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To Change the World

Summary:

Set one hundred years after the events of Twilight Princess, this story follows the lives of a number of notable individuals throughout Hyrule. Zelda Sophitia, the fourth child of the king, struggles to earn the right to be her father's heir. Harun, the next male Gerudo following the death of Ganondorf, tries to find a way to save his people while the shadow of his predecessor looms over him. Link, a commoner from Necluda, leaves home to protect his sister Linkle, who believes herself to be the next reincarnation of the Hero. Separately, they all find themselves caught up in a larger scheme that spans the entire kingdom, and they must unravel the mystery before another disaster befalls Hyrule.
This story seeks to tie together elements from numerous Legend of Zelda games in order to create a cohesive world in the style of epic fantasy novels. Most of the characters are technically original, but keeping in line with the games, they are mostly based on recurring character archetypes that appear repeatedly throughout the series. The story is currently planned to be over 80 chapters long, with a new chapter posted every two weeks.

Chapter 1: Sophitia I

Chapter Text

“Princess… Princess… Wake up, Princess Zelda.”

The princess opened her eyes. It took her a moment to realize the words were not coming from her dream. She’d grown up hearing stories of her ancestors having prophetic dreams and communicating telepathically with heroes, but that was not the case this morning, it seemed. Turning her head to the side, the princess saw only her retainer, dressed in the black and red uniform of the Royal Guard, her sword at her side and her hands clasped patiently behind her back.

“Good morning,” the princess said in greeting, still adjusting to being awake. The morning air felt cool as she slid out from under the blankets of her elegant yet comically oversized bed. “...Why are you calling me Zelda?” she asked after a moment, finally processing the words her retainer had spoken. “That can get rather confusing with my sisters around.”

“I was merely being formal, Princess,” her retainer replied somewhat dryly, stepping over to the wardrobe and pulling out a dress for her. “Today is an important day. Besides, you are the only Zelda here at the moment, are you not?”

“True,” she agreed, joining her retainer by the wardrobe. “But even so, it’s not like you ever call me that. My middle name suits me better.”

“As you wish, Sophitia,” her retainer replied.

Sophitia simply nodded as she allowed her retainer to clothe her. Once her dress was fully laced up, she sat down in front of her vanity. “Liliana?”

“Yes, Princess?” the retainer responded, already reaching for the hair brush.

“Bring me my ledger first, please,” Sophitia requested.

Liliana nodded, walking over to the writing desk on the other side of the room to retrieve her charge’s book before quickly returning. “Do you have your schedule prepared for today?”

“Mostly,” Sophitia said, accepting the ledger as it was handed to her. Opening it, she drifted a finger across the pages, looking it over.

“Is that you pretending you did not have your schedule prepared two weeks in advance, and that you did not spend an hour looking over it last night?” Liliana commented, brushing her charge’s hair.

“I-It never hurts to be prepared, you know!” The princess felt mild embarrassment at having her habits brought to attention, but she quickly composed herself, clearing her throat. “Is anyone else arriving today?”

“Governor Vapith will arrive by midday,” Liliana informed her. “And I’ve been told Lord Remoth arrived last night.”

Sophitia began thinking it over. “If I finish my other meetings early, I may be able to greet the governor as she arrives, perhaps even invite her to tea.”

“Is it really necessary to attempt to wine and dine every noble who visits this week?” Liliana asked. “If you truly desire their support on something, slipping them a pile of rupees would be much quicker.”

“Oh, don’t be so crass,” Sophitia waved her hand dismissively. “To suggest they would even consider such an offer would be an affront to their honor.”

“Only to the honorable ones,” Liliana pointed out.

Sophitia let a small smile spread across her lips as she stared at herself in the mirror. Over the past few days, she had managed to independently land herself on good terms with several of the visiting mid-to-high level lords, some of whom had not even met her properly before. The prospect of having a governor or two backing her was enticing. For a moment, she allowed herself to picture the queen’s crown upon the head of her reflection. It was a common fantasy of hers, but she knew it was not to be a reality. That crown would go to her elder sister one day. Still, she was not content to sit idly while her elder siblings received all the recognition.

“Would you like to speak with Governor Bede when he arrives?” Sophitia asked.

“I don’t see why I would. I’ve never met the man,” her retainer replied.

“Truly?” Sophitia looked up at the reflection of Liliana in the mirror. “Not even before you left Ordona?”

“No, Princess.”

“Hmm. No matter.” Sophitia continued thumbing through the pages of her ledger while Liliana set about braiding her hair.

“You set aside time to have yourself some breakfast this morning, correct?” Liliana asked. “You have been skipping too many meals recently.”

“Not to worry, my friend,” the princess assured her. “I think a healthy meal is in order.”

“In the dining hall? Or shall I send for it?”

The princess thought for a moment. “The dining hall. This is most certainly a time for public appearances.”

Liliana nodded. “How does it look?” she asked, picking up a hand mirror and holding it behind the princess’s head.

Sophitia turned from side to side to get a good view. “Perfect,” she said, getting up from her seat. “Thank you, Liliana. Now, let us be off.”

The walk across the bridge from her tower to the main structure of Hyrule Castle always presented the princess with a breathtaking view of the grounds. She could see the gatehouses, the guards’ chambers, and the armory on the levels below. And beyond the walls and the moat, the capital city stretched as far as the eye could see. She smiled to herself as she gazed upon it.

How wonderful it would be to look upon it as queen.

“You’re having megalomaniacal thoughts right now, aren’t you, Princess?” Liliana asked.

“C-Certainly not!” Sophitia objected. “Am I not allowed to look upon my kingdom with pride?”

“You are allowed to do whatever you wish, provided your father does not say otherwise.”

“Is that so? Why, this is great news. With that kind of power, I should be raiding every bakery in Hyrule for free cake and biscuits.”

“The breadth of your ambition is truly awe-inspiring, my princess.”

Making her way through the castle, Sophitia passed by several guards, all of whom greeted her with a slight bow. She took great care to greet each of them by name. It had been difficult enough to learn all their names, but many of them wore helmets, forcing her to also learn their family crests or their shift schedules so she could recognize them even without their faces visible. Her brother had been the first to tell her that this endeavor was a waste of time, but she disagreed. After all, if there ever came a time when the guards were forced to lay down their lives either for him or for her, she doubted their first choice would be to protect the prince who addressed them all only as ‘guard.’

“Sophie!”

Just as she reached the large double doors that led outside to the castle grounds, Sophitia heard a voice calling from behind her. Turning around, she saw her little sister running toward her.

“Oof!” she grunted when the younger girl collided with her, wrapping her in a hug. Sophitia had to bend over slightly to return the hug. At sixteen years of age, Sophitia was six years older than her younger sister, so she was quite a bit taller than her, despite looking very similar in many other ways. They both had the deep blue eyes all their siblings shared, as well as the bright blonde hair their father had once had before he’d gone gray. “Good morning, little sister.”

“Good morning!” the younger princess returned, hopping back from the hug.

“Princess Seraphina,” Liliana said, bowing courteously.

“Hi, Lily!” Seraphina gave her sister’s retainer an excited wave. “You wanna come to the temple with us?” she asked them both.

“Not this morning, thank you,” Sophitia declined. “We were just on our way to breakfast.”

“Aww, okay.”

As they spoke, a woman walked up behind Seraphina, having caught up with her after she’d run on ahead. The woman had long hair that was as red as any Gerudo’s, and she wore white armor over her royal guard’s uniform. In her hand, she carried with her an elegant gilded halberd. “Princess Sophitia. Miss Liliana.” She greeted them both with a bow.

“Dame Jeanne.” Sophitia returned the bow, and Liliana followed suit. Unlike Sophitia who employed a girl her own age as a personal retainer, the younger princess was in the care of a seasoned knight. “I apologize for being unable to join you and my sister at the temple this morning. However, as we are going the same way, I would be honored if you would walk with us.”

“The honor is all mine, Princess,” Dame Jeanne agreed.

Sophitia glanced over at Liliana. As she’d expected, her retainer looked as though she was putting considerable effort into not rolling her eyes. Liliana had never been great at stomaching the gratuitous formality that was often required of conversations among nobility.

Dame Jeanne and Liliana stepped forward onto opposite sides of the double doors and pushed them open simultaneously, holding them for the princesses who stepped past them into the crisp morning air. Almost all the structures on the castle grounds were connected and accessible without going outside, but it was quicker to get from the keep to the dining hall via the outdoor route, plus the weather was rather nice. As the four of them followed the path, walking past servants, laborers, and patrolling guards, Princess Seraphina skipped on ahead. Dame Jeanne kept an eye on her, but walked at a more reasonable pace alongside Princess Sophitia. Liliana followed, staying slightly behind and to the side of her charge.

“The castle certainly has been busy lately, hasn’t it?” Sophitia said, making small talk with her sister’s knight.

“Indeed,” Jeanne agreed. “With so many lords visiting, we’ve had to post more guards working longer shifts. Grand Protector Brigo has been under considerable stress trying to coordinate it all.”

“If only we had a hundred good knights like you. If that were the case, we would have no need of anyone else,” Sophitia said, paying Jeanne a compliment.

The crimson-haired knight smiled. “You flatter me, good princess.”

“Ugh…” Liliana let out a groan under her breath.

Sophitia looked back at her and smirked tauntingly. “I wouldn’t be opposed to having a hundred of you as well, Liliana.”

“Well, three princesses is more than enough for me.”

Dame Jeanne turned to Liliana, raising an eyebrow questioningly. Sophitia laughed good-naturedly, hoping to let the knight know her retainer’s humor had not offended her.

“Percy! Hey! Percy!” A short distance ahead of them, they could hear Seraphina shouting. They were approaching one of the gatehouses, and the young princess had spotted their brother Percival standing atop the wall, watching whatever was happening on the other side.

The prince’s armor was most certainly crafted with the intention of giving off a royal appearance, being made of red and gold plate etched with symbols of the Hyrulean Royal Family. He stood with his hands on the pommel of his sword, which was pressed down into the ground in front of him. The blade of his sword glowed faintly with two different magical enchantments - a holy golden light down one half, and fiery red-orange down the other. It was due to this unique design that the prince had (somewhat pretentiously) given his sword the name War and Peace . Sophitia nearly scoffed every time she thought of it, and Liliana had mocked it to no end behind his back.

With his long red cape and loose blonde hair fluttering majestically in the wind, the prince looked as if he were posing dramatically for the court painter. Since he didn’t seem to hear Seraphina calling for him, the younger princess took off for the ramp leading up to the top of the wall.

“I suppose we should follow her,” Sophitia suggested.

When they reached the top of the wall, they found Seraphina clinging to her brother’s side, arms wrapped around his waist. Percival had not moved. Both of them looked down over the edge, watching some soldiers training within the gatehouse below.

Percival glanced over at them when he heard them approach. “Good morning, little sister,” he greeted Sophitia.

“Good morning, Brother. How goes the soldiers’ training?”

“See for yourself.”

Sophitia stepped closer to the edge. Down below, several soldiers were circled around one man, swords drawn and shields raised, all of them looking frightened. The man in the center was Sir Onnick, Prince Percival’s own personal bodyguard, as well as one of the most intimidating individuals Sophitia had ever met. He stood at over seven and a half feet tall, rarely uttered a word, and was almost never seen without his bulky plate armor, including a menacing horned helmet that concealed his face. Sophitia had heard a rumor amongst the guards and the commonfolk that the man was actually a Darknut, but she had seen his face before. Sir Onnick was no dog-headed monster. He was merely an unusually large Hylian. At the moment, he was spinning a massive spiked ball from the end of a chain, keeping the terrified guards he was sparring with from getting any closer to him.

“Oh, dear,” Sophitia said with concern.

“Looks like you’ll be needing to hire some new guards again soon,” Liliana said dryly.

“Prince Percival, are you sure this method of training is wise?” Dame Jeanne asked, apparently sharing Sophitia’s concern. “These soldiers could end up seriously injured.”

“True, but it’s important training nonetheless,” Percival said. “Our soldiers must be ready to face anything. We can’t have them fleeing in terror simply because their opponent is larger than them.”

Her brother’s words made sense, but Sophitia still saw it as ill-advised. Combat training was usually done with practice weapons made of wood or blunted too much to cause any real harm. She doubted the ball and chain that the large knight was swinging around was intended for any sort of practice.

Down below, one of the soldiers moved forward. Onnick released one of his hands from the chain, allowing the spikeball to fly in the soldier’s direction. He blocked it with his shield, but it still knocked him off his feet. Another soldier rushed at Onnick from behind, but as the knight yanked the chain to return the spikeball to him, he stepped to the side, letting the spikeball fly past him. The other soldier raised his shield and dove to the side, but the glancing blow was still enough to knock him to the ground.

Percival sighed, irritated at the lack of success.

Despite this, amidst the other failed attacks, a third soldier charged at Onnick’s side. He managed to reach him just as the knight noticed him, and he drove his sword into the much larger man’s chest.

Seraphina gasped in fear, placing a hand over her mouth. However, whether it was because the soldier was only using a training sword or because the knight’s armor was just too thick, the sword did not manage to penetrate far enough to cause any harm. Sir Onnick looked down at the smaller man for a moment, then lifted an armored fist and punched him in the face. The soldier slammed against the pavement as if he’d been thrown straight down, his helmet hitting the ground with a very audible clack.

This time, Seraphina screamed, and many others were paralyzed with fear for a moment as well. Blood could be seen pooling by the man’s head. Before anyone could stop her, the young princess ran for the ramp leading down into the gatehouse.

“Sera, wait!” Sophitia called after her.

“Princess, don’t!” Dame Jeanne said at the same time. The two of them took off in pursuit, with Liliana following behind. When they caught up with her, all the other soldiers had circled around their injured comrade, so they had to push their way through the crowd. Seraphina was kneeling beside the soldier on the ground. Sir Onnick had taken a few steps back, but otherwise was doing nothing to help.

“Sera, come here,” Sophitia told her sister. Even though the man had only been punched, the sheer force of it was enough to make her worry that he might be dead, and she did not want her little sister staring at a dead body.

Seraphina did not listen. She had her eyes closed, and with one hand, she clutched the triforce-shaped necklace she kept around her neck. She held her other hand above the injured man’s head. After a moment, a bright light began to shine from her outstretched hand. Jeanne and several of the soldiers lowered their heads, praying as Seraphina performed her magic, while the others watched intently.

Sophitia had never been proficient with healing magic, but her little sister seemed to have a natural affinity for it, and she was almost as talented as any of the well-trained healers residing in the Hyrule Cathedral. So, Sophitia decided to wait until her sister was finished. Even if she failed to heal the man, she could at least lie to her and say she’d been successful before having Jeanne usher her away from the scene.

When the light faded, Sophitia and Jeanne moved forward. The older princess took her little sister by the hand and pulled her to her feet, making her step back a bit. Jeanne knelt beside the soldier and pulled his mangled helmet off. Placing a hand on the man’s face, she moved his head to the side and examined him. There was still plenty of blood, but any wound that had been there before was now completely closed up. Jeanne put a finger to his pulse and leaned in to check if he was breathing. “He lives,” she declared.

The soldiers around them breathed a sigh of relief and began thanking the gods or praising the young princess. “The Goddess was kind this day,” Seraphina said.

Jeanne came over and placed a hand on her charge’s shoulder. “She was indeed, Princess. Your deeds should not be overlooked, either. You shall truly be the Sage of Light one day.” Seraphina smiled at this praise.

“What is going on?” said a voice from behind them.

Sophitia turned and saw her brother had finally arrived, having leisurely walked down from where he’d been standing atop the wall.

“He lives, my prince,” Jeanne repeated for his benefit. “Your sister managed to heal his wounds in time.”

Percival nodded. “Good work, little sister,” he said. Then he turned to Sir Onnick. “When he awakens, get his name. I want this man in my guard.” The giant simply nodded. “You two. Move him,” the prince went on, ordering two other soldiers to get the unconscious man out of the way. “The rest of you, back to training.”

Sophitia stared at her brother as he walked off. She’d been expecting him to admonish his knight, or at least instruct him to be more careful, but apparently he saw the whole ordeal as a complete success. “Well,” she said, turning to her sister and their guards. “I think we’d best be off.”

“Agreed,” Dame Jeanne said. The four of them walked to the gatehouse’s exit together, but Sophitia stopped to glance back at the soldiers one last time before they continued on.

Further down the sloping road through the castle grounds, they came to a crossroads. “Are you sure you won’t be joining us, Princess?” Jeanne asked.

“Yes, I’m afraid,” Sophitia answered. “Give Sage Aurun my regards.”

“As you wish.” Jeanne bowed before turning to leave.

“Bye bye!” Seraphina waved, then followed her retainer towards the gate that led out into the city.

“Shall we proceed to the dining hall, Princess?” Liliana asked.

“Yes,” Sophitia replied, starting to walk down the other path. “I’m quite hungry now.”

“Seeing that man’s head splatter against the pavement did nothing to spoil your appetite, then?”

Sophitia winced with unease. “Come, now. Do not joke about such things,” she complained. Luckily, the incident at the gatehouse was not the first time she had ever seen so much blood. She was thankful it hadn’t seemed to traumatize her little sister, but she guessed having the power to heal wounds like that would make most injuries seem trivial.

When the two of them entered the dining hall, a pair of serving girls immediately came up to them. “Good morning, Ena, Sorelia,” Sophitia said, greeting them by name the same way she did with the guards. “Bring me some bread and fish, if you please,” she requested. One of them bowed and left to retrieve her order from the kitchens.

“Eggs. And bacon. Lots of it,” Liliana said to the other one.

Sophitia scanned the room. Many of the castle’s guests were seated at the long tables throughout the dining hall. She assessed them one by one, trying to find someone of importance whom she had not had the pleasure of meeting yet.

“Who are the Zora?” Liliana asked, indicating a pair of guests across the room. “The ones playing cards with your brother.”

Sophitia looked in the direction her retainer was facing. At the end of the hall, she saw two finely dressed young Zora sitting across from her other brother, Lancel. Both of the fish-people had a red and white patterned, cartilaginous body with a fin drooping from the back of their head like a shark tail. Each of them wore a light blue sash over their chest, as well as an assortment of jewelry made from silver, opal, and sapphire.

Sophitia’s eyes went wide as she realized who they must be. “Princess Miphela and Prince Silorn,” she said quietly. “I didn’t know they had arrived yet.” Walking quickly, she made her way through the dining hall to join them, with Liliana following behind her.

Over at the table, the Zora prince turned a card on the table face up, then did so with another. “Curses! Again these infernal rectangles elude me!” He turned the cards back over.

“Unfortunate,” Lancel said mockingly. “My turn.”

Lancel was the older of Sophitia’s two brothers, although both of them were older than her. However, whereas Sophitia, Percival, and Seraphina had all inherited their father’s looks, Lancel took more after their mother. He was taller and skinnier than Percival, with short brown hair and a near-perpetual, playful smirk one would never find on the younger brother. A pair of spectacles framed his deep blue eyes, the only obvious feature he shared with his younger siblings.

Reaching over the table, Percival flipped over one of the cards Silorn had touched a moment ago, and then another card further away. “Another match!” he declared. “You’re falling quite far behind, my friend.”

“Well done, my good man,” Silorn said. “But I have not lost hope. I shall triumph against these overwhelming odds!”

“Good morning, Brother,” Sophitia said, arriving at their table.

Lancel turned his head. “Ah, Sister! Come and join us. You remember Miphela and Silorn, correct?” He gestured with his hands to the Zora sitting across from him.

The Zora prince and princess stood up. “Hello, Princess Sophitia. It is good to see you again,” Miphela greeted her, smiling meekly and bowing her head.

“The feeling is mutual,” Sophitia replied.

“Princess! How wonderful to see you! It has been far too long!” Silorn reached a hand across the table, and Sophitia took it. She was expecting a handshake of some sort, but instead he bent over to kiss the back of her hand. Liliana reached for the hilt of her sword as though she intended to draw it, but Sophitia waved her off.

“And this is Liliana, my retainer,” she said once her hand was returned to her, indicating the girl to her side. Liliana and Miphela nodded to one another. Silorn reached out his arm, no doubt intending to repeat his previous actions with the round-eared girl, but she held up her hand in quiet refusal while casually resting her other hand on her sword. Silorn got the message, but seemed unphased and continued smiling brightly as everyone sat down.

“The Zora prince and I are currently engaged in a battle of memory,” Prince Lancel informed his sister. “Would you care to put your brain’s abilities to the test as well?”

“I would love to,” Sophitia said. “Although if your memory were a little better, you would remember you’ve already used this trick on me.”

“Trick?” Silorn asked.

Sophitia reached over to the cards and began turning them over, revealing pair after pair until all the cards had been revealed.

“What sorcery is this?” Silorn asked. “Have you the gift of prophecy?”

“No, that is unfortunately not a magical talent I possess,” Sophitia informed him. Giving a sideward glance to her brother, she flipped a few cards over again, then pointed to one of them. “The cards are marked. See?”

Silorn and Miphela leaned in closely. Within the design on the back of the cards, tiny numerals could be seen, indicating the number of the card. Silorn gasped. “Chicanery!”

The prince smirked. “Now, now,” he said, holding up his hands disarmingly. “It was merely a humorous ruse. I confess to enjoying modest feats of deception and prestidigitation, but I draw the line at chicanery.”

“Might I borrow your thesaurus some time, Brother?” Sophitia asked. “I fear my sentences are too easily understood on occasion.” Silorn and her brother both laughed. Miphela and Liliana also both appeared to enjoy the jab at the two princes’ boisterous manner of speaking. “You were not gambling, were you?”

“No, we were not,” Lancel confirmed. “Luckily for him. Had we been gambling, I would own half of Lanayru by now.”

“Only because you cheated!” Silorn insisted.

Sophitia and Liliana moved back a little as the serving girls approached the table, leaning over to place plates of food in front of them. “Ah, splendid. Thank you very much, ladies.”

“You’re very welcome, Princess.” Both girls bowed as they left.

Sophitia and Liliana began to eat their breakfast. The others still had food left on their plates, so they continued their meal as well.

“How is King Ralis?” Sophitia asked Miphela.

“Father is well,” the Zora princess said. “He apologizes for being unable to attend the summit, but the Dominion has many matters of its own that he must attend to.”

“No apologies necessary. We are glad to welcome you and your brother in his place.” Sophitia thought it best not to mention that her father had not been pleased to hear the news that the Zora king would not be in attendance. He had wanted all eight of his governors present, and refusing a direct summons from the King of Hyrule was almost unheard of.

“Ah, yes. I suppose your lord father must be as busy as ours at the moment,” Lancel said. “An ice dragon appearing on Mount Lanayru just as reconstruction began in the Promenade, more and more round-eared humans from Holodrum and Labrynna settling in around the bay, Blin pirate attacks up and down the coast, and is it true the Dominion’s undersea territories are currently embroiled in a civil war of some sort?”

Sophitia was impressed. Apparently her brother had been keeping a close eye on the Zora Dominion, much more than she had been. The princess made a mental note of everything he’d just said so she could research it further sometime later.

“Well, ‘civil war’ is not precisely what I would call it,” Prince Silorn began. “In truth, it is more of a--”

Miphela placed a hand on her brother’s shoulder, giving him a look. Then she turned to Prince Lancel. “Yes, these are trying times for the Dominion,” she said. “But Father has asked us to avoid further burdening the Hylian royal family with our own troubles. Let us not dwell on these matters.”

“Your father’s concern for my family’s well-being is greatly appreciated, Princess,” Lancel said. “I look forward to my own father not returning the favor when he decides to further burden the Zora royal family with Akkala’s troubles at the summit tomorrow.”

“Brother!” Sophitia said indignantly. Very few people would dare criticize the king so casually.

Princess Miphela pursed her lips. “I have faith that your father will act with fairness.”

“Yes. Of course. Fairness.” Sophitia said with a nod, glancing over at Liliana to make sure her retainer wasn’t rolling her eyes too hard at that.

Footsteps from behind signalled someone’s approach. “Prince Lancel.” Sophitia turned to see Sir Anselm, her brother’s retainer. He was a distinguished-looking man clad in black armor etched with silver. A man in his late fifties, he was older than their father and one of the oldest members of the Royal Guard.

“Ah, yes. I suppose it’s time to go, is it not?” Lancel stood up from the table, pushing his unfinished plate away from him.

“It is, my prince,” Sir Anselm confirmed.

“Time for what, Brother?” Sophitia asked curiously.

“Just some useless meetings,” Lancel said dismissively. “You know how it is, Sister. I’m sure it will all be quite tedious.”

Not telling me, huh?

Sophitia supposed it was wise of her brother not to divulge which of the lords and ladies he may be speaking with that day. She, too, had been trying to avoid sharing too much information about her engagements.

Lancel gathered up his belongings that were scattered about the table, including a ledger quite similar to the one Sophitia carried. “Well, I must be off. Princess Miphela, Prince Silorn, it was marvelous to see the two of you again. Surely, we must make more time for one another before you return home.”

“Yes, I would like that,” Miphela replied.

“Very well, worthy opponent!” Silorn declared. “Next time, I swear by Nayru I shall defeat you in a fair contest of cards.”

Lancel laughed. “I shall make the utmost effort to ensure my hopefulness catches up with my doubt.” Together with his retainer, the prince took his leave.


After finishing her meal with the Zora prince and princess, Sophitia and her retainer exited the dining hall as well. For the next hour or so, going by her carefully planned schedule, she managed several meet and greets with other nobles visiting the castle. She wasn’t sure which of them were necessary, but it never hurt to put on a good face for guests.

“Wait a moment, Liliana,” the princess said, stopping in her tracks. They had been walking past the main gate on the way to her next potential meeting, and the gate had begun to open.

“Is someone new arriving?” her retainer asked.

“Possibly. It might be beneficial for me to be the first one to greet them.” With her hands clasped in front of her, Sophitia waited patiently as the gate opened until the entrants came into view. However, it was no newcomer she could introduce herself to. It was merely her sister returning from morning service. An escort of guards surrounded her as well as some servants with Dame Jeanne leading the way, but little Seraphina was not the only one they were escorting. Walking beside her was their other sister, Victorique.

As the oldest of the five royal siblings, Zelda Victorique Hyrule was the Crown Princess, first in line for the throne. As was tradition in their family, all three princesses shared the given name Zelda, but it was only Victorique who was commonly addressed by the famous name of Hyrule’s founding queen. Like Lancel, Victorique looked quite different when compared to the three youngest of the royal siblings. She was tall and slender, though not quite as tall as Lancel. Long brown hair cascaded down from the diamond circlet that crowned her head. Everyone in the kingdom said she was beautiful, just like the queen had been. Sophitia had few memories of her mother, but the portraits of her in the castle made the resemblance very clear.

Also included in the escort was Victorique’s retainer, Impa Ayako. She was the youngest member of the Sheikah clan’s ruling house, and like Sophitia and her own retainer, Victorique and Impa were the same age. The young woman possessed the snow-white hair and blood-red eyes common to the Sheikah, and a red tattoo emblazoned around her left eye made it resemble the distinctive symbol of her people. She wore her hair in a bun, but let a single braid fall along the right side of her face. While not fully armored like Dame Jeanne, she carried with her a rather fearsome-looking pole weapon with a curved blade at the end of it. Like Liliana, Impa did not possess a knightly title, but in her case, it was only because the Sheikah culture did not practice the same warrior traditions.

“Sophie!” Seraphina called out upon spotting her sister.

Sophitia smiled at her younger sister, still waiting patiently as the party approached. She turned her head and made eye contact with her elder sister. As usual, the Crown Princess wore a serious, no-nonsense look on her face. Even though she resembled their late mother, Victorique more often reminded Sophitia of their father.

When they got closer, Victorique raised a hand, dismissing her escort. Most of the guards and servants bowed silently and left, attempting to comply with her wordless command as respectfully and as quickly as possible. Only the two princesses and their retainers remained.

“We’re back!” Seraphina came forward to hug her sister.

“Welcome back,” Sophitia said warmly. “How was today’s service?”

“It was nice,” the young princess said. “Sage Aurun is always so kind.”

Victorique approached next, with Impa trailing behind. The Sheikah woman was as serious as her charge, yet there was something more off-putting about her gaze. It was almost contemptuous.

“Good day to you, Sister,” Victorique said with a subtle nod.

“And to you as well, Sister,” Sophitia replied, attempting to speak as politely as possible to her elder sister.

“Might I ask what you occupied yourself with while Seraphina and I attended service?”

I know where this is going.

“I have been entertaining our honored guests,” Sophitia said truthfully, although she felt like she was defending herself. “I dined with Princess Miphela and Prince Silorn earlier this morning. Were you aware they had already arrived?”

“It is important for those of us in the Royal Family to attend service regularly,” Victorique stated, completely evading Sophitia’s attempt to change the subject. “The people need to see we are still connected with our divine ancestor.” Impa and Dame Jeanne both nodded in agreement.

“Yes… I know,” Sophitia said. “My apologies, Sister. This is a busy week, and we are all doing our best to prepare for the summit.”

Impa narrowed her eyes, as if she were unsatisfied with that excuse. Sophitia gave a side glance to Liliana, hoping to preemptively stop her from saying anything in response to the scornful glare.

Victorique nodded. “Yes, this is true. I commend your diligence. Please continue to help ensure the success of the summit, but I hope you will make an effort to find time for our other duties as well.”

“I will. Thank you, Sister,” Sophitia said with a slight bow of her head. Inwardly, she breathed a sigh of relief. Her elder sister didn’t seem too disappointed with her, and Sophitia was always glad to avoid a lecture.

“You are most welcome.” Victorique returned the bow respectfully. “Tell me, Sister, have you any time for some training? I wouldn’t wish to see you fall behind on your studies.”

“Princess Zelda,” Impa spoke up from behind her charge. “I feel I must remind you that your own schedule is quite full already. Surely your sister can wait.”

“Come now, Ayako,” Victorique replied. “We must always make time for family. I doubt Shiho ever neglected to assist you with your training.”

Impa paused for a moment, then gave a nod and glanced off to the side, saying nothing. Sophitia thought she looked uncomfortable. The princess had never met Impa Ayako’s elder sister, and the Sheikah woman never talked about her either. However, Impa’s mother and sister still lived back in Old Kakariko, not in the capital. She likely did not see them very often these days.

Sophitia cleared her throat. “Yes, thank you, I believe I could make time for a little practice.” Living in the capital, there was no shortage of masters who would be willing to train a member of the Royal Family in just about any art imaginable. However, Sophitia’s elder sister was a prodigy when it came to fencing, archery, and spellcraft, just as she seemed to be with everything she tried her hand at. Regardless of how much that bothered her sometimes, Sophitia recognized it would be a waste of an opportunity if she didn’t allow her sister to teach her what she knew.

“Splendid,” Victorique said.

“Ooh! Ooh! Can I come, too?” Seraphina asked, bouncing on her feet excitedly.

Victorique turned to the youngest Zelda. “Would you like to watch, little sister?”

“Yeah! Yeah!”

Sophitia had always found it odd that Seraphina enjoyed watching her and their other siblings spar. The little girl was not a fighter herself, and she disliked violence as a whole. However, she seemed to view the training her siblings did as a harmless game rather than practice for any real fighting.

“Very well,” Victorique replied. “Dame Jeanne, perhaps you could instruct Ayako and Miss Liliana as well?”

“Of course, Princess Zelda. It would be my honor.” Dame Jeanne may have served the youngest of the princesses, but she was still the senior of the other royal guards present.

 “You have my gratitude,” Victorique said. “Let us return to the keep. We shall meet in the courtyard after Sophitia and I have changed into clothing more suitable for athletics.”

The six of them made their way back uphill through the castle grounds until they arrived at the keep. There, they parted ways, with Seraphina and Jeanne heading straight for the courtyard while the other princesses returned to their towers with their retainers in tow.

“Is something bothering you, my friend?” Sophitia asked, noticing the sour look on her retainer’s face as they climbed the spiraling staircase up to her bedroom.

“Yes, there is,” Liliana replied. “It has white hair and an unflinching death glare.”

Sophitia smirked. “You dislike the thought of training with my sister’s retainer?”

“The training is fine. It’s her I dislike.”

Reaching the top of the stairs, Sophitia withdrew her key and unlocked the door, pushing it open. “Yes, I suppose she can be something of a…”

“Bitch?”

“Chore.” Sophitia looked over her shoulder, as if she were worried someone might have overheard Liliana. “Please guard your tongue. The smallest of insults can make the largest of enemies.”

“Apologies, Princess,” Liliana replied, shutting the door behind them. She then stepped forward to help Sophitia change. “Sometimes I forget how much you nobles love to avoid saying what you mean.”

“Heh,” the princess laughed lightly. “That much is true. You shall be a noble too, though, one day.”

“Oh? Do you plan to marry me after you knight me?” Liliana quipped as she undid the lacing of Sophitia’s dress. “That would be simple. I’ve already seen you undressed.”

Sophitia laughed more heartily at this. “No, my dear. But when I am older and become governor of one of the provinces, I shall name you a lady and grant you good lands for you to start your own House.” Moving over to her wardrobe, she selected a pair of trousers that would be easier to move in than her dress.

“That is quite generous of you, Princess,” Liliana said. “But if you’re planning to be a governor, does that mean you no longer wish to be queen?”

Sophitia blushed a little at the mention of her own personal fantasy. “...Well, I do not dislike the notion,” she admitted. “But my elder sister shall take my father’s place one day. Were I to be queen, that would mean the unthinkable would have happened to her and my brothers, and I do not wish that.” Liliana did not seem to have anything to say to that, but began putting the princess’s hair up to prevent it from getting in her way during training. “Have you given any more thought to what you will name your House when I knight you?” Sophitia asked.

“Not a great deal, Princess,” Liliana replied. “I’ve considered writing home to ask about it. If it is to be the family name, my family might wish to have a say in it, too.” With her charge’s hair fixed, Liliana moved to the weapon displays on the wall. Carefully, she placed her hand around the hilt of a gleaming, gilded rapier and lifted it off of its mount. As if curious, she flicked it through the air like a conductor’s baton, then did so a second time. With each flick, the enchanted weapon radiated a brief flash of light and emitted a soft, pleasant hum.

“How does it feel?” Sophitia asked.

“Surprisingly heavy,” the other girl responded, handing the weapon to the princess. After Sophitia took it from her, Liliana drew her own weapon, a rather dull-looking steel broadsword. She lifted it and let her hand drop a few times, as if demonstrating its heft. “Weighted differently than mine, but still quite substantial. Have you ever considered a weapon like mine?” she asked. “Prince Percival could probably teach you.”

“I doubt my brother would be willing to teach me much of anything.” Sophitia sheathed her rapier by her side. “Let us be off. I would hate to keep my sister waiting,” she said, a little more dryly than she meant to.

“Yes, Princess.”

Together, they exited the room, walked down the steps again, and returned to the keep. From there, they made their way to the courtyard.

Victorique was waiting for her when Sophitia stepped outside, greeting her with a slight nod of her head. Dame Jeanne was already sparring with Impa, their weapons clacking against each other as they fought. Seraphina was off to the side, happily cheering for her knight as if she were watching a tournament.

“Are you ready?” Victorique asked.

“Yes, Sister.”

Victorique turned to the sparring women. “Ayako, give my sister’s retainer a turn with Dame Jeanne.”

Jeanne and Impa stopped fighting, and Impa stepped out of the circle. With an irritated look at Liliana, she abruptly tossed her weapon to her. Liliana caught it in the air and offered no thanks to the older girl as she walked over to join Dame Jeanne.

As they had done many times in the past, Sophitia and her elder sister took their places across from one another, drew their swords, and bowed before taking their stances. Her sister’s rapier was much the same as hers. Victorique actually had two of them, although she kept one of them sheathed on her other hip for now. All three of these weapons had been forged by the Grand Artisan and enchanted by the Sage of Light. Victorique had possessed hers for some time, and she’d commissioned Sophitia’s as a gift for her fifteenth birthday.

Sophitia stepped forward first, closing the gap between them and thrusting with her sword. Her sister parried it with ease. She had to lean back to dodge the counterattack, then she tried for another thrust.

“Oooh!” Seraphina cooed in awe of the impressive lightshow created as the radiant swords danced around one another, occasionally letting out an exceptional burst of light when the two rapiers clanged together for a brief moment.

“Always keep my blade in your sight,” Victorique advised mid-battle. “And be mindful of your footing.”

Sophitia nodded. The advice was always appreciated. Her sister could have defeated her quite easily, but this was merely practice, so she was holding back enough for Sophitia to make some headway and expose what she needed to improve on, which was always a lot. Combat had never been her strong suit. She preferred the pen to the sword, but as her elder sister constantly reminded her, both will always be necessary for anyone in their position.

A few minutes into their duel, Sophitia managed to force her sister back several paces with a chain of quick attacks. All her blows were parried, until the very last one. She went in for a clean blow, and as expected, a shimmering, violet, diamond-shaped magical barrier appeared around her sister, blocking the attack as if it were a shield.

That’s one point for me.

“Very good,” her sister praised her. “Again.”

Sophitia tried to repeat what she had done a moment ago, but Victorique anticipated her moves. She parried several blows, then went in for an easy counterattack. Sophitia barely had time to surround herself in her own protective blue barrier. Healing magic may not have come easily to her, but she could handle protection magic.

“Try to be quicker with your barrier,” Victorique advised. “During a fight, you should always have the spell primed for use at a moment’s notice.”

“Yes, Sister.”

One to one, now.

Their training session continued like this for some time. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Liliana's training with Impa and Dame Jeanne progressing as well. Victorique continued to hold back enough to be approachable while still presenting a challenge, and Sophitia took advantage of the older girl’s experience to learn as much as she could.

However, at one point, something changed in her sister’s demeanor. After forcing Sophitia back, the elder princess stepped back a few paces herself. She stood up straight, held out her sword, and took a deep breath. The look in her eyes was different now. She was no longer an amiable teacher. She looked completely serious.

I know what that means.

Sophitia looked over her shoulder. Sure enough, up on the balcony behind her, there stood their father, King Tychon. He must have just arrived, but rather than announce his presence, he had chosen to observe their duel. The lordly robes he wore and the wingcrest-shaped crown upon his head left no doubt that he was indeed the king, but that wasn’t what most people found intimidating about the man. He stared down at them with a gaze as icy as the one her sister now looked at her with. Victorique was ordinarily kind enough, if a bit stiff sometimes. But, under the watchful eye of their father, she was always the perfect daughter - a perfect imitation of himself.

Sophitia turned back to her sister, breathing deeply and nervously as she now felt her father’s eyes on the back of her head. She comforted herself with a reminder that this was merely training, and learning how to handle herself under pressure like this was important. That barely made it any easier.

Princess Victorique drew her second rapier, but she released it from her hand in midair. There it stopped, surrounded by a faint red glow, suspended by her sister’s magnesis spell. After a moment, it spun into place beside her, as if she had an invisible teammate ready to be her companion in this fight. Before Sophitia had time to fully process what was happening, her sister charged at her.

What proceeded was a grueling, one-sided fight. Sophitia did her best to parry both the sword in her sister’s hand and the one defying gravity, but she had no hope of ever counterattacking. With every parry, she was forced back, steadily moving towards where she knew her father stood above them. At the very least, her sister’s advice about keeping protection spells primed was extremely useful. Unable to keep up with her sister’s attacks for long, she soon needed to protect herself with magic constantly, and Victorique showed no signs of slowing down. It seemed she planned to continue until Sophitia had exhausted every last sliver of her magic, thus leaving her unable to protect herself anymore. Sophitia knew she could’ve ended it herself by voicing her surrender… but her father would remember that.

Please, Sister. Mercy.

Sadly, mercy did not seem to be on her sister’s mind. Resigned to her humiliation, Sophitia kept up her defense as best she could, watching her barriers become more and more transparent as her magic waned.

Suddenly, from the side, a broadsword swung downwards, knocking the floating rapier to the ground. Liliana stepped between Sophitia and her sister, swinging her sword once again to block a strike from Victorique’s other sword.

No words were said, and no further movements were made. Liliana stood there, sword pointed at the elder princess. Victorique held her rapier to the side, staring back at her. Sophitia collapsed to one knee, feeling the exhaustion set in all of a sudden.

“Well fought.” Their father’s deep voice came from above them, apparently deciding the duel was over. Sophitia pushed a hand against the ground, pivoting in place until she faced him, still kneeling.

“Thank you, Father,” Victorique replied respectfully.

“Meet me in my studies. And bring your sisters. I must speak with you all.” That was all he said before turning to leave. Not one word spoken to any of the other five people present.

“Are you well, your highness?” Liliana asked, kneeling down beside Sophitia and placing a hand on her shoulder.

“Yes. I am not harmed,” she replied. “Thank you, Liliana.”

Victorique stood beside her and offered her a hand. Sophitia took it, climbing back to her feet. “My deepest apologies,” her elder sister said simply. Her face showed little emotion, but Sophitia could see it in her eyes that she meant it. “You did well today. I have seen a marked improvement.”

“...Thank you, Sister.” Sophitia wanted to say more. A lot more. For a moment, she wanted to scream at her sister, but she forced those feelings down. No good could come of an outburst like that. She thought back to when she was a small child, perhaps half the age Seraphina was now. Whenever she’d throw a tantrum, her father would stand there silently, staring at her with those steely eyes until she’d tired herself out. When she’d calmed down, he would ask her, “Now what did that accomplish?” Nothing. Always nothing.

The elder princess turned to Liliana next. “You performed your duties admirably, miss. I am heartened by the knowledge that my sister is under your protection.”

Liliana looked like she wanted to yell at her even more than Sophitia did, but she thankfully held her tongue.  “Thank you, Princess Zelda.”

With a wave of her hand, Victorique’s discarded rapier was lifted off of the ground, slowly returning to its scabbard. “Seraphina.”

“Yes, Vicky?”

“Come, Sisters. Best not to keep Father waiting.”

Sophitia agreed. Together, the three sisters and their retainers went back inside the keep. After climbing several flights of stairs and making their way down a few winding hallways, they arrived outside the doors to the king’s study. Sir Anselm and Sir Onnick were standing beside the king’s guards on either side of the doors, which meant Lancel and Percival must have been inside already. Sir Onnick no longer carried his absurd ball and chain weapon. Instead, a slightly less absurd yet still massive two-handed greatsword was strapped to his back. Sir Anselm carried a more sensibly-sized broadsword on his hip, much the same as Liliana’s, if a bit less plain.

“Sir Anselm. Sir Onnick,” Victorique greeted the two knights as their party approached. Sir Onnick nodded in return, but said nothing.

“My greetings, Princesses,” Sir Anselm said to all three sisters. “Your father is expecting you. Please go in.” He and Sir Onnick each opened one of the doors and stood to the side.

The princesses all looked to their respective retainers. “We shall wait for you here, Princesses,” Dame Jeanne said. Liliana and Impa nodded their agreement. And so, Sophitia and her sisters stepped into their father’s study, the door closing shut behind them. Just like when her father had appeared in the courtyard, Sophitia saw her elder sister’s face harden as though she were heading into battle.

Inside, their father sat at his desk, waiting patiently for them. Sophitia knew this room was where her father spent the majority of his time. He had the grandest throne room in all the world, yet ruling the kingdom was truly done from behind that desk, writing up orders to be issued to his governors or drawing up new laws to be implemented by the Grand Arbiter.

Across from the desk, five guest chairs had been lined up. As predicted, Lancel and Percival were already there. Percival sat at attention with perfect posture. He wasn’t quite playing the role of the perfect son as much as Victorique was playing the role of the perfect daughter, but he had an air of refinement and self-importance that seemed to come naturally to him. Lancel, on the other hand, was lazing comfortably in his chair, leaning off to the side with one foot pulled up onto the seat. “Ah! Welcome, Zelda, Zelda, and Zelda!” he greeted them amiably.

“Hi, Lance!”

“Greetings, Brother.”

“Sit properly, please.”

Lancel held up his hands in mock surrender as he adjusted his position. Percival nodded in greeting to them as well. Their father simply stared at them patiently as the princesses moved to take their seats.

“Victorique. Have all the governors arrived?” the king spoke, getting straight to the point.

“No, Father. But the last of them shall arrive by nightfall. However, all the lords of Central Hyrule who were summoned have arrived as of this morning.” Victorique was quick and concise as she delivered her report.

“Lancel. Has all pertinent information been assembled and distributed to those who will be in attendance?”

“Indeed, Father. Grand Archivist Botrick and his subordinates transcribed more than enough copies of the dossier earlier this week. The Rito postmen have been delivering copies to every lord as they arrive.” Lancel’s words were accompanied by gratuitous hand gestures and a smirk that seemed to imply a joke that only he was in on, but the king was satisfied with his answer.

“Percival. What of security?”

“Guard details have been assigned to all visiting lords who will accept them. The number and rank of the guards are decided by the importance of the guest. The city watch has doubled its manpower and all who enter the city are being thoroughly vetted.” Percival delivered his report in much the same manner as Victorique.

Sophitia had the thought that this was all information her father must have already received from the Grand Councilmembers at some point. That meant her father wasn’t really looking for updates. He was quizzing them in order to judge how well his children had been keeping up with the situation.

No one’s been keeping a closer eye on things than me. I can handle this.

“Sophitia. What news from Faron?”

The princess furrowed her brow. None of the major issues on the agenda for the summit involved the Faron Province. However, her father likely wanted them to be keeping tabs on all issues throughout the kingdom, not just the ones immediately in front of them.

He must be talking about the Lynels.

It was the only issue related to Faron she could think of. “More and more Lynels from across the grasslands have been gathering atop Ibara Butte. The horde is estimated to be about one hundred strong as of last week. The speculation is that the Horse God Malanya has returned. For security, Governor Stylas hired several dozen adventurers to defend the City of Fural before he left for the capital. However, the Lynels have not attacked the city and have shown no outward signs of aggression, aside from attacking those who come too close to their territory.” Governor Stylas had told her as much when she met with him earlier, so she knew the information was accurate. However, she still held her breath for the brief moment it took her father to consider her response. She exhaled a silent sigh of relief when he finally turned away from her.

“Seraphina. How have the collections been at the cathedral recently?”

“Oh. Well, sadly a bit low, I think. But there have been many people in attendance! Perhaps if you joined us sometime, Father, more people would be inspired to donate as well?” Seraphina offered her suggestion with a smile. Their father attended service even less than Sophitia did.

“I see,” was their father’s reply, ignoring Seraphina’s suggestion and moving on. “Very good. Now, the summit is tomorrow, and preparations are nearing completion. All of you will be present. You will be able to give your input then, but I will hear recommendations now.”

“Yes, Father,” Sophitia spoke up, hoping to be the first to jump at the opportunity. “I actually have detailed plans to suggest for Hebra, Gerudo, and Akkala. My notes are in my chambers, however.”

“It matters not,” Percival said bluntly, turning everyone’s attention to him. “The lords will call for military intervention in all three provinces in question. We have the largest army on the continent, it has been proven to be a quick and effective solution in the past, and the lords relish the opportunity to flaunt their strength. Not one of them will hear any other plan of action.”

“Oh, come now, brother. Where’s the fun in that?” Lancel interjected. “Sending in the army as the lords wish is easy. Persuading them to see things your way is the real challenge.”

“Politics is no game, Brother,” Percival said with mild irritation.

“Everything’s a game if I can win it!”

The king made a low grunting sound of disapproval, although Sophitia could not tell who it was directed at. “Have you anything to add, Victorique?” he asked, addressing the eldest.

“I have my own thoughts, yes,” she replied. “I have no doubt most of the lords will push for war on all fronts. However, that is exactly what we are trying to avoid. I will heed their words, but I will push for diplomacy.”

Sophitia glanced at Seraphina, who had said nothing yet. The young girl looked a little nervous, but mostly just confused. She likely only had a vague understanding of the situation. However, she seemed to figure out that Victorique’s answer meant ‘no war,’ and that was enough to make her smile optimistically.

“Very well,” the king said. “Regardless of what is decided, I shall have you in charge of the situation in one of the provinces as you see fit.”

“Yes, Father.”

“Now, I believe you have other duties to attend to. Dismissed.”

Victorique stood up and bowed before turning to leave.

“You too, Seraphina,” their father added, likely seeing no use in placing any additional responsibilities on such a young girl.

Seraphina stood up and curtsied with perfect poise, then followed her elder sister out of the room.

“As for the rest of you,” the king went on. “Have you anything else to add?”

Sophitia was again quick to answer first. “Yes, Father. Might I be allowed to take the lead with one of the other provinces, however the council decides?”

“Or does only the heir get to have any real power?” Lancel said, his voice carrying more mockery than Sophitia thought wise.

Their father turned to him. “Were it not for your insouciance, boy, you might have a better chance of earning my crown.”

Lancel smirked, chuckling derisively. “Please, Father, do not tell us lies. Your eldest would be your successor even if we were to set aside my very, very few faults.”

Brother, stop!

The king narrowed his eyes, looking over his children in front of him. “Are you all under the impression that I have selected my heir based on something as inconsequential as the order of your birth?”

Sophitia furrowed her brow in confusion.

Have you not?

“True, your elder sister has the advantage of being my firstborn. She has a few more years of experience that none of you can catch up to. However, were any of you to prove yourselves more qualified to rule this kingdom after I am gone, I would name you my successor instead.”

Sophitia’s eyes went wide at this sudden revelation. Lancel seemed excited at the prospect of being king as well, and even Percival was standing up straighter as if he were trying to give himself a more lofty appearance.

“Truly, Father?” Percival asked. “Your heir is not set in stone? Any of us might next have the throne should we prove ourselves worthy?”

“Yes,” the king confirmed. “And while none of you have accomplished anything of note that might elevate yourselves above your elder sister as of yet, the possibility remains.”

Percival narrowed his eyes at their father’s offhandedly contemptuous remark.

“Let us prove ourselves, then,” Sophitia insisted. “This is the perfect opportunity, is it not? Do not rely on Victorique alone after the council’s judgment has been made. Let us all contribute.”

Their father regarded them all for a moment, one by one, as if measuring their worth with only a cursory glance. “I do not plan on dying so soon. My successor shall not be decided from this conflict alone,” he said. “But, I suppose it is somewhere to start. Very well. We shall speak of this again tomorrow once a course of action has been decided. Dismissed.”

The three siblings stood up together and bowed before making their exit. Outside the door, they found their bodyguards waiting for them. Upon seeing the princes, Sir Anselm and Sir Onnick stood at attention. Liliana took another moment to notice before snapping to attention alongside them.

“Knight. With me,” Percival said to Sir Onnick, not breaking his pace as he continued down the hall. The great knight nodded and fell in line behind the prince.

“Was the meeting productive, your highness?” Sir Anselm asked Lancel.

“Oh, more than you could guess, Hand,” the prince responded with a cocky grin.

Sophitia was still processing the news. The realization had been coming to her in waves, but she was still having trouble believing it.

I can be queen.

She felt her heart beating fast, and an excited smile was spreading across her face. “Liliana, with me, please,” she said, setting off down the hall ahead of Lancel.

“Yes, Princess,” her retainer replied, coming to her side. “What happened in there? Good news?”

“Very good news!” Sophitia confirmed. “I need my ledger. We have much to do.”


Author's note (added 7/28/2023):

After sharing my character gallery in the notes of chapter 55, I've decided to go back and add the character reference pictures to the chapters in which the characters were introduced to make things easier for new readers going forward. Since this story has many characters, a ton of them are introduced in these first four chapters. After that, other important characters will get reference pictures sporadically throughout the story.

So, here are the characters introduced in this chapter:

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Chapter 2: Harun I

Chapter Text

There was nothing but a great pit. Darkness as far as the eye could see. An endless abyss, plunging deep into the Earth, yet by appearance, no different than looking upward into a starless night sky. Devoid of light, devoid of life. But something stirred in the darkness. Something prodigious. Something powerful. Something that would not remain sealed. It rose. Only a nebulous mass at first, but soon, its form became clear. A great beast, immense in size, wreathed in shadow. Its jaws opened, baring a thousand teeth and a ceaseless hunger. Still it rose, as though to swallow the world, heralded by a monstrous roar that would shake the heavens.

Harun awoke in a panic, panting, his face and chest covered in a cold sweat. His eyes darted around the room, expecting to see the great beast’s jaws closing around him, but he saw no such thing. He was in his bedroom, and the sun outside the window was rising. As the fear dissipated, his breathing steadied, and he allowed himself to lie back onto his bed.

Only a dream.

As he did every time he saw the beast, he reminded himself that it was nothing but a nightmare, but this did little to comfort him these days.

Third time this week...

The beast had been haunting him for years, as if chasing him through that cold, dark abyss. In the past, the nightmares had been infrequent. Sometimes he’d gone months without them, nearly forgetting their existence. However, the nightmares had been occurring more often lately, as if the beast was getting closer.

No. There is no beast. Only a dream.

He was beginning to believe that less and less nowadays. When he was younger, he’d shared these dreams with some of his teachers in the queen’s court and with the spirit priestesses in the city, but nothing had come of it. They had all told him it was only a dream, and he’d believed them. Would they still say the same?

I suppose no harm can come of asking again...

Sighing deeply, Harun climbed out of bed. Stepping over to his window, he saw the early morning sun was rising over the desert. The queen had court that morning, and he was to attend. Any inquiry about his dreams would have to wait until later. He had time for only a short breakfast in the dining hall before joining the queen elsewhere in the palace.

The throne room was the most impressive sight in all of Naboris. The throne itself stood on a raised platform at the end of the room with a few small steps leading up to it. Just behind it was a large opening in the stone wall leading out to a balcony, which served to let the desert sun’s rays stream in and light the room. Throughout the interior, large stone pillars stretched from the floor to the great high ceiling. Water features and gigantic statues of the Seven Heroines filled the room for decoration. Harun had heard tales of the Hyrule Castle throne, claiming it put theirs to shame, but he had trouble imagining that.

When Harun came in from the side entrance, he found the chamber already crowded. Urballa, Queen of the Gerudo, sat upon her throne, a great stone seat with a tall backrest stretching almost up to the ceiling. She appeared somewhat casual, with one leg crossed over the other, waiting patiently for the rest of her court to arrive before beginning. Her thin clothing was made from the finest silks, and exquisite jewelry of gold and colorful gemstones adorned her person wherever possible. Her crown was an exotic headdress sitting upon a head of bushy red hair, capped with a red ruby held against her forehead above her green eyes and blue-painted lips. Her face appeared stern at times as she looked out over the crowd that had gathered before her, but the occasional playful smile betrayed her warmer nature.

On either side of the queen stood one of the Iron Knuckles, the elite Gerudo warriors who donned the heaviest of platemail. They each held a large golden claymore, pressing the tip of it down into the floor with their hands on top of the pommel, posing the way the statues of the Heroines stood. At the front edge of the throne dais was their commander, Bularis. Her armor was as heavy as her subordinates, but it appeared as though it was made of solid gold. She held in her hand a massive battleaxe, while she kept her great horned helmet tucked away under her other arm. On the ground surrounding the raised platform was a line of guards dressed in violet clothing, each holding a spear and standing at attention.

Also on the throne platform and forming a U-shape around it were various noble ladies of the queen’s court. They were her trusted advisors, confidants, and subordinates. Filling the throne room before them was a crowd of several dozen other women from the surrounding city, both noble ladies and the commoners who attended them. They had all come with business that required the queen’s attention in one way or another, whether it be legal disputes or matters of civil projects.

Lastly, in the back corners of the dais were two smaller thrones, one for the princess and one for the prince-in-waiting. Harun’s was currently empty. The other was occupied by Princess Sabah, the queen’s only blood child. She looked very much like her mother, albeit a much younger version of her. The queen nodded to Harun as he stepped up to take his seat behind her, and he bowed in greeting. He glanced over to Princess Sabah. She gave him a light smile, which he returned briefly before looking out across the throne room.

After a few minutes, the last of the queen’s court finished filing in, so Urballa began the proceedings. With a wave of her hand, she signaled for silence throughout the throne room. The murmuring of several dozen private conversations died down in seconds. From the side, a woman approached the throne. Elder Kobami was the queen’s top advisor and a witch who had been alive since before the Twilight War. Her old age gave her a wrinkled and decrepit appearance, and her skin had a sickly, dark-greenish hue -- an unfortunate side effect of the life-prolonging magic she employed. Hobbling along supported by a cane, she eventually reached the queen and handed her a rolled up scroll of parchment. Queen Urballa took it in hand and unfurled it.

The simplest items were first on the agenda, and they proceeded without incident. A citizen would approach the throne, inform the queen of an issue or make a request of her, receive her response, and leave. Harun watched closely, examining every judgment the queen made, trying to deduce the reasoning behind it. As the sole living male Gerudo, it was his duty to one day marry the princess and become king, whether he wished it or not. Due to the importance of his future role, Queen Urballa had always told him it was imperative that he learn how to rule properly.

When it came time to hear the last item of the day, the throne room was still crowded with citizens of Naboris. The fact that so many Gerudo stuck around to witness the ruling told Harun that this was a matter of great concern. He leaned forward in his seat as two women approached the throne. He recognized them. The younger woman wearing white and gray was Lady Calisa, one of the most vocal supporters of Hyrulean unity. The older woman wearing black and violet was Lady Shabonne, one of the most open advocates for Gerudo independence.

Oh no…

It was never a good sign when those two groups came to court.

“My queen,” Lady Calisa said as she and Lady Shabonne both knelt before Urballa. “I come before you today with a grievance regarding this woman.” She gestured to the older Gerudo kneeling beside her.

“And I come to you with a simple request,” Lady Shabonne stated.

“Rise,” Queen Urballa commanded. She regarded the two of them for a moment, deciding who to question first. “What is your request, Lady Shabonne?”

“I merely wish to erect a statue of the Great Ganondorf in the city square to celebrate the centennial of his second coming,” Lady Shabonne answered.

Worried murmurs quickly picked up throughout the room. Many people glanced at Harun, some more subtly than others. Angrily, he narrowed his eyes and kept his gaze forward, trying to ignore them. Ever since he was a child, people had been telling him he was destined to follow in the footsteps of the ‘Great Ganondorf.’ Some meant it as a compliment -- others, a condemnation.

Queen Urballa silenced the noise again with another wave of her hand. “And I take it that is your grievance, Lady Calisa?” the queen asked.

“It is, my queen,” Calisa confirmed. “Such an act would be a blatant violation of our agreement with the Royal Family of Hyrule. And what’s more, it would be an unforgivable act of blasphemy against Hylia. We cannot allow statues of demons to be erected in our city.” Cheers of agreement from her supporters quickly followed.

“And what have you to say in defense of your request, Lady Shabonne?” Queen Urballa asked the other woman.

“Her words are pure nonsense, my queen,” claimed the older Gerudo. “The Great Ganondorf was no demon. He was a visionary -- a king who fought against the tyrannical rule of the Hylians, all for the benefit of his people. A statue of him standing in the square would be a constant reminder of what we should be fighting for.” Her side of the room cheered as she finished, bringing about angry shouting and accusations of treason from the opposition.

Commander Bularis tapped her battleaxe twice against the ground. Responding to her signal, the other guards in the room simultaneously tapped their own weapons against the ground, loudly and in near-perfectly sync. The menacing sound was enough to quiet the room again.

Harun leaned forward in his seat.

What will the queen say?

He found this to be a useful exercise during court sessions such as this. If he could anticipate how the queen would resolve a conflict, it would mean he was learning how to rule as she did. He knew Urballa leaned more towards the Ganonite side of the Ganonite-Hylianite conflict, having expressed a desire for independence several times in the past. However, Lady Calisa was correct. What Lady Shabonne wanted was against their binding agreement with the Hyrulean Royal Family, which contained a clause expressly forbidding the worship of demonic figures, including Ganon. The queen could not do what she asked. However, meekly submitting to Hylian rule would make her appear weak in the eyes of her supporters.

No matter what she does, someone is going to want her dead.

Harun leaned back and sighed, not in the least bit envious of her position at the moment.

I suppose she must refuse the request for the statue, but perhaps allow for something more subtle as a compromise?

“Lady Shabonne,” the queen began. “I understand your sentiment. Ganondorf’s ideals are an inspiration to many, and his attempt to create a better world for our people must not be forgotten.”

“He was a fool and a murderer,” Lady Calisa objected. “He led a pointless rebellion that was doomed from the start, and then he came back with an army of exiled heretics to slaughter all who stood in his way. What about that is inspirational?”

“Lady Calisa,” Urballa said, loudly and sternly, causing the other woman to flinch. However, she spoke more gently once she had everyone’s attention. “I understand your reservations. It cannot be denied that the former king committed acts of great evil in his pursuit of a better world, and our alliance with the Hylians must not be broken if we are to maintain the delicate peace between our peoples.”

“Alliance,” Lady Shabonne repeated, mockingly. “Alliances are between equals, my queen. The Hylians do not see us that way. We are subjects for them to rule over, nothing more. They impose their unjust laws upon us, rob us of our livelihood, force us to fight their battles for them, stomp all over our way of life--”

“And in return, they give us a new way of life,” Lady Calisa interrupted. “A better way of life. One of peace and prosperity. One of piety. A land free of war, free of greed, free of--”

“We are not free of anything!”

“We are citizens of the greatest civilization the world has ever--”

Urballa snapped her fingers and the guards repeated the threatening sound of their weapons clanging against the ground. The shouting in the throne room slowly died down once again.

“You have both said your piece,” the queen said. She spoke quietly, a technique she often employed to force everyone to listen more closely. “And there is merit to what both of you have said. Now, I have much to discuss with my advisors regarding this matter. Please return tomorrow to hear my final decision. Thank you and good day.”

Lady Calisa and Lady Shabonne bowed together with their attendants and supporters, then filed out of the throne room, muttering in frustration.

Once her guests were gone, Queen Urballa sighed and relaxed on her throne, placing her palm to her face. “These squabbling children are quite the headache, are they not?” she said aloud to no one in particular.

“Be that as it may, my queen, their words must be heeded.” Lady Averla, the palace’s mistress-at-arms, approached the throne. “I believe Lady Calisa has the truth of it. We have no reason to anger the Hylians any further. Even now, Governor Vapith rides for the capital to request assistance. If we give her cause to bring the King of Hyrule’s armies back with her…”

“We have no reason to fear a fight,” Elder Kobami interrupted, speaking slowly in her raspy voice. “The Hylians have continuously rejected our proposal for independence, and they refuse to name Queen Urballa as governor, too. Soon enough, fighting will be the only option we have left.”

“I thank you for your counsel, Elder Kobami, Lady Averla,” the queen said, raising her hands to them both. “But I will hear no more of this presently. Let us reconvene on the matter later this afternoon. You are all dismissed.” Queen Urballa clapped her hands twice in quick succession and those remaining in the room began to clear out. Then she stood. “Come here, child,” she said with a warm smile, holding out her hand to Princess Sabah. The princess climbed out of her seat and took her mother’s hand. “Shall we visit the sand seal pen?”

The princess grinned happily. “Yes! That would be lovely, Mother.”

Harun watched the two of them with fascination. The queen was taking this rather well. There was a potentially serious decision to be made, but she did not appear pressured by it.

Were I in her place, I could think of nothing else until the matter was dealt with.

“Prince Harun,” Lady Averla spoke, taking him out of his thoughts. “Come with me, young voe. It is time for training.”

Harun stood up and nodded to her. “Yes, my lady,” he said before following her out of the room, heading towards the training grounds. He had always appreciated Lady Averla’s guidance. Although she was a Hylianite, she did not despise him, nor did she ever accuse him of being the next Ganondorf. “You are your own person,” she’d once told him. “One cannot be held responsible for the actions of another.”

In the training grounds, Harun and two dozen girls his age began their daily arms training. Lady Averla was skilled with all traditional Gerudo weapons and fighting styles, and each day she would drill them on or two of them. Spear, glaive, trident, claymore, battleaxe, scimitar, bow and arrow, even barehand -- future elite Gerudo warriors such as them were expected to know how to fight with them all. Most of the young ladies Harun trained with were the daughters of nobles living in either the palace or the surrounding city. Within the next year or two, they were to become honor guards in the palace or low level officers in the Gerudo army. Harun was the only exception. He would be king one day, but kings needed to know how to fight as well as anyone.

They had spear training on this day. The trainees had paired up and spread out across the sandy training pits, sparring with wooden spears as Lady Averla walked up and down the rows, observing and instructing. Harun’s sparring partner was a girl called Katta. Like all Gerudo, she had red hair, although she kept it cut relatively short, and her amber skin was a shade lighter than many of the others. She was shorter than Harun, although most were. It was said that Ganondorf had been 230 centimeters tall, and while Harun was only 225, he was still above the average Gerudo height of 215 centimeters.

“You seem distracted,” Katta told Harun as her blunt speartip pierced the air beside his head.

“Of course. You’re distracting me at this very moment,” Harun replied, dodging to the side. He thrust his spear at her, but she blocked it with her own. Before he could pull back, she kicked up some sand into his face, blinding him long enough for her to land a kick to his chest, knocking him to the ground.

“You’re distracted,” she repeated, stepping over him and stabbing her spear into the ground next to his head. “Come on. You’re usually better than this. What’s the matter?”

“It is nothing, Katta,” Harun said, clasping her hand when she offered it to him. She helped pull him to his feet. “Well fought. Let me try that again.”

“If you say so, Your Grace,” she said teasingly, retrieving her spear.

“Perhaps the problem is with his sparring partner.” One of the other trainees in the sparring circle to their left leaned against her spear, watching them with a smirk. “What do you say, your highness? How about we switch dance partners? I take you, the Hylianite takes Emri,” she said, gesturing to her own partner.

“Um, Kyra? Maybe we shouldn’t bother the prince while he’s training…” her partner said, meekly clutching her spear and waiting for the other girl to continue.

“Or,” Katta said, stepping over to the edge of the circle towards Kyra. “How about you and I fight instead, and we let your cute friend keep Harun company for a bit while I kick your ass?” Emri gasped, but Kyra seemed ready to accept the challenge, stomping through the sand to meet Katta between their sparring circles.

“Hey!” the tall, muscular trainee in the circle on the other side called out to them. “Cease this squabbling, you two. Do not interrupt Prince Harun’s training.” Kyra and Katta glared at each other with defiant smiles on their faces for a moment before backing away, returning to their respective training partners.

Harun sighed. “Thank you, Laine,” he said to the tall girl. While he appreciated that she’d broken up the fight, her apparent motivation for doing so made him uncomfortable.

“You’re welcome, your highness,” Laine replied.

“You’re welcome, your highness,” Kyra repeated mockingly under her breath.

“Let’s just resume.” Harun lifted his spear and returned to his fighting stance.

Of all the nobles’ daughters Harun had been raised alongside, Katta was the one he gravitated to the most. Too many of the others were either Ganonites who went easy on him and gave him too much praise, Hylianites who seemed to despise him no matter what he did, or members of neither side who were afraid to socialize with him for fear of what others might think. Katta was different. Like Lady Averla, Katta’s mother was a Hylianite. However, Katta seemed rather indifferent to the whole conflict, and she didn’t seem to think it had anything to do with Harun either way.

In their next round, Harun performed much better. He tried his best to stay focused, and was successful at first, putting Katta on the defensive with a flurry of well placed strikes. Victory for the round was in his reach, but then he saw it. His mind wandered for only an instant, but in his mind’s eye, the maw of the dark beast appeared. “Gah!” He shut his eyes and dropped his spear to the ground, his hands moving up to guard his face. When he opened his eyes again, Katta had lowered her spear.

“You gonna tell me that was nothing?” she asked. Her tone was somewhat playful, but she was clearly concerned as well.

“It… It was only…” Harun didn’t know what to say. It was bad enough to experience such visions as nightmares, but was he truly seeing the beast while he was awake now?

If so, things may be worse than I feared…

“What is the matter, young voe?”

Harun turned and saw Lady Averla approaching. Apparently she had witnessed his episode.

“Nothing of any urgency, mistress,” Harun decided to say.

Lady Averla did not seem satisfied with that response. “Come to me once today’s training is complete,” she said before moving on to the next pair of trainees.

Harun carried on through the rest of his sets against Katta to the best of his ability. He did not experience any more flashes of the beast, but his worries still managed to keep him distracted, and he did not fare well.

After Lady Averla had dismissed everyone, Harun stayed where he was and watched the other trainees leave. Lady Averla also remained, waiting on the other side of the training pit. Katta stuck around, too. Harun considered telling her he was fine and that she was free to leave, but he knew better. If she’d wanted to leave, she would have. So, the two of them approached Lady Averla together once everyone else had left.

“Tell me what happened earlier, if you please,” Lady Averla said, speaking bluntly, but not unkindly.

Harun hesitated, not certain how to explain it. “It’s… the dreams.”

“The dreams?” Averla repeated. She thought for a moment before coming to a realization “You speak of the ones you had before? With the monster?”

Katta tilted her head in curiosity, leaning casually on her spear. Harun had never had reason to tell her about his nightmares before.

“Yes,” Harun confirmed. “The same.”

“I see. So you are having them again.” Lady Averla put her hand to her chin thoughtfully.

“Indeed. And with greater frequency,” he admitted. “Earlier, while I was sparring with Katta, the memory came to me. I could see it as clearly as I did in my dreams. It threw me off balance.”

“Do you recognize the monster in your dreams?” Averla asked.

“No, mistress,” Harun said. “But it makes me think of Ganon. People sometimes call him the Dark Beast. That is most certainly how I would describe the monster in my dreams.” He hated to admit that. While Harun had not yet made up his mind on what to think about King Ganondorf, the way everyone else always compared him to the old king made him wish to avoid acknowledging any possible connection between the two of them.

“It could be Ganon, or some representation of him,” Averla said. “I confess I know little of how the subconscious mind works. If I had to guess, I would say it was nothing more than a manifestation of your fears. The ignorant conflate you with the king of evil. I imagine that must weigh quite heavily on you, young voe.”

Harun nodded solemnly.

“Relax. You’re no king of evil,” Katta said. “You can’t let stupid gossip like that get the better of you.”

“The priestesses say dreams connect us to the spirits,” Harun said, recalling another conversation he’d had about his nightmares when he was younger. “What if it’s not merely a dream? What if someone’s trying to tell me something?”

“Someone like Ganondorf?”

Harun did not answer, but that was indeed what he feared.

“I am no more well versed in spirits, young voe,” Lady Averla told him.

“Why don’t we ask the Sage of Spirit, then?” Katta suggested. “She’ll be able to tell if spirits are really trying to talk to you. And if it’s an evil spirit like Ganon, perhaps she can exorcise it.”

“Do you think this would help?” Lady Averla asked Harun.

“I do not know,” Harun replied, skeptical that it would be so easy. “But it could not hurt to try.” Despite his doubts, he would be willing to try almost anything. He did not wish to admit how much the nightmares frightened him, but they’d been weighing on him quite heavily lately.

“Very well. That can be arranged,” Averla said. “I will speak with the queen about this. Perhaps she’ll be willing to send a summons to the sage.”

“Thank you, mistress,” Harun said gratefully. He bowed, so Katta did as well.

“Think nothing of it,” Averla said. “You’d best be going now, young voe. I believe you have your lessons with the witch next.” The witch who Lady Averla referred to was Elder Kobami. It wasn’t quite an insult since Kobami was a witch, but Hylianites like Averla did not care for witches, and she always said the word with a thin layer of disgust in her voice.

Harun and Katta placed their training spears on the weapon rack and headed back into the palace. Many Gerudo witches like Kobami still clung to the old ways and would only teach a single apprentice rather than a class of students, so Harun’s lessons with Kobami were one-on-one. Katta would not be joining him, but she chose to walk with him anyway.

“So… you think you’re really being haunted or something?” Katta asked. Harun could tell she would rather just be making a joke out of it, but she was being strangely cautious.

“Maybe,” Harun answered. “Everyone always says I’m connected to Ganon. Perhaps they were right after all.”

“Pfft, who cares?” Katta said, lightly smacking him in the shoulder. “Even if the king of evil himself starts whispering in your ear every night, it’s not like you have to listen to him. Just tell him to fuck off.”

Harun furrowed his brow, looking at her with amusement. “Do you believe that is what the Hylian Hero of Twilight said when he faced down the demon king? Fuck off?” Katta laughed heartily at this notion.

When they reached the doors to Elder Kobami’s chambers, Katta stopped before she got too close. “Well, good luck with the witch, Your Grace,” she said. “I’ll see ya tonight then, yeah?”

“Of course. I would not refuse your presence.” Harun gave her a mock bow to match her own, then walked through the door.

The witch’s study was a grim place. There were no windows or lightwells. Only a few candles of dim violet flame allowed for any sort of visibility. All throughout the room, cauldrons of potions bubbled while large wooden spoons, kept aloft by precise enchantments of wind magic, gave the appearance of stirring the pots on their own. Jars and vials of herbs, body parts of animals and monsters, and various other reagents stocked the many shelves, along with a great number of dusty old books. The skull of some sort of animal was mounted on the wall, its empty eye sockets still somehow appearing to stare at any who entered. After taking a few steps into the room, a sudden rush of wind blew the door shut behind Harun.

“Welcome, young one.” Elder Kobami sat cross-legged on a pillow atop a raised stone platform at one end of the room. “Are you ready to continue your studies?”

“Yes, elder one,” Harun replied. “I am prepared.” He tried to ignore the chill up his spine. Kobami always unnerved him a little, even when she was being friendly. She seemed like a frail old woman on the surface, but he knew what dark magic she was capable of.

“Good,” Kobami said, climbing to her feet and holding out her hand. On the far wall, a walking cane and a dark black trident rattled for a moment before flying across the room. The cane landed in Kobami’s hand, while Harun caught the trident, wincing in slight pain at the sudden impact. It was not the most practical weapon for actual combat, but this particular trident had been created to function more like a sorcerer’s staff. “Come,” Kobami beckoned. Harun, walking very slowly, followed her to another door on the other side of the room. Through it was a small, empty, square room with a stone floor and braziers of violet flame on the walls. It was in this room that they were free to practice spellcraft without fear of damaging the elder’s belongings.

For today’s lesson, the witch had Harun practice what she called ‘shadowbinding , ’ a magical technique that involved conjuring and shaping clouds of a black, smoke-like substance to resemble shadows come to life. In addition to simple applications like creating a cover of obscuring darkness, these shadows could be solidified to create walls or attack an opponent from a safe distance. Harun had witnessed the witch make use of such spells several times.

“Make a phantom of yourself,” Elder Kobami commanded, kneeling on a pillow by the wall while Harun stood in the center of the room. “Have it match your size and shape as closely as possible.”

“Yes, elder one.” Harun gripped his trident firmly with both hands and breathed deeply, focusing and running through the spellwork in his head. To his left, a coil of black smoke formed on the ground, growing larger and larger. Once it was about the right size, Harun worked to shape it, giving it arms and legs and a head.

“Smoother,” Kobami commanded. Harun’s phantom was now a proper humanoid shape, but its edges were hazy. It still looked more like a cloud of smoke than a living shadow.

Harun took another deep breath and tried focusing his spellwork, but the magic wasn’t coming to him. His phantom was packed somewhat tighter, but it was still hazy.

“Focus, young one,” the witch instructed. “Visualize what you mean to conjure.”

He closed his eyes in concentration and tried to picture his living shadow, but almost as soon as he did, he saw the beast again. It opened its great jaws, moving towards him, ready to swallow him. He gasped, opened his eyes, and stumbled backwards, falling to the ground and dropping his trident. His smoky shadow dispersed. “Apologies, elder one,” Harun said after a moment, panting.

Elder Kobami smiled. “You must learn to command the shadows,” she said. As she spoke, without any shift in the flickering flames on the walls, her shadow began to lengthen. “They do not frighten you. They obey you.” Harun watched as the witch’s shadow reached the wall, climbing up it. Suddenly, the shadow moved, stepping out from the wall, no longer a two-dimensional projection. It was as if Kobami herself were standing there beside them, only completely devoid of color. “Combine your phantom with a simple illusion spell, and you have the perfect means to deceive your enemies,” she went on. With a wave of her hand, color came to the shadow. A perfect double of Elder Kobami now stood in the room. It grinned a toothless grin and stepped over to Harun, offering him its hand. He took it. The phantom hand did not feel like real flesh, but it was solid enough to touch. It pulled him to his feet, seeming stronger than the real Elder could realistically be. Once he was standing, the phantom lost its color again, melting into a cloud of black smoke before retreating back into Kobami’s shadow.

Harun was unnerved by the event. He’d already known the witch possessed this power, but it was frightening to be reminded of it. The Kobami he was looking at right now could be a phantom as well, for all he knew. She could be a phantom at any time, and so could anybody else in the palace.

“It is not the shadows that frighten me,” Harun said when Kobami finished her demonstration. “It’s what I see in them.”

“What do you see?” the witch inquired.

Harun hesitated, regretting that he’d said anything at all. Elder Kobami was extremely Ganonite-leaning, much more so than Queen Urballa. She would likely be overjoyed if she came to suspect the former demon king were haunting his dreams. The nightmares were hard enough to handle without someone telling him to embrace them.

“A beast,” Harun said. “The dark beast I see in my dreams. It’s as if it haunts me even while I’m awake now.”

Just as he’d feared, a toothless grin spread across Elder Kobami’s wrinkled face. “Good. Good. It seems the Great Ganondorf truly has chosen you as his successor.”

Harun knit his brow.

I pray that is not the case.

“Does the Great One speak to you?” Kobami asked.

“No, elder one,” Harun responded. “It does not appear as a man. Only a beast. It opens its jaws to devour, not to speak.”

“Hmm…” Kobami put a hand to her chin thoughtfully. “Perhaps his spirit is yet to fully awaken within you. We must consult the Sage of Spirit at once.”

“What?” The prince found it somewhat disturbing that she had come to the same conclusion as Katta and Averla, despite viewing the issue in the opposite light.

“She may be able to draw out the Great One’s full power,” the old woman explained. “Only then can you take your rightful place as his heir and finish what he started.”

Harun suppressed an exasperated sigh. “I have told Lady Averla of my dreams as well. She has already agreed to ask the queen to summon the Sage of Spirit so she might counsel me.”

Elder Kobami cackled. “I am elated to hear that Lady Averla and I see eye to eye for once. The Great Ganondorf is performing miracles already.”

Harun was never sure how much to trust Elder Kobami when it came to her views on King Ganondorf. She was probably one of only a handful of humans left in the world who had been alive during Ganondorf’s second coming, but she claimed to have never seen him in person during that time. She only knew of him through text and word of mouth, same as anyone else.

“I hope the sage will be able to aid me,” Harun said vaguely.

“As do I,” Kobami agreed. “Now then, let us continue your training. We can meet with Queen Urballa when we are finished for today.”


Harun did not actually get another chance to see the queen until much later in the day. Both of them kept very busy schedules most days, and Harun did not presume himself and his troubles to be important enough to take up anyone else’s attention.

When the time for his audience with the queen finally came, Harun was let in through the great double doors at the front of the throne room by a pair of Iron Knuckles standing guard outside. He walked past the great statues of the Heroines, the water features, and the stone pillars to approach the throne. The spacious room was empty apart from himself, Queen Urballa, and a pair of harem girls draped over the sides of the queen’s throne. They stared up at Urballa lovingly while her hand cupped one’s chin and her other hand brushed the other’s hair, a flirty smile upon her face. The queen did not seem to notice Harun’s presence until he had nearly reached them, at which point she quietly dismissed the girls. The two of them stood and flittered out through the side exit, giggling to themselves. Harun’s gaze could not help but follow them until they were out of sight before he turned his attention to Urballa.

Harun cleared his throat uncomfortably. “My queen,” he spoke, getting down on one knee and bowing his head.

“Rise,” Urballa said casually, waving her hand, so he stood. “Elder Kobami and Lady Averla shall be joining us shortly,” the queen stated. “They have both informed me of your situation already. I understand your dreams have gotten worse as of late?”

Harun nodded. “Yes, my queen. Both my teachers agree it has become an issue.” Behind him, he heard the sound of the great doors opening once again. Looking over his shoulder, he saw Lady Averla had entered. Not a minute later, one of the side doors opened, and in came Elder Kobami, hobbling along on her cane.

“My queen,” Lady Averla spoke as she knelt and bowed beside Harun.

“Rise,” Queen Urballa said quickly, looking mildly peeved to have to keep saying it every time someone entered. However, when Kobami joined them in front of the throne, she did not kneel, being much too feeble to bother with another opportunity to hurt her hips. “Now, then,” Urballa went on. “We all seem to be in agreement already, so let’s keep this brief, shall we? Prince Harun, do you wish to consult the Sage of Spirit about your dreams?”

“Yes, my queen. I think that would be most wise.” Harun had never met the sage. She spent all her time at the Spirit Temple to the south, and he had never left the city of Naboris before.

“Very well. And the two of you have no objections?” Urballa asked Averla and Kobami.

“Correct. The sage is likely our best chance to awaken the Great Ganondorf’s power that dwells within the prince,” Elder Kobami answered. “War with the Hylians could be upon us any day now, so this must be treated as a matter of the utmost urgency.” The witch often spoke as if war were right around the corner, but Harun usually got the impression that she was simply hoping for that to be the case.

“I agree that the sage should be consulted as well,” Averla said. “But not for the reasons the witch speaks of. While I am not convinced the young voe’s dreams have anything to do with the former king, if they do, we must request the sage cure him of this ailment at once.”

“Why would we squander such a potentially powerful weapon just when it is needed most?” Elder Kobami argued.

“The prince is no weapon,” Lady Averla countered. “Any power the demon king could provide is best avoided, for all of Hyrule’s sake.”

By the gods, even now...

The prince and the queen shared a look. “Regardless, we are in agreement that the prince will consult with the Sage of Spirit. Anything else can be decided upon hearing her counsel.”

“Very well, my queen,” Kobami said with a slow nod. “Shall I send a messenger to summon her here?”

“No. We shall go to her,” Urballa declared.

“We shall? But why?” Averla asked.

“Sending someone across the desert to deliver a message only for her to cross the desert herself afterwards would take twice as long,” the queen explained. “Besides, the sage’s power is at its strongest within her Patron’s temple.”

“But my queen, we are forbidden from taking Prince Harun out of the city,” Averla objected. “That would violate our agreement with the Hyrulean Royal Family!”

“Not true,” Urballa corrected. “He may go anywhere I go, provided it is a matter of emergency. And what could be considered an emergency, if not being haunted by a demon king’s spirit?”

Elder Kobami cackled. “Very astute, my queen,” she praised.

“I suppose this is true,” Averla relented.

“Splendid,” Queen Urballa said. “Make all necessary arrangements. We leave tomorrow at dawn.” With a wave of her hand, she dismissed them. Harun and his teachers turned to leave, but she spoke again. “Stay a moment longer, Harun. I still wish to speak with you.”

Harun stopped in his tracks and waited until his teachers had exited the throne room. “Yes, my queen?” he asked.

“You seem upset,” she noted.

Harun furrowed his brow, then realized his jaw had been clenched for some time now. “It is only the circumstances,” he claimed. “Nothing more.”

“Oh?” the queen said, sounding unconvinced. “Then I supposed it has nothing to do with your teachers’ conflicting advice?”

Harun scratched the back of his head uncomfortably. There were complaints to be made about Lady Averla and Elder Kobami, but he was uncertain if it would be proper for him to express criticism of his elders.

“Does it bother you when they do that?” the queen pushed.

Harun sighed. “Well, it is quite difficult to please them both when their desires are incompatible,” he replied. “I can’t very well fight with both honor and trickery, nor can I both distance myself from Ganon as well as become his successor.”

“It is quite the dilemma,” Urballa agreed with a nod. “Ruling a kingdom is no different, you know. You witnessed how Lady Averla and Elder Kobami advised me quite differently this morning on the matter of the Ganon statue.”

“How is it helpful to have your advisers pulling you in opposite directions like that?” Harun asked. From his point of view, he could not see it as anything but frustrating, and not in the least bit helpful.

“Why, I wouldn’t have it any other way!” Queen Urballa stood up from her throne and walked down the carpeted steps to where Harun stood. “How many people were in this room this morning?” she asked, walking past him and gesturing to the big empty space before them.

Harun was not quite following what she was saying. “Several dozen,” he said. “Maybe a hundred.”

“More,” she said, turning back to face him. “Beyond that, there are a quarter million people in this city. And even more spread throughout this kingdom. Every single one of them has wants and needs, thoughts and ideas. Why should my advisers all want the same thing? How could I possibly hope to lead so many people with only one frame of mind?”

“...I see.” Harun was not sure what to say. What the queen was telling him made sense, but trying to please everyone seemed impossible.

“You and my daughter are to rule together one day.” Urballa climbed the steps back to her throne, standing beside it and running a hand along the carved stone. “You must learn how to draw wisdom from many places.”

“What do you plan to do about the Ganon statue?” Harun asked after a moment, thinking perhaps it would help him better understand her thought process if he were to know how the queen planned to settle a dispute like that.

“There will be a statue,” Urballa said. “But not of King Ganon. Instead, it will be of Queen Nabooru.”

“Nabooru?” Harun asked. “For whom Naboris is named?”

“Correct. In her time, the Gerudo ruler’s seat of power was in Taafei, where the Hylian governor now sits. Nabooru’s successor built this city around a great oasis in the heart of the desert, and named it in her honor,” Urballa explained. “Queen Nabooru is beloved by Ganonites and Hylianites alike, as she was both a loyal servant of King Ganondorf during his initial reign and a cooperative ally to the Hylians after it. Not all will be appeased by this compromise, no doubt, but members of neither side will wish to insult Nabooru’s memory by rejecting her statue, and it can be appreciated no matter how one views Ganon.”

“And how do you view Ganon?” Harun knew it was bold to ask that question, but he could not help it. He knew she leaned toward the Ganonite side, but she most often played at being neutral. He wanted her full, honest opinion.

The queen smiled. “Walk with me, young voe.” Turning away from her throne, she walked behind it towards the opening in the wall that led out to the balcony, her green and gold heeled sandals clinking against the stone floor as she moved. Harun hurried up the steps, walking fast in order to catch up with her. Together, they stepped out onto the balcony and into the harsh midday sun. “Look around you,” Queen Urballa said, standing at the railing and gesturing to the landscape with a wave of her arm. “Tell me what you see.”

Harun looked. The palace was located at the southwestern edge of the city, and from this side of it, one could see nothing but endless desert. Miles and miles of sand, with some cacti, boulders, and exposed animal bones scattered throughout. “I see nothing,” Harun said, hoping that was the correct answer.

“Yes,” Urballa confirmed. “That is exactly what King Ganondorf saw when he stood atop his fortress and looked over his kingdom. A country within a vast desert. Burning winds when the sun rose, frigid gales when the sun set. A sea of monsters hidden beneath the sand, and not enough food or water to go around.” Her arms had risen in gesture as she spoke, but she lowered them again as she faced Harun. “But in Hyrule, he saw something different. Fields of lush green, bountiful harvests, and everything the Hylians wanted. Everything our people needed.

“...My queen?” Harun was unsure how to respond. Queen Urballa was being far more serious than usual, but the way she spoke of their people’s plight made it clear this was something she had thought about quite a bit.

Urballa blinked and shook her head, as if coming back from her thoughts. “My point being, he cared about his people. He wanted a better life for them,” she went on. “That is what any good ruler wants.”

“But his rebellion failed before it had even begun,” Harun pointed out. He feared he had spoken too boldly once again, but he felt the need to say his piece and express his doubts regarding King Ganondorf. “And when he returned from exile, he started a war. Thousands died, and for all the pain and suffering he caused, our people still live in this desert.”

The queen smiled weakly at him. “True, true,” she said. “You asked me my opinion of the man. The best I can say is I admire him for what he wished to achieve, but I abhor how he attempted to achieve it.” She reached out her arm and placed a hand on Harun’s shoulder. “Elder Kobami will tell you to be like Ganondorf. Lady Averla might tell you to be his opposite. My advice to you? Learn from him. There is much to be learned from his successes and from his failures. But when all is said and done, you will need to decide for yourself how to be a good ruler.”

“But how will I know how to do that?” Harun suddenly felt a great weight on his shoulders, one he was certain Urballa must feel quite often in her position.

“I wish I could give you an easy answer,” the queen said. “But I do not know either. All we can do is try.”


Author's note (added 7/28/2023):

Once again, we have many characters introduced in this chapter:

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Chapter 3: Link I

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

“Link… Link… Wake up, Link…”

“...”

“...Link?”

“...”

“Oi! Brother! Wake the fuck up!”

Link awoke as he crashed to the floor. His sister had tried to yank his sheets off of him, but he was so entangled that he got pulled off the edge of the bed along with them. “Oi, the hell’s wrong with you, Elle?”

“Right now? Your lazy ass, that’s what’s wrong.” Linkle stood over him with her hands disapprovingly on her hips, looking down at him with her bright blue eyes that were identical to his own, a pair of braided blonde pigtails framing her youthful face. While Link was still in his night clothes, Linkle was fully dressed in the traveling outfit she always wore whenever she wanted to imitate the Hero. She wore a traditional green tunic along with a pair of brown leather boots and a matching pair of gloves. The allegedly legendary golden compass their grandmother had given her hung from a loop around her neck, although what about it was legendary was anyone’s guess. As if ready for a monster hunt, her crossbow was strapped to her back, her quiver of bolts hung from the side of her waist, and her shortsword was sheathed in the scabbard going across the small of her back. “Now, you gettin’ up, or what?”

“I choose what,” Link answered, rolling over on the floor and wrapping himself in his blankets again.

“Oh, come on,” Linkle complained in a whiny tone, stamping her foot impatiently. “We got Bokoblins to kill. I need you to back me up, Brother!”

“But I don’t want to,” Link whined back. “Why do I gotta go get killed now when I could sleep in and get killed later?” He was still half-asleep, so it took him a moment to realize something. “Hey, didn’t I tell ya to quit takin’ contracts?” he said, rolling back over to face his sister.

“They’re called quests,” Linkle corrected him irritably.

“Ah, of course. My mistake, Elle. Wouldn’t want to hurt your pride as a mercenary,” Link said sarcastically, deciding to stand up so he could properly scold her.

“Adventurer.”

Link flicked his sister’s forehead, drawing a tiny yelp out of her. “You’re neither, actually. Doesn’t Farmer Nack want you gettin’ to work right about now?” He glanced out the window, trying to guess the time of day by how high the sun had risen.

“To hell with Nack,” she replied, sounding completely unconcerned with the matter. “There’s a band of Bokoblins nearby. A few travelers got jumped by them on the road. The guards say they’ll pay me good if I go take care of ‘em.”

“Quite the adventure,” Link said dryly. “Your name will be right up there with the greats one day. Hero of the Sky, Hero of Twilight, Hero of Killing a Couple Bokoblins That One Time!” He held out his arms in a display of mock grandeur. Linkle flicked his forehead in return. “Ow.”

“I’m going,” she declared. “So come with me or I’m going alone.”

Link stared down his sister for a moment. She was always stubborn when it came to matters like this. His apprenticeship granted him a single day off every month, and he really didn’t want to spend it fighting monsters. But, if he didn’t, that would mean Linkle would go off and do it by herself.

Dammit.

“Ugh, fine,” Link relented.

“Yay!” Linkle cheered, a bright smile suddenly appearing on her face as she clapped her gloved hands together. “This is gonna be awesome, Brother! Grab your gear and meet me outside!”

“Yeah, yeah,” Link said as his sister practically skipped out of the house.

You’d think I just agreed to take her to the faire.

Having accepted his fate, Link sighed and got changed into the traveling clothes he wore whenever his sister dragged him along on one of her little ‘adventures.’ Unlike her, he didn’t feel the need to dress up in Hero’s green. Instead, he wore a simple red tunic, tanned trousers, and a dark grey hood that he threw over his mussed up blonde hair. All he had for armor was a few pieces of hardened leather, including boots, bracers, a belt, a small chestguard that covered his heart, and a single shoulder pad on his right shoulder. For weaponry, he favored a simple longsword of his own creation. His sister’s shortsword was some of his work, too. Just one of the benefits of being a blacksmith’s apprentice. Additionally, he carried with him a round wooden shield and a bow, along with a quiver of arrows strapped to his lower back. Not everyone who lived as close to the city as they did felt the need to have such weapons prepared, but they’d needed them ever since Linkle had started venturing off into the wilds to fight monsters.

