Hyrule’s capital city of Rhaldion crept from the nightfall as streetlights birthed an iridescent blue glow across a hazed skyline. The haunting light unveiled dense districts divided by massive, stone retaining walls in a long, crescent-like shape. It was as if the city ascended past each walled district. Buildings of pearl white stone and blue-shingled rooftops nestled comfortably alongside the empty streets. Rhaldion was a marriage of nature and aristocratic architecture. Built into the naturally formed mountainside once known as Crescent Peak, colorful trees and flowers painted the city’s parks and gardens. Lavish markets surrounded the capital’s central square, along with government buildings that greeted the public with stone pillar facades. White stone paved the central grounds with gold colored brick that formed an image of the Winged Crest of the Royal Family, and emitted a soft, warm glow in the dead of night. Its massive wings were outstretched towards the West and Eastern pathways.
The dense fog cooled the summer night with light dew. Although the haze muted the ambience, it brought forth a blissful silence to all corners of Rhaldion. The drop of a pin could shatter the fragile stillness with its metallic impact echoing through the thick haze. On the streets of the lower district, footsteps disturbed the peace with hushed, but frantic claps against the stone pavement. A young woman wrapped in a ragged cloak sped through the empty streets. With each hurried step, she let out nervous gasps of air as she clutched the loose ends of her cloak together. Every few meters, she quickly glanced over her shoulder at the sight of a long, empty path as the curtain of fog veiled the street. Her rosy cheeks were beaded with sweat, and her heart pounded so fiercely in her pointed ears that she could barley hear the heaviness of the breath that escaped through her trembling lips. Without hesitation, the woman made a sharp left around the corridor towards the exposed exterior of a public hall. Exhausted from running, she stopped to catch her breath while struggling to hold her head above her broad shoulders. She gazed down at her trembling hands, and slightly regained her composure as her frantic breathing calmed. The woman adjusted her cloak and pulled it closer to her chest as her silver eyes scanned the fogged environment.
Like a rising whisper in the silence, maniacal laughter infected the damp air around her. A frozen sensation sent tremors quaking through her body. She frantically pivoted in every direction searching for the source of the high-pitched, guttural voice. The disembodied laughter crawled through the fog as it came from every direction.
“Pleasant night for a walk, isn’t it?” The slimy voice slithered around the woman and constricted her body with fear.
Against her fearful disposition, her instincts forced her body to face the owner of the demented speech. Out from the pillar of the shadowed facade, a tall man emerged dressed in clean, aristocratic attire. The palm of his right hand rested on the butt of an ornate, black cane. Long, straight purple hair descended from his black top hat and fell past his thin, bony shoulders. Apart from his voice, he maintained the posture and appearance of a wealthy nobleman. With an expressive motion, he lifted his cane over his shoulder and took decisive steps down the short stairway. He stood tall with each confident stride towards the woman, and tipped the brim of his hat, revealing pale blue skin and thin, red eyes.
“Those tattered robes are not befitting of such an elegant lady.” He said with a curled smile across his hollowed face, “It would dishonor my name should I lead a ragged woman in a waltz.” The man towered over the frightened young woman. She could feel his cold breath down her neck. He took a step back and removed his top hat as he bowed below her height.
“I am Sir Razeed Amarante.” He gently took the woman’s hand and pulled her close to him, “Dance with me, and melodies of shadow shall weave a dress for you.”
The woman calmed her trembling figure as she leaned against Razeed’s chest. She loosened the tension felt by his presence, and a shaking frown was replaced with a warm grin.
“While I truly fancy your gilded tongue-” She spoke in a soft, flattering voice that fed Razeed’s self-indulgence as he chuckled. A hard, metallic barrel pushed against his stomach, followed by a sudden click like the snapping of a twig.
“I’d prefer to be the lonely wallflower.” She broke the silence with her voice raised and confident. The hammer dropped, sparks flew, and Razeed felt a shockwave pierce his flesh and a bullet punch deep in his gullet.
Writhed with pain, Razeed recoiled and fell to the ground clenching his wound. He looked up with an enraged expression at the woman with a gilded blue flintlock pistol. She removed her cloak and revealed the attire of Hyrule’s Royal Guard; an elaborate, blue uniform trimmed with gold designs and an embroidered crest of the Royal Family symbolizing a high-ranking military official. Her braided, red hair draped over her left shoulder and kept her flintlock pointed at Razeed’s head. The shriveling eyes of a frightened girl now became fierce and commanding.
