”
He’d then handed the harp to Zelda, as if that would clear up the now endless amount of riddles spiralling within her. Her father’s words wouldn’t have had time to truly soak into her before that mysterious boy would arrive in the courtyard with his message from the future.
Zelda drew a deep breath as the memory drifted back into the furthest reaches of her heart where she could keep it safe. She needed to focus on what could be done now. All had seemed lost before, but there was still a path forward.
Five temples rested in various parts of Hyrule, while the sixth was hidden within the Sacred Realm. Unless one was a Sage, the only entrance to the Sacred Realm was through the Door of Time in the Temple of Time.
To open that door, all three of the Spiritual Stones plus the Ocarina of Time had to have been collected. All of these tedious measures ensured only someone with pure intentions and the blessing of the other races could ever seek out the Golden Land.
Zelda etched these facts into her mind as she slipped into her tights. She carefully wrapped her chest and torso, binding them so that she could move more freely in combat.
She looked down at her hands, noticing that less than half of her fingers needed to be wrapped in bandages now. They served as a constant reminder of her training with Impa, who had done her best to train Zelda to fight without the use of her magic.
It would all have to be enough.
As she stepped out into the yard, she could already smell the roasted potatoes, carrots, broth, and thyme simmering in the fire pit before her and sighed. She should have told Impa there’d be no need, that it would only go to waste.
She slowly plaited her hair into a tight braid, tucking it into her hood before tugging free the long rope of white cloth she’d spun around her arm. She closed her eyes, calling upon the Goddesses to help her with what was likely her most demanding spell yet.
The white fabric glowed faintly for a few seconds, before its form was once more that of an ordinary piece of long, ragged cloth. When she wrapped it around her head, she would no longer look like a young girl born into the highest seat in all the land. Instead, she would have the red eyes and physique of a male Sheikah warrior.
This time, no one would suspect she was anything close to royalty, even if they wondered why a lone Sheikah warrior was racing across the realm. Yes, the people of Hyrule would need to know their princess was still alive, but not yet. She couldn’t be recognized until the time was right.
Ganondorf would be the first to see her face again before she destroyed him forever.
“It seems you feel you’ve rested enough.”
Zelda didn’t turn to face Impa, knowing she’d been watching for quite some time. Instead, she continued to equip herself with everything she needed as her guardian observed. “Hyrule can still be saved.”
She heard Impa sigh and knew she was shaking her head. She’d done it so many times since Zelda mentioned her plan to defeat Ganondorf alone, without the Hero of Time.
Impa had never been shy about expressing how foolish she felt Zelda’s plan was, insisting her young charge wait for the hero. “You cannot go alone again.”
Even as she listened to Impa’s pleas for her to see reason, Zelda could already tell her guardian knew that her mind was made up. She began to carefully wrap her head with the enchanted cloth, watching as her body transformed, becoming more rugged, bulky, yet still sleek enough to move with stealth.
Impa folded her arms, saying nothing at first. In that moment, Zelda wished she could see herself through her guardian’s eyes. What was once a vulnerable, spoiled girl must now resemble a wayward student Impa had left behind years ago.
“I won’t be alone when I face him this time,” Zelda nearly startled at the sound of her voice, now imbued with the rich tenor of a young man’s. “The Ancient Sages will fight at my side.”
Impa sighed. “Ah, yes, the Ancient Sages. That was one of your favorite history lessons, and you know as well as I that those Sages entered an eternal slumber. Some day the Sacred Realm will awaken new Sages if Hyrule is on the brink of destruction.”
“Without the Hero of Time?”
“There is still a chance he will appear, Zelda.”
Zelda paused, clenching her fists again. How long did Impa intend for them to wait? Seven more years? A hundred? No. She had to set off now. She could no longer delay.
“Hyrule has been a realm of darkness for seven long years, and Link never returned!” she shook her head, gesturing all around them. “The land becomes darker still with each passing day! I must find the Ancient Sages and awaken them now!”
“They chose eternal slumber,” Impa’s eyes sharpened as she took a step forward. “Perhaps they don’t want to be awakened.”
“They were privileged enough to have a choice at all. I am not.”
If Impa had wanted to say more, she didn’t. Instead, she slowly turned to face the horizon, as if looking at Zelda would mean she was condoning the choice she was making.
Without wasting another moment, Zelda reached deep within herself once more, calling out to something she’d lost long ago. If it hadn’t been exactly where she’d left it, she might not have found it. Yet, her mother’s harp materialized in her hands, her grip on it as familiar as it was when her father had first handed it to her.
As if she’d never missed a day of practice in the past seven years, she began strumming it. Each note echoed as if being stretched across unfathomable distances. As beautiful, haunting notes filled the air around them, tendrils of green light erupted from the ground, swirling around her like leaves caught in a shifting autumn breeze.
“I will find the Ancient Sages,” Zelda’s deep voice echoed as the green light tendrils circled her, obscuring her from view. “One in a deep forest. One on a high mountain. One under a vast lake. One within the house of the dead. One inside a goddess of sand.”
“Fine,” Impa’s voice stayed calm and patient, even in the face of Zelda’s defiance. “I know won’t convince you, but I have warned you, Zelda.”
“Not Zelda. Sheik…” Zelda corrected as her feet left the ground. “Until I am ready to face Ganondorf once more.”
“Sheik…” Impa repeated the name as she watched Zelda rise higher and higher. “So, a member of the Sheikah clan is to awaken the Ancient Sages. You will certainly catch Ganondorf’s attention before long.”
Zelda finally turned to face Impa as she began to slowly vanish from sight.
“And when he falls to his knees before me, I will have caught so much more.”