Once he was prepared, he stepped outside the house to rejoin his sister. He found Linkle practicing with her crossbow on the set of targets she’d set up beside the house. She’d gotten pretty good at hitting them, but Link never saw it as particularly useful practice. Hitting moving targets was infinitely more difficult.

“Boom! Gotcha!” Linkle cheered triumphantly as one of her bolts hit near the center of her target, sending bits of splintered wood flying from it. She quickly nocked another bolt, then did an unnecessary jump over the fence before shooting at another target.

“I see your skills with killing inanimate objects haven’t dulled since your last contract,” Link said in mock praise.

His sister turned and smirked at him. “Keep talkin’ and I’ll show you how well I kill animate ones.” She pointed her crossbow in his direction, but it was unloaded.

“Oof.” Link clapped a hand over his heart. “Ya got me. Guess I’m dead now.”

“Not yet you’re not.” Linkle placed her crossbow into the straps on her back, then turned to the small stable on the other side of the house. She put two fingers to her mouth and whistled. A moment later, their horse came trotting out. “Here, Arion,” Linkle said, holding her hand out for the horse. When it came to her, she placed her hand on its head, patting it softly. “Good boy.”

“If you get our horse killed on this little adventure, we’re buying the next one with your money.” Nack’s Farm, where Linkle worked as a farmhand, was located just outside the nearby city of Hateno, and Link worked at a smithy within the city. If they lost their horse, it would be a major pain to have to walk all the way to the city every day.

“I would never!” Linkle protested. “I’d sooner get you killed.”

“Okay, but I doubt you can afford another me.” Link walked over to the horse. His scabbard, shield, bow, and quiver rattled annoyingly on his back as he walked, but he’d grown used to it over time. Just another little annoyance that came from helping his sister with her ‘side job.’ He climbed onto the horse, then offered a hand to Linkle, who climbed on behind him. Linkle had complained to him in the past about wanting her own horse so they didn’t have to share, but she’d shut up about it after hearing how much a horse actually cost.

“Yah!” Linkle shouted, spurring the horse with a kick of her boots. It whinnied and set off down the road to the east.

“So, you know where these Bokoblins are?” Link asked.

“Yep,” Linkle spoke from behind him. “They’re dangerously close by. We probably woulda needed to take care of ‘em eventually anyway. Just keep going like we’re heading into the city for now.”

Link nodded, holding the horse’s reins. They followed the road alongside Lake Jarrah and Camphor Pond, passing by the other peasant houses that filled the valley, then turned right at the crossroads. The road sloped upwards after that, but the horse had ridden that way hundreds of times, so he could handle it.

“This is where the travelers got attacked,” Linkle informed him, pointing towards some large stones by the side of the road. “The little bastards hid behind those rocks and jumped out with clubs.”

Link looked over his shoulder. “Why are you smiling?” he asked with unamusement.

“What? Nobody got hurt! Not seriously, anyway. Besides, this is exciting!” Linkle declared. “Let’s go bring those monsters to justice.”

“Yeah, yeah, justice and all that.” Link waved a hand dismissively. “But how much are we getting paid for this?”

“Oho? I’m sorry, which one of us is the mercenary now?” Linkle said smugly.

“Hey, if you’re gonna drag me out here so we can risk getting killed by monsters, we might as well be getting paid for it.”

“If you wanted to stay home while I got all the glory, you could have.”

Link sighed, but decided not to say anything further. They kept riding until they came to another fork in the road. Continuing forward would take them into the city. Going right would take them through Midla Woods. “This way?” Link guessed, pointing towards the woods.

“Yep,” Linkle confirmed, unnecessarily checking her compass. “Guards said they were camped somewhere in Marblod Plain, on the other side of the woods.”

“Keep your crossbow ready, then.” Link pulled the reins, directing the horse towards the forest. The path through it was paved, but it was not guarded, so all manner of animal and monster could be lurking in the trees.

“Gladly,” his sister said, readying her weapon.

They kept the horse at a mid-paced trot. Anything too slow would leave them vulnerable to an attack, and anything too fast could end with them colliding head-on with a deer or some other large creature that happened to be crossing the road at the wrong time.

“You know, in the south, down in Ordona and Faron, the Bokoblins are smarter,” Linkle said, as if she were reciting some interesting trivia.

“Is that right?” Link asked, pretending to be interested while he kept an eye out for anything dangerous.

“Yeah. ‘Devilblins,’ they call ‘em. They look more human-like, with heads of hair and smaller ears. Not like the Bugblins we get here in Necluda. I bet they’re more fun to fight, too.’’ Linkle was always looking for bigger and more exotic monsters to hunt. It made Link glad that they lived so close to a big city. If they lived somewhere more out in the country, his sister would be more likely to find what she was looking for.

Further into the woods, Link spotted some rustling in the bushes by the side of the road up ahead. He pulled on the reins, bringing the horse to a halt.

“What? What’s goin’ on?” Linkle glanced about, pointing her crossbow wherever she looked.

“Shh!” Link shushed her. He pointed at the rustling bushes and tried to calm the horse who was starting to get spooked. They watched and waited. Linkle aimed her crossbow at the bushes, and Link drew his own bow, nocking an arrow. Suddenly, a wild boar emerged, running across the road. For a moment, Link breathed a sigh of relief and lowered his bow. But then, something else sprang forth from the woods. A Bokoblin was chasing after the boar.

The creature was of the variety of Bokoblin common to Necluda, which Linkle and the other adventurers called a ‘Bugblin.’ It was apparently named for its buggy eyes, although Link always wanted to call it a ‘Battyblin’ instead since its big ears and upturned nose reminded him of a bat. It was an ugly little monster. Although a bit larger than a Hylian, a Bugblin tended to hunch over a lot, which made it stand just a bit shorter than a Hylian much of the time. It had only three large digits on each hand and two on each foot, its mouth had pronounced fangs, and a single tiny horn protruded from the crown of its head. The one chasing after the boar had red skin and wore only an animal hide loincloth and a necklace made of string looped through some animal teeth. It carried with it a long wooden stick with the end sharpened into a makeshift speartip.

Before Link and Linkle had time to react, a second Bokoblin sprang from the bushes on the other side of the road, ambushing the boar from the front. This one had blue skin, but was dressed and armed identically to the first one. The boar tried to swerve to avoid the blue Bokoblin, but it wasn’t quick enough. The monster stabbed it with its wooden spear, skewering it into the ground. The red one stabbed its spear into the boar as well, finishing it off. The pair of monsters let out a comical little roar, apparently celebrating their kill.

“Awesome!” Linkle cheered. “Let’s go get ‘em!” Driving her heels into the horse, she urged Arion forward.

“Wait, no!” Link cried, yanking on the reins.

We have the advantage of ranged weapons. Charging at them would be dumb.

The confused horse whinnied and turned, causing Linkle’s first shot to miss by a mile. The Bokoblins made a noise of alarm, turning to face them. They unleashed their pathetic little roars again, then pulled their spears out of the dead boar and pointed them towards the Hylian siblings.

“Hey! What’s the big idea?” Linkle complained.

“Shut up and shoot,” Link ordered. He drew back his bowstring and aimed at the blue Bokoblin. The arrow didn’t find its target, and Linkle’s next shot missed as well. The Bokoblins were charging at them now, quickly closing the distance. “Fuck it.” Link grabbed the reins again and turned the horse back the way they’d come from, giving it a kick to get it moving. “Linkle!”

“I got this.” He felt his sister shifting around behind him, turning to sit backwards on the horse. Link looked over his shoulder. The Bokoblins were still chasing them, and Linkle missed them again. However, the Bokoblins seemed to realize the danger. They split up, one running into the woods on the right and the other into the woods on the left. “Hey! Get back here, you fucking cowards!”

They’re smarter than they look. Although I guess that’s not very hard.

Link wasn’t sure what to do now. If they turned back around and continued through the woods, the Bokoblins would jump out and pincer them. If they stopped, the Bokoblins would catch up eventually and pincer them all the same. So, he kept the horse running.

“Stop!” Linkle shouted. “We’re gonna lose them!”

“That’s kinda the point, dumbass!”

Linkle groaned. “Fine! I’ll do it myself.”

“What? Elle, no!” Link looked over his shoulder just in time to see his sister hop off the back of the horse. She rolled when she landed, then stumbled a bit. “Dammit…” Link muttered, yanking the reins to bring the horse to a halt. He put his bow on his back and hopped off, then ran to join his sister. Linkle was crouching on the ground, pointing her crossbow at the trees as she scanned for the enemy. Link drew his sword and shield and stood with his back to hers. “You’re an idiot,” he told her.

“Some would say I have a hero’s courage.”

“Some idiots.” Link’s heart was beating fast, but he tried to remain calm as he watched for movement. Before long, he saw the telltale rustling of an approaching monster. “You see yours?”

“Yep.” Linkle aimed her crossbow at the rustling bushes on the other side of the road.

“Take one shot. Then use the sword,” Link instructed.

“I know what I’m doing!”

All of a sudden, both Bokoblins sprang from the bushes, bellowing their strangled war cries and charging with their spears. Linkle fired a bolt, piercing the red Bokoblin’s ear. The monster shrieked in pain, stumbling over itself and reaching for the side of its head.

“Got it!” Linkle shouted triumphantly.

Link didn’t have time to react to her success. The blue Bokoblin was upon him. It thrust its spear at him, and he blocked it with his shield. The little monster was surprisingly strong, and Link found it no easy task to keep his balance.

The red Bokoblin glared fiercely at Linkle, then charged at her. She swung her crossbow, hooking the end of the spear and pulling it to the side. Then she let go of her crossbow, reaching behind her to pull out her shortsword. She moved quickly, going in for a counterattack, but the red Bokoblin leaped back and dodged her strike.

Link managed to maintain a good defense. Every thrust of the blue Bokoblin’s spear was deftly blocked with his shield, but with his sword having so much less reach, he couldn’t find an opening to go on the offensive. The lack of success seemed to enrage the Bokoblin. After a flurry of pointless stabs, it pulled back and lifted its spear. With a roar, the monster held the end of the spear and began swinging it in a wide circle above its head, slowly advancing on Link.

The red Bokoblin was likewise taking advantage of its spear’s longer reach, holding it out straight to keep Linkle at bay. Linkle held up her blade defensively, locking eyes with the monster, sidestepping back and forth to try to find an opening. The Bokoblin screamed, and Linkle did a feint to the right. When it thrust its spear, Linkle threw herself to the left as quickly as she could. With her free hand, she grabbed the spear, gripping it hard enough to wrestle control of it away from its owner. She now had her opening. Swinging her blade with her left hand, she slashed at the monster’s wrist. It screamed in pain and loosened its grip. Linkle tore the spear from its hand. “Brother!” she called out.

Link was backing away from his opponent, shield raised to block the spinning spear whenever it came too close to him. When he turned his head to heed his sister’s call, he immediately recognized what she was after. Dropping his sword from his left hand, he reached up and caught the spear when she tossed it to him.

My turn.

Holding his new spear above his head, Link mimicked the blue Bokoblin’s actions, spinning the spear in the opposite direction while advancing towards the monster. After a few twirls, the spears collided. “Augh!” Link felt a surge of pain travel up his arm from the force of the collision. However, it seemed to hit the Bokoblin even harder. The monster reeled back, dropping its spear, momentarily stunned. Link saw his opportunity, pointed his spear forward, and charged. The pointed stick pierced the monster’s chest, knocking it over and pinning it to the ground. It let out a horrifying shriek, then started desperately trying to kick Link away. Leaving the spear impaled in the Bokoblin’s chest, Link threw his body onto the monster and bashed its head in with the edge of his shield. It screamed, so he did it again, and again until he was sure it was dead.

Covered in blood, Link turned around in time to see his sister stabbing her opponent several times through the neck. When she was finished, she was panting heavily. She was splattered with even more blood than he was, and while he knew it wasn’t hers, the appearance of it still made Link worry. He dropped his shield and walked over to her. “You okay?” he asked, placing a hand on her shoulder.

“Yeah,” his sister said. She let out a long exhale, and smiled faintly with relief.

“Good.” Link took her hand and helped her to her feet. “Now, let’s head back and claim the bounty.”

“No,” Linkle said, shaking her head. “There’s more of them, remember? The guards said they’d made camp out in the plains.”

“Elle, we barely handled two of them,” Link argued. “If we try to take on a whole band of them, we’ll be killed.”

“And what if the ones we leave alone go off and attack somebody else? Not everyone can defend themselves like we can.”

“Not our problem.”

“Then go back home if you don’t wanna help,” Linkle demanded. “I’m gonna take out the rest of ‘em, with or without you.”

Link sighed, pressing his face to his palm. “Din have mercy… Fine. But I’m taking sixty percent of the reward.”

A bright smile spread across his sister’s face. “I knew I could count on you, Brother,” Linkle said, giving him an affectionate punch to the shoulder.

“And I knew I could count on your underappreciation of rupees, Sister.” After making his annoyance known, Link went to retrieve his sword and shield.

Linkle likewise pulled her shortsword out of the dead Bokoblin. “Speaking of rupees, I guess we should collect our spoils before we go.” Putting a hand to her mouth, she whistled to summon their horse closer to them.

“Sure. Might as well add ‘corpse desecration’ to our list of heroic crimes.” In addition to the rewards given for completed contracts, one of the ways adventurers made money was by selling the body parts of the monsters they killed to alchemists who made potions from them. Link appreciated the extra profit, but collecting the spoils was rather… unpleasant. Taking his sword, he stuck the tip of it into the blue Bokoblin’s head just beside its tiny horn, then pried the horn loose. Next, he did the same to the monster’s fangs, which was not quite as disgusting, but still wasn’t pleasant. However, the most valuable spoils were the worst. For whatever reason, alchemists were able to use the guts of Blins in their concoctions. To collect them, he had to slice the dead monster’s stomach open.

“Eugh, gross,” Link complained as he stuffed his spoils into one of the carrying bags slung over the back of his horse.

“Whiner,” his sister taunted, smirking at him as she casually added her own spoils to a bag on the other side.

After wiping their hands clean with a rag, the siblings got back on their horse and continued down the road the way they’d been going before. When they came upon the boar that had been slain by the Bokoblins, they stopped and slung it over the back of the horse as well, figuring they could have it for dinner or sell it to a butcher. After that, they continued onward, heading for the edge of the forest.


After leaving Midla Woods, their ride was uneventful for a while. The siblings spotted some birds and some squirrels along the way, but no monsters. To their right, there was a steep cliff which gave them a beautiful view of Lake Jarrah and the lands below. Their house was somewhere down there, but it wasn’t in sight.

“Are you sure there’s a Blin camp out here?” Link asked skeptically. At this point, they’d been following the road through Marblod Plain for quite some time, and still they’d found nothing. “Maybe those two we killed in the woods were the only ones in the area.”

“There’s more,” Linkle asserted. “Someone already reported it to the city guard. It’s out here, trust me.”

“Sure. Trust you.

Not long later, Link felt his sister pressing her hands onto his shoulders, using him as leverage to sit up on the horse’s back and look further into the distance. “Uhh, what are you doing?” he asked.

“There!” Linkle pointed at something on the right side of the road a little further on. Link yanked the horse’s reins, bringing it to a stop. His sister was correct. Upon two great trees, he could make out the distinctive, simple architecture of a Blin encampment. Wooden platforms had been constructed around the trunks of the trees, with spiraling wooden staircases leading from one level to the next. Various bones and animal hides hung from the platforms, giving the camp a tribalistic and savage appearance.

Link glanced around, trying to think of a good way to approach the situation. “Let’s head up to the top of that hill. See if we can scout the place out before we go rushing in.” Linkle nodded, but the look of impatience on her face seemed to say, “I would much rather just go rushing in, but have it your way.”

They were only able to get the horse to climb up the gentlest part of the slope before they had to dismount and go on foot, so they left Arion tied to a tree and hoped he would remain concealed by the large rocks around it. Together, the siblings climbed a little higher, then continued across the hill until they could look down on the encampment from a safe distance. They took shelter inside a gigantic, hollowed out, overturned tree and began their surveillance.

There was a red Bokoblin atop the highest platform on the tree to the right, and another over on the left tree. Each held a simple wooden bow and had a quiver of arrows strapped to its backs. The one on the right was scanning the surrounding area quite intently, so Link tried to stay low to avoid detection. The one on the left didn’t appear to be taking its guard duty very seriously. Its attention appeared to be held by the leg of meat it was chewing on.

Other than the two Bokoblins, there was only one other monster visible in the camp at the moment. However, it was much more menacing than the others. On the lower platform of the right tree, a massive Moblin was slinking around. Like the local Bugblins, this Moblin was of the local variety commonly seen leading them, referred to by adventurers as a ‘Tallblin.’ As the name implied, the creature was monstrously tall. Its proportions were thinner and lankier than other Moblin breeds, and it towered over its lesser Bokoblin counterparts, being nearly three times their height. Its elongated head jutted out into a pig-like snout, and its tongue lobbed out of its mouth like a hungry dog. Its ears were quite small compared to the Bugblins, but the horn on its head was long and pointy, like a bent unicorn horn. This Tallblin had blue skin and was dressed in simple animal hides. However, instead of the primitive wooden weapons the Bokoblins held, the Moblin was walking around with a sword and shield of Hylian design, most likely taken off of a soldier it had killed at some point. In the monster’s massive hands, the sword and shield looked more like a dagger and a metal pot lid, but Link knew that wouldn’t make it any less dangerous.

“Awesome. There’s only three of them!” Linkle whispered excitedly, lying on the ground within the hollow tree trunk.

“Excuse me?” Link whispered back, lying beside her. “You make it sound like it’ll be easy.”

“We took on two, didn’t we?”

“Yeah. Barely. And those were just Bokoblins. That Moblin’s gotta be worth, like, five Bokoblins in one.”

“Far as I’m concerned, that just saves bolts,” Linkle asserted, taking out her crossbow.

“Don’t you dare.” Link put his hand on top of the crossbow and pushed it to the ground. “We’re not attacking ‘til we have a plan.”

“The plan is we shoot them.”

“And when they shoot back?”

“We have the high ground.”

“Not all of life’s problems can be solved with the high ground.”

The siblings’ bickering was interrupted by a surprised grunt from behind them. Quickly turning over to look behind him, Link saw that another blue Bokoblin had appeared, staring at them with confusion in its buggy eyes. In its hands, it carried a wooden club and a shield, both of which had spiky animal bones haphazardly tied to them. For a moment, nothing happened, and the siblings had a brief staring contest with the monster. But then, the Bokoblin dropped its club and grabbed the warhorn hanging from a loop on its belt.

Oh fuck.

“Stop him!” Link shouted, desperately clamoring to his feet. Linkle aimed her crossbow at the Bokoblin and fired, but it was too late. The monster raised the warhorn to its mouth and blew into it, emitting a loud booming sound that was no doubt intended to alert its comrades to their presence.

Linkle’s crossbow bolt hit the Bokoblin in the stomach. The monster dropped its warhorn and squealed in pain just before Link tackled it to the ground. Before the monster had much chance to fight back, Link picked up its discarded spiked club and began bashing its head in. When it was dead, he climbed off of it, panting as he tossed the club away. After wiping some of the blood off of him, he returned to his sister’s side. “Have they spotted us?” As he finished the question, an arrow whizzed over their heads.

“I’ll let you solve that riddle, Brother,” Linkle said, ducking further into the hollow tree for safety.

“Dammit!” Link cursed. “There goes the element of surprise.” Holding up his shield, he peeked outside. The Bokoblin archers had their bows trained on their position. The Moblin stood where it was, roaring and gesturing to its minions as if giving them orders. “We might be able to use this to our advantage,” Link said. “The Moblin doesn’t have a bow. As long as we’re up here, we can deal with the Bokoblins without having to worry about the big guy.”

“Heh,” Linkle chuckled, smirking. “Looks like we’re going with my just shoot ‘em plan after all, huh?”

“I curse your simplistic genius, little sister,” Link responded. Trying to think of any other ideas, he glanced around the log for a moment. His eyes landed on the spiked shield attached to the Bokoblin’s corpse. “I got an idea.” Standing beside the body, he pried the shield off of the monster’s limp arm. Then he returned to the log cave’s entrance and planted the shield firmly into the ground. Afterwards, he lay down on his belly to the left of it, holding his own shield next to the Bokoblin’s. With a simple hand signal to his sister, she got the idea. Linkle lay down on her belly next to him and aimed her crossbow between the gap in the shields, allowing her to shoot while remaining mostly protected.

The Bokoblins down in the encampment continued to bombard them with arrows, and Linkle began returning fire. In between shots, while she loaded a new bolt into her crossbow, Link would move his shield to close the gap, then open it again when she was ready. Whenever an enemy arrow flew too close for comfort, he would move his shield to intercept it just in case.

“You want me to take over?” Link asked after his sister missed for the fifth time.

“Shut it,” she responded, closing one eye in concentration. She fired another bolt. It sailed through the air and pierced the right Bokoblin through the leg. “Boom! Gotcha!” she cheered.

“Nice shot. Finish that one before it recovers.”

The injured Bokoblin squealed in pain, dropping its bow so it could clutch at its leg. The Moblin roared at its injured minion, pointing its sword threateningly. The other Bokoblin appeared to laugh at its comrade’s misfortune, but then the Moblin roared again, causing the little guy to shut up. Struggling to stand with all its weight on one leg, the injured Bokoblin bent to pick its bow back up while another bolt flew past it. Nocking an arrow, it took aim, but Linkle’s next bolt hit it right in the head. Its arrow fired off in a random direction as the monster slumped over dead, falling over the edge of the platform.

“Haha!” Linkle cheered triumphantly. “One down, two to go.”

The Moblin pressed its shield hand to its face, as if lamenting being surrounded by idiots. Then it roared something to the remaining Bokoblin. The lesser monster flinched, then dropped its bow.

Link narrowed his eyes. “What are they doing?”

The Bokoblin retrieved a wooden club, then began walking with the Moblin down the wooden steps leading to the ground.

“Fuck. They’re coming this way,” Link said, standing up.

Linkle stood with him. “Let’s finish ‘em before they get here, then.” She took another shot with her crossbow, which the Moblin shielded with surprising ease.

Link drew his bow and joined in, also aiming for the Moblin.

He can’t block both of us.

He and his sister took a few steps outside of the hollow log for a better view down the sloping hill. As the Moblin and its lackey advanced up towards them, it continued to shield their shots. Eventually, it left its chest exposed while deflecting one of Linkle’s bolts, allowing one of Link’s arrows to find its mark.

“Ha! Nice shot, Brother!”

The Moblin roared in anger, dropping its sword and yanking the arrow out, tossing it aside like it was nothing.

Okay. Was kinda hoping that would do more.

The Moblin looked down beside it, then reached out and grabbed the Bokoblin. Its freakishly gigantic hand wrapped around the smaller monster’s torso with ease, picking it up as simply as lifting a small rock. The Bokoblin shrieked, and before the siblings knew what was happening, the Moblin hurled the lesser Blin right at them.

“Holy--”

“What that--?”

It collided with Link and Linkle, knocking them to the ground in a heap. Link had the wind knocked out of him and lay there stunned for a moment. The Bokoblin recovered first, climbing to its feet and retrieving its club. Link realized what was happening just as the club swung down onto his face. “Ahh!” he shouted in pain as it collided against his head, causing his ears to ring deafeningly. He held his hands up over his face defensively. The next few blows hit his arms as the Bokoblin unleashed a war cry that seemed a lot scarier this time.

The Bokoblin’s relentless assault was cut short by Linkle’s sword slashing at its ankle. The monster screamed and stumbled, losing its balance. Linkle pushed herself up to her knees, then pounced onto the Bokoblin, knocking it back down to the ground. “Get. The fuck. Off of him!” she shouted, hacking at its face, gripping her weapon with both hands.

Link’s head began to clear a little, and he managed to push himself up so he was sitting upright. When he did, he saw the massive Tallblin waltzing up to his sister while she was busy killing the other monster. “Elle!” he shouted in distress, ponting behind her. She glanced at him, looked where he was pointing, and saw the Moblin lifting its sword, winding up for a big swing.

“Fuck!” she shouted, ducking and rolling out of the way. The monster roared, taking another step forward and slashing downward this time. Linkle dodged once more, rolling behind her brother. Link reached behind him for his shield, but in his haste, he instead grabbed his bow and raised it upwards. The Moblin’s sword chopped the bow in half, but it absorbed enough of the blow to stop the sword from hitting Link. While the Moblin roared in frustration, Link took the opportunity to toss his broken bow to the side and grab the shield he’d tried to pick up before. When his opponent next drew back its weapon and thrust it forward, he was able to hold up his shield just in time, but with the force of the stab, the sword pierced right through it. The blade stopped half an inch from Link’s face, caught in the shield.

This is going really well.

The Moblin gave the sword a few experimental tugs, wiggling it side to side, seemingly confused. After a moment, the creature grunted and pulled the sword back, tearing the shield away from Link along with it. The monster then slammed its weapon down onto the ground, shattering the wooden shield to pieces in order to free the sword. Link and Linkle managed to use the brief moment their opponent was distracted to get back on their feet, swords drawn.

“What now?” Linkle asked.

Link looked the Moblin up and down. Now that he was standing up close to the monster, it dawned on him just how massive the creature really was. Even while it was slouching, Link only came up to its waist. He was trying to fathom how they could beat something so big, but then he realized something.

We’re still fighting on a hill.

“Go for its legs,” Link said. If they could get it off balance, they could easily knock it over, and then its size would count for nothing.

“Right.” His sister nodded, and together they approached the monster. It had its freakish size, but they still had the advantage of fighting two-on-one. Whichever one of them it focused on, the other would be free to slip behind it and attack while it was undefended.

When they got too close, the Moblin swung its sword in a wide arc, trying to hit them both at once. They both ducked, with Link rolling to the left and Linkle going to the right. Link hoped the Moblin would focus on one of them, but instead, it stepped back and raised its shield, trying to keep them both in front of it.

Why do they always have to be smarter than they look?

Nevertheless, with both siblings moving around it, they were able to force it to try to attack one of them. Looking to its right, the Moblin swung its sword at Link. He managed to block the blow with his own sword, although the force of the blow was enough to knock him back. In that instant, an opening was created, and Linkle went for it. She slashed her sword at the Moblin’s left leg. It grunted in pain and reflexively swiped behind itself with its shield arm. Linkle didn’t see it coming. The shield bashed her in the side of the head. She fell, tumbling down the hill like a rolling rock.

“Elle!” Link shouted in distress. He abandoned the fight with the Moblin, running downhill as fast as he could manage without tripping and falling himself. When he got to the bottom, Linkle was lying in a heap. He knelt down beside her, shaking her with his hand. “Elle. Are you okay?”

“Mmmyehmn,” she muttered incoherently as she slowly rolled over. “Ow.” Her hand went to her head as she sat up. “That hurt.”

Link gently placed a hand on her head. She was bleeding, but no more than he was after the Bokoblin had hit him with the club. “I think you’re good,” he said, turning his attention back up the hill. The Tallblin was bounding towards them with slow, deliberate steps. The creature’s oddly proportioned legs probably made it difficult to walk downhill. “Come on, Sister. Get up. We still got a monster to slay, remember?”

Linkle glanced around, regaining her senses. “There’s my sword,” she said, reaching over and picking her weapon up off the ground. 

Link helped his sister stand up, and they turned to face the Moblin once again. They no longer had the hill to work with. They were going to have to find some other way to increase their odds. Link quickly scanned his surroundings. Behind him, he saw they were now quite close to the Blins’ tree fort.

That could work.

“Elle. Come with me,” he said, running for the steps. His sister followed him up to the first platform, and then they continued up the next floor, stopping at the highest point.

“What are we gonna do up here?” Linkle asked, peering over the edge down at the approaching monster. In a matter of seconds, it would be climbing the wooden steps.

“Throw stuff at it,” Link suggested. The platform was littered with crates, barrels, chests, and other various supplies. He grabbed the nearest barrel and hauled it over to the edge. When the Moblin was just beneath him, he chucked it downwards. The barrel landed on the monster’s head and shoulder, shattering on impact and scattering its contents. The Moblin grunted and lost its balance, falling off the steps.

Linkle laughed. “Awesome! It’s like we’re defending our castle from a siege!” Pressing her body against a heavy crate, she pushed it to the edge and waited for the perfect opportunity. Once the Moblin had gotten back on its feet, it resumed climbing the steps. Linkle gave the crate a strong shove. However, the Moblin was prepared this time. It looked up, spotted what the girl was doing, and took a step back just in time to avoid walking underneath the falling object. It crashed to the ground in front of the monster, breaking open and spilling its contents. “Aw, dammit!” Linkle complained, looking down over the edge. “Hey! Hold still and let me crush you, you dick!”

The Moblin changed its course, heading over to the other set of steps that spiraled around the other tree. The siblings weren’t able to drop things down onto it from their position anymore, but they kept tossing whatever they could find. Spare Boko clubs, cooking pots, apples, whatever was light enough to throw but heavy enough to hurt. This seemed to slow the monster down a little bit, but eventually, it crossed the rope bridge between the two platforms and began climbing the last set of steps up to their position.

Link and Linkle stood at the ready, swords drawn. “Don’t let it up here,” Linkle said.

“Wait until I have its attention. Then jump down and come up behind it,” Link said. Unlike on the hill, if they attacked it from both sides while it was on the stairs, it would have no way to back up and defend itself from both of them at once.

The Moblin approached them with its relatively tiny shield raised. The siblings attacked at the same time. It blocked Link’s sword with its shield, then swung its own sword to parry Linkle’s blade. Linkle was the first to attack again, going low and trying to stab up through the Moblin’s arm, but it took a step back, raising its shield defensively again.

Link glanced to his right and spotted an empty bucket a few feet away from him. He grabbed it and quickly tossed it at the Moblin’s face. The monster blocked it, but Link used that short moment of distraction to charge. With the monster’s shield raised to cover its face, its midsection was exposed, and Link managed to drive his sword into its chest. With a roar of pain and fury, the monster swung its own sword. Link had just enough time to leap back. “Now!” he shouted, knowing the Moblin would be too angry at him to focus on his sister.

“Right.” Linkle nodded and leaped down to the lower platform, landing with a roll. She quickly climbed the steps leading back up to where she was, coming up behind the Moblin this time. It was slashing at her brother in a blind fury, fresh blood dripping from its latest wound. Letting out a battle cry as she charged, Linkle jumped into the air and drove her shortsword into the monster’s back. It grunted and stumbled forward, dropping its sword as it lost its balance and fell over. Linkle was still on its back when it started to slide down the stairs. It reached forward and grabbed Link by the leg, pulling him down with them. The siblings screamed as all three of them fell over the edge down to the lower platform.

When they landed, the Moblin was on its back, crushing Linkle beneath it. However, Linkle was still grasping her sword, and she quickly drove it into the Moblin’s shoulder, stabbing it repeatedly. Bellowing with rage, the monster rolled over and slammed the palm of its hand into Linkle’s face, covering her whole head and much of her upper body as it pinned her to the floor. The Moblin lowered its head and opened its mouth, globs of drool falling onto her face from the monster’s hanging tongue. But before it had a chance to bite her head off, Link drove his sword through the side of its neck. It made a horrible gurgling sound, then slumped forward on top of Linkle again, finally dead.

Link grabbed his sister with both hands and dragged her out from underneath the monster. The act took up the rest of his strength, and he collapsed to the floor beside her, breathing heavily. “You good?”

“Yeah.” Linkle was short of breath as well. There had been real fear in her eyes when the Moblin had pinned her down, looking like it was going to eat her. Link wasn’t used to seeing her like that.

They lay there on the wooden platform for a while, staring up at the clouds and the birds that flew overhead. They were both tired and injured from the fight, but they would both live. Link would’ve let himself and his sister rest for a while longer, but there was no way of knowing whether or not there were more Blins out there that would be returning to the encampment soon. So, with great effort, he made himself stand up, and his sister followed suit.

“Go get the horse,” Link said. “I’ll collect our things and grab the bodies on the hill.”

As with the Bokoblins they’d killed in the woods earlier, they harvested the spoils of the other three Bokoblins they’d just killed. They also gutted the Moblin, and Linkle insisted on taking its head. Ostensibly, it would serve as proof of their deed so they could collect the bounty, but Link was pretty sure she just wanted it as a trophy. Link’s shield was in pieces, so he took the stolen soldier’s shield the Moblin had been carrying as a replacement. It was much nicer than his had been anyway, banded in iron and painted with a blue pattern. His own sword was of better quality than the soldier’s sword, however, but he took it as well with the intention of selling it. His bow had also been broken to pieces, but none of the Bokoblins’ bows looked to be worth taking.

The siblings did a thorough sweep of the camp before leaving, scavenging for anything useful or valuable. Link wasn’t entirely certain whether or not monsters understood the concept of currency, but they found stashes of rupees and jewels which the Blins had collected for one reason or another. They also found some meat and some fruit, which they had for a quick meal and saved the rest for later. With all the stuff they were bringing back, they were lucky to have such a strong workhorse to carry it all. Having collected everything they planned to take back with them, the siblings took everything else that might be useful and dragged it over to the side of the road, leaving it where other travelers might find it. Finally, they piled the remains of the monsters on top of the wooden platforms of their tree fort and set fire to the whole encampment. If any other Blins came back there later, they would hopefully get the message that it was time for them to move on to someplace else.

With their quest complete, Link and Linkle climbed atop their horse and set off down the road back towards the city.


It was well past midday when the siblings finally arrived at the Hateno city gates. As they approached, the guards and several passersby stepped out of their path, gawking at the severed Moblin head tied to the side of the horse. Linkle was constantly beaming with pride at the looks people gave them. Link was half expecting her to proclaim, “Have no fear, citizens! The beast is slain!”

“Tough hunt?” the gatekeeper asked when they rode up to his booth.

“This old thing?” Linkle reached down and tapped the Moblin head. “Eh, it wasn’t so tough.” Link sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“Mhmm. Well, take it to the guard barracks. You’ll get your reward there,” the gatekeeper said, noting something down in a ledger. He waved them along, and the gate opened to let them into the city.

Hateno was the capital of the Necluda Province. It sat at the foot of the Lanayru Mountains overlooking the Necluda Sea. Being a port city, it was one of Hyrule’s major trading hubs, receiving ships from up and down the coast of Hyrule, as well as ships from the lands of Holodrum and Labrynna. Even well past midday, the streets were crowded with inhabitants of the city and the surrounding lands, as well as travelers and traders from elsewhere. As Link and Linkle made their way through the crowded streets, many people took notice of them. Merchants cheered praises at them and offered them discounts on their wares. Travelers thanked them for making the kingdom a little safer. Children ran up to them to touch the severed head and ask to hold their weapons. A band of adventurers with heavy claymores strapped to their backs congratulated them on their successful quest. Other teenagers about their age even seemed a little interested in them.

With all the praise they received, it was difficult not to get swept up in all of it. Linkle was certainly happy to show off her trophy and accept all the compliments with as little modesty as possible. Even Link couldn’t help but feel a tinge of pride.

Maybe this is why adventurers are willing to stupidly risk their lives all the time.

Of course, the throbbing pain in his head as well as the general aching all throughout his body was enough to bring Link back down to Earth. It made the soreness he felt in his arm after clanging a hammer against an anvil all day at the forge feel like a light bruise.

I ain’t doing this every day, that’s for damn sure.

On top of that, not everyone was pleased by their presence. While many approached them to give kind words of praise, plenty of others shied away from them with looks of either fear or disgust. Maybe they saw Link and his sister as arrogant attention seekers, or perhaps even as brutal killers parading around the head of their victim.

Can’t really blame them.

When they reached the city guards’ barracks, they hitched their horse to a post outside and dismounted. The guards made them leave their weapons outside, so they went in with just the severed Moblin head to show proof of their deed.

Inside, they were directed to the captain of the city guard’s office. He was a middle-aged man wearing fancy-looking armor. A feathered helmet sat on his desk. He regarded them with little interest when they walked in, but he took notice of the head. “Here to collect the bounty?” he asked.

“That’s right!” Linkle declared. “We took care of that band of Blins that was harassing folk along the road.” Stepping forward, she held up the Moblin head by its horn and dramatically dropped it down onto the captain’s desk.

The man glared at her. “Don’t put that there. I don’t want blood all over my desk.”

“Oh. Um. Sorry.” Linkle picked the head back up. She seemed surprised and disappointed that the captain wasn’t showering her with praise like everyone else. However, Link knew that the captain’s attitude was not uncommon among guards, soldiers, knights, and nobles, particularly older ones. Even if they killed monsters, adventurers were still basically just mercenaries who killed for money and had no official loyalty to the kingdom. This man probably viewed them as honorless sellswords at best -- and potential criminals at worst.

Let’s just get this over with...

“We’re not looking to waste your time,” Link said, not interested in being judged by some noble who had likely never been in as much danger as the two of them had been in that morning. “Just give us the reward and we’ll be on our way.”

“Fair enough,” the captain said. He handed Link a small pouch. “Here. You can go out the way you came.”

Linkle turned her nose up in indignation as they left. On the way back to the horse, she complained about the guard captain. “Can you believe that guy?” she asked. “It’s like he barely even cared. We’re heroes! When I hunt Octoroks and clear out Keese nests for farmers and woodsmen, they’re way more grateful.”

“Let it go, Elle,” Link told her. “He gave us the rupees. That’s all that matters.” Opening up the pouch to count the money, he was surprised to see how much was in there. Linkle hadn’t told him how much the reward would be, and this was much more than he made in a day working at the smithy. Adding up the reward, the rupees they found at the Blin camp, and what they’d make from selling the monster spoils, the sword, the jewels, and the boar...

Okay, maybe this is why adventurers are willing to stupidly risk their lives all the time.

As planned, they sold the boar to a butcher and the jewels to a pawn shop. On the way to the alchemist where they planned to sell the monster parts, Link looked down at the Moblin head. “We gonna sell that thing’s fangs and horn, or what?”

“Hell no,” his sister responded. “This shit’s goin’ up on my wall.”

“Alright, but that’s coming out of your share.” The spoils from the Moblin were probably worth almost as much as the spoils from all the Bokoblins put together. Link didn’t like the idea of throwing that money away.

“Fine, but I’m still gettin’ half of everything else,” Linkle said.

“Excuse me? I believe the deal was sixty-forty,” Link corrected her.

“Oh, come on. We both did equal work.”

“And what does that mean?”

“We each killed three monsters.”

“Yeah, but you only killed Bokoblins. I killed a Moblin.”

“That’s still only one monster.”

Link could practically hear the teasing smirk on his sister’s face. He looked over his shoulder to give her his best ‘unamused’ face.

“Alright, fine,” Linkle relented with little resistance. “A deal’s a deal. But next time we’ll stick to fifty-fifty. Okay?”

Link sighed. He felt like he should address her apparent belief that there would be an obvious next time, but he didn’t have the energy to argue with her about this now. “Fine.”

At the alchemist’s, they sold the Bokoblin parts and the Moblin guts. Link made a point of asking how much they’d get for the Moblin’s fangs and horn just so he knew how many rupees he could deduct from Linkle’s share.

The last place they needed to stop at to sell their spoils was the smithy where Link apprenticed. He ordinarily entered through one of the side entrances to the forges, but this time, he went in through the front where the shop was located, bringing with him the sword he got from the Moblin. Inside, he found one of his fellow apprentices standing behind the counter.

“Oh. Hey, Link,” the shopkeeper said. “What are you doing here? Thought you said you’d be sleeping all day.”

“I wish. No, my idiot sister dragged me along on a monster hunt earlier,” Link said, pointing his thumb at Linkle. She off-handedly gave him the finger. “Anyway, is Master Nebb here?”

“He’s busy in the back,” the shopkeeper said. “Want me to go grab him?”

“No, don’t bother him. I’ve just got something to sell.” Link pulled away the cloth he’d wrapped around the soldier’s sword in lieu of a scabbard, then held it out to his coworker.

“Hmm,” the shopkeeper said, taking it delicately into his hands. “This ain’t bad. You get it from a soldier?”

“A Moblin,” Link corrected. “But I imagine that’s where the Moblin got it from.”

“Well, I guess it don’t technically count as stolen then, eh?” The shopkeeper laughed. “Yeah, sure, we can buy it off you.”

“Thanks,” Link said, taking the handful of rupees his coworker handed him. “I’ll be back tomorrow.” He and his sister left the shop and got back on their horse. Compared to when they’d arrived in the city, they were traveling considerably lighter -- and a good deal wealthier.

“Alright!” Linkle exclaimed excitedly. “The quest’s done and we’ve got all our rupees. Whaddya say we hit the tavern to celebrate?”

“Shouldn’t you at least stop by the farm and let Nack know why you weren’t there today?” Link asked, remembering his sister had skipped a day’s work to go monster hunting instead.

“Nah, fuck him,” Linkle said simply. “I wanna get wasted.”

“Well too bad. Only small ale for you, and not much of it,” Link declared in his best ‘big brother’ voice, pulling the horse’s reins and setting off toward the nearest tavern.

“I’m only ten months younger than you,” his sister argued.

“I didn’t say I’d be getting hammered, did I?”

“Bah. You’re no fun.”

Link rolled his eyes. “Fine. One mug of strong ale. And I ain’t buying.”

“Who cares? I’ll just let a guy buy me a drink.”

“Don’t overestimate yourself,” Link quipped. His sister lightly smacked him on the shoulder, but he just laughed.

However, it proved to be rather easy for the both of them to get someone to buy them drinks. When they stepped into the tavern, they were immediately recognized by the band of adventurers they’d seen early while riding through the city.

“Hey! The heroes of the day return!” one of them shouted in mock reverence. The rest of them raised their mugs and cheered, laughing goodnaturedly.

Linkle pulled out her sword and raised it into the air, joining in on the cheer. She turned to give her brother a smug look, as if to say “See? Told ya we’re heroes.”

Another adventurer stood up from their table to greet them. “Come join us, newbies. First round’s on us,” he said, clapping Link on the back.

“Uh, sure,” Link reluctantly agreed, allowing himself to be led over to the table.

“We’re not newbies,” Linkle objected. “I’ve been killin’ monsters since I was four.”

“Oho? Is that so?” one of the men asked.

“She dropped a pumpkin and accidentally killed a rat,” Link elaborated as he and Linkle sat down beside one another. They all laughed at that. There were four men at the table with them, all looking to be in their late twenties, and all of them tall and muscular, which Linkle seemed to take notice of. A few of them had scars. They were only wearing a few pieces of leather armor over their clothing, same as the siblings, but they also had those huge claymores on their backs.

Let’s hope we don’t piss these guys off.

He stared hard at his sister for a second, hoping he could will those thoughts into her head. If anyone was going to start a bar fight over something stupid today, Link would wager a few rupees it would be her.

One of the adventurers waved a serving girl over. She brought a round of mugs for them all, including Link and Linkle. She didn’t seem to care too much about how young they were. At sixteen, Link was considered a man, but at fifteen, Linkle technically would not be allowed to partake in anything but small ale.

“So, tell us about today’s hunt,” one of the adventurers urged them.

“We saw you ridin’ around with that Tallblin’s head. Which one of you chopped it off?” another asked.

“I did!” Linkle said eagerly.

Link scoffed, swallowing a swig of his drink. “Yeah, after I killed it.”

“Well I weakened it for you.”

“Was that before or after it almost bit your head off?” Linkle punched him in the shoulder, a little too hard this time. “Ow!”

The rest of the table laughed. “Watch you don’t go taking credit for another adventurer’s kill, lass,” one of the men said. “Might be your head mounted on your horse next.”

“I’d like to see him try,” Linkle said smugly, taking a huge gulp out of her mug.

Link smiled and shook his head. “So, where’re you guys from?” he asked. “Around here, or…?”

“Faron,” one of them answered.

Linkle gasped. “Have you ever fought a Lynel?” She looked extremely excited and hopeful to hear about it.

The men laughed. “Yes, yes we have. And trust me, you do not want to face down one of those beasts.”

“More dangerous than a Hinox, they are.”

“Isn’t there a horde of them gathered outside of Fural right now?” Linkle asked. “Why aren’t you there right now?”

“You just answered your own question, lass!”

“We were actually in Ordona when all that started,” one of them explained. “But we came up north this way when we heard about the ice dragon on Mount Lanayru.”

“I bet even a dragon is safer than a Lynel, I tell ya.”

Linkle got even more excited. “You’re gonna fight the dragon? That’s so cool! Can I come?”

“No, she can’t,” Link answered for them. “We talked about this, Elle.” Linkle pouted and took another sip of her drink.

The adventurers laughed. “Actually, we’re not going for the dragon anymore anyway.”

“You’re not?” Linkle seemed puzzled, as if she couldn’t believe anyone would pass up the opportunity to fight a dragon.

“Nah. We’re heading for the capital.”

“That’s where all the adventurers are going now.”

“What for?” Link asked.

“Sounds like there’s gonna be war.”

“War means death. Death means monsters. Monsters mean quests.”

“And quests mean rupees,” Link finished for them, having recently learned how profitable real quests could be. The logic made sense, too. Most monsters would eat any kind of meat, including humans. A corpse-littered battlefield would attract monsters as easily as it would attract scavenger birds.

“Wait, what war?” Linkle asked. “Who are we fighting?”

“Don’t know. Doesn’t really matter, though.”

“Something serious is going down. The king summoned his governors. His sister-in-law left Hateno a few days ago.”

“Governor Kochi left the city?” Link asked. Celessa Kochi was the Governor of Necluda, and the sister of the late Queen Elincia. She ordinarily resided in the Eastern Palace atop the hill overlooking the sea. Link had only seen her a handful of times, but sometimes her knights would purchase weapons and armor from his master’s shop. They always paid handsomely.

“Yep. We’ll be heading out tomorrow,” one of the adventurers said. “You two should think about going, too. There’s a lot more to see out there than Bugblins and Tallblins.”

Link did not like the smile on his sister’s face. These adventurers were giving her ideas.

Time to go.

“Well, thanks for the drinks,” Link said, standing up just as Linkle was downing the last of her beer. “But we gotta get going.”

“Whaa…?” Linkle asked, already seeming a bit tipsy. Her brother grabbed her by the arm and stood her up.

“Happy hunting.” Link waved to the adventurers as he dragged his sister to the exit along with him.

“Same to you, newbies!”

Outside, Link untied the reins and climbed atop the horse. “Get on,” he told his sister.

“But I wanna hang out with those other adventurers some more!” she whined.

“That’s enough for tonight,” Link insisted. “We’re still beaten and battered from the fight. We need to rest if you ever wanna do that again.”

Linkle’s face lit up. “Again?”

Shit.

“Not any time soon!” Link insisted. “Look, just get on the horse, will ya?”

“Ugh, fine. ” She took his hand and climbed on behind him. Together, they rode back down to the gate and exited the city.

“We should head west,” Linkle said as they followed the road back home, holding up her compass as if she needed to know what direction they were going.

“We are heading west,” Link pointed out, confused.

“Yeah, but I mean we should keep going,” his sister continued. “And then go north. To the capital.”

Link groaned. “Elle, please. I don’t wanna talk about this anymore.”

“But you heard those guys!” Linkle said insistently. “War is coming. All the adventurers are going to the capital.”

“We’re not adventurers, ” Link said forcefully. “We’re not monster hunters. We’re not heroes. You’re a farmhand, and I’m a blacksmith.”

“The Hero of Twilight was a farmhand,” Linkle pointed out. “And the Hero of the Minish was a blacksmith! Think about it, Brother. We’d be great heroes. You saw how well we did today.” She reached down and patted her trophy hanging from the side of the horse for emphasis. “We can’t just be a farmhand and a blacksmith our whole lives. We’re meant for so much more.”

“No one’s meant for anything,” Link countered. “And maybe those heroes would’ve lived longer if they hadn’t gone galavanting around in search of monsters and demons all the time. We’re better off here where we can stay at least relatively safe.”

Link felt his sister shifting her position in the saddle, turning around to face away from him. She didn’t say anything, though. For the rest of the ride back home, she stayed silent. Link figured she was mad at him, or tired, or both.

When they arrived at their house, they dismounted and put the horse back in the stable. “Let’s get some sleep,” Link suggested to his sister as they carried their things into the house. “Tomorrow you should go and explain to Farmer Nack why you didn’t show up today.”

“Mhmm,” Linkle agreed half-heartedly. “Night.” She went to her room and shut the door.

Link sighed.

She’ll get over it.


Link awoke the next day with a bad feeling. It was still quite early in the day and he could have gotten away with sleeping in a bit longer, but something compelled him to get up. Climbing down the steps from his room, he found his sister’s door open. She was not there, and neither was her adventuring equipment.

She didn’t get over it.

In a panic, he rushed out the door and went around the side of the house. His panic was partially relieved a moment later when he came face to face with Linkle. She was leading the horse out of the stable, all of her things packed onto its back.

“Elle, no.”

“Link, yes.” She turned, trying to lead the horse past her brother, but he stepped into her path.

“Linkle, stop!” He stepped forward, putting his hands on her shoulders. “Look, please, just think for a minute, okay? I know this whole ‘adventuring’ thing is fun to you, but--”

“It was never about fun, ” Linkle insisted. “Well, yes, I like it. Hell, I love it. I admit that. But what’s wrong with enjoying doing the right thing? In case you’ve forgotten, for every monster I’ve slain, I’ve saved its next victim. I know I can do that now, and not just with Keese and Octoroks. Real monsters.”

There she goes again…

“That’s great and all, but that’s not your responsibility.” Link had told her this so many times before, he felt like he could do it in his sleep. “It’s not worth the risk. You don’t owe anyone anything. You don’t have to do any of this.”

“You’re right. I don’t.” Linkle tried to squirm out of Link’s grip and step past him, but he moved to keep up with her and grabbed her by the arm.

“Elle! You can’t just up and leave like this! If you really, really want to be an adventurer, why not just stick around and do it here, like you’ve already been doing?” He was feeling desperate now. He hated the idea of his sister doing more monster hunting, but anything was better than her leaving.

“And what is there for me here?” Linkle asked. “The farm? This house? Some Bugblins now and then?”

“What about me?” Link asked.

“Come with me!” Linkle insisted. “We’re a great team. Together, not even a dragon could stop us.”

“I have a life here.”

“Do you really want to be a blacksmith all your life? Like, is that what you really want?

“I want to live.

“That’s not guaranteed here anymore than it is anywhere else. You should know that by now.”

Link opened his mouth, but after their monster encounter the other day, he could not think of anything to say to that.

Linkle stared at him for a moment. “I’m going,” she stated clearly. “Come with me or I’m going alone.”

I’ve heard that line before.

Link stared back at her. He knew she was serious. She was leaving, whether he went with her or not. And on top of that, he could see something else in her eyes -- something that he wasn’t used to seeing. She was afraid he really wouldn’t come with her this time.

Gods, damn you all…

Link sighed the deepest of sighs. “Fine,” he answered. “Give me a minute to pack my things.”

A look of deep relief spread across his sister’s face, and it quickly turned into one of joy. “Yes!” she shouted excitedly, leaping forward to hug him. “Thank you, Brother! This is gonna be the best adventure ever!”


Author's note (added 7/28/2023):

Only new major characters introduced in this chapter are our dynamic sibling duo:

Art Source

 

Art Source

Notes:

For reference, I am primarily going off of the world map from Breath of the Wild, although locations from other games have been included as well.

Chapter 4: Sophitia II

Chapter Text

Sophitia rode through the city streets atop her favorite white horse, Storm. Liliana rode beside her, and a column of mounted guards surrounded them from the front and from behind. She selected this particular group of guards every time she left the castle grounds if she could manage it. She’d built a friendly relationship with each of them, and all of them favored her over any of her siblings. That would be especially meaningful now that she was in direct competition with Victorique and her brothers. She wouldn’t want any of her guards informing them of her activities, whatever she may be doing.

“What exactly are you expecting from Pelletier?” Liliana asked her charge. “I’m not sure she’d ever support your claim to the throne over anyone else’s. The arbiters are supposed to pride themselves on their neutrality.”

“Her support is not my goal, no,” Sophitia answered. “I merely wish to clarify a few things, and the Grand Arbiter would have more knowledge of this subject than anyone.”

“You want to know if your father is lying to you,” Liliana surmised.

“It would not be the first time.” Sophitia pulled the reins of her horse, following her vanguard around the corner, the courthouse coming into sight. “My father is always looking for ways to get my siblings and I to contend with one another,” the princess explained. “He says it makes us stronger. If he wanted us to fight, telling my brothers and I we can compete for the throne would be a great way to achieve that.”

“I see,” Liliana said, a veiled look of pity in her eyes.

“It is no matter,” Sophitia assured her. “Didn’t you and your siblings ever fight?”

“Of course. What siblings don’t?” Liliana replied. “Although we were always more apt to fight over who would get the last helping of dessert. Never for something so lofty as a throne.”

Sophitia chuckled. “I suppose my position must be somewhat unique, surely.”

The column of horses trotted up to the entrance to the courthouse. The building was a grand piece of architecture. Six white marble columns lined the front of it after a short flight of stairs. On either side stood a giant statue of Nayru carved from magnificent azure stone. Each statue had the appearance of a beautiful, long-haired woman in an elegant dress. One held a harp, the other held the scales of justice. Atop the roof of the courthouse was another statue carved from the same blue stone. This one was of a giant whale - one of the forms Nayru supposedly appeared in during her contact with the Zora in ancient times. As the bringer of civilization, Nayru was worshipped as the Goddess of Law and Justice, especially among the Hylians and the Zora who favored her above the other Golden Goddesses.

Sophitia and her party dismounted, and a pair of guards came forth to take her and Liliana’s horses. “Captain Reede,” Sophitia said, turning to the man at the front of the column.

“Yes, Princess?”

“You and your men are to wait outside.”

“As you wish.”

“And please hold on to my retainer’s weapon. Visitors cannot go armed in the courthouse.”

Liliana and the captain both looked puzzled. “My princess,” Captain Reede said. “No one inside would think to order a royal guard accompanying a member of the royal family to disarm.”

“The law is the law,” Sophitia insisted.

No doubt the Grand Arbiter will take more kindly to me this way.

As Liliana said, it was not likely that she’d be able to get Grand Arbiter Pelletier to put in a good word for her with her father. However, having the backing of a Grand Council member would be more useful than any noble, and it never hurt to try.

The captain nodded. “As you say.” Liliana removed her sword and its scabbard from her belt and handed it to Captain Reede.

“Thank you, captain.” Sophitia bowed her head slightly, then proceeded up the steps to the courthouse with Liliana in tow. “My apologies for forcing you to part from your weapon for the time being,” she said to her bodyguard.

“I feel naked,” Liliana said. “And not in the fun way.”

Sophitia laughed haughtily. “Well, no matter. I trust you are still more than capable of protecting me.”

“Of course. If you die, I’ll have to find a new job.”

Reaching the top of the steps, they entered the courthouse and made their way to a line of booths along the wall, looking to speak to one of the attendants. Sophitia’s presence did not seem to draw too much attention. A few people within the crowded entry hall looked their way and began whispering amongst themselves, but most did not appear to recognize her.

And yet, Victorique gets recognized everywhere she goes...

“There’s too many people here,” Liliana said quietly, stepping closer to her charge. “We should have brought more guards in with us.”

“That will not be necessary,” Sophitia replied confidently, smiling and waving as she passed by the group of onlookers. “My guards may be outside, but there are many sworn defenders of justice in this building who would not take kindly to any aggression directed towards us,” she said, gesturing with her hand to direct Liliana’s attention to the guards posted around the room.

“Hmph.” Liliana did not seem very impressed.

Ignoring her friend’s concern, Sophitia stepped up to one of the booths. “Greetings, kind woman,” she said to the attendant behind the counter. “Might I request your assistance for a brief moment?”

“Um. Oh! Of course, my lady.” The woman may not have recognized the princess, but she could probably at least tell that Sophitia was of the nobility in some way. “How might I serve you?”

“I am looking for the Grand Arbiter. I would very much like to meet with her if she is available.”

The woman winced, as if she were afraid to tell Sophitia something she may not like to hear. “My apologies, my lady, but her court is in session at the moment.”

“I see. No matter. May I sit in and observe?”

“Y-Yes, of course. Please, go on in.”

“You have my gratitude.” The guards let Sophitia and Liliana cross the threshold and head down the hall to the grand courtroom. Quietly, they stepped through the doorway and filed into an empty bench near the back of the room.

Grand Arbiter Pelletier sat on a throne atop an elevated platform at the end of the room. Like Princess Miphela and Prince Silorn, she was a Zora, originally hailing from the Lanayru Province. Pelletier looked a good deal older than Miphela, but then again, Sophitia had never been good at judging the age of Zora. Miphela looked no older than the princess was, but in actuality, the Zora princess and her brother were both several decades older than her.

Sitting upright on her throne, Pelletier wore violet robes of fine silk. Opal and sapphire jewelry dangled from the circlet atop her finned head. On either side of her was another throne. The one on her left was occupied by a Zora man, and the one on her right by a Hylian woman. Sophitia did not recognize them, but she knew what their role was. Most trials in Central Hyrule and several of the kingdom’s provinces were conducted by a tribunal of arbiters who determined the guilt or innocence of the accused. The Grand Arbiter would be conferring with the other two for this trial.

On the ground level in front of them, a Hylian man in shackles stood at a fenced-in podium with guards on either side of him.

“Allow me to make sure I understand the situation,” the Grand Arbiter spoke. “You claim you were only at the scene of the crime because you were on your way to the temple.”

“Yes, that’s right, Your Honor,” the man said, nodding furiously.

“Yes. And remind me where your place of residence is located?”

“By the east gate, Your Honor.”

“I see. And I suppose you decided that, rather than walking directly north up the road to the cathedral, it was faster to head all the way over to the reservoir on the west side of the city first?”

The defendant turned bright red. Hushed laughter echoed from the observers sitting in on the proceedings. Liliana leaned in to Sophitia. “Lucky for us. Doesn’t look like this will take long.”

“Y-Your Honor, I, I--” the defendant stammered.

“I think we’ve heard enough.” Grand Arbiter Pelletier raised her hand, calling for silence. “This tribunal will now convene. May Nayru be just.” She and the other arbiters stood and walked out of the room through the left exit. The guards took the defendant by the arms and led him back to his seat. Some of the observers stayed to see the verdict, while others began to file out, likely knowing how it would end.

“Shame. I was hoping this would be more educational,” Sophitia said. She was not intimately familiar with the kingdom’s legal process. If she was truly going to be queen one day, she would need to learn all she could about every facet of the royal government.

“Shall we stay for the sentencing, Princess?” Liliana asked.

“The verdict comes first, does it not?” Sophitia reminded her.

“Sounds like everyone in the room already knows what the verdict is.”

“True. But I suppose formalities are better indulged than forgotten in matters of justice.”

Liliana nodded in acceptance. “So long as we are able to speak with the Grand Arbiter before her next trial. You should request an audience with her soon.”

“Yes, that is a good idea,” the princess agreed. “I’ll speak with one of her attendants.”

Following a very brief period of deliberation, the arbiters returned and read out their guilty verdict. While they were handing out the sentence, Sophitia signalled a guard over to her. “Please inform Grand Arbiter Pelletier that Princess Zelda Sophitia is here to see her,” she said to the guard. Although she preferred to go by only her middle name, she found that her given name often carried a lot of weight.

“Yes, Princess.” The guard shuffled off down the aisle. While everyone else was getting up and leaving, the guard approached Pelletier and spoke to her. She nodded and said something back before leaving with the other arbiters.

“The Grand Arbiter will see you in her office,” the guard said when he returned.

“Very good. Thank you, sir.”

Sophitia and Liliana got up and left, then made their way through the hallways until they arrived at Pelletier’s office. Two Zora guards stood outside, holding silver spears with fish-tail shaped spearheads. They must have been expecting the princess, as they opened the doors without questioning her.

The Grand Arbiter’s office was an interesting sight. Sophitia had visited the Zora Dominion’s capital city of Ruta when she was a child, and the room reminded her a lot of how the interior of buildings had looked over there. The walls and all the furniture had a sleek, smooth design. Everything seemed to be made of silver or carved from opal or sea stone. The entire wall on the left side of the room was a glass aquarium with fish swimming around inside of it. The floor of the back half of the room was a tiled, six-inch depression that was also filled with water, and the Grand Arbiter’s desk sat along the dividing line. On the desk, rather than quills and parchment, there were reeds and clay tablets, presumably because the water-dwelling Zora would not find paper very useful.

A young Zora serving girl pulled out the chair on the dry end of the desk. “Please have a seat, my princess. Shall I fetch another chair for your companion?”

“I’ll stand,” Liliana stated.

The serving girl bowed in acceptance as Sophitia took her seat. “The Grand Arbiter will be with you in a moment.” She stepped into the water and quite gracefully waded through it over to the door at the other end, letting herself out.

“This is not what I expected,” Liliana said, walking over to the wall aquarium and putting her hand on the glass.

“Did you have fish like those back home?” Sophitia inquired, knowing Liliana came from a fishing village.

“I’ve seen these kinds a few times at the markets in Lurelin, perhaps,” Liliana answered. “They’re probably from Lanayru. My father’s ship usually fishes from off the coast of Ordona up to the Necluda Sea.”

Sophitia nodded. “I would love to see more of the ocean. Shame we’re so far inland. The Regencia and the Hylia are beautiful in their own way, but sometimes I envy those on the coast.”

“Hmm,” Liliana grunted. “I prefer it here.”

Before Sophitia could respond, the door on the submerged side of the room opened and the Grand Arbiter entered. “My apologies for keeping you waiting, Princess Sophitia.”

“No apologies necessary, Your Honor.” Sophitia stood, smiling pleasantly. “You have my sincerest gratitude for taking the time to speak with me.” She and Pelletier sat down on opposite sides of the desk. Liliana returned to Sophitia’s side and stood with her arms crossed behind her back.

“You are most welcome,” Pelletier replied. “Now, how may I be of service to the Crown today?”

“I require no great service. I merely have a few questions about the law. Specifically with regard to succession.” Sophitia did not know Pelletier very well, but from what she could gather, the Grand Arbiter was probably the type who preferred to get to the point.

“Are you looking to draw up a will?” the Grand Arbiter asked, putting her hand to her chin.

“No, my lady.” Sophitia smiled subtley to herself. “I wish to know about the succession of the throne.”

Pelletier tilted her head curiously, her opal and sapphire head jewelry swinging as she did. “I see. What is it you wish to know?”

“Where am I in line, might I ask?”

“Fourth, of course,” Pelletier replied. “First is your eldest sister. Then come your brothers. After you is your sister, and after her is your uncle, Alchon.”

“But what about after him?” Sophitia asked. She hoped to frame her line of questioning as if she were concerned about what would happen should the Hyrule line die out. At this stage, it would be best to avoid being too open about her desire to become queen.

“Well, there would be no more descendants of Hylia remaining at that point.”

“Yes, I know,” Sophitia said. “But surely there must be some contingency in place. The throne would have to pass to someone , would it not?”

“Indeed. There are ancient laws on the books that would come into effect in that event,” Pelletier explained. “Your aunt, Celessa, would serve as next in line, as she has the closest ties to the Hyrulean Royal Family by way of marriage. After her, other past marriage connections would be explored among other noble Houses.”

“I see.” Sophitia steepled her hands, as if deep in thought. “Could the reigning monarch choose a different order of succession?” she asked. “For instance, could my father choose who would be next in line after my aunt, so as to avoid possible infighting amongst the nobility?”

“While he still reigns, your father’s word is law,” the Grand Arbiter answered. “I merely interpret the laws put forth by the Crown.”

Sophitia kept her hands in front of her face a moment longer to hide her grin. “Does that mean the order of succession is not set in stone at all?” she asked. “Or has it already been decided up until my aunt?”

“As I’ve said, your father’s word is law,” Pelletier repeated. “The order in place at the moment is merely the default as defined by laws already in place. King Tychon is free to override these laws and alter the sequence in any way at any point, so long as he still reigns. Whoever succeeds him could alter it again as well.”

So it’s true.

Her father had not been lying. Victorique was not guaranteed to be queen. He could choose any one of them to be his successor, even his fourth child.

“We have all laws of the realm on file in this courthouse,” Grand Arbiter Pelletier continued. “If you wish to learn more, I could have a copy of the laws pertaining to succession and inheritance sent to you at the castle.”

“That would be splendid, thank you,” Sophitia said, trying to keep herself from smiling too broadly. She felt giddy inside. The spark that had been ignited in her during the meeting with her father was quickly growing into a raging fire. “Now, I suppose I should be going,” she said, climbing to her feet. “I will see you at the summit tomorrow, will I not?”

“You will, my princess.”

“Then I look forward to our next meeting. Thank you again for your assistance. This was highly educational. Good day, Your Honor.” Sophitia bowed and turned to leave. Liliana hurried on ahead and opened the door for her.

“I take it that was what you were hoping to hear, wasn’t it?” Liliana asked as they walked down an empty hallway.

“Yes. Yes it was!” Sophitia could barely contain her excitement. “My father was telling the truth. I can be queen!”

“He still could’ve been lying, though,” Liliana pointed out. “Just because he can choose someone other than your sister doesn’t mean he will .”

“True, true,” Sophitia conceded. “But I don’t think my father’s preferential treatment of my sister is anything sentimental. He truly believes she would be the best ruler out of all of us. All I need to do is prove him wrong, and the throne is as good as mine.”

The princess stepped out of the courthouse with a renewed enthusiasm. They had no more time to waste. With many more items left on her agenda, she needed to return to the castle as quickly as possible.

“Princess Sophitia.” Captain Reede greeted her as she reached the bottom of the courthouse steps. “Was the Grand Arbiter able to meet with you?” As he spoke, Liliana held out her hand, and the captain handed her sword back to her. She quickly proceeded to reattach it to her belt.

“Indeed she was, Captain.” Sophitia looked around in search of her horse. “Bring me Storm!” she called to her other guards. Once she and the others remounted, they set off for the castle.


The next day, it was finally time for the grand summit meeting. Having taken care of everything else left on her agenda, Sophitia and her retainer strolled through the castle grounds, heading for the royal throne room that would serve as the king’s audience chamber. Wanting to look her best for the occasion, the princess had opted to don her crown for once, along with her most royal-looking dress. Her crown was a braided gold circlet with three thin rubies fanning out in the center - modest enough for the fourth child of the king, yet still quite elegant. However, as nice as it looked, Sophitia had always envied the more ostentatious diamond crown her elder sister wore.

But someday, I will wear my father’s crown instead.

Liliana’s change in outfit was much more noticeable, as she was now wearing a full suit of armor. Although not yet a knight, she possessed some quality plate mail. Sophitia had commissioned it for her as a gift after she’d accepted the role of her personal attendant. Knowing Liliana’s tastes, the princess had requested that it prioritize function over form, so it was considerably less showy than the armor worn by most of the knights of the Royal Guard. However, she still wore a cape. She’d protested at first, but Sophitia had insisted everyone must look their best at the summit.

“You truly are quite striking in that armor,” Sophitia commented, looking over her bodyguard. “No one would dare attempt to harm me with you around.”

“I look foolish,” Liliana complained. “You don’t wear a cape into battle. You could trip over it, or your opponent could grab onto it.”

“But it looks royal,” Sophitia asserted. “And imposing. Why do you think my brother wears one?”

“Because he’s a twat.”

Sophitia laughed. “Now, now. Remember what I said about guarding that sharp tongue of yours.”

“Prince Percival doesn’t scare me.”

“He should,” Sophitia told her. “Besides, he is a rival of mine in my quest for the throne now. I can’t have you turning him into an open enemy.”

“My apologies, Princess.”

“You are forgiven. Now, let us--”

“Oi, Princess!”

From up above, an unfamiliar voice called out to her. Someone was sitting atop the wall one level above them. For a brief moment, Sophitia thought it was Dame Jeanne. The figure had the same long red hair despite clearly being a Hylian and not a Gerudo. Even from afar, her facial features were strikingly similar to that of Seraphina’s bodyguard. However, this girl was much younger than Dame Jeanne, looking to be about the same age as Sophitia. She wore a violet overcoat and leather boots. Her eyes were yellow and almost cat-like, and she had her hair tied up in a ponytail with a white ribbon.

“Awfully casual way to address royalty, wouldn’t you say?” Liliana called up to the mysterious girl, sounding quite peeved, even if she was perhaps being a tad hypocritical.

The red-haired girl hopped down off the edge of the wall, landing in front of Sophitia. Liliana was quick to draw her blade and step between them. “Whoa! Easy there, Dame Killjoy,” the girl said, holding up her hands in mock surrender. “I was just being friendly!”

“Who are you?” Liliana asked, her monotone voice conflicting with her battle-ready stance.

“Isn’t a knight supposed to name herself before asking another’s name?” The red-haired girl smirked, baring an impish fang.

“I’m not a knight,” Liliana corrected her.

“Well then why the hell are you dressed like one?” The impish girl laughed as if she found the whole situation amusing.

“I ask you again. Who…?” Liliana trailed off.

Sophitia noticed the massive shadow that had fallen over them. With a sinking feeling, she whirled around. Looming over her was a very tall Hylian man. He had dark black hair, a mustache, and a small, pointed beard, and he wore a dark black overcoat with red trim. As he looked down at her with deep red eyes, Sophitia recognized him. “Ah, Lord Remoth!” she said in greeting, trying to shake off her startled feeling. “Good day to you.”

“And to you as well, Princess Sophitia,” the man replied in a deep, calm voice, putting his hand over his heart and giving a respectful bow.

Sophitia noticed Liliana giving her a cautious look. The princess didn’t blame her. She’d told Liliana all about Lord Remoth’s somewhat unsavory reputation in the past. “Liliana, I would like you to meet Toren Remoth, Lord of Midoro and Lord Paramount of Hyrule Ridge.” She hoped that by introducing him politely, she could communicate to Liliana that they had nothing to fear from him. “Lord Remoth, this is my retainer, Liliana.”

“A pleasure,” Lord Remoth said, standing up straight. “Ah, and I see you’ve met my lovely daughter.”

Sophitia raised an eyebrow in confusion, then remembered the red-haired girl. Sure enough, behind her, the girl was smiling that imp-toothed smile of hers. “Hey there. I’m Mina.” Putting her hands in her pockets, she skirted around Sophitia and Liliana over to her father’s side. Mina was taller than Sophitia, but she looked short standing next to her exceedingly tall father.

“Oh! Yes. Very nice to meet you. Will you be joining us in the king’s audience chamber as well, my lady?” Sophitia asked.

“Hmm, sure, why not?” Mina Remoth held up her hands in an exaggerated shrug. “But if I get bored, I’m outta there.”

“I… see.” Sophitia blinked. The red-haired girl did not act like one would expect a noble girl to act, especially given that she was the daughter of a man like Toren Remoth. His was not among the oldest of Hyrule’s Noble Houses, but it was one of the wealthiest. This was due in large part to the many mining operations they operated throughout Tanagar Canyon, which were known to use captured monsters for hard labor. He also had a reputation for brutality when it came to dealing with lawbreakers. While not technically a governor since the Ridgelands were a part of Central Hyrule, his territory was larger than some of the smaller provinces.

Liliana once again stepped between Sophitia and the others. “Come along, Princess. Let’s not keep your father waiting.”

Sophitia nodded and resumed walking, trying to ignore the shadow looming over her and the feeling of Lord Remoth’s gaze on the back of her head. Thankfully, they soon arrived at the entrance to the great throne room. A pair of royal guards opened the doors for them as they went inside.

Sophitia and Liliana walked down the aisle past the many rows of seats in the gallery. When they reached the Grand Council table at the end, they went past it and proceeded to one of the twin staircases leading to the upper level. There, Sophitia’s father sat upon his throne. Princess Victorique sat at his right, with Prince Percival and Princess Seraphina beside her. Percival’s crown resembled their father’s, although the golden wingcrest part of it was longer and thinner, and it was tipped with a ruby and a diamond placed next to each other. Seraphina’s crown was a pretty little gold tiara with a single red ruby upon her forehead. Two empty thrones sat on the left of the king. Prince Lancel would sit by his side once he arrived, so after ascending the stairs, Sophitia took her place in the other seat on the far end.

Liliana came to stand by Sophitia’s side. Her siblings had their retainers with them as well, and the Grand Protector stood beside the king. Many other members of the Royal Guard were stationed throughout the throne room, guarding both the Royal Family and the Grand Council. Unlike Liliana, most of them were full-fledged knights, and quite experienced ones at that.

With the exception of Grand Protector Brigo, the other seven members of the king’s Grand Council sat at a long wooden table on the lower level, facing the gallery. In the center were three Sheikah men. The one in the very center was Grand Minister Malkori, a tall, distinguished-looking man with a drooping mustache and a pair of spectacles. To his right sat Grand Watcher Socicila, who covered himself in dark robes with a hood and scarf hiding most of his face. The third Sheikah was Grand Alchemist Noldor, an extremely elderly man with unkempt hair and bug-eyes. Next to him sat Grand Archivist Botrick, an equally elderly yet much better-groomed Hylian man. Grand Arbiter Pelletier, the Zora judge, sat next to him. On the other end of the table next to Socicila was Grand Treasurer Loho, a Deku Scrub whose facial leaves gave him the appearance of a mustache and a bow tie. Finally, being much too large to properly sit at the table, the massive Grand Artisan Rodan sat off to the side of it. He was an elderly, white-bearded Goron with a boulder-sized rocky growth on his back that caused him to hunch over when he stood.

Out in the gallery were many of Central Hyrule’s highest-ranking lords, along with their guards and servants. Lord Remoth and his daughter were among them, having taken their seats while Sophitia climbed the stairs. The princess saw many others she recognized as well, including Lord Lontha of Mabe, whose territory contained the ranch where the kingdom’s best horses were bred. Also in attendance was Aurun, the Sage of Light. He was an old man with a bald head and a bushy white mustache, and he wore a cloak decorated with owl feathers. Above the gallery was an upper level made up of eight balconies arranged in a semi-circle going around the room, on the same level and across from the royal thrones. These balconies were where the governors sat with those who had accompanied them to the capital. Each balcony had a banner hanging from the railing emblazoned with the symbol of the governor’s House or their territory.

On the far right balcony stood Danton Koridai, Governor of Hebra. He was a handsome, middle-aged Hylian man. Although it was mostly populated by Rito, the Hebra Province had not yet been overseen by a Rito governor in the time since it became a part of the kingdom. Many Rito were unhappy with this, which was one of the major issues on the summit’s agenda. The Koridai banner showed a snowcoat fox, a small animal common to the icy Tabantha Tundra.

From the next balcony hung a banner showing a cobra, the symbol of House Vapith. Tauma Vapith, Governor of Gerudo, was a tall woman with long dark hair. She herself was not a Gerudo, but a Hylian. The Gerudo had always been quite resistant to Hyrulean governance, which had quite famously led to King Ganondorf’s failed rebellion, as well as the Twilight War. The current state of the province was going to be another major issue of discussion, and likely the most difficult and urgent one.

On the next balcony was Straia Stylas, Governor of Faron. A former war hero, he had come to the summit wearing a cape and a suit of shining armor, which combined with his golden locks and confident smile to give him the look of a dashing hero. His banner showed a collie dog, crouched and ready to pounce.

To his left was Rozel Bede, Governor of Ordona, the province in which Liliana was born. Like her, Governor Bede was a round-eared Ordonian. He had the appearance and build of a man used to physical labor. Given that his sigil was a pumpkin, he likely came from a family with an agricultural background and had probably spent some time out in the fields.

The Governor of Necluda was Sophitia’s aunt, Celessa of House Kochi. Her symbol was a wingcrest representing a loftwing, an extinct giant bird that Hylians used as mounts back during the Sky Era. Being the late queen’s sister, Celessa looked a lot like an older version of Princess Victorique. She did not look particularly enthusiastic to be there. Although she was always kind to Sophitia and her siblings, the princess always got the feeling that her aunt did not get along very well with her brother-in-law.

While the actual governor of the Lanayru Province was King Ralis de Bon of the Zora Dominion, he was absent. In his place, he was being represented by his daughter, Princess Miphela. Beside her stood her brother, Prince Silorn. Miphela looked serious, but nervous. Silorn had a cocky smile on his face, but Sophitia could tell he was nervous, too. Rather than a personal House sigil, their banner showed the symbol of the Zora Dominion, a jewel made up of three round blue sapphire stones.

The banner to the left of the Zora was emblazoned with a grape vine. That was the sigil of Rudi Vryciaro, Governor of Akkala, and currently the only remaining member of one of Hyrule’s oldest Noble Houses. He was a well-groomed, dark-haired man wearing the finest purple robes one could find outside of the Royal Family, yet despite his refinement, his meek body language indicated discomfort. Included in his party was Sophitia’s uncle, General Alchon. He was not a subordinate of Governor Vryciaro, but he was in command of Akkala Citadel, so he would be partially representing the province nonetheless. Someone else in the Akkalan party who caught Sophitia’s eye was a little girl. She appeared no older than ten or eleven years old, yet she was dressed like a knight and had a sword that appeared too large for her strapped to her back. At first Sophitia thought she must be the governor’s daughter, but he had no children. Perhaps she was the daughter of some other Akkalan noble who planned to raise her as a knight.

The last governor in attendance was Chief Darote of the Goron Tribe, serving as the Governor of Eldin. He was much younger and much smaller than Grand Artisan Rodan, and his bushy white hair encircled his head like the mane of a lion. Like most of his kind, he had the look of a warrior and would likely be the equal of ten Hylians in combat. Out of all the governors, he had the fewest people in his party, due to the sheer size of the Gorons. From the railing of his balcony hung a banner with a red ruby proudly displayed upon it, the symbol of his tribe. While there were other tribes of Gorons in Holodrum and Labrynna, all the Gorons in Hyrule were considered to be of the same tribe, including those living in other provinces.

As Sophitia surveyed the room, she took down notes in her ledger, marking who was in attendance. She wanted to keep a perfect record of everything that happened at this meeting, as it would help her with whatever course of action she decided to take next. Just as she was finishing up, her other brother Lancel finally arrived with Sir Anselm, strolling into the chamber as if he took no issue with being one of the last to arrive. Like Sophitia and the rest of her siblings, Lancel wore his crown today. His was large and gaudy, polished to a bright sheen, with a ruby, a sapphire, and an emerald arranged in the pattern of the Triforce. He climbed the steps and walked past Sophitia to take his seat in the empty throne beside her. Sir Anselm, dressed in a cape and his usual dark black armor, took his place at his side.

“It is good of you to finally grace us with your presence, Brother,” Percival said to Lancel as he sat down.

“I know, isn’t it?” Lancel replied with a smirk. “You may all consider yourselves graced.” Seraphina giggled and waved hello to him, while Victorique simply nodded.

Sophitia watched as her brother pulled out his own ledger and began jotting something down. “I’ve already made a note of those in attendance, Brother,” she said, leaning closer to him. “Would you like a copy afterwards?” It felt silly to say, but for some reason she felt like she could brag about being one step ahead of him, and maybe it would make him regret arriving late.

“Ah, many thanks, my most studious of sisters! Or second most studious, at least. Certainly top three.” Despite his acceptance, he continued writing anyway, perhaps taking note of something else.

They waited for a bit longer while the last of the lesser lords trickled in. Eventually, Grand Minister Malkori looked over his shoulder, and the king waved his hand, signaling for him to begin. Malkori stood up from his seat at the center of the Grand Council table and cleared his throat. “Lords and ladies who serve the realm, it is my utmost honor to welcome you all. We have come here on this day for the purpose of offering our counsel to His Royal Majesty, King Tychon Aldoranus Hyrule, so that he may determine the best course of action for the realm, and so that we may carry out his will. Our kingdom, while righteous and prosperous, faces many threats on the horizon, and these threats must be dealt with swiftly and effectively.” The Grand Minister turned and extended an arm towards Governor Koridai. “First, we shall hear of the disturbance in the Hebra Province. Danton of House Koridai, Lord of Snowpeak and Governor of Hebra, if you please.”

Governor Koridai stepped closer to the railing and cleared his throat as all eyes turned to him. “Your Grace, while many of the Rito people have met us with open wings, there are just as many who do not welcome our friendship. Allowing the tribal chieftains to elect a high chieftain has done little to ease the tensions between their many factions. I believe that if the high chieftain were to be appointed governor at any point, he would be killed by a rival chieftain in a matter of months. Following that, his replacement would immediately declare independence, as so many of the Rito still desire. Something must be done to quiet the unrest soon, or I fear this resistance could lead to open rebellion.”

Sophitia took notes. As the governor finished speaking, she scanned the room. Her father sat there, looking almost uninterested. He would not be the first to speak up. Her father always listened to counsel first.

Should I speak, or should I wait and listen as well?

She was uncertain how best to impress her father in a situation like this. Emulating him might gain his favor, but perhaps being the first to offer a solution would better showcase her leadership abilities and willingness to take initiative.

“Who leads this ‘resistance?’” her brother Percival asked, giving his attention to Governor Koridai.

The governor regarded him. “Over half the tribal chieftains oppose Hyrulean rule to some degree, but only a handful of them are vocal about it. The most fervent supporter of Rito independence is Revalco, Chief of the Falcon Tribe.”

“Where is he?” Prince Percival continued questioning.

Governor Koridai tilted his head as one of his aides whispered into his ear. “His tribe inhabits the land north of Lake Totori, but he and most of the tribal chiefs nowadays spend their time in the city of Medoh, counseling the high chieftain.”

“Do you have the forces necessary to take and hold the city?”

“Prince Percival,” Victorique interrupted, addressing her brother with his title due to the current time and place. “I believe it is too early to be considering military intervention at this stage.”

“I did not ask him to take Medoh,” Percival replied, turning to his sister beside him. “I merely asked if he could .”

Another aide was whispering into Koridai’s ear. “We keep a garrison of troops in Medoh, but the majority of our forces are in Snowpeak. However, Medoh is built on a series of island cliffs jutting out of Lake Totori, with only wooden bridges connecting them to each other and to the mainland.”

“And?” Percival asked.

“And the Rito can fly, Brother. Can you?” Lancel asked. All eyes turned to him, including a rather peeved-looking Percival. “It wouldn’t matter if we outnumbered them ten to one. They’d simply cut the bridges down and laugh at us from across the lake.”

“New bridges can be built,” Percival stated plainly.

Lancel laughed. “While the Rito soar overhead taking shots with their bows? I hope our builders outnumber their arrows.”

Percival looked frustrated, but before he could respond, Sophitia took the opportunity to step in. “It matters not how a siege of Medoh would be carried out. As the crown princess has said, military intervention is not necessary. I believe High Chieftain Kanelo is willing to work with us, correct? It would be easier to let him convince the other chieftains to accept his rule. Once they have, then we can talk about promoting him to governor.”

“That sort of diplomacy has been tried with the Rito many times throughout the decades,” General Alchon said, stepping up to the balcony railing beside Governor Vryciaro. “Try it if you must, but there is no sense in waiting until it fails to prepare our armies. They should be standing by waiting to move at the first sign of Rito aggression.”

“I am inclined to agree,” Governor Stylas declared. “If only Faron could spare any troops, I’d be saddling up to lead the charge myself.”

Sophitia could not believe how easily the conversation drifted back to war.

Why even bother meeting like this if that is the only solution any of them will consider?

“Yes, yes, prepare all the troops you like,” Lancel said, waving his hand impatiently. “It won’t matter. You won’t need them anyway.”

“And I suppose you have a way to solve everything, Prince Lancel?” Percival asked skeptically.

Lancel smirked, stood up, and took a few steps towards the center in front of the royal thrones. “Chief Darote, would a Goron ever harm his brother?” he asked, directing his question to the Eldin balcony.

“Never,” Darote declared. “I would sooner harm myself.”

“Exactly,” Percival said with a snap of his fingers. “The Rito are no different. We simply need to remind them that Hyruleans, as well as all Children of Nayru, are all one people, not just one ruling over the other.”

“Do you speak of granting the governorship to the high chieftain immediately, Prince Lancel?” Victorique asked.

“No, Sister,” Lancel replied. “Not yet.”

“Then what is it that you suggest?” Sophitia asked.

“Botrick,” Lancel went on, speaking over the railing down to the Grand Archivist. “How soon will the City in the Sky next pass over the Inner Continent?”

Sophitia was confused.

What does that have to do with anything?

“Hmm? Oh, yes, yes, uh…” The old man stirred, rocking his head as he worked out the answer. “Based on our last observations, I believe it was projected to arrive over the Tabantha Highlands within the fortnight.”

“Where are you going with this?” Percival asked impatiently.

“Tsk, tsk.” Lancel wagged his finger at him. “You need to study your history, Brother. Botrick, who inhabited the City in the Sky before the Oocca?”

“The Wind Tribe, my prince,” the Grand Archivist answered. “It was a group made up of both Rito and Hylians - those who wished to return to the sky to live amongst the clouds as our great ancestors once did. Yes, but they were wiped out by the Demon Lord Vaati.”

“Precisely!” Lancel snapped his fingers again. “The Rito and the Hylians share a common page in our history books, so to speak. We once lived together as one! That is what they must be reminded of. I propose a joint expedition made up of Hylians and Rito working together to reclaim the lost City in the Sky as it next passes over Hebra.” Turning on his feet, he placed a hand to his chest and bowed to the king. “And I volunteer myself to lead this expedition.”

Sophitia opened her eyes wide.

He’s making his move already.

She realized she had been too passive thus far, and now her brother would likely take all the glory for resolving the Hebra situation.

I must claim the next one…

Murmurs spread throughout the room, some liking the idea, others skeptical of it. However, a dead silence soon overtook them as the king rose to his feet. “Does anyone object to Prince Lancel’s proposal?” he asked.

“I do, Father,” Percival said, raising his hand. “The City in the Sky means nothing to the Rito. The separatists want independence, not some floating ruins. This expedition would be a complete waste of time.”

“You underestimate the symbolic value of the city, Prince Percival,” Sophitia said. “The Rito would take great pride in recovering their ancestral homeland, and they will appreciate that we Hylians share their sentiment.” The princess was not nearly as confident in what she was saying as she attempted to appear, but she trusted her elder brother’s judgment. If it would avoid war, then it would be the preferable option.

“I am willing to support this expedition,” Governor Koridai said. “But we must also prepare for the worst. If negotiations fail and war breaks out, I will need more troops than I have.”

“Very well,” King Tychon said. “We will discuss troop allocation once the situation in each province has been reviewed. Next item.” The king sat back down.

Lancel smiled in self-satisfaction as he returned to his throne. “Much appreciated, little sister,” he whispered to Sophitia.

“But of course.” The princess had the thought that perhaps she should have tried to oppose Lancel’s plan as Percival had done. They were supposed to be competing, after all. His proposal raised several questions, such as how the Hylians on the expedition were to even reach the floating city, and who would control it once it was secured. She jotted down a reminder to bring up these concerns later when they had their private meeting with their father.

Grand Minister Malkori stood again. “Thank you, lords and ladies. Next, we shall discuss the unrest within the Gerudo Province. Tauma of House Vapith, Lady of Taafei and Governor of Gerudo, you have the floor.”

Governor Vapith stepped forward and placed her hands on the railing. “As with the Rito, the divide within the Gerudo is now worse than ever,” she stated. “On one side, we have the Hylianites - those who support Hyrulean unification and share our faith in Hylia. But on the other, we have the Ganonites - those who support the old ways of the Gerudo. They want nothing less than complete independence from the kingdom, and they pray for the Demon Lord Ganon to return once again. Queen Urballa herself is a Ganonite, and she has recently sent yet another petition for the governorship of her province. No doubt a declaration of independence would soon follow - or a rebellion, should they not get their way.”

So it is essentially the same problem as the Rito.

Sophitia looked over to the other side of the room, where Zora and Gorons stood upon the balconies. She found it odd that their peoples got along so well with hers and gladly remained a part of their unified kingdom, while the Rito and the Gerudo were mostly unwilling to do so. She supposed it made sense, though. Hebra was separated from the rest of Hyrule by the massive Tanagar Canyon, so it had not been absorbed into the kingdom during the Unification War like the other provinces had. It joined later, which meant its people hadn’t had as much time to adjust. The Gerudo, on the other hand, were unfortunate enough to have had a truly evil king. It wasn’t their fault they’d been misled by the lies of a demon.

“Do you have another archaeological expedition in mind to resolve this crisis as well, Prince Lancel?” Percival asked mockingly.

“No, that’s alright, Brother,” Lancel replied. “I’ll just let you hit it with something until it’s fixed.”

In the gallery, the Sage of Light stood and cleared his throat. “If I may speak,” he began. His voice was deep and authoritative, but somewhat raspy, revealing his many years. “The Gerudo’s demon worship must not be ignored any longer. We all know where it leads. The last thing this kingdom needs is another Twilight War.”

“Has the Sage of Spirit spoken out against demon worship?” Sophitia asked, directing her question to both Aurun and Vapith.

“No,” Sage Aurun replied. “I have requested that she do so, but Sage Nashorla concerns herself with neither Hylia nor Ganon. Her only devotion is to Alkawbra and Nephysis.”

Sophitia dug through her memory for knowledge of the Gerudo religion. Alkawbra was their current Patron, the Goddess of Spirit. Nephysis was their greater goddess who had long ago left this realm - the Goddess of the Sand who had supposedly walked the Earth in the same era as Hylia. The princess also noted that Aurun did not sound particularly fond of his fellow sage. According to the history books she had read, the original Six Sages had been a close-knit group, working together while remaining tied to this world as spirits for centuries. However, the current Nine Sages were almost all mortal beings, and they rarely collaborated. Sophitia had hoped to find a solution by appealing to the people’s faith, but she couldn’t see an obvious route to take.

“How closely has Queen Urballa followed the terms of your agreement with her, Governor Vapith?” Victorique asked.

“She appears to be following it to the letter,” the governor responded. “However, she occasionally finds loopholes and exploits them. But more importantly, while she explicitly or implicitly forbids what we ask her to forbid, she has failed to adequately impede the spread of demon worship and promote Hyrulean unification.”

“Is demon worship expressly banned per our agreement?” Percival asked.

“The queen and her royal government are disallowed from promoting it,” Vapith explained. “She cannot have statues or places of worship constructed in its name, for example. But the Gerudo people may still individually worship as they please.”

“It is better this way,” Victorique explained. “Denying them that right would only lead to immediate open rebellion.”

“I am well aware of that,” Percival said, sounding calm but still somewhat defensive, as if he felt he was being talked down to. “But if it is not a reaction to any constraint we have placed upon them, why exactly is Ganon still gaining supporters? The Demon King has been dead for a hundred years.”

“Hylia’s been dead for much, much longer than that, and things are going pretty well for her,” Lancel pointed out.

“Only her mortal form has passed,” the Sage of Light corrected him. “Her Grace still lives on with the Golden Goddesses in the Sacred Realm.”

Sophitia saw her younger sister smile. Both Seraphina and Victorique put their thumbs and forefingers together in the shape of a triangle, bowing their heads as if in acceptance of a prayer. “Governor Vapith,” Victorique said after lifting her head. “How much sway does Queen Urballa’s word have over her people?”

The governor considered the question for a moment. A few of her aides stepped to her side. They held a quick, hushed discussion before she spoke. “There are many who do not agree with her beliefs, and many who view her actions as lacking in conviction. However, most respect her as a good leader who cares for her people, and her armies strike fear into those who view her as an enemy.”

“Grand Watcher,” Percival spoke up. “Does the Gerudo queen have a proper army?”

“Yes,” Socicila responded, his soft voice barely more than a whisper, but still able to be heard clearly throughout the council chamber. “A substantial one. Footsoldiers, camelry, mages. It is mostly stationed in Naboris, with smaller divisions at key points throughout their territory within the province.”

“Then that is all the more reason for diplomacy,” Victoique said. “Can Queen Urballa be reasoned with?” she asked, turning back to Governor Vapith.