“Ah! So, the harlot has fangs!” Razeed chocked on his own words through his psychotic laughter while coughing blood, “Tis quite uncivil for a lady to wield such a barbaric weapon.”
“Quite an odd thing for a serial killer to lecture me on civility.” She scoffed.
Razeed struggled to maintain his balance. He continued with his laughter.
“These eyes never take me for a fool, Colette de’ Beaumont. I shall relish in tearing the veins from your flesh!”
Colette remained composed and focused. The wind of Razeed’s knowledge of her name could not shake the bulwark of Colette’s conscience. She leered at him dead in the eye and kept the pistol’s barrel in his sight.
“Where are you hiding them?” She demanded in a commanding tone.
“I don’t believe you are in a position to interrogate me.” Razeed chuckled as he pulled himself to his feet.
Colette merely grinned as she raised her hand high and with a sharp snap of her fingers, the foliage rustled with the sound of boots crunching though gravel and twigs. Unsheathed swords rang in rhythm with the metallic clicks of loaded rifles. A squad of Hylian soldiers emerged from hiding and positioned themselves around Razeed at gunpoint. Colette raised her thin eyebrow in amusement and cocked her head.
“Oh good, because I’m not in the best of mood to interrogate.”
Razeed arched his head to the sky. He stared into the black atmosphere in silence as his smile widened to the point of elasticity.
“Their blood was necessary, my lady.” His tone low and riddled with ecstasy, “Truth is found in Twilight. Your shadows will break the chains of mortal flesh, and become one with the primordial void. On the day the crow sings to the harmony of chaos, my King shall rise to reclaim the mantle of his glory.”
Colette took a few paces back and raised her hand, silently commanding her soldiers to ready their rifles and execute Razeed where he kneels.
“A King awaits no subject who kisses the earth before first groveling at his feet.” She remarked.
Razeed reared his head towards Colette in a distorted fashion. His engorged eyes contorted with madness, and his curled lips snarled, revealing rows of sharp teeth.
“My King IS the Earth!” He roared.
Colette couldn’t blink before he dematerialized in a purple mist. Taken aback, she drew her sword and threw her body in a defensive stance. Her ears perked at the pandemonium of shrill cries, and the guttural noise of steel slicing through flesh like ribbon. Colette’s heart sank when she turned to see Razeed’s silhouette beaming with soulless, yellow eyes standing over the dismembered bodies of her squad. His arms had mutated into curved, blade-like appendages. A dark aura illuminated around his body. His psychotic eyes gazed at Colette and ecstatically licked his lips. Despite beads of sweat forming on her face, she kept her composure and her sword arm at the ready. Her calm eyes meet Razeed’s with focus and tenacity. The moment she pivoted her foot, he kicked off the ground that left a small shockwave behind him and charged at Colette with a shrieking battle cry. She performed a quick sidestep and raised her blade to meet his in a ringing clash. With maddening rage, Razeed spun whilst holding out his blade arm in a horizontal slash. Colette successfully countered the attack. Colette pushed off the ground and leapt into the air before Razeed could come at her with another swing. She gracefully plotted her landing, and fired her flintlock as she arched herself while airborne. Her marksmanship proved effective as the bullet penetrated through Razeed’s collarbone. He recoiled, but carried the pain with an enraged scream. As Colette’s feet planted on the ground, she tossed aside her unloaded pistol and drew another sword from her side. Both combatants rushed towards each other in a fury of colliding metal.