The governor knit her brow. “The peace between our peoples has lasted this long only because of her cooperation,” she said. “However, this peace has always been strained, and even if she wanted to, she may not be able to hold her people at bay much longer. Furthermore, she has grown persistent with her demands for my governorship to be transferred to her. Whether she will declare independence or not, she desires total control of the province.”

“Perhaps it would be best to stall,” the Grand Minister suggested. “Renegotiate a new agreement with Queen Urballa, but do not give up the governorship until she is succeeded by a Gerudo who is more loyal to the Kingdom of Hyrule.”

Lancel chuckled. “And how long do you think it’ll be before that happens?” he asked. “The voe is being raised to marry Urballa’s daughter, is he not? He’ll be the one to take Urballa’s place, and no one hates Hyrule quite like Gerudo kings, do they?”

“But Sabah will be queen. She likes us. She wouldn’t do anything to cause a fight,” Seraphina interjected, her voice filled with childish optimism.

“This is true,” Victorique agreed. “Princess Sabah has been known to attend services in Naboris at both the temple of Hylia and the temple of Nephysis. If her mother is not a suitable governor, perhaps she may one day be. Governor Vapith, do you believe Queen Urballa would be willing to give up her pursuit of the governorship in exchange for some concessions on our agreement?”

“She has been placated this way in the past,” Vapith said with a nod. “As long as she sees progress toward her ultimate goal, yes, I believe it may work again. But as I’ve said, the Ganonite faction has strong support beyond just the queen. What may be enough to appease her will not be enough to appease all of them.”

“If she cannot keep her people in line, then she is no worthy queen,” Percival declared. He tried to give a subtle glance over to his father, probably hoping this statement would please him. The king had no visible reaction, but that certainly sounded like the sort of thing he might say.

Victorique ignored him. “Father, I would like to travel to Gerudo to discuss terms with Queen Urballa. We should station a military force outside their borders as a contingency, but I believe I can convince the Gerudo queen to bend the knee once again.”

Sophitia’s eyes went wide.

Again! I was too slow again!

There was no helping it, though. If she tried to jump in now, she would appear to be trying to take credit for her elder sister’s ideas.

“And, if possible,” Victorique went on. “I would like Princess Seraphina and the Sage of Light to accompany me. I believe their presence will be the key to drawing the support of the Hylianites.”

“Yay! I wanna go, too!” Seraphina cheered her agreement.

Even my little sister is managing to beat me.

Sophitia stomached her disappointment and sat up straight, determined to stay focused and look for her next opportunity.

“Very well,” King Tychon agreed. “Sage Aurun, you will accompany my daughters to Gerudo.”

“Yes, Your Grace,” the sage agreed. “I, too, believe my presence is necessary to help spread the good word of Hylia.”

The king nodded, then looked over the room. “Any objections?” This time, no one spoke. The king’s gaze traveled across the lords of Central Hyrule in the gallery before eventually landing on one in particular. “Lord Remoth.”

All eyes silently turned to look at the man who had been addressed. Slowly, he stood up and rose to his full height, towering over his daughter sitting beside him, like a tall, dark pillar at the end of the room. “Yes, Your Grace?”

“Until the forces of Governor Koridai and Governor Vapith can be supplemented by reinforcements from the east, the armies of the Ridge will provide reserve support to both Hebra and Gerudo,” the king commanded. “Divide your forces as you see fit, but prioritize Gerudo.”

“It will be done, Your Grace.” Lord Remoth bowed and took his seat again. As she watched him, Sophitia accidentally made eye contact with his daughter. Perhaps noticing the look of apprehension on her face, Mina smirked and winked at her, flashing that impish fang of hers. Sophitia furrowed her brow and looked away in bewilderment.

What an odd girl.

The Grand Minister stood once again to herald the next governor. Sophitia told herself she would jump at the next opportunity to take charge of a situation, but the next three provinces did not have any major grievances that she could take charge of. Faron was on edge about the Lynel horde amassing in the south, so Governor Stylas was not willing to spare any troops to help with the other provinces. He seemed confident his army and the adventurers he hired could handle the Lynels on their own, and Sophitia had no interest in monster slaying. Governor Bede of Ordona spoke only of poverty, but the Grand Treasurer offered the simple solution of recruiting more soldiers from the province with the promise of rupees in exchange for their service. Aunt Celessa had the fewest major issues to report, with the only urgent matter being the presence of the ice dragon atop Mount Lanayru, which overlooked Hateno. Since the mountain was technically Lanayru territory, she merely demanded that the Zora Dominion handle it.

“Miphela de Bon, Princess of the Zora Dominion, representing her father, Ralis de Bon, King of the Zora Dominion and Governor of Lanayru. You may proceed,” Grand Minister Malkori announced.

Miphela cleared her throat. “My father sends his deepest apologies for not being able to be in attendance today, my lords and ladies,” she began. “The Dominion faces a time of great turmoil of its own, and my father is quite preoccupied with managing it all.” She turned to acknowledge Celessa. “I have heard your request, Governor Kochi, and I assure you, the Dominion will deal with the dragon before it causes any great harm. However, in addition, we have had an unprecedented rise in piracy from Blins attacking human ships traveling over our seas, a near unmanageable influx of humans from Holodrum and Labrynna settling around Lanayru Bay, and infighting of a grand scale in our undersea territories.” Miphela turned to her brother and nodded to him.

Prince Silorn stepped forward holding a clay tablet. “Therefore, as decreed by our father, King Ralis de Bon, the Lanayru Province will spare neither troops nor resources to aid the other provinces until such time as our internal situation is settled, barring a direct royal decree from the King of Hyrule. In exchange, the Lanayru Province will request neither troops nor resources from the other provinces.”

Upset murmuring spread throughout the court, even more so than when Governor Stylas said basically the same thing.

Damn. Another missed opportunity.

Sophitia would’ve gladly offered her assistance in some of these matters, but it seemed as though the Zora king was not accepting outside help at this time.

After some light questioning from some lords and council members, the statements of the Zora princess and prince were tentatively accepted. The Grand Minister moved on to the seventh governor. “Now, Rudi of House Vryciaro, Lord of Vigjaro and Governor of Akkala, we will hear your report.”

Governor Vryciaro cleared his throat. “There is but one issue of great concern that requires resolution. Namazu, the God of Earthquakes, has chosen a Zora priestess by the name of Laverta to be his sage. This rogue sage claims that Namazu is the rightful god of the earth element, and she has set out on a campaign to take the Earth Temple from the true Earth Patron, Neshai, and his sage, Barsud. At first, Laverta had but a handful of followers, but worship of the earthquake god has grown into a full-blown cult that stretches from Ulria to Rist. They will not rest until Sage Barsud has been removed from the Earth Temple and Laverta has taken his place.”

This is my chance.

Sophitia had been following this conflict, though not as closely as some others, and it seemed to have progressed further than she had realized. However, as it was a conflict of the gods, this was a problem that she could get some real recognition for solving, and she believed herself well equipped to handle it.

“Have you spoken with this earthquake sage, Governor?” she asked.

“I have, Princess,” Vryciaro answered. “I commanded her to cease her campaign, but she does not recognize my authority when dealing with matters of the gods, and she holds her beliefs with great conviction.”

“On what grounds does Laverta claim Namazu is the rightful Patron of Earth?” Percival asked, steepling his fingers.

“According to her, Namazu has been directly aiding the people of the province for some time,” Governor Vryciaro explained. “She believes Neshai’s infrequent appearances in our realm are proof enough that he cares less for us than Namazu does.”

“The bull god appears about as frequently as Laemora,” Percival pointed out, noting that the city’s own Patron of Light had not been seen in a few years.

“Aye,” the Goron chief Darote said in agreement. “It proves nothing. Lord Neshai has important duties to attend to. Sage Barsud was chosen to oversee things in his absence. This false sage is a liar and a cheat, end of story.”

“Not to mention, it would be rather outlandish for a god like Namazu, who chooses the form of a giant catfish, to be the God of Earth ,” Lancel said with a grin.

Sophitia saw the look of bewilderment on her bodyguard’s face. “The gods are fuckin’ weird,” Liliana whispered to her.

“Speaking of the Sage of Earth,” Sophitia spoke up, suppressing a laugh. “Has he attempted to contact his patron to request an audience with him? If Neshai’s long absence is causing his followers to lose faith, surely this can be remedied by even a brief appearance in our realm.”

“Barsud claims he has spent much time praying in the Spring of Power for just that reason,” Governor Vryciaro replied. “However, while the god speaks to him on occasion, he has not appeared in material form.”

“I see,” Sophitia said. She was actually quite glad the problem had not resolved itself already. That meant it was still open for her to solve. “Well, if the rogue sage will not listen to the Sage of Earth, and she will not listen to the governor of her province, perhaps she will listen to a member of the royal family,” she suggested. “I would very much like to speak with her, if possible.” Sophitia did her best to conceal her self-satisfied smile.

This is it.

“We are well past the time for negotiation,” Uncle Alchon said, standing beside Governor Vryciao. “Laverta’s cultists are armed and dangerous. Their presence is now a rebel insurgency, and they have already begun clashing with the kingdom’s armies and the earth sage’s supporters.”

What? No!

“This is true,” the governor confirmed. “The other provinces may need the support of our armies some time in the future, but Akkala is in need of it now. War is upon us already. I come here today to formally request additional troops to help deal with this cult.”

“Then perhaps I shall go to Akkala,” Percival stated. Lancel chuckled lightly, but Percival ignored him. “Rather than sending an envoy to negotiate, I shall bring a few divisions of Central Hyrule’s reserve troops to command them on the battlefield.”

Damn you, Brother…

Sophitia knew she couldn’t sigh in frustration like she wanted to, so instead she merely turned to Liliana unhappily. Her bodyguard nodded with a sympathetic look on her face that seemed to say ‘I know, I know…’

“I agree,” Victorique interjected. “Laverta and her followers gave up their opportunity to end this peacefully when they chose to take up arms against the kingdom. We must show them the error of their ways, and our pact with the Nine Patrons must be upheld.”

Of course you’d say that.

Percival and Victorique often spoke similarly in front of their father, especially in regard to matters of war and dealing with traitors. Sophitia couldn’t exactly blame them since they were probably right about the correct course of action in this case, but it still felt like they were sweeping her off to the side and ignoring her suggestion.

“However, it should not just be Hylian troops that deal with the situation in Akkala,” Percival continued. “The Gorons and the Zora should contribute to the effort as well.” He glanced at Chief Darote, and then at Princess Miphela.

“Sage Barsud is a brother of the Goron Tribe,” Darote proclaimed, tapping his chest with his fist. “We will stand and fight beside him, on our honor as warriors.” This came as no surprise. The Gorons were notoriously protective of their own, even beyond their borders.

The Zora princess was less enthusiastic about the proposal. “My apologies, Prince Percival,” Miphela said, looking confused. “But it was my understanding that we were already in agreement. The Dominion cannot spare any troops at the moment.”

“It matters not,” Alchon replied. “The combined forces of Akkala, Eldin, and the reserves from the capital should be more than enough to route this insurgency as it stands.”

“That is nonsense,” a voice from behind the general spoke up. Some people down in the gallery strained their necks, trying to see who was talking. The little girl dressed like a knight who Sophitia had noticed earlier walked up to the balcony railing, standing beside the governor. “Do you not see the prince’s point? It is not a matter of how large a force is required. This is a feud between Gorons and Zora. It should be Gorons and Zora who take responsibility for it.” The little girl’s voice was high-pitched and childish, but haughty and commanding.

I wonder if that’s how I sounded at that age...

Miphela and Silorn looked the girl up and down, visibly confused. “Um…” Miphela seemed unable to come up with a response.

“As my sister has said,” Prince Silorn jumped in. “We simply cannot spare any of our forces for this matter. Moreover, Laverta is a citizen of the Akkala Province. She is not the responsibility of Lanayru.”

“Nonsense!” the girl repeated. “She’s your flesh and blood. If I were out there leading a rebellion against our kingdom, would you expect the Kokiri Tribe to sit idly by, doing nothing about it?”

Kokiri Tribe?

Just as the young girl’s words started to make sense, a small, winged, glowing ball of light flew out of the girl’s clothing. The fairy hovered by the girl’s head for a moment while she stared down the Zora prince and princess from across their balconies. The fairy then made a noise like the ringing of a bell and disappeared back into the girl’s clothes.

Sophitia was amazed. She had thought that the girl-knight was some lord’s daughter playing dress-up, but as a Kokiri, she was probably a few hundred years old.

Since when do the Kokiri leave their forest? Or become knights?

“That is enough, Dame Mila,” General Alchon said. “It is not your place to speak to royalty in such a manner.”

The Kokiri knight glared at Sophitia’s uncle, then reluctantly bowed her head. “Apologies, my lord.” She shuffled back to where the other Akkalan knights were standing, pouting to the point where she truly did look like an eleven-year-old.

Alchon then glared at Governor Vryciaro, no doubt silently reminding him to control his retainers better. “Please accept my apologies as well,” the governor said. “However, she does bring up a valid point. The Gorons have already pledged their assistance. I believe it would be prudent for the Zora to do so as well, as a show of good faith.”

“Agreed,” Prince Percival interjected. “Princess Miphela, Prince Silorn. I don’t care how few you send, you will send someone.” He spoke authoritatively, as if he expected his orders to have as much weight as his father’s.

Miphela looked troubled. “A moment, please, my prince.” She stepped back and huddled together with her brother and some of their aides, whispering a hushed conversation. Sophitia could barely hear them, but they were speaking the Zora language, which she had some difficulty understanding. After a moment, the Zora siblings returned. “We shall speak to our father on this matter. I am certain we can accommodate this request somehow,” Princess Miphela announced.

Percival had a very self-satisfied look on his face. “Good. See that you do.”

After the matter of Akkala was settled, the court moved on to discuss the Eldin Province, and then opened up the floor to any Central Hyrulean lords that had problems of their own that required attention. Sophitia saw a few opportunities, but nothing as grand as the problems her siblings would be tackling, so she did not offer her help.

It will be pointless if I don’t do something that will set me apart from them.

By the time the summit was over and she and her siblings were dismissed, Sophitia was greatly disappointed. Her brothers and sisters were poised to garner great accomplishments that would impress their father and make them more likely to be named the next ruler of the kingdom, yet she had nothing. However, she was not without hope.

I have an idea...

There was still a way to salvage the situation - a way to prove her worth to her father and her value to the kingdom while making herself stick out amongst her siblings.

“Where to next, Princess?” Liliana asked, following behind her charge as Sophitia briskly walked to the exit.

“The library. There is work to be done,” she replied, stepping through some double doors.

“What work?”

“Hebra,” she said simply.

“Hebra?” Liliana repeated. “I thought your brother was going to be working on Hebra.”

“He is.” Sophitia smiled at her bodyguard. “And I’m going to take it from him.”


Author's note (added 7/28/2023):

This should be the last chapter in which a large number of major characters are introduced at once, but other important characters will appear later on.

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Chapter 5: Harun II

Chapter Text

Harun did not recognize where he was. He seemed to be at the bottom of a large pit. It wasn’t dark, however. He could see a bright blue sky far overhead, and the spiraling pathway along the walls leading up out of the pit was lined with green grass, the likes of which he had never seen in his homeland. But there was something dark at the center of the pit. A circular rune was sprawled across the ground a few feet away from him, decorated with unrecognizable black symbols. A small white pedestal stuck up out of the center of the rune. Shadowy mist plumed out of it like it was leaking black smoke. Harun knew there was something evil contained within. However, the curiosity was irresistible. He felt drawn to it for some reason. Tentatively, he stepped towards it, wondering what it could be. But as soon as he set foot inside the runic circle, he heard a noise. Darkness spread from the pedestal, covering the entire ground in a solid black shadow. The sky darkened and the grass withered. Harun looked down and saw he now hovered over an endless void, and there was the Beast, rising upwards, its jaws open wide.

Harun awoke suddenly, as he often did in recent days. He screamed this time, the terror he’d felt in the dream following him into the waking world for a brief moment. He heard a gasp from beside him as Katta pulled back the sheets.

“What? What’s wrong? Harun?” she asked, the worry in her voice quite clear. From the way he had screamed, she probably expected there to be some sort of intruder in the bedroom.

“It’s nothing,” Harun claimed after a moment, trying to steady his breathing. He leaned forward and rubbed his temple, and Katta placed a hand on his back.

“Another nightmare?”

Harun nodded.

“Don’t worry,” Katta assured him. “We leave for the Spirit Temple this morning. This will all be over soon.”

“Yes,” Harun said hopefully. “I shall have faith that the Sage of Spirit will rid me of this curse.” He wasn’t nearly as certain as he sounded, but he didn’t want her to worry.

“My belongings are in the barracks,” Katta said as they both climbed out of bed to dress themselves. “I’ll meet you outside with everyone else.” Harun nodded, his mind elsewhere. Katta stepped in front of him, put her hands on his face, and pulled him into a kiss. “You shouldn’t worry so much,” she said after pulling back.

“Yes,” Harun said, more attentive now. “You’re right.” Katta smirked, then sauntered out of the room, casually waving goodbye to him. Afterwards, Harun finished packing his bags and headed out.

Queen Urballa had put together a large travel party the previous day. Not only were he and the queen herself going, but the queen insisted on also bringing her daughter along, preferring to have her close by at all times. Additionally, Harun’s teachers, Averla and Kobami, would be joining them. Naturally, a large number of guards and servants would have to accompany them as well, which meant a lot of supplies to bring and many beasts to carry them.

They would be heading for the Arbiter’s Grounds, stopping at the Southern Oasis along the way. The oasis was slightly out of their way, but it had an abundant water supply and was conveniently located at an equal distance from both Naboris and the Arbiter’s Grounds. Due to this, it was common practice to make a stop there halfway through the journey when going either direction. Both the oasis and their destination were populated with numerous Gerudo, but the expanse of desert between them was a harsh, barren wasteland. They would have to constantly worry about heat stroke during the day, frostbite at night, dehydration, unexpected sandstorms and thunderstorms, and attacks from all sorts of predatory monsters.

All these people… in danger… for my sake…

Harun stumbled as he walked, nearly dropping his bags. It made him almost sick with fear when he imagined something terrible happening to someone on this journey.

Perhaps I should call this whole thing off. I could find another solution on my own somehow.

“Sav’otta, young voe.” Averla was the first to greet him as he stepped out of the palace into the walled-off area beside the stables. She was dressed in light clothing to prepare for the journey through the scorching desert, but despite wearing no armor, a pair of twin scimitars hung at her sides, still ready to fight if need be.

“Sav’otta, my lady,” Harun said in return. He himself had no weapons other than the trident he used to aid in his spellcasting. As his safety was a priority, he had been instructed to avoid direct conflict should they be attacked by monsters or Hylianite extremists along the way. “How are the preparations going?” Several camels had been brought into the open, so as he spoke with Averla, he found an unladen pack beast and began loading his supplies onto its back.

“Everything is proceeding well,” Averla said. “We should be ready to leave as soon as the last of our party arrives.”

Harun glanced around. The queen and the princess were not in sight, but there were many guards and servants, as well as some spirit priestesses who had chosen to join them in order to make their pilgrimage to the Spirit Temple. The guards were all dressed in a similar fashion to Averla. Even Commander Bularis and the other Iron Knuckles had been stripped of their heavy armor, although they appeared to have loaded entire sets of it onto some of the pack sleighs.

“Katta is not here yet,” Averla remarked. “Was she not with you?”

Harun scratched the back of his neck, awkwardly avoiding eye contact at that remark. “She had to get her belongings from the barracks,” he said.

Averla nodded. “So long as she arrives before we depart. We will leave her behind if she is late.”

“Can she…” Harun wasn’t sure if he should make this request, but he continued. “Can she be in my guard for the journey?” He had been informed previously that he, Sabah, and Urballa would be spread out while they were traveling in order to minimize the chance of all of them getting harmed at once. Each of them would have their own guard detail.

The mistress-at-arms regarded him for a moment, considering his request. “I will allow this,” she said eventually. “Although I feel I must remind you -- you cannot allow yourself to become too attached to this young vai. You have an obligation to the princess that you must fulfill one day, remember.”

“Yes, of course,” Harun said, trying to mask his lack of enthusiasm. “I understand, my lady.”

Just then, there was a commotion as a large sand seal barrelled through the gate, spooking some of the camels. It had a harness strapped to it pulling a sleigh, and riding upon that sleigh was Princess Sabah, laughing with glee.

“Careful, my princess!” Averla shouted, rushing over to her.

Harun smiled and followed his teacher. He could see other sleighs pulling in through the gate, each one loaded with supplies or passengers. When he got close to Sabah’s big blue sand seal, it started happily barking and flapping a flipper at him. The prince ran his hand along the crest of hair that rose up along the creature’s back, which seemed to make it happy.

Sand seals were strange animals. They were slow, lumbering globs of blubber when sliding across the ground, yet they were considerably faster than camels when they buried themselves in the sand, swimming as if they were in water. Harun had once read a book by some Hylian explorer who had sailed north of Akkala along the coast of the Outer Continent. He claimed to have observed similar creatures, which he called walruses, that swam in the icy waters rather than in the sand. Unlike other water seals, these walruses apparently had the same tusks and bushy mustaches that sand seals had, but they lacked the crest on their upper back and had much less fur in general. It made Harun wonder how the same creatures could end up so different just from living in different parts of the world. After all, there had only ever been a small mountain range separating the Gerudo and the Hylians, and they had ended up quite different as well.

“He likes you,” Princess Sabah said as her sand seal barked for joy at Harun’s pets.

Harun chuckled. “He is a fine beast.” Taking a few steps closer to the princess, Harun patted her on the shoulder good-naturedly. “I’m glad he’ll be protecting you on our journey.” Princess Sabah laughed.

She’s supposed to be your betrothed.

Harun pulled his hand back suddenly, embarrassed. He knew he was supposed to see her the way he saw Katta, but he just couldn’t. She was so much younger than he was, and he was her mother’s ward. It just seemed odd, no matter how he looked at it.

Harun cleared his throat, becoming more formal. “Is the queen on her way, Princess?” he asked her.

“Yes,” she nodded, seemingly adopting his formality. “Elder Kobami was with her as well, my prince.”

“Good,” Lady Averla said, joining in on the conversation. “Preparations are nearly complete. We should leave soon if we wish to make it to the Southern Oasis as scheduled.”

Harun glanced around, looking for Katta.

Please don’t be late…

He went back to loading his belongings atop his pack camel, then harnessed the beast to his riding camel. Just as he finished preparing the saddle, Queen Urballa arrived with her escort. She did not look as royal as she usually did since she was dressed for traveling like everyone else, but she carried with her the same presence she always did. Everyone who wasn’t accompanying her took a knee as she entered, so Harun did the same. However, she soon waved her hand to signal for everyone to be at ease.

Urballa had a scimitar and a shield strapped to her back. Harun did not often imagine the queen fighting for herself as she was usually surrounded by guards who could do it for her, but he knew she was a capable warrior, just as she wanted him to be. Strangely, she did not seem to wish that her daughter be trained with sword or spear, although the princess had a beautiful golden bow that Harun had seen her shooting targets with.

Aside from her guards and servants, Urballa was also accompanied by Elder Kobami. The witch was sitting atop a carpet that hovered above the ground, gently rocking back and forth on account of the wind magic that supported it from below. The sight was comical enough to make Sabah laugh. Kobami turned her gaze upon the princess and cackled along with her, although the witch’s laugh never made Harun think of anything fun.

“Sav’otta, young voe,” Urballa greeted Harun.

“Sav’otta, my queen.”

“Are you feeling well this morning?” she asked him. She was not explicit about it, but he knew she was asking about his visions.

“I had another dream last night,” he admitted. “But I am not afraid.”

“Good. You have nothing to fear,” Urballa assured him. “In a few days time, we will have the answers you seek.”

Harun nodded, although he was not entirely convinced of that.

“Shall we be off?” she asked.

Katta was still not there. Harun was about to say something to try to stall for time, but just then, he spotted her bursting out through one of the palace doors. She had a rucksack slung over her shoulders and she carried her spear in hand. When she looked in his direction, she made eye contact and smiled triumphantly at him.

Good. She made it.

“Yes, I believe we are well prepared,” Harun answered. Urballa looked over her shoulder, following Harun’s gaze. He froze up when she spotted Katta, feeling guilty all of a sudden, but the queen said nothing about it.

“Very good.” The queen excused herself and began giving orders to her subordinates. Everyone else climbed atop their camels or aboard their sand seal sleighs and got into formation. Harun spotted Averla speaking to Katta, who nodded happily before heading over to join up with his escort.

“Ready to go, my prince?” Katta asked with a smirk, walking her camel up next to Harun’s.

“Nice of you to show up,” Harun said. “I was just about to leave you behind.”

“Doubtful. I know you were hoping for someone to tag along and help you keep warm on those cold desert nights.”

“Shh!” Harun ducked his head and looked around nervously, embarrassed to hear Katta say something like that out loud with so many people around. It was especially egregious considering his betrothed was so close by. A few nearby girls around their age gave them some side-eyes and laughed quietly, but luckily no one else seemed to notice or care enough to say anything about it.

“You worry too much,” Katta assured him. “It’s not like anybody doesn’t know.”

“That doesn’t really make it better,” Harun argued. “The Hylianites have enough reason to think ill of me without being reminded of such things.” Now that he was thinking about it, Harun noticed there were no strict Hylianites assigned to his guard detail, only Ganonites and moderates like Katta.

Averla must have done this on purpose.

He was thankful for that. Lady Averla may have been a Hylianite, but she was cautious enough to consider the potential risk to his safety presented by others in her camp. He wasn’t particularly eager to be surrounded by yes-women who thought of him as some sort of savior, but at least they’d be happy to protect him.

From the head of the caravan, Queen Urballa gave the order to move out. Dozens of camels and sand seals all headed for the gate, clustered in three separate groups centered around the queen, the princess, and the prince-in-waiting. As they moved away from the camel pens, Harun could see a crowd of people gathered beyond the outer wall of the palace. This excursion had only been decided upon the day before, but already word seemed to have spread to the entire city. Many people cheered for them, and many of them called out kind words to Harun in particular. However, for every praise and every wish of good fortune he received, he heard calls of “Demon child!” and “Don’t come back!” He was glad to have a wall and a row of armed guards standing between him and them.

The gate on the outer wall of the palace opened directly into the desert, so they did not need to brave the crowd in order to exit the city. As he rode his camel past the threshold, he realized this was his first time truly venturing into the outside world. He prayed it would not be his last.


The journey was uneventful to start with. There was nothing but barren desert between Naboris and the Southern Oasis, which meant miles and miles of trudging across the sandy dunes underneath a scorching hot sun. They had left early in the morning before the sun was high in the sky, but within a few hours, it became practically unbearable. Harun and the others had brought as much water as they could to keep themselves hydrated. Other than a few patches of hyrdomelons scattered throughout the desert, there would be no way to refill their water supplies until they reached the oasis.

Harun loosened his grip on his camel’s reins, reaching for his waterskin. “Careful, my lord,” Laine warned him as he took a few large gulps. She, along with several of Averla’s other pupils, had been chosen to be a part of his guard detail along with Katta. “Lady Averla warned us to ration our water.”

“Is Harun running low on water?” Kyra inquired, riding up alongside them. “Here, take mine,” she offered, thrusting her waterskin towards him.

“Um, you can have some of mine as well, if you want...” Emri offered, her camel attempting to squeeze between his and Katta’s.

“No, no, that is not necessary,” Harun said, holding out his arms defensively. “I have plenty of water left, I assure you. Please save yours for yourselves.” The two girls nodded dejectedly, then steered their camels back into formation.

Katta had an amused look on her face. “What?” Harun asked.

“Please, my lord! Oh, please, take my water! And take me while you’re at it!” Katta said in a mocking voice.

“Ugh,” Harun groaned. “By the gods. If it isn’t the thirst or the heat, I fear it might be these vai that finally claim me.”

Katta laughed. “Fear not, O Great Dark Lord. No ill shall befall you while your loyal minions still draw breath.”

Harun exhaled deeply, but smiled softly at Katta’s antics. Leaning back and stretching, he glanced at the convoy ahead of him. Princess Sabah was in the very center, riding her sleigh beside two other young noble girls her age. They were surrounded on all sides by guards, including Commander Bularis. Further in front was Queen Urballa and her escort, along with Elder Kobami hovering beside her on a flying carpet. In between the three groups were servants and priestesses, along with extra sleighs and camels carrying supplies. A column of guards on either side of them ran between the three groups. Behind Harun was Lady Averla, who was many paces away, occasionally giving directions to his other guards. However, Harun was beginning to feel as though all this security was unnecessary. Other than a few cacti and some desert birds, they hadn’t seen anything alive since they left Naboris.

I hope we brought enough water for everyone. I would hate to see someone die out here in the desert, protecting me from nothing…

Towards the center of the caravan, Harun saw the camels surrounding Princess Sabah spread out. He watched as her sand seal and the two others beside her suddenly sped up, diving and swimming through the sand with surprising grace. At first he was afraid, thinking they were fleeing an attack of some sort. But then, the seals turned, circling back within the safety of the convoy. They did a figure eight between her guards and her mother’s, then turned and swam towards Harun. As the princess and her friends raced by him, Harun could see the look of joy on their faces.

Katta poked him with the back end of her spear. “You wanna race?” she asked, patting the back of her camel’s neck encouragingly.

“I do not think that’s wise,” Harun said. It was probably risky enough for one of the VIPs to break formation for the sake of fun and games, let alone two of them.

“Aw, you’re no fun,” Katta complained. However, Harun wasn’t listening to her. In the distance, beyond the caravan and off to the side, he thought he saw something. It was difficult to tell, but it looked like there was some movement beneath the sand.

More sand seals?

That was probably the most optimistic guess, but Harun knew there were many other creatures that swam in the sand sea. However, as he was wondering what else it might be, the mystery was answered for him. Further down the line, a creature burst from the sand, jumping into the air. The monster was a large, reptilian humanoid with bulbous eyes and a horn on its head. He’d never seen one in person before, but he knew what it was - a Lizalfos. More specifically, it was a Chameleofos, a particularly devious species of monster known to change color in order to camouflage itself.

The breaching monster landed on one of the camels, knocking it and its rider to the ground. It was the color of sand at first, but its scales quickly shifted, revealing a greenish hue. Before the rider had time to react, the Lizalfos raised its spear and stabbed it downwards into her chest. Somebody blew the warhorn, and then chaos erupted all around them. More Lizalfos were popping up from all sides while the guards scrambled to meet the threat.

“We’re under attack!”

“Monsters!”

“Stay in formation!”

“Princess! Return to me!”

“Protect the queen!”

The blood drained from Harun’s face as he watched the fighting begin.

It is just as I feared…

“Form up around the prince!” he heard Averla shout from behind him. The nearest guards brought their camels closer to his, forming a protective circle around him. A few Lizalfos leapt out of the sand nearby. One of them came near Katta, but she drove her spear through its neck. The monster wriggled on the tip of her spear until the guard next to her stabbed it as well, finishing it off.

On the other side, Averla rode past with her scimitars drawn and cut down two more of them on her way. “Prince, get away from the battle. You, you, and you, with me,” she ordered. Most of the fighting was happening further down the line, so she took a few guards and went to back them up.

“What should we do, Prince Harun?” Emri asked him, clutching her spear against her chest nervously.

Harun’s first thought was to do as Averla commanded. There were not many monsters near him yet. He could take his escort and get farther away, then rejoin the others once the fighting had died down. But as he looked over the battle, he saw Sabah and her young friends huddled together in the center of a ring of guards. All around her, more people were being attacked.

Because of me.

“Prepare for battle!” Harun shouted, sounding braver than he felt. Averla and the guards she’d taken with her were riding in to join the fight on the left, so they would go the other way. “Stay to the right. Move out!”

“Yes, my prince!” Laine replied, and many of his other guards shouted their acceptance as well. This was one time he was glad that these Ganonites were so devoted to him. Together, they rode their camels forward to join the battle.

Commander Bularis was leading the defense of Princess Sabah. She and many others had dismounted at this point. Harun watched her swing her massive battleaxe and cleave a Lizalfos in two. The monster next to it leapt back and screeched at her before taking an arrow through its horned head.

Harun led the charge into another large group of the Lizalfos. They were successful at first, scimitars swinging and spears thrusting. Although the monsters were fast, the camels were still able to trample some of them. But then, several of the monsters crouched down all at once and raised their spears defensively. The camels at the front of the group ran right into them. Their riders were thrown off, and the rest of them stumbled back.

“Turn back!” Harun shouted, pulling on his camel’s reins. More monsters closed in around them. Harun raised his trident, calling forth a lightning spell and launching it at the nearest Lizalfos. As he turned to target another one, a boomerang flew past his face, slicing his left cheek. The shock of the sudden pain made him panic. He lost his balance and fell off the back of his mount.

“Harun!” Katta shouted from nearby, leaping down to the ground and rushing towards him. The Lizalfos that had thrown the boomerang caught it and soon approached him. Katta took notice and chucked her spear straight at it. The spear collided with the monster’s scaly torso, and that was enough to knock it down. Harun scrambled to his feet and thrust his trident downwards to finish it off. He then collected Katta’s spear and tossed it back to her.

“Thanks for that,” Harun said gratefully.

“Don’t mention it. But praise me more after we’re done here.”

The fighting continued with the two of them staying close, standing almost back to back. A peculiar-looking Lizalfos approached Harun, holding out its spear and looking at him with some scrutiny. Most of the Lizalfos he’d seen so far were colored green, blue, or black, but this one was striped with yellow and grey scales. There was something off-putting about the way the creature stared at him, too. Harun had always been told that monsters were little more than beasts, but seeing one up close now, he saw cunning in those eyes. These were not animals. The monster looking at him right now was thinking, planning, scheming.

“Don’t fight with abandon,” he said to Katta without taking his eyes off his opponent. “These things are smarter than they appear.”

“Ah, so like you, then.”

“You are still calling me smart, so I shall accept that statement.” Moving quickly, Harun feinted to the left, then went right, thrusting his trident towards his foe. With astounding agility, the Lizalfos leapt back several feet, dodging his attack completely. Then, just as quickly, it sprinted back over to him for a counterattack, stabbing at him with its spear. Harun managed to get over his initial shock just in time to dodge the blow.

It’s fast.

He suddenly doubted he could match the creature in a fair fight, especially since his weapon was shorter and not really designed for actual combat. So, he raised his trident into the air and summoned another lightning spell. However, when he unleashed it, the lightning did not go where he directed it to. Instead, it went straight to the Lizalfos’s horn. The last Lizalfos he had hit with lightning had died instantly, but this one did not seem harmed at all. Instead, its horn began to spark with electrical discharge.

What the…?

Harun wasn’t sure if reptiles could smirk, but the Lizalfos certainly looked like it did so. It opened its mouth and emitted a noise that sounded almost taunting, then ducked forward. Its horn glowed brightly, and before Harun knew what was happening, a bubble of electrical discharge spread out around the Lizalfos. The trident flew out of his hands when it hit him. He felt pain shooting through his entire body. His muscles tensed and he fell to the ground, helplessly seizing. He saw Katta fall to the ground beside him. The Lizalfos she had been fighting growled, approaching its now helpless victims.

No…

Trying desperately to move, to get up, to do something , Harun struggled uselessly in the desert sand. The electric Lizalfos looked as devious as ever as it came closer and raised its spear, ready to finish him off. But before it did, a massive axe blade swung at it from the side, chopping its head clean off.

Commander!

Bularis turned to the other Lizalfos and leapt over Harun and Katta. She was surprisingly nimble without her plate armor on, even with such a heavy weapon. Facing her enemy, she swung her axe downwards, attempting to cleave the monster down the middle, but it jumped back several feet in fear. It shrieked angrily at the commander, but it ran away without a second look.

“Prince Harun! Are you harmed?” Commander Bularis asked, standing over him.

The pain was still there, but Harun’s muscles were starting to relax. “I will be fine,” he stated, but made no effort to get up. “Katta? Are you well?” he asked, turning his head to the side.

“Mwmmhmm…” Katta rolled over onto her side. She blinked rapidly a few times, coming out of a daze. “Well-ish,” she replied.

Commander Bularis planted the end of her axe into the sand, then reached out a hand to Harun. “Get up, my prince. The area is not safe yet.”

Harun took her hand and let her pull him to his feet. He then turned and gave the same assistance to Katta. Scanning the area, he spotted his trident on the ground, then held out his hand. The trident shook for a moment, then flew off of the ground and into his grasp.

“Show off,” Katta said, bending over to retrieve her spear.

“Come with me. We must get you to safety,” Bularis insisted.

The three of them made their way over to the circular defensive formation of guards that had formed around Princess Sabah. At the commander’s request, Harun joined the princess and the civilians in the middle, while Bularis and Katta joined the outer line of defense. There was still a bit of fighting going on around them, but most of the surviving Lizalfos were now over by the queen. Harun did not feel great about letting the others fight while he remained safe, but he decided it would be best not to disobey his elders a second time.

“I’m glad you’re okay,” Princess Sabah said to him when he arrived.

“I’m glad you are as well.” Harun smiled and put a hand on her shoulder. “Fear not. This will all be over soon.”

As she looked up at him, Sabah’s eyes went wide. “You’re hurt!” she said, sounding worried.

“Hm?” Harun put a hand to his cheek. He was bleeding where the Lizalfos’s boomerang had grazed him. “It is only a scratch. There is no cause for alarm.”

Returning his attention to the battle, Harun glanced over to the other end of the convoy. Queen Urballa was fighting alongside her guards, shield and scimitar drawn. The way she moved while she fought was striking. She looked like a graceful dancer. After blocking a blow with her shield, she would spin, slicing her attacker with her scimitar. Occasionally, she would charge up a lightning spell of her own, empowering her blade with electricity that shocked her enemies as she struck them.

Lady Averla had joined the battle alongside the queen. Her movements were equally as graceful, and just as impressive. Fighting with dual scimitars, she regularly fought against two opponents at once, blocking one and striking the other, or blocking them both before delivering two deadly counters at once.

Soaring through the air above them was Elder Kobami, cackling maniacally while raining down orbs of dark purple flame. Several Lizalfos tried to take her down with arrows and boomerangs, but she deflected them all with wind magic, sometimes redirecting the projectiles to hit other Lizalfos.

Before long, the last of the monsters began to flee, apparently realizing they had massively underestimated their prey. Once the battle was over, the queen and her escort remounted on their remaining camels and rode over to rejoin Harun’s group.

“Where is my daughter?” was the first thing Urballa said when she reached them, climbing down from her camel.

“Here, my queen,” Harun answered. The guards parted, opening the way for their queen. She stepped past them hurriedly.

“Mother!” Sabah said. She ran into her mother’s arms, and Urballa knelt down to embrace her.

“I’m glad you’re safe,” the queen said. After hugging her daughter, she stood up and looked at Harun. “You’re hurt,” she said, sounding strangely like her daughter.

“It is no cause for alarm,” Harun repeated, wiping the blood from his cheek again.

Urballa nodded. “Good. Prince Harun, Commander Bularis, come with me.”

Harun and Bularis followed the queen outside of the defensive circle of guards. The three of them joined up with Lady Averla and Elder Kobami and walked a little further, giving them some privacy.

“How many casualties?” Urballa asked, directing the question to Bularis.

“Fairly light, all things considered,” the commander answered.

“We greatly outnumbered them, Hylia be praised,” Averla added gratefully. “Once the Lizalfos lost the element of surprise, the odds quickly shifted in our favor.”

“We seem to have lost a number of our camels, however,” Harun observed. “They did not stand up well against the enemy spears.”

“Damn. That will slow us down,” the queen said, swearing under her breath. “But if we get moving soon, we can still reach the Southern Oasis by the anticipated time. How many wounded do we have?”

“Many. Mostly civilians,” Averla said. “If we had allowed some healers from the Temple of Hylia to join us…”

“Heathen magic is not needed,” Elder Kobami rasped. “We have healing herbs and potions, assuming none of the monsters made off with them.”

The queen took a moment to survey the area. “Get the wounded on camels and sleighs,” she ordered. “Dump some supplies to make room if you have to. Have the spirit priestesses perform the last rites for the fallen, but we haven’t enough time to bury them. We’ll be traveling in two groups this time. I want to be with my daughter for the rest of the journey.”

“As you command,” Kobami said. She, Averla, Bularis, and Harun all bowed curtly, then set off to deliver her orders.


Night had fallen an hour before they reached the Southern Oasis. The entire party had needed to stop briefly to don warmer clothes in order to combat the sudden drop in temperature. Whereas Harun had feared heatstroke during the day, he now kept his gloved hands tucked under his arms for fear of losing fingers to frostbite.

I would trade this desert for the fields of Hyrule any day.

He had never been to Hyrule, but Harun had heard the weather there was always beautiful. Never too hot, never too cold. Enough rain for crops to grow, yet plenty of pleasant sunlight that wasn’t intense enough to burn one’s skin.

It must be a magical place...

The camels came to a stop. The Southern Oasis was located atop a rocky mesa jutting up out of the sand. He could see trees and wooden structures at the top. Harun suddenly realized he didn’t need to worry about rationing his water anymore, so he quickly took numerous thirsty gulps from his waterskin.

Several Gerudo atop the mesa stood by the cliff’s edge, peering down at them. “Who approaches the oasis?” one of them called out.

“Your queen,” Urballa called back. “I have many wounded. Lower the lifts at once.”

Chatter could be heard amongst the oasis guards. Having had no time to send a message ahead of them to inform the people of the oasis that they were coming, the queen and her party were not expected. However, any doubt that Urballa was who she claimed to be seemed to fade soon enough. “At once, my queen,” came the answer from above.

Several wooden platforms extended from the top of the mesa, like bridges leading to nowhere, or docks meant for ships in a dried up sea. At the ends of those platforms were large crane-operated rope lifts. The operators at the top soon lowered them down, allowing the people on the ground to climb aboard the platforms to be lifted upwards. Urballa sent the wounded up first, and then the rest of the civilians. When it was his turn, Harun stepped onto one of the lifts, his escort crowding in with him.

“Phew! Finally,” Katta said, letting out an exhausted exhale. “I need a bath and some sleep. And as much food as we can get our hands on before heading back out into the desert tomorrow morning.”

“Hmm,” Harun grunted in response. Nothing she said was really processing for him. His mind was still on the battlefield, and on those who hadn’t been fortunate enough to make it this far. He took some solace in the fact that their spirits had been properly sent to the afterlife by the priestesses in their party. There was always talk of Poes roaming the haunted wastelands at night. He would hate for any of those who had fallen today to be trapped in this world, unable to pass on.

When the lift reached the top, Harun and his guards stepped onto the dock. The night was dark, but plenty of lit torches decorated the area, allowing them to see the oasis clearly. As expected of any good source of water in the desert, a town had sprung up around it. Between the trees, many tents and proper buildings had been erected. He could tell the mesa town would be a bustling marketplace come morning, filled with nomadic tradeswomen from around the desert passing through to buy and sell goods, as well as people who had chosen the oasis as their home.

Queen Urballa and Princess Sabah walked hand in hand off of another lift. When they reached the mesa, a dark-skinned woman in fine silks was there to meet them. “My queen, it is always an honor to host you,” the woman said with a bow.

“Thank you, Chief Dina,” Urballa replied. “I apologize for coming with such a large group without sending a message first, but our need to travel this way came rather suddenly.”

“No apologies necessary, my queen. We shall have suitable accommodations prepared for you and all of your companions,” Chief Dina said. She stopped and turned to Harun as he approached her. Harun chose to remain silent at first. He was always cautious when meeting new people. If this Chief Dina was a Hylianite, he did not want to risk saying anything that might make her angry.

“Chief Dina, this is my ward, Harun,” the queen said, introducing him. Not that he required any introduction. There were no other male Gerudo for him to be confused with.

Dina gave a short bow. “It is an honor to host you as well, Prince Harun,” she said.

“Your hospitality is much appreciated.” Harun could not tell what the woman thought of him, if anything at all. She was polite, but there was always the possibility that she simply wished to keep up appearances in front of the queen.

“Come, allow me to show you to your accommodations for the night.” Chief Dina turned and bid them to follow her. “You will have the finest rooms in our finest inns. Please feel free to make use of our bathhouses as well. I’m sure your journey from the Northern Oasis has made you weary. We shall have a great feast prepared for you by the time you are settled.”

“No feast,” Urballa said, holding up her hand. “A meal will be appreciated, but no festivities. Tonight is a night of mourning.”

“As you wish,” Dina said with a nod. She set off down the path towards the oasis, with Queen Urballa and Princess Sabah following her. Harun held back for a moment, looking over his shoulder until Katta rejoined him.

“Darn. I could’ve gone for a feast,” Katta said. “And some wine, too, gods permitting.”

Harun smiled weakly. He would’ve thought everyone would be as solemn as he was after the day’s events, but Katta seemed to be trying hard to act like her usual self.

She’s probably trying to cheer me up.

“Come. Let us find our belongings and see where we shall be staying for the night,” Harun said, following after the queen.

“They better have a double bed for us, then.” Katta elbowed him lightly in the side.

“Shh,” Harun shushed her. But truth be told, he did not want to spend the night alone.


Later that night, after Harun had bathed and changed into fresh clothing, he joined the others for their evening meal. Those who had been wounded enough to be bedridden were not in attendance, but everyone else in their party was there, along with many of the oasis villagers. They would be dining next to the famous Southern Oasis itself. Several long dining tables covered with food had been placed along the water’s edge, providing them with a gorgeous moonlit view of the village’s lifeblood.

Unfortunately, Katta had been seated with the other guards her age, whereas Harun was sitting with the higher ups. The prince was worried that the queen had separated them on purpose, but he knew he was just being paranoid. These seating arrangements were common enough. Queen Urballa sat at the head of the table, with Harun to her right and Princess Sabah to her left. Chief Dina sat across from her at the other end of the table. Elder Kobami, Lady Averla, and Commander Bularis were there as well, plus a few other nobles of the queen’s court.

As Harun picked at his food, he looked around the table at the immense spread of dishes. He knit his brow as a thought came to him.

“Something troubling you, young voe?” Averla asked him, taking a bite out of a piece of hydromelon.

“Why did the Lizalfos attack us?” Harun asked. He lifted up a piece of fish at the end of his fork. “For food?”

“Most likely,” Averla answered. “The rations we were transporting, our camels and seals, even us. Monsters will eat it all. They rely on nothing but base instinct, same as any animal.”

That doesn’t sound right.

The creatures Harun had fought that day were at least somewhat intelligent. They attacked in an ambush, fought with skill, and wielded weapons of forged metal. Surely animals were not capable of that. “Is it true that Lizalfos fought for Ganondorf in the Twilight War?” he asked, although he wasn’t sure why he felt the need to pursue this matter.

“Indeed,” Elder Kobami joined in from the other side of the table. “The Great Ganondorf commanded vast legions of monsters. Lizalfos, Blins, Chilfos, Darknuts…”

“So they have intelligence,” Harun said. “They can be negotiated with, and take sides in a war.”

Kobami cackled. “Monsters can be useful tools, yes, but they are not people like you and me. The Gerudo and the Twili followed the Great Ganondorf for many reasons. Honor, loyalty, faith. But monsters will never serve anyone but themselves unless it is out of fear or greed. They follow the strongest side. That is all they know.” Averla nodded, which was a bad sign to Harun.

Since when do the two of them agree on anything?

“Why, though?” Harun asked, still not understanding. “What makes them different from humans and Rito and all the other Children of Nayru?”

“After Din created the Earth, and Farore created life,” Averla began. “Nayru created civilization and offered it to all beings clever enough to speak. Those of us who are now known as her children accepted her teachings. All those who rejected civilization became monsters.”

Something about that didn’t sit right with Harun. How could anyone know what happened thousands of years ago? And even if the monsters back then truly did reject civilization, why should their descendants be bound by that?

“Shouldn’t the gods give them another chance?” Harun asked. “It doesn’t seem fair to condemn them forever.”

“They were given another chance,” Averla insisted. “After Nayru came Hylia, whom the Golden Goddesses entrusted to continue their work after they departed from this world. Hylia wanted to unite all peoples, but the monsters rejected this offer as well, instead choosing to follow the Demon King Demise.”

Something strange happened as Harun listened to Averla. When she spoke the name Demise, it was as if Harun could hear a second voice saying it at the same time - a voice very different from hers. Harun blinked, and for a moment, all he saw was fire - fire and the Beast. When he blinked again, it was gone, but he felt very lightheaded. He leaned forward, putting his hand over his face and exhaling with exhaustion.

“Harun? Are you okay?” Princess Sabah asked him. “Are you hurt?” She must have still been worried that he’d been injured in the battle earlier that day.

“I’m fine,” Harun insisted, feeling his cheek to make sure he wasn’t bleeding again. “Only tired.”

“Perhaps you should turn in for the night,” Queen Urballa suggested. “We still have a long ride ahead of us.”

“Yes, I think that is wise,” Harun agreed. He stood up, feeling woozy. “Please excuse me, my queen.” He then turned to Chief Dina. “Thank you for your hospitality,” he said with a slight bow. Having excused himself, he started back toward the inn where his belongings had been stored for the night. Before he realized it, four of his guards had gotten up from their table to join him. Katta was among them, the others being Laine, Emri, and Kyra.

“Let us escort you, my prince,” Laine offered. Too tired and too disturbed by his latest vision to argue, Harun simply nodded and kept walking.

After entering the inn, rounding the corner, and walking down the hallway, they came to his door. “Thank you for the escort, ladies. I bid you goodnight,” he said, hoping to dismiss his guards quickly before they got any ideas. That is, except for Katta. He was hoping she’d be too stubborn to leave.

“You want us to stand guard at the door, then?” Kyra offered, with Emri nodding in agreement.

“That will not be necessary,” Harun insisted. “We are safe enough here.” Nodding, three of the girls turned and walked away. But, as he’d hoped, Katta lingered.

“Are you alright?” she asked him seriously. “Did you have another vision just then?”

“I did,” Harun confirmed. “But I’m tired. I don’t want to think about it right now. I just want to sleep.”

“Alright,” Katta agreed. Stepping forward, she opened the door and went inside, then gestured with her hand to invite Harun in as well. He chuckled softly at her presumptuousness, but he was glad she had chosen to stay.


Harun had a strange dream that night, though not the kind he normally had. He forgot a lot of the details within the first few minutes of waking up, but some of it stuck with him. In the dream, he’d been walking through a hallway. He didn’t recognize the building he was in. In fact, the architecture was completely foreign to him. It must have been Hylian, since everyone he saw was short and fair-skinned, and many of them were men.

At the end of the hallway, two Hylians wearing elaborate gilded armor allowed him to pass into the next room. He appeared to have entered some sort of throne room, which was lined with many more Hylian knights holding spears. A man wearing a crown sat on a throne at the end of the room. Harun walked closer to the crowned man, then got down on one knee and bowed to him. However, despite demonstrating such respect for the man, he could feel nothing but repressed rage and contempt for this Hylian stranger.

All of a sudden, he had a feeling like he was being watched. Turning his head to the right, he saw a window. A young boy had his face pressed up against the glass, peering in at him. When he realized he’d been seen, the boy looked frightened and backed away out of sight. That was when Harun had woken up.

A strange dream, but much better than seeing the Beast again.

The castle he’d walked through must have been Hyrule Castle. Harun had never been there, but he’d heard stories of it. Some said it put the Gerudo Palace to shame and was as large as the entire city of Naboris. From how grand and royal the dream castle appeared, it seemed to fit the description. The man on the throne was probably the King of Hyrule. However, he’d heard the Hylian king was an older man with greyed hair. The king in his dream was younger. Perhaps he’d seen a vision of the past. Even so, he wasn’t sure why he’d felt such anger and resentment towards the man. Yet, despite this intriguing mystery, the king wasn’t what Harun was most concerned with.

Who was that boy in the window?

He’d only caught a brief glimpse of the child. He’d looked to have been about ten to twelve years old. Most of the Hylians Harun had met were diplomats - grown men and women. However, sometimes they brought their children with them. The youngest Hylian princess had even visited once, and she had gotten along well with Princess Sabah. But he had never seen that boy before. He had never seen anything in that dream before, so he wasn’t sure why it mattered, but something about that boy stood out to him. The sight of him hadn’t bothered Harun in the dream, but now, he just couldn’t shake the feeling that it was a bad omen or something.

Nevertheless, Harun was able to wake up and prepare to embark on the next day of their journey without dwelling on the dream for too long. After loading their belongings onto their camels, Harun and Katta walked down to the cliff docks together. There, they found Lady Averla overseeing things as the oasis guards helped lower people and supplies down to the ground.

“Sav’otta,” Katta greeted Averla as they approached.

“Sav’otta,” she returned, nodding to Katta and then to Harun. “Are you doing well this morning?”

“We are,” Harun answered. He did not go into detail about his dream, but he hoped his somewhat positive attitude would tell her he did not see the Beast again after he left the dinner table the night before.

Katta stepped to the end of the dock and peered over the edge while they waited for the lift to return. “Not many people down there yet,” she remarked. “Are we early?”

Averla shook her head. “Those who were wounded yesterday will be staying here to recover, along with some guards and attendants to look after them.”

Harun felt his heart sink. He’d wanted to put the events of the previous day behind him as much as he could. Being reminded of what had happened was going to make him regret ever agreeing to this journey, and he could only imagine what the Hylianites would say about him now.

I could’ve handled the visions for a few extra days. This is senseless.

The rational part of his brain told him that if they hadn’t decided to travel to the Sage of Spirit, then the sage and her followers would have had to travel to him instead, so someone would’ve been in danger either way. But that didn’t make him feel any better.

If only I’d said nothing about the visions...

After a moment of self-loathing, he told himself there was no point in dwelling on that now. Perhaps it would be safer to travel in a smaller group, and the second part of their journey would be a bit shorter than the first. They could easily make it the rest of the way without any more harm coming to anyone else.

The lift creaked into place as it reached the top again. Harun and Katta carefully led their camels onto it. “Will you be coming down soon?” Harun asked Averla.

“Yes. I merely wish to collect the remaining stragglers,” she replied. “The queen and the princess are already on the ground. I shall join you shortly.”

Harun nodded, then signalled to the lift operator. As they began to descend, Katta gripped his hand in hers. “Today will be different,” she assured him. “I won’t let anyone else get hurt.”

Harun looked her in the eyes. She must have been able to tell what he’d been thinking earlier. He also realized she was probably feeling as guilty as he was. It was mostly her comrades and other people she was supposed to protect who had been hurt, after all. “I know,” Harun said. “Thank you, Katta.”

Looking into his eyes, her lips curled into a smile. “You better not let yourself get hurt, either,” she warned him. “If you do, I’ll kill you.”

Harun laughed. “You just can’t be serious, can you?”

“Course I can. I’m serious when I’m killin’ stuff, aren’t I?” She reached over her shoulder and tapped her knuckles against the side of her spear, which was strapped to the back of her camel.

“Let us hope you have no need to be serious today, then,” Harun declared.

“Now you’re gettin’ it.”

When the lift reached the ground, Harun and Katta stepped off of it, leading their camels by the reins. As they walked across the desert sand to join the group, several seal sleighs raced past them. Some onlookers were cheering them on, rooting for one or the other to win. Harun stopped and furrowed his brow.

Have they already forgotten yesterday’s events?

Katta tugged on his sleeve. “Come on,” she urged him, pointing at a group of his guards that were gathered a little further away.

Harun looked around until he spotted Queen Urballa. She stood by her camel watching over everything, with Elder Kobami and Commander Bularis by her side. “In a moment,” Harun said to Katta. “I wish to speak with the queen first.”

Katta shrugged. “Alright. Don’t take forever,” she said before moving along.

Harun made his way over to Urballa. Kobami was the first to notice him. She was sitting cross legged on her carpet, although it was not hovering at the moment. “Sav’otta, young one,” she greeted him. Urballa and Bularis offered their greetings as well.

“Are we prepared to leave?” he asked after returning their greetings. As far as he was concerned, leaving sooner would be better. He would rather get this over with. Every second they were in this horrible desert was another moment someone could be harmed.

“We were just taking a headcount,” Bularis said. “Is Lady Averla still atop the mesa?”

“She is,” Harun confirmed. He turned to look back up at the lifts. Averla was visible at the end of one of the docks. When he looked away, he again noticed that several members of the party were talking jovially, playing games, and generally carrying on a light mood. He spotted a few sullen looks here and there, but for most of them, it was as if they were leaving all their sadness behind with the injured. He didn’t like it.

“Something troubling you?” the queen asked.

Harun turned to him. “Why are they--?” He cut himself off when he noticed he was raising his voice. He hadn’t realized he was getting angry. “Why are they not still mourning?” he continued, speaking less loudly.

Urballa nodded gravely, as if she understood completely. “I forget this is your first time truly leaving the city,” she said.

Harun was confused. “What do you mean?”

“What happened yesterday was not unexpected,” the queen explained. “They all knew the risks. That is life in the desert. But do not take their attitude as a lack of grieving. They are simply trying to keep their spirits up.”

Harun was silent. He felt like he understood it better now, but he still didn’t like it.

They’re used to this?

That thought alone was tragic.

“You should return to your escort, young voe,” Commander Bularis suggested. “We shall be departing shortly.”

Harun turned around. Averla and a few others were descending on the lift, presumably the last of their party who would be going on the second leg of their journey. There were more people in attendance than he’d first thought, but it was still quite a bit fewer than the previous day.

Urballa and Bularis dismissed themselves and went to join the queen’s escort. Kobami lingered for a moment. “Hold on to that anger, young one,” she told him. “Our people suffer. You must let that motivate you.”

“I am not angry,” Harun said in denial.

Kobami held his gaze for a moment. “Then you do not yet understand.” With that, her carpet lifted into the air, and she rode a gust of wind over to join the queen.


The second part of the journey was a lot like the first. Scorching heat, constant risk of dehydration, overbearing guards, fear of monster attacks, and the endless boredom of sitting on a camel’s back for hours and hours on end. There were times when Harun wished he’d taken a sand seal sleigh like the princess, although Urballa did not allow her daughter to go off and play this time around. The queen and the princess were surrounded by their guards in a pack several meters ahead of Harun, while he and his guards stayed clustered further back.

Luckily, they had managed to avoid any conflict with monsters and animals so far. They’d seen plenty of Leevers spinning by as well as some Hroks flying overhead, but every creature they saw seemed to keep their distance or not even notice them. Harun was rather happy with that. The last thing he needed was a second Lizalfos attack weighing on his conscience.

Harun had a mini heart attack when he heard someone up ahead in the queen’s group blowing a signal horn. However, it was not to signal danger. Way ahead of them, past what was certainly a few more miles of desert, they could see the head of the Desert Colossus peeking out over the horizon. The colossus was a massive stone statue of the Goddess of the Sand, Nephysis. It appeared as a woman sitting crossed legged, holding her hands out palm up, with a cobra twisting around her waist and neck. The cobra was meant to depict the most loyal servant of Nephysis, Alkawbra, the Goddess of Spirit. The statue itself was carved into the rockface that served as the entrance to the Spirit Temple, one of the most prominent structures within the Arbiter’s Grounds.

We’re almost there.

Many people around him and up ahead in the queen’s group cheered victoriously. Soon they could get out of the hot desert sun and enjoy the comforts of water and shelter again.

“Thank Nephysis,” Harun expressed. He didn’t usually specify which god he was referring to when he praised the gods. He never knew which one of them was watching over him, if any. But seeing that statue of the Gerudo goddess watching them from across the desert, it was easy to imagine her actually looking down on them from the Sacred Realm.

Perhaps it was her that protected us from monsters today.

Harun smiled. All around him, his guards were praying and offering their thanks to the desert goddess. There were a few exceptions, however. Averla seemed glad that their journey was nearing its end, but she was not praying.

Oh. That’s right.

Averla was a Hylianite. She prayed to Hylia, and perhaps sometimes the Golden Goddesses, but not to Nephysis. She probably did not view the statue as anything particularly holy.

He turned to Katta next. She was staring ahead intently, facing the statue. “Pleased to see her?” Harun asked.

“I wanna climb it,” she said with an excited look on her face.

Harun furrowed his brow. “Excuse me?”

“The Desert Colossus. I wanna climb it.”

“Is that not… I don’t know… blasphemy?”

“I dunno, but it sounds fun.”

Harun chuckled.

I’ll just have to pray for Nephysis to keep her eyes closed for a bit, then.

However, despite the light mood, their momentary reprieve did not last much longer. There was another horn blast from the lead group. At first, Harun thought it was just repeating the celebratory signal of spotting their destination. But then the sound was repeated, and Harun realized it wasn’t the same horn as earlier. It was the warhorn. Harun felt all the happiness drain out of him.

No! Not now! We were so close!

The queen and her escort suddenly changed course and picked up their speed, making a sharp turn to the right. Harun glanced to the left. In the distance, he could see something moving towards Urballa’s group beneath the sand. Something much bigger than a Lizalfos. The guards and servants around him began to panic, screaming in terror or nervously asking what the dust clouds were.

“Go! Now! Get moving! Full speed!” Averla ordered Harun’s group frantically. “To the cliffs! Move!” Harun and everyone around him began whipping their camels, setting them off at a full sprint. They turned to head for where Urballa’s group seemed to be going. There was a cliff several meters away. It was off course, but it was much closer than the Arbiter’s Grounds.

Heading for a cliff was a smart move. A rocky formation like that would likely run deep under the sand to a layer of bedrock that sand-swimming monsters could not move through easily, especially large ones. Harun couldn’t tell what the monster was, but that was one of the scary things about the desert. It could be any number of things. Perhaps it was a Malgyorg, although the sand sharks did not grow as big as whatever this monster was. It could be a Lanmola, but the giant centipedes weren’t that fast. It was more likely a Moldorm or its flying cousin, the Molgera. Harun had seen some of the giant worms off in the distance while standing atop the palace walls back home. He’d hoped to never have to see one up close.

Up ahead, Urballa’s group reached the cliff. They ran up around the sides of it, gathering atop an overhanging ledge, minimizing the possibility of the sand-bound monster reaching them. Of course, that wouldn’t protect them from a Molgera, but they had to hope it was something else.

Harun looked toward the monster. It was still kicking up dust clouds as it sped along beneath the surface of the sand. All of a sudden, it stopped, as if sensing the vibrations of its prey had disappeared. Then, after a moment, the dust clouds resumed, moving towards Harun’s group instead.

“It’s coming for us!” Harun shouted.

“Keep going!” Averla ordered.

The camels were running as fast as they could, likely just as scared as they were. Katta rode up alongside Harun’s left. They locked eyes, sharing a look of mutual fear.

“If we have to fight it, you keep moving,” Katta ordered him.

Harun furrowed his brow. “Never,” he declared. “If we fight, we fight together.”

Katta turned and looked at the approaching dust cloud, then turned back to him. She nodded grimly with determination. Harun hoped it wouldn’t have to come to that. The monster was fast approaching, but they were almost to the cliff.

Just a little further.

“Spread out!” Averla ordered. Without breaking pace, the riders in Harun’s company fanned outwards. It took Harun a second to figure out why. The monster would soon be on them, and this way, it wouldn’t kill them all at once.

Please. Nephysis. Alkawbra. Hylia. Ganon. Don’t let anyone die today.

But it seemed Harun’s prayers would go unheeded. A moment later, he heard the sound of something large bursting out from beneath the sand, followed by the screams of camels and their riders. Harun chanced a look over his shoulder.

The monster that had breached the surface was not a worm, but something more like a gigantic fish. It was astonishingly fat, colored dark brown on its back and white on its belly, with spiky, ridged fins on its back and tail. Its head sported a strange diamond-shaped crest, and an unusual protrusion from its lower jaw gave it the appearance of having an oversized chin. Perhaps most strangely, despite its fish-like appearance, it had four useless, stubby legs, which made it look somewhat like an obese newt. Despite the monster’s size, it managed to launch itself a dozen feet into the air. Its horrid jaws were open, filled with rows of misaligned, jagged teeth. For a moment, he saw a vision of the Beast from his dreams overlaying the monster before him. He managed to tear his gaze away from the creature, which shattered the vision, but made him feel suddenly lightheaded.

Focus! Think! What do I do?

Harun looked back at the monster. After its initial breach, the monster’s jaws snapped shut, swallowing whichever unfortunate rider it had caught. Then it crashed back down to the ground, crushing another camel and its rider as it did. The creature moaned, as if its landing had been painful, but soon it began thrashing around, kicking up another dust cloud as it burrowed back into the sand. As it did, it knocked over two more camels, sending their riders flying.

While Harun desperately tried to decide whether or not to go back and help his comrades, Katta turned around and headed back for them immediately. “Katta! Don’t!” Harun shouted.

“Keep moving!” Lady Averla ordered her.

But Katta did not listen. Harun yanked the reins and went after her. He immediately felt his terror intensify. The monster was beneath the sand again, but it could pop back up at any moment, and he was charging right towards it. Ahead of him, he saw Katta hop off of her camel to help one of the fallen riders stand up. Harun headed for the other one, intending to do the same.

However, he did not reach her. He felt something grab him from behind and yank him off of his camel. He yelped in surprise, struggling to break free.

“Stop!” he heard Averla scream in his ear. “Stay still!” She laid him in front of her on her camel’s back, keeping one hand pressing him down as she turned her camel to put them back on the path to the cliffs.

“No!” Harun shouted. “Wait! Stop! We have to go back! They’ll be killed!”

“And so will we!” Averla countered.

Lying on his stomach, Harun turned his head to the side to watch as Katta and the fallen riders got farther and farther away from him. They were moving to Katta’s camel, but they were not fast enough. Harun could see the monster moving beneath the sand, heading straight for them.

“Katta!” Harun shouted.

Katta turned her head. She had time to make eye contact with him for only a split second before she was swallowed up by the monster breaching the surface of the sand.

In Harun’s vision, the monster became the Dark Beast again, and the surrounding area shifted to a burning field. He closed his eyes and screamed, suddenly feeling a piercing pain shooting through his head.

“Silence!” Averla ordered him. She began to say something else, but her voice sounded deep and slurred, and Harun soon blacked out.

Chapter 6: Link II

Chapter Text

Maybe I can fake an injury. Or better yet, maybe I’ll just injure her.

Atop his horse, Link continued his journey down the road to the northwest. It had taken him and his sister all day to get this far. They could’ve made much better time, but Linkle had spotted several monsters along the way, and she’d insisted they go hunt them each time. Half of the monsters had gotten away, and the other half had been practically harmless little things, like Chus or Keese. Link hardly saw the point in any of it, but Linkle acted as if it was her sworn duty to exterminate every minor threat to humanity.

Maybe it’ll rain, and we’ll get sick. Then we’d have to turn back.

He knew it had been a mistake. From the moment they’d left their home, Link had been trying to find a way to convince Linkle to turn back around. It wasn’t too late. They had a good life in Hateno. He could be a master blacksmith one day, and she could end up owning farmland. But Linkle just had to throw it all away to ‘follow her dreams.’

Why couldn’t she dream of something less likely to get us killed?

Linkle snored softly. For the last hour, she’d been asleep behind him on the horse, her head lying against his back. He hoped she wasn’t drooling on him. Still, it was better that she was out cold like this. He’d managed to ride right past a few monsters that he knew Linkle would’ve insisted they chase after had she been awake. This way, they could avoid unnecessary danger.

Link sighed and reached for his waterskin to take a drink. At the very least, he took some comfort in the fact that they weren’t at risk of running out of water. They’d been riding alongside the Squabble River all day, and they could take a break to refill whenever they wanted to. Food had not been an issue either since they’d brought enough for a few meals, but this was only the first day. They would have to rely on hunting and foraging for food eventually if they couldn’t make it to a new village each day.

Wanting to go over the plan again, Link pulled out his map. Evening would be upon them shortly, but they should be getting close to Fort Hateno. It was no village, but they would at least be able to trade for supplies there. He hoped they wouldn’t make it that far, though. The further they got from home, the harder it would become to convince Linkle to turn around.

After a moment, Link felt his sister stirring behind him. With a snort, she jolted awake, sitting upright on the horse. “Huh? Whazzat? What’s going on?” she asked as she took in her surroundings.

“Calm down,” Link told her. “Don’t freak out the horse.”

“Oh!” Linkle seemed to have gotten her bearings after a minute. “Is that the map? Where are we? Are we there yet?”

“What? No, you moron. It’ll take us days to get to the capital.” Link placed the tip of his finger against the map, then dragged it across the paper, stopping on each of the towns and villages they could stop at along the way. “We’re only about here,” he said, tapping the map by the Cliffs of Quince.

“Ooh, what’s that up there?” Linkle leaned over him and tapped the map on what looked like a tiny valley a little bit north of where Link had indicated they were.

“Hm? Uh, looks like a cemetery. Probably where soldiers who were stationed at Fort Hateno are buried.”

Linkle gasped. “We should go there. There’s probably Stalfos all over that place!”

“I doubt it,” Link said. “It’s been a couple years since the last Blood Moon. Plus, I don’t wanna risk gettin’ mistaken for grave robbers.”

“Oh, come on,” Linkle complained. “There’s gotta be something there. I’ve always wanted to see a Poe. And think how cool it would be to see a ReDead! I hear those things are hella scary.”

Link was about to continue arguing, but then he had a thought. Even if Linkle thought she was brave enough to take on any monster she encountered, surely there was something out there that would scare her straight. She could handle Blins, but maybe coming face to face with the undead would make her realize she wasn’t as cut out for this as she thought.

With an exaggerated sigh, Link relented. “Alright. It’ll take us a little out of our way, though. And it’ll probably be dark by the time we get there.”

“Perfect! That’s when the Stalfos and everything come out.” Linkle seemed as excited as ever. “Alright, Arion. Take us there!”

The horse whinnied as if in response, and Link tightened his grip on the reins. They turned to the right, going off the road and heading north.


It was a short ride to the cemetery, but in the time it took them to pass between the cliffs to reach the valley, the sun went down. The moon wasn’t quite full that night, but it illuminated the rest of the way with a soft, eerie light.

“Ooooh, gettin’ spooooky, ” Linkle said in an exaggerated manner. As they got closer to the gates, she unsheathed her blade and examined it. “Hey, we got anything consecrated? Like a Triforce? Or a Mudora?”

“What, you wanna pray before we desecrate a few corpses?” Link asked snarkily. “I’m sure the gods will appreciate that.”

“That’s not what we’re here for. We’re here to fight monsters. Surely the gods won’t have a problem with that,” Linkle asserted. “Besides, I was asking because undead don’t like holy stuff. And neither of us know any light magic.”

“I thought you just had to cut their heads off.”

“Why would that be easier?”

“Most things die when you cut their heads off.”

“Most things that die aren’t already dead.”

“Well excuse me, Sister. I didn’t know I’d be killin’ dead people tonight. If I did, I woulda brushed up on my re-murdering techniques.” Link looked over his shoulder and saw his sister digging through the carrying bags on the side of the horse. “What’re you looking for now?”

“We got any lantern oil?” she asked, not looking up at him.

“Yeah. On my writing desk, in the other bag.”

Linkle moved to the next bag over, then stopped after a second. “Oh. So we don’t have any.”

“Of course not! We don’t have a lantern. Why would I have brought lantern oil?”

“ReDeads burn real good, I hear.” Linkle stopped her fruitless search, then gasped excitedly. “We’re here!”

Link turned to face forward again. Sure enough, there before them was the cemetery, surrounded by a rusty, spiked fence. The fence enclosed a massive plot of land full of headstones, statues, and mausoleums. He saw no guards and no gravekeepers, and he heard only the ominous hooting of a distant owl. “Yeah, this is a great idea.”

“I know!” Linkle exclaimed. “Let’s go!” She kicked Arion lightly in the side, making him trot up closer to the fence. Once there, they dismounted and tied the horse’s reins to the fence a few feet from the gate.

“Not sure it’s safe to leave him here,” Link pointed out. “But I guess we can’t risk him running off. We’d be screwed if we lost all our stuff and had to make it back on foot. Maybe we should--” Link stopped when he realized his sister wasn’t listening. Already brandishing her loaded crossbow, she walked up to the gate and kicked it open. It swung ajar with a rusty screech. She smiled at him, then waved for him to follow her as she went inside.

Link walked up to the entrance and stopped. Sighing, he looked up into the sky. “...If you’re watching, I’m sorry about this.” He briefly formed a triangle with his fingers, then followed Linkle into the cemetery.

Linkle was slowly creeping between the gravestones with her crossbow at the ready, like a hunter stalking a field for rabbits. Link gave the area a quick once-over, but he could see nothing out of the ordinary. The place was creepy as hell, but it was a graveyard, so he wasn’t expecting it to be anything else. “Watch where you’re going,” Link reminded his sister. “You don’t wanna knock over any headstones.”

Linkle nodded. “That would piss off the Poes for sure,” she said. Her expression changed, as if she were mulling it over.

“I know that look,” Link said. “That’s your, ‘Maybe I do wanna knock over some headstones so I can fight some Poes’ look.”

“Pfft, whaaat? No, no, I wouldn’t dream of it,” Linkle said, shuffling away quickly. “But if there are any undead monsters out here,” she said, raising her voice so that she might attract the attention of whatever might be near. “I can guarantee I’m gonna lay each and every one of them to rest.”

“How very generous of you,” Link offered. He wanted to tell her to shut the hell up and stop purposely trying to attract monsters, but he figured she was beyond help at this point.

The two of them spent the next twenty minutes or so wandering around the cemetery. Every once in a while, Linkle would think she heard something, but it would always turn out to be a creaking gate or a squirrel snapping a twig.

“Elle, this is a waste of time,” Link insisted. “Let’s head back to the horse, find somewhere farther away from here to camp for the night, and then maybe we can think about going back--”

“Shhh!” Linkle said sharply, her eyes shooting open wide. “Did you hear that?” she whispered.

“Hear wha--?” Link stopped. He did hear it, and it was no creaking gate. Somewhere in the distance, he heard moaning. It was low and guttural, like a very tired person being forced out of bed. “What the hell is that?” Link whispered, suddenly terrified.

Linkle said nothing, but she readied her crossbow, crouched down low, and started creeping towards the noise. She wore a stupidly excited smile on her face. Link began to think he was wrong. Perhaps she wouldn’t end up scared straight from this experience after all.

“Bloody hell…” Link muttered, drawing his sword and shield before following after his sister.

It was a little bit further down the line of gravestones when they finally found the source of the moaning sounds. They stopped to observe it. The dark of night made it difficult to make out, but it looked like a nearly-naked, emaciated crouching man. The strange man was hunched over a pauper’s grave that looked like it had been recently dug up by hand, revealing the body that had been buried in it. Moaning again, the crouching creature lifted its arms with unbelievable slowness, as if the mere act of moving at all was a struggle. It grabbed the leg of the unearthed body and lifted it up, then leaned its head downward.

It’s gonna…

Link watched in horror as the creature bit into the corpse. It stayed there for a moment, nearly unmoving, as though it were very methodically gnawing at the flesh. As Link watched, he felt Linkle tap his shoulder. She gestured with her crossbow, indicating they should move forward. Link did not like this one bit, but if they were going to have to fight this thing, they might as well take it by surprise.

Standing up, Link crept forward, raising his sword and shield in a defensive stance. Linkle followed behind him, her crossbow trained on the monster, waiting until she had lined up the perfect shot. Then, he heard the crossbow fire off a bolt. It sailed through the air, hitting the creature square in the temple. That would’ve been enough to kill most things, but Link was about to lunge forward to slice it with his sword just in case. However, he never got the chance. As soon as Linkle’s bolt hit the creature, it suddenly turned its head to face them, moving with much more speed than it had been a moment ago. Its face was gaunt and lifeless, and its sunken eyes were glowing red. Its mouth dropped open unnaturally wide, as if its jaw had unhinged itself, and it let out the most terrifying, agonizing, high-pitched scream Link had ever heard.

Link stopped in his tracks, stumbling as he tried to back up. All other thoughts were forced out of his mind, leaving nothing but the most crippling fear he had ever felt. His body shook so much he was practically convulsing, causing him to drop his sword and shield. He took a few more panicked steps backwards and ended up colliding with his sister. The two of them fell to the ground, landing side by side. In his terror, Link found himself no longer able to move, and Linkle seemed similarly incapacitated. He could only watch in horror as the skulking monstrosity slowly moved towards him, blood dripping from its unhinged mouth and from the bolt wound in its head.

Link’s mind was blank. He could not think of a plan, he could not think of escape, he could not pray for his life. All he could do was lie there as death approached. But then, a voice clawed its way through the fog of fear clouding his mind. “Link! Link! Please! Help! Link!” She sounded miles away, but his sister was right next to him, screaming for his help. Somehow, he managed to turn onto his side. He saw Linkle staring at the creature, calling out for him as if she didn’t know he was there.

Get up.

It felt as though he were pulling himself out of quicksand, but Link managed to turn himself over and push himself up off the ground. Still trembling with fear, he grabbed one of Linkle’s flailing hands. “Linkle!” he shouted at her. She flinched as if she’d heard him, but she couldn’t tear her eyes away from the monster. “Dammit…” He grabbed her arm with his other hand and pulled, dragging her through the dirt as he retreated back into the field of gravestones, not daring to look back. All the while, Linkle continued shouting his name, not recognizing that he was already there and helping her.

He must’ve dragged her a hundred yards before the way she was calling his name seemed more present. “Link! Link! Hey! Stop! Let go already!” his sister shouted. Before stopping, Link finally chanced a glance behind him. He was grateful that the monster was so slow, as they appeared to have lost it. He let go of Linkle’s arm, then dropped to the ground, laying his back against a statue. Linkle sat herself upright as well, pushing her back up against a headstone across from him.

“You okay?” Link asked.

Linkle nodded. She was no longer in a fear trance, but she still wasn’t all there yet. Link didn’t feel fully recovered yet either.

“So that was a ReDead?” Link asked. Now that he had time to think, he recognized the creature from the stories.

“Yeah,” Linkle said. It was strange. She was ordinarily ecstatic to see any new kind of monster. She’d even been looking forward to seeing ReDeads, Stalfos, or Poes earlier that night. But she didn’t seem all that excited anymore.

Link noticed she didn’t have her crossbow. Then he remembered he’d dropped his sword and shield as well.

Fuck.

“You still got your sword?” he asked Linkle.

She reached behind her back and pulled out their only remaining weapon. “Yep.” Turning it over in her hands, she examined the blade, touching it with her finger to test its sharpness. “That thing didn’t look very strong,” she said. “If I can sneak up on it, I think I can cut its head off, like you said.”

“Are you out of your mind?” Link was astonished. Even with half her wits scattered from their recent encounter, she still had her mind set on trying to fight it. “Linkle, no. You and I are leaving. We’re gonna find someplace safe to camp for the night, then come back for our weapons when the sun is up.”

“But we have to kill it,” Linkle insisted, her one-track mind painfully exhibiting itself.

“Why?” Link asked forcefully.

“It could hurt someone.”

“No it couldn’t! There’s no one here. No one but us . As soon as we leave, that thing is harmless. You’re not doing anyone any favors by risking your life to kill it.” He felt as though he’d been through this with her a million times, but it never seemed to stick.

“...Well then it’s practice,” Linkle claimed.

“Practice?”

“Yeah. If, at some point, I take a quest to slay a ReDead that is putting people in danger, I need to know how to do it.” Link rolled his eyes, but he hated that she was making a little bit of sense. “It’ll be good for you, too. ReDead quests pay a lotta rupees, I hear.” That last part sounded made up. She was probably only saying it to try to convince him, but either way, it had to pay something.

Link put his hand to his temple. He was annoyed. He was tired, scared, and sore all over. But there was no creature in Hyrule more stubborn than Linkle when it came to monster hunting. “Okay,” he relented. “But we’re doing this the smart way.”

“What’s that?”

“Figured you wouldn’t know.”

Linkle flipped him off, then asked again. “How are we gonna kill it?”

“I don’t know,” Link admitted. “We don’t have anything holy, we don’t have fire, and we can’t get close enough to cut its head off,” he said. “What else kills a ReDead?”

Linkle scratched her chin and casually flipped her sword as she thought for a moment. Then she had an epiphany. “The sun!”

Link raised an eyebrow. He felt stupid for not having thought of it first. “Oh yeah. Undead things don’t come out during the day, do they? Sunlight kills them. Or re-kills them, or however the hell this works.”

“So all we gotta do is trap it,” Linkle said. “Make sure it can’t make it back to whatever hole it crawled out of, then wait until dawn.”

“And as long as we don’t go near it, it can’t paralyze us with that horrible scream.” It was obvious to the both of them that the ReDead’s scream had done more than simply scare them. That scream messes with the minds of its victims somehow, making them unable to move. That must be how an incredibly slow-moving creature like that could hunt and defend itself.

“Okay. So how do we do that?” Linkle asked.

Link stood up and looked around, surveying the types of burial sites that were present in the graveyard. “It has to have somewhere to sleep during the day. And it’s slow, so its resting place has to be located near its feeding ground.”

“So we gotta go back to where it was eating that dead guy.”

“Yeah. Probably.” Link didn’t like the sound of that. If they would have to get close to the ReDead again anyway, this wasn’t going to be as safe as he’d hoped.

“And its lair could be any grave in that area?”

“No.” Link shook his head. “There’s no way it digs its way out of the ground and then reburies itself every night. It’s gotta be coming from some kind of crypt. Like that.” He pointed to a mausoleum with a stone door, probably the resting place of some minor noble family. “All it has to do is push the door open a crack when it awakens, then slip back inside just before the sun comes up.”

“Okay.” Linkle nodded. “So we find its crypt and block the door. But what if it just goes and finds another one?”

“If there are any others nearby, we’ll block those too. But it moves so slowly, I’m betting it’ll be too late by the time it realizes it can’t get inside.” Link stepped over to her and held out his hand. Linkle sheathed her blade behind her and let him help her up. Together, they headed back to where they’d found the ReDead.

“I don’t mind doing things your way, even if it’s boring,” Linkle said. “But if that thing gets close to me again, I’m gonna cut its head off.”

“Sure, by all means,” Link conceded. “But if you get killed by a dead guy, I’m giving you a cheap funeral.”


It wasn’t long before they could hear the ReDead’s dreadful moaning once again. Once they knew they were close, they crouched down low and stealthily moved up like they’d done before, peeking out from behind a large gravestone. Apparently, after they’d run away, the creature had returned to feeding upon the corpse it had dug up. It was crouching in the dirt right where they’d first found it, with Linkle’s crossbow bolt still lodged through its skull. Their weapons were visible on the ground, but they didn’t dare risk alerting the monster to their presence by moving close enough to retrieve them.

“Perfect,” Link whispered. “Now we need to find the closest crypt.”

Linkle tugged on his arm, then pointed past the ReDead. Many yards away, there was a small mausoleum amongst a grouping of thin stone graves. That was the closest one they could see from where they were. Link nodded to her, and they set about creeping around the ReDead to avoid its notice.

They made it to the mausoleum without incident. Standing in front of it, they could see the door was slightly ajar, as they had suspected. “This is where it came from,” Link declared in a soft voice barely above a whisper. Even if the ReDead heard them from there, it would take a while for it to reach them, but Link didn’t want to take any chances.

“Let’s bar the door,” Linkle suggested.

Link observed there were indeed slots in the door frame where one might stick a heavy wooden bar in order to keep the door from being pushed open from the inside, likely a measure intended specifically to keep the undead trapped within. It appeared someone had neglected to make use of it. “Hmm. I dunno. The ReDead might be able to claw the bar out.”

“Then let’s bar it from the inside.”

“I don’t think there are enough hours left in the night for me to explain all the reasons that wouldn’t work.”

Linkle seemed to realize that, even if the door worked that way, her idea would mean trapping themselves inside the mausoleum, at least until dawn. “Fuck. Yeah, I guess not. So, how about we just push something really heavy in front of it? If it takes us both to move it, then the ReDead shouldn’t be able to move it on its own.”

Link nodded. “That’s what I was thinking.” A part of him felt bad knowing they’d need to move some dead person’s headstone or statue in order to do it, but he figured their spirit would forgive them if it meant killing a flesheating monster. “We just need the right--” Link turned to look for the right heavy object to block the door, but as he did, he saw something moving. A couple yards away, there was a ReDead skulking its way between the headstones, moaning quietly to itself.

How the fuck did it get here so fast?!

Link froze up, panicking. If he’d been wrong about how fast ReDeads could move, then they were in even more danger than he’d thought. But then he realized this ReDead did not have a bolt through its head.

There’s two of them?!

He felt stupid for not thinking of it before. If there was one, there could be another. And now that he’d come to realize it, if there were two, there could be even more.

We gotta get out of here.

Linkle turned and spotted the second ReDead as well. She opened her mouth to exclaim something, but Link shoved his hand over her mouth. “Shh,” he shushed her. “We’re leaving. Now.” He spoke in as low of a whisper as he could. Grabbing her hand, he quickly and quietly led her off to the side, wanting to move away from the second ReDead without heading back towards the first one.

“But what about--” Linkle was about to start arguing, but as they turned the corner around a statue of a winged woman, they were stopped in their tracks. There was another ReDead, standing still with its back to them. Another few steps and they would’ve bumped right into it. Sensing their presence, it began to turn its head. Link froze, knowing what came next. The ReDead would spot them, it would scream, and then they would be done for.

However, Linkle charged past him, letting loose a fervent battlecry. She swung her sword, going straight for its throat. It sliced about halfway through before getting stuck in the creature’s undead flesh. The ReDead didn’t react in the slightest as blood began pouring from its open neck hole.

It didn’t work.

If she had managed to decapitate it, they would’ve been saved. However, as the ReDead finished turning around, it opened its mouth to scream.

“Aghh… Grlhk…”

It did work!

She hadn’t managed to re-kill it, but his sister had damaged its throat enough to keep it from screaming. The ReDead seemed to realize this as well. It began lifting its arms, slowly reaching for Linkle. Link let out his own battlecry, charging forward and tackling the undead monster to the ground. He kept it pinned, holding down both of its arms with the weight of his whole body as it weakly squirmed beneath him, still emitting those nauseating choking sounds as it attempted to scream. “Finish it off!” Link shouted to his sister.

Linkle hurried to crouch down next to the monster’s head. She put her hands back on the hilt of her blade and yanked on it until she managed to dislodge it. With a few grunts of exertion, she swung the sword downwards once again, and again, and again, chopping at its now weakened neck. She continued with this until the head was detached completely. When the head was severed, it rolled a little to the side, dripping blood along the way. Link felt the body stop moving beneath him. The head seemed to stay alive for a few moments longer, its mouth opening and closing uselessly. Eventually, the red glow in its eyes soon faded, and the head became motionless as well.

Link breathed a sigh of relief. “Good work, Sister.”

“Don’t mention it. Or do. In fact, praise me more.” She rose to her feet and sheathed her weapon. It was clear she was out of breath, but she looked proud of her accomplishment.

Link stood up as well. He looked down at the body of the decrepit creature. Seeing it now, it seemed… different, somehow. It was one thing when it was an unnatural, living corpse, skulking about and looking to feed upon human flesh. But now that it was well and truly dead, he could see that this monster had once been human. Even though it had been perhaps even more dangerous than the Blins they’d killed, this felt worse somehow.

...Sorry.

“Okay,” Link said, hoping to move on quickly. “Let’s get out of here now.”

Linkle met his eyes. “No,” she said. “We know we can kill them now. Let’s finish off the other two.”

“Are you mad?” Link asked. “We got lucky, Elle! What if it had been facing the other way? Hm? What if there had been two of them? And how do you know the other two we’ve seen are the only ones left? No. It’s too risky. The sooner we leave this accursed graveyard, the better.”

“But I have a plan!” Linkle insisted. “I think I know a clever way to do this.”

Link sighed. “Why do I get the feeling I’m not gonna like this?”

“Look… The ReDeads are slow, right?”

“Yeah. And?”

“Remember when that first one screamed? How it turned its head really fast? Like, faster than it normally moved?”

Link remembered very clearly. He didn’t think he would ever forget that grotesque image. “Yeah. What’s your point?”

“If it could move like that all the time, it would,” Linkle explained. “But it doesn’t, which means it can’t.”

“Still waitin’ for that point, Elle.”

“Its scream must be like that, too,” she went on. “If it could keep screaming as much as it wanted, we never would’ve gotten away.”

“So what does…”

Uh-oh.

Link could see where she was going with this now.

“Soooo… If one of us goes in and lets it scream, then the other can come in and kill it before it’s ready to scream again!” Linkle thrust her sword into the air proudly. She smiled at Link like a dog hoping for praise, as if she wanted her brother to tell her he was impressed with her plan.

Link put his face in his palm and sighed. “Elle, that is the stupidest idea that might actually work.”

Linkle’s smile faltered for a second as she sussed out whether or not Link was insulting her. When she figured it out, she seemed excited. “Yeah! Let’s do it.”

I can’t believe I’m agreeing to this…

“Alright. Fine. So, who’s getting screamed at?” Link asked.

Linkle’s smile faded. She suddenly seemed less enthusiastic. “Um. Well, I’m the only one with a weapon, so…”

“Yoink.” Link casually reached out and snatched the sword out of his sister’s hand.

“Hey!” she complained, reaching for her weapon. Link held out his hand, pushing her face away from him while holding the sword up into the air.

“What’s the matter?” Link taunted. “I thought you had a hero’s courage?”

Linkle stopped struggling against him and took a step back. She glared at him with what was probably meant to be defiance and determination, but all it came off as was uncertainty. “I’m not afraid,” she declared. “I’ll be the bait, and you can kill it.”

Link lowered his arm. He thought back to how terrifying an experience it had been to be subjected to a ReDead’s scream, and he remembered Linkle’s desperate pleas for help while she stared off into space, unable to see him. He could tell she did not wish to relive that experience any more than he did.

...Dammit.

Feeling guilty, he handed her sword back to her. “...On second thought, it’s your sword. You have more experience with it, so it’ll help our odds if you’re the one using it.”

Linkle tried and failed to hide her relief as she snatched the weapon back. “Yeah. Um, yeah, I suppose that’s true.” But as she held the sword, now she was the one who looked guilty. “...Are you okay with that? Being the one who gets screamed at?”

Link put on his best overconfident big brother smirk. “Yeah, it’ll be fine. I broke out of my trance faster than you did last time anyway.” That much was true, but it didn’t make the idea any more appealing. “But we’re only killing those other two that we saw already,” he continued. “It’s already late, and I’m not spending all night combing this fucking graveyard for more screaming murder-corpses.”

“Okay!” Linkle said happily, her confidence returning to her. She sheathed her shortsword and walked past Link, lightly punching his shoulder affectionately. “Let’s get going then, Brother.”

Link rubbed his shoulder, then followed her. Part of him felt stupid. If he had allowed her to follow through and be the bait for the ReDeads, she probably would’ve been scared enough for him to convince her to head back home afterwards. He’d been inches away from achieving his goal, but he’d let it slip through his fingers, all because he felt sorry for her.

Why do I have to be so bloody soft?

If they managed to kill three ReDeads in one night, he could only hope that the minor success wouldn’t embolden his sister too much.


“Wait. You hear that?”

After a little bit of searching, the siblings came to a halt. From somewhere nearby, they could hear the telltale moaning of a ReDead.

“I think it’s coming from over there.”

Peeking out from behind a large headstone, Link could see the creature kneeling in front of a tiny wooden grave. It had only begun unearthing its meal, scooping up the dirt in front of the grave with slow, deliberate strokes of its bare hands. Like the others the siblings had seen, this one wore only a few tattered remains of the clothing it had been buried in. Link began to wonder what the undead monster had been in life. Perhaps a soldier, or a farmer. But he quickly silenced those thoughts. They needed to put this creature to rest, and that would be much easier to do if he thought of it as just another monster.

“Keep your distance until after it screams at me,” Link whispered to his sister, trying not to let his voice quiver. “Cover your ears and don’t look. Hopefully you’ll be able to hear it enough to know when it’s done screaming, but not so much that it affects you fully.” That was another variable they had to count on. If even just hearing a little bit of the scream still put her in a trance, he was pretty much dead. But somehow, he trusted his sister would be able to do her part.

She wouldn’t let me die any sooner than I’d let her die.

“Okay,” Linkle whispered, nodding. “Good luck.” She turned around and crouched down, leaning back against the headstone and putting her hands over her ears like she was waiting for a bomb to go off. Link took a deep breath.

I hope this works…

Fighting every instinct he had, Link stepped forward, approaching the monster. The closer he got to it, the more he realized how ugly and sickly it was. He felt like he’d end up with the plague just from standing this close to it. When he was about halfway between his sister and the monster, he held his breath. Any second now, he would hear that horrible sound again. Once it put him under, all he’d be able to do is hope for his sister to come and save him.

I wish I still had my sword…

After a couple more steps, he stopped. Any closer and he’d risk the monster getting to him before Linkle could get to the monster. ReDeads were slow, but Link wasn’t going to take any more chances than he already was. However, the creature continued digging. It must not have heard him approaching.

“...Hey,” Link said after a pause.

As he’d been expecting, the creature’s head suddenly twisted behind its back. Its red eyes glowed sharply, and its lower jaw dislocated, letting out that terrible scream. It hit Link all at once, like a sudden riptide pulling him out to sea and plunging him into the dark depths. The world around him spiraled and twisted. His instincts pulled him to run in every direction, but he couldn’t bring himself to move. All he could do was watch as the hideous creature stood up straight and began to slowly trudge towards him. He felt himself falling, and then the whole world disappeared.

Dozens of nightmares flashed before his eyes. He saw a horde of Blins closing in around him, fearsome spears thrusting forward, baring wicked fangs and sporting hungry looks in their eyes. A swarm of Keese engulfed him in a sea of leathery wings and grotesque eyeballs, pulling him through to the next nightmare. He was locked in a pillory next, with a red-eyed executioner moving forward to swing a sword down upon him. He closed his eyes, but when he opened them, there were hundreds of gangly ReDead hands grabbing at him from all sides, pulling him down beneath an ocean of corpses. The last thing he saw was a row of eight gravestones. The one on the far right sat before a freshly dug grave. Lying in the pit was his sister. Her skin was pale as the moon, and her eyes were open, but unseeing. It seemed so real, and it hit him like a punch in the gut. Suddenly, he was standing on the edge of his own open grave, allowing himself to fall into it.

But, as soon as he did, his sister called his name. “Link!” Her voice sounded muffled, as if he were underwater. “Link!” she called once more. Dirt began falling into the grave he lay in, as if someone from above were burying him. “Link!”

He opened his eyes, and the first thing he saw was his sister, no longer still and lifeless. Before he had time to process anything, she began beating her little fists against his chest. “Link! Link! Please, please, please! Don’t! Link!”

“Ow, ow, ow, ow! Hey! Hey! Quit it, wouldya?” Link sat up, having realized he was lying on his back. He grabbed his sister by the wrists and held on tight, forcing her to stop hitting him. When she stopped, he noticed the look on her face. She looked terrible. She was staring at him with a mix of terror, misery, relief, and shock. Her eyes were watery, and she was breathing heavily. For a moment, Link feared the state of his sister may have been caused by the ReDead. He hurriedly glanced around them, only to find the creature’s decapitated body lying on the ground a few feet behind Linkle. “Elle, what the hell’s going on?” he asked.

Linkle broke his grip on her wrists, wrenching her hands free. But, rather than continue assaulting him, she threw herself into a hug. “I’m sorry!” she cried. “I’ll never make you do that again, I promise. I’m sorry, I’m so sorry…”

Link blinked, confused. “How long was I out?” he asked. His sister only shook her head, indicating that she didn’t know. Link hadn’t had a real sense of time while he was in that trance. When he’d slipped out of it, he’d assumed it had only lasted a few seconds, but it seemed like it must have been longer this time. “Elle, I’m alright,” he assured her, patting a hand on her back. “I’m serious. I’m not hurt. I think.”

Linkle suddenly stood up and turned away from him, wiping an arm across her face. She stepped over by the ReDead’s corpse and bent over to collect her discarded sword. As Link climbed to his feet, she handed the weapon to him. “Here,” she said. “I’ll be the bait this time.” Link took it cautiously. “I’m sorry,” she apologized again.

“...Elle, it’s fine,” Link repeated. “Look, let’s just forget this whole thing. We can sneak past the other ReDead and pick up the stuff we dropped, then we can get out of here. How about that?”

Linkle nodded meekly, looking very guilty. “Okay.”

Link clenched his jaw. Part of him was glad she was finally seeing things his way, but at the same time, she was only agreeing to leave because she felt terrible. Shaking his head, he took a step forward, deciding to escape the graveyard first and figure out his own guilt later. He stumbled a little, still a bit woozy from his fear trance. Linkle hurried to his side to catch him, pulling his arm around her shoulders to help steady him.

“I’ll be fine,” Link insisted, but she didn’t let go of him. Together, they made their way back to the mausoleum that they figured the ReDeads had climbed out of, then went past it back towards where their discarded equipment would be found. The ReDead that Linkle had shot through the head was likely still nearby, but they’d be able to get around it without incident if they were careful enough.

“...Thanks for doing this for me,” Linkle said after a few minutes of walking in silence. “And I’m sorry it turned out like this.”

Link hadn’t exactly been expecting to be thanked, but he was glad his efforts to put up with her nonsense were finally being appreciated. “Don’t mention it, Sister.”

Eventually, they came to the clearing behind the ReDead. The corpse it had been feeding on was still there, or rather what was left of it. The creature must have had its fill, since it now simply sat there, crouching in front of the grave, still as only a dead person could be. The only way Link could tell it was still awake was the occasional unholy groan it emitted. Link hoped it would stay where it was so they could grab their discarded weapons from the ground nearby without alerting the creature to their presence.

Wordlessly, Link and Linkle shared a look. They nodded, crouched down, and crept toward their belongings. When his sister reached her crossbow, she picked it up and examined it fondly. Link had never asked why she’d made it her weapon of choice. Many of the famous heroes she admired so much used bows, but none of the stories he’d ever heard featured one with a crossbow. However, he could tell it made her happy, and that was good enough for him.

As Link slipped his sword into its sheath and picked up his shield, something very strange happened. Several yards in front of him, next to where the ReDead knelt, a very dark shadow moved across the ground. Link thought it was a passing cloud blocking the moonlight at first, but it continued to get darker and darker until it was a patch of pure darkness, as if an abyss had opened up in the ground. Starting to freak out, he turned to his sister, silently begging for an explanation, but she looked as confused as he was.

Then, something rose up out of the darkness. It had the appearance of a giant severed hand, black and purplish in color. Hovering above the ground, it moved through the air towards the ReDead. The creature turned its head curiously, but if it had intended to scream, it did not get a chance to. The severed hand grabbed the ReDead, its giant fingers wrapping around the monster’s entire body, gripping it as easily as a person would grip a doll. Making no noise other than a faint whirring sound, it dragged the ReDead back over to the abyssal shadow it had risen from and lowered itself back down into it, taking the undead monster with it. When both were out of sight, the shadow dissipated, leaving no trace of it.

Link and Linkle stood there for a moment in stunned silence. “Elle,” Link said, drawing his sword nervously. “What the fuck was that?”

“I don’t know,” she responded, loading her crossbow. “Maybe a Wallmaster? Or a Floormaster, rather. But I’ve never heard of one that big before, and they’ve never been spotted outdoors.”

“Where did it take the ReDead?”

Linkle shrugged. “No one knows where Masters take their victims. Most say they drag them into the Spirit Realm. I’ve heard other guesses, too, though. Some say it’s whatever realm Demise came from, or even the space between realms.”

Link turned in place, looking in all directions for any sign of this new horror. From behind him, he heard a noise like a tree branch snapping. When he spun around to see what it was, he could’ve sworn he saw something ducking behind a headstone off in the distance.

Another ReDead?

He suddenly had the sinking feeling that they were being watched. The situation was getting too unpredictable now. After everything that had happened, he was done. “Well, whatever that thing’s up to, I’m not stickin’ around to find out. It’s time to go,” he declared.

“Right,” Linkle agreed with a nod. Ordinarily, she’d probably be thrilled to have found a new monster, and she’d be begging her brother to let her stay and kill it. Luckily, she still seemed to be feeling guilty about earlier, and she offered no argument to his suggestion. Pulling out her compass, she pointed south, and they made a run for the front gates.


Link’s dreams that night were surprisingly pleasant given the horrors he’d experienced earlier. He and his sister had taken their horse away from the cemetery and made camp in the woods near the road. Linkle had generously volunteered to take the first watch, and Link had managed to fall asleep almost instantly, his fatigue catching up to him all at once.

He dreamed that he and his sister were already back home. They were chopping wood in preparation for building a larger stable for the second horse they’d talked about getting. It was a pleasant, sunny day, with the sound of birds chirping filling the air. Not a monster in sight. It was peaceful.

That’s what I need to convince Elle to let us go back to.

When Link awoke, he found his sister sitting by the horse, propping herself up with her crossbow. She looked half-asleep already. “I’m up, Elle,” Link told her as he climbed to his feet. “You get some rest, now.” She nodded and let herself slump to the side, lightly snoring almost immediately.

Link decided to gather some berries and herbs from the surrounding woods. They still had some food that they’d taken with them when they left home, but they were going to eat some of it for breakfast, so he wanted to restock. Afterwards, he built a fire in preparation.

It was several hours later when Linkle awoke to find her brother cooking breakfast. It was only a simple stew, but she grabbed a bowl and began scarfing it down. Link fed Arion some oats before sitting down to join his sister.

After she’d had her fill, Linkle set her bowl down. “So… How are you feeling this morning?” she asked, seeming uncharacteristically bashful.

Link blinked, then remembered everything that had happened last night. “I’m alright,” Link said. “You?” She’d only experienced the ReDead scream once, but from personal experience, Link knew that would be enough to affect anyone.

“I’m fine,” she said. She paused for a moment before continuing. “Look… I’m sorry about what happened,” she apologized again. “But, I just wanna say, I think we did a good job. I don’t know how cursed that cemetery is, and I know we didn’t clear out all the monsters, but we did something. That was two more dead people laid to rest, and they won’t be digging up and desecrating corpses anymore, and, well, so…”

Link could tell she was proud. Her lips kept flickering to a smile, but she was avoiding eye contact. She looked conflicted.

“I… We…” Linkle sighed. “If you still wanna go back home, I understand,” she said finally. “I know you never wanted to do something this dangerous. I almost got you killed, and, and, well, I…”

Link considered what she was saying. She was offering him a chance to turn around, but it didn’t sound like she was willing to. Even considering the horrors of that cemetery, this was what she desired. She wanted the journey, the monsters, the adventure. She didn’t want to return to the life of a simple farmhand.

Link, on the other hand, still had a chance. He could go back to his apprenticeship, explain to Master Nebb where he’d been, and hopefully return to a normal life. The only issue was that it would be a normal life alone, without the sole remaining member of his family.

Link sighed.

I can’t believe I’m doing this.

“...It’s fine. I’ll stick with you,” Link said.

Linkle finally met his gaze, looking as though she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “Really?” she asked.

Link nodded in confirmation. “Yesterday got a little hairy, yeah. But we got out of it, didn’t we? Your plan worked, and we managed to kill that second ReDead because of it. You might actually have a talent for this sort of thing.”

Visible relief washed over Linkle, and a huge smile spread across her face as she stood up and tackled Link with a hug. “Haha, yeah! I knew you’d come around! Don’t worry about a thing, Brother. There’s not a monster on this Earth that can stop us!”

Even though he still had plenty of reservations about this whole thing, seeing his sister this excited made Link smile. He knew there were bound to be dozens of times in the very near future when he would regret this decision, but he was committed now.

Wherever we go, whatever we do, I’ll make sure we both survive.

Chapter 7: Sophitia III

Chapter Text

“Go ahead,” Liliana said from behind.

“Go ahead and do what, might I ask?” Sophitia spoke without looking up from the letter she was writing.

“Explain your master plan, my princess.” Liliana spoke as plainly as ever. “I know you’re dying to.”

Sophitia smirked. It was true that she enjoyed showing off, even if that kind of vanity would be looked down upon by her divine ancestor. “I am still putting the pieces together, I confess. But it is as I’ve said. I plan to take Hebra from my brother.”

“But why Hebra?” Liliana asked. “Why not try to impress your father by solving the crisis plaguing one of the other provinces?”

“The crises in the provinces my siblings have laid claim to are the only ones that my father will spare half a thought,” the princess explained. “I have no knowledge of war, so my father will never consent to letting me handle Akkala in place of my brother and uncle, nor do I have any hope of taking Gerudo from his golden child. Thus, Hebra is the logical choice.”

“I see,” Liliana said. Sophitia could hear her fidgeting with her armor. “May I take this off now?” she asked. “It’s rather heavy. And I truly despise this cape.”

Sophitia laughed haughtily as she continued moving her quill across the page. “Yes, yes, by all means. Make yourself comfortable.”

“Thank you, Princess.” Liliana quickly shrugged off her cape and began removing her heavy armor. “Why do you think Hebra will be so interesting to the king?” she asked curiously.

“It’s not Hebra that’s interesting,” Sophitia said. “It’s the City in the Sky. I do not believe my brother wishes to reclaim it simply as a way to build relations with the Rito. There must be something else of significance about the city. I just don’t know what it is yet.”

“It’s where your people came from,” Liliana stated, letting her breastplate drop to the floor with a clang. “Surely he wants it for the sake of preserving Hylian history and culture.”

“Perhaps.” Sophitia placed her quill in the inkwell. “I doubt it is that simple, though. My brother loves his games. There’s more to his strategy. I can feel it.” She waited a bit for the ink to dry before folding her letter, dripping some wax on it, and stamping it with her seal. By then, her bodyguard had finished shedding her platemail and was back to the more mobile light armor of her royal guard’s uniform. “Shall we go?” the princess said, climbing out of her desk chair.

“Are you sending that letter by Rito?” Liliana asked as they exited Sophitia’s room.

“Indeed. But I do not wish to send it from here. I intend to take it to the head office of the Hyrulean Postal Service, out in the city.”

“Will that be faster?”

“Not likely. But if I am to build up some goodwill with the Rito, doing so with the Rito here in the capital would be a fine place to start.”

After finishing their preparations for the day, Sophitia and her attendant made their way down the spiraling steps of the princess’s tower. As they were walking out onto the castle ramparts, Sophitia stopped. “Hmm. Actually, before we head out into the city, I suppose we might as well stop by the forge. I have business with the Grand Artisan as well, and it would be helpful if he could confirm something before I send my letter.”

“As you wish, Princess.” There were a few different ways to enter the armory, the forge, and the mines beneath the castle where the Grand Artisan might be found. Sophitia decided to head for the main entrance of the armory since it was located closer to the main gate. “You still have not divulged to me this plan of yours,” Liliana reminded her as they walked.

Sophitia thought for a moment. She had not been lying earlier when she said she was still working it out. “My father respects results more than anything else,” she said. “If I want him to entrust me with Hebra, I need to prove that I can handle it. So, I plan to draw up a detailed proposal and bring it to him personally. What I have in mind requires a lot of support, so I need to make certain that the Grand Artisan and several others are ready, willing, and able to lend me their aid. And for every Grand Council member I have backing me, it increases the odds of my father listening to what I have to say.”

“Do you think your brother has a plan as well?” Liliana asked.

“Most definitely,” Sophitia said, knowing her brother had likely been thinking ten moves ahead by the time he'd requested to handle Hebra. “However, I doubt he means to share his plans with Father. Not entirely, anyway. That is why I believe I have a chance.”

The entrance to the armory was a massive set of double doors, built large enough to allow easy access to Gorons like Grand Artisan Rodan. Many parts of the castle had doors like that, but most building sections had a human-sized door as well. Liliana had to throw her whole weight against the Goron-sized door to get it open.

“Many thanks, my mighty protector,” Sophitia said with a teasing grin as she walked past her.

“Anything for you, O Princess of Affluence.”

Inside, the great armory’s walls were lined with uncountably many weapons of all types. Swords, spears, axes, maces, bows. Some were of Hylian design, others Sheikah, others Goron. Sophitia looked over her shoulder and saw her bodyguard running her hands over them admiringly as she walked down the hallway. “If you’re interested in a new weapon, go ahead and pick one out,” the princess offered. “I’m certain the smiths would be more than willing to oblige a request from me.”

Liliana pulled her hand away from an oversized Goron sword that looked more like a club than a blade. “Most of these are too large for me,” she pointed out. “I’ll stick with what I’ve got for now.”

“If that pleases you.” Sophitia nodded. When they turned the corner, there was a man dressed in a smith’s garb shuffling papers around behind a desk. He looked up at them as they approached.

“Good day, Princess Sophitia. How may I be of service?” the man asked.

“I wish to speak with Grand Artisan Rodan,” Sophitia answered. “Is he busy at the moment?”

The man laughed. “Rodan’s always busy. But by all means, I’m certain he will make time for you.” As he spoke, the man gestured down another hallway, indicating where she might find the Grand Artisan.

“You have my gratitude.” Sophitia did a brief curtsy before exiting the room with Liliana following behind her. The hallway led to a large, finely crafted wooden lift hanging above a vertical mine shaft. The princess and her bodyguard stepped aboard the lift and pulled the lever on the side of the platform. After a brief rumble, the lift began its descent.

Sophitia noticed the slight smile on Liliana’s face. “Enjoying yourself?” she asked.

“I like coming to the forge,” she stated. “It’s one of the few places in the castle that isn’t filled with stuffy nobles.”

The princess smiled good-naturedly. “I dare say, you’ve been fitting in with us ‘stuffy nobles’ more and more each day since you arrived here.”

“Have I?” Liliana asked teasingly. “Curses. You must be rubbing off on me. Next thing you know, my ears will start growing pointy.”

“You know, they say we Hylians have pointed ears to help us hear the gods.”

“In Ordona, we say it’s because you like to hear yourselves talk.”

Sophitia laughed haughtily at that. “Well, that much is true, I suppose.”

When the lift reached the bottom of the elevator shaft, it rumbled to a stop. The gates opened before them and they stepped out together. Sophitia was always surprised to find that the underground sections of the castle weren’t completely dark. The walls were lined with bright, glowing torches, making it relatively easy to see. From somewhere further down the tunnel, they could hear the sounds of metal clanging against metal and the guttural shouts of the Goron and Hylian men at work.

Down the tunnel, they rounded the corner to arrive in a massive chamber. All along the walls, there were anvils, forges, and smithing tools, with every workstation filled by a busy Goron or Hylian working on their craft. The chamber was connected to many other tunnels, some of them with minecart tracks that led further into the mines from which stone, metal, and precious gems were excavated. As the princess and her retainer surveyed the room, a pair of muscular, shirtless Hylian men walked past them, carrying a gigantic wooden beam.

“Do try not to stare, darling,” Sophitia said to her bodyguard, who seemed transfixed by the men’s work-hardened abs.

“You’re not the boss of me,” Liliana said, not looking away until the men disappeared down a tunnel.

“...Well, I am , actually.”

“Touché.” Liliana looked her charge up and down. “Your dress is going to get filthy down in these tunnels,” she pointed out.

“Hmm? Oh, blast. I suppose you're right. Well, let's make this quick then.” She turned her gaze to Grand Artisan Rodan on the other side of the chamber. He was not difficult to spot. The Grand Artisan was twice the size of every other Goron in the room, and his rocky hunchback gave him a very distinct shape. Despite his deformity, he was hammering away at an anvil the same as any of his workers, no doubt creating something of better quality than any of them could ever hope to make.

Many heads turned to watch her and Liliana as they walked by. Sophitia gave a polite bow to them, smiling to herself as she did. Liliana often teased her about the way she acted when she was ‘gracing others with her presence,’ but the princess did not mind.

I may not be my sister, but a princess is a princess, no?

“Grand Artisan,” Sophitia said from behind the great hulking Goron. “May I have a moment of your time?”

Rodan finished a few more swings of the hammer before placing it off to the side. Shambling to turn in place, using his arms for support like a gorilla, he turned to face the young women. “Princess Sophitia,” he said, his voice deep and booming, but also elderly and irritable. “What brings you here? Break that sword I made for you?”

Sophitia laughed good-naturedly. “No, nothing like that. Your creations are as strong as ever. I am hesitant to believe they could ever break.”

“Hmm. You’re damn right.” The old Goron still sounded bothered, but Sophitia could hear the pride in his voice. She smiled subtly to herself, knowing her flattery was working already. “But don’t you go taking my metal for granted. Strong or no, it’ll fail you if you don't respect it.”

“Understood,” Sophitia said with a nod.

Rodan turned to Liliana. “You lookin’ to get that replaced?” he said, tilting his head to gesture at the sword on her belt.

Liliana drew the sword from its scabbard. “It’s fine,” she stated.

“Bah.” The old Goron reached out and plucked the sword from her hands, his giant fingers pinching it like a tiny twig. Then, to her shock, he opened his jaws and tossed the sword into his mouth.

“Hey!” Liliana shouted angrily, stepping forward into a fighting stance, but she had no weapon to threaten him with.

Rodan chewed the sword for a few seconds, then spit it out as a bent and mangled scrap of metal. “By Din, that pathetic thing wasn’t even good for a snack. ” Shuffling in place again, he grabbed a freshly forged sword off of a rack by his workstation. To demonstrate, he held it in his mouth and bit down on it several times, then held it in front of Liliana. There wasn’t even a dent on it. “Take this. It’ll serve you better than that piece of trash.”

Liliana took the sword by the hilt and tested its balance. She swung it a few times to get a feel for it. “I see,” she said, sounding mildly impressed.

“Thank you for your generosity,” Princess Sophitia said, bowing to Rodan.

Liliana got the hint. “Yes. Thank you,” she said, bowing as well.

“Hmm,” Rodan grunted. “Now, what did you come here for?”

“Ah, yes. Of course.” Sophitia stood up straight and smoothed out her dress as she prepared to speak. “Grand Artisan Rodan, I would like to make a request of you. Not for armor or weapons, but for something that will help my people reclaim a lost part of our heritage, as well as foster peace within the Kingdom of Hyrule.”

“Ehh?” The old Goron bent over slightly, leaning in closer. “And what might I create that can accomplish all that?”

“I require a lift capable of raising my expedition team up to the Lost City of Skyloft,” the princess said. She figured it would sound ridiculous without the complete context, but she hoped Rodan would hear her out.

“Ah, I see.” Rodan picked his teeth with a shard of metal. “This is for your brother’s thing, eh?”

“No. This is for me.” Sophitia stifled a grin as she spoke those words. “I would like you to accompany me to Hebra, construct this 'skylift,' and perhaps join us as we reclaim the City in the Sky. What do you say?”

“I say I can build it easily enough,” the Grand Artisan said. “But I can’t make something like that move. Wind magic is beyond my skill set.”

“Ah, but what if you combined your strength with the most powerful wind mage in all of Hyrule?” Sophitia reached into her bag and pulled out the letter she’d written earlier. “I hold in my hand a royal request for the Sage of Wind herself. You supply the lift, she supplies the power to raise it into the sky. Together, we make history.”

The old Goron ran his fingers through his great white beard. “So you want me to travel with you to Hebra, you say? And leave my forge behind? Seems you’ve forgotten something, little princess. War is upon us. Your father, your uncle, your sister -- hell, even your damn brother are gonna be wanting weapons, armor, and siege machines by the wagonful.”

“You let me handle my father,” Sophitia said, trying to sound more confident than she felt. She knew a team of the Grand Artisan’s workers would likely have been sufficient for her needs, but she would garner so much more clout if she could gain the support of the Grand Artisan himself. She needed something to sweeten the deal. “And, if you join me on my expedition, I will grant you exclusive access to any and all ancient artifacts and technological devices we salvage, if you so desire them.” The lost city had been home to both an ancient civilization as well as the technologically advanced Oocca. Sophitia was certain the Grand Artisan couldn’t pass up the opportunity to tinker with whatever exoctic baubles and innovative weaponry they came across.

Sure enough, the giant’s eyes opened wide with curiosity at her offer. “Yer tellin’ me, anything we find up there that was built by hand or tool, if I want it, it’s mine?”

“It’s yours,” the princess confirmed.

The old Goron’s crooked mouth spread into a wide grin. He threw his head back and let out a hearty laugh that shook the cavern. “Princess, you got yerself a deal.”

Success!

“Splendid,” Sophitia said, trying to downplay her excitement. “Please draw up the plans for the skylift and make a list of all the supplies and personnel you’ll require for the expedition. We shall be leaving within a week. Good day to you, Grand Artisan.” The princess turned to leave.

“And thanks for the sword,” Liliana said, sheathing her new weapon before following after her charge.


Some time later, Sophitia and Liliana were riding through the city streets in the back of a horse-drawn carriage. The vehicle was surrounded by mounted soldiers of Sophitia’s usual guard detail led by Captain Reede, as was her preferred method of traveling safely outside the castle.

“You have been to the Hyrulean Post before, have you not?” Sophitia asked Liliana, hands cupped in her lap as she relaxed against the cushioned seat.

“Of course. I go there every month,” the bodyguard replied. She sat leaning forward, her hands gripping the hilt of her new sword, still sheathed in its scabbard with the tip pressed against the floor.

“Ah, I’d forgotten.” Sophitia glanced out the window of the carriage to check if they were close to their destination. “Still sending most of your rupees back home to your family, then?”

Liliana nodded. “They need it more than I do. Plus, you do pay me an absurd amount, so I can afford it.”

“Really? I don’t recall paying you all that well,” Sophitia joked. “Perhaps I should speak to the Grand Treasurer about reducing your salary to something more modest.”

“Fine. So long as you give me a few nights off a week and the name of a brothel that’s looking for Ordonians. I’m not giving up my rupees that easily,” Liliana replied, entirely deadpan.

“My word!” Sophitia held a hand in front of her mouth and stifled a laugh, shocked by what she hoped was a rather scandalous joke. It would have been embarrassing if any of the men outside had heard it.

The carriage jostled her back and forth a little as they rode over some poorly maintained streets. Liliana slid over in her seat and glanced out the window. “We’ll be there momentarily, Princess.”

“Splendid.” Sophitia reached into her carrying bag and fished out her letter. “This will be a short visit, most likely. The sooner I contact the Sage of Wind, the better, after all.”

“Have you met this sage?” Liliana asked.

Sophitia shook her head. “I have not. She inherited the power of the winds rather recently. However, I have met the sages of light, shadow, water, and time. I’ve been in the presence of two of their Patrons as well.”

“Really? That’s surprising. I would’ve expected all the gods to want to meet the great Princess Zelda Sophitia Hyrule,” Liliana said.

Sophitia chuckled at her bodyguard’s flattery. Before she could continue the conversation, the carriage slowed to a halt. “Ah, we must be here.” She placed her letter back in her carrying bag and took a moment to smooth out her dress. One of her guards opened the door of the carriage. Captain Reede was standing outside, and he bowed as he gestured for the princess to come out.

“Thank you, Captain,” the princess said. Liliana climbed out ahead of her, then stood to the side and offered her hand. Sophitia took it, holding it daintily as she climbed down the two small steps jutting out from beneath the door opening.

The post office building was not as grand as the courthouse, but it had its own unique architectural charms. The lower section of the building looked entirely Hylian, and would not have stood out from the many other rectangular stone buildings in the area. However, the upper section of the building was distinctly Rito, having the appearance of a wooden tower with several colorful bird symbols painted all around it. On the roof of the building stood a totem pole consisting of a red phoenix on the bottom, a blue owl in the middle, and a green eagle with its wings spread majestically at the top. Sophitia knew these were the animals that the Rito used to represent Din, Nayru, and Farore, respectively.

“Shall we go inside, Princess?” Liliana asked.

Sophitia nodded. “Captain Reede, wait here for us, if you please. We will not be long.” She turned to Liliana. “Lead the way.”

Inside the post office, they found a large room that was split in half by a long wooden counter from wall to wall. There were only a few other visitors in their half of the room, but the other half was crowded and chaotic. Several dozen Hylian and Rito postmen hurried past one another, carrying stacks of papers and heavy packages, entering the room from one of the many doors and leaving through another. One of the tellers manning the counter noticed them as they approached.

“Ah, Liliana! Welcome back. How can I help you today?” the man asked. His eyes opened wide when he noticed Sophitia was with her. “Oh! Begging your pardon, I did not realize you were here with the princess.” He then turned to address Sophitia. “How might I be of service, your highness?”

In the back of the room, many of the postal workers stopped what they were doing when they heard the word ‘princess.’ Some of the Hylians looked on in awe, while others wore huge smiles and came forward for a closer look. However, Sophitia noticed that the Rito did not seem as excited by her presence. Many of them paused only briefly, then resumed their work. Two or three of them actually dropped their papers, spread their wings, and flew upwards instead, exiting the room through one of several holes that had been cut into the wooden ceiling above them.

...Curious.

The princess was a little disheartened, but she chose to ignore it for now. “Good day to you, sir. I have a letter I would like to send. However, might I be able to have a word with the Postmaster first? I hope that would not be too much trouble.”

“It would be no trouble at all, Princess. One moment, please,” the teller said. He stepped back from the counter and gestured for one of his colleagues to come closer, then whispered into the other man’s ear. The postman nodded and left the room. The teller waited for a moment, then approached the counter again. “Please head through that door over there,” he said, pointing to a door to Sophitia’s right. “One of my colleagues will escort you to the Postmaster’s office.”

“Splendid. You have my gratitude, kind sir.” Sophitia let Liliana lead the way. On the other side of the door, another postman took them down a short hallway and through another door that led to the Postmaster’s office.

Like the rest of the first floor, the Postmaster’s office was completely Hylian. The desk, chairs, and bookcases would not have looked out of place in Hyrule Castle. The Postmaster himself was a Hylian as well. He appeared to be a middle aged man with dark hair that covered little of his large, pointed ears. As Sophitia and Liliana entered the room, he was putting some papers into his desk drawer.

“Princess! Please, come in, take a seat,” he said, beckoning them forward.

“It is a pleasure to finally meet you, Postmaster Falmark,” Sophitia said as she sat down in the chair across from him. Liliana remained standing at her side, stone faced with her arms crossed behind her back and her sheathed sword plainly visible. Beforehand, Sophitia had instructed her to look intimidating when they met with the Postmaster. Although the man was not a Sheikah, he no doubt reported directly to the Grand Watcher. Sophitia would be as kind and polite as a princess should be, but she knew better than to trust an informant of the kingdom’s spymaster, even if he was supposed to be on her side.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you as well, your highness,” Falmark said, glancing briefly at Liliana. “Now, how may I be of service to the crown? Is there an urgent message you wish to send?”

“Indeed. However, there is another matter I wish to discuss with you first.”

“And what might that be?”

Sophitia looked the Postmaster in the eye. “Tell me, once you retire, is there someone else lined up to take your place as Postmaster?”

Falmark looked confused and slightly nervous. “Once I retire? What is this about?”

“Be at ease, Postmaster. You’ve done nothing to warrant removal from your position.” Sophitia chuckled reassuringly. “All I would like to know is, who do you plan to give your post to? It matters not how far in the future this might be. Do you have a replacement lined up? Someone you’ve been grooming for the job?”

The man on the other side of the desk scratched his head. “Well, truth be told, this is not a matter I have given much thought to. I expect to be running the Post for a good many years to come. Why do you ask, your highness?”

“I will be traveling to Hebra very soon on a goodwill mission,” Sophitia explained. “Many among the Rito feel as though we treat them unfairly. When asked why, the Hyrulean Post is often cited as an example. The Zora have the courts, the Gorons have the forges, the Deku have the treasury, but what of the Rito? What do they have? As our flying messengers, they are the lifeblood of this institution. It could not function at anywhere near its current capacity without them. And yet, we act as if we do not trust them to lead themselves, and instead put a Hylian in charge.”

Postmaster Falmark looked much more nervous now. Sophitia could see sweat forming on his forehead, and he kept adjusting his collar. “Your highness, I assure you, the Rito are treated quite fairly here. We pay them well, we do not require outrageous shifts, we even allow them to stay and recuperate for a few days when they make deliveries to distant areas of the kingdom.” Falmark glanced at Liliana again, his eyes drawn to her sword. “I have been running this place for years now, and I have never had a major complaint from the king.”

“And I thank you for your tireless service to the kingdom,” Sophitia said magnanimously. “As I have said, I am not here to remove you from your position. But, as a gesture of goodwill to the Rito, I feel we must make an effort to show that we trust them. Thus, I would like you to choose a willing and capable Rito under your employment and make them your second-in-command. Teach them everything they’ll need to know in order to take your place one day.” Although she did not know much about the Postmaster, it was clear to Sophitia that this was a man who cared more about his own position than anything else. She was hoping she would be able to convince him to agree to her terms by making it clear that his job would remain perfectly safe as long as he complied.

Postmaster Falmark put his hand to his chin, considering her words. “May I ask, is this by order of the king?”

“These are my words, not his,” Sophitia stated plainly. “But my father has placed me in charge of protecting our alliance with the Rito. He will back whatever decision I make if it will achieve that end.” Liliana glanced at her out of the corner of her eye. What Sophitia had said was not true, but she’d said it with confidence. As far as the princess was concerned, her father simply hadn’t placed her in charge yet. He would by the end of the day, and then it wouldn’t be a lie anymore. It was a risk, to be sure, but one she was willing to take.

I know what I’m doing. Maybe. I hope.

“Very well, Princess,” Falmark said after another moment of consideration. “I will choose a suitable candidate and mentor them to the best of my abilities.”

Sophitia smiled, feeling like her gambit had paid off. “Splendid.” Sophitia stood up, placing a hand on her carrying bag where she kept her letter. “Now, would you kindly introduce me to your fastest messenger Rito? I would like to hand my letter to them personally.”

“Of course, Princess.”

The Postmaster led her and Liliana out of his office and down a hallway to a spiraling wooden staircase. It was a long climb, but compared to Sophitia’s tower, it was nothing. However, she did feel somewhat envious of the Rito.

Having wings would make this so much easier.

The upper level of the post office was an open room filled mostly with Rito. There were desks, cabinets, hammocks, and all sorts of wooden items of Rito design. Sophitia was less familiar with their people than she was with the Zora, so much of it looked quite foreign to her.

The Rito themselves reacted in several different ways to the sudden appearance of the Postmaster and the princess. Some shied away from them, some flinched in surprise, and others dropped down through the nearest hole in the floor as if to flee. However, others came forward and dutifully stood at attention.

“Mind your step,” Postmaster Falmark instructed, warning Sophitia of the holes in the floor. He walked right up to one of the postmen, a serious-looking Rito with brown and white feathers and the appearance of a falcon.

“Gesane,” the Postmaster said.

“Yes, Postmaster?” the Rito man answered.

“Visiting us today is Princess Zelda Sophitia Hyrule,” Falmark said, indicating Sophitia as he introduced her. “Princess, this is Gesane. He is my fastest flyer and a loyal citizen of the kingdom.”

Gesane draped one of his wings across the front of his body like he was drawing a cloak around himself, then bowed respectfully. “My princess.”

“Greetings, Gesane,” Sophitia said, smiling pleasantly. “It is an honor to meet one so dedicated to the kingdom.” Reaching into her carrying bag, she produced her letter. “I have an urgent message I wish to send immediately. It is intended for Balla, the Sage of Wind. Might I entrust you to deliver it for me, and then return with the sage’s response?”

“It would be my honor, Princess.” Gesane reached forth and took the letter in his wing-hand.

“Splendid. You have my gratitude, postman.” Sophitia said, bowing her head slightly. “Is this also the Rito you shall train to be the next Postmaster?” she asked Falmark, purposely speaking up so that her voice would carry across the room.

“He is most certainly a candidate, Princess,” the Postmaster replied. “However, I would like to weigh my options for a short while before making my decision.”

Sophitia nodded. “That is quite prudent of you,” she said before turning her attention back to Gesane. “I shall take my leave now. Good luck on your journey. May Farore’s wind be at your back.”

Postmaster Falmark led Sophitia and Liliana back to his office. But, with their business already concluded, the princess and her bodyguard soon excused themselves and exited the post office back through the main entrance.

“That went rather well, I’d say,” Sophitia said, holding her dress as she walked down the short flight of steps.

“Indeed. Mentioning your plan to install a Rito Postmaster in front of all those Rito postmen was a nice touch,” Liliana said.

Sophitia smiled. “Yes, I believe that was simple, but effective. The news will spread amongst the entire post office, and thus, the entire kingdom, including Hebra. That, combined with my plans to work together with the Wind Sage, will solidify me as a friend of the Rito in no time.” The princess nodded to Captain Reede as he opened the door to her carriage.

“You are as kind hearted as you are devious, my princess,” Liliana said, her words sounding to be an odd mix of sarcasm and genuine admiration. After helping Sophitia into the carriage, the retainer climbed inside with her. Captain Reede closed the door behind them, and soon the carriage was moving again. “Of course, there are plenty of Rito who will see this as an empty gesture.”

“Of that, I have no doubt,” Sophitia replied. “I am not naive enough to expect a one hundred percent approval rating from anyone. Not even every Hylian loves the kingdom. But, if I can shift the balance from ‘uncertain’ to ‘favorable,’ I think I will have done enough to prevent a rebellion.”

“Hmm.” Liliana nodded. “There’s also the possibility that you’ve stepped on some toes here today,” she said. “Falmark may have given his second-in-command position to someone else had you not intervened, perhaps to a Hylian or a Sheikah. They won’t appreciate being passed over simply because the princess ordered their boss to choose a Rito instead.”

“I’d considered that,” Sophitia said. “But the Postmaster said he had no replacement in mind, so it’s doubtful that anyone should have that concern. Besides, I can afford to make a few enemies at this low of a level.”

Liliana smiled wryly. “To someone with your startling intellect, I’m sure most of these people look low level to you.”

“Just as most people look weak while you’re the one holding the sword,” Sophitia countered, grinning smugly.

Liliana pulled her sword out of its scabbard and examined it once more. “I do look forward to trying this thing out.”

“Yes, I should think so. But let’s save it for the training yard, shall we?”

“Yes, Princess.” Liliana sheathed the sword again. “So, what’s next in this master plan of yours?”

“Hmm. Let’s see…” Sophitia ran her hand through her hair as she thought. “There are a few others I would like to speak with, but I believe I have all the major pieces in place now. I think it would be best to write up my formal proposal and present it to my father before the day is through. The longer we wait, the more difficult it will be to alter his decision. So, let us return to my tower.”


“Shall we say hello to your brothers?” Liliana asked.

She and Sophitia were walking through the castle grounds when they spotted the princes atop one of the walls. When she looked at Lancel, Sophitia felt a sudden pang of guilt. If everything went as planned, soon she would steal his glory right out from under him, and he wouldn’t even see it coming. Perhaps if she’d chosen a more direct tactic, she wouldn’t have felt quite as dirty. But then again, perhaps this was unavoidable. The three of them had decided to compete for the throne, after all. They would have to combat one another sooner or later.

“Yes, I suppose,” Sophitia said uncertainly, turning to head for the stairs.

I can at least have the decency to look him in the eye.

Atop the wall, Prince Lancel and Prince Percival were standing with Sir Anselm and Sir Onnick. The four of them were peering over the edge on the other side of the wall, observing something Sophitia could not see yet from her position. Lancel was dressed in a fine doublet and was wearing his spectacles. He was grinning from ear to ear, evidently with great amusement. Sir Anselm wore his black armor, looking distinguished as ever as he stood with his arms crossed behind his back. He looked on with a neutral expression, never being one to let on too much. Percival still wore his gaudy armor with a cape. He seemed to be viewing the spectacle with great interest. Beside him, Sir Onnick appeared to be watching as well, but with his face obscured by his great horned helmet, Sophitia could not see his reaction.

“Good day to you, my brothers,” the princess greeted them as she approached.

Prince Percival and Sir Onnick did not look up, but Prince Lancel and Sir Anselm turned to face them. “Ah, sweet sister!” Lancel said, stepping towards her. “How was your trip to the post office?”

Sophitia flinched.

Does he know something?

She was quick to recover, putting on a pleasant smile. “It was quite enjoyable. I shared a nice carriage ride with my retainer, and I met some very interesting Rito.”

Stay calm. He probably heard where I’d gone from one of the gate guards or something.

“Ah, the Rito. Marvelous birds they are, truly.” Lancel held out his hand, gesturing over the wall. “Come, Sister, have a look. I think you’ll find this quite entertaining.”

Sophitia and Liliana stood beside Sir Anselm. Down in one of the training pits, a battalion of soldiers stood at attention, lined up in a formation made up of several rows. Making her way down the line in front of them was Dame Mila, the little Kokiri knight who’d been accompanying the governor of Akkala at the summit.

“You, soldier!” the girl shouted, her voice forceful and commanding despite its obvious immaturity.

“Yes, dame!” the soldier shouted back.

“You look scared half to death, soldier. Do you see a Moblin behind me?”

“No, dame!”

“No? Then perhaps you’ve seen a mirror. Easy mistake to make.” Dame Mila waited until the soldier’s face revealed his understanding that she was calling him ugly, then she moved on to the next soldier in line.

Lancel let loose a hearty laugh, evidently enjoying the Kokiri’s joke.

“Soldier!” Dame Mila shouted at the woman who was next in line.

“Yes, dame!”

“Are you hoping the soldier behind you will braid your hair for you?”

“No, dame!”

“No? Then is it too long to fit in your helmet?” The Kokiri knight reached behind herself and unsheathed the sword on her back. “Would you like me to give you a haircut?”

“No, dame!”

“Then get your hair in the damn helmet, soldier!”

“Yes, dame!” The woman jumped in fear, scrambling to stuff her long blonde hair into the common soldier’s helm she wore.

“That is quite a sword,” Prince Percival noted. Dame Mila’s sword was gilded, perhaps covered in a thin layer of gold leaf. The hilt was of a very unique design as well. It was a far more elegant weapon than Sophitia had been expecting. She also noted that the Kokiri girl appeared to have some difficulty wielding the sword. A taller woman would’ve been able to use it easily with one hand, but the Kokiri knight held it like a two-handed greatsword, resting it on her shoulder.

From somewhere in one of the back rows, one of the soldiers began snickering. Dame Mila turned her head in the direction of the noise. With a quick motion of her free hand, the soldier was suddenly propelled forward as if he’d been shoved from behind. He knocked aside a few other soldiers in his path before landing on the ground at Dame Mila’s feet. As he tilted his head to look up, Dame Mila lifted her foot and stepped on his face. “Something funny, soldier?” she asked, grinding her boot down.

Sophitia was surprised. “Was that aeromancy just now?” she asked. “Is the Kokiri knight also a sorceress?”

“She was being brought up as a druid of the wind before she left Kokiri Forest,” Sir Anselm explained.

“Must’ve been a lesser wind spirit before the Great Deku Tree gave her mortal form,” Prince Lancel commented.

Sophitia found that odd. Whenever she thought of spirits that had crossed over into the mortal realm, she pictured them as wise and powerful beings like the Patrons. Laemora, the Patron of Light, took the form of a giant golden bird who preached the virtues of truth and justice. Jabu-Jabu, the Patron of Water, was a colossal whale who shared his wisdom with those who visited him. Sophitia had never seen the Great Deku Tree before, but she’d heard it was now even taller than the original one had been. A scary little girl ordering soldiers around didn’t exactly scream ‘spirit’ to her.

As she was contemplating this, the Kokiri’s fairy emerged from within her clothing. It chimed and shook in the air, as if taunting the soldier on the ground.

But then again, the fairies are spirits as well, and they’re usually quite diminutive.

The soldier Dame Mila was stepping on suddenly rolled over, attempting to get away from her. She took a step to the side and lowered her sword, holding it down at his throat before he could do anything else. “Who gave you permission to get up, soldier?” the girl-knight shouted. Many of the surrounding soldiers had left their place in the formation, stepping away nervously.

“I like her,” Prince Percival stated.

“Yes, of course you do,” Prince Lancel replied dryly.

“Things seem to be getting out of hand,” Princess Sophitia said worriedly. “Sir Anselm, would you please put a stop to this before she hurts that man?”

“Yes, I suppose that would be prudent,” the old knight said. He cleared his throat. “Soldiers! At attention!” All at once, the soldiers down on the ground turned in his direction and stepped into place with quick, audible steps. Even Dame Mila obeyed the senior knight. The only one who was slow to react was the soldier on the ground. He had to force himself up to his feet before falling in line with the other soldiers.

“Oh, you two are no fun,” Lancel said with mock disappointment.

“Shall I dismiss them, Princess?” Sir Anselm asked Sophitia.

“No,” Percival answered for her. “They shall continue.”

Sir Anselm looked to his charge. Prince Lancel shrugged, holding out his hands. The old knight sighed. “You may resume, Dame Mila,” he called down to the Kokiri girl.

“Thank you, Sir Anselm,” Mila called back, bowing as she spoke. She then marched back to where she’d left off and began terrorizing the next unfortunate soldier.

Prince Lancel spotted something in the distance. “Ah, and there’s our other little sister,” he said. Sophitia followed his eyes. Sure enough, Seraphina was walking down a distant path with Dame Jeanne. Also with them was the governor of Necluda, their own Aunt Celessa. Sophitia had been looking for an opportunity to speak with her. It wasn’t for anything related to her plan; it had simply been quite a while since she’d last seen her aunt.

Perhaps I’ll find them later.

“I must say, it was quite a surprise to hear Victorique plans to bring her along to Gerudo, eh?” Lancel remarked.

“It seems ill-advised, given the circumstances,” Sir Anselm replied. “But I’m sure the Crown Princess has her reasons.”

“True, but it is still much too unsafe, is it not?” Sophitia said. “From the sound of it, Gerudo is likely to become a warzone sometime soon. It is no place for one as young as Seraphina.”

“I don’t see why,” Percival objected. “Father had me attend an execution when I was younger than she is.”

“Yeah, and look how you turned out,” Lancel quipped.

Percival narrowed his eyes, unamused. Then he sighed. “No matter. The Gerudo Province may yet remain at peace, assuming our elder sister does her job.”

“Yes, that is so,” Sophitia said, hoping to help ease the tension. “Let us pray for her success.”

“Her mission is merely diplomacy, after all,” Percival continued. “Whereas Father has entrusted me with the truly difficult mission.”

“And how’s that?” Liliana asked from beside her charge, unable to contain her snark.

Prince Percival regarded her coldly for a second before addressing his siblings. “Akkala is at war, of course. It requires serious correction.”

Prince Lancel laughed. “Oh, little brother. That is precisely why yours is the easiest mission.”

Percival glared at him. “Do elaborate, Brother.”

“Hebra and Gerudo are powder kegs,” Lancel explained. “The slightest misstep will set them off. They require delicate handling, shrewd negotiating, and careful planning. Akkala, on the other hand? What is a small, overzealous cult against the full might of the greatest kingdom in the world? And beyond that, we have Uncle Alchon to handle any and all military strategy that may be required. I dare say, little brother, Father has entrusted you with the easiest mission.” A cocky grin spread across the elder prince’s face, clearly attempting to goad his brother.

Prince Percival said nothing for a moment. The look in his eyes was part horrible realization, part fervent denial, and part cold fury. Sir Onnick took a step forward, advancing on the older prince. Lancel, despite his carefree smile, took a cautious step back, and Sir Anselm appeared in front of him. The old knight’s glare was intense, practically threatening to burn a hole through the larger knight’s helmet. Sir Onnick did not move forward any further, but retained his menacing presence.

Prince Percival raised a hand, as if he had been the one to order Sir Onnick to stop. “We shall see,” he said. Without another word, the prince turned and walked away, flipping his cape unnecessarily as he did. Sir Onnick lingered for a moment longer, the slits in his horned helmet staring down at the elder prince and his bodyguard. Then he turned to leave as well, his heavy armor clanking as he walked.

Prince Lancel laughed. “Did you see the look on his face?”

“Priceless,” Liliana agreed.

“Brother, are you sure it’s wise to antagonize Percival like that?” Sophitia asked nervously.

“Oh, come now. It’s simple strategy, sweet sister,” Lancel said. “He’s angry now, and he has doubts about himself. He won’t be at his best. I say, this will be the easiest game I’ve ever played!” He locked eyes with Sophitia. “You haven’t forgotten, have you? You’d best not fall too far behind if you wish to beat us.”

Sophitia smiled knowingly, her earlier reservations about going behind her brother’s back all but forgotten at the moment. “Yes, I suppose I should keep that in mind.”

You’ll see, Brother.

“Prince Lancel,” Sir Anselm said. “You and your brother are both endeavoring to protect the realm. Please take this duty more seriously.”

“See what I have to put up with?” Lancel said to his sister, pointing his thumb at his retainer. “No fun at all, this one.” The prince pulled his ledger out of a pouch on his waist and flipped through the pages. “Well, I suppose I should be going. Will I see you at dinner, little sister?”

“You shall,” Sophitia replied. “Good day to you, Brother.”

Lancel smiled, nodding to her and Liliana. Then he hopped up onto the battlement, stepped over the edge of the wall, and allowed himself to fall. Liliana took a panicked step forward, but Sophitia raised a hand to stop her. Looking over the edge, they watched Prince Lancel plummet downwards, but just before he hit the ground, a shimmering blue crystal of light appeared around him. The magic barrier shattered like glass and dissipated as it hit the ground, but Lancel emerged unscathed, casually walking away.

“I hate it when he does that,” Sir Anselm said, unamused. “Good day to you, Princess, young lady,” he said before heading for the ramp that led down from the wall.

“It seems as though your brother does not suspect you,” Liliana said once both Lancel and Sir Anselm were out of ear shot.

“It appears that way, yes,” Sophitia agreed.

“Do you think he’ll take it poorly? If you succeed, that is?”

“Perhaps. But it’s his game, is it not? He set the rules when he antagonized Percival. I don’t think he plans to afford me the luxury of fair play.”

“You and him make this sound like so much fun.”

Sophitia chuckled. “Well, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t enjoying it somewhat.” She turned to look towards her tower off in the distance. “Let us continue. I have much to write before meeting with my father.”


The room was uncomfortably quiet, with the only sound being the occasional shuffling of papers as King Tychon turned to the next page. Sophitia sat in her chair patiently, keeping her head down and trying to remain calm. Her father had been carefully reading through her proposal for some time now, but he was yet to say a word, and his facial expression remained unchanging, not yielding even the slightest hint as to how he felt about it. The seeds of doubt were beginning to take root in Sophitia’s mind.

Have I forgotten something? What did I overlook? Who did I not include in my plans? Has Lancel submitted a proposal after all? Was his better than mine? Would Father even care enough to change his plans if mine was better?

The princess felt like a little kid again. As a child, before she was old enough to attend the Royal Academy of Hyrule, sometimes she would neglect her studies. When her tutor informed her father of this, her father told her she was to bring every assignment she completed to him so he could look it over personally. Sophitia would sit and wait, much like she was doing now, as he silently poured through her papers. When he was done, he would tell her everything she had done incorrectly. He never insulted her, but he somehow never failed to make her feel as though every mistake she made was a colossal, disappointing failure. This happened regularly until her tutor was satisfied with her work. From that point on, she’d never neglected her studies.

Sophitia glanced up at her father again. He was on the final page now. Soon she would know his reaction. She was braced for disappointment if he rejected her proposal. But, if he accepted it, she would have to try hard to contain her excitement. Her father did not respect emotional outbursts, even positive ones. Her hands gripped the side of the chair as her father stacked the papers together again, straightening them against the desk.

This is it.

“Good,” King Tychon said.

Sophitia lifted her head, looking at her father in astonishment.

Good?!

“Have you shared these plans with your brother?” he asked.

The princess shook her head. “No, Father.”

“Do so,” the king told her.

Sophitia blinked. She was not entirely sure where her father stood on her involvement with Hebra beyond showing her plans to her brother. “Will Lancel still have command over the Hebra objective?”

“Of course,” her father said. “That is what I consented to, as did Governor Koridai and the Grand Council.”

...Oh.

Sophitia tried not to let her disappointment show. Perhaps it had been childish optimism to expect her father to simply revoke Lancel’s command. Such an act would be rather unfair and rather dishonorable, she realized.

Does this mean I can do nothing? Am I to give Lancel the plan I worked so hard to devise, and just let him take the credit for it?

It was too soul-crushing to imagine that. She couldn’t accept it. She had to do something, even if she risked overstepping her bounds. “Father,” she began, nearly choking as she struggled to get the words out. “I ask that you send me in his place.”

King Tychon met her gaze. “Why?” he asked simply.

“Because…” Sophitia struggled to think. She had always been quick with words, but for some reason, she was having a hard time finding the right way to explain herself. “Because I have a plan, and Lancel does not.”

“Why do you say that?” the king asked, unmoved.

Sophitia paused.

Would Father have asked that question if I was correct?

“So he does have a plan,” she reasoned.

“Yes. He presented it to me before the summit.”

This came as a surprise to the princess. Her father had already agreed beforehand, and Lancel had only asked him in front of everyone as a formality.

He was two steps ahead of me this whole time.

“If… If I may ask, Father, whose plan would you deem more likely to be effective?” Sophitia asked, partially to see how she stacked up, and partially to stall for time as she figured out her next move.

“They are quite similar, in many regards,” the king stated. “But while you have already done more of the necessary legwork, your brother is thinking more long term.”

Sophitia furrowed her brow, puzzled.

Long term?

“Father, I--”

“Why do you wish to go to Hebra?” King Tychon asked. “To prove your worth? That I might make you my heir instead of your sister?”

Sophitia hesitated. “I… Yes, ” she said, speaking honestly. “That is what we agreed to, is it not? You, me, and my brothers, when we spoke before the summit. My siblings are getting their chance. I want mine.” As soon as the words left her mouth, she regretted them.

Was that too honest? Too blunt? Too vain? Too demanding? Oh Hylia, what do I do?!

Her father stared at her. She held his gaze, but her resolve soon wavered. “Apologies, Father,” she said, lowering her head.

“I do not mislike your ambition,” King Tychon said.

Sophitia raised her head again in surprise.

Was that a compliment?

Her father stood up. “Come,” he said. Sophitia stood as well and followed him across his office to the balcony, stepping outside. From where they stood, Sophitia could see practically the entire city outside the castle walls. “There,” the king said, pointing at the city square in the distance. “Who is that a statue of?”

Sophitia knew of the statue in the city square. It was one of the grandest in the city. “It is King Nohansen the Uniter,” she answered.

“Yes,” King Tychon said. “One of our great ancestors. Where does his honorific come from? What did he unite?”

“The entire Inner Continent,” Princess Sophitia said. “Except for Hebra.”

“Indeed. Nohansen the Uniter only succeeded in bringing together eight of the nine provinces. Hyrule was not truly united until my grandfather finally brought Hebra into the fold.”

Gazing at the statue in the distance, Sophitia tried to reason why her father was telling her this. “We must handle the Hebra Province with the utmost delicacy,” she guessed. “They are a recent addition to the kingdom. That is why the Rito are having difficulty adjusting to our way of life.”

“True, but irrelevant,” her father stated.

Dammit.

“The last two hundred years since the end of the Unification War have been marked by relative peace, with the only major exception being the Twilight War,” the king explained. “But before Nohansen the Uniter brought that peace, this land spent nearly two thousand years in constant turmoil. Hylians, Gerudo, Gorons, Zora -- everyone fought with everyone. They fought for land, rupees, gods, kings. Countless wars were fought for control of the Triforce alone. But it was us who put a stop to all that -- all those centuries of war. Our family.”

Sophitia watched her father, standing on his balcony overlooking his kingdom, giving his speech. It filled her with a sense of awe. She did not often see him acting like the kind of king she heard about in all the old stories about heroes and monsters.

“That is why we must rule,” King Tychon went on. “It is our duty. These people need us -- to save them from themselves.” He turned to face his daughter. “Your elder sister understands this. Lancel does, too -- gods know he hides it well. If you truly wish to be queen someday, I must know that you understand our family’s duty.”

Sophitia was unprepared. She did not come into this meeting expecting big questions like this. Throughout her life, people had given her many different reasons for why it was her family that ruled the kingdom. Many believed it was a mandate by the gods themselves. Others said it was the blood of their divine ancestor that imbued them with their great magic potential, making them the strongest and thus the most worthy to rule. This was not the first time she had heard it described as a matter of family honor and duty, and she had always liked that explanation the best.

“I do understand, Father,” the princess proclaimed. “At the summit, when others were pushing for war, it was always I who pushed for peace. Yes, I wish to be queen. But it is not simply for my own sake. I love our kingdom. I would rule it well if given the chance, I know I would.”

Her father stared down at her, as if he were trying to decide then and there if she would ever be worthy. She did not know what he would say next, but she knew it would in some way decide her fate.

This is it.

“You will go with your brother to Hebra,” the king decreed. “The two of you will do as you must to maintain peace within the province, in the name of your king.”


“I was not given what I wanted, but at the same time I was, in a way. I was still put in charge of handling Hebra, but I am to share that duty with my brother. But am I truly sharing responsibility? Am I to be a mere subordinate? What if Lancel gets all the credit? Perhaps my father agreeing to my proposal means he trusts me, but if he did, would he have told me to go with my brother? Would he not have sent me on my own? But he could not have revoked Lancel’s command after giving it to him so publicly. And Lancel already has a plan. Will mine even be useful? Will this simply show Lancel’s capability without giving me any chance to show mine? And now I need to tell him about this. What if he takes offense? What if he tries even harder to defeat me? What if he tries to sabotage me like he attempted to do to Percival? And what if…”

Sophitia paced back and forth in her bedroom, ranting through every stray thought that entered her head. Her meeting with her father had not gone as she had hoped, but it had not been a complete failure either. Now she was left to sort out the consequences of her actions and figure out her next steps, but that was easier said than done.

“Princess.”

“And there is still so much to do! I have not yet spoken with the Grand Treasurer, the Grand Archivist, or Lord Remoth. I need to requisition soldiers, servants, horses, rations…”

“Princess.”

“What if the Sage of Wind declines my request? What if Lancel’s plan is superior to mine? I still do not know his designs for Skyloft. How am I to--” Sophitia was stopped in her tracks as she suddenly found herself with Liliana standing in front of her, grabbing her by both shoulders.

“Princess,” the Ordonian girl said insistently. “Calm yourself.”

“...Yes. Of course. Calm. I must be calm,” Sophitia said. “What would Father say if he saw me like this?”

“Don’t think about your father,” Liliana told her. “Here. Come. Lie down.” She pulled Sophitia over to the side of her bed. The princess allowed herself to be guided, holding Liliana’s hand as she sat down before turning herself to lie on her back.

Sophitia breathed for a moment. “Thank you, Liliana,” she said to her retainer.

“You’re welcome.” Liliana crossed her arms and leaned her back against one of the poles supporting the bed’s canopy. “I must say, I’m surprised to see you like this. You really had yourself together when you were dealing with the Grand Artisan and the Postmaster.”

“Yes, I suppose I did,” Sophitia said, closing her eyes for a moment. “But Father is a whole different beast. And I still have Lancel to deal with…”

“Don’t think too much,” Liliana told her. “Just relax for now.”

Sophitia smiled. “Thinking too much is what I do.” She did her best to clear her mind, hoping a moment of rest would do her some good.

However, a few moments later, there was a knock at the door. Liliana spun around, hand on the hilt of her sword. “Who goes there?” she called out.

“I have a message for the princess,” replied a voice.

Liliana turned to her charge.

“Go see who it is,” Sophitia told her.

Nodding, the bodyguard cautiously approached the door and opened it a crack. “What is the message?” she asked.

“Prince Lancel requests the princess’s presence in his quarters.”

The messenger handed Liliana a note. She glanced at it, then nodded. “Thank you. I will see that she gets it,” she said, closing the door.

“What does it say?” Sophitia asked, seeing the letter in her retainer’s hand.

“Just what he said,” Liliana replied, walking back towards the bed. “Will you answer your brother’s summons?”

Sophitia sighed and lifted herself out of bed. “I suppose I must do so sooner or later,” she said. “No doubt he has received word of my actions by now. I’ll have to find the words to explain myself along the way.” In some ways, the fact that she would be going to Hebra with Lancel was preferable. It would have been much more awkward to explain her actions to him if she had successfully stolen responsibility of the province away from him.

Liliana nodded, then stepped over to Sophitia’s desk and retrieved the stack of papers that contained the princess’s proposal. “Will you be needing these, Princess?”

“Yes, thank you,” Sophitia said, taking the papers as her retainer handed them to her. She placed them carefully into her carrying bag. “If I am to work with him, we will have to compare notes. I am interested to hear what his plan is.”

Together, Sophitia and Liliana left the room and descended the steps to the bottom of her tower. They passed several guards and servants as they walked along the ramparts on the way to her brother’s quarters. Although she was still somewhat freaking out while trying to decide what to say to Lancel, Sophitia managed to keep up a facade of being calm and composed on the outside. It was a skill she had picked up from years of being a princess.

“Have you ever been in there?” Liliana asked curiously, pointing at something while walking beside Sophitia.

The princess saw she was pointing to the Windowless Tower, the headquarters of the Grand Watcher. “No,” Sophitia confessed. “They say there’s no real entrance. One must use a type of Sheikah shadow magic to get inside.”

“And you can’t do that?” Liliana asked.

Sophitia raised an eyebrow. Sometimes she forgot how ignorant Ordonians were of magic. Round-eared humans very rarely had any sort of magical affinity themselves, so Liliana must not have seen much of it while she was growing up in the Ordona Province. “I have tried to study shadow magic in the past, but it does not come easily to most Hylians. Even Lancel has never been able to perform it very well.”

“Ah,” Liliana said. “So not all the gods smile upon the Hylians.”

“Our one true goddess was Hylia,” Sophitia commented. “A new goddess of light watches over us now. The goddess of shadow, on the other hand, is tied to the Sheikah. Impa’s grandmother serves as her sage, you know.”

“Hmm,” Liliana grunted in acknowledgement.

Soon, they arrived at Lancel’s tower. Sir Anselm was standing outside at its base, waiting there to meet them. “Princess Sophitia,” he spoke, bowing. “Your prompt acceptance of Prince Lancel’s summons is greatly appreciated. Please go inside. The prince is waiting for you.”

“Thank you, sir knight,” Sophitia said. She and Liliana went to walk past Sir Anselm, but he stopped them.

“Miss Liliana, please wait out here,” the old knight said.

Sophitia and Liliana shared a look. While she would have preferred to have her friend and retainer present, Sophitia knew it was only right for her brother to wish to speak in private. So, she nodded to Liliana, letting her know it was okay. Liliana nodded in return and took up standing guard at the entrance alongside the prince’s bodyguard. On her own, Sophitia entered the tower.

She found her brother in his solar. He sat in one of the chairs arranged beside the fireplace, sipping a cup of tea. “Ah, Sister!” he said warmly when she entered, climbing to his feet. “Come in, come in. Would you like some tea?”

Sophitia was not sure how this encounter was going to turn out. Perhaps her brother was angry with her, but was choosing to hide it for now. However, as long as he was cordial, she had to be, too. “Thank you, Brother. That would be wonderful.” She sat down across from Lancel’s chair while he poured her drink. He placed it on the table in front of her, then sat back down. “Thank you,” she said again as she took the tea cup. “Now, might I ask why you have summoned me, Brother?”

Lancel smirked. “Oh? Does a man need a reason to enjoy some tea with his darling sister?”

“Not if he has time to spare,” Sophitia answered, returning his smile. “But I would hazard a guess that you have precious little of that as of late.”

Lancel laughed. “True, true. If only the Sage of Time would lend me her power. But alas, I confess I did indeed call you here on more urgent matters.” The prince produced a piece of paper, its seal freshly broken. “I received a very interesting message from Father just a moment ago,” he explained. “But I suppose you already know what it was about, no?”

Sophitia was torn between attempting to appear confident and attempting to appear apologetic. She settled on keeping her expression neutral, wearing a pleasant smile. “Yes,” she said, nodding. “I only just met with him a short while ago.”

“As I thought.” Lancel leaned forward. There was a chessboard on the end of the table between him and her. He reached out and pushed it closer to the center. “I must say, I was impressed. I did not expect such a bold move from you so early in the game.” As he spoke, he began moving pieces around the board, as if to illustrate his point. “When the summit came to a close and you had not yet come forward to claim a province, I figured your plan was to remain inconspicuous. With me, Vicky, and Percy off in distant lands, you would be free to remain here, unchallenged, where Father would take notice of your work, up close and personal.”

Sophitia blinked. She had not even considered that. Thinking of it now, it was possibly the simplest option, and it could also have been the most effective, at least in the short run. “It was a possibility, yes,” she said, pretending as if she had already thought of it and ruled it out on her own.

“Indeed. But no, I suppose you would be too smart for that,” Lancel continued. “Yes, you would be Father’s favorite for a time, but what would happen when the rest of us came home, having brought peace and stability to entire provinces? Why, whatever you might have accomplished here in the capital would surely look insignificant by comparison.” He picked up one of his rooks and used it to kick over a few of Sophitia’s pawns.

“Oh, yes. I have the utmost faith that all of you shall be quite successful with your endeavors in the other provinces,” Sophitia said magnanimously, taking a nonchalant sip of tea. “All of you are quite talented, and it is our duty as members of the Royal Family to keep the peace in Hyrule.”

“Quite so, quite so!” Lancel said. “However, rather than attempting to prove your worth to Father by solving the crises in Faron or Ordona or one of the other provinces, you decided to double up on mine. I found that most surprising.” The prince leaned forward, reaching over to the other side of the chessboard and picking up Sophitia’s queen. He brought it back and placed it beside his king. “We are to work together to restore order to Hebra. But, we both know there are a million and one ways this can be done so as to ensure only one of us gets the credit. Just as we are about to fix everything, perhaps you find a way to swoop in at the last second…” Abruptly, he used Sophitia’s queen to knock over his king, having her steal his square. “And ensure all of Hebra sings your praises -- yours and yours alone.”

Sophitia tensed, then breathed a sigh of relief. For a moment there, it had sounded as though he suspected her of planning to murder him.

“Why, what would happen then?” Lancel continued his monologue. “Vicky and Percy come home having completed their mission. You return home as well, not only as successful as the two of them, but also having succeeded where I have failed, making your accomplishments seem all the more impressive.” The prince smiled deviously. “Quite clever, sweet sister. Quite clever indeed.”

The princess was stunned. “...You give me too much credit,” she said truthfully. The plan he believed she’d concocted sounded much more complicated than what she’d actually come up with. All she had hoped to do was get sent to Hebra instead of him.

“Ah, so modest,” her brother said, not entirely sarcastically. “However, I can promise you, I do not intend to lose so easily.” He picked his king back up and placed it on top of Sophitia’s queen. “I do not know what information network you were setting up on your little trip to the post office today,” he said. “But I am not so in the dark myself. I assure you, all of Hyrule will know of my accomplishments when all of this is over -- Father most of all. If you intend to play this game, know that I intend to win it.”

Sophitia took a moment to process this. The way things were going now, she and Lancel would be enemies in Hebra, constantly trying to outdo -- or possibly even sabotage -- one another. If they were to act this way, they would practically be giving the throne to Victorique or Percival.

There’s got to be another way.

“You have me mostly figured out, Brother,” Sophitia said, setting her teacup down. “However, you have one key part of it quite wrong.”

“Do I?” Lancel said, leaning back into his armchair. “And what might that be?”

“I do not intend to compete with you. Not at this stage in the game, anyway,” the princess replied, keeping in line with Lancel’s ‘game’ metaphor.

“Oh?” The prince raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued.

“I intend to join forces.” Sophitia sat up straight, trying to appear as confident and prepared as her elder brother clearly was. “Alone, either of us might beat Percival, or he might beat us. Alone, Victorique will almost certainly beat us both. But, together, we can accomplish something so great that Father will forget all about our other siblings.” She smiled proudly to herself, happy with what she had come up with.

“Hmm...” Prince Lancel put his hand to his chin, thinking it over. “Such a move would put the two of us in an early lead, leaving us with only one other player to compete with rather than three.”

“Indeed,” Sophitia nodded. “It would be a mutually beneficial arrangement for us.”

“And why, may I ask, have you chosen to team up with me?” Lancel asked. “Logically, the smart play would be to team up with your weakest competition so that they might be more easily crushed once only you and them remain. You undoubtedly consider Vicky to be your toughest competitor. Surely you at least consider me more of a threat than Percy, yes?”

“That is true,” Sophitia agreed. “But I dare say I have neither the stomach nor the mind for warfare. On the other hand, I believe myself to be quite capable at diplomacy.” She could have ended her explanation there, but she remembered another important factor to this equation. “Furthermore, the City in the Sky is of great interest to me, as I am sure it is to you.”

Lancel smiled. “Oh, sweet sister, you are clever.”

Sophitia smiled at the compliment. “You are too kind, Brother. But please, do tell. I am quite curious to know -- you made such a spectacle when you brought it up before the council and the governors. What precisely are your designs for the lost city?”

Her brother took a moment to consider the question. “Well, since we are to be partners, I suppose I’ll share with you.” He snapped his fingers. The pieces on the chessboard glowed for a moment, then quickly moved back to their starting positions, resetting the board. “Tell me, why did it take Hyrule so long to conquer Hebra?”

“Tanagar Canyon divides us from them,” Sophitia answered. “And most of the province is uninhabitable snowy mountains and icy tundras, giving it little strategic value.”

“But that did not stop Nohansen the Uniter from trying, did it? He even had Snowpeak Palace constructed within the mountains as a forward base. He wanted to unite Hebra along with the rest of the Inner Continent. Why did he fail?”

Sophitia furrowed her brow, thinking, but she could not think of a better answer than the one she’d already given.

“I’ll give you a hint,” her brother said, raising a finger like a teacher. “Why are dragons so dangerous?”

Sophitia was confused. “Because they’re giant monsters?”

“Because they can fly,” Lancel corrected. He snapped his fingers again, and the chess pieces on his side of the board rose a few inches into the air, hovering above the table. “Ever since we lost our Loftwings, we Hylians have been bound to the earth, as are most other Children of Nayru. And most have never fought anyone who isn’t, like the Rito. That is why we underestimate the value of aerial forces in warfare. Despite being an expert military strategist, King Nohansen underestimated it, too.” Lancel began flicking his finger through the air, commanding the floating chess pieces to shoot down at Sophitia’s pieces, knocking them over one by one.

The princess tilted her head to the side, curious. “So, you mean to use the City in the Sky as a tool of war? How? It likely has fortifications, but what good is that if we can’t control its movements or easily transport troops to and from the ground?”

“We can control it,” Lancel corrected. “It may be drifting like an uncrewed ship at sea at the moment, but once we claim it, we will have the ability to steer it. And it has more than fortifications. Our ancestors, the Skyloftians, had a number of ancient weapons to protect themselves. The Demon King Vaati used these weapons to wreak havoc on the world below, and he would have destroyed the whole kingdom were it not for the Hero of the Minish. Additionally, the Oocca improved the city’s arsenal with weapons and technology of their own advanced design. Now, a veritable treasure trove of ancient and advanced weaponry sits floating in the sky, unclaimed. Whoever controls the city controls the sky, and whoever controls the sky controls the world. Hyrule, the Outer Continent, even Holodrum and Labrynna would be within our grasp.” The prince leaned back in his seat, looking rather satisfied with himself. “Tell me, does that not sound like something that would catch Father’s attention?”

Sophitia’s eyes opened wide. Her brother was right. This was exactly what their father would be looking for. Not only could they protect the kingdom -- they could expand it. The king was sure to be interested. She was, too, if she were being honest. The thought of being queen of not only Hyrule, but the entire world, certainly had its appeal. However, as she thought about it more and really processed what her brother was saying... it began to frighten her. Protecting their kingdom was one thing, but even if the people of Holodrum and Labrynna would be better off under their rule, conquering them with a weaponized floating fortress sounded downright villainous.

It’s like what Demon King Vaati tried to do.

“Brother…” Sophitia began cautiously. “If you were to obtain such power, what would you do with it?” She herself was unsure now.

Prince Lancel chuckled. “Fear not, sweet sister. I am no megalomaniac. I do not wish to wage war with the rest of the world. Quite the opposite, in fact. I simply want what our family has always strived for -- peace.”

Sophitia narrowed her eyes skeptically.

With another snap of his fingers, the prince caused the chess board to reset itself once more. “I play against Sir Anselm quite often, you know,” he said, moving the pieces manually this time. “He is a worthy opponent, to be sure. But even so, playing chess the normal way gets boring after a while. Recently, I’ve been trying a new game. I try to see if I can reach checkmate while taking and sacrificing as few pieces as possible, even when another strategy more certain to achieve victory presents itself.”

“Still treating all this as a game, I see,” Sophitia said.

“It has always been a game!” the prince declared with a smile. “With the City in the Sky under our control, no one would think to oppose us anymore. It would be a permanent checkmate, and no pieces would need to be sacrificed anymore. No more fighting, no more war. I couldn’t imagine a more perfect victory.”

So that has been his plan all along.

Like her, Lancel wanted peace. He had been honest about wanting to achieve it without violence and bloodshed. However, his plan was to force peace through the threat of violence and bloodshed. The princess was not naive; she knew her kingdom maintained order with such threats fairly regularly, as it had for centuries. However, she had been hoping her brother had some clever method of diplomacy in mind, not simply a newer, more effective form of deterrence. His plan certainly had his own brand of cleverness to it, but at its core, it seemed no different than what Percival would do in his place.

Well, I suppose he is trying to impress Father, after all...

However, Sophitia found herself with a golden opportunity. She was to accompany Lancel to Hebra, and she knew his plans now. All she had to do was come up with her own plan to subvert his; find another way to improve relations with the Rito before her brother had full control of the City in the Sky. She could achieve peace, protect the kingdom from her brother, and impress her father with her superior diplomatic skills, all in one fell swoop. She smiled to herself as it all came together in her mind.

“Well, Brother, I am certainly impressed,” she said. “In the name of the Goddess, let us bring peace to Hyrule -- together.”

Chapter 8: Harun III

Chapter Text

Waking up was like coming out of a deep fog. Harun stared at the ceiling until he realized he was conscious, then turned his head to look around. He did not recognize his surroundings, but he was in a small room with three of his guards standing nearby.

What happened?

He tried to figure out where he was and how he’d gotten there, but before he could give it much thought, one of the guards noticed him stirring.

“He’s awake!” Emri shouted. She ran to his side, kneeling by his bed. “Are you well, my prince?”

Kyra approached him holding a bowl of something. “Are you hungry? Please, eat. You need your strength.”

Laine knelt down beside Emri. “Great One, if there is anything you require, you need only speak the word.”

Harun was overwhelmed. He sat up and pushed himself back along the bed until he was up against the wall. “Where am I?” he asked in confusion.

“In hospice, beside the Spirit Temple.”

“Fear not, my prince. We’ve reached the Arbiter’s Grounds.”

The Arbiter’s Grounds?

He remembered now. They had nearly made it. They were so close. But then…

“Where is Katta?” His attendants all lowered their heads, not answering. It came as no surprise. He’d already known the answer when he asked. He’d seen the Molduga swallow her along with the other girl she’d been trying to rescue. They had both died for him -- them and everyone else who’d died just to get him to the Arbiter’s Grounds. “I see,” he said gravely.

“My prince, is there anything I can--”

“No,” Harun said, holding up a hand. “Please. Just leave me.” His attendants exchanged uncertain looks, but they obeyed him and left.

As soon as he was alone, Harun’s eyes watered.

It’s not fair.

Katta was supposed to be a great warrior one day. She was meant to die an honorable death, perhaps fighting to defend her kingdom, or protecting the innocent. Instead, she had died a pointless death, succumbing to a monster of the desert, without leaving behind so much as a body to entomb. They would not have been able to perform her last rites, either. Even now, her spirit could be wandering aimlessly through the desert that had taken her life, unable to cross over to the other side.

All because of my selfishness. All because of this demon inside of me.

Harun’s sadness soon gave way to anger. In a rage, he slammed his fist against the wall, turning his head upwards to the heavens.

Were you not watching? Could you not have protected her? Why did you let her die?

He didn’t know which gods he was angry at. Perhaps all of them, but Nephysis and Alkawbra most of all. The voe lifted his arm and stared down at his hand, as if he could see the demon’s spirit inside of him.

I just want this fucking thing out of my life...

They were there, now. All this had been to get him to the Sage of Spirit so she could cure him. Now, he wanted nothing more than to get it over with.

And then what? March back across the desert so more of my people can die needlessly?

Harun let out a pitiful wail of despair, then collapsed back down onto his hospice bed. He considered staying there, as if all the pain and destruction his existence would cause could be avoided if he simply never left that bed. However, he could only stomach doing nothing for so long.

The sage will exorcise this demon and free me from its curse. I have to try.

Feeling the need to do something about it, he stood up. He’d been told he was right next to the Spirit Temple, so he planned to march over there and demand the sage’s assistance. After pulling the door open, he stepped outside the room and found himself face to face with Elder Kobami. The old woman stood there, leaning on her cane, and she did not seem surprised to see him awake.

“It is good to see you are well, young one,” she greeted him.

I am not well.

“Where is the Sage of Spirit?” he asked, not taking the time for courtesy.

The witch smiled. “Eager, are we? Good. It is time for your true potential to be unlocked.”

Harun growled lightly at that, but said nothing about it. “Take me to her.”

“As you wish, young one.” Elder Kobami turned around and led Harun down the hallway. Harun immediately regretted asking the witch to lead him there. She walked so slowly, limping along on her cane. “The events that transpired on our journey here were a tragedy,” Kobami said. “But fear not. When we leave the Arbiter’s Grounds, you shall be strong enough to destroy or enslave every monster in the desert single-handedly.”

Harun felt something deep down as he heard those words. There was a dark allure to the idea of having the power to take revenge on everything that had harmed his people, especially the monster that had killed Katta. But he knew that was the Beast inside of him talking -- tempting him with promises of vengeance.

Begone, Ganon. I shall not play host to your spirit much longer.

Harun and Kobami passed by several guards and servants as they made their way to the exit, but they spared no time to speak to any of them until they reached the door leading outside. At that point, Elder Kobami called the nearest guard over to her. “Take a message to the queen. Tell her I am taking Harun to see Sage Nashorla.”

“Yes, Elder One,” the guard said, exiting the building ahead of them.

Harun did not object, but he was not sure how to feel about that. The more people who were around him, the more others might get in the way of his impending exorcism. Not to mention he could be a danger to them, even though the Arbiter’s Grounds were supposed to be well-defended.

When they stepped outside, Harun could see the side of the Spirit Temple a short distance away, having recognized the Desert Colossus. However, Kobami began walking around the building to the main entrance in the front, and Harun was forced to follow. “How familiar are you with the Arbiter’s Grounds, young one?” Elder Kobami asked.

“Not very,” Harun said tersely. He had never been there before, so he knew only what he had been told.

“It is our people’s second largest settlement after Naboris, now that the Hyruleans control Taafei and Yarna,” she explained. “The Spirit Temple is the very heart of the city. Everything else sprung up around it over the years, often from nomads finally settling down to stay in one place. The temple itself is actually connected to several other buildings, allowing it to serve as a place of worship, a crypt, a dungeon for criminals and malevolent spirits, a coliseum, a treasure hold, and a courthouse. Most of these buildings have been built or rebuilt in the past century. They had already been falling into disrepair before the Hyruleans nearly destroyed the entire settlement in the Twilight War.”

Damn you, witch.

Harun silently seethed. He knew the Arbiter’s Grounds had been sacked by the forces of Ganon during the Twilight War, and the Hyruleans had only been there to expel the Twili and Bulblin invaders. They had even peacefully returned control of the settlement to the Gerudo after the war.

It seems the truth of history doesn’t matter if it gets in the way of what you wish to believe.

But he did not care about the history of the Arbiter’s Grounds. At the moment, all he wanted was to find the Sage of Spirit and do what they’d come there to do.

At the Spirit Temple’s entrance, Harun and Kobami were greeted by two priestesses. The women carried ornate golden staves, and their sheer outfits and excessive jewelry reminded Harun of the dancers back at Gerudo Palace.

“My greetings, honored guest. You must be Prince Harun. You are most welcome to enter the Temple of Spirit,” one priestess said to him.

“Take me to Sage Nashorla,” Harun said, almost forcefully. He was acutely aware of how rude he was being, but his current one-track mind prevented him from caring. However, whereas Lady Averla would have reprimanded him, Elder Kobami only smiled.

“Yes, of course,” the other priestess said with a bow. “Right this way.”

The entryway of the Spirit Temple was a massive, high-ceilinged room that reminded Harun of the throne room in Gerudo Palace. In front of him was a short set of stairs leading up to a higher level on the other half of the room. The stairs were flanked by large sandstone cobra statues holding up flat slabs with Gerudo writing carved into them. More priestesses and other Gerudo women lingered about the room, many of them on their knees in prayer. As soon as Harun entered, he felt something inside of him resonating with his surroundings. It was as if the temple was teeming with spirits -- unseen, but present nonetheless.

After climbing the stairs and crossing the other half of the room, Harun and Kobami were led through other parts of the temple until they arrived at a chamber containing a massive stone statue. It was very similar to the Desert Colossus on the outside of the temple. The goddess Nephysis sat with her legs crossed, holding up her hands to her sides, with Alkawbra coiled around her and resting upon her head.

Standing at an altar in front of the statue was a woman dressed similarly to the other priestesses, but with much gaudier jewelry. A chain made of swirled gold pieces linked together was wrapped around her waist, coming together at a triangular red gem in the center. She wore golden bands with elaborate etchings and jeweled adornments around her right wrist, her left upper arm, and her neck. Each ear held two gold piercings connected with a thin gold chain, along with a third piercing from which hung a long, thin, pointy red gem. The jewel she wore on her forehead was even larger than Elder Kobami’s, and she had an even larger one rising straight up from the golden clip that held her hair in a ponytail down past her back. The staff she held had a lantern hanging from the top of it, lit with a ghostly gray flame.

“Sage Nashorla,” one of the priestesses said, getting down on one knee. “The queen’s ward and prince-to-be requests an audience with you.”

The sage turned to face them more fully. By all accounts, the woman was exceedingly beautiful. She reminded Harun of Lady Averla, but with slightly darker skin and slightly lighter hair. “Greetings, Prince Harun,” Sage Nashorla said. “I have been expecting you.”

Harun wondered briefly if she had sensed his intention to come to the temple days earlier through spirit magic of some sort, but he realized she merely meant the situation had been explained to her while he was unconscious. “I must speak with you at once,” Harun said, forgetting to greet her back. He gave a quick glance over his shoulder. “Alone,” he added, wishing to rid himself of Elder Kobami. He wanted his spirit cleansed, but she would have him corrupted instead.

Nashorla looked him up and down appraisingly, likely put off by his attitude. However, she nodded to her priestesses. “Thank you. Please give us a moment to speak in private.”

“As you wish.” The priestesses stood up and turned to leave. When Kobami did not move to leave with them, Harun gave her a cold stare. She smiled and chuckled darkly, but got the message and followed the priestesses out of the room.

“Queen Urballa has informed me of your plight,” the sage said once they were alone. “Dark visions haunt your dreams as well as your waking life. Visions of a dark beast that you believe to be the demon king himself.”

“Yes,” Harun confirmed. “My wish is to be freed from the dark lord’s curse. If his spirit lingers within me, I desire for you to banish it. Many died to bring me here for this purpose. I will not leave here until it is done.”

“Your wish is for me to perform an exorcism,” Sage Nashorla reiterated, stepping down off of the altar to be on level ground with Harun, the lantern on her staff swinging slowly as she walked. “Has this spirit possessed you? Taken control of your body? Spoken through you?”

Harun narrowed his eyes. “No. Why do you ask?”

“Has it ever spoken to you? In your visions, your dreams, your thoughts?”

Harun considered this for a moment. “No. Only the visions.”

“Have you ever spoken to the spirit? Ever tried?”

“No. What does it matter? Will you rid me of this disgusting parasite, or won’t you?” Harun was getting angry. He did not come here to be asked useless questions.

“I may be able to exorcise you,” the sage said calmly, ignoring the voe’s outburst. “But I do not recommend it. Not yet, at least.”

“Why not?”

The way Nashorla looked at him was like a mother looking at her child -- annoyed by his petulence, but sympathetic of his lack of knowledge. “Even if they do not always use words, the spirits often try to speak with us. They have much to tell us. Much to warn us about. Perhaps you should try speaking to this spirit. Dangerous or no, if you can commune with it, you may find wisdom where you did not expect to.”

“And what wisdom is there to be found in the most evil man who ever lived?” Harun asked scathingly.

Nashorla tilted her head curiously, her earrings jangling as she did. “Is that what you think of your predecessor?”

Harun hesitated. Despite what he’d just said, he knew it was more complicated than that. The way Queen Urballa spoke of Ganondorf suggested he’d had several qualities of a great king, but even if that were true, surely that could not excuse everything he had done.

Before Harun could say anything, Sage Nashorla planted her staff in a metal holder on the floor and sat down, legs crossed like the giant statue of Nephysis behind her. “Sit with me a moment,” she offered.

Harun furrowed his brow, confused and annoyed. Sighing, he sat down on the floor across from her, mimicking her posture.

“Close your eyes,” the sage instructed. “I want you to reach out to the spirit that is trying to contact you. Do not fight it this time, even though your instincts may tell you to. Lend an ear to what it has to say.”

This is a waste of time.

This was not how Harun had hoped this meeting would go. The way the sage spoke to him, it was as if she shared Elder Kobami’s wish for him to embrace the demon’s spirit and obtain its power. However, he listened to her instructions, fully expecting another vision of the dark beast.

With his eyes closed, Harun saw only darkness. The sage continued to speak to him, encouraging him to open his mind and feel the thousands of souls surrounding him in the temple. For a long time, nothing happened, and his nerves were beginning to strain. But as he sat there, Nashorla’s words began to sound more and more distant. He soon felt something indescribable from within -- the same sort of feeling he’d gotten when he’d first entered the temple.

He opened his eyes. He appeared to still be in the same room, but now, for some reason, he was sitting on the altar beneath the statue, facing the opposite way.

“The time is right, my king. We must act.” He heard two voices speaking in perfect sync, one on either side of him. Glancing to his right, he saw an old crone sitting on the ground below the altar. She looked even older than Elder Kobami, and the jewel on her forehead was a large red ruby. Her hair was red and orange, but not the normal Gerudo hair color. It looked like fire. Glancing to his left, Harun saw a perfect double of the old crone, except this one’s jewel was a blue sapphire, and her hair was blue and white, as if frozen in ice.

“Yes,” Harun heard himself say, but it was not his own voice. “We have waited long enough. I suppose it is time.”

Harun blinked, then flinched in panic as he suddenly found himself back where he’d been a moment ago, sitting on the floor across from the sage. “What the hell was that?” he asked, his breathing rapid and heavy.

“What did you see?” the sage asked him calmly. There was something mysterious about her gaze. It was like she was looking through him, or like she was always seeing more than he was.

“This room,” Harun answered. “But I was over there.” He pointed to the altar. “I was me, but not me. And there were two witches with me, too.”

“Who were you, if you were not you?”

“...Him,” Harun said softly. “Ganondorf. The one who haunts me.”

Nashorla nodded. “I see.” She stood up and retrieved her staff, then waved it gently through the air, as if spreading something from the flaming lantern on the end of it. “I believe this confirms your suspicions that the spirit of King Ganondorf is reaching out to you.”

“But why was I him?” Harun asked, climbing to his feet as well.

“You were likely seeing a memory of his. Such visions are most often experienced from the point of view of the memory’s owner,” the sage explained. “It may also be an indication of a past life, but given your shared status as the voe, I believe it more likely that you and him are simply connected spiritually.”

“A memory?” Harun asked. “So he came here as well.”

“Yes. Although it was long before my time. He was king two centuries ago. But, this is an ancient place,” Sage Nashorla said, spreading her arms and gazing around the room. “Gerudo kings have been making pilgrimages here for thousands of years, and they are all entombed here in the end.”

Which means I will join them someday.

Harun did not like the thought of that.

“Who were the witches?”

“Twinrova,” Nashorla answered. “Koume and Kotake, twin sorceresses who lived for four hundred years. They fostered Ganondorf and raised him to be king, as they had done with the three previous generations of voe before him. After Ganondorf’s failed rebellion, they were executed by the Hyruleans.”

“...I see.” Harun thought of the women who were raising him -- his foster mother, Queen Urballa, and his teachers, Lady Averla and Elder Kobami.

If the Hyruleans ever decided to kill me, would they execute them, too?

The Hyruleans did not often concern him, but at times like this, he truly could see why Elder Kobami and the other Ganonites feared them so much. But that was not the issue right now. Harun had come for Ganondorf.

“If I have a spiritual connection to Ganondorf, I want you to sever that connection,” Harun stated plainly. “I do not care if I am his successor. I am my own voe, and I will not be weighed down by the demon king’s legacy.”

Sage Nashorla regarded him for a moment, again appearing to be seeing more than he could. “Let us not be hasty,” she advised. “I believe we should discuss this with the queen.”

“No.” Harun spoke forcefully, a sudden burst of anger consuming him. “This is my decision. Mine alone. You have no idea what this demon has taken from me.”

The Sage of Spirit turned her head slightly, as if she were looking at something over Harun’s shoulder. “I am sorry for your loss,” she said, turning her attention back to him. “Truly, I am. But I have good reason to advise caution. What you are requesting can be extremely dangerous, especially when dealing with a spirit as powerful as Ganon’s. If one were to attempt to forcibly expel him, he may lash out. There’s no telling what he might do.”

“You think yourself incapable?” Harun asked, taking a step forward. “You are Alkawbra’s avatar, are you not? If you cannot command the spirits in her place, then what good are you?” He tilted his head up, glaring at the stone cobra wrapping itself around Nephysis. “And what of you? Are you to sit there and do nothing? Why do you ignore me?”

“Prince Harun!” said a voice from behind.

Turning, he saw Queen Urballa entering the room, joined by Averla, Kobami, Bularis, and several others. “My queen,” Harun said reflexively.

“Do not tempt the gods,” Urballa warned. “And do not expect their undivided attention. For all we know, the Goddess of Spirit is busy ferrying the friends we lost yesterday to the other side as we speak.”

Harun considered that for a moment. He realized his hands were shaking, and he was breathing heavily. Something about this place was getting to him. “You are right, my queen,” he said, trying to calm himself.

Lady Averla walked over to him and placed her hands on his shoulders. “We all share your pain, young voe,” she said. “This is not the way to overcome it.”

Elder Kobami said nothing. If anything, she looked upset that the others were managing to calm him down.

Averla stepped away, and Urballa put a hand on Harun’s back as he turned to face Nashorla. “My apologies for intruding, Sage Nashorla,” Urballa said.

“None necessary, my queen,” the sage replied.

“Harun,” Urballa continued, removing her hand from his back. “I assume you and the sage have discussed the issue at length?”

“We… We were in the middle of such a discussion, yes,” Harun confirmed.

“He wishes me to sever the connection between him and Ganondorf’s spirit,” Nashorla explained. “I have warned him of the dangers.”

Urballa turned to her advisors. “Lady Averla, Elder Kobami, this is not the first time we have discussed this. Let us have your input one last time so that we may have a decision.”

“So long as Harun’s safety is maintained, I believe the demon should be exorcised at once,” Averla advised. “No good can come of it, and it is what the prince desires.”

“No,” Kobami disagreed. “You all must reconsider. War with the Hyruleans is nearly upon us, and you would throw away our greatest weapon in the fight for our freedom? The Great Ganondorf has chosen this child to inherit his power. We must teach the prince to harness it.”

Urballa nodded, then turned back to Nashorla. “And you, Sage?”

“It is true that this spirit is powerful, and quite possibly a danger to the prince and those around him,” Sage Nashorla explained. “But if he is willing, Harun may be capable of communing with it. Perhaps Ganondorf’s spirit can be placated and put to rest without needing to risk an exorcism. He may even impart some wisdom that could be the key to resolving our feud with Hyrule.”