Sparks flew and the swords composed a song of shrieking steel that rang through the air. Colette’s fighting style was that of an elegant dancer. Her acrobatic form allowed her to move with style and coordination in the arena. By utilizing dual swords, Colette had a wider range of attack. Her sheer speed compensated for her lack of defense, as she was able to dodge and parry Razeed’s slow strikes. However, Razeed dominated in prowess alone, and so Colette needed to keep herself at a distance and land strategic blows without compromising the gap. Razeed leapt into the air and held his blades at a downward angle. Colette avoided the attack the instant his swords punched through the ground. At that moment, she saw an opening as he struggled to pry his blades free. She tumbled over his back and arched her sword under his neck. In a swift, spinning motion, Colette glided the sword along the skin as it cut deeper into his throat. She then vaulted off his back and used the leverage that pulled her sword clean through the muscle. Razeed’s body went into shock and fell to the ground. His bladed appendages reverted to his arms’ original state as he profusely coughed pools of blood. Colette caught her breath and sheathed her blades. She looked upon Razeed struggling to get up, gurgling and gasping for oxygen. Confident in her victory, Colette turned to walk away, but she soon found herself unable to move. Vortexes of shadow formed beneath her in an ominous glow. Massive, elongated arms rose from the portals and seized her arms and legs. Colette fought to break free, but the disembodied arms were too strong. The turned her against her will towards Razeed lazily hovering above the ground. His limp body seemed nearly lifeless, but his eyes remained wide open, motionless and unblinking. He slightly cocked his head with his sight attached to Colette.
In an almost transmogrifying motion, Razeed took hold of her head. Colette continued to struggle to no avail. She helplessly started straight back at Razeed. A bright light illuminated in the palm of his hand. The aura collapsed and materialized into a strange, blue crystal with a symbol of a demonic eye. Razeed placed the object to Colette’s right eye. She continued struggling to no avail, and could only see the light of the crystal in front of her.
“Now carry with you the herald of my King. Become a vessel of shadows and be clothed in Twilight!” Razeed spoke with a menacing laugh.
With a thrust of his hand to Colette’s eye, the crystal erupted in a blinding light as it made contact. She could not help but scream in pain as if a knife had pierced her eye. Colette could feel the dust from the crystal enter her body as it dissipated into nothingness. She felt a surge of chaotic energy coarse through her veins, but her body convulsed in an attempted to expel the intrusion of the unwanted matter. As much as she tried, Colette could not close her eyes to shield her vision from the blinding light. She could only hear her own screams and Razeed’s distorted laughter. However, his laughter immediately ceased and the light of the crystal vanished. Her right eye blinded with pain, but the sight in her left returned and came into focus. Colette saw Razeed’s lifeless face frozen in his manic state with an arrow pierced through his skull. The monstrous arms lost their grip and vanished, dropping Colette to the dirt. She grasped at her right eye still writhed with pain, and turned to see a pair of boots standing over her. Colette peered up at the figure that knelt at her side with a crossbow in hand. He was dressed in similar attire as Colette with long and unkempt red hair and blue eyes.
“Did I come at a bad time, Sis?” He said with a smiling face.
Colette took his hand as he brought her to her feet.
“You couldn’t have joined the party early, Rhallen?” She replied with an annoyed tone.
“I prefer last minute entrances. Much more dramatic.”
Rhallen took a long glance at Razeed’s corpse and turned to Colette tending to her eye.
“Sorry I ruined your date.” He chuckled.
“A fine dancer, just not my type.” She retorted, playing along with Rhallen’s irritable humor.
“He fell quite far into your trap.”
Colette looked across at the bodies of her fallen comrades. The pain from her face faded, but sorrow held it down with a pitiful expression.
“I prayed it wouldn’t result in causalities. I couldn’t protect them.”
Rhallen placed his hand on her shoulder, and met her saddened face with a gentle smile.
“If anything, they protected you. They certainly caught him off guard. Your team fulfilled their duty and they will be honored for it.”
Rhallen’s words brought a smile to Colette and she nodded in thanks. A quick, sharp pain jolted in her eye, prompting her to grasp it and apply pressure to alleviate it. Rhallen leaned in for a closer look at her eye. He moved her hand away and saw no scarring or punctures in it, but he still held a concerned look for his older sister.
“We should get that checked out. Who knows what that freak did to you.”
Colette pushed Rhallen aside and proceeded towards the street.
“Don’t worry about it. That crystal had a similar aura of an object Link stole from our outpost at the Arbiter’s Grounds. Razeed was either a connection, or just another loose thread in the web.”
“Hey! Sis, where are you going?” Rhallen pleaded as he caught up to her.
“That’s Lieutenant-Colonel to you, Captain Rhallen.” Colette barked.
She turned to face Rhallen with a stoic expression and a firm stance.
“It’s time we figure out what is going on.” She turned her back to him and walked towards the inner city.
“Or what we need to prepare for.”