Urballa nodded again before addressing Harun once more. “There you have it. As our future king, you must learn how to assess the advice of your council. You have heard their words. Now, the decision is yours.”

Harun did not need to hear all of this again. “I have made my decision already. The connection between me and Ganondorf must be severed.”

Lady Averla smiled. “A wise choice, my prince.”

“My queen, I must protest,” Elder Kobami began to argue.

Urballa held up her hand. “Enough. It is decided. Wise Sage,” she said to Nashorla, who was observing her with something close to a thousand yard stare. “I am aware of the risks, as is my ward. Will you do as he has requests?”

Harun found it interesting that Urballa often chose to request what she could otherwise demand. It made him wonder what she would do if the sage refused, as she had done for him.

Perhaps she only asks because she is already certain of the answer somehow.

Before answering, the sage gazed up at the statue of Nephysis and Alkawbra, as if silently requesting their counsel. Harun could not tell whether or not she received any divine instructions, but she nodded her approval nonetheless. “Yes, my queen,” she said. “I shall try, but I make no promises.”

“Thank you, Sage,” Harun said, breathing a sigh of relief. “Let us begin immediately.”

Nashorla shook her head. “Not here. I believe it best if the ritual is performed somewhere that Ganondorf has a greater connection to. This will allow his spirit to manifest more strongly, and allow me greater ability to interact with it directly.”

Lady Averla looked horrified. “You do not mean to bring him down to the crypts where the demon king’s body is entombed?”

“No,” Nashorla denied. “There is somewhere else with a greater connection to him. Somewhere that represents an important turning point in his life.”

The sage led them out of the statue chamber. They were joined by several more of her priestesses who, along with Urballa’s guards, formed a protective retinue around them as they walked through the temple. Many residents of the Arbiter’s Grounds as well as passing pilgrims were eager to get a look at the queen and the voe, but they did not have time to gladhand the citizenry. Harun was especially happy to keep his distance from strangers, given his current mood.

Without setting foot outside, they left the Spirit Temple and entered another large building connected to it via a long stone hallway. The room they ended up in had an unfathomably high ceiling. A spiraling staircase lined the circular walls, leading as high up as the eye could see.

The long climb to the top nearly caused Harun to pass out, but once they were at the top level, they stepped outside onto the roof. The view was incredible. Even though Naboris was larger than the Arbiter’s Grounds, Harun’s home city did not have any buildings quite as tall as this one, not even the palace.

However, after going around the outer walkway up to their final destination, Harun felt the strangest feeling wash over him.

“Ah, the Coliseum,” Commander Bularis said, stepping into the sandy pit. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been here.”

Lady Averla nodded. “Many fine warriors have competed here.”

The Coliseum was massive. It was a great, empty circle of sand with thousands of seats atop the stone platforms surrounding it, but Harun did not admire the sight. As soon as he set foot within its boundaries, he collapsed down onto one knee. He groaned, feeling lightheaded, and also strangely angry, although he could not say why.

“Prince Harun!” Averla came to his side, kneeling beside him. “Are you alright?”

“This is an evil place,” Harun growled. He did not choose to say the words, but they had come to him nonetheless, and he felt as if they were true. Somehow, he knew this Coliseum, even if he had never been there before.

“Sage,” Queen Urballa said in alarm. “What is happening?”

Nashorla observed Harun with great interest. “Ganon’s spirit is within him now,” she said. “As I suspected, he is quite strong here. This is where the Ancient Sages tried and failed to execute him before banishing him to the Twilight Realm.”

Elder Kobami watched him closely as well. A wicked grin spread across her face. “Is it true?” she asked. “Rejoice, young one! The Great Ganondorf has come again!”

“Kill it,” Harun hissed. “Now, Sage! Rid me of this curse!” The voe kept his arms close to his chest. He could feel a presence within him now, as if something else was trying to move his body.

“The ritual cannot be done so quickly,” Nashorla said. “I need time.”

“Then bind me,” Harun demanded. “Chain me down until it is done.”

“Prince Harun, I am not sure that is wise,” Lady Averla warned. “You are in pain. Perhaps we should leave this place.”

“No,” Queen Urballa said. “Do as he wishes. Guards, seize him.”

Harun felt a strong grip on both his arms as Commander Bularis grabbed him from behind. Two other guards came at him from the front, holding him tightly so he could not move.

“Bring him to the center of the arena,” Sage Nashorla commanded. Then she turned to one of her priestesses. “Take some of the queen’s guards down below to the operator’s deck. Raise the pillar in the center. The one with the manacles.” The priestess nodded, and she and the guards moved to obey.

Meanwhile, Harun struggled against the women dragging him through the sand, even though he did not mean to. “I… was betrayed,” he choked out, not knowing where the words came from. “You will all pay for this!” He screamed and shook his head, trying to regain his senses. “Those are not my words,” he said. “Please, help me!”

As they approached the center of the fighting ring, a circular trap door opened in the ground. From it, a stone pillar rose upward, bearing several sets of manacles that hung from it. Harun imagined it was a way to raise prisoners up into the Coliseum before forcing them to fight, or to hold them as they were executed. His body tried to pull away at the sight of them, but Bularis and the other guards held strong.

“I am sorry about this, my prince,” the commander apologized. “It will all be over soon.”

“My gratitude, warrior,” Harun said, before closing his eyes and grunting in pain, feeling as if Ganondorf’s spirit was drilling holes in his head.

“Do not fight it,” he heard Elder Kobami urge him. “Feel the power within you. Let it become yours.”

“Begone, witch!” he shouted as the guards chained him up by his wrists.

“My queen, please. This is madness,” Lady Averla protested.

“It was Harun’s choice,” the queen replied. Her face was hardened, but it was clear this was as painful to her as it was to Averla.

Nashorla and several of her priestesses formed a circle around the pillar. The sage raised her staff and swayed the lantern from the end of it back and forth gently, muttering something under her breath. Her eyes were closed, and when she opened them, they resembled the lantern’s gray flame. “Old King Ganondorf,” she said, her voice reverberating unnaturally. “Come forth.”

Harun pulled against his chains, grunting angrily for a moment. He looked around him, seeing his mentors, the guards, and the priestesses surrounding him. Then he blinked, and suddenly they were gone.

In their place were six white, glowing, ghostly specters. At first, they appeared as old, bearded men wearing robes, all of them identical, but then Harun saw one of them turn his head. The old men’s faces were merely masks, floating in front of an empty robe where a face should have been. Yet, even as masks, the faces were staring at him intently. It frightened him, but more than that, the sight of those empty husks infuriated him.

While the six ethereal figures appeared mostly identical, they each had a different symbol on their robes. Harun recognized them. Light, forest, fire, water, shadow, spirit -- the symbols of the original Six Sages. The one with the light symbol on his robes stood in the center. He raised his hands, and an ornately crafted greatsword materialized from a magnificent white light.

“Ganondorf, King of the Gerudo,” the Sage of Light spoke, his voice deep and echoey. “For attempting to claim the Triforce for yourself, you have been found guilty of crimes against the gods. For that, the penalty can only be death.”

“Rauru,” the Sage of Water spoke from beside him. “Please, allow me to bear this burden. I fear you have been forced to shed too much blood on our behalf.”

The Sage of Light hesitated for a moment. “Very well,” the old man agreed. With no feet beneath his floating robes, the sage glided silently to the side. The Sage of Water moved to take his place in front of the white greatsword that sat hovering in midair.

“May the Golden Goddesses show you mercy in the next world,” the Sage of Water said. Raising his arms, the sword flipped upright, then pointed toward Harun.

This is where I die.

The sword flew forward, impaling Harun through the chest. He screamed in pain, but it was not his own voice. He leaned forward, hanging limply in his chains, expecting death to claim him at any moment. However, death would not come. Suddenly, Harun felt a surge of anger -- and power. With renewed vigor, he raised his head and pulled against his chains, the sword still sticking out of his chest as he bled profusely. As he struggled, a glowing symbol appeared on his right hand -- three golden triangles, the Triforce. The shackle around his right hand snapped, and the sages reared back in surprise. He then pulled with his left hand, shattering the other shackle as well. Thinking of nothing but vengeance, he lunged forward, reaching out with his hand for the Sage of Water’s neck.

Suddenly, the sages were gone. Harun heard gasps and screams from the Gerudo women all around him. His right arm was extended, holding someone by the neck, but it was no sage -- it was Lady Averla. Her neck was snapped, and she hung limply in his grasp. He froze, staring at her lifeless body, horrified. “...What?”

Harun felt a steel grip on his right arm. It forced him to let go of Averla, letting her body drop as others came forward to cradle her. Next, he was shoved to the ground, pressed face down into the sand by Commander Bularis. “Wait! Stop! I did not, I was not, I, I…”

“Careful, Commander,” Queen Urballa ordered. “Keep him restrained, but he is not to be harmed.” After seeing her commands followed, the queen knelt beside Lady Averla and checked her pulse. “Prince Harun,” she asked. “What happened?”

“I don’t know!” Harun shouted, in tears. “I was not myself! I could not see her! I, I, I…”

“By the gods...” Urballa muttered as she stood up. “Sage, was the ritual successful? Have you banished the spirit of Ganon?”

Nashorla shook her head. “The spirit has receded for now, but I did not have time to sever the connection.”

Harun wailed in despair at this news. He had killed Averla, and they didn’t even have anything to show for it from this accursed ritual.

“Guards, get the prince somewhere safe before the spirit returns,” the queen commanded. “Priestesses, perform Lady Averla’s last rites and make the necessary arrangements.”

“I did not mean to!” Harun shouted as he was pulled to his feet by several guards. “Please, you must believe me!”

“I believe you,” Queen Urballa responded, looking at him with a mixture of sympathy and caution. Then she turned to give further instructions to her guards. “Keep him isolated until we can determine if he is safe. Do not put him anywhere uncomfortable, but keep him watched.”

“Yes, my queen,” Bularis replied, still holding the prince from behind. Harun did not resist and allowed them to drag him back inside the building. He could not believe the misfortune and devastation that seemed to keep following him.

First Katta, now Averla. Are all the ones I care about to die before I am rid of this curse?


Harun spent the next few hours in the dungeon. True to their orders, the guards did nothing to mistreat him, but Commander Bularis and several others stood outside his cell to keep him there regardless. The cell was larger than expected, but completely empty, having nothing in it but a floor of desert sand. His only source of light was a small, barred window that was several feet higher than he could reach. The walls were solid stone rather than bars, and the only door was made of heavy iron. He could see and speak to the guards if he went to the door and knocked, signaling them to slide open the slot in the door, but he did not wish to see anyone. He was worried he would kill someone again. So, he sat alone in the middle of his empty cell, waiting for the queen to return with her decision regarding what was to be done with him.

He did not see any more flashbacks of Ganondorf’s life, but whenever his thoughts about the situation made him too angry, he would see visions of the Beast once again. He could no longer say whether he preferred Ganondorf over the monstrous Ganon. As far as he was concerned, they were both monsters.

And now, so am I.

A muffled sound drifted through the door. Someone outside his cell was talking.

“I wish to see the prince,” said a young girl’s voice.

“Princess, please. It is not safe,” Commander Bularis’s voice replied.

“Harun would never hurt me.”

“We do not know that. His condition is unpredictable. If Ganon possesses him again--”

“Then come inside with me. You can protect me,” Princess Sabah argued.

Harun sighed. He often found it endearing when his betrothed got stubborn like that, but at the moment, he wished she would listen to her elders.

“...Fine. But I beg of you, Princess, please make it quick,” the commander relented. A moment later, the door opened and she stepped inside, followed by Princess Sabah.

“...Greetings,” Sabah said, standing awkwardly several feet from Harun. The commander stood by her side, holding her enormous battleaxe.

“Do not approach me,” Harun warned, not getting up or moving from his position.

“Do not worry,” the princess replied. “I am not here to scold you or anything like that.”

Harun only grunted in response.

“What happened was a tragedy, but it was not your fault,” Sabah went on.

Then whose was it?

“It makes no difference,” Harun insisted dejectedly. “I was the one who killed Lady Averla.”

Sabah winced at that. “Mother says you are not to be punished. You were not in control of your actions, so the blame does not rest with--”

“I don’t care.” Harun stared up at her, his face burning with shame. “Lady Averla is gone. She is gone because I could not control it. This entire journey has been a pointless failure. No matter what I do, I am destined to become the next Ganon -- the next enemy of the world.”

The princess clearly did not know what to say. She stood there for a moment, twisting her hands together nervously. Commander Bularis eyed them both warily, ready to move if needed. Then Sabah walked forward. “Princess,” Bularis began, reaching out with her hand.

“I am fine,” she insisted. Harun watched her curiously as well, wondering just how naive she could be. For all she knew, he could kill her at any moment. And yet, she came and sat down in the sand right next to him, her jewelry jangling with the motion. She waited for a moment, but Harun could think of nothing else to say. “What do you want to do now?” she asked him.

“What else can I do?” Harun replied. “We came here because we could not think of any other option. If the Sage of Spirit cannot help me, then I am a lost cause.”

“There is another option,” Sabah said. “If the sage could not help you, perhaps her Patron can.”

Harun sighed. He had asked the gods for help before, and nothing had come of it. “The Goddess of Spirit is not here,” Harun said. “If she wanted to help me, she would have revealed herself by now. I suppose she considers me unimportant, or otherwise not worth helping.”

Sabah shook her head, her earrings whipping about as she did. “That is not what anyone thinks of you, and certainly not the gods,” she insisted. “They must have had a plan for you. They chose you to be the voe, after all.”

“They chose Ganondorf to be the voe, too,” Harun reminded her. He’d raised his voice a little more than he’d intended, and the princess flinched in surprise. Bularis took a step forward, but Sabah raised her hand to stop her. “I apologize, Princess, but I cannot rely on the gods. They have allowed my loved ones to die too many times, and they have done nothing to free me from Ganon.”

Princess Sabah sat quietly for a moment, nervously twisting the gold bangles running up and down her wrist. “Do you hate the gods, Harun?” she asked quietly.

The prince had not been prepared for that question. Thinking back, he had never felt very strongly about any of the gods. It was only recently, when everything seemed to be getting worse and worse, that he thought to wonder why they refused to help him. “Maybe,” he said bitterly. “They have so much power. They could fix everything wrong with the world, and yet they do not. Why is that? Why allow us to suffer?”

Sabah did not answer him. “Demise hated the gods,” she said. From the way she winced as she spoke, Harun could tell that even speaking the name of the First Demon King was unpleasant to her. “Do you know why he did? Or how he became the Demon King?”

Harun shook his head, unsure where she was going with this. “No one knows that.”

The princess nodded, staring up at the ceiling. “I think he was probably mortal once,” she said. “Like Vaati, and Ganon. They always start out as normal people, in the stories. They want something, so they seek power, and take it too far. Ganondorf wanted the power to save his people. Vaati wanted the power to be something more than what he was destined to be. And Demise wanted the power to take revenge on the gods.”

“What does it matter if they were mortals once?” Harun asked. “What does it matter if they had their reasons? Nothing can excuse their actions.”

“I do not know Demise’s reasons for hating the gods, but I imagine they were a lot like yours,” she said.

“What?” Harun glared at her.

It is bad enough that I am compared to Ganon. Must I be compared to another demon as well?

“He must have suffered a lot,” she went on. “Something terrible must have happened to him that was beyond his control. With no one else to blame, he blamed the gods, and decided they had to pay. He became so consumed by his quest for vengeance that he spent millenia chasing them across the realms, destroying entire worlds if they got in his way. That’s what I think, anyway.”

As the princess spoke, the room around them darkened, and her voice faded. Wherever Harun looked, he saw great cities topple and burn as great walls of flame poured forth from cracks in the Earth. Then, through the fire and ash, he saw the Beast walking towards him, but this time, in the form of a man.

“Harun.”

The prince flinched, snapping back to reality as Sabah put her hand on his. She was facing him now, looking him deep in the eyes, her concern evident.

“I do not wish to see you become what those who fear you say you are destined to be,” she said. “What happened to Lady Averla was tragic. What happened to Katta and all the others who lost their lives on the way here was awful, too.”

Harun felt a pang of guilt as his betrothed spoke the name of his deceased lover.

“But you cannot give up now,” the princess continued. “There is still time to cleanse you of the evil spirits that haunt you before any more tragedies can occur. So please, pray with the Sage of Spirit. Ask for her guidance in communing with Alkawbra so that the gods might finally help you.”

Harun did not know what to say.

She is certainly surprisingly wise beyond her years when she wishes to be.

Things had seemed so hopeless before, and they still felt that way, but at least there was still someone who cared for him. “I… I shall try,” he relented.

Sabah smiled. “Thank you,” she said. “I wish you luck, my prince.” She leaned closer and gave him a light kiss on the cheek. Despite being betrothed to her, the thought of close physical contact with the princess ordinarily made him uncomfortable, but this was different. He appreciated the gesture.

“You have my gratitude,” Harun said.

Princess Sabah stood and wiped the sand off of herself. “I will ask Mother to send for you,” she said, walking back towards Bularis. “I do not wish to see you spend more time than necessary in this cell.” She and the commander left, shutting the door behind them.

For the next hour or so, Harun was left with nothing else to do but consider what prayer he would offer to Alkawbra. He was still skeptical that it would even be worth trying, but he had little else to lose at this point, and it would make Princess Sabah happy if he at least tried.

Am I supposed to make an offering? Or swear devotion to her?

He figured the Sage of Spirit would give him instructions. Harun knew the sages were among the few who could somewhat reliably contact the Patron gods, but he did not know how they did it. It was strange to think about, but despite being much younger, Nashorla was probably a much more powerful sorceress than Elder Kobami, in a way.

I wonder if she can summon the Goddess of Spirit to fight for her.

Harun shook his head. They might even stand a chance against the Hyruleans if she could do that, and surely Kobami would be trying to recruit her for just that purpose if that were the case.

Unless Kobami believes me to be stronger than the gods.

If she truly believed him to be a demon like Ganon, it was possible. Back when Ganon reigned over Hyrule, defeating him had taken the combined might of the Hylian Hero of Twilight, the Twilight Princess, and all four of the Light Spirits who had collectively served as the Patron of Light back then. If Kobami had her sights on someone that powerful, she would not consider a god to be worth her time. Harun chuckled bitterly to himself.

I wish I truly did have that kind of power.

If he had been strong enough to fight the Molduga, Katta would still be alive. If he had been strong enough to ward off Ganon, Averla would still be alive, too. At that thought, Harun’s mood turned foul once again. He decided to lie down in the sand and sleep, hoping not to dream at all.

Luckily, it seemed as though the gods were answering his prayers already. The next thing he knew, he was awakened by the sound of his cell door opening again. Queen Urballa walked into the room, followed by Commander Bularis. Harun sat up, then climbed into a kneeling position down on one knee.

“Rise,” the queen said quickly, and so he stood. “How are you feeling, Harun?” she asked. “Are you once again in control of your actions?”

Harun nodded. “Yes, my queen,” he replied. “I cannot begin to apologize for what happened in the Coliseum.”

Urballa raised her hand. “There is no need to apologize,” she said. “You were the victim as much as anyone.”

Except for Averla.

“I understand my daughter has spoken with you,” the queen continued.

“She has,” Harun confirmed. “She suggested Sage Nashorla and I attempt to commune with the Goddess of Spirit. If the sage could not exorcise the spirit that haunts me, perhaps her Patron can,” he explained, repeating Sabah’s reasoning.

Urballa nodded. “I understand. And I think this is most wise. I have already spoken with Sage Nashorla, and she has agreed to aid you in contacting her Patron. We may join her at once if you are ready.”

Harun nodded his understanding. He noticed his heart was beating fast. It wasn’t something he had realized before, but the notion of meeting a god face to face was making him nervous. If he did anything to anger such a powerful being, there would be nothing he could do to protect himself.

The queen must have noticed. She walked over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. “You must be strong, young prince,” she told him. “You are the future of our people.”

“I know,” Harun said. “My queen,” he added.

“Simply do as the sage instructs. No harm shall come to you,” she said reassuringly. Urballa stepped to the side and gestured to the door. Harun nodded, and together they left the cell. As he’d expected, there were several guards waiting outside.

Well, I suppose I am still dangerous…

Harun and the queen were escorted out of the dungeons and back to the Spirit Temple. As Harun walked, he could once again feel the spirits swarming around him. It was a feeling that was hard to place, but one he was sure was there.

So long as Ganon is not among them, I will be fine.

When they reached the chamber with the giant statue of Nephysis in it, they found the Sage of Spirit kneeling at its altar in prayer. Princess Sabah was kneeling beside her, and many priestesses throughout the room were doing the same. The eyes on the statue of Nephysis were as still as ever, but they gave off the impression that she was looking down at all of them.

I hope you truly are watching.

Queen Urballa walked to the center of the room, but did not say anything to interrupt the proceedings. Harun followed and stood by her side. Soon, Sage Nashorla and Princess Sabah rose to their feet and turned around.

“My queen. Prince Harun,” the sage said, gazing in their direction as if looking through them. Sabah smiled at Harun, but said nothing.

“Greetings, Sage,” the queen spoke. “My ward and I have discussed the matter. If it can be done, we would request that you call upon Alkawbra to aid him.”

Nashorla nodded, then fixed her gaze on Harun. “Young one, what happened at the Coliseum was due to my failure, and for that, I apologize. I will help you commune with the gods. Perhaps they can help you where I could not.”

“Thank you, Sage,” Harun said. He was still skeptical, but Sabah’s encouraging nods gave him hope. “I will humbly accept your assistance.”

The sage and the princess stepped down from the altar and walked towards him. Sabah joined her mother and the two of them backed away, joining the guards and the priestesses circling around the room. Nashorla walked slowly around Harun, waving her lantern with its ghostly gray flame close to him.

“Kneel, young one,” the sage instructed. Harun did so, as did many others in the room, all of them facing the statue. Down on his knees, he leant forward, placing his hands on the floor and almost pressing his forehead to the ground. “The spirits are all around you,” Nashorla went on. “Alkawbra sees them all, hears them all. You must reach out with your own spirit. Call to her, loud enough for her to hear.”

Harun took a deep breath, and began to pray.

Alkawbra, Goddess of Spirit, servant of Nephysis, hear me. I am set upon by the demon known as Ganon. Please, I beg of you, lend me your aid…

Harun listened. All around him, he heard the faint breathing of others at prayer, the footsteps of the sage circling him, and the sound of the chain from which her lantern swung. He did not hear the voice of the divine, nor any other sign that his prayers were being answered.

Please, O Wise Patron of my people. Many have died to bring me here so that I might beseech thee. What must I do to rid myself of this curse?

Harun listened. Sage Nashorla had begun to hum the Requiem of Spirit, but other than that, nothing had changed. He continued on like this for what couldn’t have been more than a few minutes, but to him, it felt like hours.

I do not know what you want from me, Goddess of Spirit. If I have displeased you, I am truly sorry. Please, I cannot continue like this…

He listened again. Nothing. He felt his heart beat faster, his face burning.

This truly was a waste of time, after all.

“Enough!” Harun said, feeling his anger rising. Despite his talk with Sabah earlier, the wicked thoughts that had previously been in his head returned to him. He sat up straight before climbing to his feet. “I will have no more of this.”

“Prince Harun, please keep your voice down,” the sage said. Others who had been praying with him were beginning to lift their heads to see what the commotion was.

“No,” Harun refused. “I should have known the gods had no interest in me. Why would they? The demon has been allowed to haunt me for this long already. If Alkawbra had wanted to rid me of this evil spirit, she would have done so long ago!”

“Harun, please, ” Queen Urballa pleaded from behind him.

“No!” Harun walked forward, looking up at the goddess statue. “You do not care about me,” he said. “No, us mortals are beneath your notice. You want us to worship you, but you never--” Just as he was beginning to raise his voice once again, he froze. The whole room had gone dead silent, and everything appeared gray, as if all color had been drained from the world. Scared and confused, he turned around, but found no one except Sage Nashorla. Everyone else had vanished. “What is this new devilry?” Harun asked. “Sage! Explain yourself!”

“Your arrogance is truly impressive, mortal,” said a voice from behind him. The voice was feminine, and it had a reverberating, demonic quality to it. Harun turned around to find its source, but found no one there.

“Show yourself!” Harun called out.

“Oh, but I have.”

The voice was coming from above. Harun tilted his head back, looking up. He flinched and leapt back in fear when he realized it -- the cobra that was wrapped around the giant Nephysis statue was moving. No longer made of stone, it lifted its head high, looking down at them with wicked eyes.

To his side, Harun saw Nashorla drop to the ground, assuming her prayer position. Harun considered doing as she did, but defiantly chose to remain standing. “Alkawbra,” he said, speaking the name of the goddess. “So you have come to meet me after all.”

“Yesssss,” the cobra goddess hissed. “It is not ordinarily my policy to dignify such pathetic whining with a response,” she went on, coiling her body around the statue of Nephysis as she slithered down to the ground. “But sometimes even I cannot take an insult lying down.”

Harun took a step back in fear, but Alkawbra’s condescension made him furious. “I did not come here to be lectured, snake,” he said. “I want the spirit of Ganon banished back to whatever pit he belongs in.”

“Prince Harun!” Nashorla shouted, lifting her head up, but remaining on the ground. “Your Eminence, I offer my apologies for his behavior. He means no disrespect.”

“Is that so?” Alkawbra asked. The cobra reached the floor and began slithering toward the edge of the room. “I suppose this one is rather fond of snakes, then, is he?”

“Most snakes I kill,” Harun said.

“Prince!” Nashorla cried.

The snake laughed. Harun had never heard a more unpleasant sound. “Very good, little prince. Perhaps you wish to try adding one more kill to your list?”

“He wishes nothing of the sort, Your Eminence,” Nashorla insisted.

“Rise, my sage,” the goddess ordered. “Your groveling grows tiresome.” Nashorla did as commanded and climbed to her feet. Alkawbra had circled around the room now, her scaled body nearly long enough to meet her tail as she did. She continued to slither as she spoke. “I find it interesting that you choose to blame me for your predicament, little prince,” she said, her voice full of mockery. “I do not recall hearing prayers from you very often up until now. What changed, might I assssk?”

Harun took a moment to answer. “I became desperate. The gods were the last ones I could turn to.”

“You offer worship only when you require my aid. How typical of mortals.”

Harun noticed the goddess was getting closer to him and Nashorla each time she circled the room. Soon she would be coiling around them. “Were I to constantly ask favors of you, I imagine you would find that pathetic.”

“Perhapsssss,” the snake hissed, her tongue darting from her mouth. “Although I would not consider it as pathetic as throwing a childish tantrum at my altar.”

“Enough of this!” Harun shouted. “I have made my request. Will you help me, or do you prefer to watch me squirm a while longer?”

“The latter is tempting, I must admit,” Alkawbra said.

“Your Eminence, if I may,” Sage Nashorla spoke up, standing very close to Harun. “Our request is but a simple one, and it falls well within your domain. The spirit of Ganon has escaped the Spirit Realm and is haunting Harun. We merely request that his spirit be returned to the afterlife where it belongs.”

“And who said the spirit escaped?” the cobra asked, slithering very close to them now. “Maintaining the boundary between this world and the next is my sworn duty. None may cross without my say.”

Harun’s eyes opened wide at what he was hearing. “Are you saying you sent the demon to me?!”

“Indeed,” Alkawbra confirmed. “Despite your lack of faith, I have been watching over you regardless, little prince.”

“Why would you do a thing like this?!” Harun demanded. “This is your fault! All of it! Everyone who died to bring me here -- Katta, Averla, all the others -- you killed them! You killed them all!”

With astounding speed she had not demonstrated before, Alkawbra suddenly circled around them and slithered in front of Harun, holding her giant reptilian face inches from his. “You understand so little, mortal,” she said, her voice radiating power. “You are marked by something much older and much darker than Ganon.” As she spoke, her eyes grew bright. Harun stared into them, as if hypnotized, until a vision appeared before him.

He once again saw burning cities with the Beast walking through the ashes in the form of a man. He could see him more clearly now. The man was not human. His body was black as coal, and his hair was made of flame. The man turned his head toward Harun as if he could see him, and then the vision ended.

“Demise,” Harun spoke, thinking back to everything Princess Sabah had said to him in the dungeon.

“The First Demon King,” Alkawbra confirmed as she resumed coiling her rope-like body around him and Nashorla. “His curse rests upon you, carved deep into your very soul. I sent Ganon to keep the curse at bay, but you chose to treat him as your enemy.”

“I apologize, Your Eminence,” Sage Nashorla said. “I tried to convince him to commune with the spirit. I should have known it was of greater importance.”

“But what am I to do?” Harun demanded. “You cannot truly expect me to welcome a demon into my body to fight another demon! If you are aware of this curse of Demise, then rid me of it!”

“You presume too much once again, mortal,” Alkawbra replied. “Demise was the slayer of gods, and his curse has persisted since long before I took up my mantle. Immortals such as I cannot touch it. If you wish to overcome it, you must do so on your own.”

“And what of Ganon?” Harun asked. “Am I to overcome them both?”

“Ganon was only ever a temporary measure,” the goddess replied. “If you have the necessary fortitude, you may in time learn to harness his power without letting it consume you entirely.”

Harun was horrified. “You speak of what Kobami wishes me to do.”

“Do you see, my prince?” Sage Nashorla said. “The goddess has been your ally all along. Please, return to the material world with me and I shall help you commune with Ganondorf.”

“Listen to my sage, little prince,” Alkawbra commanded, beginning to slither back towards the statue of Nephysis. “Do not make me change my mind.”

“Wait!” Harun shouted. “That’s not good enough! You must--!”

“I grow weary of this prattle.” Alkawbra wrapped her body around the statue again, beginning to climb it. “I have been more than generous with you,” she went on. “Take what you are given, or you will only make things worse for yourself.”

“How can it be any worse?” Harun shouted.

“Is that a challenge?” the goddess replied, her tone betraying amusement.

“Thank you, Your Eminence,” Sage Nashorla said. “We shall make the most of your gifts.”

“See that you do,” the cobra replied. “And do not come asking for more.” As the snake finished returning to its original position atop the Nephysis statue, it turned back into stone.

The next thing Harun knew, he was waking up on the floor, staring up at the temple ceiling. Color had returned to the world, and the queen and the princess were kneeling at his sides, looking down at him.

“Harun!” Sabah cried, wrapping her arms around him as he sat up. “I was so worried!”

“Are you alright?” Urballa asked. “What happened? What did you see?”

“I…” Harun was confused. He did not remember falling down. “I am not sure. I may have had a very strange dream.”

“It was no dream, young prince.” A few feet away, Sage Nashorla had awoken in a similar state. A few of her priestesses helped her climb to her feet. “The Goddess of Spirit spoke to us.” Someone handed her staff to her, and she used it like a walking stick to make her way over to him. “Rise, young one. It is time to begin your training.”


Author's note (added 7/28/2023):

Today we met a goddess and her sage.

Art Source

 

Art Source

Chapter 9: Link III

Chapter Text

After camping out for the night, Link and Linkle continued their way along the road heading west. They passed through Fort Hateno in the late morning and were able to trade for some supplies. When the road began curving north, Linkle suggested cutting directly through the Ash Swamp. However, Link managed to talk her out of it, saying that their horse would not handle the terrain very well. That much was true, but he was more concerned with the monsters that Linkle had no doubt hoped to find in the swamp. Even though he had agreed to become an adventurer with her against his better judgment, his priority was still just to keep them alive.

It was around noon when Lake Siela came into view. The road had curved back to the west some time ago, so Link and his sister felt more like they were making progress. They still had to turn south at the next crossroads, but hopefully they’d be able to reach the town of Twins by sundown.

“We shoulda gone through Ash Swamp,” Linkle complained for the hundredth time, sitting back to back with her brother atop their horse. “There are probably so many cool monsters there. Gekkos, Snappers, Hiploops, Warts, Degu Toads…”

“I’m not fighting anything I’m not getting paid to fight. Unless it’s trying to kill us,” Link said, repeating the lecture he kept having to give her. “Besides, I already told you it woulda taken longer to go that way on horseback. We’ve only got so much daylight left. You wanna go kill some Deku Toads, you do it on your own time.”

Degu Toads,” Linkle corrected him. “They’re amphibians, not plants.”

“What the hell’s a Degu?

“It’s a Sheikah word. It means big.

“So they’re just called ‘big toads?’ That’s dumb.”

“You’re dumb.”

“Very clever, Sister. You think--” Link stopped talking when he heard a branch snapping from somewhere amongst the trees by the side of the road.

What was that?

“What is it?” Linkle asked.

“...Dunno,” Link replied. “Ever since that cemetary, I’ve felt like we’re being watched.”

“You think we’re being followed by ReDeads?” Linkle asked. “I mean, it’s not exactly bright out today, but even with all these clouds, I don’t think they can come out again until sundown.”

“I don’t think it’s ReDeads. Those things are too slow to follow anything anyway.”

“Then what?”

Link shrugged. “Dunno. Just keep an eye out, would ya? Never know what we’ll run into out here.”

A little further down the road, Link could see something moving towards them. He was wary for a moment, but after getting closer, he could see it was a carriage being pulled by a giant green Orhat beetle. “Hey, looks like we’re gonna pass by some Deku merchants,” he said.

Linkle turned around in the saddle to look up front. “Oh, goodie! Maybe we can trade for some better food. The bread we got at Fort Hateno is already rock hard, and these mushrooms are so tasteless. I want some meat.

“We can ask what they’re selling when we pass them,” Link suggested.

They rode for another minute, watching the carriage grow larger as they got closer to it. There was a dapper-looking Business Scrub sitting at the front of the wagon holding the Orhat’s reins. Link tried waving to him.

Linkle giggled. “Scrubs always crack me up,” she said. “Look at his little leaf mustache! It’s so cute.

The Deku Scrub was stroking the leaf-stache sprouting from his snout with long, thin, wooden fingers. His body was bulb-shaped, which gave him the appearance of being fat, even though Link was pretty sure plant people couldn’t get fat.

What did he do? Eat too much sunlight?

“Maybe he--”

“Look out!” Linkle suddenly pressed a hand on Link’s shoulder for leverage, lifting herself up to point into the sky.

“Ow! Hey!” Link complained.

The Deku Scrub seemed to hear Linkle’s cry and looked upwards, so Link did as well. Up in the sky was a gigantic Kargaroc swooping down towards the Deku wagon. The monstrous bird was the biggest Link had ever seen. Most Kargarocs were only a bit bigger than normal birds of prey, but this one was larger than he was. It landed atop the covered wagon with a thud, slamming into it hard enough to tip the right wheels off the ground for a moment. Squawking angrily, the Kargaroc began tearing at the cart with its beak and talons. The driver started to panic, and two more little Scrubs hopped out of the back of the cart, clearly no more prepared to deal with the enormous bird than the driver was.

Link chuckled. They’d encountered much worse monsters before, so this would be easy by comparison. Not to mention these Business Scrubs would surely reward them handsomely. “Draw your crossbow, Sister. It’s time to get paid.”

“And save these guys,” Linkle reminded him, hopping off of the horse.

“Hey, you’ve been wanting another ‘quest’ since we killed that Moblin,” Link pointed out, drawing his sword and shield as he joined his sister on the ground. “Let’s not let this opportunity go to waste.”

The Kargaroc let out another loud squawk. It had broken through the roof of the covered wagon and was now picking at some food inside of it. The Deku Scrubs outside the wagon began angrily trumpeting at it with their little wooden snouts. One of them spit out a Deku nut, hitting the bird monster in the side. It squawked unhappily and flapped its wings, lifting itself into the air. Before it could swoop down at the Scrub, Linkle shot a bolt at it, piercing one of its wings.

“Don’t worry, little guys!” she shouted to the Deku. “We’re here to help!”

Although injured by Linkle, the Kargaroc had already chosen its target. It went for the Scrub that had shot at it first, swooping down and attempting to grasp him in its talons. The Scrub squeaked in surprise and leapt to the side. The bird monster landed next to him and tried to peck him, jamming its beak into the ground several times.

“He’s landed. I’m going in,” Link said, readying his weapon. “Don’t shoot me,” he reminded his sister.

“No promises,” Linkle said as she aimed her crossbow again.

Link ignored his sister’s casual death threat and charged at the monster. The Kargaroc lifted off of the ground and flew at the Deku Scrub again, landing on him this time. Just before it brought its beak down, a bolt flew over Link’s shoulder, hitting the monster in the back. It squawked in pain, rearing back. Seizing the opportunity, Link ran right up to it and bashed its head with his shield. It fell over, its gigantic body hitting the ground with a thud. Link wasted no time in delivering the finishing blow, stabbing downwards with his sword.

“Ha! This one was mine, Sister!” he called back to Linkle, wiping the blood from his weapon.

“Pfft. It woulda died from my shot anyway,” Linkle argued, walking up to him with her crossbow resting against her shoulder.

“Anything we wanna scavenge from this thing?” Link asked, immediately thinking of how to maximize the profits from this encounter.

“I think fletchers will buy their feathers,” his sister replied. “And alchemists will buy the golden ones from its tail. The rest is just good meat.”

“Wish we could take the whole thing, then,” Link said. To his side, he heard a squeak and looked down. Two of the Deku Scrubs were standing there, these ones no more than three feet tall, their arms and legs concealed by a cloak of leaves cascading down their bodies. The Scrub from the front of the cart climbed down to come meet them too. He stood a bit taller, about four and a half feet, with most of his bark-skinned body bare aside from his leaf-stache and the leaves on his head.

Communicating with Deku Scrubs was always an odd affair. Although most Scrubs understood Hylian as well as any other Hyrulean could, they did not have the mouths and vocal cords humans did. Instead, they could only speak by making noise with their little wooden snouts, which sounded like a trumpet or a woodwind instrument. Similarly, while most Hyruleans interacted with Deku merchants often enough to understand their dialect, humans could not really replicate the sounds they made. This resulted in both parties speaking to one another in their own language.

The head Business Scrub removed the cap he wore atop his head and bowed respectfully, trumpeting in gratitude.

“No need to thank us,” Linkle said, smiling immodestly. “We were just doing our job.”

“Speaking of,” Link said, holding out his hand. “We would appreciate a little compensation, if you don’t mind.” Linkle elbowed him. “What? You said it yourself, this is our job now.”

“This wasn’t a formal quest,” she complained. “We were just helping someone in danger.”

“They’re Deku Scrubs,” Link argued. “Rupees are practically their Patron. They’d never accept a service without giving payment.”

The Business Scrub raised a thin wooden finger and nodded his head, or rather his whole head-body, trumpeting in agreement. He waved to the two smaller Scrubs and told them to go get something out of the wagon. They did so, coming back with a sack of rupees and a barrel of salted meat. Linkle was practically drooling at the sight of the barrel’s contents.

“That reward’s looking a little better now, eh?” Link said with a chuckle.

The Business Scrub told Linkle to take as much as she could carry. She nodded and began scooping slabs of it into her arms. The Scrub then reached into the sack of rupees and pulled out a handful.

Link smiled. “Your generosity is much appreciated,” he said as he took the money that was handed to him. Linkle ran back to the horse to shove her reward into her bag. Link pocketed his reward for now and turned to look at the corpse of the Kargaroc. “Our horse probably can’t carry that whole thing,” he said to the Business Scrub. “We’re taking the feathers, but you can have the rest if you want.” The Scrub trumpeted in agreement.

Link and Linkle used their swords to pluck just about every useful feather they could off of the monster’s corpse, collecting them in a sack. The Scrubs then loaded the defeathered bird into their wagon while Link took the sack of feathers and slung it over the horse’s back. As he did, Linkle walked over to the giant Orhat beetle that the wagon was hitched to.

“These things are fuckin’ weird,” Link said, coming up behind her. “I’ll take a horse over a giant bug any day.”

“They’re so cool, though!” Linkle replied, reaching out to pat the beetle’s green exoskeleton. “I wanna ride one. Or hunt one. I’ve heard Orhats can grow to be taller than the trees.”

Link snorted. “Bullshit. If they’re that big, how come we don’t see ‘em poking up over the top of the forests?”

Linkle shrugged. “Maybe they need to live, like, a thousand years to get that big.”

“What kind of bug lives for a thousand years?”

“I don’t know! It just sounded cool.”

As Linkle pet the giant bug, the Business Scrub asked them if they were ready to depart.

“Mind if my sister tries riding your beetle first?” Link asked.

Linkle gasped. “Can I?”

The Scrub shrugged, but said it was okay. He climbed up into the driver’s seat and grabbed the reins, ready to get back to his travels.

“Yay!” Linkle cheered, clapping her hands excitedly.

“Alright, ya little idiot. Get on up there.” Link cupped his hands together and let his sister place her foot on them, then lifted her up so she could climb on top of the Orhat. It moved its creepy insect legs a little, but it otherwise didn’t react to her presence.

“Woohoo!” Linkle shouted happily. She scooted forward and grabbed onto the curved, forked, horn-like appendage above the beetle’s head. “I’m the queen of the bugs!”

“Sure, sure.” Link turned to the Business Scrub. “You can get moving. She’ll jump off when she’s ready,” he told him.

The Scrub trumpeted out a response and saluted him, then cracked the reins. The Orhat began to move, pulling the wagon forward.

“Whoa!” Linkle cried, her body suddenly jerked back by the motion. Once she got the hang of it, she laughed joyfully once more. “This is amazing!”

“Great.” Link walked back to the horse and climbed atop it. “Good luck getting down from there,” he said, nudging the horse enough to make it walk slowly.

“What? Oi! Get back here!” Linkle stood up on the beetle’s back, stumbling a bit as the motion caused her to lose her balance. Then, she bent her knees and leapt off to the side. She tried to roll as she hit the ground, and ended up on her back. “Ow…” she whined. Link saw the two Scrubs in the back of the wagon laughing as they pulled away.

Keeping the horse walking slowly, Link watched over his shoulder until Linkle stood up. He chuckled to himself and considered speeding up, but decided they had wasted too much time already. “Get a move on, Elle! We haven’t got all day!”

“Son of a--” Linkle took off at a full sprint, coming straight for him. Link thought she might try to stab him, but when she caught up, she simply leapt up onto the horse behind him. “You can be a real prat, d’you know that?” she said, out of breath.

“What? I let you ride the giant bug like you wanted.” Link spurred the horse along, picking up speed. “But hey, you can write that down in your diary as our second official quest,” he said. “First the Moblin, now the Kargaroc. The Legend of Linkle grows ever greater.”

“I guess,” Linkle responded. “It would’ve been cooler if it’d been something more dangerous than a big ol’ bird, though.”

“Whaddya want, a freakin’ dragon?”

“Gods, yes!” Linkle answered immediately. “And yet you wouldn’t let me climb Mount Lanayru to fight that ice dragon.”

“Fine. You can kill the next dragon we see,” Link said, hoping to never hear about another dragon coming down from the Outer Continent in their lifetime. He wondered how that one had even gotten there, and why. It must have flown over Akkala and the rest of Lanayru to reach that mountain.

I’ll never understand monsters.

“Hey, why do Deku Scrubs care about rupees so much?” Linkle asked curiously after a moment.

“Same reason I do,” Link replied.

“Yeah, but like, why do so many of them become merchants? They’re literally tree people. I woulda thought they’d be more like the Kokiri. You know, worshipping nature and stuff.”

Link considered that for a moment. “It’s probably a lot easier for them to save money in the first place,” he said. “They eat sunlight and they burrow into the ground to sleep. Think how many rupees we’d save if we never had to pay for food and lodging.”

“Yeah, but they’re missing out. Eating food is fun,” Linkle replied before tearing into a piece of salted pork.


After their encounter with the Kargaroc, the siblings continued along the road without incident for a while. Eventually, they came to the crossroads they’d been heading towards, with one road turning north and the other turning south.

“Wait!” Linkle shouted all of a sudden.

Link pulled on the horse’s reins, causing Arion to rear back as they came to a halt. “What?” Link asked, his head darting back and forth in search of danger.

“Lemme see the map,” Linkle said.

“What? Why? The sign’s right there.” Link pointed to the crossroads signs. The one pointing left read ‘ The Twins, ’ the one pointing right read ‘ Old Kakariko, ’ and the one pointing back the way they’d come read ‘ Fort Hateno.

“Just gimme,” Linkle insisted.

“Fine.” Link handed her the map. She took it and hopped down off of the horse, so Link followed her. “What is it?” he asked.

His sister glanced up at the mountains in the distance to the north. “Why aren’t we going that way?” she asked, tracing her finger north up the road on the map.

“Because that’s the wrong way, you twit.”

“But why? It’ll take longer to go south. We’ll just have to go north again after cutting through the Dueling Peaks, right?” Linkle argued. “If we go up around the Pillars of Levia and through Old Kakariko, we could save, like, a whole day of travel.”

“You can’t get there through Kakariko,” Link said.

“All roads lead to Hyrule.”

“Not when the road ends. Here, look.” Link stepped up next to his sister and put his finger on the map. “If we went that way, we’d end up at Sahasra Slope, and then we’d be stuck.”

“We can just go down the slope and get back on the road here,” she said, moving her finger along the map. “Easy. We don’t need the road. It’s not like we got a wagon or anything.”

Link considered it. Linkle was stubborn, but she had a point. They could spend the night in Kakariko, then head down Sahasra Slope and spend the next night in Goponga or some smaller Lanayru town that was less out of the way. It was feasible, and it could save them a bit of time, as his sister had said. Link certainly agreed it would be better to get to the capital sooner rather than later. He hated the wilds, and once they arrived in the largest city in the world, he’d probably be able to convince his sister to let them stay there for a few days before beginning their new life as official ‘adventurers.’

“You may be onto something there, Elle,” he admitted, which made her face light up with pride. “How’s your Sheikah?” he asked, knowing barely any of the language spoken in Kakariko.

Linkle stared at him for a second. “Uhhh… Konnichiwa?

“Brilliant,” Link said sarcastically. “Well, I’m sure we’ll figure something out once we get there.” He climbed back onto the horse, then held out his hand to help Linkle up as well. “Let’s get going.”

So, instead of turning left at the fork, they turned right and headed north.

“Hey, why’s it called Old Kakariko anyway?” Link asked after a few minutes of riding.

“There’s a New Kakariko in the Eldin Foothills,” Linkle replied. “That’s where the Shadow Temple is.”

“I know that. But I thought that one came first.”

“Nah,” Linkle said, shaking her head. “Old Kakariko came first, but it was abandoned a long time ago after a monster raid. But then the Hero of Twilight came in and single-handedly defeated the entire clan of Bulblins that had taken over, so the Sheikah were able to come back and rebuild.” As usual, she sounded very excited when she talked about the Hero of Twilight.

“He fought an entire clan by himself?” Link repeated skeptically. “Nobody can do that.”

“It’s true!” Linkle insisted. “He did it all to retrieve a gift his girlfriend gave him,” she said dreamily, as if it were the most romantic thing she’d ever heard.

“Ha! What a sucker,” Link said. He felt his sister slam her fist down onto the shield on his back.

“Ow!” she complained.

While they were riding north, the weather suddenly took a turn for the worse. Even though it was not yet sundown, the clouds were completely overcast, and it began to rain.

“Ah, fuck.” Link tilted his head up towards the sky when he felt the raindrops. “This is just what we need.”

“Should we set up camp somewhere to get out of the rain?” Linkle suggested.

“If it gets bad, maybe,” Link replied. “Let’s get across the bridge at least. We might find a cave or something at the base of the Pillars.”

However, when they approached the Kakariko Bridge, they found it guarded. A small canopy had been set up by the side of the road, providing cover for a long wooden table. One guard stood at the edge of the canopy and kept an eye on the road while the others lounged around eating and drinking at the table. When the one keeping watch spotted Link and Linkle, she signaled to the others. The six of them quickly picked up their weapons and lined up in front of the bridge, blocking the path. There were four men and two women among them, and all of them wore leather armor and carried either hatchets or claymores.

“Halt!” one of the guards shouted -- a thin, wiry man clutching a hatchet in his right hand.

Link slowed the horse down to a stop, staying at a safe distance. “Yeah? What is it?” he called down to them.

“Where do you think you’re going?” one of the women asked. She was taller than the rest of them, and she limply held onto a claymore that she had dragged across the ground to get there.

“Where do you think?” Linkle replied. “Kakariko.”

“You want to cross the bridge, it’s fifty rupees per person,” another man said. He was tall and muscular, and he wore a halfhelm, which made him the most armored of the group.

Link narrowed his eyes. “Fifty per person? The fuck kinda toll is that?”

“The kind you’ll pay, or you won’t cross.” It was the second woman who spoke this time. She was the shortest of the six, and her voice was higher-pitched than you’d expect from someone holding an axe.

“That’s clearly a ripoff,” Linkle said softly from behind her brother. “You wanna find some other way across the lake?”

“Unless you happen to be carrying a boat I don’t know about, I doubt we’ve got any other choice, especially if we wanna bring our horse,” Link replied.

“Can we hurry this up?” said the guard with the ridiculous mustache. “I’m gettin’ soaked out here, ya know.”

“Yeah, we haven’t got all day.” The youngest of the guards looked to be only a bit older than Link, which he found strange.

What kind of guard patrol is this?

Then he realized something. All six of the guards had blonde or brown hair. Not a single one of them had the distinctive white hair or red eyes of the Sheikah. “What are a bunch of Hylians doing guarding a Sheikah bridge anyway?” Link asked.

“None of your business!” the mustachioed guard shouted. “Just pay up!”

“Can I shoot that guy?” Linkle asked.

“No, don’t,” Link said with some urgency, suddenly serious. “They’re bandits,” he whispered to his sister.

“...So why can’t I shoot them?” Linkle whispered back.

“There’s too many of ‘em,” Link replied. He didn’t want to mention it, but the fact that these bandits were just people also made him hesitant to fight them. He and his sister had killed several monsters at this point, but killing people didn’t feel like the same thing.

Maybe we should just go back -- head for the Twins like we’d planned to before.

“Oh, this is taking too bloody long,” the bandit in the halfhelm said irritably. “Come on, let’s collect our tolls.” He and his companions raised their weapons and walked forward, advancing on them.

Fuck. What now?

Link tried to think. He considered just charging through them at full speed. None of them carried spears, so it might work -- but one good hit from one of those hatchets and Arion would be losing a leg. He decided to turn the horse around, so he pulled on its reins, ready to set off running. However, as soon as he was facing the other way, he saw six more of them had come up from behind, blocking their escape down the road.

“Elle,” Link drew his sword in a panic. “Shoot them,” he said, abandoning his earlier reservations.

“Right.” Linkle sounded as scared as he was, but she readied her crossbow anyway.

“Get them!” one of the bandits shouted, and the rest began screaming their battlecries.

With his free hand, Link tugged on the horse’s reins to turn it to the side. They took off running away from the road before the bandits could surround them. However, just a short distance into the grassy field, the ground turned to mud. The horse stumbled and fell, flinging Link and his sister down to the ground.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

Link scrambled through the mud and pulled himself to his feet. Thinking quickly, he grabbed his rupee pouch from the horse and tossed it as hard as he could towards the bandits, hoping they’d stop if they got what they wanted. Four of them went for the pouch and began shoving each other to get to it, but the rest kept running through the mud towards them.

Dammit,” Link muttered. Sword and shield in hand, he stepped in front of his sister. The bandits were nearly upon them as Linkle got up and aimed her crossbow.

This can’t be how it ends.

“Loose!” Link shouted. Linkle complied and let loose a bolt. It hit the wiry man right between the eyes, and he fell to the ground, presumably dead. “Another!” Link shouted.

“I’m trying!” Linkle sounded desperate. Link glanced over his shoulder and saw she was struggling to load another bolt. The mud on her hands was affecting her dexterity, and the fear was obviously getting to her.

Link growled as he stared down the rest of the bandits, raising his shield.

Guess I have no choice.

All of a sudden, a cloud of smoke appeared between them and the bandits. Everyone stopped in confusion for a moment, and then there was a scream. Someone had appeared from out of the smoke, driving a knife through the throat of the closest bandit. Before anyone had a chance to react, the knife wielder spun around and stabbed another bandit with a second knife he held in his other hand.

As the smoke cleared, everyone got a better look at the mysterious newcomer. Judging by his red eyes, he was a Sheikah. His hair was also the traditional Sheikah white, although it was flecked with streaks of ashen gray, giving him a somewhat unkempt appearance. Beyond that, it was difficult to tell much else about his appearance since he was dressed in a dark and concealing garb, including a mask that covered the lower half of his face.

“Kill that son of a bitch!” the tall woman shouted. One of the bandits swung a hatchet at the Sheikah. He dodged out of the way and stabbed the bandit through the wrist. The bandit screamed in pain as the Sheikah grabbed him and spun him around. The ninja then sliced the man’s throat and shoved him into the crowd that was charging at him.

“What the hell’s going on?” Linkle asked as she finished loading her crossbow.

“No fucking clue. Just shoot everyone but the Sheikah!” Link ordered, not moving from his position.

“Right!” Linkle took aim and loosed another bolt. It hit the man with the mustache in the back and he fell to the ground. “I knew I’d get to shoot that guy,” Linkle mumbled.

As the Sheikah ninja continued to fight off the bandits, the big man in the halfhelm came up behind him and attempted to grab him in a bear hug. But as he did, the Sheikah disappeared in another puff of dark smoke. He reappeared on the other side of the bandit mob, holding up three long, needle-like spikes between his fingers. In rapid succession, he threw the needles at three different bandits, hitting the short woman in the back of the neck, another bandit in the eye, and a third in the chest. The one he hit in the chest wasn’t quite dead, so he rushed forward to finish him off with a knife blow. Once he did, the tall woman and the young man moved in on him.

While the others were fighting, the man in the halfhelm and another bandit gave up on the Sheikah and resumed charging at Link and Linkle. Link had been terrified before when it was twelve-on-two, but two-on-two gave them much better odds. As the big man stepped up and swung his claymore downwards, Link raised his shield to block it. He was successful, but the force of the blow caused Link to stumble backwards.

The other bandit tried to come at Link from the side, but he noticed Linkle aiming at him. When she pulled the trigger, he managed to block the bolt with the flat of his axe. He smiled menacingly and advanced on her, so she discarded her crossbow and drew her shortsword.

Further down the field, the tall woman swung her claymore at the Sheikah. He managed to duck underneath it, but before he could counterattack, the woman shifted her balance and rammed him with her shoulder. He was knocked to the ground, sliding through the mud. The young man tried to chop at him with his axe, but the ninja rolled out of the way, hopped to his feet, and kicked the bandit in the face. The tall woman let loose a battlecry, charging at him with her giant blade raised, but this time, the Sheikah did not duck under it. Instead, he leapt backwards and tossed both of his knives at her. One hit her in the stomach and the other in the heart. She screamed and fell to her knees, then slumped over dead.

Link stayed on the defensive against the bandit in the halfhelm. Whenever he could, he would block the man’s blows with his shield or dodge out of the way. The bandit was getting angrier and angrier and paying less and less attention to how he was stepping. Link just bided his time, waiting for the slipup he knew was coming.

Any second now…

Then it happened. The bandit took a hasty step forward in order to swing his weapon at Link, but he lost his balance, his foot sliding forward in the mud, forcing him to fall to one knee.

Now!

Link wasted no time. Before the bandit could regain his bearings, Link shoved his sword through the man’s neck where his helmet and his armor didn’t protect him. He had a brief moment to contemplate what he’d just done, but his sister was still in danger. He kicked the dead man in the chest to knock the body over and free his sword, then spun around to help Linkle. However, he only managed to catch the very end of her fight with the other bandit.

After nimbly dodging a blow, Linkle charged when she saw an opening, stabbing the man in the side. As he screamed in pain, she swung her blade upwards and slashed his face. He fell to the ground, and she finished him off with two more stabs to the heart. Her mercilessness was almost as shocking to Link as his own had been, but when she stood back up, panting and covered in blood, he could see in her eyes that she was mortified.

The siblings turned their attention back to the Sheikah. He stood amongst a field of corpses, watching the young bandit flee back towards the bridge. For a moment, Link thought the ninja might mean to spare him, either for his youth or for his willingness to back away from the fight. However, after retrieving his knives from the bandit woman’s corpse, he pulled his disappearing trick again, reappearing right in front of the fleeing bandit.

“No! Please!” the bandit cried, holding up his hands and backing away. But his pleas fell on deaf ears. The Sheikah stepped forward, grabbed the bandit by the collar, and drove a knife through his heart.

Link and Linkle watched from a distance. Even though the Sheikah had ostensibly saved their lives, he was clearly dangerous, and Link wasn’t certain whether or not he would be hostile to them. He felt his sister come up behind him and clutch his tunic. “What are we gonna do about him?”

“I don’t know,” Link replied. Having cleaned and sheathed his knife, the ninja was now staring at them from across the muddy field. Link decided he might as well express some gratitude. Hopefully that would be all he wanted. “You have our thanks!” Link shouted over the sound of the pouring rain, raising his hand to wave at the Sheikah. “We’d have been killed if not for you!”

The ninja did not answer. And, just as suddenly as he’d appeared, he was gone, disappearing in another puff of smoke. Link stepped into a battle-ready stance, expecting the ninja to reappear close to them, but he did not. “Where did he go?” he asked. “Do you see him?”

“No,” Linkle replied, standing back to back with him and aiming her crossbow. “I think he’s gone.”

The siblings lowered their weapons in confusion. “That was… lucky, I guess,” Link said.

“Perhaps Hylia sent him to save us,” his sister suggested.

“Or maybe he’s the one who’s been following us since the cemetery,” Link replied. “I told you we were being watched.”

“Why would a Sheikah be following us?” Linkle asked. “And if he was spying on us, why would he save us?”

Link shrugged. “No idea. Let’s just get moving and try to find some shelter.”

Their horse had gotten up and wandered further into the field during the fight, so Linkle went to retrieve it as Link gathered up the rupees he’d thrown at the bandits earlier, plus any they happened to have on them. Stealing from the dead didn’t bother him in this case.

They were gonna rob and kill us. Well, now they’re dead, and I’m the one robbing them.

He considered gathering up some of the bandits’ weapons as well, but neither he nor his sister liked axes or claymores, and their horse was already carrying more than it should be anyway. So, they left the rest behind and walked their horse back to the road.

“The bandits had this tent set up,” Linkle pointed out when they returned to the Kakariko Bridge. “You wanna wait out the rain here?”

Link considered it. “No. There might be more of those bandits, and I don’t want to be here when they get back. Let’s just keep going.”


With the bandits defeated and the mysterious Sheikah having vanished, the siblings continued north after crossing the Kakariko Bridge. On the other side, they rode a little further until Linkle spotted a cave in the cliffside off the side of the road.

Link was the first to enter the cave, with Linkle following behind him, pulling the horse by its reins. “I hope this cave isn’t too deep,” Link said. “I don’t want this to be some monster’s lair. And there’s no way there’s any wood outside that’s dry enough to make a torch.” As he spoke, several tiny eyes opened above them. “Oh, bloody hell,” Link said. A swarm of Keese suddenly flew down at him. Link drew his sword and began slashing at them wildly. Linkle chuckled at her brother’s misfortune, but then some of the tiny bat-like monsters flew at her, so she drew her blade and began fighting them off as well.

“Whoo!” Linkle cheered after the surviving Keese flew out of the cave. It was a minor victory, but slaying any monsters was enough for her to celebrate. She then crouched down to examine the Keese that lay on the ground. “Alchemists want the wings and the eyes,” she explained, tossing them into a sack. “The eyes especially, if we managed to avoid slicing up any of them.”

“I’ve never been one to say no to a few extra rupees,” Link said, helping her gather their spoils.

Once the Keese nuisance had been cleared up, the two of them slumped down against the wall near the entrance of the cave. It was still pouring pretty hard outside, so it felt nice to be someplace dry.

“He was impressive,” Linkle said after a moment, clearly having been musing about something.

“The Sheikah?” Link guessed.

Linkle lowered her eyelids. “Who else would I mean? One of the bandits?”

“Fair enough,” Link replied. “Sure. I suppose he was.”

“Remember how you said the Hero of Twilight couldn’t have taken on an entire Bulblin clan on his own?” Linkle asked. “Well, that guy sure took on a whole lot of bandits on his own.”

Link rolled his eyes. “Do you even know what a clan is? It’s not a dozen. It could be hundreds. Besides, that ninja was clearly pulling off some kinda shadow magic to warp around like that. Could the Hero of Twilight do that?”

“Well, not on his own. I don’t think he could do any magic,” Linkle replied. “But he could still warp around with the help of the Twilight Princess.”

Link was confused. “Princess Zelda was with him when he fought the Bulblins? What for?”

“Not that Twilight Princess. I mean the real one. The Twili one, Princess Midna. She traveled with the Hero of Twilight for most of his quest to defeat the Usurper King.” It was typical of Linkle to get so passionate when talking about the Heroes, especially the Hero of Twilight. He was her favorite by far. Link felt as though he could recount the man’s entire life from start to finish just from the stories Linkle always told about him.

“Well, if he had help from the Twilight Princess, he didn’t really do it on his own, did he?” Link pointed out.

“Okay, fine. So he didn’t technically do it all on his own,” his sister conceded. “But just the two of them versus an entire clan? Still impressive.”

Link grunted in agreement. He didn’t really care about it all that much. He just enjoyed annoying his sister. Bored with it for now, he looked out into the rain. It was difficult to tell how late in the day it was. According to his original plan, they should’ve been able to reach the Twins by nightfall. Getting to Old Kakariko would take a little longer, and with the delays from the Kargaroc, the bandits, and this rain, it could be midnight by the time they reached the city. He really didn’t want to spend another night out in the wilds. His sister, on the other hand, seemed to be loving it. She was smiling contentedly to herself as she leaned up against the cave wall, polishing her sword while staring out into the rain.

How does she do it?

Off in the distance, Link saw some rustling in the bushes. He instinctively moved his hand to the hilt of his weapon, but he did not draw it yet. “I’ll bet that Sheikah is still watching us,” he said.

Linkle shrugged. “Let him. We’ve got nothin’ to hide.”

Link said nothing more on the matter, but he kept watch for the rest of the time they spent in the cave.

It had probably been about an hour by the time the rain finally died down. In that time, the siblings did little more than discuss their plans for the rest of the journey and enjoy a nice lunch, partaking in some of their reward from helping the Deku merchants. When they left the cave, it was still cloudy, and Link could tell sundown was not far away.

“It will be past nightfall by the time we reach Kakariko,” Link stated as they climbed atop their horse. “But I’d rather ride a little into the night than sleep outdoors again.”

Linkle scoffed. “We’re adventurers now, Brother. You’re gonna have to get used to it.”

“Not if I can help it.” Link kicked his boots against Arion’s sides, urging the horse to speed up.

The road from there to Old Kakariko ran through a small canyon between the Pillars of Levia and Bonooru’s Stand. It seemed like a route that would be prone to ambushes, but Link hoped it was close enough to the Sheikah capital that bandits and monsters wouldn’t dare settle in the area. Although they noticed a few more Kargarocs flying overhead and some Tektites skittering along the canyon walls, they managed to ride without incident for quite some time.

It was dark out when Link began to wonder about the small stone statues he kept seeing by the side of the road. They were only a few feet high, bore the Sheikah eye symbol, and were often found in groups, lined up side by side. “What the hell are those things, anyway?” Link asked, gesturing vaguely in the direction of some nearby stones. “They look like they’re staring at us. It’s creeping me out.”

“They’re Gossip Stones!” Linkle said cheerily. “They say the stones can see and speak, and when no one is around, they gossip about the people who pass by them.”

“How does anyone know they do that if they only do it when no one is around?” Link asked.

“Um… I dunno. Maybe people hear them talking when they’re out of sight,” Linkle replied, sounding as if she’d never stopped to ask herself that before.

“Then how do they know they’re not just hearing people talking?” Link asked. “It’s more likely than stones talking, you know.”

“Hey, if Talus can talk, so can Gossip Stones!” his sister insisted.

“Can Talus talk?” Link knew little of the stone golem monsters known as ‘Talus,’ although he’d seen their miniature varieties, referred to as ‘Pebblits,’ stumbling around in the rockier regions of Necluda. The rocks they consisted of were arranged in a vaguely humanoid shape, but they lacked anything resembling mouths, or even heads.

“Probably. I’ll have to ask when I get the chance to hunt one.” Linkle was always a little too excited by the prospect of getting to kill a new kind of monster. “Did you know the Talus in other provinces are made of different kinds of rock? Like in Eldin, they’re made of lava rocks, and they’re so hot, it burns just to stand near them! And in Hebra, they--”

“Shh!” Link hushed his sister. Not because she was about to go off on one of her monster tangents, but because he heard something. “Did you hear that?” he asked quietly.

“Hear what?”

“I thought I heard whispering.”

Linkle gasped excitedly. “It’s the Gossip Stones!” She glanced around at the many stone statues in the surrounding area, trying to find the ones that were gossiping about them.

“It’s not the fucking stones, Elle!” Link didn’t stop the horse, but he slowed their pace as he looked around. They had to be close to Kakariko at this point. Just a little further and they’d be safe from any more bandits or monsters that might be prowling around in the dark.

However, it was only a little further down the road when a cloud of smoke appeared a few yards in front of them. Link pulled hard on the horse’s reins. “Elle. Crossbow,” he ordered.

“On it!” A sound from behind him told Link his sister had a bolt loaded. However, when the smoke cleared, they saw a familiar figure. Standing in the middle of the road was the Sheikah ninja who had come to their aid against the bandits earlier. Link thought it might be a different person at first, but he recognized the distinctive ashen gray streaks in the man’s white hair.

“Oh. It’s you,” Link said. He was relieved for a moment, but he knew better than to relax around a stranger who could kill eight people single handedly. “Thanks again for your help back there.” The Sheikah did not reply. He simply stood there glaring at them, his red eyes glowing in the dark.

“What’s your name?” Linkle called out to him.

“Sheik,” the ashen-haired man replied, an obvious hint of annoyance in his voice.

“Oh. Right. Sorry.” Despite having lived relatively close to Kakariko, Link had not spoken with very many Sheikah in his life. However, something he’d picked up over the years was that the Sheikah highly valued their privacy. Any time a Sheikah was asked their name by a person they did not wish to give it to, they would simply reply ‘ Sheik. ’ It was like a universal alias that they all used, and a way to tell people to quit prying into their affairs.

“Well then, ‘Sheik.’ As I’ve said, thank you for your assistance. We’ll just be on our--”

“Shut up!” the ninja shouted angrily, speaking Hylian with a slight Sheikah accent.

Link flinched in surprise at the sudden outburst, wondering if he was about to be attacked.

“Get off the horse. Now!” The Sheikah drew both his knives and held them at the ready. Although he was still several yards away from them, Link knew he was capable of closing the gap instantaneously.

“What should we do?” Linkle asked. “Want me to shoot him?”

“Are you an idiot? No!” Unless she could take him by surprise somehow, Link didn’t think his sister could even hit the Sheikah ninja. He considered pulling on the horse’s reins and taking off back down the road the way they’d come, but Sheik could easily catch up with them, and he certainly wasn’t the type to be shy about using those knives. “Alright,” Link replied, complying with the demand and climbing down from the horse. “No need for weapons. Whatever this is, we can talk it out.”

“You too!” the Sheikah yelled at Linkle. “And drop the crossbow!”

Link and his sister made eye contact. He silently begged her to follow his lead. She sighed in disapproval, but climbed down from the horse and placed her crossbow on the ground.

“We’re only travelers. On our way to the capital,” Link called out to the Sheikah. “We had nothing to do with those bandits back there. If we were trespassing, we didn’t know.” He held his hands up disarmingly, but he tried to make sure he could draw his weapons quickly if he needed to. He wasn’t confident he could beat the man in a fight, but he was prepared to try if it came to that.

The Sheikah shouted something in his own language, which Link could not understand. However, before he had a chance to respond, more clouds of smoke appeared on either side of them. Four more Sheikah dressed in the same garb as Sheik came out of the smoke. Two of them tackled Link to the ground, and the other two did the same to Linkle.

“Hey! Get your hands off me!” Linkle shouted as she was pinned to the ground.

“Stop! This is all a big misunderstanding!” Link cried out. “We were only trying to--” While one of the ninjas pressed Link’s arms against his back, the other stuffed a rag into his mouth and pulled a sack over his head. He struggled as he felt them remove his sword and shield from his back before tying his hands together by the wrists. Any complaints he had came out as muffled cries.

The next few minutes were a blur. He heard the ninjas speaking to each other in the Sheikah tongue again. They pulled him to his feet and held his arms tightly as they forced him to move forward. Then he heard the same sound he heard whenever the Sheikah teleported, accompanied by the queasiest sensation he’d ever felt. He hoped he didn’t have to vomit with the rag stuffed in his mouth. When the feeling stopped, his kidnappers forced him to keep moving.

A few moments later, Link felt himself being shoved into a wooden chair. His hands were untied, then retied to the chair, along with his ankles. When the sack was pulled off of his head, he could see a masked figure sitting across from him.

This figure was dressed differently than the other Sheikah. This one’s outfit was sleeveless, dark blue, and with yellow patterns across it. White cloth wrappings covered the figure’s lower arms, and long orange feathers dangled from the left side of a similarly colored belt. A black cape with yellow trim was slung over one shoulder, covering the right half of their body. Most notably, rather than a ninja mask that covered the lower half of the figure’s face, they wore a large white porcelain mask that covered it fully. There was a pattern painted on the mask that was exactly the same as the Sheikah symbols on the Gossip Stones, except the pattern was blood red with a yellow eye in the center. There were no eye holes in the mask, but there were slits around the yellow eye that the wearer must have been able to see through.

Sheik stepped up beside the masked figure and pulled the rag out of Link’s mouth.

Link coughed and cleared his throat. “Who are you? What do you want?” he asked frantically. He looked to his left and to his right. The Sheikah must have warped somewhere with him, because they were in some sort of dungeon now, and he swore they’d been outside on the road only minutes earlier. The two ninjas who had abducted him were standing off to the sides, but he didn’t see Linkle in the room. “Where’s my sister?”

“Shut up!” Sheik shouted. “We’ll be asking the questions, understand?”

“But I didn’t do anything!” Link complained. “I told you, we--” He stopped talking when the ashen-haired Sheikah brandished a knife, only to sheathe it again a moment later when Link fell silent.

“Who are you, and where do you come from?” A muffled feminine voice came from behind the porcelain mask that was staring Link in the face.

He blinked. He’d been expecting the ninja to be the one to ask him the questions, and he still had no idea what to make of this mysterious masked figure.

“Answer the question,” Sheik demanded.

“My name is Link. I’m a blacksmith’s apprentice from Hateno,” Link answered, deciding it was safer to tell the truth. The masked figure regarded him for a moment. Link shivered. He felt a strange sensation in his head, as if looking into the gigantic eye on that mask was giving him a slight headache.

“Why are you and your sister here?” the masked Sheikah asked.

Link was almost embarrassed to answer. “My sister wants to be an adventurer,” he admitted. “We heard there’d be a lot of work for adventurers soon with some war coming up or something, and the capital was supposed to be the best place to go for it.”

“Tch.” Sheik made a sound of disapproval, but said nothing.

The masked Sheikah kept staring at Link. He winced, feeling that uncomfortable sensation in his head once again.

“What were you doing in the graveyard last night?” she asked.

Link felt a shiver pass through him.

So they really were watching us back there?

“Hunting monsters,” Link answered. “It wasn’t for a contract or anything. My sister just wanted the practice.”

“What did you see?” the masked Sheikah asked.

“What did I see?” Link repeated the question in confusion. “Some ReDeads. And a Floormaster, I think.”

His answer seemed to have upset Sheik. The ashen-haired man narrowed his eyes into a suspicious glare, then turned to the masked Sheikah, but still said nothing.

The masked Sheikah leaned in closer. Link groaned and shut his eyes, the aching pain in his head suddenly becoming unbearable.

“You are certain that is what you saw?” the masked figure asked.

“Yes! Yes! There wasn’t anything else there! I swear!” Link said frantically. He was terrified that they thought he was lying for some reason, and that they might harm him for it.

The masked Sheikah kept staring at him for a moment, then said a word in her language.

“What?” Link asked. The ninjas standing off to the sides came over and began untying the rope that bound his wrists to the chair. Link breathed a sigh of relief.

Thank the gods, they’re letting me go.

However, they did not untie his ankles. The masked woman reached out and grabbed Link’s left hand, then held it up to her mask like she was examining the back of it. Then she did the same with his other hand. Link was confused by her actions, and he wondered what she was looking for.

Perhaps she had me confused with a wanted criminal? Someone with a tattoo or a wound on his hand?

After releasing Link’s hands, the masked woman leaned back. The ninjas standing behind Link grabbed his arms and forced them back against the chair, then tied them down again.

“Oh, come on!” Link complained.

The masked woman turned to the ashen-haired ninja and said something to him in the Sheikah tongue. He did not seem happy with it, and replied in an angry tone. She remained calm and explained something to him. He clearly did not agree, but he held his tongue this time, reluctantly bowing his head. Then she stood up and waved her hand. She and Sheik walked towards the exit. One of the other ninjas joined them while the other pulled the sack over Link’s head again.

“Hey! Wait! Where are you going?” Link cried, frantically tugging against his restraints. “Don’t leave me here! Where’s my sister?! Hey!” He heard the cell door creak shut and footsteps fading away, and then there was silence.


Think. Think. Think.

Link was breathing heavily. He wasn’t sure how long he’d been there, but it felt like an hour, and he still had no idea why the Sheikah had abducted him and his sister in the first place. With no hint as to when he might be allowed to leave, Link was getting desperate.

I have to get out of here.

He tugged against his restraints, but the rope was tied too tight.

I can do this. The chair’s made of wood. I just have to break it.

It was difficult to do while all his limbs were tied, but Link began rocking the chair back and forth, trying to tip himself over. After five or six tries, he managed to get it just past the tipping point. He crashed to the ground, crushing his right arm in the process. “Augh, fuck!” he cried. The chair was still all in one piece, and he was no closer to freeing himself, but now he was on the floor.

I don’t know why I thought that would work.

He wanted to look around the room to see if there was anything sharp he could try to push himself over to, but he still had a sack over his head preventing him from seeing anything.

Come on. Linkle’s still out there. Think. What else can I do?

He had an idea. Still tugging at his restraints, Link tried to roll the chair over. If he could get his knees on the ground, he might be able to crawl over to the wall and smash the chair against it enough to get something loose.

Okay. One, two, three…

He threw his body into it and successfully rolled over. He felt immediate relief as he was no longer crushing his arm, but now his knees and forehead were pressed against the floor and his body was in a very uncomfortable position. Still, he shifted his weight back so he could lift his head up. On his knees, he could just barely swivel himself little by little to move across the ground.

I’m a fucking genius.

After moving a few feet, he lost his balance and fell forward, smacking his head against the floor again. “Ow!”

I’m a fucking idiot.

He managed to lift himself up again and kept heading for the wall. It took forever, but he eventually felt himself hitting something solid that he assumed was the wall of the dungeon. Now that he was there, he just had to smash the chair against it. However, no matter how hard he tried, he could not find a way to throw himself with any significant force while still tied up. He merely tapped the side of the chair harmlessly against the wall over and over.

Okay. This is stupid. What else can I do?

Link decided he had to get the bag off of his head. If he could see the room, maybe he could come up with a better plan. Still only able to crawl on his knees, he pressed his head against the wall and tried to scuffle away. As he’d hoped, he managed to catch the sack against the wall, and before long, he felt it fall away. He breathed a sigh of relief, just now realizing how much harder it was to breathe with that thing covering his face.

With his vision returned to him, he took stock of the room. There wasn’t much to see. The walls were blank. There were no windows. His only source of light was a torch outside of his cell. There were no seats other than the chair he was tied to and the other chair that the masked woman had been sitting in.

Maybe if I can get over to the bars, I can find something sharp to rub the rope against.

But before he could attempt any other method of escape, Link heard footsteps coming towards him. He struggled against his bonds, hoping to miraculously break free at the last second, but he could not. The ashen-haired ninja appeared behind the bars. Link froze. “Uh… I can explain.”

Sheik shook his head and muttered something in his own language as he opened the door. Then, as he walked towards Link, he drew one of his knives.

“Wait! Wait, wait, no!” Link panicked, assuming the man meant to kill him. He tried to shuffle away, but he quickly lost his balance.

“Hold still, you fucking idiot!” The ninja demanded as he approached. With his knife, he cut the ropes keeping Link tied to the chair.

Link was relieved to be alive as he crawled away from the chair and sat up against the wall. “Thank you,” he said. He watched as the ninja grabbed the sack off of the ground. “What are you doing?” Link asked in confusion.

“By Karasu, will you shut up? ” It was difficult to tell how old the ashen-haired Sheikah was. He was definitely older than Link, but from what could be seen of his face and from his impolite manner of speaking, Link assumed he was still fairly young, maybe in his early twenties at most. His voice seemed a bit too raspy for someone that age, but Link assumed that was because he was always shouting so angrily all the time.

“Can’t we do without that?” Link asked, eying the bag unhappily.

“Too bad,” Sheik replied tersely as he slipped the bag back over Link’s head.

Link’s hands were free now as Sheik led him away, but Link did not try to fight back. “Are you taking me back outside?” he asked. “And where’s my sister?” The ninja simply growled in annoyance, then shoved him in the back to force him towards the exit.

Just as before, Link spent a few minutes not being able to see as his captor led him someplace else. There was no teleportation this time. Instead, he was led down many hallways and up several flights of stairs. The whole time, he only heard footsteps, doors opening and closing, and some words exchanged in Sheikah. At some point, Link realized he was no longer walking on stone, and was instead walking on a wooden floor. The sounds were less echoey too, so they must have left the dungeon at some point.

At the end of his forced march, he was shoved to his knees again. For a split second, he once again feared that Sheik meant to kill him. But then, the sack was pulled off of his head one last time. He found himself kneeling in front of a table that was very low to the ground. Across from him sat a middle-aged Sheikah woman wearing a fine purple and black kimono with a white Sheikah eye symbol on the front of it. Her white hair was tied neatly in a bun and her lips were painted as red as her eyes. Standing behind her was the masked Sheikah. Link looked around the room and saw guards dressed in bizarre-looking armor holding strangely-shaped spears standing by the walls. But then he looked to his right and finally realized his sister was kneeling at the table right beside him.

“Elle!” he said in surprise and relief, more than glad to see she was okay after all.

“Link!” his sister seemed similarly relieved. She quickly leaned over and hugged him. “Are you okay?” she asked.

“I’m fine,” Link confirmed.

“I am glad you are both well,” the woman kneeling on the other side of the table said. Her accent was a bit thicker than the others they’d heard so far. “I apologize if my daughter and her subordinates were unnecessarily rough with you at any point during your brief detainment.” She looked over her shoulder at the masked woman. “That will be all, Shiho. You may leave us now.”

“Yes, Mother.” The masked woman bowed her head, then turned to leave. Sheik and another ninja left with her.

“Care for some tea?” the woman in the kimono asked. Some serving girls entered through a sliding door on the side wall. They placed cups in front of her and the siblings, then poured each of them some tea. Link was suspicious at first, fearing poison. However, the Sheikah woman’s tea had been poured from the same kettle, and if these people were going to kill them, they would’ve done it by now. Linkle, of course, didn’t seem to consider any of this and immediately took a sip.

“Allow me to introduce myself,” the Sheikah woman said. “I am Impa Sadashi, Shogun of the Sheikah Clan.

 Link opened his eyes wide in surprise. Linkle spit out her tea. “Elle!” Link complained. The last thing he wanted to do now was offend the head of one of the most influential families in the kingdom.

Knowing how nobles are, she’ll probably have us back in the dungeons just for that.

Sadashi did not seem to mind, however. Smiling patiently, she waved over one of the serving girls who came and wiped up the mess. Another servant refilled Linkle’s teacup.

“I am told you are named Link and Linkle, and you are from Hateno,” the shogun continued.

“That’s right, your… Impa- sama, ” Link replied awkwardly, unsure of how he was supposed to address Sheikah nobility. “Why did you kidnap us?”

“This was no kidnapping,” Sadashi replied, taking a sip of tea. “Your detainment was nothing more than a simple misunderstanding. My daughter’s agents mistook you for someone else, that is all. I merely wanted to apologize before allowing you to continue on your journey.”

Link narrowed his eyes, suspicious of that explanation. There was no reason someone in her position would bother apologizing to a couple of random travelers who’d been mistakenly arrested by the city watch. “Well, I’m sure your guards had their reasons,” Link said diplomatically. “But if there is nothing else, we really should be going.” He placed his hands on the table, preparing to stand up and leave, wanting to get out of there as soon as possible.

“My daughter also says you two are adventurers,” the shogun went on.

Oh no.

Linkle’s face lit up. “That’s right!” she said proudly. “We’re on our way to the capital to help protect the kingdom from the many monsters that ravage our lands!”

Sadashi’s red lips curled into a smile. “And the kingdom thanks you for your brave efforts.”

Link rolled his eyes. He knew how nobles really felt about adventurers. As far as they were concerned, adventurers were simply mercenaries of a different name. The only reason nobles ever hired them to slay monsters was because they considered adventurers to be more expendable than their own knights and soldiers.

“As it happens, I know of a misfortune that has befallen our sister city in the Eldin Foothills,” the shogun continued. “My mother, the Sage of Shadow, would be willing to pay handsomely for your assistance.”

Linkle gasped. Clearly the prospect of personally receiving a quest from the head of a noble family on behalf of one of the Nine Sages was exciting to her. “We would be honored to help!”

“Possibly,” Link interrupted. “We are headed for Central Hyrule, not Eldin. We may be going that way at some point, but it is not our current destination.” Before anything else, Link wanted to establish some sort of permanent residence in the capital so they would not have to live out in the wilds or drift from inn to inn. He also wanted to see if the adventurers in the capital had established any sort of guild. Mercenaries often had codes and defined territories, and they did not take kindly to other mercenaries who did not follow their rules. Link figured professional adventurers were probably the same way.

“Come now, Brother,” Linkle said. “There’s no reason we can’t alter our plans. We were going to the capital to find some quests, but now one has fallen right into our laps!”

Link considered it. It would depend on how long this ‘quest’ took to complete, but New Kakariko wasn’t too far from the capital, so they could still make it there in a few days’ time, a week at most. Not to mention, the Impa family probably had a lot of money to spare, so perhaps they would be better off acquiring some extra funds first. That would certainly make it easier to find lodgings in the capital when they eventually made it there.

“Might I ask, what is this ‘misfortune’ you speak of?” Link asked the shogun.

The Sheikah woman smiled, as if she were proud to have hooked his interest. “There was an archaeological dig near the crypts,” she explained. “It seems the digging team accidentally uncovered more than they meant to, and now the tunnels are swarming with undead.”

“ReDeads?” Linkle asked. “We’re experts at dealing with those!” she lied. Link glared at her, and she gave him a little shrug that said ‘ What?

“ReDeads, yes. Among other things,” she confirmed. Link did not like the sound of that. “If you are experts at slaying the undead, then it sounds like you are just what my mother needs to quell this foul infestation. With the next Blood Moon on its way, it would be best to banish as many undead as possible before more are risen.”

“How many other adventurers have been hired for this quest?” Link asked. If news had managed to travel from one city to another, that meant this problem had to have been around for some time. Surely there had been others who the Impa family had tried to throw at the problem, and Link wanted to know what had happened to them.

“Quite a few,” Sadashi admitted openly. “And many undead have been slain already. And yet, they keep coming, and so more adventurers must be hired.”

“And what happened to all the previous ones?” Link asked.

“Some have fallen. Others have done what they could, collected their reward, and left.”

“So we would still get paid even if we didn’t completely eliminate the problem?” Link said, finally finding something to appreciate about this proposition.

“Yes,” Sadashi agreed. “Every bit helps.”

“But we will save New Kakariko,” Linkle declared triumphantly. “You have my word!”

“We shall try,” Link corrected.

The shogun let out a haughty laugh -- perhaps at Linkle’s boldness, or perhaps at the siblings’ drastically differing attitudes.

“So how much is the reward, exactly?” Link asked.

“You will have to ask my mother about that,” Sadashi replied. “I am told she has been increasing it over time. Will you accept?”

“Yes! Of course we will! It would be our honor!” Linkle agreed excitedly. She turned to her brother with an expectant look on her face, clearly hoping he would not object any further.

Link smiled, enticed by the promise of an ever-increasing reward. “Very well. We accept.”

The shogun nodded sagely. “You have my gratitude, brave adventurers.” With one hand, she beckoned a servant girl over to the table, who handed her a scroll of paper and an inkbrush. “Allow me to provide you with a letter of introduction. Give this to my mother at the Shadow Temple when you reach our sister city.” With smooth, elegant strokes, she wrote several foreign characters across the page that Link could not read. Afterwards, she rolled up the page and closed it with her seal. She then took a second page and began writing again. “And, as a further apology for the inconvenience my daughter’s agents have caused you, this letter will allow you a free stay at any inn here in my city, with all amenities provided.” When she was finished, she handed both letters to Link. Another servant came over to him, bearing his sword and shield on a cushion, while another presented Linkle with her own weapons. “Here are your belongings. You will find your horse waiting for you at the gate. I bid you goodnight, and may the Goddess guide you on your journey.” All three of them stood and bowed, then two guards escorted the siblings out of the room.

It wasn’t until they were outside that Link realized they’d been inside a castle, or at least a Sheikah version of a castle. The building was a tall wooden structure atop a stone foundation in the middle of a raised island surrounded by a lake. A set of stairs led them from the castle’s entrance down to an open area surrounded by walls. Through the gate was a long wooden bridge with fancy red railings leading them to the city proper. As promised, there was a guard holding their horse’s reins waiting for them when they crossed it. The siblings thanked the guard, and he bowed to them before leaving.

After walking a few yards from the bridge, Linkle punched her brother in the shoulder.

“Ow!” he complained.

“Can you believe it?” she asked excitedly. “This is the quest of a lifetime! This is gonna put us on the map! The Shogun of the Sheikah and the Sage of Shadow themselves gave us this quest! We’re gonna be famous!”

Link chuckled. “Come on, Elle. Don’t get overexcited,” he said in a friendly yet cautious tone. “There are lots of other adventurers doing this, too.”

“Yeah, but we’re the ones who are gonna complete it for real,” his sister said confidently. “We were fighting the undead just the other day. Surely this is destiny. The gods wanted us to do this.”

Link laughed. Perhaps a god or two had been watching them that night, but he doubted any of them cared enough to arbitrarily decide that they were the chosen ones of anything in particular. But he didn’t bother saying anything about that. He was still busy wondering about something the shogun had said. If he had been mistaken for a criminal, why did she not give them any details about him? He and Linkle were adventurers. That’s not technically the same as bounty hunters, but surely she would’ve at least tried to hire them to hunt down this criminal if he were on the loose nearby.

Link shook his head, realizing he was too tired to keep up with his paranoid suspicions. Linkle probably would’ve turned down a contract like that anyway. “Come on,” he said, dropping the subject. “It’s the middle of the night and we’ve been traveling since dawn. Let’s find a damn inn already.”


Author's note (added 7/28/2023):

Today we met some new members of the Impa family.

Art Source

 

Art Source

Chapter 10: Sophitia IV

Chapter Text

“You have my gratitude, Grand Treasurer,” Sophitia said, curtsying before the dapper-looking Deku gentleman.

Grand Treasurer Loho put a branch-like hand to his chest and bowed deeply, responding with some low-toned trumpeting from his snout.

“Your contributions will most certainly be rewarded once this matter is resolved. Good day to you.” The princess retrieved her ledger from the Scrub’s desk and exited his office, followed closely by her retainer.

“You must be pretty proud of yourself,” Liliana said, walking side by side down the hall with her princess. “With the extra funds you obtained, you could hire a mercenary army and conquer Hebra all on your own.”

“Oh, do not exaggerate.” Sophitia waved her hand dismissively. “Besides, I will require every rupee that was promised to me. An expedition to the sky is an expensive affair, no doubt.”

“True. But that was some fine negotiating,” Liliana continued with her praise. “From what I’ve heard, it’s supposed to be easier to get a dragon to give up its treasure hoard than it is to get a rupee out of the Grand Treasurer.”

Sophitia laughed haughtily. “I promised him the rupees would be repaid tenfold with the uncountable riches awaiting us in the lost city. It was not exactly a difficult feat.”

“Are you being modest?” Liliana asked. “Because, say what you will, I know you planned this negotiation well ahead of time. You wouldn’t have done that if you thought it would be easy.”

Sophitia looked her retainer in the eye. “Liliana, amongst your siblings, who would you say is the smart one?”

“I am.”

“Of course. I would expect nothing less. The recommendation you received is not handed out to everyone,” the princess replied, wishing to pay her retainer a compliment of her own. “Now, among my siblings, who would you say is the smart one?”

“You are, my princess.”

“I’d like to think so as well,” Sophitia said. “However, on occasion, Lancel will accidentally remind me that he is actually the smart one. My conversation with him the other day was proof enough of that. He has clearly put more thought into this matter than I have, and the gods only know how many steps ahead of me he must be. If I am ever to be queen, I must outsmart him, no matter what it takes.”

“You don’t think working against him like that might actually be a detriment to you?” Liliana asked. “After all, alleviating the situation in Hebra is Prince Lancel’s task as well. Would it not be better to simply work with him towards that goal?”

“I assure you, I have no intention of getting in my brother’s way when it comes to helping the Hebra Province, and our success shall be a boon to us both. I merely need to ensure that it benefits me more.

The princess and her bodyguard reached the end of the hall and stepped outside. Sophitia stopped for a moment to admire the view they were afforded of the castle grounds, smiling to herself at the sight of it bustling with activity. Many parties would be departing over the next few days, heading out to different provinces throughout the kingdom. Everyone still had so much to do.

“What’s next on your agenda, Princess?” Liliana asked, standing with one hand on her hip and the other on the hilt of her sword.

Sophitia hesitated. There was only one major stepping stone she still needed to lay down, but she’d been putting it off thus far. She did not expect it to be a pleasant experience. “I must speak with Lord Remoth at some point today.”

Liliana looked almost shocked. “What business do you have with the Lord of Spikes?”

“By my father’s orders, most of the reserve troops that will be prepared in the event of a war with Hebra or Gerudo will be from the Ridgelands,” the princess explained. “I must ensure that I am on pleasant terms with their lord. The plan is still to avoid war altogether, but it would be best to have a contingency plan.”

“Do you mean to take command of Lord Remoth’s troops if war breaks out?” her retainer asked.

“I do not,” Sophitia replied. “I am told he is quite the military strategist, so I would leave the command to him. I merely wish to have the ability to rein him in, if need be.”

“Rein him in?” Liliana raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

“Do you know why they call him the Lord of Spikes?” the princess asked.

“Yes,” Liliana replied, nodding grimly. “Even those of us from Ordona have heard the stories. The man is apparently quite fond of skewering his enemies.”

“Precisely,” Sophitia concurred. “The Lord Paramount of Hyrule Ridge is notoriously brutal when it comes to dealing with criminals and rebels. If he is to be at the head of my army, I must not let him taint my image. I will need to personally ensure that all war prisoners are treated fairly and all white flags are honored. Otherwise, after the war is over, the Rito and the Gerudo may continue to live in fear of us forever.”

“Lord Remoth and the king would probably say that fear is what keeps them loyal in the first place,” Liliana pointed out.

“Even my father prefers willing subjects,” Sophitia countered. “And it was fear that pushed them to this point in the first place.” The princess hesitated for a moment, Liliana’s words causing her to think of something. “Is it fear that keeps you loyal to me , Liliana?”

“Of course not, Princess,” her retainer replied. She held out a hand and rubbed her fingers together. “It’s the rupees.”

Sophitia chuckled. “Come now, my friend. I was being serious.”

“Apologies, Princess.” Liliana put a hand on Sophitia’s shoulder. “You already know why I’m loyal to you. No need to get sentimental.”

The princess smiled and nodded her head. “I see. Very well, then. Now, the question remains, how do I obtain the loyalty of the Lord of Spikes?”

“Why don’t you ask your uncle?” Liliana suggested, pointing over the parapet. Further down on a lower level of the castle grounds, Sophitia’s uncle Alchon was strolling past a group of soldiers, likely overseeing their training or distributing mobilization orders. Governor Vryciaro of Akkala was walking with him, along with her brother Percival. It was amusing how similar her brother and uncle looked from up high, despite the generational gap. They both wore armor and a cape, and they walked with the same dignified stride that made them seem like they owned the place.

“Hm. I am not sure how much help he would be,” Sophitia replied. “He spends so much time in the east, I doubt he has much of a relationship with the western lords. Still, I haven’t had the chance to speak with my uncle very much during his visit. Perhaps I shall chat with him anyway.” Beckoning her retainer to follow, the princess descended the staircase down to the lower level.

Along the way, they passed by several soldiers, many of whom stood at attention or bowed to her as she walked by. She couldn’t help but smile to herself.

“You have met my uncle before, yes?” Sophitia asked her bodyguard.

“Yes, briefly,” Liliana replied. “A pleasant fellow. Reminds me of your father,” she said with deadpan sarcasm.

Sophitia laughed haughtily. “Yes, many have said so. Perhaps it would be best to hold your tongue around him.”

“I shall try, Princess.”

When they approached Uncle Alchon and his party, Governor Vryciaro appeared to be engaged in some sort of argument. The Kokiri knight, whom the princess had seen a few times earlier, seemed to be angry about something.

“It doesn’t matter the quantity if the quality is this wanting,” the girl-knight said scathingly in her bossy preteen voice. “We cannot march back to Akkala with this lot. They will be the first to fall against the Earthquake Sage, and they’ll only slow us down while siphoning our rations.”

“Well, Dame Mila,” Governor Vryciaro said in an uncertain voice, as if he weren’t particularly prepared to argue with her. “You see, the king himself is allowing us to take command of these new recruits. I think it might be unwise to decline such a gift, and, well, the value of superior numbers is not to be underestimated.”

“A gift?” Mila said indignantly. “The king gives all the veterans to Lord Remoth, and we’re just supposed to be happy with whatever scraps he tosses us?” The Kokiri girl’s fairy hovered beside her head, flapping its wings and jangling angrily, as if to back her up.

“Um, well, I see your point,” the governor said. “But, you see--”

“Enough,” General Alchon declared, the irritation in his voice perfectly evident. “My brother’s word is law. Like it or not, we all must do our duty. Your lord has given you an order, dame. There will be no further questions.”

“Tch...” The Kokiri glared at the general, and then at her lord. “Fine,” she spat out. “But when these simpletons get themselves killed, I will not be held responsible.” Turning to leave, Dame Mila waved a hand towards a subordinate standing near her. “Vanova, come.”

“Yes, Dame Mila.” As the diminutive knight stormed off, the taller young woman hurried to follow. Sophitia caught a brief glimpse of the side of the girl’s head. She took notice of the rounded ears, visible amidst a swirl of cascading blonde hair. Intrigued, the princess turned to her own round-eared retainer to see if she had noticed. Liliana was staring at the girl, but gave no indication of her thoughts.

I wonder if she is from Ordona as well.

“I do apologize for her behavior,” the Governor of Akkala said, addressing Alchon and Percival. He chuckled nervously, likely embarrassed by the distinct lack of respect his subordinates seemed to show him. “There’s a reason why they call her a little devil, after all.”

“And there’s a reason why they call you a craven,” Prince Percival said bluntly.

Vryciaro looked aghast. “My prince,” the governor replied. “I was merely allowing my knight to speak her mind, and I--”

“Silence,” General Alchon ordered. “We’ve wasted enough time already. Return to your duties, Governor. We must be prepared to leave in the morning.”

“Very well, General.” Governor Vryciaro bowed his head, then left, taking several of his purple-cloaked guards with him.

“Nephew, follow me,” Alchon continued.

“Yes, Uncle.” Percival stepped beside the general with Sir Onnick close behind him. Together, they began walking again, coming in Sophitia’s direction.

“Good day to you, Uncle,” the princess greeted him as they approached.

“Good day, child,” he replied, breaking his stride only momentarily before continuing down the walkway. Her brother wordlessly acknowledged her with a curt nod, while his intimidating bodyguard gave her no acknowledgement.

“May I join you for a moment?” Sophitia asked, falling in line with her brother and uncle.

“By all means,” General Alchon replied.

“I hear you have chosen to serve under Lancel,” her brother said to her.

“I have chosen to work with Lancel, yes,” the princess corrected. “He and I have a plan that will not only settle the unrest in Hebra, but provide an even greater boon for the kingdom as a whole,” she said proudly.

“Hm,” Percival grunted, sounding skeptical.

“I trust your preparations are coming along?” Alchon asked.

“Indeed, Uncle.” Sophitia nodded. “We have our funding and rations secured, as well as assistance from various other parties necessary for our expedition to reclaim Skyloft. We have troops as well, although I suspect we will not be needing them.”

“Do not get complacent,” her uncle reminded her. “Everyone thinks they don’t need a sword until they realize their enemy has one.”

“Yes, of course,” Sophitia said hurriedly. She shared a look with Liliana, who almost certainly wished to say something snarky. The princess shook her head to remind her retainer to hold her tongue. Turning back to Uncle Alchon, she decided she might as well do as Liliana had suggested and ask for advice. “While we’re on the subject, Uncle, are you acquainted with Lord Remoth?”

Alchon nodded. “A good man. One of the most efficient lords in the kingdom. Were he in charge of Akkala instead of that oaf Vryciaro, the Earthquake Sage would never have been allowed to raise a rebellion like this.”

Prince Percival nodded his approval as well.

Why am I not surprised?

“Well, seeing as though he will be reporting to me should negotiations go awry, might I ask you to share your wisdom?” Sophitia requested. “What must I know about working with such a man?”

“Lord Remoth does not tolerate insolence,” her uncle replied. “Simply be decisive, straightforward, and above all else, competent . Do this, and you will earn his loyalty.”

“And for Din’s sake, keep Lancel away from him,” Percival added. “Our dear brother’s antics are likely to earn him a place on a spike.”

Sophitia could not tell if Percival was joking or not. She half-smiled anyway. “Your wisdom is appreciated, Uncle, Brother.”

“Good,” General Alchon said. “Is there anything else?”

“Hm? No, that was all, Uncle.”

“Then you ought to return to work,” he said. “I am sure you have much left to do before you and your brother leave for Hebra.”

Nice to see you too, Uncle.

“Indeed,” the princess said, stopping at a split in the walkway to curtsy for him. “I shall take my leave now. Good luck with the rest of your preparations.”

“And you as well,” he replied, not breaking pace. He continued past her down the path with Percival and Sir Onnick. Sophitia watched them for a moment, then set off down the other path with Liliana.

“Such pleasant folk, your family,” Liliana said dryly.

“Perhaps you should introduce me to your family someday,” Sophitia replied.

“Gladly,” Liliana said. “Just let me know when we have time for a vacation down to Ordona.”

Sophitia laughed. “I shall try to find an opening in my calendar.”

Now that her conversation with her uncle was over, the princess glanced up at the sky, trying to estimate the time of day by the position of the sun. “Well, after speaking with my uncle, perhaps having lunch with my aunt will be more pleasant,” she suggested to her bodyguard.

“That sounds lovely, my princess,” Liliana agreed.


After asking around for a short while, Sophita was informed that her aunt Celessa was in the garden. On the way there, the princess decided to give Liliana some details about her late mother’s side of her family.

“My aunt is a talented sorceress, you see,” Sophitia explained, walking alongside her retainer. “House Kochi is known for producing individuals with strong magical ability. That was why my mother was matched with my father, I believe. The Royal Family has a strong incentive to marry into other mage families.”

“You have the blood of the Goddess in you,” Liliana said. “Is that not enough magic already?”

“I am many, many generations removed from my divine ancestor,” the princess replied. “My mother was supposedly more skilled in sorcery than my father. Not that he is weak, by any means. My siblings and I inherited quite a bit from them both.”

“I thought Prince Lancel was the only one of you who wished to become a sorcerer,” Liliana said questioningly.

Sophitia shrugged. “Lancel is the most experienced out of the five of us, perhaps. And he never carries a weapon. Victorique, Percival, and I all make use of both sorcery and conventional weaponry. Seraphina has shown no interest in learning to fight as of yet, but she is a better healer than any of us.”

Liliana nodded understandingly. “She’s still a kid. I didn’t learn to fight until I came to the Academy. Although my brother taught me a few tips when I was younger, I suppose.”

At the Hyrulean Royal Academy in the capital, children of nobles, as well as the recommendation students from the provinces, were taught swordsmanship and archery, among other things. Sophitia recalled that Liliana had struggled immensely with the sword at first, but she had put in many extra hours of training in order to catch up with the rest of the class.

I never would have believed I’d end up choosing her to be my protector.

“So Lancel’s the best all around, and Seraphina’s the best healer. Do you and your other siblings have a specialty?” Liliana asked curiously.

“Well, my elder sister specializes in defense, as do I, mostly with our barriers. Although Victorique is also quite fond of that magnesis technique she uses with her swords in combat,” Sophitia explained further. “Percival, on the other hand, prefers offense. Have you ever witnessed his skill in pyromancy? He is trained in a technique in which he surrounds himself in a dome of fire -- not unlike the protective light barriers I conjure -- then expands it outwards, engulfing nearby opponents. Even Lancel was impressed by that one.”

“Hm.” Liliana smoothed her hair with a gloved hand, looking somewhat uncertain of herself. “Sorcery certainly seems like a complicated practice.”

Sophitia glanced at the other girl’s round ears. “Ah. My apologies. I did not mean to boast.”

“Yes, you did.”

The princess laughed haughtily. “Well, I am quite proud of my family, in truth.”

When the two of them entered the garden, they found Sophitia’s aunt Celessa seated at an outdoor table. She wore an elegant green dress, and all around her were servant girls with similarly colored clothing. Her attendant knights also wore green cloaks bearing the wingcrest sigil of House Kochi.

Sophitia’s elder sister sat beside her aunt. Seeing them side by side, the resemblance was uncanny. If not for the extra years on Aunt Celessa, she would have been able to pass for Victorique’s twin.

Dame Jeanne and Impa Ayako were also present alongside the other guards. Although they remained somewhat on alert, everyone in their party was gathered around to watch Princess Seraphina sing. While everyone else sat or stood around the table, Seraphina was standing in the grass, wearing a pretty white and green dress, serenading them with her beautiful voice.

Sophitia and Liliana stopped to watch and listen for a moment, not wanting to interrupt with their arrival. It made the princess smile to see her little sister like this. Even with the threat of war looming over them all, Seraphina seemed to be as happy and energetic as ever. She was still quite immature for her age, Sophitia thought, but she liked that about her little sister.

When the younger princess finished her song, her audience clapped for her. Seraphina laughed giddily, bouncing up and down on her feet, causing the many folds of her pretty dress to flap with the movement. As the clapping died down, she ran over to Aunt Celessa and threw her arms around her.

“You have a lovely voice, dear,” Celessa said, smiling down at her warmly.

“Thanks, Auntie!” Seraphina quickly switched over to her elder sister, hugging her as well.

“A splendid performance, little sister,” Victorique told her. Her tone was somewhat softer than normal, but still carried with it an air of earnestness.

“Splendid indeed, Seraphina,” Sophitia added in agreement, approaching the party with her retainer in tow.

The young princess gasped excitedly at her sister’s arrival, rushing over to hug her as well. “Thanks, Sophie!”

“Good day to you, young lady,” her aunt greeted her. “Would you care to join us for tea?”

“That would be lovely, Aunt Celessa.” Sophitia and Seraphina joined their sister and aunt at the garden table. The middle princess wanted to invite her retainer to join them as well, but her sisters did not invite theirs, so she did not either. Instead, their bodyguards stood behind them watchfully.

Aunt Celessa’s serving girls gave each of the ladies at the table a cup of tea. Additionally, they brought out a selection of pastries and placed them in the center of the table. Seraphina immediately grabbed the closest sweets and began chowing down on them, while the other guests managed to be a bit more restrained.

“Have you been enjoying your stay here at the castle, Aunt Celessa?” Sophitia asked before taking a sip of her tea.

“Oh, it has been quite enjoyable,” the governor replied. “Although I have been rather busy.”

“I should think so,” the middle princess said. “I suspect all the kingdom’s governors have been working nonstop since the summit.”

“Indeed.” Aunt Celessa poked a piece of cake with her fork. “But it’s no matter. My time here will be through soon enough.”

“Aww,” Princess Seraphina whined. “You’re leaving?”

“Yes, tomorrow morning,” their aunt replied.

“Will you be joining Percival and General Alchon in Akkala?” Victorique asked.

“Some of my bannermen will be sent north to assist them,” the governor said. “But I shall be returning to Necluda. Any of you are welcome to join me, should you wish to be safe in this time of war. Especially you, young one,” she said to Seraphina.

The youngest princess giggled. “Okay! I promise to come visit if something bad happens. But nothing will. Vicky will be there to protect me.”

The eldest princess nodded. “I am glad you will be safe, Aunt Celessa.” She then turned to Sophitia. “I am told you will be joining Lancel in Hebra.”

“Indeed I will, Sister.” Sophitia smiled proudly.

“Do you and your brother truly plan to travel up to the City in the Sky?” Aunt Celessa asked with a mixture of curiosity and incredulity.

Sophitia chuckled. “Yes, it sounds like madness, but we believe it can be done with the help of the Sage of Wind.”

“The Hero of Twilight got there by shooting himself out of a cannon,” Seraphina said.

That sounded fantastical to Sophitia, but she knew many of the Hero’s deeds were likely exaggerated.

“He climbed inside of it, and it was like, boom!” The young princess threw her hands into the air as she shouted, accidentally knocking over her teacup as she did. “Oh! Oops.”

“Please, Princess,” Dame Jeanne said, stepping over to the table and grabbing a handkerchief. “You must be more careful. You do not wish to ruin such a pretty dress.”

“Sorry, Jeanne,” Seraphina apologized as her retainer began cleaning up the mess.

Sophitia turned her head away from the commotion. “And what about you, Sister?” she asked Victorique. “May I ask how you plan to alleviate the tension in the Gerudo Province?”

The elder princess took a sip of tea, then placed her cup on its saucer. “I believe the news from Gerudo is somewhat exaggerated,” she said. “It is my understanding that the Gerudo people act this way periodically. Queen Urballa will request independence, which I must deny her. Then she will request the governorship, which I must also deny her. Then we shall find a compromise which grants the Gerudo slightly more autonomy, and the riots will cease for a time.” Victorique spoke with such confidence, it was as if she were certain that these events would come to pass.

“I understand the current plan is to withhold the governorship from the Gerudo until Princess Sabah becomes their queen,” Sophitia stated, remembering what had been said at the summit. “Do you expect the Gerudo might be given independence in another generation further down the line?”

“I think not,” Victorique said. “If Nayru is willing, I should hope their people will come to respect their position as a part of our kingdom, just like the Gorons and the Zora.”

“Agreed,” Aunt Celessa said with a nod. “The goal should not be to divide our kingdom and return to the Era of Chaos. Maintaining the unity of Hyrule is of the utmost importance.” House Kochi was one of Hyrule’s oldest families, being able to trace its roots back to the Sky Era, just as the Royal Family could. It came as no surprise to Sophitia that her aunt held such a similar view on Hyrulean unity.

“Yes, that is for the best,” Sophitia said. “That is what Lancel and I hope to achieve with the Rito as well.” She did not wish for Hebra to split off from the kingdom. However, she did wish for the Rito Chieftain to be made governor of the province for the sake of fairness. She chose not to mention that. She wasn’t sure if it would be considered a faux pas, given Victorique’s position regarding the governorship of Gerudo.

I cannot look bad in front of her, or my aunt.

“I can’t wait to see Sabah again,” Seraphina said excitedly. The conversation was likely going over her head. Being only ten years old, the youngest princess had little understanding of politics. “When we get there, can I go seal sledding with her?”

Victorique smiled. “Of course, little sister,” she said. Sophitia recalled that it had been Victorique’s plan to use the friendship between Seraphina and the Gerudo princess in order to foster friendly relations between their peoples. She was likely willing to indulge her little sister’s every whim, so long as it helped accomplish her goal in the end.

“Oi, princesses!” came a voice from the garden. Sophitia and the others turned their heads towards the source. Strolling towards them was a red-haired Hylian girl, with one hand waving at them and the other placed casually in the pocket of her violet overcoat. Sophitia immediately recognized her as Mina Remoth, daughter of Toren Remoth. She had met the other girl on the day of the summit. “What’s going on?” she asked with an impudent smirk on her face as she got closer. “Ooh, sweets! Don’t mind if I do.”

Impa Ayako stepped in front of her, blocking her path. “Halt,” she said sternly. “How dare you so rudely interrupt? You are in the presence of the Crown Princess and her family. Show some respect.”

“Whoa, whoa!” Mina said, taking a step back and raising her hands disarmingly. “No need to get so offended, eh?”

“It’s alright, Aya,” Victorique said, waving off her bodyguard. “I am sure the young lady meant no disrespect.”

“Tch.” Ayako glared at the lord’s daughter, but she stepped aside.

Mina smiled smugly at her, then took notice of Dame Jeanne. “Oi, Auntie! Didn’t know you were here.”

Sophitia raised an eyebrow, looking back and forth between the younger red-haired girl and the older red-haired knight. She had noticed the resemblance when she’d first met Mina, but she’d thought it was merely because of the similar hair colors. From the way Mina spoke to the knight, it appeared as if they were truly related. That raised a somewhat disconcerting question.

Is Dame Jeanne sister to the Lord of Spikes?

Seraphina’s retainer sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose exasperatedly. After a moment, she gave a short bow to the princesses and the governor at the table. “I apologize for the interruption, my ladies.” Then she turned back to her niece and stepped towards her. “Young lady, you are being quite rude. Please allow me to escort you back to your father, and--”

“I have already said it’s alright,” Victorique repeated.

“Yes,” Aunt Celessa agreed. “Please allow the young lady to join us.”

Dame Jeanne sighed again. “Very well.” She grabbed a spare chair and pulled it over up to the table between Sophitia and Seraphina.

“Hey, alright!” Mina said triumphantly, taking her seat. “Ah, and good to see you again, Princess.” Her hand tapped Sophitia twice on the shoulder as she sat down.

Sophitia reflexively held up a hand to signal to her bodyguard that it was alright, knowing that Liliana was probably about to grab the other girl’s wrist. “Yes, it is good to see you again as well. I hope your stay in the castle has been comfortable.”

“Oh, it’s the best,” Mina said, leaning forward to grab a plate and stack it full of pastries. “You royals really know how to live!” Sophitia noticed Impa glaring at Dame Jeanne, as if she was holding her responsible for her niece’s mildly rude behavior.

“Jeanne’s your auntie?” Seraphina asked curiously with a broad smile on her face.

“That she is,” Mina confirmed.

“Oh, that’s wonderful!” The young princess beamed at her retainer, who weakly smiled back. “My auntie’s here too,” she said, pointing to Governor Kochi.

“May I ask how you two are related?” Sophitia inquired, directing the question at both of the redheads. The possibility of one of the most pious knights in the kingdom being related to one of the most infamous lords was giving her an urgent need to obtain this information.

Mina Remoth bared her impish fangs. “She’s my mum’s sister,” she said, pointing to Jeanne with her fork.

“Ah, I see.”

So Dame Jeanne is not of the Remoth family after all.

Seraphina gasped excitedly. “You have a sister?” she asked, tilting her head up at her retainer. “Can I meet her? Can I?”

Dame Jeanne grimaced. “I would be honored to introduce you to my sister,” she said. “If I had any idea where she was. Mina, where is your mother these days?”

The Remoth girl shrugged. “Hell if I know. It’s been a few months since she was at the lab,” she replied, chewing on a mouthful of sweets.

“Don’t talk with your mouth full,” Dame Jeanne scolded her.

That’s curious.

It sounded as though Mina’s mother was not around very much. Additionally, Sophitia had never heard of Lord Remoth having a wife. What little information she had seemed to suggest that Mina might be a bastard. However, Mina had her father’s family name, so he at least acknowledged her.

That seems oddly magnanimous for a man who is best known for impaling people on spikes.

“I, too, have not seen her in years,” Aunt Celessa interjected. It came as no surprise that she knew something of the situation. Dame Jeanne had begun her career as a squire in service to a knight of House Kochi. She’d come to the capital with Sophitia’s mother, Lady Elincia, more than twenty years ago when she was engaged to marry King Tychon. Jeanne’s sister had likely been from Necluda originally as well.

However, as curious as Sophitia was about this matter, she decided it would be rude to pry any further. Besides, it was Mina’s father she was truly interested in. If she was looking to build a friendship with the Lord of Spikes, perhaps the safest way to do so would be to build a friendship with his daughter first.

“You know, Mina,” Sophitia spoke. “My brother and I will be traveling through your father’s territory soon. Will you be accompanying us?”

“Yep!” the impish girl confirmed. “Wish I could’ve stayed here a bit longer, though. This city’s a lot more fun than mine, especially at night.”

“Truly? I have never been to Midoro,” the middle princess said. “Is it so different from here?”

Mina chuckled. “My city’s built on a swamp, Princess. Trust me, you wouldn’t like it. Why do you think I come here so much?”

“Oh, do you come to the capital often, then?” Sophitia had not met the other girl until the summit. If she frequently visited the city, it was strange to think that they hadn’t crossed paths before. But then again, there were more than half a million people in the city, Sophitia rarely left the castle grounds, and she was always accompanied by her guard detail when she did.

Mina shrugged. “Often enough. It’s only a few days’ ride from Midoro. Assuming the weather’s nice, and there aren’t any monsters on the road.”

“You are lucky to live so close to the capital,” Aunt Celessa said. “It takes much too long to travel between here and Hateno.”

“Did you have much trouble with monsters on the way here, Aunt Celessa?” Victorique asked.

“Oh my, yes,” she confirmed. “I swear, there are more Blins roaming about by the day. It’s no wonder the people fear venturing out of their cities nowadays. You’d all best be careful when you travel to the other provinces.”

“Fear not,” Victorique assured her. “We will all be in very capable hands.” She glanced up at Impa. The Sheikah woman smiled proudly, as did Dame Jeanne and Liliana.

Mina Remoth snapped her fingers. “That reminds me! That huge guy who’s always with Prince Percival -- is that guy really a Darknut?”

Several of the guards and servants hovering around the table giggled at her question. Sophitia, too, found it amusing. “No, my lady,” the middle princess replied. “Sir Onnick merely dislikes removing his armor.”

“And as tall as he is, he is much too short for a Darknut,” Victorique pointed out.

“Ah, drat,” Mina said, looking disappointed. “I’ve never seen a Darknut up close. I’ve only ever seen them at the Coliseum.” Like the Gerudo, the Hylians had a coliseum of their own, located in Central Hyrule beside the Great Plateau. There, gladiators and monsters fought for the entertainment of thousands.

“Naturally, we would never trust a monster to protect a member of the Royal Family. As a rule, we do not allow monsters anywhere near the capital, and the walls are strongly warded to ensure this,” Victorique explained. “That is why the Coliseum was built so far south, and why the Grand Alchemist’s lab is in the Ridgelands on the other side of the castle moat.”

The impish girl giggled, as if she were just now realizing how silly the rumor had been in hindsight. “Yeah, yeah, I figured. Never trust a monster, and all that. It would’ve been exciting, is all.”


The conversation continued for a while longer as the noblewomen sipped their tea and enjoyed their pastries. Eventually, a servant approached the party and whispered something into Impa’s ear. Impa nodded, then leaned over to whisper to Victorique.

“I see,” the elder princess said, placing her teacup in its saucer. “My apologies, ladies, but I must be leaving now.” Victorique stood up, smoothing out her dress as she did. “Aunt Celessa, it is always a pleasure,” she said, bowing to the governor.

“The pleasure is all mine, dear.”

“Lady Remoth,” Victorique went on. “I hope you continue to enjoy our fair city.”

“You know I will!” the impish girl said, raising her teacup as if making a toast.

“Sophitia, continue to work hard, but do not push yourself.”

The middle princess was not sure how to take that advice. On the one hand, her elder sister was praising her for her hard work so far, but on the other hand, she seemed to be saying she was in over her head. She settled on smiling and nodding. “Thank you, Sister.”

“Seraphina, would you mind coming with me?” Victorique asked the youngest princess.

“Okay.” Easily complying with her sister’s request, she hopped out of her chair and waved at everyone around the table. “Bye bye!”

Victorique and Ayako left the table, so Seraphina followed them.

Dame Jeanne moved to follow her charge, but spoke to her niece as she did. “Mina, I am glad to see you are well,” she said. “Please do not get yourself into trouble while you’re here.”

Mina laughed heartily. “Fear not, Auntie. I shall be the very portrait of perfection.”

Dame Jeanne rolled her eyes, but said nothing more as she hurried to catch up with Seraphina.

“I must be going as well, unfortunately,” Aunt Celessa said. One of her green-cloaked attendant knights held out a hand for her to take as she stood up. “Good day to the both of you, young ladies.”

“Have a good day, Aunt Celessa. Thank you for the lovely tea and delicious cake.” Sophitia smiled as her aunt got up and left, bringing her retinue of attendants and knights with her.

Suddenly, only Sophitia, Liliana, and Mina were left at the table.

Perfect.

If ever there would be a seamless opportunity to speak with the young lady of Remoth, here it was.

“Liliana,” Sophitia spoke. “I see a few seats have opened up. Why don’t you join us?” she offered, gesturing to the seat beside her. “There is still plenty left of this delicious pastry. It would be a shame to let it go to waste.”

“I cannot argue with your pragmatism, my princess,” her bodyguard said as she sat down, quickly reaching for a bite to eat.

“My lady,” Sophitia said to Mina. “This is my retainer, Liliana.”

The Remoth girl smirked, raising an eyebrow skeptically. “I beg your pardon, Princess? This is the one you entrust your safety to?”

The princess furrowed her brow. “Why, yes. What of it?”

Mina laughed. “Well, no offense. It’s just that your sisters have my aunt and that scary-looking Sheikah lady. Your brothers have one of the most famous knights alive and a man who can pass for a Darknut. Just seems like you got the short end of the stick, is all.”

Sophitia glanced towards Liliana, who was looking on with half-lidded eyes.

“Princess,” the Ordonian girl began in a monotone voice. “I am permitted to kill on castle grounds, correct?” she asked, sliding her sword a few inches out of its sheath.

“Now, now, Liliana,” Sophitia said hurriedly, raising a hand to call her off. She couldn’t always tell when her retainer was making a joke, but it was best to play it safe.

However, Mina laughed uproariously. “Ah, I see, I see. That’s why you keep her around.”

Sophitia smiled good-naturedly. “If you must know, I have a battalion of guards who escort me whenever I leave the castle grounds,” she explained. “I am well aware of the shortcomings of having a bodyguard no older than myself, but I find it much easier to speak freely with her than with any of the veteran knights in the Royal Guard. However, I assure you, she is no slouch. Liliana can handle herself in a fight.”

“I’d be glad to show you,” Liliana added.

Mina grinned wickedly, baring her impish fangs. “Sounds like fun!” Placing her hands on the table, she stood up quickly, pushing her chair back as she did. The sudden movement caused Liliana to reflexively stand up as well, drawing her blade fully this time.

Sophitia waved her hand. A protective crystal barrier of blue light surrounded her in an instant. With another flick of her wrist, the barrier grew in size, forcing both the other girls to step back. “Ladies, please,” she said. “If you wish to have a duel, you can do so later with proper training swords. Now please, have a seat.” Trying to appear nonchalant, the princess took a sip of her tea, dissolving her magical barrier as she did.

Liliana did as her charge commanded. From the way she so easily returned to eating her sweets, it was clear to the princess that Liliana was not actually angry with the red-haired girl, nor did she consider her to be a serious threat.

Mina giggled. “Lighten up, Princess,” she said, plopping back down into her chair. “Sometimes you just gotta let the fight happen.” As if competing to appear the most laid-back, the lord’s daughter put her feet up on the table and tilted her chair back.

Sophitia fought the urge to tell her to sit properly, as had been drilled into her head by her elder sister for as long as she could remember. Lancel often sat like that as well, annoying Sir Anselm to no end. “Well, I see no need for it presently,” she said. “Nor am I often in situations that call for it.”

“You don’t visit the taverns in the city very often, do you?” Mina asked.

“Back when we were attending the Hyrulean Royal Academy, I tried taking the princess to a tavern once,” Liliana recalled.

Mina’s face lit up with interest. “Ooh-hoo-hoo!” she said, putting her feet down and letting the front legs of her chair come crashing back to the ground as she leaned forward. “Do tell.”

“Ehh, I don’t think there’s any need for that story, Liliana,” Sophitia said, chuckling nervously.

“Sure there is!” Mina insisted. “Come on, ya got me all curious. Even if it’s boring, I still gotta hear it now.”

Sophitia did not like where this was going, but her retainer gave her a look. The princess was able to interpret the look to mean ‘ Trust me. This will help you get on friendly terms with her. ’ Since that was her goal, she decided to relent, nodding her approval for Liliana to continue.

“It was about two years ago,” Liliana began. “Some of the other recommendation students and I wanted to go out for some drinks, and the princess asked if she could join us.”

“So a Zelda was just walking around in some tavern in the city?” Mina asked. “Didn’t anyone recognize you?”

“I wore the same uniform as Liliana and the other girls,” Sophitia explained. “And my elder sister was the only Zelda anyone would recognize back then.”

Although, that is often still the case nowadays…

“You didn’t bring your whole guard battalion with you just to go drinking, did you?” Mina asked.

Sophitia shook her head. “There was no need. Although I was always shadowed by a few of the Grand Watcher’s agents, just to be safe.”

“Yes. So Princess Sophitia came with us,” Liliana continued. “Sometimes they would only serve us small ale at places like that, but we slipped the barmaid some extra rupees to make sure she brought us a round of strong ale instead.”

“I like your style,” Mina commented with a grin.

Sophitia chuckled.

And here I was worried the two of them wouldn’t get along.

“The rest of us were somewhat used to it, but apparently the princess had never had alcohol before.” Liliana’s face did not change expression, but a side glance to Sophitia revealed she must have known her charge was dreading this.

Mina started laughing. “So I’m guessing she turned out to be a lightweight, eh?”

“Indeed,” Liliana confirmed. “Her cheeks turned red after a couple sips. By the end of it, she was slurring every other word, and she kept begging us not to tell her elder sister.”

“Alright, Liliana,” the princess said, holding up a hand to her as the impish girl continued laughing. “I believe Lady Remoth gets the point.” There was more to that story, but she had no interest in letting Liliana go any further. She tried to hide her embarrassment behind her usual posh demeanor, but her red face hid little.

I hope that was worth it.

“Don’t worry, Princess,” Mina said in between giggles. “Everyone makes an ass of themselves with their first drink.”

Sophitia raised her eyebrows in surprise. Very few people would speak so freely and so crudely in front of a princess, let alone a highborn girl like her who should know better.

“So is she any better at holding her drinks now?” Mina asked Liliana.

“Oh, no, I have not partaken since,” Sophitia responded, waving her hand dismissively. “It was unwise to do so at that age as it was.”

“Aww, but you’re a woman now!” the Remoth girl insisted. “And you’re a princess. You can do whatever you want.”

It was clear that Mina was used to living a rather hedonistic lifestyle, likely due to being the daughter of one of the most powerful lords in the kingdom. Thus, it came as no surprise that she expected the children of the king to live the same way.

“Her eldest brother is the only one in her family who drinks,” Liliana stated. “Prince Lancel loves his wine.”

“Oh, that won’t do.” The impish girl hopped to her feet. “Come on, Princess. We’re going out into the city and finding someplace for you to cut loose.”

“What?” Sophitia was scandalized by this development. She had hoped to simply have a nice chat with Lord Remoth’s daughter. Now she was trying to get her involved in some sort of debauchery. She shot a stern look over to her retainer, letting Liliana know she felt it was her fault.

Liliana gave the princess no reaction. “I think that’s a marvelous idea,” she said.

“I, I, I can’t just go to some tavern, ” Sophitia argued. “Not these days. Especially not when I’m about to embark on an important political mission. And I--”

“Nonsense!” Mina said, stepping closer to Sophitia and clapping her hand against her back. “What harm is there in having a little fun once in a while, eh?”

Liliana’s face turned more serious for a moment, silently communicating to Sophitia with another knowing look. The princess thought she knew what she meant.

Befriend Mina, then befriend Lord Remoth.

After her embarrassment from Liliana recounting that old story, she had nearly forgotten she was on a mission. “Well, I suppose I could summon Captain Reede and have my guards escort us to someplace close by…”

“No, no, no, no, no,” Mina said, wagging her finger rapidly in disapproval. “You can’t bring your guards with you! How are you supposed to have fun like that?”

Liliana lowered her eyelids in unamusement, which Mina seemed to notice.

“Okay, fine. You can bring round-ears over here,” she said, gesturing offhandedly to the other girl. “She’s alright. But other than her, no guards.”

Sophitia was not used to being told ‘ no ’ by anyone outside of her family, so it felt strange to have it said in such a brazen manner by this impudent girl. She also noted that she was yet to see Mina with any guards of her own. That was quite odd. Even on the castle grounds, most nobles kept at least one guard watching over their children at all times.

She seems the type to give her watchmen the slip. Perhaps Lord Remoth has realized by now that it is easier to simply leave her be…

Sophitia sighed. “Very well. I shall accompany you out into the city, with no guards other than my personal retainer,” she relented.

It makes no difference. I’ll be tailed by the Grand Watcher’s agents the moment they see me depart through the castle gates without an escort.

“But I can assure you,” she went on. “I have no intention of becoming inebriated.”

Mina laughed. “Shall I take that as a challenge, Princess?”

“I’d greatly prefer it if you didn’t,” Sophitia replied, regretting her decision already. Then she cleared her throat and stood up. “Well, I suppose Liliana and I ought to go and change into more… suitable attire. We shall meet you by the gate.” Her bodyguard stood up to join her.

“I look forward to it, Princess,” the impish girl said, waving to them as they walked off.


Sophitia waited until they left the garden before speaking her mind. “This is a terrible idea,” she said exasperatedly.

“I don’t see why, my princess,” Liliana said plainly. “I figured you would want to use her to get closer to her father.”

“Very astute,” Sophitia said as a compliment, although she said it with enough attitude that it hardly came off that way. “But there are better ways to make friends with a lord’s daughter.”

“This seems like the perfect way to make friends with that lord’s daughter,” Liliana pointed out. “Besides, what’s the worst that could happen? Surely you have a stronger constitution than you did two years ago.”

“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?” Sophitia asked, noticing the glimmer of amusement in her retainer’s eyes.

“Whatever do you mean, Princess?”

Sophitia rolled her eyes. “Let’s just hurry and be done with it, I suppose.”

The two of them walked all the way back to Sophitia’s tower, passing by several castle guards and visiting nobles as they did. The princess gave them all the courtesies they were owed, but she kept things as brief as possible so as not to hinder them for too long.

“Have you really not been outside of the castle without a full escort since we graduated?” Liliana asked as they climbed the stairs up to the princess’s bedchambers.

“Indeed. You should know that better than anyone,” Sophitia replied. “You go everywhere I go.”

“Not when I am ill or injured, or on the rare occasion when you give me the day off,” her retainer said.

“I suppose,” the princess conceded. “But yes, that is the way of it. Ever since I decided to become more involved with the kingdom’s politics, I have preferred to be somewhat more conspicuous so that the citizenry might know me as they know my elder sister. Traveling incognito and escorted by hidden Sheikah agents would not be conducive to my strategy.”

“If you’re looking to be noticed, you’d be better off imitating Prince Lancel,” Liliana said, opening the bedroom door and holding it open for her princess.

Sophitia gave that a haughty laugh as she stepped past the door frame. “Yes, well, I suppose there’s a certain type of attention I would rather avoid. Kind of like going to a tavern and imbibing alcoholic beverages.”

“We are of age this time,” Liliana pointed out, following her inside and shutting the door. “Your father doesn’t particularly care about alcohol consumption anyway.”

“The Sage of Light certainly does,” Sophitia countered. “I know I’m not the most devout of my siblings, but the sage is a very important ally.”

Liliana opened the princess’s wardrobe. “For the record, I believe you’re overthinking the situation,” she said. “But either way, it would be best for you to dress down if we’re going to a tavern.”

“That’s correct,” Sophitia agreed. “No crown, no jewelry, nothing with a Triforce or any other symbol of my family on it. Nothing that could cause me to be recognized. Nothing fancy at all.”

“Everything you own is fancy,” her retainer argued, digging through the clothes hanging in her wardrobe.

“Fair point. Then I suppose anything that’s not a dress will do.” The princess removed her tiara and let her hair down, placing her accessories on her desk.

“Your riding outfit then.” Liliana pulled out the black breeches and light blue bodice the princess often wore for horseback riding, fencing, and other athletic activities.

“That will do,” Sophitia said. “Leave it on the bed. I can dress myself. Go down to your chambers and get changed as well.” Even if she were dressed down, she would still be easily recognizable if she were accompanied by someone dressed in the uniform of the Royal Guard.

“Yes, Princess.” Liliana did as she was commanded and left the room.

After dressing herself, Sophitia retrieved her rapier. She gave it a few practice flicks, enjoying the way it glowed brilliantly as it cut through the air.

Will this be too conspicuous?

The princess was hoping to keep her identity concealed, or to avoid drawing a great deal of attention to herself, at least. There was no denying that her weapon of choice was gaudy, but that would not be a problem if she kept it sheathed. However, having a weapon at all might be a problem.

A few moments later, Liliana reentered the room, dressed in an unassuming grey tunic and red trousers. Sophitia noted she still wore her sword at her side.

“Do ordinary girls our age carry weapons?” Sophitia asked, having the unpleasant realization of how little she knew about commonfolk. She sheathed her rapier and posed in front of her floor-length mirror, trying to gage if it would draw attention.

“They do when traveling alone at night,” Liliana replied. “And almost all travelers carry weapons if they’re old enough to wield them.”

Sophitia figured that made sense. Whenever she left the city, she was accompanied by a grand escort to protect her from monsters and bandits. Most other people would have to fend for themselves, unless they could hire mercenaries or adventurers to accompany them.

“Here. I’ve got an idea.” Liliana walked over to the princess’s wardrobe once again and returned with a dark grey hooded cloak. She threw it over Sophitia’s shoulders and fastened the clasp in the front. The cloak was not long, just barely reaching past her waist, making it look almost like a cape. “There,” Liliana said, putting the hood up over her charge’s head.

The princess felt the edges of the hood with her hands. “I don’t understand.”

Liliana stood beside her in front of the mirror. “When people see us, they won’t see a princess, a bodyguard, and a lord’s daughter. They’ll see three young adventurers stopping by the local tavern,” she explained, posing with her hand on the hilt of her sword.

Sophitia mimicked her actions, placing her hand over the hilt of her rapier. She had to admit, the two of them gave off a much different impression than they usually did. “Shall we be lending a weapon to the lady of Remoth?” she asked, wondering if that would be necessary to complete the illusion.

“She carries daggers,” Liliana stated.

“What? Does she?”

“Concealed in her coat. I am your bodyguard, my princess. I notice these things.”

Sophitia laughed. “I’m glad to hear my rupees are well spent indeed.”

Liliana nodded, almost proudly. “Now then. If we are suitably prepared, I believe we have a date with the Young Lady of Spikes.”

Chapter 11: Harun IV

Chapter Text

“Simply breathe. In, and out. Push, and pull,” Sage Nashorla instructed. “Be at peace. You must learn to find a balance within yourself.”

“There are two demons fighting inside of me,” Harun replied, sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed. “I am certain there is some poetic metaphor present here somewhere, but that is the truth of the matter. How am I to be at peace under such insane circumstances?”

“That is precisely why you must find peace,” the sage insisted calmly.

“Find peace with the demon who forced me to kill Lady Averla…” the prince muttered, unable to believe what he was hearing. But the sage did not respond, so he remained quiet.

Harun opened one eye and glanced to his side. He and the sage were both atop the altar below the statue of Nephysis. Nashorla sat in the same meditation position as him. The ghostly gray flame of her lantern hung above her, swaying softly. Harun closed his eye again. “What should I do now?”

“Try to listen to your predecessor,” the sage answered. “Your connection to the old king may be troublesome for you, but few others have a previous lifetime of experience to tap into. There is always wisdom to be found in the past, whether that past be good or evil.”

Harun sighed, but did as he was told.

Speak to me, elder one. I am ready to listen.

He tried for a while, but when he heard nothing, his mind began to wander. Thoughts of his home came to him. He saw images of his people; poor and frail old women collapsing at the city gates after wandering in the desert for years, starving children waiting in line for a few pieces of hydromelon, vast seas of sand that no farmer could grow crops in. And then his mind turned to Hyrule; lush green fields, bountiful harvests for even the lowliest peasants, children running and playing in the warm summer sun.

But I have never been to Hyrule.

Harun gasped, opening his eyes.

Nashorla heard him. “Does the spirit of the past speak?” she asked, not moving from her position.

The prince held a hand to his chest, feeling his heart racing in fear. “...I believe he does, Sage.”

“And what does he say?”

Harun scratched his head. “He was envious,” he decided. It was not his first time hearing about this side of Ganondorf, but now it seemed as if the old king was telling him this himself through these visions. “The Hylians live better lives than we do.”

“Do they?”

“Yes.” Harun had never set foot beyond the desert, but every Gerudo knew the tales of the land beyond the mountains. Every vai who returned home from her Mother’s Pilgrimage spoke of how beautiful it was in Central Hyrule, Faron, Necluda, Akkala, and all the lands the Hylians were blessed with. “Anyone would kill for what they have.”

“Then perhaps you have some sympathy for King Ganondorf.”

Harun had heard Ganon’s side of the story time and time again from the many Ganonites in his life. The way they spoke of him, of course it made Harun sympathize with him. But after some of the recent events in the prince’s life, he was beginning to reject the Ganonite view more and more. “No,” Harun stated forcefully. “He was a monster, and he turned me into one, too.”

The sage was silent for a moment, letting the jingling sound of her swaying lantern emanate throughout the room. “If you could speak to Lady Averla, what would you say to her?”

Harun looked at her with hope in his eyes. “May I speak with her?” he asked, hoping the sage’s spirit magic may be capable of such a feat.

“Not now,” Nashorla said.

“Why not?” Harun demanded. “Is that not the gift you have been blessed with?”

“It does not work that way.” The sage opened her eyes, looking unfocused off into the distance. “I do not command the spirits. Nor do I decide when they are allowed to cross over.” She turned to face Harun, but seemed to be looking through him. “I ask again: If you could speak to Lady Averla, what would you say to her?”

The prince felt like he wanted to scream. He wanted to continue to demand his wish be fulfilled, but he knew it would be futile. Instead, he sighed angrily, and thought about the question. “I… I would apologize, of course.” Harun hung his head. “What kind of voe kills his own mentor?”

“One who is not in control of his actions,” Nashorla reminded him.

“That was my fault, too!” Harun insisted. “I should have stopped the demon from taking over. If I could just be free of this nightmare, I would--” As he spoke, his head began to ache, and an image of the Beast flashed behind the sage. “No!” he shouted, pressing his hands to his face.

The sage did not react to his sudden outburst, but waited a moment before speaking calmly. “I am truly sorry, young one. I do not know why you have been cursed by the Elder Demon,” she said. “But I have faith in my Patron’s wisdom. She has imparted Ganon’s soul to you. If you do not wish to be driven mad by the Curse of Demise, you must allow Ganon to fight against it on your behalf.”

“Must I repeat myself?” Harun asked angrily. “What use is there in allowing a demon to possess me in order to prevent a demon from possessing me?!”

“That is not what Alkawbra advised,” the sage countered. “As I have said, you must learn to work with Ganondorf. You may consider him evil, but surely he would be the lesser of two evils.”

Harun hated to admit it, but it made sense when she explained it that way. “I thank you for not speaking in riddles,” he said to her. “I just wish I did not have to choose any evil.”

“We all wish that, but life is not always so simple, especially for one in your position. The queen knows this, as will you when you take her place.”

The prince had to agree with her on that as well. He had grown up observing Queen Urballa. Ruling a kingdom seemed to be nothing but a series of one tough decision after another. Even the decision to take him from Naboris to the Arbiter’s Grounds must have been a difficult one, and after everything that had happened, she must have felt as bad as he did. “I will use Ganon’s power,” Harun decided, even though he didn’t like it. “But I will not be Ganon.”

Nashorla nodded. “You are Harun. No one expects you to be anyone else.”

Harun laughed internally at that.

Except Kobami. And Urballa. And you.

As if she had been summoned, the doors at the far end of the room suddenly blew open with a gust of wind, revealing Elder Kobami. Using her walking stick, she stepped into the room. “I apologize if I am interrupting, my prince,” she said insincerely as she slowly approached them. “But I believe it is time for your training.”

Harun sighed.

More training.

“Perhaps it would be better to allow the young voe to rest,” Sage Nashorla suggested, rising to her feet. “He has been training with me already.”

“Nonsense,” the witch said, waving her hand dismissively. “The prince is still young. He does not tire so easily.”

“...It’s alright, Sage.” Harun stood up as well and climbed down the steps of the altar.

“Do not push yourself,” Nashorla called after him as he walked away. “Remember: Try to speak with Ganon, not fight him.”

“I know.” When he reached the elder, the two of them left the room together.

“I am glad to hear we are all finally on the same page,” Kobami remarked. “The Sage speaks most wisely. You should embrace Ganon’s blessings with open arms.”

Harun grunted. This was one of his primary concerns with the current plan. He was doing exactly as the Ganonites wanted, and that gave him doubts.

The private room that the witch had set up for their sorcery lessons was much like the one they used back at the palace. Harun stood in the center of the room and Kobami knelt on a cushion off to the side. The room was not in the temple proper, but Harun could still feel the spirits in the air.

“We shall continue your training with shadowbinding today, young one,” Kobami explained. “The Great Ganondorf was a master of this technique, able to maintain many phantoms at once. Try to draw upon his power.”

Harun hesitated for a moment. On the surface, Kobami’s advice was quite similar to Nashorla’s. They both wanted him to make use of the spirit of Ganon rather than attempting to banish it. And yet, it felt very different coming from the witch.

She wants me to be powerful. The sage wants me to be healthy.

Nevertheless, the prince did as instructed. Closing his eyes, he reached out to Ganondorf.

Come, predecessor. If you are truly my ally, lend me your power.

Harun held his left arm out to the side, summoning his own power. As expected, a swirling cloud of darkness was beginning to form on the ground. He willed it to grow larger, taller. Imagining it as himself, he forced it to take shape, forming limbs and a head. However, he soon lost control. The dark figure’s head and limbs melted back into its body, becoming nothing but a hazy pillar of dark smoke.

“The power of the Demon King rests within you,” Kobami reminded him. “Do not fight it. You must harness it. Unlock your true potential.”

Harun directed all of his energy towards his phantom. He took on a more forward stance and strained his body and mind, then closed his eyes again.

Please, old king. Let us work together, as they wish us to.

For another few moments, he continued to feel nothing but the strain of forcing his magic. But then, he felt something different. He did not know how to describe it, but it was as if he had reached an agreement with himself. Suddenly, he felt re-energized. The shadowy figure in front of him began to obey his will, once again taking on a human shape. Soon, it was like the silhouette of another person was standing in the room with him.

“Good,” Kobami commended him, smiling a toothless grin. “Well done, young voe. The Great Ganondorf’s blessings are quite evident. Now, apply an illusion to your phantom. Make it appear as you do.”

Harun nodded. Moving his hands around, he pictured what he wanted the phantom to look like. However, the shadowy figure did not change. The prince furrowed his brow, then exerted himself more, trying to direct his magic more strongly. However, something was wrong. Instead of changing appearance, the phantom continued to grow larger, becoming more than a head taller than him.

“What are you doing?” the witch asked. “Do not delay, young one. Conjure your illusion.”

“I… I…” Before he knew what was happening, the phantom did indeed change its appearance. But when it did, it was not a double of himself standing before him. The phantom became the man he had seen in his dreams and stolen memories. The prince’s eyes opened wide in shock at the sudden appearance.

Ganondorf.

“No!” Harun shouted. He took a step back, hastily undoing all his spellwork. Ganondorf’s color instantly drained away, and the humanoid cloud of blackness collapsed into nothing once again before dissipating harmlessly.

“Amazing!” Kobami said, sounding ecstatic. She stood up, raising her hands to the sky as if in gratitude for a miracle. “That was him! The Great Ganondorf himself has graced us with his presence!” Harun did not respond. He was breathing heavily, still taken aback by what he’d just seen. “What is the matter, young one?”

“He… frightens me, elder one.”

How am I supposed to work with him?

“You have nothing to fear from your great predecessor,” she assured him. “His supreme power is yours for the taking, if you would simply accept his gift. Truly, it is the ones who hate him and sully his good name that you should be afraid of.”

Harun was not so sure about that. “You speak of the Hylianites? I do not fear them. They might hate me, but they have never harmed me.”

Whereas Ganon has done me plenty of harm.

Elder Kobami narrowed her eyes, giving him a look that said ‘ You know so little. ’ Using her cane for balance, she hobbled closer to him. “Come with me, young prince. There is something you must see.”

Harun was unsure what she had in mind, but followed her nonetheless.

She led him to another area of the temple and down several flights of stairs. Eventually, they found themselves in front of a large stone door guarded by two glaive-wielding women.

“Halt. What business have you in the crypt?” one of the guards asked.

Crypt?

“I wish to allow our future king to look upon his predecessors,” Elder Kobami explained. “Surely he may do so?”

The guards looked at each other, but seemed to take no issue with her request, either because she had the prince with her or because they knew she worked for the queen. “Very well,” one of the guards said. Together, they opened the doors and stepped aside, bowing to the prince and the witch as they entered.

More stairs awaited them, leading further underground. It would have been pitch black, but Elder Kobami waved her hand and ignited a line of wall braziers with violet flame to light their way.

When they reached the bottom, they continued on past dozens of stone statues, each depicting the image of a Gerudo king, a queen, a hero, or some other historical figure. Kobami pointed out a few of the most famous ones along the way. Harun could not see any of their remains, but he knew their Gibdofied bodies rested in the ground beneath their statues.

“Here lie my predecessors,” Kobami said, gesturing to a pair of statues depicting wise old witches.

Harun recognized them from his visions. “Kotake and Koume,” he said. “They raised the four previous voe.”

“Good, young one,” the witch complimented him. “It is tragic that those Hylian devils killed them both. Had they not, perhaps the sisters would have raised you as well.”

“Perhaps,” Harun muttered, unsure how he was supposed to feel about that notion.

“This is Queen Nabooru,” Kobami continued, pointing to another statue. It depicted a fierce and beautiful woman wearing a crown much like Urballa’s. She was striding forward, raising a scimitar in one hand and holding a shield in the other. Harun noticed the odd design of her shield. It had the appearance of a screaming face.

Bizarrely macabre for a queen.

“Some say she and the Great Ganondorf were lovers, you know,” the witch went on. “Although he had many, as will you.”

Harun narrowed his eyes. “That is not for you to decide.”

“You will understand in time, young one,” Kobami said, unfazed. “You will marry the princess, yes, but you also have a duty to repopulate our race with strong, pure Gerudo daughters. The less we are made to rely on Hylian voe, the better.”

Harun grunted in displeasure, but did not wish to discuss the matter any further. Averla had always told him the opposite; he would marry the princess and take no lovers apart from her. He had never discussed with Katta what would have become of their relationship once Sabah came of age, but he grimly realized that no longer mattered.

A short distance further, Kobami stopped between two statues. On the left was a man Harun knew well - King Ganondorf, as expected. On the right was a woman he did not recognize who seemed to be cradling an infant in her arms.

“Here lies your predecessor,” Elder Kobami spoke, stopping and turning to face Harun. “Do you know how he died?”

Harun raised an eyebrow. Everyone knew how Ganondorf died. It was the climax of the most significant event in the last hundred years of history. “He was slain by the Hylian Hero of Twilight.”

“No,” the witch said, shaking her head. “I do not speak of the Great Ganondorf. I speak of the last voe who came before you.” With her cane, she gestured to the statue of the woman holding the baby.

“What?” Harun asked in confusion, looking at the statue. “Who is that? I thought Ganon was the voe who came before me.”

“Once every hundred years, a single voe is born to the Gerudo,” Kobami explained, her raspy voice echoing through the halls of the dark crypt. “You are the voe of this century. Ganondorf was the voe of the century before last. But this poor soul,” she said, tapping the infant with her cane, “was the voe of the century between you and Ganon. He was born very soon after Ganondorf was murdered.”

“Why have I not heard of him?” Harun asked.

“Because he was only alive for a handful of days,” the witch replied, the way she spoke becoming grimmer. “He was killed by Hylianites, you see. They feared he was Ganondorf born again, just as the Hylianites of this era fear you now. And for that, they killed him - a newborn child. They killed his mother, too, for the crime of giving birth to him.”

Harun’s face distorted in disgust. “That’s monstrous.

“Indeed.” Kobami nodded sagely in agreement. “That is what the Gerudo who sided with the Hylians were like. And those who do so today are no different. They tried to kill you, too, young one. I was unable to stop them from killing your mother, but I was able to rescue you and deliver you safely to our gracious queen.”

“I… I had no idea.” Harun did not know what to say. He felt sick, he felt angry, and he felt the pain of the injustice.

How could those who shared Lady Averla’s values do something like that?

“Do you see now, young prince?” Kobami asked. “ This is why I constantly advise the queen to push for independence from the Hylians. They have oppressed and persecuted us for too long, and they have even gone so far as to turn our own people against us. We cannot allow this sort of tragedy to occur ever again.”

Harun could not take his eyes off of the statue of the mother and her baby. It made him wonder about his own mother. He had asked Queen Urballa about her when he was young, but all she’d told him was that she had died when he was young. Perhaps she’d wanted to spare his feelings, or perhaps she did not wish him to think ill of the Hylianites.

“Come, young voe,” his teacher told him. “Let us return above ground and continue your training.”

“Yes, elder one.”


After climbing the stairs back to the surface, Harun and Kobami began to head back towards their training room. However, along the way, they were interrupted by the sound of many bells ringing from outside the temple.

“What is that?” Harun asked, glancing about in alarm.

“Hmm…” the witch considered. “Perhaps we are under attack.”

“What? By whom?”

“I have no more information than you do, young one. Let us ascend to the roof and have a look.” Glancing through an open doorway, Elder Kobami waved her hand. A carpet from the next room lifted off of the ground and flew towards them, a gust of air beneath it kicking up dust as it traveled. “Climb aboard,” the witch said, cackling.

Harun did as he was bidden. He wished he was more proficient with aeromancy, as he found it difficult to keep himself balanced while Kobami’s carpet flew through the air. She brought them through a window high up on the wall. Once outside, they rose straight upwards until they reached the roof. Harun jumped off of the carpet immediately, fearing he would fall otherwise.

Spotting some guards by one edge of the roof, Harun ran over to them. “What is happening?” he asked.

“There,” one of the guards pointed. “Something’s coming. Looks like monsters.”

From the rooftop, Harun could see every section of the temple and nearly all of the other buildings in the surrounding settlement. Past the city’s edge, he could see a large group of creatures approaching from the desert. At first they appeared to be gigantic beasts, but as they got closer, Harun could see the monsters were Blins of some sort riding atop very large boars. The Blins were green-skinned, horned, and appeared to be smaller than a Gerudo, but it was difficult to tell from such a distance.

“What are they?” Harun asked.

“Bulblins,” Kobami answered, appearing at his side. “One of the more intelligent Blin species. They served the Great Ganondorf well during the Twilight War.”

“What do they want?” Harun asked. “Food? Like the Lizalfos?”

“Likely, yes,” Kobami confirmed, nodding her head. “Although Blins are also known to take prisoners for more unsavory reasons.”

Harun was shocked to hear that, but then again, everyone always told him that monsters were wicked beings by nature.

He watched as the first wave of soldiers went out to meet the approaching monsters. Judging by the armor they wore, it was a mix of the city watch and the troops that the queen had brought from Naboris. They formed a line and positioned themselves with their spears pointed outwards. A group of boar riders crashed into them, with many of the Bulbins and their mounts getting impaled in the process.

Harun stood there watching the battle for some time, hoping that the Gerudo forces would rout the enemy quickly. However, despite the soldiers’ apparent success, their line was eventually broken. Other Bulblins began riding past them, hitting the soldiers over the head with large clubs of wood and bone. Each boar carried two of the monsters, and the one sitting behind the other carried a bow. Any soldiers who attempted to pursue the monsters that had gotten past them were quickly picked off by the riders’ arrows.

“Where are the queen and the princess?” Harun asked frantically, addressing the guards lining the roof.

“Were I Bularis,” Kobami said, pointing up to the Coliseum in the distance. “I would be escorting them up there, as far away from the battle as possible.”

Harun felt a tinge of fear at the mention of that horrible place, and he could not tell if the reaction was his own or Ganon’s. However, he had to brave it. “Take me there,” the prince commanded. “Now!”

Elder Kobami grinned, perhaps remembering the ‘glorious’ sight of his possession from the last time they were there. “As you wish.”

“The rest of you, get down there and join the battle. Prioritize protecting the civilians,” Harun ordered the guards as he and Kobami climbed aboard her flying carpet once more.

“At once, my prince.”

As he rose into the sky, Harun looked down on the city again. He observed the way the Bulbin riders moved; the way they stayed together in groups and split into even parties to cover more ground.  Given what he’d always heard about monsters, they seemed surprisingly coordinated, and that’s to say nothing of the uniformity of their tactics. The fact that they had managed to tame lesser beasts to carry them at all suggested some form of higher intellect.

Even if she claims they operate on base instinct, Kobami herself admitted that they were intelligent. Perhaps they can be reasoned with.

The prince put that thought out of his mind for now. The battle had just begun. Whether the monsters were intelligent or not, diplomacy was likely not presently an option.

Atop the carpet, Harun and Kobami flew over the walls of the Coliseum. He felt the pull of the demon within him, and he knew he had to do something; talk to Ganondorf, as the sage had taught him.

Please, elder one, I beg you. We must control ourselves for the sake of our people.

“Take us down over there,” the prince said, pointing toward a group of people gathered in the spectator stands. He could not make them out from so high up, but he saw several Iron Knuckles amongst the guards, meaning they had to be the queen’s protectors.

When they landed beside the group of guards, Harun stepped off of the carpet. “Your Majesty!” he called out, stumbling a little. Ganon’s presence could still be felt, but luckily, the old king seemed to be heeding Harun’s pleas.

“The queen is not here, my prince,” Commander Bularis said. Others moved out of her way as she approached him, her heavy armor clanking as she walked. Her helmet was tucked under her arm, while her other arm rested her battleaxe against her shoulderguard. “She has gone below to join the battle. We are here to guard the princess.”

“I see.” Harun spotted Princess Sabah sitting in the middle of the group. A few other young girls were sitting with her, all of them clinging to one another, looking scared. Some attendants and other noncombatants were there, too, looking no less scared than the children.

“How many are there?” Bularis asked.

“Several dozens, I’d estimate,” Elder Kobami said.

The Iron Knuckle grunted. “That’s not exactly an army.”

“Yes. But we lack an army as well, and their forces are all mounted. They’ve already broken through our lines and made it into the settlement.” The witch glanced around her, counting the warriors and mages amongst them. “We do not need this many to guard the princess,” she said.

“Queen’s orders,” Bularis asserted.

“They will never come all the way up here,” Kobami argued. “These are mere Blin raiders. They’ll ignore the large buildings in favor of the civilian huts. Their plan will be to take as much food as they can, grab a few women, and make their escape before their enemy has time to regroup and fight them properly.”

“If that is indeed the case, then the enemy will be long gone before we reach them,” the commander replied, tapping her axe against her heavy armor. “We are not built for mobility.”

“Very well,” Harun interrupted, knowing an argument would only serve to waste time they did not have. “Commander, keep your guards here. Elder one, fly back down there and join the battle. I will descend into the temple and see if I can find more reinforcements.”

Both the commander and the witch smiled at him. “It’s good to see you stepping into your role, my prince,” Bularis said. “The queen will be proud to hear of this.”

“Indeed,” Kobami said, stepping back onto her carpet. “Make haste, then, young one.”

Harun felt a little embarrassed by their praise, but he nodded in gratitude. “May the goddess guide you,” he said, unsure which goddess he was referring to, or how sincere he was in his prayer. With that, he ran for the stairs that led back down into the temple.


The prince regretted not flying down with Kobami when he remembered how long the staircase leading down from the Coliseum was. It took him longer than he would’ve liked just to get to the next floor, and that time was precious at the moment. But as soon as he reached the bottom, he ran for the hallway, intending to check every room he could.

In many rooms, he found cowering civilians and priestesses who asked him what the alarm bells and the commotion outside were all about. He didn’t take the time to explain it to them, but he told them to head up to the Coliseum for safety. He also found women with spears and scimitars helping with crowd control or patrolling the halls. He would tell them to head outside and join the battle once the area they were overseeing was under control and cleared of any civilians.

If Elder Kobami’s words were correct, then the battle would likely be over soon, so he knew he would not need to search the entire temple complex. However, he wanted to keep going until he knew the battle was over, assuring himself that every little bit would help.

While in one of the minor wings attached to the side of the main temple, Harun saw a gigantic set of stone double doors had been pushed open, above which was an inscription that read ‘ Treasury .’ He could hear rustling and clanging sounds coming from within.

Oh no, has the battle spread inside the building?

In a panic, he ran through the opening in the doorway, then stopped in his tracks. Inside was a large room with a high ceiling. Lining the walls and filling the room were tables and display cases housing various treasures. Everything from jewelry, weapons, books, and art pieces could be seen. He couldn’t see anyone immediately when he walked inside, so he stopped and listened. Once again, he heard rustling sounds, and perhaps even something shattering. But it did not sound like a fight.

Is someone taking advantage of the chaos in order to loot the treasury?

Stranger still, he could hear voices, but he could not understand them. Curious, Harun crept over to a display case and peered around the corner.

Damn.

Somehow, there were Bulblins in the temple. From where he was standing, he could see two of them, but it sounded like there were several more throughout the room.

What the hell are they doing here?

The Bulblin closest to him was tall and gangly. It wore boiled leather armor and head wrappings that left only its red eyes visible. Two spiky horns protruded from the sides of its head, curving forwards. It had a quiver and bow on its back, but it was holding a wooden club with a large stone tied to the end of it, and it was using the club to smash open some of the glass display cases.

What is the meaning of this mindless destruction?

The other Bulblin in his line of sight was short and squat, but it was otherwise identically equipped, which made them seem almost like uniformed soldiers. A voice spoke, turning both their attentions towards another Bulbin that Harun could not see. The speech was deep and guttural, and the language seemed very simplistic. It did not surprise Harun to learn that they could speak. Ganondorf and the Twili had to have communicated with them somehow back during the Twilight War.

That gives me an idea…

If Ganondorf could speak the Bulblin language, and Harun was able to harness Ganondorf’s power, then perhaps he could speak with them as well.

...Old king, if you are listening, grant me this favor. I wish to know what these monsters are saying.

Harun continued to listen as another Bulblin began to speak, hoping that Ganondorf would respond in some way. The words he heard remained pure gibberish for a while, but slowly, they began to make sense.

“You! Maggots! Did you find it yet?”

“Not yet, boss.”

“Dammit. Well, keep looking.”

Incredible. Thank you, elder one.

The fat Bulblin turned towards his tall companion, which made Harun duck behind the corner to avoid being spotted. With his back to a shelf of old treasures, the prince continued to listen.

“This is stupid. Are we even sure it’s here?”

“It’s gotta be. This is the Gerudo’s Spirit Temple, and look at all this shit. Gotta be here somewhere.”

“Well, what does it look like?”

“It’s a fucking shield! What do you think it looks like?”

Harun furrowed his brow in confusion. The Bublins’ presence here was not a mere act of destructive revelry, nor were they sacking the treasury for all the valuables they could find. They were looking for something.

A shield? What shield?

Harun sidled along the shelf to the other end and carefully peered around the corner. As expected, more identically equipped Bulblins were busy rummaging through the Gerudo treasures. One of them found a small chest filled with rupees. It made a sound of joy, then looked over at its comrades. Seeing they hadn’t noticed, the monster began stuffing the rupees into its clothing.

So they do care for money. Or shiny things, at least.

Harun tried to decide what to do. He could try to reason with them; perhaps lie and say the shield they were looking for was not there. If that was their only reason for being in the temple, then perhaps they would leave and take the other monsters with them. But the prince had no weapons with him. He had magic, but even that would not save him if he were outnumbered too greatly.

From somewhere in the middle of the room, a Bulblin roared with delight. “Boss! Boss! I found it! I found it!” All the other Bulblins turned in surprise, then ran out of sight.

Uh oh.

If they had what they needed, they’d be coming for the entrance soon. Harun turned to leave, but something stopped him. A nagging feeling in his head told him that he had to know what this prize of theirs was, and why it was so important to them.

But how do I get them to talk?

An idea sprang into the prince’s head. Earlier, while training with the Elder Witch, he had created a phantom of Ganon. If he wished, he could surround himself with such a phantom, taking on the Demon King’s form. Harun did not expect these monsters to be old enough to have seen what Ganondorf looked like, but perhaps they would recognize him from the statues or the stories, and he would certainly look more intimidating than he did in his true form either way. Standing in front of the doors so as to block them, Harun held out his hands and summoned the shadows.

I know you are aware that I still fear you, Demon King. But please, lend me your form.

The prince watched as the shadows engulfed his body. Once they had solidified, he began creating the illusion to cover it. While he had been wearing simple acolyte’s clothing from the temple a moment ago, soon he was wearing great black armor. There was no mirror nearby, but he knew he would look just like the terrifying voe he’d seen in his visions.

Hurried footsteps rushed towards him as Bulblins approached from down both aisles. One by one, six of them came into view, took one look at Harun, and froze in place with a terrified yelp or grunt. He could not see much of their faces, but their eyes betrayed their fear and surprise. Most of them hunched over a bit, but even if they’d been standing up straight, they looked rather diminutive to him.

The seventh and final Bulblin to come out into the open was larger than the others. It wore plate armor on its chest, shoulders, and head. It must have been the leader, as monsters tended to follow the largest of their kind. The leader carried a large axe, like Bularis’s, but it was much cruder than the commander’s finely crafted steel weapon. In its other hand, the monster also carried what must have been the shield they’d been looking for. When it spotted Harun, it looked him up and down. “Wha… What the hell?” The monster sounded as confused as Harun was, but there was clearly some fear in his voice as well.

Perhaps they recognize the Demon King after all.

“Halt, trespassers,” Harun declared, speaking in a deep voice that was not his own and a language he did not truly speak. “State your business here.”

The Bulblins looked to one another in fear and confusion, muttering restlessly.

“Is that who I think it is?”

“It can’t be.”

“How does this human speak our tongue?”

“What do we do?”

“Shut up!” the boss roared, silencing the others. He took a few steps closer to Harun, causing his minions to part to let him pass. “Get out of my way, Child of Nayru, before I split your skull,” the monster ordered Harun.

“Hmm.” The prince paused for a moment, attempting to seem unperturbed. “So be it,” he said. With a wave of his hand, he summoned a ball of violet flame and launched it at the large Bublin. The smaller ones screamed and dove out of the way, but their boss simply raised the stolen shield. Harun realized too late that the shield was mirrored. The fireball appeared to pass right through it, while its reflection appeared to emerge from the mirror. Before he could get out of its way, the reflected fireball hit Harun in the chest.

“Ahh!” Harun screamed in pain. He stumbled backwards, knocking into the great stone door as the flame burned through the phantom. While he frantically tried to put it out, the illusion broke and the shadows melted away, revealing his true form.

The boss Bulblin chuckled. “So you are but a child,” he said mockingly. “You can’t fool us with your magic tricks, sorcerer!”

“Ha! I told you it wasn’t him.”

“Shut up. You were scared, too.”

“Let’s kill him.”

“Yeah! Kill him!”

With the intimidating illusion having been broken, the Bulblins became bolder. They drew their weapons and advanced together with clear killing intent.

Fuck.

Harun had to think quickly. If Kobami were there, she could cast a spell that would kill them all at once, but Harun was not confident in his ability to pull off anything like that. Instead, he slipped through the opening in the great stone doors.

Maybe I can take them if they’re forced to come through one at a time.

Backing up a few yards, Harun took on a fighting stance facing the doorway. As he’d hoped, the first Bulblin tried to squeeze through on his own. Yelling forcefully, Harun tossed a fireball at the monster. The Bulblin had time to make a noise of surprise before its head was incinerated. However, before the charred body hit the ground, two more Bulblins began forcing the double doors open, creating a larger exit.

That didn’t last long. Time to go.

Before he took off running, he quickly hit the closest Bulbin with a lightning bolt. The monster spasmed from the electric shock, then fell over next to its burnt comrade.

As Harun ran, the monsters chased him. “Help!” he cried, speaking Gerudo again. “The monsters have breached the temple!” However, there did not seem to be anyone else around. This wing of the temple had already been evacuated.

Dammit.

An arrow sailed over his shoulder, landing in front of him. He instinctively dodged to the side, and another arrow passed by him. Turning around, he quickly identified the two Bublins that had their bows drawn. He held his arms out, then clapped them together. From either wall, a pillar of shadow shot outwards, crushing the archers between them. The shadowbound structures quickly dissipated, and Harun groaned at the sudden mental fatigue he felt.

I’m using too much magic much too quickly…

Luckily, it appeared his exploits were intimidating enough to cause the pursuing Bulblins to stumble for a moment. The prince took the opportunity to turn down the next hallway and enter the nearest room. Looking around for a weapon, the prince found a crossed pair of spears mounted on the wall as decoration. He pulled one down and readied himself by the door.

“We’ve got you now!” a Bulblin shouted, bursting into the room a moment later.

Harun grunted as he thrust with the spear, impaling the monster through the chest. Another Bulblin came rushing in afterwards, and before Harun could free his spear, the monster smashed its club across his head.

“Ah!” Harun hit the ground hard, his vision going blurry for a moment. He felt the side of his head, then saw blood when he looked at his hand. “Fuck…”

“Die!” The Bulblin swung its club downwards, trying to finish the job. Seeing a situation he’d been in many times before when training with Katta and the others, Harun rolled to the side and hopped to his feet. However, he lost his balance as soon as he stood up, still feeling woozy from the head injury. Nevertheless, he managed to stumble into the Bublin, knocking it to the ground and landing on top of it.

The prince grabbed the creature and began smashing its head against the floor. “You. Die.” He heard the skull crack and saw the blood splatter, but he did it one last time for good measure.

Breathing heavily, Harun stood up. He was exhausted and in pain, unsure if he could fight any longer. However, as he climbed back to his feet, the large, armored Bulblin finally caught up with him, stepping into the room with loud, deliberate footsteps.

The monster looked back and forth between his dead subordinates, then glared at Harun. “You’re gonna pay for that, human.”

The prince stood still as the monster approached, thinking too slowly about whether to run or to fight. “Why do you want that shield?” he asked in the Bulblin’s language, trying to stall him.

“I don’t need to tell you a damn thing,” the monster declared, advancing forward with the shield raised, likely expecting more magic attacks. With his other arm, he raised his axe, ready to strike.

No!

Harun heard Ganon’s voice shouting in his head, and then the whole room changed. He was no longer in the Spirit Temple. Instead, he was in a building with strange architecture he had never seen before. There was still a Bublin in front of him, but it looked different, and it was wearing a crown.

“You have terrorized my people long enough!” Harun shouted in Ganon’s voice. He stepped forward and shoved the crowned Bulblin against the wall. With a gauntleted fist, he punched the monster in the face once, then twice, then a dozen times. When he was finished, the broken monster’s corpse slumped down to the ground. The wall behind him was cracked.

Harun bent over and lifted the crown off of the Bulblin’s head. He turned around and saw a crowd of other Bulblins looking on in shock and awe. Finding the largest one in the crowd, Harun tossed the crown to him. “You. You are king now,” he declared. “Serve me well, and you will be rewarded.”

With a flash of light, the room changed again. He was back in the Spirit Temple, facing a blank wall with a discarded helmet on the floor in front of him. Turning back around, the boss Bulblin was lying dead on the ground, his head bare, with the wall behind him cracked. Harun realized in horror what had happened.

Damn you, demon! I did not give you permission to commandeer my body like that again!

However, he could not argue with the results. Stepping over the large monster’s corpse, he bent down to retrieve the shield.

Time to see what all the fuss was about…

The prince sat down in the nearest chair, exhausted, and took a moment to examine the shield. As he’d noted before, it was a mirror shield - a piece of equipment not uncommonly employed by the Gerudo. In battle, it gave the wielder the ability to blind the enemy with reflected sunlight under the right circumstances, and it also served as a way to reflect certain magical projectiles back at the caster.

But why did the Bulblins want it?

Thinking about it more, this mirror shield was of a rather unique design. Most of the ones Harun had seen were kite-shaped and bore Gerudo symbols. This shield was decagonal, and the design made it look like a terrified face being clutched from the sides by a pair of hands. It didn’t even look Gerudo-made at all.

Wait a minute…

He suddenly realized he’d seen that odd design earlier that day. The statue of Queen Nabooru held exactly such a shield.

Is this the shield of the former queen?

That very well might have been true, but it still didn’t answer the question of why the monsters were looking for it. Harun sighed, climbing back to his feet and affixing the mirror shield upon his back. Perhaps one of his elders might be able to shed some light upon this mystery. He could not hear any bells or any loud noise coming from outside anymore, so he headed back towards the Coliseum, hoping the battle was won.


“Commander! We found him struggling to climb up the stairs.”

After helping him walk across the Coliseum’s sand pit, the guards laid Harun down before Commander Bularis.

Sa'oten ,” the commander said in surprise. “Are you injured, my prince?” she asked, getting down on one knee beside him.

Harun wanted to say that he wasn’t, but he put his hand to his head and found the bleeding had not stopped yet. “...Yes, I am,” he said weakly. Climbing the stairs had taken a lot out of him, and now the injuries he’d sustained from fighting the Bulblins did not seem quite so miniscule.

“Bring me a healer immediately!” Bularis yelled over her shoulder.

“Yes, Commander.”

“Is that Harun?” came Princess Sabah’s voice. The sound of quick footsteps followed. “By the gods,” she said when she saw him. Bularis stood up and took a step back, giving the princess room to kneel next to him. “Are you okay?” Sabah asked, putting her hand on Harun’s arm.

“I will be fine, Princess,” he assured her.

But I do greatly require a healer…

Luckily, the next woman to attend to him wore white healer’s robes. Holding her hand over his head, she began reciting a prayer in Hylian. A bright light shone from her hand, and Harun closed his eyes as a feeling of comfort washed over him. Princess Sabah continued to clutch his arm.

“What news from outside?” Harun asked as his wounds were being treated.

“From up here, we could see our forces drive off what remained of the enemy,” Bularis explained. “We’re still waiting on a full report.”

“Hmm. Good.” After a moment, Harun realized he no longer felt the shield on his back. “Where is the shield?” he asked hurriedly. “The one I had with me.”

“Here, my prince.” One of the guards who’d helped him up the stairs stepped into view, holding up the mirror shield for him to see.

The voe sighed with relief. “Thank you. Return it to me, please,” he said, holding up his hand.

“Of course.” The guard leaned over and handed it to him.

“What is that?” Sabah asked, sounding a little disgusted.

“I do not know,” Harun admitted. “But I think it’s important.”

“It looks dreadful,” the princess said. “The face is much too grisly.”

Harun chuckled. “Perhaps it is meant to frighten enemies.”

“Smart,” Bularis declared, planting the end of her axe into the sand.

A few moments later, Harun heard the fluttering sound of Elder Kobami returning upon her flying carpet. She set herself down close by and approached them. “Keep your wretched Hylian magics away from the prince, you wench,” the old woman demanded of the healer, her voice making her displeasure quite clear.

The healer flinched and pulled her hand away, extinguishing the healing light. “Apologies, my lady.” She quickly hurried away back into the crowd of civilians up in the stands.

Harun growled angrily as he sat up. “She was helping me,” he said in annoyance. To check his wounds, he put his hand to his head and examined it. There was no longer any blood. Feeling better, he stood up and affixed the mirror shield onto his back once more.

“Tch.” The elder witch sounded displeased, but said nothing more.

“I would hear your report, elder one,” Bularis requested.

“The battle is over,” Kobami replied. “Heavy casualties on both sides, it would seem. The remaining Bulblins escaped with a few dozen sacks of stolen food and half a dozen prisoners. A shame, but at least that will keep them sated for a while.”

Harun glared at the witch.

How can someone who once saved my life appear to care so little about other people?

Bularis seemed equally displeased, but did not voice her thoughts. “What of the queen?” she asked through gritted teeth.

“She lives, Ganon be praised,” Kobami said, turning her head. “Ah, here she is now.”

It was true. A large party of warriors entered the arena, with Queen Urballa leading them. Her shield and scimitar were sheathed on her back. Her clothing was damaged and she was covered with blood, but she did not appear injured.

“Mother!” Sabah shouted with relief, running towards the queen.

Urballa smiled with warmth, happy to see her daughter as well. She knelt down to hug Sabah when they met in the sand pit, pulling her in tightly. “I have returned, my dear.”

“I’m glad you’re okay. You weren’t hurt, were you?” Sabah asked with concern.

“No, child. This is not my blood.” Several of her guards chuckled at that as they continued onward until they reached Harun and the others.

Sav’aaq, my queen,” the prince greeted her. “I am relieved to find you unharmed.” He quickly glanced at the women accompanying her. Nashorla was not among them. “Where is the sage? Is she well?”

“Fear not, young one,” the queen replied. “Sage Nashorla has not been harmed. She and her priestesses are collecting the fallen and sending their spirits to the next world.”

Commander Bularis nodded grimly. “Elder Kobami has informed us of the results of the battle,” she said. “It is sad to hear of so many fallen. The defenses of the Arbiter’s Grounds were inadequate for an attack of this size. Who could have predicted that a band of monsters that many in number would appear this far from Dragon’s Exile or the East Barrens?”

“Yes,” Urballa agreed. “It is still unclear where this band of monsters originated from, but I have sent scouts in pursuit of their survivors. Hopefully a rescue expedition can be mounted soon in order to retrieve those who were taken. I will also send word back to Naboris to request reinforcements. The defenses here need to be improved if the Arbiter’s Grounds are to be protected from further random attacks.”

“The attack was not random,” Harun corrected. Everyone turned to him questioningly, so he removed the mirror shield from his back and presented it to them. “A group of monsters slipped into the temple during the commotion. They ignored almost everything else in the treasury and attempted to steal this shield specifically.”

“Most peculiar,” Kobami said, examining the shield and rubbing her chin thoughtfully. “For what purpose would Bulblins attempt to steal such an object?”

“I do not know,” the prince said. “But I believe this shield once belonged to Queen Nabooru. Her statue in the crypt depicts her holding it.”

“May I see it, Prince Harun?” Urballa asked. Harun handed it to her, and she examined it as well. “I seem to recall seeing other statues of my predecessor holding such a shield,” she said. “I had not given it much thought. Perhaps the sage will know more.” The queen handed the shield back to her ward. “Regardless, this news is most troubling. If the monsters’ goal was to obtain this shield, then they are likely to return for it in the near future.”

“Perhaps we should bring it back with us to Naboris,” Harun suggested. The Gerudo capital was much better defended, and monster attacks were less frequent the further northeast one went.

“Or perhaps we should toss it out into the desert and be done with it,” Commander Bularis said, offering her own suggestion. It was a fair idea. None of them had any idea what was so important about the shield, but it hardly seemed worth dying for.

“Absolutely not,” Elder Kobami objected. “If monsters understand one thing, it’s power. They want that shield. Therefore, the shield has value. We must keep it for ourselves.”

A wise counsel. If a bit predictable coming from you, witch.

Harun watched as the queen weighed everyone’s advice. She looked up to the sky thoughtfully for a moment, then turned to Harun. “I would say the decision is yours, my prince, but I suppose the shield is not yours to do with as you please. Let us consult the sage before taking any further action.”

Harun, Bularis, and Kobami nodded. “Yes, my queen,” they said in unison.


The priestesses moved in a silent procession. Groups of four carried bodies on simple wooden platforms, covered in a shroud. The only sound was a bell that one of the priestesses rang at regular intervals as they walked.

As Harun looked on, he thought about the Gerudo who had been killed on their way to the Arbiter’s Grounds.

All of those people died for me, and now all of these people died for a shield? I guess it’s fitting that I should be the one to carry it.

He could almost hear Demise roaring in his head as he had that bitter thought, but he clenched his fist in anger, willing the demon to be quiet.

At the back of the line of passing priestesses was the Sage of Spirit herself, the lantern hanging from the end of her staff swaying gently as she walked. However, when the priestesses carrying the fallen passed through the last set of doors, the sage stopped and gestured to the doorkeepers. They slowly shut the doors, and Nashorla turned around, gazing out into the crowd of mourners with her thousand yard stare. Harun was expecting some sort of speech, but she simply nodded and said, “They have completed their journey. Continue yours, and go in peace.”

Most of the onlookers began filing out of the room, while others stayed behind to pray. Harun waited with Queen Urballa and Princess Sabah until the sage approached them.

“I thank you for your wisdom and guidance. Alkawbra chose well in making you her sage,” the queen complimented her, bowing her crowned head.

“Think nothing of it,” Nashorla replied. “You have my gratitude as well. You and your soldiers fought bravely in defense of my temple.” She tilted her head down to look at Sabah. “I was relieved to hear you remain in good health, Princess. And you as well, my prince.”

“I thank you for your concern, Sage.” Harun gave a curt nod. With one hand, he reached behind himself and toyed with the shield on his back. As much as he wished to be courteous given the seriousness of the funeral procession that had just finished, he was hoping to get to the point sooner rather than later.

“Will they be happy in the Spirit Realm?” Princess Sabah asked, her eyes locked on the door that the priestesses had carried the fallen through a moment ago.

“I should think so, Princess,” Nashorla replied. “Perhaps they are to be reunited with their loved ones, or to relive their fondest memories.”

Sabah seemed pleased with that answer.

Harun did not think about the afterlife very often. He found the whole matter difficult to comprehend. He’d read books from the Gerudo Palace library that claimed there was actually more than one afterlife, and no one knew how many of them Alkawbra managed.

If any are as nice as the sage describes, I should hope to be guided to one like that when I die.

It became even more confusing when he considered the other spirit realms from which spirit beings like Alkawbra originated, as opposed to the spirit realms where the souls of mortals were sent upon death.

Our world alone is too large for mortals to fully comprehend. How do the spirits manage it?

Harun shook his head and decided to proceed with the matter at hand. “Sage Nashorla,” he said, reaching behind himself to retrieve the mirror shield. “Do you recognize this shield?”

Nashorla regarded it for a moment, staring into her own reflection. “Yes. It once belonged to Queen Nabooru. We keep it in the treasury. How have you come to possess it, young one?”

“My ward discovered some Bulblins attempting to steal it,” Queen Urballa explained. “He says they seemed interested in that shield specifically, and not just as a treasure to steal.”

“Have you any idea why that might be?” Harun asked, his curiosity burning for an answer at this point.

Unfortunately, the sage shook her head. “It is only a mirror shield. And I do not know why monsters would desire a Gerudo queen’s old treasures.”

Harun was disappointed, but also worried. If the monsters knew something they didn’t, it couldn’t be anything good. “Do you know where it came from?” he asked. “It doesn’t look Gerudo in design.”

Nashorla thought for a moment. “If I recall the story correctly, it was a gift from a Hylian who was a personal friend of Queen Nabooru.”

“What?” Princess Sabah seemed surprised. “Why would the Hylians make something so ghastly looking?”

“Interesting. I have heard of Hylians using mirror shields as well, but this design is nothing like what one would ordinarily find in Hyrule,” Urballa pointed out.

Sage Nashorla shook her head. “I do not know if the Hylian in question made the shield. I simply know that a Hylian was the one to give it to her.”

“Who was this Hylian, then?” Harun asked. “A member of the Hyrulean Royal Family, perhaps?”

“Or one of Queen Nabooru’s lovers?” Urballa added.

“Sadly, I do not know,” Nashorla answered.

“Hmm…” Harun stared at his reflection in the shield. None of this new information answered any of his questions. In fact, it only served to raise further questions.

How do the Hylians factor into this? Why would they give the Gerudo queen a gift like this in the first place? Is this related to the monsters’ desire for it in some way?

“I wish I could be of further help,” the sage said, as if she could read his mind.

“No, you have been most helpful, Sage,” the queen said. “With your permission, I would like to place the shield in the care of my ward and bring it back to Naboris with us when we depart from here. If it truly is what attracted the monster attack, then it is too dangerous to be left here.”

“Of course, my queen. As Nabooru’s successor, you have a greater claim to her possessions than I do,” the sage said with a nod. “I shall leave it in your hands, young prince.”

“Thank you,” the voe said in gratitude. “Let us hope my fears are unfounded.”

“My queen!” came a voice from the side. Harun and the others turned their attention to the one who spoke. A captain trailed by two soldiers approached. With them was a Rito woman with a postal bag hanging from a strap slung over her shoulder. “I apologize for interrupting, Your Highness,” the captain said with a deep and respectful bow. “This Rito has just arrived. She says she carries with her an important message from the governor.”

“The governor?” Harun asked. “Is everything alright?”

Queen Urballa calmly stepped forward, holding out her hand to the Rito messenger.

“Here you are, Queen Urballa,” the bird woman said in accented Gerudo, handing her a letter. Harun could see it bore the governor’s seal - the viper of House Vapith.

“My gratitude, messenger.” The queen unsealed the letter. The others stood still and watched, the anticipation growing with every passing second. Urballa’s face remained calm and focused as she read. “Sage Nashorla, it appears we must be leaving earlier than anticipated,” she said, lowering the paper after a moment. “Governor Vapith has summoned me to Taafei.”

Chapter 12: Link IV

Chapter Text

After their strange ordeal at the hands of the Sheikah, Link and Linkle continued as planned, exiting Old Kakariko through the west gate and descending down Sahasra Slope. They encountered a small group of Bokoblins at the bottom, but otherwise found no resistance before continuing north up the road.

It took another day of travel, but the siblings eventually arrived in the Lanayruan town of Rebonae, situated on the bank of the Hylia River. The town’s only feature of note was its proximity to the bridge that connected the Lanayru Province to Central Hyrule, which Link and Linkle had previously planned to cross in order to get to the capital. However, with the new ‘quest’ that had been given to them by the Impa family, the plan was now to continue on past the bridge and head north for the Eldin Province.

After doing their usual business of selling their spoils and restocking their supplies, the siblings went to find an inn.

“This place is neat,” Linkle remarked, walking a few paces ahead of her brother, her hands clasped behind her back and her head lolling about whimsically. “I’ve never seen so many Hylians and Zora together in the same village.”

Link had noticed it as well. It seemed as though almost half the town’s population was made up of Zora. He’d expected to see them in Lanayru, but he hadn’t expected to see this many outside of the wetlands. But then again, they were right on the river.

“I wonder if we’ll cross paths with any Zora adventurers,” Linkle wondered aloud. “I bet they hunt Gyorgs, Degu Toads, and Octoroks. Did you know there are Octoroks out in the ocean that grow to be the length of ten ships?” she asked, looking over her shoulder.

“That’s a dumb way to measure something,” Link pointed out. “Ships come in different sizes.”

“Yeah, but it’s still big. ” Linkle seemed unperturbed and continued observing the town. Her face lit up as something in the town square caught her eye. “Ooh!” Nearly knocking over a pair of passing villagers, the eager girl ran off.

“Hey!” Link called after her. “Sorry,” he said quickly, apologizing to the villagers Linkle had bumped into. Pulling the horse along with him, he followed Linkle towards the town square.

He found her standing in front of a big wooden board off to the side of the walkway. Upon it were several pieces of paper that had been nailed there. Some were official notices from the kingdom or the local government, while others appeared to be advertisements or requests from the villagers. “What’s the big deal? You wondering when the next town meeting is gonna be?” Link asked.

“Sometimes people put quests up on these,” Linkle said, her eyes excitedly darting across the notice board. “Ooh! Take a look at that one.” She pointed to a poster that showed a crude drawing of a fat red creature with one eye.

“Warning to all residents and travelers,” Link read aloud. “A Hinox has taken up residence in the woods to the south of town. Do not enter woods unless absolutely necessary.” There was a reward for killing or displacing the monster written at the bottom of the page. A large number next to a rupee symbol had been crossed out and replaced with an even larger number, twice. “By Nayru,” Link said when he saw the price of the bounty.

“I know, right?” Linkle said with a twinkle in her eye. “Blins and ReDeads are one thing, but this is a real freakin’ monster. We gotta go slay it right now.”

“Hmm…” Link placed his hand to his chin. “The money is certainly tempting, but now that I think about it, don’t you think the reward may have been increased because previous adventurers tried and failed to hunt the Hinox?”

“That’ll only make it more impressive when we’re the ones to finally slay it.” Linkle remained optimistic as ever. “Think about it. We’ll be legends around here.”

“All hail Linkle, Hero of Some Random Town.” Link spoke sarcastically, but his sister was beaming with pride as if she were looking forward to carrying that title. Link sighed. “Alright, fine. We’ll go kill your cyclopean forest giant.”

“Yippee!” Linkle cheered.

“But first, let’s stable Arion and get a room to drop our stuff in,” Link suggested. He looked up into the sky and noted that the sun would be setting soon.

Let’s hope this doesn’t take long.

The inn they found was run by some local Zora. It wasn’t anywhere near as large or as fancy as the Sheikah-style inn they’d stayed at in Kakariko, but the architecture was certainly unique compared to what they’d seen so far. As was the case with half the buildings in the town, the walls appeared to be a cobbled mix of river stones, but they were cut and flattened to be smoother than the Hylian-style brick buildings. The room also came with a large bath, likely meant to accommodate Zora guests.

“This is probably expensive compared to a Hylian inn, but I guess that Hinox bounty will cover it and then some,” Link said as they placed their bags in the rented room.

“Heh.” Linkle gave him a smug grin as she replenished her quiver of crossbow bolts. “Bet you’re feeling pretty stupid for doubting the adventurer life now, huh?”

Link scoffed, not wanting his little sister to claim that victory over him. “Sure. Back when I was hammering swords, I was always wishing there was something trying to eat my face.” Mentioning the job he’d walked out on reminded him that he still needed to send a letter to his old smithing master and to the farmer his sister had worked for. He would have informed them earlier of their desertion, but up until recently, he’d been hoping they’d just turn around soon and he could explain things when they got back.

We might still return someday, though. I wouldn’t put it past her to get bored of this after a few months or so.


Taking only what they needed for a short excursion into the woods, the siblings locked their valuables in their room and exited the inn. The edge of the forest was only a short distance from the south side of town. Link had no idea how long the Hinox had been harassing the area, but judging by the size of the bounty, the villagers must have been desperate to get rid of it.

“So how are we supposed to kill this thing anyway?” Link asked, following behind Linkle through the woods.

“Same way you kill every monster with one giant eyeball,” his sister replied, slicing branches out of her path. “Shoot it in the eye.”

“Makes sense,” Link agreed. “Although I imagine that strategy works on things with two eyes just as well.”

“Sure. You can probably kill a Hinox in a lot of ways, too. But shooting it in the eye is what they always do in the stories.” Perhaps because she was getting excited, Linkle pulled out her crossbow and shot at a pinecone hanging from a high branch of a nearby tree. The bolt hit its mark, sending the pinecone tumbling to the forest floor. “Whoo! Right on target!” Linkle shouted.

“Don’t waste those,” Link chided half-heartedly. Then he had a thought. “So, if we gotta shoot it in the eye, what am I supposed to do?”

Linkle stopped walking and turned to face him. “Don’t you have a bow?”

Link gave her his best ‘Are you an idiot?’ look. “What d’you mean? ‘Course I don’t. It got chopped up by a Moblin, like, forever ago. Remember?”

“Pfft.” His sister turned back around and kept walking. “You’re useless.”

“Ha, ha,” Link laughed sarcastically, following after her. “Well, don’t blame me if I stand around ‘uselessly’ and let you get eaten by a giant cyclops.”

“Alright, fine. How ‘bout you get behind it and try slicing its heels?” Linkle suggested. “Make it lose its balance. ‘The bigger they are,’ and all that.”

“Great. So I’m the one who’s gotta get close to it,” Link complained, wincing as his hand pressed against a mossy log he had to climb over.

“Well maybe you shoulda got a new bow, then!” Linkle held her crossbow into the air, waving it tauntingly.

“Y’know, they say the longsword is the more heroic weapon,” Link pointed out, drawing his sword for effect. He smiled smugly, knowing the insinuation that he was more of a hero than she was would really get under her skin.

“Unless you’ve got the Master Sword or the Four Sword, nobody cares.” Linkle waved him off. “And when we kill this thing, nobody’s even gonna ask what weapon we used to kill it. We’ll be heroes either way.”

Link chuckled. “That’ll be nice. I could use something to boost my reputation around here, seeing as though I can apparently be mistaken for a criminal.”

Linkle turned back to him again, looking at him in confusion. “What d’you mean?”

“You know. That bit of nonsense with the Sheikah the other day,” Link explained.

His sister stopped walking, standing with her head tilted and her crossbow in her arms. “No no, I was the one they mistook for the criminal.”

Now Link was confused. “What? What makes you so sure?”

“Because when they had me in the dungeon, that creepy lady with the mask examined me really thoroughly,” Linkle explained.

Link narrowed his eyes. “Did she check the backs of your hands?”

“Yeah.” Linkle held up her hand, turning it over in demonstration. “How’d you know?”

“She did the same to me,” Link said. “You think maybe we got mistaken for a pair of criminals? Ones that fit both our descriptions?” It would’ve been one hell of a coincidence, but knowing his luck, it didn’t seem that far-fetched.

“Maybe,” Linkle agreed. Then she laughed. “It’s funny to imagine a pair of siblings like us, traveling together on a crime spree.”

“I’d hate to be that brother,” Link said. “Being on the run from the law and having to put up with my little sister? Just gimme the noose now.

Linkle punched him in the shoulder. “That can be arranged easier than you think.”

Link laughed, rubbing his shoulder and trying to pretend it didn’t hurt. “Well, let’s just hope we don’t look too much like those guys. Nobody in Rebonae has mistaken us for them yet, but we should probably keep an eye out for any guards who seem overly suspicious of us.”

“Don’t worry, Brother,” Linkle said with an optimistic smile. “Like I said, we’ll be local heroes by the time we leave this town.” With that, she turned back around and continued on through the woods.

As expected, the Hinox did not end up being too terribly difficult to find. All they had to do was head for the center of the wooded area, and eventually Linkle spotted it through the trees. “There it is!” she whispered excitedly, crouching down and pointing off to the left.

“Hmm?” Link knelt beside her and looked where she was pointing. What he saw didn’t even look like a living thing at first. It looked like a massive, overstuffed, red sack of grain lying on the ground, but then he realized that was the monster’s gut. It was asleep, snoring soundly, passed out like the town drunk with the largest beer belly the world had ever seen. “What the fuck?” he whispered, suddenly realizing they were supposed to fight that. “That is way bigger than I thought.” Even lying down, the Hinox was three times as high as he was, and it would only be larger when it stood up.

“Don’t worry,” Linkle assured him. “Hinoxes are heavy sleepers. We can get an easy surprise attack in, and he’ll be dead before he knows what hit him.”

Link sighed, not exactly sharing her optimism. “Alright, well, how are you gonna shoot it in the eye when it’s asleep like that?”

From the look on his sister’s face, it was clear she hadn’t thought of that. “Well, I’ll just climb on top of it and shoot downwards.”

“That’s crazy. It’ll wake up for sure.”

“Not if I’m super quick and super stealthy.” Before Link had a chance to talk her out of it, Linkle began creeping forward, staying low to the ground and trying not to make any noise.

Well, guess I better get in position…

Following his sister’s earlier suggestion, Link planned to slice the monster’s ankles, preventing it from standing up, or knocking it over if it managed to stand up before they could disable it. He followed his sister through the trees and bushes, drawing his sword along the way.

The Hinox did not look any more slayable up close. If anything, it seemed to have gotten even fatter somehow, and the stench was overwhelming. Linkle did not seem to mind, though. Tentatively, she drew her shortsword and poked the monster in its great big belly. Link nearly had a heart attack when he saw her do that, but the beast did not stir. Linkle turned and gave her brother an expectant look, then made a gesture asking for a boost up onto the Hinox’s arm. Link didn’t want to help her climb onto the monster, but he also did not wish to open his mouth to argue for fear of waking the sleeping giant. So, he complied.

Once Linkle had climbed up onto the Hinox’s arm, she drew her crossbow and climbed higher, looking to get a clear shot at the single eye in the middle of the monster’s forehead. Seeing as she had that covered, Link walked down to the other end of the monster to prepare to do his part of the plan.

Uh-oh.

As he approached the Hinox’s right foot, he noticed it had a barrel wrapped around its ankle. The monster could have clumsily stepped in it and got it stuck there, but it looked more like it had done so intentionally in order to armor itself.

One of the previous adventurers must have tried this strategy. Perhaps this thing is more clever than it looks.

However, the monster was evidently not too smart, or at least it was lacking in barrels. When Link circled around to the other side of the Hinox, he found its left leg bare.

Perfect.

Getting into position, he raised his sword, ready to strike as soon as he heard Linkle’s crossbow let loose a bolt. However, as he was waiting there, he had the strange feeling of being watched. With his sword raised, he turned to the right. A short distance away from him, there was a Bokoblin sitting on a log by a fire pit. Its mouth hung open and it held a leg of meat in its hands, as if Link had interrupted it just as it had sat down for a meal. The two of them made eye contact, and the little monster seemed as surprised to see Link as he was to see it.

There was an awkward pause. Both Link and the Bokoblin stared at one another in silence, with the only sound coming from the Hinox’s snoring and Linkle’s clumsy climbing. Link tried to think of what to do. He could charge at the Bokoblin and try to kill it, but that might make too much noise and wake the Hinox. On the other hand, if he just stood there, the Bokoblin would probably attack him sooner or later.

What do I do?

Suddenly, the Bokoblin dropped its food and picked up a warhorn from beside the log.

Oh fuck.

Link charged at the Bokoblin just as it blew into the horn, making that familiar ‘ AAAhoooooo ’ sound he’d heard in his previous encounters with these monsters. However, before he could reach the Bokoblin, the Hinox rolled over onto its side. A massive red hand smacked the Bokoblin down into the earth, crushing it to death in an instant.

“Whoa, whoa, whoooa!” Linkle cried from the other end of the Hinox, falling off of it as it rolled over. She landed with a thud, falling to the ground very close to the monster’s face.

Link froze, terrified that the giant was already awake, but it did not move again.

Linkle. Back away quietly.

Link dared not speak, but he hoped his sister wasn’t so injured or panicked from her fall that she’d continue to make noise.

“Owww,” she whined, climbing to her feet and wiping the dirt off of tunic. “Gods, that hurt.”

You bloody idiot!

Slowly, the Hinox’s single, gigantic eye opened. Linkle didn’t notice at first, instead directing her attention to her brother. “What?” she asked in response to the look on Link’s face. Then there was a snort. Glancing to her side, Linkle saw the monster’s massive eye staring at her. She screamed, leaping backwards in fear.

The Hinox roared, apparently quite angry to have its sleep interrupted. With absolutely no grace, the obese cyclops attempted to climb to its feet, handling it about as well as a drunken peasant after having been thrown out of a tavern.

As the Hinox rose, Link noticed a necklace around its neck - the only article of clothing it wore aside from its loincloth and the barrel around its ankle. It had several jangling weapons strung through it, likely those it had collected as trophies from other adventurers who had failed to slay it.

We’re not doing this.

“Elle!” Link shouted, rushing towards her. “Run!” Any hope he might have had that they might actually be able to fight this creature was lost as soon as he saw it standing at full height. The Hinox stood at perhaps thirty feet tall, much larger than any creature they’d faced so far, and the ease with which it had crushed the Bokoblin earlier was still fresh in his mind.

“No! We can take him.” Linkle aimed her crossbow and let loose a bolt. The Hinox simply raised its hand in front of its face, letting the bolt pierce its palm as if it were a toothpick. It then bounded forward, easily closing half the distance between them with a few strides.

Link grabbed his sister’s hand. “We’re leaving, ” he said firmly, yanking her hard as he took off running. Luckily, she did not seem to resist this time. Together, they headed for the treeline. Link knew the monster could follow them if it wanted to, but he hoped having to navigate an obstacle course of trees would deter it, or at least slow it down.

When they got several yards into the dense woods, Link heard an unusual sound from behind them. He looked back over his shoulder and saw the Hinox uprooting a tree with its bare hands. It then let loose another angry roar and tossed the tree like a javelin.

“Look out!”

“Ah!” Linkle shrieked. The tree missed them by a couple feet, hitting the ground with enough force to shatter into tiny pieces.

The siblings didn’t stop until they were out of the woods. They knew the monster had stopped chasing them earlier when they could no longer hear its booming footsteps behind them, but they weren’t taking any chances.

Link collapsed to the ground as soon as there was open field beneath his feet, rolling onto his back and breathing heavily. Linkle was similarly out of breath, and she sat down in the grass beside him.

“Sorry,” Link said after a moment, knowing his sister must be disappointed. “I know you wanted to be this town’s hero and everything, but there was no way we could’ve killed it.”

Linkle looked forlorn, but she didn’t deny it. “I guess…” She sighed and fiddled with her crossbow. “But if I’d just gotten a good shot…”

“We might’ve had a chance if we’d hit it while it was sleeping,” Link admitted, trying not to make them sound like complete failures. “But that damn Bokoblin woke it up. What was it even doing there?” It seemed strange that the smaller monster had felt safe enough to set up camp right next to the sleeping giant. Link knew from experience that different kinds of Blins often coexisted, but Hinoxes weren’t Blins.

“Hinoxes sleep a lot, so sometimes they keep lesser monsters as watchdogs,” Linkle explained, never missing the opportunity to talk about monsters. “And sometimes other monsters, like Moblins, use Hinoxes as beasts of burden.”

“What?” Link tried to imagine the thirty foot cyclops taking orders from a Moblin that was half its height. “I thought monsters always follow the biggest one.”

Linkle shrugged. “Hinoxes are really stupid. Sometimes the smarter monster wins, I guess.”

“Makes sense.” Link stretched, then climbed to his feet. “Alright. This was a disappointing little excursion, and we’re walking away without any rupees to show for it, but it’s fine. We’ll just have to hold off on spending too much until we take care of that thing in New Kakariko. Okay?”

Linkle hopped to her feet, her face lighting up at the reminder of their ‘quest.’ “Yeah!” she said enthusiastically. “Who needs that stupid Hinox? We’ll be more famous for completing a quest directly from the Impa family anyway.”

Link smiled.

At least she’s taking it well.

“That’s the spirit. Now, let’s head back to the inn. We’ve still got a long journey ahead of us. Maybe if you’re lucky, you can kill something big along the way.”


Most of the next day was uneventful. After the siblings left Rebonae with their wallets significantly emptier than when they’d arrived, they passed right by the bridge to Hyrule Field and continued north past Crenel Peak.

“The Hero of the Minish climbed that mountain once, you know,” Linkle told her brother as they rode between the hills. “When he was forging the Four Sword, he came here to find the Element of Fire. He had to slay a Gleerok to get it.”

When Linkle talked about the famous Heroes like that, it became clear to Link why she was so desperate to slay a huge monster like the Hinox on her own. She could probably die happy if she knew people would still be telling tales of her deeds centuries upon centuries after she was gone.

However, as they looked at the Crenel Hills, the massive Death Mountain could be seen looming in the distance, absolutely dwarfing the puny mountain that the Hero of the Minish had climbed. “The Hero of the Sky and the Hero of Twilight climbed that, though,” Linkle went on, pointing to the distant volcano with the ring of smoke above it. “We gotta go up there someday, too,” she insisted. “I wanna slay me a dragon.”

Link laughed. “You are absolutely mental . You know that, right?” Luckily for him, their destination was only at the base of the Eldin Mountains, far enough away from Death Mountain that any random eruptions wouldn’t hit them, and he doubted they would encounter any dragons.

A few hours later, they came to the Thims Bridge. The road they’d taken to get there divided the Crenel Hills in half. According to the map, it technically served as a border between the Central Hyrule Province and the Lanayru Province. However, once they crossed the river, they’d be in the Eldin Province. Unfortunately, there weren’t any towns between the bridge and their destination, so it looked like they would be spending at least one night out in the wilds somewhere in Trilby.

“Let’s hope this bridge goes better than the last one,” Link said aloud. After facing down that group of bandits at the Kakariko Bridge, he thought it couldn’t get much worse than that.

But then again, it can always get worse, can’t it?

The bridge was unmanned by any guards, and there didn’t appear to be anyone else around. However, as they got closer, it was clear that there was something in the middle of the bridge, blocking the way. It appeared to be a large, fat, pink monster lying on its back, sleeping.

“Oh you gotta be fucking kidding me.” Link complained. “Don’t tell me it’s another goddamn Hinox.”

Linkle gasped in excitement, standing up on the horse’s saddle and leaning her hands on Link’s shoulders. “Is it?! Have the gods given me a second chance?” She squinted her eyes as they rode closer. “Hm. No, that’s no Hinox. It’s too small, isn’t it?”

“Really?” The fat pink monster looked plenty big to Link. But, after a moment, he realized she was right. The monster took up the whole width of the wooden bridge, but the bridge was not wide enough for the Hinox they’d seen the day before. “Well, that’s good news. So what the hell is it, then?” Deciding not to get any closer until they had identified the threat, Link pulled on the horse’s reins until they came to a stop.

“Dunno,” Linkle said, hopping off the side and letting her boots hit the ground. “I wanna go see, though.” Link didn’t even have time to dismount before she ran ahead.

“Don’t get too close!” he called after her, feeling like a parent whose child wanted to go look over the edge of a cliff.

Linkle stopped at the edge of the bridge and observed her possible quarry. When Link caught up to her, she had a bright smile on her face. “It’s a Durpyblin.”

Link raised an eyebrow. “A Durpyblin? That doesn’t even sound real. That’s like what I’d call it as a joke.”

“It’s real,” Linkle assured him. “It’s the largest and dumbest subspecies of Moblin. It’s basically a mini, two-eyed Hinox.”

“Oh, come on…” Link put his hand to his face. “So we really do have to deal with another Hinox, basically.”

“Yes! But don’t you see?” Linkle asked. “I was right. The gods are giving us a second chance. They want us to build up our strength fighting monsters like this in preparation for fighting larger ones like the Hinox. That must be it.”

Link tilted his head up to the sky.

If that’s true, you better reward us for this.

“Alright,” Link said, drawing his sword. “Let’s see if we can get a proper sneak attack in this time, at least.”

“Good idea, Brother.” Linkle readied her crossbow with a wicked grin on her face.

“Don’t even get close to it. That thing’s sleeping now, so just shoot it from here,” Link advised. “And if it wakes up, just keep shooting it. If it manages to make it over to us, draw your sword and we’ll take it from there.”

“Right.” His sister nodded, adjusted her stance, and took aim. Link wasn’t sure why she took so long, since the target was large and immobile. But, if she was praying to Din for her shot to be lethal, he wasn’t going to interrupt her. “Sneak attack!” she shouted, pulling the trigger on her crossbow.

The bolt sailed through the air, finding its mark in the Moblin’s great big belly. That was enough to jolt the monster awake. It made a confused groan and rolled into a sitting position. Looking down, it spotted the bolt embedded in its blubber. The look on its face was one of shock, but then it noticed the siblings. Glaring at them, it shook its head and roared, causing its jowls to jiggle wildly.

“Hit it again! Go for the head!” Link shouted, hoping to kill the monster before it crossed the bridge.

“On it!” Linkle loaded her crossbow as fast as she could and let loose another bolt. However, she wasn’t fast enough. Unbeknownst to the siblings, the Moblin had been sleeping next to some planks of wood that had been fashioned into a gigantic, square-shaped shield. After standing up, the Moblin was able to lift its great big shield in time to block the second bolt.

“Oh, fuck,” Link swore. The shield was so large it covered their opponent completely, and it took up the entire length of the bridge. Now it was advancing slowly towards them with a spear peeking around the edge of the shield, and they had no way of attacking it.

“Now what? Should I shoot it again?” Linkle asked, reloading her crossbow.

“Don’t bother,” Link advised, knowing her bolts would do nothing against that wooden barrier.

So much for doing things properly this time.

“Maybe Arion can push it back,” Linkle suggested.

“What?”

“Just hop on the horse and ram it.”

Link knew immediately that the idea wouldn’t work. The Durpyblin was much too large to trample underfoot like a Bokoblin. However, it gave him an idea. “Elle, get on the horse, but don’t ram it. When I say, ride into the Moblin and jump over it, then attack it from behind.” The horse may not have been tall enough to trample the monster, but maybe it would give Linkle enough height to jump over it. The shield provided full protection to its front, but its back must have been completely exposed.

“Got it,” Linkle complied, running for the horse.

The only problem was the spear. As the Durbyblin slowly approached, it periodically stabbed forward, ready to kill anything in its path, a horse included. However, the spear was made of wood and clearly not crafted very well, like all Blin weaponry. Link was confident he could simply chop off the tip of the spear, rendering it no more deadly than a broomstick.

Feeling like an idiot, Link stepped onto the bridge, directly in the approaching monster’s path. “Alright, fatass,” he said, raising his own shield. “Let’s get this over with.” Taking a few more steps forward to close the gap, he allowed his shield to absorb the first blow. “Ah!” he grunted in pain as he was shoved backwards, stumbling and falling to one knee. This Durpyblin hit even harder than that Tallblin had. After readying himself, Link was able to dodge to the side to avoid the next blow. Moving his arm as quickly as he could, he swung his sword down at the monster’s spear. The strike landed. His weapon failed to slice all the way through, but it left a mark. He managed to achieve the same success with the next attack as well, hitting the spear in almost the same spot.

One more and it’ll give way.

However, when he dodged the Moblin’s next strike, it was merely a feint. The spear went past him, then swung to the side and whacked him in the head with the wooden shaft. “Aghh!” Link was knocked to the ground, dropping his sword and shield in the process, his body slamming against the planks of the bridge. When he looked up, he saw the speartip coming down at him. He barely managed to grab his sword and roll out of the way at the last moment. When he stood up, he looked at his empty right hand, then watched as the Moblin trampled over his discarded shield.

Okay. No big deal. Still got the sword.

However, his sword had not proved all that useful yet, and he wasn’t confident he’d be able to hit the spear so easily again. The Moblin was clearly learning to adjust its strategy in order to prevent him from doing so, despite Linkle’s claims about the monster’s low intelligence.

“Oi! You need some help?” Linkle called over to him from atop the horse.

“Not yet!” Link shouted back. “Just be ready!” Avoiding the spear, he backed up until he felt the road underfoot. Glancing to the side at the end of the bridge’s railing, he got an idea. He stood where he was and waited for the Moblin’s next strike. When it came, he dodged just as before, and as he’d anticipated, it turned out to be feint. Link was prepared this time. He ducked, and the Moblin swung the spear over his head, banging against the end of the bridge railing. “Hyaa!” Link shouted, kicking the spear. It bent around the wooden pillar and snapped, sending splinters everywhere. The speartip flew to the ground, leaving the Moblin’s weapon as nothing more than a wooden stick. “Now!” Link shouted to his sister.

“Yes! Chaaaarge!” Linkle snapped the reins of the horse, running directly at the Moblin, while Link dove out of her path. When they reached the monster, the horse stopped and reared back, banging its front hooves against the wooden wallshield. Linkle used the opportunity to nimbly climb up and leap over the Moblin. “Whoo!” she shouted as she jumped, followed by an “Oof!” when she presumably failed to stick the landing.

Knowing he had to keep the enemy’s attention on him, Link quickly shooed the horse away and took some useless stabs at the big square shield. “Hit him now, Elle!” he shouted as the Moblin swung its broken spear at him.

“For Hyrule!” came his sister’s voice from behind the Moblin. There was a flurry of sounds that could only be a shortsword slashing through layers upon layers of monster fat, coupled with the Moblin’s groans of pain. With considerable effort, the Durpyblin waddled in an attempt to turn in place, having difficulty due to how little space it had in the narrow bridge. “Hiya! Hiyaa!” Linkle continued to take free stabs at it while it turned.

Once the monster’s side was exposed to him, Link went on the offensive as well, taking stabs at the Moblin as quickly as he could. It thrashed wildly with its shield and broken spear, but it could not handle an opponent on both sides.

The Moblin’s wounds soon caught up with it. Link noticed it was losing its balance, knocking against the railing of the bridge. “Elle!” he shouted. “Push him over!”

“Good idea!” she shouted back.

Dodging one last feeble swipe from the broken spear, Link shoved against the wooden shield, and his sister joined in to do the same. The Moblin toppled over the edge, roaring on its way down. It plummeted into the water, causing a splash like a cannonball. Blood rose to the surface, and still alive or not, the Moblin’s body was quickly swept away by the current.

“Yes!” Linkle cheered after peering over the edge. “I knew we were strong enough to slay it.” She enthusiastically slapped her hand against her brother’s, beaming with pride.

Link cracked a smile as he exhaled deeply, unable to hide the small sense of accomplishment he felt. “Well, it was certainly more within our pay grade than that damn Hinox,” he said. “Although I guess nobody’s gonna pay us for killing that fat bastard.” They had seen no bounty on the Moblin, and they didn’t even have its body to claim spoils from.

“Who cares?” Linkle said. “When we get to New Kakariko and tell this tale at the tavern, they’ll be singing about us for days.”

Link was about to tell her not to get her hopes up since it wasn’t that big of a deal, but he could tell she really wanted a victory after they’d been forced to run away from their last battle. “If it gets us free drinks, by all means, shout our story from the hills.” Link walked along the bridge to collect his discarded shield, then went back over to the horse. “Alright. Now that we got that out of the way, let’s get back on track. We’ve still got a ways to go, and I don’t wanna have to spend more than one night out here in the middle of nowhere.”


As expected, Link did not enjoy having to camp out in the wilds overnight. Sleeping on the cold, hard ground gave him backaches, food cooked over a fire pit was never as good as tavern food, and the ever-present threat of monster attacks made it impossible to relax. His sister, on the other hand, happily regaled him with stories of heroes, princesses, and demons as they sat around the campfire until he finally managed to convince her to get some sleep while he took first watch. Luckily, they made it through the night without any real trouble.

The next day of travel was relatively uneventful as well, save for a pack of Chus by the side of the road that Linkle insisted on smashing into jelly before they moved on. They also ran into what looked like another gang of bandits where the road forked between the path to New Kakariko and the path to Akkala Citadel, but this time, the siblings managed to simply charge past them on their horse before any of the bandits had a chance to say anything to them.

They actually made good enough time to arrive at their destination before sundown. New Kakariko had a very similar feel to Old Kakariko. Having been rebuilt around the same time in the aftermath of the Twilight War, much of the architecture and urban design was the same. Most of the buildings were Sheikah-style, and the guards who received them at the city gates wore distinctive Sheikah-style armor similar to what the guards at the shogun’s castle had worn.

When Link showed the shogun’s letter of introduction to one of the gatekeepers, the man was surprised to see who had written it, but he was not surprised to hear their purpose. Adventurers had recently been coming to the city seeking rewards for the ‘quest’ that the Sage of Shadow had put out. The guards instructed Link and Linkle to head for the Shadow Temple, which was located up the path on the northeast side of town, past the graveyard. So, the siblings said their thanks and entered the city.

“I can’t believe we’re finally here!” Linkle said excitedly as they walked their horse down the city streets. “Drink in the sights now, Brother. This is where our legend begins. Before we leave, this whole city, and then the whole kingdom, is gonna be talking about us.”

That’s what you thought about Rebonae.

Link chose not to deflate his sister’s spirits. He wasn’t keen on fighting more undead monsters after their little run-in with those ReDeads, but he was willing to do what he could to keep his sister alive, especially if they came out of it with a fistful of rupees.

Linkle gasped when she spotted something down the road near the center of town. “That must be it!” she said, extending her arm and pointing. There was a small, square-shaped, haphazardly constructed wooden wall built around something, and armed guards stood in front of its gate.

“You think that’s the well behind there?” Link asked, not sure why else such an oddly placed structure would’ve been there.

“Absolutely,” Linkle nodded. “Come on, we should head down there immediately.

“Slow down, Elle,” Link said, grabbing her by the collar to keep her from running off. “Let’s stable the horse first and then go talk to the sage. No point in heading down the well until she agrees to pay us.”

“Ugh. You’re such a money-grubber,” Linkle complained.

“Oh, come on. I would’ve figured you’d want to see the Shadow Temple anyway,” Link said, leading the horse down a path toward what looked like an inn with a stable.

“Eh, not really,” Linkle said. “None of the famous Heroes ever went to that one. Ooh, but the Hero of the Sky journeyed to the Fire Temple.” Throwing her hand out, she pointed up at Death Mountain. With the city built at the base of the Eldin Mountains, the massive volcano seemed to always be looming over it. “We must go there next. Ooh, and then we can go to the Water Temple, like the Hero of Twilight. Let’s see, where else? The Hero of the Minish went to the Wind Temple. Maybe we can--”

“Let’s just deal with this one first,” Link interrupted. The last thing he needed was Linkle planning out another grand adventure for them before they were even finished with their current one.

After finding an inn and stabling the horse, a ritual Link was becoming familiar with, the siblings did as directed by the guards and headed for the graveyard. To get there, they had to climb a hill at the edge of the city into a secluded area with cliffs on every side. Just walking under the arch at the entrance and seeing the rows upon rows of gravestones gave Link flashbacks to their previous misadventure back in Necluda, but it was decidedly less creepy while the sun was up.

“Who puts a temple in a graveyard anyway?” Link complained as they walked up the central path. “I mean, sure, Shadow Temple and all that, but it’s just plain creepy, yeah?”

“Must be a Sheikah thing.” As she walked, Linkle glanced back and forth at the headstones, keeping one hand ready to draw her shortsword.

I can’t tell if she’s being cautious or she’s just eager to kill something.

At the end of the graveyard, there was a stone staircase leading up to a higher level in the cliffside. The temple must have been built into the cliff itself, since the only part of it that was visible from the outside was a stone archway with Sheikah writing across it.

“Welcome,” said a voice just as Link was about to put his foot on the first step of the staircase.

“Holy--”

“Ahh!”

The siblings jumped back in shock, with Linkle shrieking and drawing her blade as she did. Standing right in front of them on either side of the staircase was a pair of hooded figures in dark violet robes.

I swear they weren’t there a second ago.

“What business have you in the House of the Dead?” one of the figures spoke again, apparently unfazed by their reactions or by the fact that Linkle had pulled a weapon on them.

Link was a little unnerved by the fact that their faces were obscured, but he had come to expect that with some Sheikah. “We were told to come here,” he explained, reaching into his pocket for the shogun’s letter. “By Impa Sadashi.”

The cloaked figures tilted their heads, glancing at one another questioningly. One of them extended an arm, revealing a pale hand from beneath the robes. Link handed her the letter. Everyone stood silently for a moment while she read it. “Ah, more adventurers,” she said. “Simple, then. I feared it was something more urgent.” Without further questions, she handed the letter back to Link

“Please proceed up the stairs. You may enter the shadows,” the other cloaked figure spoke. Together, they stepped aside and bowed.

“Uh… Thanks.” Link nodded to his sister, who nodded back. Still somewhat cautious, they climbed the staircase together, and when they reached the top, Link looked back to find the cloaked Sheikah had vanished.

Creepy.

Oddly, they were soon descending a second flight of stairs after passing under the stone archway built into the cliffside. With each step, it took them further into the darkness, with the light at the entrance growing smaller and smaller.

“I can’t see shit,” Link complained.

“I know,” Linkle said in a quiet voice, but she sounded excited. “This is spooky. What do you think the sage will be like? I bet she’s all ‘OooOOoohhh, welcome to my lair!’ before she appears out of nowhere, like those priestesses outside.”

“You only think you’d like that, but you scare way too easily.”

“I do not.

“Boo!”

“Ahh!”

Link laughed heartily, but his sister blindly punched him in the arm three times in retaliation for his little joke.

“You’re the worst,” Linkle asserted.

Not long after, they could see light from torches flickering at the bottom of the stairs.

Good. I was beginning to think this was some weird shadow-themed test of faith or something.

When they reached the last step, they entered a circular room. The walls were cavernous rock, but they were lined with stone pillars, and there were wooden support beams criss-crossing the ceiling above them. There was a small circular dais sticking up from the ground in the center of the room. At the other end of the room was a large, rectangular stone door with the Sheikah eye carved into it. Two lit torches stood by the door, but as the siblings approached the dais, two concentric circles of unlit torches surrounding them began to light themselves one by one.

“Oooh,” Linkle said, watching the flames ignite with amusement.

Link shrugged. “Just some simple pyromancy. I’m sure a sage can handle that easily.” Neither he nor Linkle had ever been particularly proficient with magic, knowing only what little was needed to help with their respective former professions. But, for most Hylians like them, seeing utility magic like self-lighting torches was nothing out of the ordinary.

“It’s still pretty,” Linkle said. “Wouldn’t it be cool to be able to do that? Ooh, maybe the sage will teach us some umbramancy as a reward for this quest.”

Link chuckled. “You suck with magic.”

“I can talk to animals,” she argued.

“Anyone can talk to animals. The impressive part would be getting them to talk to you.

“I am so telling Arion to kick you in the balls when we get back.”

Before Link could retort, the large stone slab blocking further access to the temple began to slide upwards. Link instinctively reached for his sword, but chose not to draw it. As creepy as this place was, the sage was not their enemy.

Out of the darkness that was revealed came an elegant palanquin that had the appearance of a miniature, Sheikah-style wooden temple. The platform was being carried by four shadowy phantoms that had the shape of people, but lacked any visible features. Link and Linkle took a step back as the shadows carried the palanquin forward and lowered it onto the dais in the center of the room. Their job complete, all four of them melted into clouds of black smoke before dissipating into nothingness.

After a moment, the door of the palanquin slid open. Sitting inside was a short, squat, elderly Sheikah woman. She sat cross-legged atop a pile of red pillows, wearing dark violet robes and a gigantic straw hat. The hat was emblazoned with the distinctive red Sheikah eye, as were the four metal pieces of jewelry hanging from chains around its brim. Her forehead bore a tattoo of the same symbol in a deep purple. Link was nervous at first, but then she regarded them with a warm smile across her wrinkled face. “Welcome, my children,” she said in a kindly voice, as if they were her own grandchildren.

Link furrowed his brow, confused.

That’s… not what I was expecting.

Then he remembered he was in the presence of a member of the Nine Sages. Putting his hand on the back of his sister’s head, he knelt down while forcing Linkle to bow alongside him. “Thank you for allowing us an audience with you, great sage,” he forced himself to say as sincerely as possible.

The old lady chuckled. “Such nice manners. Please, stand up.” Link and Linkle did as she said. “I am Impa Ichika, Sage of Shadow. And who might you be?”

“I’m Link, of Hateno.”

“And I’m Linkle,” his sister said, stepping forward into a triumphant pose. “We’re adventurers, and we’ve come to save your city.”

Link groaned, but the sage seemed to find it amusing. “Ah, how wonderful. You remind me of my daughter’s little Aya.”

Hearing the sage mention her daughter reminded Link of the letter. He reached into his pocket and pulled it out. “Your daughter-- er, the shogun sent us.”

“Yes, I have been informed,” Ichika said, waving off the letter as Link tried to hand it to her. “I do hope Sadashi and young Shiho were accommodating hosts.”

“Uh… yes, they were,” Link said.

Except for the whole ‘throwing us in the dungeon’ part.

“That is good to hear.” The old woman turned her attention to Linkle. “Tell me, young heroes, are you aware of the task you wish to take upon yourselves?”

“Of course!” Linkle happily insisted, clearly appreciative of the sage referring to her as a hero. “Fear not, O wise sage. The monsters that lurk beneath the well are no match for me and my brother.”

“Your service to the kingdom is most welcome,” Sage Impa said. As she spoke, she tilted her head downwards in a slight bow, causing the chains hanging from her hat to jangle. “Undeath is a terrible curse. It is my sincerest wish to see my fallen countrymen returned to their eternal rest.”

Link decided not to ask if cutting off their heads would be an acceptable method of laying them to rest. Instead, he needed to ask about payment, and he needed to do it delicately. “Sage Impa, we would be honored to carry out this task. But, I must ask, as we are putting ourselves in considerable danger, will we be rewarded for our service to the kingdom?”

Linkle rolled her eyes at him, but he ignored her.

The old woman smiled. “Why of course, my children.” With a flick of her hand, a piece of parchment materialized out of the shadows. “Please, have a look,” she said, handing the paper to Link.

“Thank you, Sage.” Link took hold of the parchment and looked it over. The text was in Hylian, and it read almost like a contract. The offer was simple, including a monetary reward for each monster slain. They could also keep any unclaimed items they found beneath the well. Beyond that, they were promised a proper burial for themselves should they perish in the line of duty.

That’s nice of them.

“How many adventurers have gone down there already?” Link asked, somewhat worried by the fact that she had this contract ready ahead of time. The sage’s daughter had already informed them that numerous others had taken part in the effort already, but Link wanted to see how much information the sage would be willing to divulge.

“Many,” Ichika said vaguely. “Most emerge unharmed, having slain many monsters. And yet, the living dead still do not cease. With the next Blood Moon right around the corner, I fear we may be overwhelmed if we do not curtail this threat now.”

Link was not sure what to make of that, but he was satisfied with the offer. And if the bottom of the well proved to be more perilous than they could handle, they could always turn tail and run, just as they had done with the Hinox. “This is more than generous,” Link said after looking over the offer. “We will gladly accept, Sage.”

“Saving the people of this great kingdom is its own reward,” Linkle said proudly.

But lucky us, we get to have both.

“Very well,” Impa said. With a wave of her hand, the parchment in Link’s hand disintegrated into black smoke, as if it hadn’t even been there to begin with. “I wish you both the best of luck, brave heroes. I shall pray for your safe return.”

“May the gods smile upon you as well, Sage Impa,” Linkle said. She and Link bowed, and the sage returned the gesture. The door to her palanquin slid closed and the shadowy phantoms rematerialized to lift it, carrying her back into the temple proper. Their business completed, the siblings turned around and headed back up the staircase.

When they returned above ground, it was dark outside. The cemetery finally seemed as creepy as it should’ve as they walked back through it on the way back into town.

“This is so exciting!” Linkle said, smiling broadly. “So we’re all set to go now, right? She said she’d pay us, so let’s head to the well and get slashin’.” As she spoke, she drew her blade and began swinging it through the air.

“Are you kidding?” Link asked. “We’ve been awake and traveling since dawn. I’m bloody tired, and you are too. We go down into that hellhole now, we won’t be coming back up.”

“But I’m not tired!” Linkle whined. From the way she sounded like such a little girl, she very clearly was tired, although Link figured that taunting her too much while she had her weapon drawn might be a bad idea. “Come on, Brother. I’ve been waiting for this since forever.”

“You were only made aware of its existence less than a week ago.”

“Yeah, but, what if another hero swoops in and kills all the monsters before we do?”

“Oh? I thought all you cared about was protecting the kingdom?” Link pointed out, his face making a smug expression. “Why should it matter who does the deed in that case?”

“You shut up,” Linkle said. “I wanna be famous, you know that.”

Link laughed. “You can be famous tomorrow after a good night’s sleep.”

His sister groaned, then pouted with a sour look on her face. “Fine. But I’m still telling Arion to kick you when we get back.”


Author's note (added 7/28/2023):

We've met another Impa who is also another sage.

Art Source

Chapter 13: Sophitia V

Chapter Text

As she descended the tower with Liliana, Sophitia considered how she would eventually approach Lord Remoth. She could simply escort Mina back to her guest quarters at the castle once they returned from their short trip into the city. They would likely run into Lord Remoth and strike up a conversation. Alternatively, she could do nothing tonight and hope for Mina to put in a good word for her to her father. That would at least make it easier to talk with him during their journey through Hyrule Ridge on the way to Hebra.

Either way, it will almost certainly go better with his daughter present.

“Do you mean to conceal your identity completely, or merely to avoid drawing attention to yourself?” Liliana asked as they crossed a castle walkway. “I ask because I don’t know how I’m supposed to address you during this little outing.”

Sophitia thought about it. “It would not be a terrible loss if I were recognized,” she decided. “However, it would be safer to remain incognito. You may address me as ‘Sophie’ while we are in the city tonight.” That was the name her little sister often called her. While she ordinarily preferred not to have her name shortened, she would allow it for the sake of discretion.

As they approached the gate, they saw Mina Remoth standing close to one of the guards. She appeared to be pleasantly chatting with him, although his face looked considerably strained. He was no doubt terrified of upsetting a lord’s daughter in some way, especially a lord such as Toren Remoth. Luckily for the guard, Mina turned her attention to Sophitia and Liliana once she spotted them, allowing the guard to exhale a breath of relief.

“Oi! Princess! Round-ears!” she called out, waving them over to her. “Come on, let’s go get wasted.”

Liliana opened her mouth to speak, but Sophitia held up her hand. “Now, now, my lady,” she said to Mina nervously. “Perhaps you should keep your voice down.”

Mina shrugged. “Not like we’re doing anything indecent. Besides, he won’t tell anyone,” she said, pointing her thumb over her shoulder at the guard she’d been talking to.

“I-I won’t say a thing,” the guard promised hurriedly.

“There, see? Nothing to worry about, Princess,” Mina assured her.

Sophitia pinched the bridge of her nose. “No matter. Let us be off. Oh, and just for the sake of security, while we are in the city, please address me by the name ‘Sophie,’ if you please.”

Mina laughed as if she found the idea ridiculous. “Okay, Sophie. Whatever you say.”

The princess nodded, then put her hood up. “Open the gate,” she commanded the guards. The gatekeeper complied, and the three of them stepped through.

Sophitia remained vigilant as they crossed the bridge over the moat to enter into the city. However, when they reached the other side and could see crowds of citizens walking through the bustling city streets, nobody seemed to spare them a glance.

“Alright, let’s get a move on,” Mina said happily, walking quickly ahead of them.

“Hm? Wait for--” Sophitia hurried after her, but she was soon knocked to the ground by a rather large man she’d bumped into.

“Pssh. Sorry,” the man apologized half-heartedly, not breaking his stride.

“Careful, Sophie,” Liliana said, grabbing Sophitia’s arm to help her stand back up. “People in the city have places to be. They don’t stop for anyone.”

“I know, I know. This is not my first time in my own city,” the princess reminded her retainer, wiping the dirt off of her clothes. Although, upon saying so, she began to wonder if Liliana had actually spent more time in the city than she had, despite only having lived there for the last few years.

I really don’t get out of the castle enough...

“Oi! You two,” Mina called back to them from several yards away. “What are you waiting for? Come on!” she said, waving them over.

“Coming!” Sophitia called back. “Well, best not to keep the lady waiting,” she said to Liliana. The two of them walked briskly across the square, dodging hurried townsfolk as they did. However, Liliana walked in front of her charge now, trying to clear the way and prevent anyone else from bumping into the princess.

“I know a good tavern,” Mina told them as they caught up to her. “But you wanna do anything else first? Why don’t we stop by that academy of yours and you can show me what you did for fun around there?”

“You wouldn’t like it,” Liliana told her. “It’s just a bunch of dusty old books and classrooms and children with more money than sense.”

Sophitia laughed haughtily at that.

“Well, alright. Let’s just check out the shops for a bit, then,” Mina suggested.

“Very well.”

As they followed Mina, Sophitia looked Liliana up and down, examining the way she carried herself. The princess attempted to mimic her retainer’s posture, the way she walked, and the way she frequently clutched the hilt of her sword. She did all this while keeping her face obscured by her hood. It made her smile to herself.

This is kind of fun.

The three of them came to an alley lined on both sides by small merchants’ shops. Most of them seemed to be two stories, likely a shop on the first floor and the proprietor’s home on the second floor. Each shop had a visible sign above the door, bearing a symbol rather than any writing in order to indicate what goods could be found inside. Although the kingdom had made significant improvements to public education in the last few decades, illiteracy was still somewhat common outside of the nobility, even in the capital.

“Oooh, let’s check out that alchemist’s shop,” Mina suggested, pointing to a sign with a picture of a cauldron on it.

Sophitia winced, knowing it would be full of dead critters and body parts taken from monsters. However, she did not wish to spoil Mina’s fun, especially since currying her favor was the whole point of this outing. “Certainly,” she said, smiling despite herself. “That is sure to be quite interesting.”

Liliana turned and raised an eyebrow at her, perhaps sensing her lack of real enthusiasm.

Oh, shut up.

Mina skipped ahead and burst through the door. Sophitia and Liliana entered after her, and the princess quickly pressed her hand to her nose. The smell inside the shop was overwhelming. As expected, the walls were lined with jars and pots containing all manner of dead things and foul substances, which Mina quickly began perusing excitedly. At the end of the room was a counter, behind which were several cauldrons. There was no shopkeeper present, but there was a door behind the counter, so they were likely in a back room or upstairs.

“Oi, check it out,” Mina said, pointing to a jar with a pickled monster suspended in brine. The monster seemed to be some sort of snake or worm-like creature. It had a bulbous head lacking any visible eyes and a mouth filled with large, pointy teeth.

“What is that horrid thing?” Sophitia asked, squinting at it. “A Rope?”

“It’s an Aneru, Sophie,” Liliana replied. “They’re similar to Ropes, but much less common. Some of them spit rocks, or fire.”

“I think it’s kinda cute,” Mina said, tapping her finger against the glass. “What do you think they sell it for? Can you make a potion out of it?”

Liliana shrugged. “I wouldn’t know. I’m no alchemist. Perhaps you can eat it.”

Sophitia winced. “Why would anyone eat a thing like that? It seems unsanitary.”

“Some monsters are delicious ,” Mina said. “Ever had Molduga fin soup?”

The door behind the counter opened and a middle-aged Hylian man wearing mage’s robes stepped into the room. When he noticed he had customers, he quickly smoothed his clothing and cleared his throat. “Good day to you, travelers! Got some spoils to sell? Or are you in need of medicine of some kind?” he asked.

Sophitia and Liliana shared a look.

He really does think we’re adventurers.

The princess clutched the hilt of her rapier and smiled proudly.

“What have you got that’s tasty?” Mina asked, stepping closer to the counter.

The alchemist furrowed his brow. “Well, nothing, surely. This is an alchemy lab, not a butcher shop.”

“Well then what have you got that explodes?”

“Ah, splendid. I’ve got Bomblings in the back,” the alchemist replied, pointing over his shoulder with his thumb. “No live ones, though.”

“Oh. Um, I do not believe explosives will be necessary, Mina,” Sophitia said nervously, stepping up beside the other girl and putting a hand on her shoulder.

“What are you hunting?” the alchemist asked. “A Talus? A Dodongo?”

“Nothin’,” Mina replied. “I just wanna blow something up.” The redhead flashed an impish grin.

The alchemist eyed her questioningly, but seemed to decide he didn’t care. “You got rupees?”

“Yep.” The Remoth girl reached into the pocket of her coat and pulled out a small money pouch. Reaching into it, she grabbed a couple of rupees and haphazardly tossed them onto the counter.

Sophitia turned to Liliana, worried about what Mina might be getting them into. Liliana merely looked disappointed by the rich girl’s careless attitude towards her own rupees.

The alchemist accepted Mina’s payment and went back through the door he’d entered from, only to return a moment later. Sophitia jumped back in fear at what he was carrying. The apparently dead monster was large and insect-like. Most of its body was a round, green orb the size of a human head, while its own head was tiny and bug-eyed. From its body hung four long, spindly limbs that resembled sticks, even having leaf-like appendages at the joints as if for woodland camouflage.

Mina noticed her reaction. “Don’t like bugs, eh, Sophie?” she asked, baring a fang as she chuckled.

“She’s never been good with bugs,” Liliana answered for her. “Once, at the academy, someone spotted a small Skulltula crawling along the ceiling. Sophie screamed and ran out of the classroom. She refused to come back until the next day.”

“Liliana!” Sophitia said indignantly, but Mina laughed at the story.

“Be careful with this, now,” the alchemist said as he handed the dead bug monster over to the Remoth girl. “You activate it by cracking it, so don’t drop it. And don’t stand near it when you use it.”

“Um, perhaps Liliana should carry it,” Sophitia suggested, not particularly trusting Mina to be careful with an explosive.

“Nah, I got this,” Mina said, turning towards her. As she did, she tripped and lunged forward. “Oops!” she shouted. Everyone else jumped in alarm, but she was merely faking it, never letting the Bombling slip from her fingers. Mina laughed her head off once everyone realized what she’d done.

“I think our business is complete,” the alchemist said nervously, clearly not enjoying Mina’s little joke as much as she was. “Now, would you kindly get out of my store?”

“We’re terribly sorry for the trouble,” Sophitia apologized politely. The three of them swiftly exited the store, with Mina giggling the whole way.

“Damn, I got you good , huh?” the redhead proclaimed once they were outside the shop.

“Hilarious,” Liliana said, completely deadpan. She placed a hand on Mina’s shoulder. “You joke, but you put Sophie in danger. Do that again…” As she spoke, she drew her sword halfway out of its sheath, tilting it at an angle so it dragged against the edge and made a menacing scraping sound.

“Calm yourself, Liliana,” Sophitia said urgently, stepping closer to the others and looking around nervously. The street was becoming more crowded, and passersby were beginning to stare.

However, the impish girl seemed unperturbed by Liliana’s latest death threat. She easily slipped out of the bodyguard’s grasp, ducking and spinning as she did. “Relax, round-ears,” she said, flashing her fangs. “I know what I’m doing. I just wanted to set off some fireworks.” Without warning, she held the Bombling by the legs and swung it at the ground.

“Don’t!” Sophitia and Liliana shouted in unison, but it was too late. The bomb bug’s exoskeleton cracked upon collision with the pavement. It instantly began emitting a hissing sound, as if the wick of a cannon had been lit. Liliana shoved Sophitia back and stood between her and Mina. Sophitia reacted quickly and erected a magic barrier around the two of them.

Mina simply laughed, spun the Bombling around a few times, then threw it into the air as hard as she could, directly upwards. There was a brief pause, but then, the bug exploded in midair, producing a much smaller explosion than the princess had been expecting. However, it was still considerably loud, and pieces of the dead bug monster went flying in all directions. Some people nearby reacted with ooh ’s and ah ’s, while others screamed and ran.

“You bloody idiot!” Liliana scolded the impish girl.

“What? I told you I--” Glancing past the other girls, Mina seemed to notice something. “Whoops. Here come the guards. Time to go.” Without finishing her defense of her actions, she turned around and began running in the opposite direction.

Sophitia looked over her shoulder, and sure enough, a pair of city guards wearing armor and wielding spears were coming toward them.

Oh no.

Now more than ever, the princess wished to keep her identity concealed.

Getting caught partaking in such childish destructive revelry… Father and Sister will never let me hear the end of it!

Not only that, it would ruin her public image if word got out. “Let’s go,” she said to Liliana, then took off in a sprint the way Mina had gone. Together, they dodged and weaved their way through the crowds, trying their best not to ram into anybody.


After chasing Mina down several streets, Sophitia and Liliana followed her into an alley, only to see her slip in through the side door of a tavern.

“We seem to have lost the guards,” Liliana pointed out, seeing nothing behind them.

“That’s a relief,” the princess replied. “I was not looking forward to explaining that to my elder sister.”

“It would make quite the story, though,” Liliana said, holding the door open for her charge. “I bet Lancel would approve.”

“Shh.” Sophitia did not wish for her bodyguard to say her sibling’s name out loud, just in case anyone overheard. “This is probably the place Mina said she wanted to go for drinks,” she said as she stepped inside. “It would be best if we were to simply oblige her request and then leave as soon as possible.”

“As you say, Sophie.”

Luckily, the tavern did not appear nearly as seedy as Sophitia had imagined. It was certainly lacking in cleanliness when compared to the dining hall at Hyrule Castle, but it could’ve been a lot worse. All around the room were people eating, drinking, and even singing. Most of the tavern patrons were Hylians, but Sophitia noticed a few with round ears. Mina was already seated at an empty table, trying to get the attention of one of the barmaids.

“Hurry it up, will ya? I need ale over here.” The redhead pulled out her money pouch and tossed some rupees onto the table, which seemed to do the trick.

A round-eared girl who’d been carrying a tray of mugs to another table changed course, walking over to Mina instead. However, she hesitated when she reached her, looking her up and down. “How old are you, young lady?” the woman asked.

“What’s it matter? I’m rich,” she said, gesturing to the scattered rupees.

The barmaid put a hand on her waist and looked down at her sternly.

“Oh, bloody hell. I’m seventeen, okay? What is this, a temple?”

The round-eared girl made a face, but she seemed satisfied and placed a mug of ale on the table.

Sophitia made her way over to the Remoth girl and took a seat beside her. Liliana sat down on the princess’s other side.

“Are your friends ladies as well?” the barmaid asked.

“We’re sixteen,” Liliana replied, informing her that they had only just reached what Hyrule considered to be the age of adulthood.

The woman regarded her for a moment, then turned to Sophitia. “Is that right? Then why’s this one hiding her face?”

Sophitia looked up at her from under her hood. “I’m not,” she lied.

“Not a lady?”.

“Not hiding my face,” Sophitia corrected her. For once hoping she wouldn’t be recognized, the princess grabbed her hood and pulled it down, letting the waitress have a look at her. She stared at her for a little too long, which made the princess nervous. However, she eventually shrugged and placed two more mugs of ale on the table.

I guess being less famous than my siblings has its benefits...

“Will you be wanting anything to eat?” the woman asked.

“No, thank you,” Sophitia responded, quickly pulling her hood back up. If they were to have a meal, it would mean staying there for longer than they needed to.

The woman nodded and left.

“One o’ yours?” Mina asked Liliana, pointing to the round-eared woman as she walked away.

Liliana shook her head. “No. I’m from Ordona. Her accent’s Horonian.”

“Really?” Mina asked in surprise. “Think she came here all the way from Holodrum just to work in a tavern?”

“You’d be surprised,” Liliana replied, taking a swig of her ale. “Might not be from across the sea, though. There’s lots of Horonians and Lynnaeans in Lanayru now.”

Mina laughed. “Lynnaeans in Lanayru,” she repeated, apparently amused by the way that sounded. She then raised her mug and gulped down almost half of it in one go. “Ahh!” she exhaled, slamming the mug back down onto the table. “Well, what are you waiting for? Drink up!” She seemed to notice Sophitia hadn’t touched hers yet.

The princess stared down into her cup, having flashbacks to when she was younger.

Liliana held up her mug. “Don’t worry. It’s not that strong,” she assured the princess. “Now come on, why not join in?” The look she gave to Sophitia hinted at another meaning as well.

We’re here to befriend Mina, aren’t we? Just do it to make her happy.

Sophitia smiled. “Very well,” she relented, raising her cup to meet her bodyguard’s.

“Yeah!” Mina shouted, joining in by slamming her mug into theirs. Together, all three of them took a drink.

Sophitia took one gulp before putting her mug down and coughing.

“Whoa! Easy there, Sophie.”

“Do not be concerned,” Sophitia said in between coughs. “The taste is simply dreadful.

Liliana shrugged. “I suppose I’ve had better,” she said before taking another sip. Mina seemed satisfied with Sophitia’s participation and continued to gulp down her own drink, while the princess continued to slowly nurse hers.

Now that we’re here, I might as well try to speak with her.

“So, Mina,” the princess began. “Your mother is sister to Dame Jeanne Felltom.” Although the noise from the other tavern patrons was quite loud, she still kept her voice down for fear of the recognizable knight’s name being overheard.

“Mhmm,” Mina replied with a nod, wiping her mouth with the sleeve of her overcoat. “That she is.”

“May I ask why she is not visiting with you and your father?” Sophitia knew there could be any number of reasons behind the circumstances, many of which would cause Mina to not want to talk about it, so she wanted to be delicate if at all possible.

“She’s traveling. Probably doing research or something.”

“Really?” The princess did not picture Mina as coming from a scholarly background.

“Research on what?” Liliana asked, joining in on the conversation.

“Monsters.” The redhead grinned wide, baring her impish fangs, as if making a joke about her own monster-like appearance.

“Ah, like Grand Alchemist Naldor,” Sophitia said. “Do the two of them collaborate?”

“Yeah, sometimes,” Mina said with a shrug. “The Royal Lab is right by Midoro, so I’ve been there a couple times.”

“I see.” Sophitia chanced another gulp of her drink, wincing at the taste. “I must say, I was unaware Lord Remoth was married.” The princess was still not sure if Mina’s father truly was married, but the way the other girl responded to her statement would tell her one way or the other.

“He isn’t,” the Remoth girl replied. With a smirk, she leaned in closer to the princess. “What’s the matter? Too polite to ask if I’m a bastard?”

Sophitia spat a mouthful of ale back into her mug. “M-My word! That was certainly not my--”

The impish girl laughed. “Relax, Sophie,” she said, clapping her on the back. “I’m his only child, anyway. So all his stuff’s still going to me when he dies.” Sophitia opened her eyes wide at that remark. Mina laughed again, then shifted her attention to Liliana. “What about you, round-ears? We’ve both got an obscene inheritance waiting for us,” she said, gesturing between herself and the princess. “You in line for anything back home?”

Liliana finished a few more gulps of her drink before answering. “I am not,” she said plainly. “My father’s a fisherman. He’ll probably give the boat to my brother.”

Mina paused for a moment while she processed that, then burst into laughter. “And yet here you are, sitting next to… her.” She had likely planned to say ‘ the princess, ’ but instead she simply gestured to Sophitia. “That’s impressive, let me tell ya.”

“She is to be a knight one day,” Sophitia added.

“Yes. All I need is to give years of service to my lady and to carry out a heroic deed.” Liliana spoke in a monotone voice as she often did when she was being facetious. “Perhaps my lady will allow me to slay a Skulltula for her.”

“Oh, hush,” Sophitia said. “Mina, might you know what your aunt’s heroic deed was?” she asked, curious as to how Dame Jeanne had earned her knighthood. “I know what many of the other knights of the Royal Guard were knighted for, but I have not heard her story.”

“The way she tells it, someone tried to kill your mother, but Jeanne saved her,” Mina replied.

“Truly?” Sophitia was surprised. Her mother had died ten years ago giving birth to Seraphina, so the assassination attempt in question had to have occurred even further in the past. Sophitia would’ve been at most six years old. “I suppose that is partly why she is called ‘The Crimson Angel.’ I am honored to have my younger sister in her care.”

“Mhmm.” Mina gulped down the rest of her ale and slammed the mug down onto the table once again. “Gimme another!” she shouted in the vague direction of the barmaid. “Something stronger!”

“Oh, pipe down! I’ll be with you in a moment,” the Horonian woman shouted back.

The Remoth girl laughed. “Speaking of heroic deeds,” she said. “What about the other royal bodyguards? What did they do?”

“Ah, well, the tale of Sir Anselm of House Arcad is quite interesting,” Sophitia began. “He was knighted for his role in a conflict several decades ago. A thousand or so knights and soldiers from the Woodlands had gone unpaid for an extended period of time. When they complained, their lords dismissed them from service. But rather than rebelling against their former lords, they placed the blame on the Sage of Light, as they believed it was the tithe that had stolen their wages. So, the abandoned knights and soldiers besieged the east side of this city, targeting Hyrule Cathedral. Sir Anselm is said to have single handedly defeated twenty knights in that battle. He became a knight in service to the sage for a time. That is why they call him ‘Hasrah’s Hand,’ as Hasrah was the Sage of Light in those days.”

Mina laughed, as if the story was hilarious. “So you can become a knight by killing knights?” she asked, turning to Liliana. “Well, there’s an idea. Have you tried giving that a shot?”

“Believe me, I’ve thought about it,” the round-eared girl replied.

The barmaid reappeared beside the table, placing a fresh mug in front of Mina and retrieving her empty one. “There. Don’t shout next time, or you’ll be getting nothing.” Liliana finished the last of her drink as well and handed her the empty cup. “Will you be wanting anything else, young lady?”

“Bring me what she’s got,” Liliana replied, tilting her head toward Mina.

The barmaid nodded. “And you, hooded girl?” she asked Sophitia.

“Oh, no. I haven’t finished this one yet.”

“Bring her one, too!” Mina declared, raising her mug.

“Let her order for herself, you insolent little girl!”

The barmaid’s retorts worried Sophitia.

She must not know she’s talking to a highborn lady.

Luckily, Mina took it in stride, laughing it off as she held up her hands in surrender.

How this girl is the daughter of the Lord of Spikes, I’ll never know.

“How’s about I just top this one off for you, then?” the barmaid suggested, taking Sophitia’s mug as well.

“Alright,” the princess acquiesced, even though she really did not want anymore. The other girls were handling it well, but she could feel her face flushing.

“So, what about that guy who looks like a Darknut? The one they call ‘The Wall,’” Mina asked.

Sophitia winced. She knew the story of Sir Onnick Omada’s heroic deed as well, but it was not exactly a pleasant tale.

Liliana seemed to notice, so she took it upon herself to tell it for her. “‘The Wall’ is a nickname from his pit fighting days. He used to be a gladiator at the Coliseum,” she said. “The way I heard it, he walked in on some of his fellow pit fighters assaulting a noble’s daughter. He was outnumbered three to one, but he managed to beat them all to death with his bare hands.”

“By Din,” Mina exclaimed, appearing somewhat shocked for once. “Wish I could’ve seen him fight. I’ve been to the Coliseum a few times. They’ve got some choice specimens these days, but none like him.”

The waitress returned with fresh mugs for Liliana and Sophitia. “Here you are. Take it easy on this stuff, now.”

“We’ll be careful,” Liliana assured her before she left.

“So how about the Sheikah lady who guards the Crown Princess?” Mina asked, continuing on to the last of the royal siblings’ retainers.

“Impa Ayako is not actually a knight,” Sophitia replied. “She is a samurai. I suppose it is something like a Sheikah knight, but I do not believe the title has the same prerequisites. Her family has always been in service to the Royal Family, dating back to before the Kingdom of Hyrule was established.”

As she spoke, the princess had a thought. Perhaps it was because they were discussing bodyguards, but she began to wonder which of the tavern patrons were agents of the Grand Watcher in disguise. She hadn’t thought to check if she was being tailed before, but she doubted wearing a hood had prevented them from noticing her when she left through the castle gate. So, she scanned the room, trying to determine who her watchers might be.

Is it him? No, too drunk… Her? No, she’s drawing too much attention to herself… What about them? No, they seem a bit young…

She knew they would be Sheikah, but they often used illusory magic to appear Hylian in order to more easily blend in with crowds.

“Anyone caught your eye?” Mina asked.

“Hmm?” The princess turned her attention to the Remoth girl, who had a very smug look on her face. “I beg your pardon?”

“I saw you checking those guys out,” she said, nodding her head towards a table full of young men who seemed to be novice adventurers. “There’s enough for each of us. Which one d’you fancy? I’ll let you get first dibs.”

Sophitia was shocked. “By Nayru! I would never--” The princess blushed, suddenly very flustered. She lowered her voice and leaned in closer. “Are you mad? We’re highborn, for Hylia’s sake. Have you no decency?”

Mina chuckled. “What’s wrong? Worried about making a little bastard of your own?”

Sophitia furrowed her brow. “Well, yes , actually. Among a million other things.”

“I’m going to have to object as well,” Liliana joined in. “Part of being her bodyguard means guarding her from boneheaded decisions. You don’t need to be highborn to know not to lay with random strangers in a tavern.”

Mina scoffed. “And here I thought you were the fun one, Lili.” Raising her mug to her mouth once more, she tilted her head back and chugged the remainder of her drink. “Ahh,” she said, sounding refreshed. “Alright, then. If we’re not having any of that , let’s head someplace else. The game houses should be opening up right about now.”

“You want to gamble? ” The princess was once again in awe of the other highborn girl’s audacity.

Is she just going down a checklist of vices?

However, Liliana seemed to like that idea. “That’s more like it,” she said. As she stood up, she put her hand on her charge’s shoulder and whispered into her ear. “It’s better than staying here.”

The princess tilted her head.

Good point.

“Very well.” Sophitia stood up, stumbling a bit. “Oh dear.”

Liliana caught her. “Easy, now, Sophie.”

“I’m fine, I assure you,” she lied. Mina laughed at her, but she ignored it.

Before they left, Sophitia placed a handful of rupees onto the table, unclear whether she was paying for her share or leaving a tip, but figuring it was the right thing to do either way.


The three of them left the way they’d come in, exiting the tavern back into the alley. It was somewhat dark out, perhaps just past sundown, but it was not so bad that they could not see. Sophitia’s sense of balance had not been too greatly affected by the relatively small amount of ale she’d had, but she noticed Mina and even Liliana seemed a bit off as well.

At least I’m not the only one.

“Follow me,” Mina declared. “I know a good place.”

As she and Liliana followed the Remoth girl, Sophitia tried to reflect on whether or not this was going well. She hadn’t managed to discuss Mina’s father with her at all, but she’d learned a bit more about Mina herself. Even if gaining her father’s trust was the end goal, befriending Mina was the current objective. Seeing as though the impish girl continued to invite them along with her, that seemed to be a sign that things were going well enough.

“Are you sure this is the best route?” Liliana questioned as Mina led them down some more alleyways.

“Why not? It’s quicker than the main streets,” she replied, kicking a wooden bucket and some fallen boards out of her way.

“I’m only saying, this seems a little…” The word she was looking for was probably dangerous , but she did not need to finish her sentence. As they rounded the corner, they stopped in their tracks, finding themselves in the presence of a very sketchy looking group of people.

Seven or eight men turned to look at them. All of them had been standing or sitting around in an open square behind a group of buildings. Judging by their leather armor and the weapons they carried, they were probably mercenaries or adventurers, but they made Sophitia think of bandits. A couple of them were passing a pipe around and exhaling smoke.

“Who the fuck are you?” one of them asked, a bald man with a small scar on his cheek.

“No one,” Liliana answered quickly. “Our mistake.”

“You got weapons,” another man pointed out, climbing to his feet while picking up his own weapon, a heavy-looking claymore. “You lot on a job?”

“No, just out lookin’ for some fun,” Mina said, stepping forward with a fiendish grin on her face.

Bloody fool!

“No, no, no,” Sophitia interrupted, grabbing Mina by the shoulders to prevent her from approaching them. “No fun. Just… leaving.”

The three of them walked backwards, attempting to leave. Sophitia looked over her shoulder and noticed one of the men had somehow gotten behind them, either by slipping past them or having appeared from around the corner. Liliana gripped the hilt of her sword, so Sophitia did the same.

“Those rupee purses look awfully heavy,” a man with an axe said, nodding to the bags Sophitia and Mina had on them. “Looks like you’ve already gotten paid, eh?”

The situation was getting worse. With her mind slightly muddled, Sophitia tried to think.

They have the advantages of numbers, size, and sobriety. All we have is my magic and Liliana’s skill, and perhaps some ability of Mina’s.

Fighting was not an option. They had to run. Holding out her hand toward the man blocking their retreat, Sophitia called upon her magic. Rather than forming a crystalline barrier around herself, this time she made a rectangular prismatic wall, then shoved it forward, knocking the man onto the ground. “Go!” she shouted. Her wall disappeared, and the three of them leapt over the fallen man, running past him back down the alley.

“You bitch!” someone shouted from behind them.

“After them!”

Turning around for a moment, Sophitia quickly erected another wall, blocking their pursuers. “Keep going!” she said to Liliana and Mina. “It won’t hold for long!” As they ran, she could hear shouting and cursing as the men hammered against the barrier.

“Why are we running?” Mina asked, suddenly holding a dagger in each hand. “We can take ‘em.”

“Spoken like someone who’s never been in a fight,” Liliana replied. She had not yet drawn her sword, but her hand was never far from it.

“I’ve been in plenty of fights,” Mina bragged, but Liliana did not continue the argument.

As they rounded the corner down another alleyway, Sophitia had a troubling thought.

Where the hell are my watchers?!

No one was stepping in to help her yet, and she hadn’t been able to spot any incognito guards following her all day. Was it possible that they truly had not noticed her stepping outside the castle simply because she was wearing a hood?

“Fuck,” Liliana cursed as they came to a dead end. “Back this way.” The three of them doubled back the way they came. Down one alley, they saw the bandits running towards them, having broken through Sophitia’s barrier already. The princess raised her hand in their direction and constructed a new barrier, but she could tell by its transparency that it wouldn’t have much structural integrity. The fear was getting to her, and she was unable to focus on her spellcraft.

“Keep going!” Sophitia shouted, running between more buildings. A moment later, she heard her barrier shatter.

“They’re faster than us,” Mina reasoned. “If we can take out two each, we should be able to--”

“No!” Liliana cut her off. “It’s too dangerous.”

“You’re her bodyguard! Guard her body!” the other girl insisted.

After arriving at another dead end, Liliana groaned in frustration. They then had to retrace their steps, and caught a glimpse of their pursuers again before slipping down another path. Sophitia was beginning to feel fatigued. She was by no means out of shape, but this was much more running than she was used to. However, hope returned to her when they could see an open street at the end of the alley. “Come on!” she shouted. 

Her optimism was deflated when four men appeared around the corner, blocking off their escape.

Dammit! They must’ve split up.

Sophitia, Liliana, and Mina stopped in their tracks. They tried to turn around, but four more of the men who had been pursuing them were now caught up, blocking them from the other direction.

We’re trapped.

The princess slammed her hands together, conjuring a crystalline barrier around her and her friends. The bandits began slowly closing in on them, weapons drawn.

“It’s no use, mage,” one of the bandits called out to her. “We broke through your barriers before, and we can do it again.”

“We want your rupees, not your lives. We’ll let you go if you toss us your money pouches,” another said.

“And how ‘bout your clothes while we’re at it, eh?” a third added. “The redhead’s look expensive.”

“Don’t lower the barrier, Princess,” Liliana urged her quietly, drawing her sword.

“Yeah. You saw how they were looking at us. They’re not planning on letting us go.” Mina raised her daggers. “If you put up another barrier to block the ones behind us, we can fight our way through these four and get out onto the street.”

Sophitia realized the Remoth girl was right. They were cornered now, and there was nothing left to do but fight. She took a moment to breathe deeply, calming herself enough to focus properly. Then, she raised another barrier behind them, making it as strong as she could. “Ready?” she asked, drawing her glittering gold rapier.

“Ready,” her retainer confirmed.

Sophitia nodded and dispelled the crystal around them. But, before either party could charge, they heard the sound of heavy, clanking footsteps. The princess and her companions took a step back in fear. A giant of a man appeared behind the bandits, blocking the way to the street. The man was clad from head to toe in heavy armor, including a great horned helmet.

Sir Onnick?!

The princess never thought she’d be so glad to see him. The knight stopped and looked down at the bandits through the slits in his helmet. Three of the bandits turned around. Upon noticing his intimidating presence, they immediately backed away in fear. The fourth one looked confused, but before he had a chance to turn around, Sir Onnick placed an armored hand on the side of his head and slammed him into the wall. He did it almost as casually as one might swat a fly, but the force of it was enough to smash the bandit’s skull. His body fell to the ground, leaving a bloody spattering on the wall.

“Fucking hell!” one of the bandits cried.

Mina took advantage of everyone’s stunned surprise to run up and stab one of the bandits in the back with one of her daggers, then reach around and slit his throat with the second one. His friend noticed and moved to swing his axe at her, but Liliana stepped in to block the blow with her sword. The force of the blow was strong enough to overpower her, but she managed to deflect the axe enough for it to miss. The bandit then raised his axe once more, but Liliana was quicker. She stepped to the side and thrust her blade through his neck.

During the fighting, Sophitia stayed back at a safe distance, opting instead to focus on maintaining her barrier. The bandits on the other side had begun trying to break through it.

The last remaining bandit on their side of the wall went for Sir Onnick. He lifted his claymore and swung it downwards. The blade collided against the knight’s armor, but did not seem to cause him any harm. Sir Onnick reached behind his back and unsheathed his greatsword.

“No! No, wait! Mercy!” the man cried, dropping his weapon and taking a step back before falling to his knees.

It was unclear whether or not Sir Onnick intended to spare the man, but before he could swing his weapon, several more guards streamed in from either side of him. Two of the guards grabbed the bandit and shoved him to the ground.

“Secure the princess and Lord Remoth’s daughter,” their captain ordered.

“Oh, thank Hylia!” Sophitia said, breathing a sigh of relief.

“Run!” one of the bandits behind her shouted. The four of them turned to escape, but before they could make it very far, a second barrier appeared to block their way, this one a different color than Sophitia’s.

“What?” the princess said aloud in confusion.

As the guards came to collect her, she saw her brother, Percival, step out from behind his bodyguard. He was holding his garish War and Peace sword in one hand while raising the other hand to cast his spell. He curled his raised hand into a fist and pulled his arm inwards, causing his barrier to move as well. The bandits screamed as they were forced back into Sophitia’s wall, becoming trapped between the two, unable to move.

“Percival!” Sophitia shouted, a bright smile spreading across her face. “Thank you, Brother!”

He glanced at her and nodded, then surveyed the scene, noting the three dead bodies and the man in the guards’ custody. “Take the rest of them alive,” he ordered his guards. “I’ll have three of them hanged tomorrow, as a warning of what happens to men who try to touch my sister.”

“Yes, my prince,” the captain said, gesturing to his guards to remove the bandit on the ground.

“I’ll let Lord Remoth do as he pleases with the other two,” Percival went on. “I’m sure he’ll want to set a similar example regarding his daughter.”

Mina turned to the terrified men trapped between the barriers. She bared her fangs and glared at them up close, smiling the most sadistic grin Sophitia had ever seen. “Enjoy what time you have left with all five of your extremities,” she taunted.

The princess was somewhat disturbed.

Perhaps she truly is her father’s daughter.

“Please, my lord,” the bandit called as he was dragged past him. “We didn’t know she was the princess.”

“I fail to see why I should care,” the prince said calmly. Then he turned to the girls. “Come with me.”

Escorted by her brother’s guards, Sophitia and her companions were led out of the alleyway. Further down the street, more guards were waiting with horses and a carriage.

“Get these two on horses,” Percival ordered, gesturing to Mina and Liliana. “Sister, I would speak with you in private.”

Sophitia made eye contact with Liliana. Ordinarily, the princess would prefer to have her bodyguard with her in the carriage, so she considered protesting. However, since she was expecting her brother to scold her, she decided it would be less humiliating without her friend present. So, she pulled down her hood and gave Liliana a nod to let her know it was alright, then followed her brother into the back of the carriage.


“I would once again like to express my deepest gratitude, Brother,” the princess said once the doors were shut and the carriage began to move. “I feared the worst until you and Sir Onnick arrived.”

“It was stupid of you to leave the castle without a proper escort,” Percival stated plainly. He had not sheathed his double-enchanted sword, and he was letting it rest with the tip planted in the floor of the carriage, its blade pulsing with a gold and red glow that matched his armor.

She’d known it was coming, but Sophitia’s cheeks still burned with shame as he said it. “Yes. I realize that.”

“What were you doing?” her brother asked, but he did not sound angry. “Were you attempting something that required secrecy?”

“Well, yes. In a way, I suppose,” the princess admitted.

Her brother nodded understandingly. “That is not unwise, by itself,” he said. “Lancel’s spies are likely everywhere, including in your own guard.”

Sophitia furrowed her brow, suddenly confused. “Lancel?” she asked. “What does he have to do with this?”

Percival narrowed his eyes. “Was he not who you sought to evade?”

Sophitia shook her head.

“You really are the stupid one,” her brother went on.

The princess glared at him. “I was attempting a delicate political maneuver,” she said, feeling the need to defend herself against her elder brother’s insults. “I wish to befriend Lord Remoth. In order to do that, I thought to befriend his daughter first. Doing so necessitated discretion.

“And now you’re telling me all your plans,” Percival replied. “As I said -- stupid .”

“What do you want, Percival?” Sophitia asked. “How did you even know where I was? Perhaps it is you I should be evading.” The princess almost never spoke this way, but she was less worried about her image when only her brother was around to see her lose her composure. Percival always knew just how to get under her skin, anyway.

“You may not have been alive to say that had I not intervened here tonight,” Percival pointed out. “But, to answer your question, I was hoping to speak with you somewhere Lancel’s ears could not reach. As it happened, you were already outside the castle, so I sent a scout to find you. Last he saw you, you were entering a tavern. Then, I felt your magic nearby, and here we are. Is that where you do your ‘political maneuvers’ these days, Sister? Peasant watering holes?”

Sophitia wanted to scream, but instead merely let out a frustrated sigh. “And what, pray tell, requires so much secrecy from our dear brother Lancel?”

“I wished to give you a friendly warning,” Percival said. “Do not trust him.”

Sophitia scoffed. “Forgive me saying, but that is quite rich coming from you, Brother.”

“You know as well as I do that this is all a mere game to him,” the prince went on. “He wants to win. That is all he ever wants. You will be closest to him, so he will seek to undermine you first.”

The princess considered her brother’s words. She knew there was some truth to them, and he did not appear to be lying. “How?” she asked.

“Ask yourself, why were there no watchers protecting you tonight?” Percival suggested. “I assume you did not request them to leave you alone, correct?”

Sophitia’s eyes opened wide when she realized what he was implying. “No.” She shook her head firmly. “He should have no sway over the Grand Watcher or his agents. Besides, he would never endanger me in such a way.”

Would he?

Percival shrugged. “Perhaps. Perhaps not. It is also possible that he has faith enough in that round-eared girl to protect you, or in your own defensive magic skills. He would not need you dead to be out of his game, after all. Merely wounded, or perhaps too scared to leave the castle, would suffice for his purposes.”

“I realize you think me stupid, Brother,” the princess said. “But if I am to suspect someone is to blame for the watchers’ negligence, I see no more reason to suspect Lancel than I have to suspect you .”

The corner of the prince’s mouth curled up as he let out a single chuckle. “Very good, Sister. Perhaps you’re not completely lacking for wits after all.” The carriage shook as it rode over a bump, causing Percival to grab his seat for balance. He looked over his shoulder angrily, as if he could glare at the driver through the wooden wall of his carriage. “Mongrels,” he muttered under his breath. Then he sighed and returned his attention to his sister. “As I’ve said, it is wise of you to mistrust me. All I ask is that you exercise the same caution with our brother.”

Sophitia studied Percival’s face. Like her elder sister, Percival could be difficult to read at times. However, despite his insults, he appeared to be attempting to offer genuine advice. “Very well, Brother,” she said, nodding courteously. “I shall try.”

“Good,” he said plainly. He glanced to the side for a moment, like he was thinking about someone outside the carriage. “Did any of them harm you?” he asked after a moment.

“What?” Sophitia asked, before realizing he was talking about the men who’d attacked them in the alley. “No,” she said quickly. “We ran, and then you arrived before the violence started.”

The prince nodded. “Good,” he said again. “Nevertheless, I will still have those three hanged for trying.”

If not for the morbidity of the situation, the princess could have laughed.

Is this how he chooses to show kindness?

The rest of the ride back to the castle was mostly silent. When the carriage eventually came to a stop, it was Liliana who opened the door for them.

“Remember what I told you,” Percival reminded his sister as she moved to get out.

“I will, Brother,” the princess replied, taking her bodyguard’s hand as she climbed down the step attached below the carriage door. Once she was outside, she was greeted by the sudden appearance of Mina laying an arm across her shoulders.

“Whoo! That was fun, huh?” she said, evidently unphased by the fact that she had just slit a man’s throat not too long ago. “Let’s do it again sometime, eh, Sophie?”

“...Yes, I would like that,” Sophitia said, unsure how to react.

At least the mission was an apparent success.

After the prince climbed out of the carriage, Sir Onnick came over and stood by his side. “My guards will take the prisoners to the dungeon,” Percival said to the three of them, then he directed his attention to the Remoth girl. “I’ll have someone inform your father of what has transpired.”

“Sure, sure,” Mina said, looking him up and down appraisingly. “Thanks again for saving us, my prince,” she said with a grin. Sophitia gave an unamused look to Liliana, while the round-eared girl rolled her eyes. Percival did not seem to notice anything. He simply nodded, then turned to walk away, gesturing for his giant bodyguard to follow him.

Sophitia exhaled. “Well, this has all been very… eventful. But, I would like to change out of these clothes now.” As she spoke, she glanced down at the bits of blood splattered across her outfit. Liliana’s and Mina’s clothes were even worse, having been up close to the men they’d killed. “Liliana and I will be returning to my quarters now. So, I bid you goodnight, my lady,” she said to Mina, speaking as courteously as she could given her mood.

“Alright, then. See you later, Princess.” Mina headed off the same way Percival had gone, and the princess hoped she did not plan to follow her brother anywhere.

Sophitia and Liliana walked together mostly in silence until they arrived at the princess’s tower. Her retainer was the first to speak. “Are you alright, Princess?”

“Fear not,” she said. “I was not harmed. It was a frightening encounter, to say the least, but I do not plan to dwell on it.”

For a moment, the only sound was their footsteps as they ascended the tower up to her room.

“...I’m sorry you had to kill for me,” Sophitia said quietly, fearing the incident may have been weighing on her bodyguard’s conscience.

“That is my job, Princess,” Liliana assured her. “I would kill a thousand if it meant protecting you.”

Sophitia nodded, feeling a swell of pride at her friend’s expression of loyalty. “I know you would.”

Chapter 14: Harun V

Chapter Text

“We thank you once again for your hospitality, Sage.” Queen Urballa bowed her head respectfully. Harun and Princess Sabah, standing on either side of her, mimicked her actions.

“No, my queen. It is us who thank you for your visit,” the sage replied. The line of spirit priestesses standing behind her nodded in agreement. “The Arbiter’s Grounds have suffered in the recent monster raid, but its people are grateful that you and your warriors were here to protect us.” Regarding him with those soul-piercing eyes, Nashorla then approached Harun. “Young prince, I know this experience has not been a positive one for you,” she said, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Much is still uncertain about your future, and about the spirits who haunt you. But I trust that you have the fortitude and inner strength to endure it.”

Harun hesitated, unsure how to respond. Uncertainty was all he knew these days, particularly when it came to his feelings regarding gods and spirits. “You… have my gratitude,” he decided to say. “I confess I had hoped more would be accomplished with my journey here, but your guidance has been helpful nonetheless.”

“You are still welcome to stay and continue your training, if you wish,” Nashorla reminded him. “Mastering your connection to Ganon will require great effort. It will be a long time before you no longer need him to keep the Curse of Demise under control, and even longer before you may break the curse, if ever. It would be my duty as the Sage of Spirit to aid you in this most arduous of tasks.”

“The offer is appreciated, wise one,” Harun replied, shaking his head. “But I must accompany the queen to Taafei. I cannot be absent during the negotiations with Hyrule.”

And I cannot in good conscience remain safe here while the others brave the desert again.

Nashorla turned her gaze to Queen Urballa, who nodded her approval. “His destiny is his own,” the queen said. “And he has made his choice.”

“We shall keep the shield safe, as well,” Harun added, reaching behind himself to tap his trident against the mirror shield he carried upon his back. “Taafei was the seat of power of its former owner. Perhaps we will uncover its mysteries there.”

Nashorla nodded. “I wish you safe travels,” she said. “May Nephysis guide you.”

Their farewells concluded, Harun and his surrogate family returned to the convoy that was preparing to leave at the edge of the settlement. Among those who would be joining them on their journey back to the Gerudo capital were Elder Kobami, Commander Bularis, most of the surviving members of the party that had accompanied them from Naboris, as well as several nomads and citizens of the Arbiter’s Grounds who had chosen to join them.

“We’ll be traveling in two parties once again,” Urballa informed Sabah and Harun. “Sabah will ride up front with me. Harun, you and Elder Kobami will follow in the second group.”

“Yes, Mother,” Sabah said with a nod.

“Yes, my queen,” Harun agreed as well.

“Good. Follow the path I take as closely as you can. We’ll be sticking close to the cliffs until we reach the Southern Oasis,” the queen instructed. Taking her daughter by the hand, Urballa went to join her half of the party.

“My prince.” Laine, Emri, and Kyra appeared beside Harun, carrying satchels of supplies along with their weapons. “Please join us if you’re ready to depart.”

Harun felt his heart sink.

These girls trained with me and Katta.

And it was not only Katta who was missing. Several others had not made it all the way to the Arbiter’s Grounds, and even some of those who did would not be leaving with them.

Lady Averla…

“My prince? Is something wrong?”

“No. I am ready to depart. Thank you,” Harun said quickly, beginning to trudge through the sand over to the camels. Drudging up recent unpleasant memories would only serve to strengthen the evils inside of him. He could already feel the struggle, like Ganon was pulling him one way and Demise was pulling him the other, but neither way felt like it would lead him to where he wanted to go.

If only the true path forward were clearer to me...


After mounting up and giving Urballa’s party a head start, Harun and his party set out. The difference between the Arbiter’s Grounds and the desert was immediately apparent. With no buildings around, there was no shade, and the hot desert sun was free to beat down on them with no interruption.

“Do you require more water, my prince?” Laine offered.

“I’m fine, thank you.”

“Is the sun too intense for you, Prince Harun? I could ride beside you and provide some shade, if you’d like,” Emri offered, resting a parasol against her shoulder in place of her spear.

“No, that will not be necessary.” Harun waved her off, then sighed.

Perhaps I should try riding with some of the Hylianites who despise me instead.

The prince pulled his camel’s reins, choosing to travel in the middle of the convoy, as far as possible from the guards lining the perimeter. They were in for a long trip, and while it would’ve been nice to have had someone to talk to, that wasn’t something he could handle at the moment.

However, his solitude was short-lived. The sound of rushing wind erupted from behind him, and suddenly, Elder Kobami was floating beside him atop a carpet. “Why do you spurn their advances?” she asked the prince.

Harun furrowed his brow. “What do you mean, elder one?”

“Your attendants,” the witch replied. “They are all such strong, beautiful daughters of Gerudo noblewomen, and they wish nothing more than to please you. Any one of them would make a fine first wife.”

Harun sighed.

I do not need to hear this right now.

“There are much graver concerns requiring my attention at the moment,” the prince said, hoping his voice adequately conveyed his annoyance.

Elder Kobami shook her head. “You are a difficult voe,” she said. “None of the fathers of my daughters were ever so picky.”

Harun dared not ask about the voe Kobami had met in her century of life. Gerudo women did not become attached to the fathers of their children, and most never saw them again after returning from a Mother’s Pilgrimage. Many Gerudo mothers did not have much issue with discussing the topic, but it was still considered taboo to ask about it.

When he was younger, Harun had sometimes wondered who his father was. According to Queen Urballa, that was something nobody knew. Only his mother had met the voe, and she had died without telling anyone about him. Harun figured his father must be a Hylian, as was the case with most of his people. Gerudo who’d been sired by round-eared humans tended to have somewhat rounded ears themselves. Harun had distinctly pointed ears, which meant his father would have been either a Hylian or a Sheikah. Since the Sheikah forbade relations outside of their clan, a Hylian was much more likely. However, there was no way to know anything else about him, or if he was even still alive.

It matters not. Very few of my people ever know of their fathers.

As a Gerudo voe, his children would be the exception, but that forced him to think about who the mother of his children would be. Katta was gone. His betrothal to Princess Sabah still did not feel right. Elder Kobami’s insistence that he should sire children with multiple vai was even more uncomfortable to think about, even though he knew most Gerudo vai who had multiple children did so with a different voe each time.

Harun was pulled out of his thoughts when he heard a commotion around him. Many panicked murmurs echoed about, and he saw people pointing at something off in the distance. “What is it?” he asked.

Elder Kobami raised herself higher into the air to get a better look, but after a moment, Harun saw what was getting everyone worked up. Further out in the desert, there was something big moving under the sand, kicking up dust clouds as it made its way through the sand sea.

Another Molduga?

Harun felt a burning wrath building up inside of him at the mere thought of encountering such a creature again. The image of Demise flashed before his eyes for a split second, but he shook his head in a panic to get rid of it.

No. I must remain my own self.

“Remain calm,” Harun said loudly and authoritatively, although he felt like he was mostly talking to himself. “Proceed to those cliffs. Make haste, but do not panic. We are still a safe distance from the monster.

The Gerudo in the convoy did as commanded, picking up the pace and moving to the nearest rocky cliffside where the ground would be too solid for any monster to move through it. Kobami lowered herself down to Harun’s level and followed next to him. “I am proud to see you taking charge of the situation so easily once again, young one,” she told him. “You have a great future as our king ahead of you.”

Harun ignored her. From anyone else, it would have been a fine complement, but he knew what kind of king the witch hoped he would be.

“Let us wait here a moment,” Harun declared once he and his party had reached the top of a relatively short cliff jutting out of the desert. He looked out over the horizon and saw that the monster beneath the sand was still moving towards them.

No sense trying to outrun it. Just let it pass.

After a moment, the dust clouds stopped. Harun stared at the spot where the monster was waiting, hoping to see it turn around. If it came close and began circling them, they would be trapped until it lost interest.

“Perhaps you should slay the monster,” Elder Kobami suggested, lowering her flying carpet down to the ground a few feet away from his camel.

“Are you mad?” Harun asked, furrowing his brow. “No one person can slay such a beast.”

“But you are something more, young one,” the witch replied. “With the Great Ganondorf’s power inside of you, there is nothing in this realm strong enough to defeat you.”

“You exaggerate, elder one.” Harun knew he was nowhere near as strong as Ganondorf was said to have been, and as strong as Ganondorf supposedly was, even he had been defeated by the Hero of Twilight.

“You think so now,” Kobami continued. “But that is only because you are yet to accept his blessing and unlock your true potential.”

Harun sighed. It was always confusing to him whenever the witch said such things. He couldn’t tell if she was giving him the same advice Sage Nashorla had given him or if she was saying something completely different.

Would I be maintaining balance and communing with him if I let him grant me his power? Or would I be throwing off the balance and surrendering to him? Would that matter if he is here to help me as Alkawbra claims?

The prince rubbed his temple, trying to think carefully. If he allowed himself to get frustrated, he would only succeed in making things harder for himself.

Suddenly, the monster began moving again, kicking up more dust clouds. It was no longer heading straight for them, but instead heading in a direction that would cut them off if they were to continue on their original path.

No matter. We simply need to wait for it to pass.

However, when Harun turned his head to follow the monster’s trajectory, he spotted Queen Urballa’s half of the party moving in the distance. They were traveling through open desert, somewhat far from the next safe cliffside. “Elder Kobami, look,” Harun said worriedly, pointing between the monster and the queen’s party. “Fly over and warn them, now!” he ordered.

“As you wish, my prince.” The witch lifted into the air on her flying carpet and took off, speeding in the direction of the queen.

“The horn! Blow the horn!” Harun shouted, frantically looking around for the soldier who was carrying the signal horns. The vai in question was Emri, situated near the front of their party. Harun saw her fumbling with her bags, likely startled by his sudden shouting, but she managed to retrieve the warhorn and blow into it.

Come on… Come on…

A moment later, someone from Urballa’s party blew their horn in response

Thank the gods.

Harun saw their camels and sand seals pick up the pace, fleeing to the nearest cliff in order to escape the approaching monster. However, the monster was moving fast, and Harun was not certain they could make it to safety before it caught up to them.

If I ride out there now, I might be able to cut it off halfway.

He knew it was foolish, but he had to make a quick decision, and there was something inside of him telling him to go. He didn’t want to think about whether it was Ganon or Demise influencing him, but he felt a surge of power and confidence.

I can do this. I don’t need to fight it, just distract it.

Pulling on his camel’s reins, the prince spurred it on and took off down the slope.

“My prince, what are you doing?”

“Wait! Come back!”

“Stop! You mustn’t!”

Several of his guards began calling to him, but he rode past them all. “Stay here!” he commanded them.

If they follow me, they will only be putting themselves at risk.

As he rode through the sands, Harun kept an eye on the hidden monster’s telltale dust cloud. It was still yet to breach the surface, but somehow he knew it was a Molduga. And yet, in his mind’s eye, an image of Demise, the demonic beast, took its place once again for a brief moment. He remembered his last encounter with a Molduga all too well. He could feel the fear, the anger, and the anguish returning to him bit by bit as he rode closer and closer to that wicked creature.

It was you. You killed them. You killed her!

This Molduga could very well have been a completely different one, but some irrational part of his brain was telling him it was the same beast that had killed Katta.

You will die today, monster!

Harun tore his eyes away from the approaching dust cloud for a second, taking a deep breath and shifting his focus to the other Gerudo he was riding towards.

No. Stay calm, you fool. I must save my people, not seek revenge on some mindless beast.

He kept his camel charging for another minute. Soon he would be directly in the monster’s path, successfully cutting it off. But what then? Harun began to panic more the closer he got, realizing he had no plan.

I’m too slow to lead it away. I can probably dodge it once at best. How am I to…?

The clear solution was already nagging at him, as if the spirit of Ganondorf was in the back of his mind, whispering to him. The prince knew his most powerful weapon in combat would be his magic, if only for a brief time before it exhausted him. With Ganondorf’s help, perhaps he could perform a spell strong enough to kill even a monster of that size.

O Great Ganondorf… if you truly are my ally… I ask you to please lend me your strength…

As he prayed, the gap continued to close between him and the giant approaching dust cloud. Suddenly, the monster breached the surface with a massive splash of sand. It likely meant to swallow Harun and his camel whole, but it had come up a moment too early, and instead it sent them flying back.

“Ahh!” the prince shouted as he was raised into the air. A moment later, he grunted in pain as he fell to the ground.

He watched the monster soaring straight up into the sky for a moment, as if it could fly. As he’d suspected, it was a Molduga. Its massive jaws opened wide, and at the peak of its jump, its jaws snapped shut.

It was you…

Harun felt the anger rising in him once more. He climbed to his feet as the Molduga fell back to the earth, wiggling its fins and stubby legs. The prince was almost knocked back by the shockwave and the resulting splash of sand as it landed. It began burrowing itself under the sand immediately, thrashing about as it did.

“You!” Harun shouted out loud. He felt power surging inside him, more than he’d ever felt before. The presence of Ganon had never been stronger either. It felt like the demon king was possessing him as it had before, but he didn’t care.

Grant me your strength, demon. I will slay this beast in the name of our people.

The prince held out his arms. Winds began swirling around him as if a tornado were forming, but soon, he felt his body being lifted off of the ground. The Molduga was now out of sight, and its dust cloud was circling around him, preparing to go in for another strike. “You killed Katta!” he shouted down at the invisible monster. “You killed my people! You will pay!”

Harun rose higher and higher. The sky above him darkened as black clouds formed overhead, crackling with thunder. Reaching behind him, Harun drew his trident and began channeling his magic into it.

The Molduga breached the surface again directly below him, jaws open wide, leaping into the air to swallow him whole.

“Die!” Harun shouted. His screams were immediately overtaken by the thunderous sound of a lightning strike. Several bolts came down from the clouds at once, striking the trident in his hand. All of that power flowed through him, and he redirected it through the tips of his trident down into the monster’s open mouth. It bellowed in agony as it was electrocuted. A gust of wind pulled the prince out of the way, but the monster’s jaws did not shut. Instead, Harun grabbed onto its head, then drove his trident into it. Together, they began to fall, and Harun hung on tight, pulling his trident back out to stab the monster over and over again on the way down.

“Vengeance is--!”

Harun’s revels were cut short when the monster crashed against the ground. Harun, too, landed against the monster’s body with a harsh thud. The sudden pain shot through him as if he’d just run head first into a wall. After the initial impact, he bounced off of the Molduga and fell to the ground, landing on his arm. He heard an awful crack , and his pain increased exponentially.

Oh, gods…


Harun did not scream, speak, or make any noise at all as he lay there in the desert sand. He didn’t even breathe for a moment, too stunned to do much of anything. Beside him, the massive fallen beast did not move either, but Harun could hear the sound of it struggling with labored breaths.

So the demon’s power abandons me in time for me to kill myself, and it does not even grant me the satisfaction of one final victory.

He could not help but feel like a fool. Perhaps he had drawn upon Ganon’s power too much or too quickly, and paid the price for his recklessness. He’d done exactly what he’d told Elder Kobami that he refused to do. The monster had been distracted, possibly long enough for Urballa and the others to get away safely, so why hadn’t he flown away? That would have been the smart thing to do.

With great effort, Harun rolled onto his back and looked down at his right arm. Not only was it broken, but it was criss-crossed with wavy-lined bruises, no doubt from the lightning that had passed through him.

I thought I could control it.

Just moments ago, he had felt like the most powerful person in the world. He could not believe he’d managed to fool himself like that.

After a few minutes of lying in the sand, the injured prince heard the thundering sound of numerous footsteps approaching.

“Harun!” Princess Sabah’s voice was the first he heard, followed by several others murmuring worriedly about him. The princess stood up off of her sand seal sled and ran over to him, kneeling by his side. “By the gods…” she muttered in surprise. “Healers! He needs healers!”

“You two, attend to the prince’s wounds at once,” he heard Queen Urballa order.

“Yes, my queen.” Two Gerudo women dressed in Hylianite robes knelt beside him as well. “Princess Sabah, please step back.” They quickly examined his injuries, and holy light shone from their hands as they began trying to heal him.

“The monster still lives, my queen,” Commander Bularis noted, indicating the immobilized Molduga. “Shall we finish it off?”

Urballa looked it over, seeing the bloody wounds all over its head from where Harun’s trident had punctured it. “Yes. End it quickly. It is clearly suffering.”

As it should be!

“Agh!” Harun flinched.

“Apologies, my prince,” one of the Hylianite priestesses said, lightly touching his arm with her healing hands.

Commander Bularis and several warriors approached the injured Molduga.

“I want its fins and its guts,” Elder Kobami remarked, hovering nearby on her flying carpet. “Take the choice cuts of meat as well. It will make a fine feast tonight to celebrate the prince’s victory.”

Harun did not feel like he’d achieved a victory.

Still she praises me for all the wrong reasons.

Queen Urballa stepped into Harun’s line of sight, looking down at him with concern. “Do not worry, Prince Harun. Everything will be as it was. Just let the light priestesses do their work.”

“Their blasphemous work,” Elder Kobami added scathingly.

You would rather they let me die, witch?

“Thank you,” Harun managed to say to the healers, his voice strangled by the pain in his torso.

“Think nothing of it, child,” said the priestess with her hands on his chest. “It is Hylia’s will that I might aid you in this way.”

Princess Sabah clutched Harun’s hand comfortingly, but she said nothing while the others attended to him.

“Get him back on a camel as soon as he is stable enough to ride,” Queen Urballa ordered. “It is not safe to stay out here too long.” She spoke truthfully. The Molduga’s corpse would soon attract more monsters, perhaps even bigger ones.

Still I put others in danger…

The power of Ganon had been too much for him to handle. It would be one thing if he was the only one harmed by it, but he could not bear the thought of more of his people being killed as a result of his recklessness.

I must make no further use of the old king’s power. Not until I’ve learned to control it, the way Sage Nashorla wished.


Harun and the rest of the traveling party spent the night at the Southern Oasis. Chief Dina had been accommodating to them just as she had been the first time, and they were able to spend the night in safety after having been well fed. The party was also reunited with several Gerudo who had been left behind at the Southern Oasis due to the injuries they’d sustained in battle against the Lizalfos. Most of them had recovered enough to rejoin them for the journey back to Naboris.

Although everyone else was in relatively high spirits, Harun spent the night recovering from his own injuries. The healers had mended him well enough that he would not have any permanent damage, but he was still sore all over. More than that, he was ashamed of himself, and still very uncertain about everything that had been going on lately.

The next day, Harun was tense from the moment they left the safety of the oasis. He fully expected another monster attack like they’d experienced on the way there, especially now that he bore the mirror shield that those Bulblins had wanted for whatever reason.

However, as the day passed, they ran into no such trouble from monsters of any kind. There were a few close calls with Malgyorgs and Leevers passing uncomfortably close to the caravan, and a few Gerudo nearly passed out from heat exhaustion and dehydration, but otherwise, things were calm.

Eventually, they could even see Naboris over the horizon. Harun was relieved that they had almost made it home safely without incident.

“I wish we had more time to continue your training once we’ve returned to Naboris,” Elder Kobami said to Harun, flying beside him as he rode his camel over the sand. “After the power you demonstrated yesterday, I am even more aware of just how much potential we have left to unlock from within you, my prince.”

“I nearly killed myself,” Harun said plainly. “Perhaps this ‘potential’ you speak of is better served sealed away.”

The witch cackled. “An army in a fortress is safe, but that is not what we have armies for, young one,” she told him. “Power is pointless if its wielder does not make use of it.”

Harun sighed. “While your words are true, elder one, the queen has been quite explicit about this matter. The decision ultimately lies with me, ” he reminded her.

Elder Kobami regarded him for a moment. “Do you see those Gerudo?” she asked, pointing a long, spindly finger in the direction of a group of nomads riding up ahead of them. “They have spent their lives braving this harsh desert, living in fear of monsters and starvation. So many of our people live this way, outside of our few safe settlements. If you have the power to improve the lives of our people, will you truly choose to let it go to waste?”

Harun gritted his teeth. He hated that she had a point, but what she said still came off as a meaningless platitude. “What I demonstrated yesterday was powerful aeromancy and electromancy -- which was clearly more than I could handle,” he said, holding out his arm which was still criss-crossed with bruises from the lightning. “You would have me end poverty and world hunger with these magics?”

“We have only scratched the surface of your potential, young one,” Kobami replied. “And what you have shown so far is enough to help our armies retake the valley, where the soil is rich and the water is plentiful.”

“I would be careful when speaking of such things,” Harun warned. “Queen Urballa opposes open rebellion against the Hyruleans, as do I.”

“She opposes it now, perhaps,” Kobami said. “But she will come around. She desires Gerudo independence as much as I do. Once she realizes there is only one way to achieve that goal…”

“That will not happen,” Harun insisted. “I have seen enough of my people’s blood spilled on this excursion alone. I will not have war.”

The witch shook her head in annoyance, as if she were thinking ‘Oh, the folly of youth.’

Suddenly, Harun felt something sharp graze his head. “Augh!” he shouted, ducking his head down and placing a hand where he felt the pain. He could feel blood seeping from the wound. Turning to the side, he saw an arrow flying at his face, but it was knocked to the side by a blast of air from Kobami.

“We’re under attack!”

“Protect the prince!”

All around him, people began shouting, mobilizing into a defensive formation.

“What is it?” Harun asked. “More monsters?” His question was answered for him when figures began pouring out from over the sand dunes they had been traveling past. Surprisingly, they were not monsters. All of them wore cloth coverings to conceal their faces, but they were clearly Gerudo.

“Hylianites,” Kobami said, her voice bitter and scathing.

Harun was taken aback.

They’re here to kill me?

There were screams and the sounds of metal clashing against metal as Harun’s guards began fighting with the attackers. Harun rolled off of his camel to dodge more archer fire, so Kobami rose herself up into the sky and flew away to deal with the archers shooting at him from the dunes. The prince then climbed to his feet and watched the fighting, unsure what to do.

Perhaps word has reached them about the demons within me.

Harun grit his teeth and clenched his fist. It was not fair. It was as if everything the Hylianites feared about him was coming true, but it wasn’t his fault. He’d never chosen any of this, and he certainly did not plan to misuse these demonic powers.

Although I suppose it does not matter what I intend to do. I did not intend to kill Lady Averla, after all…

The prince was left uncertain. For a moment, he felt as if his attackers were right. Perhaps he should not resist. But then he heard the screams of one of his guards as a Hylianite stabbed her through the chest. Then another was impaled by a spear, and another was noiselessly shot down by a stray arrow.

“Stop! Stop! All of you!” he shouted in a panic, waving his hands in the air. “There is no need for this! We are not your enemy!”

However, his shouting only served to draw his attackers’ attention back to him. Two of the Hylianites managed to break their way past his guards and charged at him. Harun drew the mirror shield from his back and lifted it. The light from the sun reflected off of it, and one of the Hylianites stumbled in her tracks as she raised a hand to cover her eyes. Harun had no such luck with the other one. The second vai leapt into the air and stabbed down at him with her spear.

“No!” Harun shouted, blocking the attack with his shield and taking several steps backwards.

The other attacker recovered quickly and rejoined her compatriot. “Do not resist,” she spoke. “We all know this is what must be done.”

“You’re wrong!” Harun shouted back at her. “Please, I have done nothing to you. Just leave me be.”

“Not gonna happen, demon.”

The two spear-wielding women circled around him on opposite sides, moving to flank him. Harun glared between them.

They know nothing.

Being called a demon had immediately angered him, and he could feel something in his head urging him to fight back. For a moment, the thought crossed his mind to draw upon Ganon’s power once more, and show them a real demon.

No! I mustn’t.

Instead, he took his trident in hand and pointed it outwards, hiding behind his shield. He continued backing up and moved to the side, trying to keep both opponents in front of him. They both came at him at once, stabbing with their spears. Harun managed to block one with his shield, and he stabbed at the other with his trident, forcing her to abandon her attack in order to dodge.

“I said stop!” Harun said angrily, his patience wearing thin. He had been willing to let them leave, but he could only remain so forgiving if they continued to try to kill him.

“Just let it happen,” the calmer of the two Hylianites said. “With your death, Hyrule will trust our people once more. It is for the best.”

“Do not tell me it is for the best.” Harun went on the offensive, stabbing at her with his trident. “It is my life. You do not get to decide that for me.”

“Watch us,” the other vai declared. She thrust her spear at him from behind, and Harun had just enough time to spin around and block it.

The one now behind him attacked again. “What we do, we do for the good of--”

“Enough!” Harun pivoted and thrust his trident outwards, but not to stab her. Instead, he conjured a lightning spell -- one not as powerful as the one he’d used on the Molduga the day before. The lightning arced out from his weapon and shocked the Hylianite in the chest. She screamed and spasmed, losing her grip on her weapon and falling over.

“No!” his other attacker shouted. “You monster!”

Harun spun around. The vai attempted a wild stab, and he managed to bash her in the head with his shield. She lost her balance and fell to the ground. The prince quickly followed up by stabbing his trident downwards, impaling her spear hand. 

“Ahhhh!” the Hylianite screamed in pain.

Harun removed his trident and kicked her in the chest. She rolled onto her back. Angrily, the prince stepped his foot down onto her and placed the tip of his weapon to her neck. She glared up at him with rage and disgust, but she made no further attempt to move.

“Harun!”

The prince glanced over his shoulder, willing to take his eyes off of his defeated opponent for only a second to check who had shouted his name. It was Queen Urballa, riding up to him with some of her guards. The battle around him was quickly dying down, with the Hylianites being killed or captured.

“She tried to kill me,” Harun said to the queen, staring daggers down at the Hylianite.

“Ah, well done.” The prince heard the voice of Elder Kobami as well. She lowered herself down from the air beside him. “Will you finish her, young one?”

Queen Urballa dismounted and approached them. “That is not necessary,” she said calmly.

“He has already killed another,” Kobami pointed out, gesturing to the body of the vai Harun had electrocuted. Harun tensed up upon hearing that.

Had I intended to kill her?

“The battle is over,” Urballa reminded them. “If she is to be punished for her crimes, it is better to do so properly.”

Harun did not move, keeping the tips of his trident pressed against his prisoner’s neck. Simply executing her then and there did not feel right, but letting her live did not feel right either. She had tried to kill him, after all. There could be no greater personal offense.

This is not my fault. None of this is.

“I see no difference between killing her now and killing her later,” Elder Kobami said, waving her hand dismissively. “But killing her now saves time, and Harun was who the Hylianites were attempting to kill, just as they killed his mother, and the previous voe.”

The prince turned to the witch in surprise. Bringing that up now only served to make him angrier.

Is that what she wants?

Harun took a step back, pulling his trident away from the Hylianite woman’s neck. He wasn’t sure what decision he would have made on his own, but he decided he would stubbornly refuse to do what the witch was clearly trying to manipulate him into doing.

She may have saved my life when I was an infant, but that does not make me her puppet.

“Thank you, Prince Harun. Well done,” Queen Urballa said, the relief clear in her voice. “Bind her wrists and put her with the other prisoners,” she ordered her guards.

“You’ll regret this, demon,” the Hylianite said as she was led away. “One of us will kill you. Mark my words.” Harun could think of nothing to say, so he simply glared at her.

“My queen, if I may,” Elder Kobami said. “You are being much too soft on these criminals. What if Princess Sabah had been the one they sought to kill? Surely you would be having them executed on the spot.”

Queen Urballa’s face tensed. “Do not speak of such things, elder one,” she said. “I would do anything to protect my daughter. But, regardless of my personal feelings, the law is the law.”

Elder Kobami cackled. “Once we are free of Hyrule’s tyranny, you will be the law.”

The queen paused for a moment as she formulated her response. “Once we are free, the law will still be the law. I am a queen, not a tyrant.”

“Of course, my queen,” the witch said, bowing her head. “Your wise rule is most preferable to that of Hyrule’s. I meant no disrespect.”

Urballa nodded, then turned to the crowd surrounding them. “Everyone, return to your mounts. We resume immediately.” Harun was uncertain if his camel had survived the battle, but he did not need to go looking for it. Instead, Urballa offered him the one next to hers. “Ride with me, Prince Harun.”

“Yes, my queen.” Harun obeyed, climbing atop the camel and following along beside her.

“I am relieved to find you safe,” Urballa said to him a few moments later once they had a bit more privacy. “When I saw you were attacked, I came as fast as I could.”

“I am grateful for that,” Harun said earnestly.

“And I am sorry that there are still those among us who do not see you as I do,” she continued. “No matter what they say about you, you are no demon, my child.”

“...Yes, my queen.” Harun was unsure what to say, but he appreciated the queen’s words. “It is difficult to comprehend,” he said after a moment. “Lady Averla supported Hylian rule as well, but she bore me no ill will. Yet, others who want what she wanted… They want me dead.”

“You will find such extremists on any side of a conflict,” the queen told him. “Some Hylianites take things too far, as demonstrated here today. Just as some Ganonites do when they wish for you to inherit Ganon’s power and decimate Hyrule.”

Harun nodded. He understood that, but he did not like hearing it.

“I am proud of you for taking the less extreme measure today,” Urballa said. “I realize it must have been unpleasant to have to kill one of the people who attacked you, so it is good that you did not kill the other once you had subdued her.”

The prince immediately felt guilty. “I am uncertain I deserve your praise for that decision, my queen,” he said, shifting uncomfortably in his saddle.

“Oh? And why is that?”

“I think… I think I wanted to kill her,” the prince said quietly. “Or maybe I… I don’t know. My mood swings have been getting much worse lately. It’s the demons who haunt me, pulling me in different directions. I know it is.”

Queen Urballa was silent for a minute, looking forward as they rode together. “I am sorry, Prince Harun,” she said. “Perhaps I should have insisted you stay behind in the Arbiter’s Grounds to continue training with the Sage of Spirit. I want to do what is best for you, but I know so little about this matter.”

Harun shook his head. “No, my queen. If staying behind was the best course of action, then leaving was my own mistake.”

“Hm. Well, nevertheless, I will send word back to Sage Nashorla as soon as we arrive back at the palace,” Urballa said. “I will request that she come to Naboris so that she may continue your training once we return from Taafei.”

The prince nodded. “Yes, I fear that may be necessary after all. Thank you, my queen.”

Chapter 15: Link V

Chapter Text

As expected, Linkle had ended up sleeping like a log as soon as the siblings got back to the inn, despite her claims of being too eager to sleep. However, true to her word, she was up at the crack of dawn, dressed and ready for battle, practically dragging Link out of bed to join her. She remained impatient when Link insisted they stop by the market to load up on a few necessities before proceeding with their excursion, but she went along with it, yammering excitedly the whole way.

It was still early in the morning when they approached the walled off area near the center of town. When they got too close, the guards posted in front of the entrance stopped them.

“Halt,” one of the guards ordered, gripping his curved spear and holding out an open hand. “The Well of Three Features is presently dangerous to enter. State your business.”

“Yeah, about that. That’s actually why we’re here,” Link replied.

“Fear not,” Linkle added. “We know what we’re getting into, and we’re prepared to face whatever dangers we may find down there.”

The guard examined them briefly. Even though Link and his sister were clearly armed, they were still mere teenagers. Perhaps the gatekeeper was genuinely concerned for their safety.

“We were sent here by the Sage of Shadow,” Link informed the man. “No need to worry about us. We do this for a living.”

As of a few days ago, anyway.

“Very well,” the guard relented. Stepping out of their way, he knocked on the gate and shouted something in the Sheikah tongue. A moment later, the gate swung open, allowing the siblings to enter.

There were more guards inside the partitioned area, milling about without much apparent urgency. Link found that odd, but perhaps they had been on guard duty long enough to know there was no real threat to them so long as they weren’t the ones going down into the well.

“Is that it?” Link asked when he spotted the well in question. Given that it was somehow connected to ancient Sheikah catacombs beneath the city, he’d been expecting something grander. Instead, it looked like an ordinary stone well; the kind you’d see in even the simplest of villages.

Linkle flashed a confident smile. “Let’s jump right in,” she suggested.

“But not literally,” Link reminded her, just in case she was being serious. Peering down into the well, he could see a series of metal bars drilled into the walls forming a makeshift ladder. It was too deep to see the bottom, but he assumed the ladder went all the way down. “Well, here goes nothing…” Climbing over the edge and swinging his body around, Link gripped onto the bars and began his descent.

It felt like they’d been climbing forever when the siblings finally planted their boots on the ground again. Before them was a dark tunnel. It was difficult to see, but thankfully, torches were one of the things Link had decided to stock up on at the market that morning. So, Link lit one of his torches and led the way. The tunnel got wider as they went, and they soon came to a wall that had been partially torn down.

“So somebody dug down into here on purpose?” Link asked as he and his sister stepped through the rubble.

“I think that’s what the shogun said,” Linkle replied.

“Then why don’t they just seal up that wall again? Or seal off the well itself and be done with it?” That seemed like a much simpler solution to him, and it would avoid the risk of needlessly sending adventurers to their deaths.

“Dunno,” Linkle shrugged. “Maybe they wouldn’t feel right leaving their dead to wander around in the dark as undead monsters for eternity.”

“Hmm.” Link hadn’t thought of it like that. His sister didn’t sound particularly interested in the ‘why’ of the situation so long as it gave her a chance at heroics, but she did have a point.

Just past the wall, they came to a steep drop that led to a lower level. There was a wooden ladder this time, and the climb was only about ten feet. However, whereas the ground had been the same paved stone as the walls of the well up until that point, the ground on the lower level was just dirt. Additionally, they could see broken pieces of metal gates and chains hanging from the walls and ceiling of the next corridor.

“Jeez. This place is a dump,” Link remarked.

“This is so cool,” Linkle said, drawing her shortsword as if anticipating enemies at any moment. “I bet this is how the Hero of Twilight felt when he journeyed through the Arbiter’s Grounds.”

“You mean he felt like he was walking into a pointless deathtrap?”

“Hell no! It wasn’t pointless. That’s where the Mirror of Twilight was--”

“Oh fuck!” Link leapt back in panic, dropping his torch. Further down the tunnel, a creature had suddenly fallen from an opening in the ceiling. It looked like a skull with many spindly legs sprouting from it. Its body was about eight feet long, and its legs spanned the entire width of the tunnel. “Elle, get back!”

Linkle seemed unconcerned, and sheathed her sword in favor of drawing her crossbow. “Calm yourself, Brother,” she said, loading a bolt. “It’s nothing to be afraid of.”

“It’s a goddamn giant Stalspider!” he argued, still backing up.

His sister laughed. “It’s not even a real stalcreature. That skull is just the pattern on its back,” she explained.

Why are monsters and heroes the only things she’s ever bothered to study?

Looking closer, Link saw that she was right. What had looked like a skull at first was actually the body of a giant white spider with black markings in a pattern that resembled eye and nose sockets. However, that didn’t change the fact that it was still a giant spider.

Curse the gods for these horrible creations...

Linkle let loose a bolt. She hit her target, but the bolt bounced harmlessly off of the monster’s bony exterior. “Ah, that’s right,” she said as she loaded the next bolt. “Larger Skulltulas have tough exoskeletons. We gotta flip it over and strike its soft underside.”

“And how do we do that?” Link asked, drawing his sword and shield.

As they spoke, the Skulltula’s many eyes glowed red as it seemed to spot them. It moved toward them slowly, crawling across the ground at first, but then it turned to climb up the wall. Once it reached the ceiling, it continued moving towards them, its eight creepy legs wiggling rhythmically.

“Oh hell no…” Link took a few more steps back, holding up his shield and never taking his eyes off the Skulltula.

“No, this is perfect!” Linkle proclaimed. “I’ll shoot it down, then you stab it in the belly.”

“Oh, sure . That sounds easy,” her brother said with unenthusiastic sarcasm. Nevertheless, he prepared to do as she’d told him, hoping she actually knew what she was talking about.

Linkle’s next shot hit the giant spider in one of its legs. It made no noise in response, continuing to creep forward silently, but it clearly reacted. The injured leg spasmed, and the Skulltula stopped using it to grip the ceiling, which threw off the motion of its gait.

“Huh. That looks like it worked,” Link said, only half-surprised.

“Naturally,” his sister said smugly, reloading her crossbow. “My plans always work.”

“Like with the Hinox?”

“Shut the fuck up, Brother.” She let loose another bolt, hitting the creature in another one of its legs, this time on the other side of its body. That seemed to be enough. The monster slipped and fell, dangling by a single leg for a moment before falling completely. It landed on its back, struggling uselessly like a flipped-over turtle, all eight of its legs flailing wildly. As Linkle had stated earlier, the Skulltula’s underside looked much weaker. As opposed to its tough, bony top side, its belly was sinewy and yellowish-gold in color, like its legs. “Now! Hit it!” Linkle shouted to her brother.

The last thing Link wanted to do at that moment was get any closer to the hideous giant spider writhing on the ground. However, if he did nothing, the Skulltula would eventually manage to flip over, and that would be even worse.

Here goes nothing.

Link sprung forward, letting out a warcry as he thrust his sword downward. The Skulltula still made no noise, but its legs thrashed even more wildly. One of them touched Link, and it freaked him out enough to stab it six additional times in rapid succession. “Die, you creepy little bastard!” he shouted.

Eventually, the monster stopped moving, and Link stepped back, panting.

“Nice work, Brother,” Linkle said happily, clapping him on the back.

“Yeah,” Link said, retrieving his dropped torch. “You can have the next one.”


Stepping over the giant spider’s corpse, the siblings continued on down the corridor. At the end of it was the remains of another torn down wall that they were able to step through. Then, finally, they came to a more open area. The floor was once again paved with brick, and more chain links and construction beams were haphazardly scattered about. Directly in front of them was a rectangular pool of water which connected to some sort of man-made waterway running through the tunnels to the left and right.

“What kind of well is this?” Link asked in bewilderment. “Or are we in the catacombs part now? I can’t tell.”

“Dunno,” Linkle said, her eyes wandering. “See any undead yet?”

“No. Maybe that’s all further in,” Link speculated. “Come on. Let’s try this way.” The two of them walked around the right side of the pool of water, but as they did, a great ball of green fire appeared from the left tunnel. “Whoa!” Link shouted. “Get back!”

“Ahh!” Linkle cried, stumbling as Link shoved her backwards along with him. They stood there and watched as the ball of fire passed by, but when he got a good look at it, Link saw it was more than just fire. Within the green fireball, there was a gigantic skull, floating above the waterway with a pair of bat wings sprouting from its temples. Luckily, it took no notice of them, and it continued on down the tunnel at the same steady pace.

“Okay, what the hell is going on here?” Link asked, more confused than scared. “I thought we were just here to put undead Sheikah to rest. No one said anything about giant, floating, flaming skulls.”

“It’s a Bubble!” Linkle exclaimed, even more excited than she’d been about the Skulltula. “Spirits of the decapitated. Maybe it’s the ghost of a dead criminal who was executed by guillotine, or someone who got their head cut off in battle!”

“Okay, sure, but why is it giant? ” Link didn’t know many creatures with ten-foot tall skulls, and regardless of what creature might have a head that size, this was supposedly a burial ground for humans.

Linkle shrugged. “Spirits come in all shapes and sizes. It’s not like skulls have wings like that either.”

Link sighed, pressing his hand to his face. “When I die, make sure I don’t come back.”

“I shall burn your corpse with the utmost care, Brother.” His sister saluted him, smiling mockingly. “Now, shall we follow the Bubble?”

“Hmm…” Stepping closer to the waterway, Link peered around the corner, looking down the tunnel the spirit had gone through. “I can’t see it anymore, but we might as well see where it’s going, I guess. Maybe that’s where the rest of the undead are.”

“Alrighty.” Linkle agreed, so they set off down the tiled path that ran alongside the waterway.

“We were told there were ReDeads down here, right?” Link asked.

“Uh-huh,” his sister confirmed with a nod.

“Okay. Before we run into them, we should come up with a new way to kill them,” he suggested. The last time they had fought ReDeads, they’d managed to kill a couple of them. However, the effects of hearing a ReDead scream were not something Link ever wanted to experience again.

“Good idea,” Linkle agreed. “And, uh, sorry about last time,” she said after a moment, scratching her head guiltily.

“Hm,” Link grunted. “Don’t worry about it.”

At least she learns, sometimes.

“I’m thinking, maybe we can trick them into screaming prematurely,” he went on, brainstorming ideas. “Like, toss a rock around the corner or something and cover our ears. Maybe that’ll startle them into wasting their scream.”

“Hey, yeah!” Linkle said. “That might work. Ooh, I know! What if I use our torches to light my bolts so I can shoot them and set them on fire?”

“Oh, right. Forgot we had fire this time,” Link said, holding his torch out in front of him to examine it. “That’ll make this a hell of a lot easier.”

When they reached the end of the tunnel, they had to leap across the waterway to turn the corner. So far, they hadn’t encountered the Bubble again, nor anything else dangerous. The next corridor was not any more eventful, as the only other pathway they came across was barred and they had no means to open it.

About halfway down the next tunnel, after rounding the corner again, the siblings came across a peculiar sight. “Ooh, what’s that?” Linkle asked. On the wall was a statue of a big head with water pouring from its large, open mouth. It seemed to be looking down at them with wicked eyes that lacked pupils. Hands protruded from the wall on either side of it, giving off the impression that it was a monster trapped inside the wall.

“No idea. Doesn’t look like Karasu to me,” Link replied, referring to the Patron goddess of the Sheikah who took the form of a raven.

“Hmm. What’s this do?” Linkle asked curiously, stepping towards a large wooden lever next to the wall across from the water-spouting statue.

“I don’t know, but you shouldn’t pull--”

Linkle pulled the lever, grunting with effort. The statue’s mouth closed shut, and no more water spilled from it.

“What the fuck is the matter with you?” Link asked. “You don’t just pull strange levers you find in a dungeon! You had no idea what that thing would do!”

“Yeah, but look!” Linkle pointed down into the pool of water beneath the statue. Link could see a small, rectangular, barred opening in the wall at the bottom of the pool. “Maybe the water will drain now and we can get through there.”

“So? What good is--?” Link stopped talking when he heard a noise behind him. It sounded like the flapping of large, leathery wings. Turning around, he saw the gigantic floating skull wreathed in ghostly green flame barreling down the tunnel towards them. “Get out of the way!” he shouted, grabbing his sister. But in doing so, the two of them lost their balance, stumbling and falling into the wall beside them.

“Whoa-- Ahh! Oof,” Linkle shouted. They landed side by side on the ground, but when they sat up, they were both confused. “Where the hell are we?” Linkle asked, her head darting around. They were in a room with what looked like prison cells further in, and there was a blank brick wall the way they’d just come in. It was as if they’d fallen through a door that didn’t exist.

“I don’t know.” Link climbed to his feet and helped his sister up. Stepping closer to the wall, he reached out to touch it. However, when he did, his hand passed right through it. “What in the…”

“What is it?” Linkle asked, sounding insanely curious. “Some sort of portal?” Stepping up next to him, they both stuck their heads through the wall. On the other side was the water tunnel with the statue on the wall. They could even see the Bubble rounding the corner at the end of the corridor.

“It’s not a portal,” Link said, realizing what was going on. “There’s just nothing here.” To demonstrate, he stood in the middle of the wall with half his body on either side of it.

Oooohhh… ” Linkle said, swiping her hand through the nonexistent wall in amusement. “An illusion! I’ve heard the Sheikah are good at this sort of magic. That’s so cool!”

“Hmm.” Link stepped out of the wall and went to explore further in. The hidden room they’d stumbled upon was rectangular, and in each corner was a jail cell, although the iron bars were too broken down to be able to hold anything anymore. Two of the cells contained bones scattered about on the ground. In the middle of the room stood two crossed beams of wood with chains hanging from them. Link wasn’t sure what it was, but it looked like some sort of broken down restraining or torture device. “Seriously, what the hell is this place?” Link asked.

“What do you mean?” Linkle replied, stepping beside him.

“Are you seeing this?” Link gestured to the jail cells and the strange device. “This is supposed to be a well. Or a burial site or something, right? What do they need this stuff for? This looks like a freaking dungeon!”

“Good point.” Linkle glanced around the room, then gasped when she spotted something. “A treasure chest!” she exclaimed.

“A what?” Link followed her gaze, and sure enough, there was a small wooden chest sitting in one of the cells next to a pile of bones.

“Sage Impa said we could keep any treasure we found, right?” She was almost skipping as she made her way over to the cell. “I’ll let you keep it if it’s rupees.”

“Alright. Be careful, those bars look rusty,” Link warned, following behind her.

Linkle lifted her leg and banged against the cell door several times. Something broke, and her next kick nudged it open enough to slip through. “Da-na-na-na, da-na-na-na…” She provided her own dramatic drum roll as she approached the chest and knelt down. She touched something with her hand, and Link heard a click. “Da-da-da- daaa!” Linkle cried as she flung the lid open. She paused for a moment, then reached her hand into the chest, feeling around for something.

“What is it?” Link asked curiously from the other side of the bars.

“There’s nothin’ in here,” Linkle replied with clear disappointment. “What a ripoff.”

“Damn,” Link swore in agreement. “Guess another adventurer got here before us, huh?”

“Yeah, guess so.” The young girl slammed the chest closed. As she began to stand up straight, she suddenly yelped in terror, leaping backwards. “Ah!”

“Elle! What’s wrong?” Link drew his sword, ready for whatever it was that had freaked her out.

“Something’s grabbing me!” Lifting up her leg, there was a bony arm hanging off of her, its skeletal hand firmly grasping her ankle.

“What the--” Link turned to the pile of bones in the cell with his sister. For a moment, they were only vibrating, but then the other arm bone suddenly flew a few inches through the air to reattach itself to the ribcage. “Stalfos!” Link shouted. “Get out of there, Elle!”

Hopping on one foot, Linkle made her way back to the cell door and slipped through. “Get this freakin’ thing off me!” she shouted, practically kicking her brother as she thrust her leg out to him.

“Alright, alright! Hold still!” Link knelt down and grabbed the bony arm with both hands. It struggled against him, as if it were still attached to a body. “Son of a--” With one hand, he reached over and grabbed the skeletal fingers, pulling against them. After a moment, they snapped back, a few of them breaking. The grip came loose, and Link quickly hurled the arm across the room.

“Ow,” Linkle complained, rubbing her sore ankle. “Thanks, Brother.”

“Don’t mention it.” Turning back to the cell, he saw a one-armed Stalfos just finishing reassembling itself, placing its skull atop its neck. Its eye sockets were lit up with a glowing red light, staring at them with murderous intent. “Ah, fuck.” Arming himself with his sword and shield, Link took a step away from the bars.

“Die!” Linkle shouted, aiming her crossbow and firing off a bolt. It sailed right through the Stalfos’s ribcage, bouncing harmlessly off of the wall behind it. “...I don’t know why I thought that would work.”

The Stalfos let its jaw hang open and rattled its bones, apparently angry. It stepped forward and grabbed the door, yanking it open. The rusty bar in its grip broke off from the door, and the skeletal monster stepped out of the jail cell wielding the metal bar like a club.

Link stepped between the Stalfos and his sister. It swung at him, and he blocked the blow with his shield. “We gotta crush its skull, right?” he asked his sister. That was common knowledge about Stalfos as far as he knew, but his sister was the expert, so he wanted to check and make sure it wasn’t just a myth.

“Yeah!” Linkle confirmed. “Chop its head off, then I’ll smash it.”

“Gladly.” Link swung his sword, aiming for the monster’s neck bone, but the Stalfos blocked it with the rusty metal bar. Annoyed at the creature’s persistence, Link bashed it with his shield. This caused the monster to stumble back, and Link took the opportunity to try again. This time, his blow struck its target, slicing the monster’s skull right off its bony shoulders. The skull went flying, landing on the ground and rolling across the floor.

“I got it!” Linkle shouted, chasing after it. However, someone else beat her to it. Another Stalfos had appeared on the other side of the room, carrying a bent, rusty sword. The skull rolled to its feet, and it bent down to scoop it up with its free hand. Linkle gasped and drew her sword, managing to duck just in time when the monster swung at her. On her way back up, she sliced upwards, cutting the monster’s sword hand off.

Link hurried to join the fight, but the second Stalfos tossed the first one’s skull over his head. The one-armed Stalfos dropped the metal bar and caught its skull, reattaching its head upon its shoulders. “Oh, you gotta be kidding me…” Link muttered, turning to re-engage the monster.

Meanwhile, the Stalfos fighting with Linkle reached out and grabbed her by the throat with its remaining hand, then began jabbing her in the face with the bony stub of its other arm. It did not take her long to slice off its other hand as well. Once she’d done so, she kicked the Stalfos in the chest, knocking it back and shattering several of its ribs. However, the skeletal hand maintained its grip around her neck, its fingers digging into her skin. “What is it with these things?!” she shouted, clearly unhappy about being grabbed by two separate severed hands in such a short timespan.

This time, Link took no chances. He managed to back the Stalfos into a corner, then charged it, ramming the skeleton up against the wall. With an angry battlecry, he gripped the creature’s skull with both hands and began ramming it repeatedly against the solid stone wall. In a few hits, the skull crumbled, and the lights in its eyes went out. The rest of the bones fell to the floor in a pile at his feet. “And stay dead.”

Turning around, he checked on his sister. She had managed to free herself from her opponent’s death grip, and as it no longer had any hands, the Stalfos couldn’t put up much of a fight anymore. Raising her boot, Linkle kicked the monster in the knee. The bones cracked and its leg buckled, letting her easily knock it to the floor. “EE- YAH!” she shouted, bringing her heel down on its skull with an axe kick. The skull shattered, and like the first Stalfos, it returned to its previous state as a useless pile of bones. After panting for a moment, she wiped the sweat from her brow and smiled. “Phew. That was awesome.

Link rolled his eyes. “Yeah, we could’ve died and we didn’t even get anything from that treasure chest, but apart from that, it was great.”

“Well, look on the bright side,” Linkle began. As she spoke, she walked towards him. But, when she took a step underneath the crossed wooden beams of the device in the center of the room, she suddenly fell through the floor.

“AAAaaahhhh…!”


“Elle?! Elle!” Link’s first instinct was to run over to the wooden beams, but he managed to stop himself before he reached them. The floor hadn’t crumbled beneath Linkle; she had simply fallen through it.

Another illusion.

Getting down on his hands and knees, Link slowly crept forward, running his hand across the ground. Eventually, his hand went through the floor, a little bit in front of the wooden device. He put his head through the floor next, peering through the illusion.

On the other side, it looked as if a shaft had been carved into the stone floor, opening up into a larger area below. He could see his sister staying afloat in a pool of strangely green-tinted water. “Elle!” Link called down to her. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah!” she called back up. “I think so!” A few feet away from her was a wooden plank floating on the surface of the water. She swam over to it and grabbed on. Free from having to keep kicking to stay afloat, she took a moment to get her bearings. Link couldn’t see the room she was in from where he was, but from the way she flinched, he could tell she saw something that scared her. “...Brother,” she said, her voice quivering, almost too quiet to hear from so far away. “Help.”

Oh fuck.

“Okay. I’m coming down.” He had no interest in confronting whatever was down there, but his sister was apparently in danger, so that was going to have to be enough for him. Sitting down on the edge of the hole, he put his legs through the illusory floor, took a deep breath, and let himself drop. He felt his stomach turn as he plummeted what felt like thirty feet, landing in the water with a splash.

When he surfaced, he gasped for air. Whatever the green water was, it stung his eyes. “Aghh,” he groaned, rubbing his hands over his face. With his vision a bit clearer, he spotted his sister. Her face was pale, and she was trembling.

“Brother…”

“It’s okay,” Link assured her, swimming over to the piece of wood she was gripping. When he reached it, he lifted himself partially out of the water as she had done. His heart sank as he took in the sight.

Whereas the upper level they were on before had paved floors and tiled walls, this lower level was clearly just a partially excavated cave. It was massive, too, likely running underneath the entirety of the upper floor. The small lake of green water they had landed in was surrounded by dirt and rock on all sides. Although the large, dark cavern was creepy, that was not what scared him. On the land surrounding the lake, Link saw ReDeads. Dozens of them. Most were standing or crouching as still as statues, while a few milled about slowly and aimlessly. Periodically, they let out those creepy, tired groans Link hated so much.

So this is where they all were.

Before falling through the floor, all they’d seen since entering the well was a Skulltula, a Bubble, and two Stalfos. They’d been told to expect ReDeads, but Link never imagined they’d encounter this many at once. Fearfully, his hand found his sister’s and clutched it tight.

“What are we going to do?” she whispered.

“I don’t know,” he replied. Given his sister’s ordinary methods of charging blindly into the enemy, he should’ve been more grateful for her caution, but he was too scared to think about that at the moment. None of the ReDeads seemed to have noticed them yet, or at least they had not considered the siblings enough of a threat to scream at. Link knew they had to get out of the water soon, however. If they were incapacitated by a ReDead’s scream while swimming, they would likely end up drowning after losing control of their bodies.

“Look!” Linkle said, reaching out with her arm and pointing to something in the distance. On the far side of the tunnel, one of the visible passageways led to a ladder. Unfortunately, there were several undead monsters directly in their path. Link wanted to go that way, but if they were going to swim to shore, the smart thing to do would be to go where the least ReDeads were first.

“This way,” he said, taking the lead. Slightly to the right of the path to the ladder, there was a piece of broken wall by the shore. They could get on land and hide behind it for a moment while they planned their next move.

“Got it.” His sister let go of his hand and swam behind him.

When they pulled themselves out of the water, they crouched and sidled up against the ruined wall. “Gods, what the hell is this stuff?” Linkle asked, wiping some of the green water off of her arms. “It burns my skin.”

“Maybe it’s poisonous or something,” Link guessed. “With everything we’ve seen so far in this accursed place, nothing would surprise me.” Moving silently, he chanced a look over the wall. Luckily, the ReDeads didn’t seem any more active than they were before. “Okay,” he said, crouching back down. “We need to get to that ladder. There’s a dozen monsters in our way. How do we get there?”

His sister furrowed her brow, tapping her fingers against her forehead like she was thinking really hard. Link tried to come up with something as well, but all he could think of was how nice it would be to have a bomb or two right about now.

After a few moments, Linkle began tapping her head more rapidly, and then a spark of realization twinkled in her eye. “I have an idea!”

“Shh!” Link shushed her, placing his hand over her mouth. He saw one or two ReDeads on the other side of the pool of green water tilt their heads in their direction, but none made any move to approach them. “What is it?” he asked quietly.

“Most monsters can be distracted if you just throw some food on the ground for them,” she said. “Like tossing a steak to a hungry dog.”

“Okay. Well, ReDeads eat people. So unless you wanna be the steak…”

“But ReDeads are people,” she went on.

It took him a second, but Link could tell what she was saying. “You think if we killed one or two of them, the others would cannibalize them?” He supposed it made sense. Undead monsters like the ReDeads seemed to have lost all reason along with their sense of humanity. They probably couldn't even differentiate between dead animals, dead humans, and their own dead.

“It’s worth a shot.”

Link nodded. “Okay. But we still have to kill them. And that’ll be hard to do without getting screamed at.”

“I’ve got this,” Linkle said, unholstering her crossbow and holding it out to him.

“You tried that before. Didn’t work,” Link pointed out, shaking his head. “Oh, wait. Earlier you had that idea about lighting your bolts on fire, right?”

His sister smiled and nodded enthusiastically, apparently glad to see they were on the same page.

Reaching behind himself, Link pulled out the leather carrying bag that he was using to store his torches. “Please don’t be wet, please don’t be wet…” While praying for some dry torches, he opened the bag and pulled one out. “It’s a little damp,” he said, feeling it with his hand. “Let’s hope it still works.”

While Link held the torch, his sister took a piece of flint and struck it with her weapon. The first few tries, the sparks landed on the damp wood and fizzled out. “Come on, come on…” Linkle muttered, trying again and again. “Yes!” she cried when the fire eventually ignited.

“Shh,” Link reminded her, worried that her excitement would attract unwanted attention.

Well, at least neither of us is paralyzed with fear anymore…

“Okay, good. Now…” Link surveyed the area, trying to pick out some strategically placed victims. “Shoot that one over there,” he commanded, pointing to one far to the left of the ladder. “And then that one over there,” he continued, pointing to one far in the other direction.

Linkle nodded, loading a bolt into her crossbow. Once it was prepared, she dipped the end of the loaded bolt in the flame of Link’s torch. After a moment, it caught fire. “Yes! I’m a genius!” she proclaimed. However, as she moved to aim at her target, the fire spread too quickly up the shaft of the bolt. “Oh no!” Reacting quickly, she aimed into the pool of water and loosed the bolt.

“Well that didn’t work,” Link noted. “Maybe if you wrap some cloth around the end of it or something?”

“Good idea.” Linkle immediately reached for the hem of her skirt and began to tear a piece off.

“No, you moron!” Link chided her. “If you’re gonna do that, for Hylia’s sake, do it to your tunic or something.”

“Hey! This is a Hero’s tunic,” she proclaimed, grabbing her green outer clothing and tugging on it for emphasis. “It is a sacred garment and I will not defile it.” The strip of fabric she ripped off was still quite damp from being in the water, so she first had to hold it near the torch and wait for it to dry off. When she was finished, she wrapped the strip of fabric around the end of one of her bolts, loaded it into her crossbow, and set it ablaze. “There! This’ll work much better,” she said optimistically, smiling at her handiwork.

Please stay serious, Elle.

“Okay,” Link whispered. “Aim for the head. I’ll prepare your next fire arrow.” As he spoke, he grabbed the hem of his shirt and began tearing off a strip to wrap around another of her bolts.

“Alright. I won’t miss,” his sister promised.

Link held his breath while she aimed. He wasn’t worried about her missing. What scared him was the possibility that the crossbow firing would make enough noise to attract more attention to them than to the ReDead she shot.

If they spot us, it’s all over…

Linkle loosed the bolt. It sailed through the air and hit its target perfectly, piercing the distant crouching ReDead in the head. The balled up piece of flaming fabric got pushed further back along the bolt, but it remained attached. The ReDead that was shot had no reaction at first, and neither did any of the others. However, as the flame continued to burn, the creature itself was set ablaze, and it began to groan. It was difficult to tell with the undead, but it definitely sounded like it was in pain.

I guess fire really does hurt them.

“Nice shot,” Link complimented her. “Now the next one. Quickly.” He handed her the bolt he’d prepared, which she loaded up and set alight just as she’d done with the last one.

As his sister worked, Link kept an eye on the burning ReDead. It was beginning to react more strongly now. Slowly, it stood up straight, turned in place, and walked towards the water. Link was surprised it had enough sense to know to do that, but he was more worried about what it might do if it succeeded in putting the fire out.

Will it come straight for us? Will it alert the others somehow?

Link glanced over his shoulder when he heard Linkle’s crossbow fire another shot. She hit her second target through the chest, and it reacted just as slowly as the first one.

Turning his attention back to the other ReDead, Link saw it was now entirely engulfed in flame. Before it made it to the water, it slowed down and fell to its knees, eventually falling flat onto the ground. Its groaning increased in volume, then slowly began to fade.

Take the bait, take the bait, take the bait…

Praying for their plan’s success, Link stared intently at the body as it burned. The other ReDeads still weren’t moving. It was possible a fresh body wouldn’t draw their attention like they’d hoped it would. For a brief moment, he considered just staying where they were and letting his sister pick them off one by one instead, but he realized she didn’t have enough bolts for all of them.

It wouldn’t have to be all of them, though. Hit as many as we can near the ladder, then slice through whatever’s left on the way out…

The fire that had engulfed the ReDead slowly died out. The body lay there, charred and disfigured. For a moment, Link was sure none of the others would touch it. But then, the hairs stood up on the back of his neck. All around them, he could hear the undead monsters beginning to moan and groan more loudly and more frequently. It echoed throughout the cavern, making it impossible to tell which ones were reacting, or how many.

“Shit, shit, shit, shit…” Linkle slid up next to Link against the wall, and they huddled together in fear. This was the moment that would decide whether they made it out alive or ended up a meal for the ReDeads.

However, the gods seemed to be smiling on them. The ReDeads closest to the burnt ones began slowly walking over to them. Link watched in disgust as they knelt down and began lazily tearing pieces of flesh from the corpses of their dead friends.

“Look, Brother.” Linkle pointed towards the ladder. There were still a couple of monsters in their way, but most had joined the slow-moving feeding frenzy. “We can get out!”

“You’re right.” A wave of relief washed over him for a second, but he reminded himself that they weren’t out of the woods just yet. “I don’t think we have enough time to make another fire arrow, but that one’s close enough for me to chuck a torch at,” he said, gesturing to the closest ReDead while brandishing his lit torch. “That other one’s staring at the wall like an idiot. Think you can chop its head off as we run by?”

“And here I thought you weren’t gonna let me have any fun,” his sister said playfully.

For the love of Nayru, please stay serious.

Some of the ReDeads that hadn’t gotten to the corpses fast enough were still milling about while the others ate, and some were beginning to wander off again. The siblings didn’t have much time. “Alright. Let’s go.” Standing up fully so he could see over the ruined wall, Link tossed his torch at the closest ReDead. It hit the monster’s head, then fell to its feet. Like the other two that Linkle had shot, it moaned for a moment while the fire spread, then it fell over as it tried to walk towards the water. “Now!”

The siblings ran around the corner and sprinted for the tunnel that led to the ladder. Linkle went a little further to the left towards the only ReDead remaining in their way. It turned its head when she got close, but she struck before it managed to scream, decapitating it cleanly in one blow. She did not stop running, and she caught up with her brother just as he began climbing the ladder.

“Nice work, Elle,” Link said.

Now let’s hope this ladder leads somewhere good.

When he reached the top, Link found himself in a small, square room with stone walls on all sides. However, he saw no door. It looked like a dead end. “What?” he said aloud, panicking.

“What?” his sister repeated, coming up the ladder behind him.

“No, no, no…” Knowing the tricks this place had played on them so far, he stepped over to the wall and put his hands on the flat stone bricks. The wall was solid. Quickly moving to the next wall, he tried the same thing, and his hands went through like it wasn’t even there. “Oh, thank the gods.” Sticking his head through the illusory wall, he could see the tunnels with the waterway on the other side.

Relieved, Link pulled his head back, then slumped down against the solid wall, sitting on the floor and letting out a sigh. Navigating that cavern filled with ReDeads had been a stressful ordeal, and he was not feeling up to any further adventuring.

His sister sat down beside him. She looked similarly drained, but she wore a proud smile. “Nice shots down there, Elle,” he complimented her again. “Sorry it turned into another Hinox situation.”

“Thanks, Brother.” As she spoke, she cleaned the ReDead blood from her sword. “We managed to take out four of them. It’s better than nothing. But, you know, if we find a way to collapse this upper floor, maybe we can kill all of them.”

“Don’t even think about it,” Link said, unsure of whether or not she was joking.

Linkle laughed, then spotted something. “Ooh! Another treasure chest!” In the corner on the opposite side of the small room they were in, there was a small chest that looked similar to the previous one she’d found. Linkle stood up and skipped over to it, bending over to open it.

“What’s in it?” Link asked, hoping they could at least get some small bonus reward out of this.

“Ah, dammit,” Linkle said with disappointment, slapping the chest over onto its side. “There’s nothin’ in here. Again.”

“Really?” Link was surprised, but then again, they’d never had the best luck. However, it raised some questions. “A lot of people have been here before, right?”

“Yeah. Must’ve been taken by another adventurer. Same as the last one, I guess,” Linkle confirmed.

“Strange that there’d still be that many ReDeads down there if others have been here already,” Link pointed out, feeling like something wasn’t adding up. “And where’d they all come from, anyway? That looked like some sort of mining tunnel or something. I didn’t see any actual crypts or anything.”

Linkle shrugged, sitting down against the wall near the empty chest. “Well, Impa Sadashi said this all started when an archaeological dig or something accidentally dug into some crypts. Maybe they spilled in from one of the other tunnels down there.”

“Hmm.” That made sense, but something still didn’t feel quite right. “Well, what about that other chest? The one in the jail cell? How come nobody killed the Stalfos that were guarding it?”

Linkle seemed to think that was a good question. “I dunno. Must’ve taken it and ran. The cowards. Every adventurer knows you’re supposed to slay the monsters and then take the treasure. Taking the treasure without slaying the monster is just cheating!”

“And then there’s that giant Bubble we saw. I know we haven’t killed it, but surely someone would have tried, seeing as it’s flying around where we first came in.” Link stood up and began pacing. “What if the monsters are rising from the dead after they’re killed?”

“Well, duh. They’re undead. That’s what they do.

“Right, but I mean rising again. That’s not normal, is it? Even for the undead?”

“Well, it is for Stalfos if you don’t destroy their skull,” Linkle explained. “And for Poes if you don’t put out their soul flame. Oh, and some Floormasters split into little ones that can reform into a big one. But ReDeads? And most other undead? No, not really. Not without a Blood Moon.”

“But the next Blood Moon is coming up soon, so the last one was a very long time ago at this point,” Link said, remembering what he’d been told the other day. “What if a person is raising them. With necromancy.” He knew the ones they’d killed wouldn’t be coming back, but not all corpses would get eaten. Surely there had been others that lasted long enough to be raised again.

“That’s illegal.”

“Oh, because people never break the law, right?” The more he thought about it, the more it started to make sense. “Look, necromancy is pretty high-level shadow magic, right? Well, this is one of the Sheikah capitals of Hyrule. There could be any number of shadow mages here in the city who are capable of something like that.”

Linkle considered it for a moment, then her eyes lit up. “Ooh, are we gonna get to fight a necromancer?” she asked, jumping to her feet excitedly. “That’s amazing. Where do you think they are? And what are they trying to do? Are they serving a demon master? Or trying to destroy Hyrule with an army of the dead?”

“No idea,” Link said, shaking his head. “But I doubt it’s anything that cliché. Could just be a sorcerer trying to practice their craft. Or maybe this is all just a trap to lure in adventurers so they can kill us and take our stuff.”

“Oh, don’t be so negative,” his sister said, as if there was a positive side to this that he wasn’t seeing. “This could be our Zant, our Black Knight, our Ghirahim -- an evil rival we clash with throughout our heroic journey!”

She became really easy to convince once she was able to make it a part of her fantasies.

“Come on, let’s go find this vile sorcerer,” Linkle proclaimed, already back to full energy.

“I think I’m a little adventured out, Sister,” Link declined, not wanting to charge into more potential danger by investigating crazed necromancers so soon after their most recent brush with death. “Let’s go back to the sage and share our suspicions with her. Maybe she’ll hire us to investigate it further.”

Now let’s get the hell out of this accursed place.


When they returned to the surface, Link was glad to see sunlight again. A few hours with nothing but torchlight was suffocating, not that his sister minded. She seemed to be right at home in a dark dungeon filled with monsters. Nevertheless, it wasn’t hard to convince her to leave as long as they were still ostensibly hunting evildoers.

“Congratulations on coming back alive,” one of the guards on duty greeted them when they climbed out of the well.

“It’s feeling more like an accomplishment every day,” Link replied, unenthused. He considered sharing his theory about the necromancer with the guards, but he decided not to waste his time since he already planned to explain it to someone higher up.

“Did you manage to lay to rest any of the poor souls trapped down there?” the guard asked.

“We did indeed,” Linkle said with no shortage of pride. “Four ReDeads and two Stalfos. Plus a Skulltula.”

“You’ll be able to collect the bones of the Stalfos, but I doubt there’ll be anything left of the ReDeads. The area isn’t exactly safe for retrieving bodies anyway,” Link explained.

There’s hardly any proof of our accomplishments that can be used to determine our reward. This whole thing was a scam from the start!

However, the guard nodded understandingly. “I see. You may return to the sage and collect your reward. I am certain she will take you at your word.”

I sure hope so.

As they exited the gate, Link briefly considered whether or not they should stop by the inn to clean up before heading to the sage, thinking it might do them some good to make themselves more presentable. However, he decided that Sage Impa might be more generous with their reward if they appeared battle-weary and scuffed up a bit. He probably wouldn’t have been able to convince Linkle to be so patient again anyway. She was practically sprinting for the graveyard so she could brag about her ‘heroic deeds’ to the sage, who she believed could make them into famous heroes.

“I still say we should’ve killed that giant Bubble,” Linkle said, kicking a pebble between the Kakariko gravestones beside the pathway.

“Oh, don’t start with that again.” Link had spent five minutes arguing with her about that topic while they made their way out of the well.

“But just think of how impressive that would be!” his sister insisted. “All the best adventurers have their ‘biggest thing I ever killed’ story. What’s that gonna be for us? A Durpyblin?”

“You wanna run all the way back to Rebonae and kill that Hinox, be my guest,” Link argued, knowing she must still be bitter about that. Linkle pouted, but said nothing else in return.

When they reached the stairs that led up to the Shadow Temple’s entrance, they stopped before climbing them. “Come on out. We know you’re there,” Link said aloud.

As he’d expected, two cloaked shadow priestesses appeared as if from nowhere, causing Linkle to flinch even though she must’ve known it was coming.

“You have returned,” one of them spoke.

“We have,” Link replied plainly.

“Did you find success in your endeavor?” the other asked.

“We did,” Linkle answered. “And we have something very important to tell the sage. We think there’s--” Link elbowed her before she said too much. “Ow.”

“We would very much like to speak with the sage,” Link explained.

The priestesses shared a glance, but raised no objections. “Very well. You may enter the shadows.”

“Thank you.” Link proceeded forward and climbed the stairs, joined by his sister. He didn’t bother looking back this time, not wanting to give the priestesses the satisfaction of impressing him with their little vanishing act again.

Link lit a torch in preparation for the descent into the temple. He knew the braziers at the bottom would light automatically, but he preferred to be able to see clearly the whole way down.

“So what do we tell Sage Impa?” Linkle asked in a hushed voice.

“Just that we suspect a necromancer is behind what’s happening in the well,” Link replied.

“But that’s what I was gonna say,” Linkle said, sounding peeved. “Why’d you hit me back there?”

“No use telling them. They don’t handle the money.”

Linkle scoffed.

“I know, I know. But trust me. It’s the smart thing to do.”

At the bottom of the steps, the torches lit themselves once again, earning more impressed noises from Linkle. The siblings waited for a few minutes, and eventually, the heavy stone door slid open, revealing the sage’s palanquin and its phantom pallbearers. Just as before, they set her down on the dais and then melted away.

“Hello again, young ones,” Sage Impa greeted them, smiling warmly. “I am relieved to see you have returned in good health.”

“Good enough,” Link said.

“Do not be so modest, young adventurer,” the old woman replied. “There are many stronger men in this city, but few brave enough to venture down into the shadows of that old well.”

“We do not fear the shadows,” Linkle said proudly.

Sage Impa smiled at her. “Good. Tell me, children, did you succeed in liberating the lost souls beneath the well?”

“Yes. Well, some of them. Six, at least,” Linkle said, clearly wishing she could brag more. As she’d done for the guard earlier, she recounted for the sage exactly what they had managed to kill down in the well.

“I see,” the sage said thoughtfully. “It is a shame that the curse of undeath persists, but this is no small feat on your part, young adventurers. Your efforts are greatly appreciated by Hylia and Karasu.”

“And Farore!” Linkle added, unable to help herself from bringing up the Goddess of Courage.

“There is something else, Sage Impa,” Link said. “From what we saw down there, I do not think these undead are occuring naturally. I suspect someone is raising them intentionally.”

The look Impa Ichika gave him was unreadable, but she was definitely having some sort of reaction to Link’s speculation. “And what makes you say that, my child?”

“The timing doesn’t fit,” Link explained. “There hasn’t been a Blood Moon in years. And given all the other adventurers who have gone down there at this point, there are just too many monsters left. Someone could be re-raising them, which would explain why they keep coming no matter how many of them are killed.”

The sage regarded them strangely again, then appeared deep in thought for a moment. “Most interesting. I had not considered this possibility.”

“Fear not, sage,” Linkle declared. “If there’s a necromancer out there, we’ll hunt them down and bring them to justice in the name of Nayru!”

“Oh, that will not be necessary, child,” the sage replied, waving her hand dismissively.

Link and Linkle both furrowed their brows. “What?” they asked in unison.

“If there is a necromancer in New Kakariko, then they are most likely among the ranks of my shadow priests,” Impa explained. “Due to the discrete nature of our order, we must be allowed to investigate this matter internally.”

“Oh. I see,” Link said.

“Aw, man…” Linkle whined.

“Now then, I suppose you’ve earned your reward,” the sage went on. “And I believe a bonus is in order for bringing this unfortunate possibility to our attention.” Reaching off to the side, she grabbed a jangling bag of rupees from within her palanquin.

Link smiled. “Thank you, Sage Impa.” Taking a step forward, he reached for the bag. However, as the money was changing hands, the sage did something odd. She gripped his hand softly and turned it palm-down. She held it there for a moment, as if studying it. “Is something wrong?” Link asked in confusion.

“Not at all, child,” the sage replied, letting go. Link hefted the bag of rupees and stepped back.

Why was she looking at…

Link froze as he realized how familiar the situation felt. The sage’s granddaughter, that strange woman in the mask, had done the same thing back in Old Kakariko. And she had done so just before the sage’s daughter sent them to this city.

...Are they the ones behind all this?!

Link wasn’t quite sure why he thought that, but it just made sense somehow. The Impas in Old Kakariko had been looking for someone who could apparently be identified by the back of their hand. Link suspected the monsters in the well could be a trap to lure in adventurers, but what if it was a trap to lure in a specific adventurer -- the one with the marked hand? What if the Impa in New Kakariko had helped her relatives set it up?

But why?

“Is something wrong, my child?” the sage asked.

“Uh, no! No, not at all, sage. I was, um, I was merely amazed by your generosity,” he said, holding up the bag of rupees.

“You have earned it, brave heroes,” Impa Ichika assured them. “Spend it wisely.”

“We will,” Link said. “And thank you. We shall be on our way now.”

Linkle turned to him. “But what about--?”

“It’s fine,” Link interrupted, knowing she was going to ask about going back down into the well again for further adventuring. “Come along now, Sister.” He gave the sage a hurried bow, then turned to leave, walking quickly in order to force Linkle to follow him.

There were many things Link still did not understand about the situation, even if all his other suspicions were true. He did not know who the Impas were looking for, or why, or what it had to do with him and his sister. But if he was right in his suspicions, then these were people who were willing to set up deathtraps and let innocent adventurers die for the sake of their bizarre manhunt, and that meant they’d be willing to kill someone who suspected them of their plans. He and Linkle did not need enemies like that, especially when those enemies were made up of one of the most powerful families in Hyrule, an avatar of the gods, and a clandestine organization known to be masters of espionage and assassination.

We need to get the fuck out of here. Now.

“So, can we go back down into the well tomorrow?” Linkle asked as they climbed the steps, completely oblivious to the potential danger they were in.

“There’s no point,” Link replied. “The necromancer will just raise anything we kill.” He chose not to mention he suspected the sage or her priests might be the necromancers themselves. She would probably insist that it was their job to bring down the Impa family.

The less she knows, the safer she’ll be.

“Not all of them,” Linkle argued. “The ReDeads that got eaten ain’t coming back, that’s for sure.”

“Tell you what,” Link said. “Let’s go spend some of our quest reward on a real nice dinner at the tavern, and then after that, we’ll find a new quest. Maybe there’s a monster much bigger than ReDeads that we can kill, eh?”

Linkle gasped excitedly. “Well, we are at the foot of the Eldin Mountains. There are probably Igneo Taluses just past the Maw of Death Mountain. And maybe even a dragon!”

Link laughed nervously. “Sure, Sister. Whatever you say.”

Just as long as it gets us out of this city...

Chapter 16: Sophitia VI

Chapter Text

Sophitia watched as her father worked. Diligently scanning through yet another document, he dipped his quill in ink and added his signature before stamping it with his seal. The princess wondered what it was. It could be troop deployment orders, an update to the tax policy, a whole new law, or any number of things. He had the power to do so much, all from behind that desk.

I wonder how that feels…

“What was it you wanted to speak with me about?” the king asked after a moment, not looking up from his work.

Sophitia flinched, then sat up straight in her chair. “I wish to ask you something,” she said. “The Grand Minister is down there speaking for you right now.” As they spoke, Grand Minister Malkori was in the city square, delivering an address to the citizens of Hyrule.

“Good,” the king replied. “That’s his job.”

The princess shifted uncomfortably in her seat. “Yes. I know.”

“Then what is your question?” King Tychon sifted through another stack of parchment, pulling out the one he was looking for.

“Why him, and not you?” Sophitia asked.

“You’ve already answered your own question,” was her father’s reply. “He is down there speaking to the citizenry so that I may be here, doing the real work.”

Sophitia took a deep breath, trying her best to find the right words. “Perhaps if the king addressed his people personally more often, they would better understand how much he cares for them,” she said. “If nothing else, it might make them like you a little more.”

“They will never like me,” King Tychon stated. He put down his quill and looked up at his daughter for what felt like the first time since she’d entered his office. “When you were a little girl, did you like me when I was the one making the rules? Or when I punished you for breaking them?” he asked. “That is what I am to them. They all wish to do whatever they want, and I am the one cursed with the burden of telling them ‘ no.’ They will never like me for it, no matter how much it is necessary.”

“I am older now, Father,” the princess replied. “I have enough sense to recognize the necessity of law and order, and I’d wager many of them do as well,” she said, gesturing to the window from which the town square could be seen in the distance.

The king regarded her for a moment. “What business is it of yours whether or not the people care for me?”

“I have already expressed to you my desire to be queen one day,” the princess said, hoping she did not come across as entitled or arrogant.

“Yes. You said the same when you were a little girl, for a time,” King Tychon replied, returning to his work.

Sophitia’s cheeks turned red, remembering how she used to steal her elder sister’s crown and walk around wearing it, despite it being too large for her head. “If I am to be queen--”

“If,” her father emphasized.

The princess stopped talking for a moment, expecting him to say more. When he did not, she pressed on. “I would prefer to be a good queen. Wise, just, strong, benevolent. And if there is anyone who should be teaching me how to be a good ruler, it is you, Father.”

King Tychon looked up from his work again, his eyes fixating on her with that intense, icy gaze of his. Sophitia shrank back into her chair, immediately losing all the confidence she’d had just a moment ago. “Do not presume to tell me what I should be doing,” he said plainly. “If you so desire my wisdom, I do have some advice for you, Zelda. Stop caring so much about what they think of you. It is the duty of any ruler to do what is best for the people, whether they approve of it or not. Dismissed.”

Sophitia stood up immediately upon being dismissed. “Thank you, Father,” she said, trying not to let her voice quiver. She curtsied graciously, then turned to head for the door. However, she stopped before she opened it. “My siblings and I will all be departing very soon,” she said. “Will you at least come down to see us off?”

King Tychon squinted at the parchment he was holding, then picked up his quill and crossed something out. Sophitia waited patiently for his response. “Yes,” he said finally. “I shall.”

Sophitia nodded, actually somewhat comforted by that. She did not know how long she would be away for, and she was hoping for a proper goodbye. “Thank you, Father,” she said once again, bowing slightly. Turning back to the door, she opened it and stepped outside.

“How did it go?” Liliana was waiting for her in the hallway outside, her hand resting casually on the hilt of her sword.

The princess sighed. “I would say it met my expectations.”

“That bad, huh?”

Sophitia chuckled bitterly, setting off down the hall. “All I was hoping to obtain was a small bit of advice. Something that might help me in my future, or in my immediate future. My success depends on me capturing the hearts of the Rito, yes? That would be rather difficult were I to enact my father’s ‘Stop caring what they think of you’ policy.”

“I’m not surprised to hear he has that attitude,” Liliana said, following behind her charge. “It seems to work for him.”

“How so?”

“Back when I lived in Ordona, the only thing I knew about the king was his name,” Liliana explained.

“Well, that is to be expected. You were a little girl from the farthest corner of the kingdom, and you weren’t highborn.”

“But,” her bodyguard went on. “After studying at the Hyrulean Royal Academy, I understood that King Tychon’s education and trade policies had been doing wonders for my home province ever since he’d taken the throne.”

Sophitia eyed her questioningly. “I do not understand.”

“My point is, it doesn’t matter what I think of him, or if I think of him at all. The kingdom runs smoothly due to his leadership.”

“If it were running smoothly , we wouldn’t be on the verge of three civil wars.” The princess was shocked with herself, and stopped walking to look around nervously. What she had said was practically treasonous, and it would not do well for her political career if the wrong people had overheard her.

“Fair point,” Liliana conceded. “Although the conflict in Akkala is more of a holy war.”

“No, you are correct, Liliana. I know my father is a good king.” Princess Sophitia had spent the last few years paying close attention to her father’s governance. She did not understand or agree with everything he did, but she could not argue with the results the majority of the time. “I do not blame him for these conflicts. They have been building since before he was crowned, and they are only now threatening to boil over.”

“Do you wish to be like him when you are queen?” Liliana asked.

The words made Sophitia smile.

When.

“Yes,” the princess replied. She paused to reflect on that for a moment. “Although, I know at least one thing that I want to be different,” she said, walking over to the nearest window overlooking the city. “I will not be content with running the kingdom while they all grudgingly accept my leadership. I want them to want me to be queen. If they are given the choice, I would want them to choose me over any of my siblings.”

“Awfully vain for a descendant of Hylia.”

Sophitia chuckled. “Perhaps. But it is not all for the sake of my ego. The people will be happier with someone they love on the throne. If nothing else, there will be fewer potential rebellions.”

“True,” her bodyguard agreed. “And it will be my honor to help you realize that dream, my princess.”

Sophitia smiled and nodded gratefully. “I am happy to hear it.”


An hour later, Sophitia and Liliana were riding atop their horses through the east side of the city, surrounded by the princess’s usual guard detail. Having prepared for her journey, Sophitia had changed into more comfortable traveling clothes. However, she wore her crown for the time being. She planned to remove it once they left the city, but she felt it was fitting for her public appearances.

When they arrived at the eastern gate, there were soldiers and servants everywhere, loading up the wagons and horses for Prince Percival and General Alchon’s journey to Akkala. Many of them wore purple or had grapevine sigils on their clothing or shields, showing their allegiance to Governor Vryciaro’s House. Those who did not were either General Alchon’s subordinates or people from the capital. Additionally, a large crowd of the city’s citizenry had gathered to see them off. An unmoving line of guards kept them separated from everyone else.

However, both the crowd and the guards parted without question to allow Sophitia’s party to pass. Once through, the princess spotted Lancel and her sisters off to the side. They stood together with their attendant knights behind them and a line of guards in front of them, watching the eastbound party preparing to depart. “Halt,” Sophitia said to her guards, holding up a hand to signal them. She and Liliana climbed down from their horses. “Wait for us here,” she said, leaving Captain Reede and her other guards behind to go join her siblings.

When her siblings’ guards saw her approaching, they hastily stepped to the side to allow her entry. As if on alert, the movement of the guards attracted the attention of Sophitia’s elder sister. She smiled warmly when she saw Sophitia. “Sister. You are just in time. Please, join us.”

“Yay! Sophie’s here,” Seraphina bounded over to her once she was made aware of her presence, embracing her with a hug.

“Ah. Thank you, Sisters,” Sophitia said, running her hand through Seraphina’s hair. “My apologies for not joining you earlier.”

“Not at all. Come and watch the madness unfold,” Lancel said, gesturing to the preparations before them just as an unfortunate recruit fell to the ground while attempting to climb atop his horse.

Sophitia laughed, and her younger sister grabbed her by the hand to drag her over to the others. Liliana took her place behind her charge, standing next to Impa Ayako, although she did not look thrilled about it.

“Has Father arrived yet?” Sophitia asked, noticing he was nowhere in sight.

“I have not seen him,” Victorique replied. “Uncle Alchon is just over there, and Percival is somewhere near the front.”

“They’ve been barking orders all morning,” Lancel said in amusement. “They’re both in their element, I’d say. And on such a beautiful day for travel, as well.”

“Indeed,” Victorique agreed, although Sophitia doubted she meant to agree with everything Lancel had said. “I trust the two of you are prepared to depart as soon as we see Percival off?”

“All those in my party, aside from my personal guards, are already gathered at the west gate,” Sophitia confirmed. “Including the Grand Artisan, Governor Koridai, and Lord Remoth.”

“My people and the Grand Archivist are there, too,” Lancel added. “It will be quite the party.”

Victorique nodded. “Governor Vapith and the Sage of Light are waiting for us as well.” Sophitia and Lancel’s party were planning to depart alongside Victorique and Seraphina’s. Their journey together was to be short lived, however, as they would part ways at the very first fork in the road, with Sophitia continuing west and her sisters heading south.

“Hey, hey,” Seraphina said, tugging on Victorique’s dress. “Can we go see Percy now?”

The eldest princess smiled down at her. “Of course, dear,” she said, placing her hand on her younger sister’s back. Turning to address the guards in front of them, she cleared her throat. “Guards. Stand aside, if you please.” She spoke in a voice that was an odd mix of polite yet thoroughly authoritative. Sophitia felt another pang of envy as the line of guards wordlessly obeyed her command. The eldest princess then walked forward, taking the lead for her siblings and their bodyguards.

I fully expect her to have Gerudo sorted out the day she arrives in the province…

Ordinarily, navigating the crowd of busy soldiers and servants running about might have been difficult, but none wished to get in the way of the crown princess and three of her siblings. “Shall we speak with Uncle Alchon first?” Victorique suggested as they came across him before reaching Percival.

The general was standing with a group of knights clustered around him. There appeared to be an argument of some sort going on.

“If you have a reason, let’s hear it,” Sophitia heard her uncle say.

The attention seemed to be on a knight in a purple cloak; one of Governor Vryciaro’s men. “My lord, I do not wish to speak ill of other knights.”

“You’re no good to me if you can’t do as I ask of you, sir,” General Alchon replied. “Either state your reason or retract your request and be done with it.”

The knight shifted nervously, but the other soldiers on his side looked at him hopefully. “Then if I may speak my mind, that thing is not a little girl.”

“I know this. The Kokiri do not age as we do.”

“That is not what I mean, my lord.” The knight shook his head. “She’s a monster, plain and simple. I was there. I saw how she laughed. If we are setting out to bring peace in the name of the gods, we cannot in good conscience serve under someone like her.”

“Enough,” the general said. “I do not know why Governor Vryciaro has promoted her so much, but if you truly fear her so much, take it up with him. I command my troops, he commands his. As long as I keep seeing results, that is not likely to change any time soon.”

“I have gone to the governor, my lord, but--”

“Then that should have been the end of it,” Alchon interrupted. “Go. All of you.”

The knight looked frustrated, but he clenched his fists. “Yes, my lord.” He placed his helmet over his head, then he and his compatriots walked off in a huff. General Alchon just shook his head and proceeded to address the other knights beside him.

“Uncle Alchon,” Victorique called out to him, seeming to think now was the right time to catch him.

Her uncle glanced at her. “Good morning,” he said, taking notice of his nieces and nephew. “Here to see your brother off?”

“And you, too, Uncle Alchon,” Seraphina said cheerily.

“We wanted to wish you luck before you go off to do battle with a god,” Lancel said. “Can’t say I’m not jealous, honestly.”

General Alchon grunted. “We don’t need to fight a god. Just the maniacs who serve that foolish would-be usurper.”

“Nevertheless, it will be no small feat,” Sophitia said. “We wish you good fortune.”

“And may the Goddess smile upon you,” Victorique added.

Their uncle nodded and turned back to his work, so the royal siblings moved along. “Bye, Uncle,” Seraphina waved as they walked past him.

Near the front of the convoy, they found their last sibling conversing with Governor Vryciaro. Sir Onnick was there as well, standing behind the prince with his arms crossed menacingly. Even though the conversation did not seem argumentative, the governor kept stealing nervous glances at the giant knight.

“Percy!” Seraphina was the first to call out to him, rushing over to hug him the way she had with Sophitia earlier. Percival’s response was to raise his index finger in their direction without looking away from his conversation, signalling that he’d be with them in a minute. Even once Seraphina was hugging him, he continued speaking to the governor as if she wasn’t there, although Sophitia noticed he did place a hand upon her head.

“Princess, it’s rude to interrupt,” Dame Jeanne chided her charge as the rest of their party caught up to her.

“But do it anyway. He probably deserves it,” Lancel chimed in.

“Prince Lancel…” Sir Anselm said, as if he were going to scold his charge as well.

“Fine, fine. We’ll wait.”

However, they did not need to wait long. “Very good,” Percival said to the governor. “We’ll discuss this further when we arrive at the citadel.”

“As you say, Prince Percival,” the governor agreed. With a curt bow, he dismissed himself, giving one last worried look in Sir Onnick’s direction as he went.

Percival then turned to his siblings. “I see you are all here,” he noted.

“Good eye, Brother,” Lancel replied.

“This could be our last time seeing you for some time,” Sophitia explained. “We wanted to give you a proper sendoff.”

Her brother nodded. “I appreciate that.”

Seraphina let go of him and took a few steps back. “Will you bring me back a present?” she asked, smiling up at him expectantly.

“I am not going on holiday,” he said dismissively. However, the young girl’s look of disappointment must have changed his mind. “...But I suppose I could try to find something.”

“Yay!”

“I’ve got an idea,” Lancel said, stepping up to Percival. “I wager I’ll have Hebra under control before you put down the false sage in Akkala. We’ll each put up one of the jewels from our crown. What do you say, Brother?” The elder prince held out his hand requesting a hand shake.

“Please,” Percival said contemptuously, not meeting her brother’s hand. “You must take this more seriously. Something of much greater value is already on the line.”

“Alright. How about the entire crown, then?”

“Prince Lancel…” Sir Anselm spoke disapprovingly again.

“Percival is right, Lancel,” Victorique said. “The safety and security of the kingdom is at stake, as is our pact with the Nine Patrons.”

I am fairly certain Percival was referring to the throne that we are fighting over, but that works, too.

“Pay no mind to his jests,” Victorique went on. “We all wish you good fortune, and we are grateful for the part you play in our efforts to improve the kingdom.”

She was always good at finding the most magnanimous thing to say. Sophitia could tell she was unconcerned with whatever petty squabbles their brothers might be having.

Although I suppose it’s easy for her. She must think it’s a given that the throne will pass to her one day.

“Thank you, Sister,” Percival said. “And thank you, siblings. I wish you all good fortune with your own endeavors.”

“And may the best of us win,” Lancel added.

Victorique nodded. “Farewell, Brother,” she said, turning to leave.

“Bye, Percy!” Seraphina joined.

As Lancel turned to leave, Sophitia was about to say her goodbyes, but Percival spoke first. “Remember what I told you,” he said, nodding his head to gesture at Lancel’s back. “Do not trust him.”

Sophitia glanced between her two brothers, unsure which one she should be trusting more. “I shall take it under consideration, Brother,” she said. “Farewell.” With a final bow, she joined her other siblings.

Sophitia walked beside Liliana on their way back to the viewing area. Her bodyguard had observed her final interaction with her brother, of course. “Do you truly believe what he says?” the round-eared girl asked.

“I am uncertain,” Sophitia replied in a hushed voice. Lancel and his bodyguard were within earshot, as were her sisters. “We shall talk more later.”

Liliana nodded understandingly, glancing over at the prince.

When they returned to where Sophitia had found her siblings, she was surprised to find her father there. Behind him were a dozen of the kingdom’s most elite knights, dressed in gold and purple, all of them almost as awe-inspiring as Sir Anselm or Dame Jeanne. The king did not leave the castle often, so Sophitia did not witness such a gathering of the Royal Guard very frequently.

“Greetings, Father,” Victorique said, standing at attention in front of the king. “Preparations are complete. Prince Percival and the eastbound party will be departing for Akkala momentarily.” Sophitia noted the immediate change in her elder sister’s demeanor. Seconds ago, she’d been serious, but still a gentle and caring sister who was worried about her younger brother’s well-being. Now, her tone was cold and emotionless, as if she were merely the king’s most loyal subordinate delivering a status report on the troops.

Their father nodded. “Very good.” His gaze moved across his four children, eyeing them one by one. Sophitia could not tell what he was thinking, but there was less sentiment in his eyes than one might expect from a father saying goodbye to all his children. “You all have your roles to play,” he spoke again. “Make me proud, and return in one piece.”

“Of course, Father,” Victorique said, bowing respectfully. Sophitia and Seraphina stood on either side of their sister and mimicked her actions.

“Fear not, O Wise King,” Lancel said, dipping low into his own exaggerated bow. “When we return, all the world shall be at peace.”

Sophitia glanced at her brother nervously. Given his plan to achieve world peace with the threat of a massive floating fortress, she knew he wasn’t exaggerating when he said that.

“I will speak to Percival and my brother now,” King Tychon said, ignoring Lancel outright. “Dismissed.”

Sophitia and her siblings lifted their heads and stepped away, allowing their father and his guards to pass by. Seraphina was the first to speak. “Hey, I’m hungry,” she said, turning to her retainer. “Jeanne, can we go by those stalls we saw on the way here?”

Victorique took her by the hand before the knight could reply. “Not now, dear,” she told her younger sister. “We do not want to miss our brother departing. How would you like to get some sweets on the way to the western gate afterwards?”

“Okay!”

Sophitia once again noticed the total change in Victorique’s demeanor. She was back to being their caring big sister, as if a completely different person had momentarily possessed her in the presence of their father.

Perhaps some time away from him will do her some good...


As it turned out, when their father had dismissed them, he was not merely dismissing them from his presence, but rather from the city. Sophitia and the others had watched the king and his escort head back to the castle without even waiting to see Percival and Uncle Alchon depart, and the princess had no expectation to see him again at the western gate. However, she tried not to let that bother her. She had traveled to other parts of the kingdom without her father before. The best thing to do would be to focus on the mission and come home with results that would impress him.

With that in mind, Sophitia made her way through the city on horseback along with her escort just as she’d done before. Victorique and Seraphina rode ahead of them in a carriage, with Lancel leading the way atop his own horse.

“You seem troubled,” Liliana commented, riding close to the princess.

“I suppose I am,” Sophitia replied. “I do not often venture outside of the castle with so many of my siblings like this. If some assassins were planning to take us out, now would be a good time to take out almost all of us at once.”

“True,” her bodyguard agreed. “But I suppose that is why I am here. As is Impa, Dame Jeanne, and Sir Anselm. And all of them .” Liliana made a sweeping gesture with her hand, pointing out all the other guards surrounding them. “Besides, I’ve been observing the citizens we pass by. You’ve had more admirers than detractors.”

Curiously, Sophitia glanced down at the crowds that were being kept back by the guards surrounding them. Quite a few people had come out to see Prince Percival depart, and now the same folks were watching them pass by. Some appeared as though they were looking upon the gods themselves, while others looked at her with envy or contempt. More still looked like they were only there for the novelty of seeing so many royals in one day.

I wonder how many are only here to see my sister and brother…

The crowds persisted until they reached the area near the western city gate that had been partitioned off by guards and some makeshift wooden walls. The royal siblings and their parties were allowed inside, and Sophitia dismounted to go look around. The plan was to leave as soon as possible, so once all the last-minute checks had been completed, they would be right back on their horses.

The princess and her retainer approached Victorique’s carriage as the door opened. Impa Ayako and Dame Jeanne stepped out first, then held out their hands to help the other princesses down.

“Princess Zelda,” came a voice from the side. All three princesses turned to look, even though Sophitia knew they must have been addressing the eldest sister by the royal name. Approaching them was a group of six or seven Hylians who appeared to be hired laborers, dressed in ordinary peasant attire and covered in dirt.

“Yes?” Victorique replied, sounding courteous even as Impa stepped between them, holding out her curved spear as a warning not to come any closer.

The group of peasants took heed of Impa’s warning and stopped a couple yards away from them. At the front of the group was a woman in a hooded cloak who soon lowered her hood. However, while this revealed the top of her head, her face was still obscured by a strange mask. It was white and covered with red and yellow designs resembling an eye and a grinning mouth.

Sophitia sensed danger, as did Liliana and Dame Jeanne. The other two bodyguards stepped up next to Impa, with Jeanne tilting her halberd forward and Liliana drawing her sword.

“Stop right there. Identify yourselves!” Dame Jeanne demanded.

Something unexpected happened next. The masked woman raised her hand and spoke a few words that Sophitia did not understand. Perhaps it was because of the way the mask muffled her voice, but it sounded like a different language. Before anyone could say anything else, the appearance of the laborers began to change. It looked as if there had been a layer of smoke clinging to their bodies that was now being washed away by the wind. Black, brown, and blonde hair faded to snowy white, but for one head flecked with streaks of gray. Eyes of all colors became red. Even their plain peasant clothing changed into identical uniforms of black, blue, and white decorated with red Sheikah eye symbols.

Sophitia breathed a sigh of relief.

Of course. They must be watchers.

The woman reached up to her mask and twisted it until it rested on the side of her head, revealing her face. Beneath the mask was…

Impa Ayako?

Sophitia was confused at first. It appeared as if a second Ayako was standing before her elder sister’s bodyguard. The shape of her face was exactly the same, and she even had the same single braid of white hair dangling from the right side of her head. But after a moment, the princess noticed the differences. This new Impa had a white tattoo around her eye rather than Ayako’s red one, and it resembled more of a teardrop shape. Upon her forehead was a second tattoo that Impa Ayako did not have; this one in the shape of a stylized red Sheikah eye. She also appeared to be a bit older than Ayako, although it was difficult to tell.

“Greetings, Princess Zelda,” the unmasked Sheikah woman said. She and all the other Sheikah behind her knelt down on one knee, bowing before the princess.

Impa Ayako sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of her nose in annoyance. “What in Hylia’s name are you doing here, Onee-sama?

“You know these people?” Dame Jeanne asked.

“It’s alright,” Victorique told her, holding up her hand and stepping between the guards. “Lower your weapons. They are not here to harm us.”

Liliana looked questioningly over her shoulder at Sophitia. The middle princess did not know these Sheikah, but she trusted Victorique’s judgment, and nodded her approval to her bodyguard.

“If you say so, Princess…” Liliana did as asked, sheathing her sword and returning to her mistress’s side.

“Rise,” Victorique commanded the Sheikah, who obliged. “Ladies, this is Impa Shiho. She is Ayako’s elder sister and the heiress of House Impa.”

Seraphina gasped excitedly. “You have a sister too?” she asked, looking up at Ayako.

“...Yes,” the younger Impa replied. Sophitia got the feeling she wanted to say ‘unfortunately’ as well.

Ah. That explains the resemblance.

Sophitia had never met Ayako’s sister, but she had known of her existence just from being around her and Victroique often enough to hear her mentioned now and again. “It is an honor to make your acquaintance,” the middle princess said, standing beside Victorique to greet their visitors.

Impa Shiho gave them all a deep bow, despite having knelt before them already. “And it is always an honor to be in the presence of Hylia’s children.” The Impa family had been the personal servants of the goddess Hylia in ancient times, back when she’d walked the Earth in material form. Their family had been serving Hylia’s descendants ever since, so it came as no surprise that Impa Shiho was speaking as if this were some sort of religious experience for her.

“To what do we owe the pleasure?” Victorique asked.

“When my mother heard Hylia’s children were all departing from the capital, she sent us to join you in order to keep you safe on your journeys,” Shiho explained. “Princesses, please allow us to accompany you. My ninjas are loyal and well-trained. Any enemies you may encounter shall be felled before you even know of their existence.”

“My princess,” Ayako said, stepping in before any of the princesses could answer. “I must insist we do not accept this offer.”

Sophitia tilted her head curiously at that.

Why not? A troop of personal assassins sounds rather useful. Does she simply not get along with her sister?

Sophitia considered that perhaps the younger Impa feared she would be overshadowed by her elder sister. That was a fear Sophitia knew all too well.

“Aya,” Shiho said, pulling her mask from the side of her head back into place over her face. “I am merely trying to do my duty as an Impa, same as you.” Ayako glared at her sister, then closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead.

“My apologies, Shiho,” Victorique said. “I am certain you and your subordinates would be most helpful, but Aya is right. We are on a strictly diplomatic mission. Bringing assassins with us could achieve disastrous results if they were to be discovered.”

When she explained it that way, Sophitia felt dumb for having thought it was a good idea a moment ago.

Of course. That much should have been obvious. Perhaps I am not the smart one after all.

“Princess Zelda, I assure you, we are masters of remaining undetected,” Shiho argued, turning her masked face to the eldest princess. “We would blend in as Hylian members of your envoy. The enemy would not even know we were armed.”

Victorique blinked, looking as if she were momentarily dazed, but she shook her head, recovering quickly. “That will not do. If we are to regain the trust of the Gerudo and the Rito, we must be honest and transparent with them as a show of good faith.”

“Agreed,” Sophitia said, deciding to join in on the conversation since her sister was beginning to speak for her. “Besides, one can never be certain an illusion spell will fool everyone. The Rito have famously good eyes, and the Gerudo know shadow magic of their own.”

The elder Impa turned her gaze upon Sophitia next, looking down at her with that great red eye in the center of her mask. The middle princess nearly winced. Her head felt strangely fuzzy all of a sudden, causing her to shift her feet to maintain her balance properly.

Shiho said nothing for a moment, before eventually turning back to Victorique. “Very well, Princess Zelda,” she said. “If you should ever require our aid, you need only to ask.” Then, with a wave of her hand, Impa Shiho and her ninjas vanished in a puff of smoke.

“Whoaaaaa!” Seraphina was obviously impressed by their dramatic exit, and she began clapping her hands together as if it had been a stage performance.

“I thank you for heeding my advice, Princess,” Ayako said to her charge, looking relaxed for the first time since before her sister had arrived.

“Of course, old friend,” Victorique replied. “I would never doubt your judgment.”

“Oi, Zeldas!” Once again, the three princesses all turned to meet a newcomer calling their name. However, this time, it was merely their brother and Sir Anselm who were approaching them.

“Brother, where have you been?” Sophitia asked. She knew he had been at the front of the convoy, so she’d been expecting him to join them earlier.

“Who, me? Why, I’ve been working, of course. Getting everything prepared to depart. And what have you been doing, sweet sisters? Standing around doing nothing?” The smirk on the prince’s face and the playful tone of his voice made it clear he spoke only in jest. Sophitia suspected that was meant to be an impression of Percival.

“We met Impa’s sister,” Seraphina said cheerily.

“Is that right?” Lancel looked around, but there were no Sheikah in sight aside from Ayako.

“She’s already gone,” Ayako informed him, sounding relieved.

“Ah, a shame. She won’t be joining us, then?”

“Would you truly intend to bring an assassin on a diplomatic mission?” Sophitia asked, adopting her elder sister’s earlier concerns.

“Of course! Those are quite useful, you know,” Lancel replied.

Sophitia furrowed her brow, surprised to hear he felt quite differently than Victorique on the subject.

Perhaps I truly am the smart one. Maybe.

“Brother,” Victorique said, already sounding disapproving. “I do hope you are more tactful when you meet with the Rito’s Council of Chieftains.”

“As do I,” Sir Anselm agreed.

“Yes, yes.” Lancel made a gesture with his hand, mimicking a mouth opening and closing.

“Now then,” Victorique went on. “We should be departing shortly. Everyone, complete your final preparations and let us be on our way.”

“Yes, Sister,” the three younger siblings replied in unison. Then they all went their separate ways, accompanied by their retainers.

“The elder Impa sister is quite the odd one,” Liliana commented as soon as she and Sophitia were out of earshot. “What was with that mask?”

“I am unsure.” The princess had not liked the mask. Having that great eye staring down at her had felt unpleasant for some reason. “It bore Sheikah symbols. Perhaps it is traditional in some way.”

“The Sheikah have strange traditions,” the round-eared girl replied.

“Hmm. Oh, hand me my ledger, please.” The princess held out her hand, and her bodyguard placed the book in her palm. Sophitia leafed through it quickly. “I suppose we ought to make our rounds and speak to all the important players before we depart, yes?”

“By all means, Princess. Speaking is your job, not mine.”


Sophitia had several individuals she wished to speak with before they left. The first one she saw was Grand Artisan Rodan. He was very hard to miss, as it was. She’d seen him from several yards away as they approached the gate. The giant Goron was accompanied by two smaller Gorons. The three of them were loading supplies for smithing and construction into the back of a large wagon hitched to a gigantic Kodongo. The beast was a red, horned, four-legged reptilian monster from the Gorons’ homeland of Eldin. It was considered to be a more easily domesticable cousin of the dreaded Dodongo, and the Gorons sometimes employed them as beasts of burden.

“Greetings, Grand Artisan,” the princess called out, approaching the giant from behind.

Rodan finished placing a crate larger than she was into the back of the wagon, then turned to face her and looked down. “Ah, Princess. Good to see you.” He turned his giant head to observe Liliana next. “And you. How is that sword treating you?”

Liliana drew the sword from its sheath. “Quite well, as a matter of fact. Cut down one of my princess’s would-be attackers just the other night, actually.”

The old Goron laughed heartily. “Good, good. A weapon needs blood as much as you need food, you know. Best keep her well fed.”

Liliana nodded and put her sword away.

“Are you and your craftsmen prepared?” Sophitia asked. “We will be dropping you off at the Wind Temple while we continue on to Medoh. You can begin construction on the sky lift as soon as we get to the temple.”

“No problems there, Princess,” the Grand Artisan confirmed. “Just remember our deal, aye?”

“Of course.” Sophitia nodded. “You’ll have the first pick of the treasures we find in Skyloft. You have my word.” The hulking Goron appeared to be ready to leave, and he was still satisfied with their arrangement, so the princess decided to move on.

“You did inform the Sage of Wind of the giant we would be bringing with us, yeah?” Liliana asked the princess. “The Rito might be scared to let someone that big near their temple.”

“It was all in the letter I sent,” Sophitia confirmed. “I just hope he doesn’t get hungry and start eating slabs of stone from the temple’s walls.”

The next person on Sophitia’s list was Danton Koridai. She found him amongst the knights who had accompanied him from Hebra. Most of them wore gray cloaks, and their shields and banners all bore the snowcoat fox of House Koridai.

“Greetings, Governor,” the princess said, walking past his knights. “I trust you are ready to return home?”

“Ah, hello, Princess,” the older man said with a gentlemanly bow. “I am looking forward to our journey, indeed. But my home is in the mountains, and I daresay it appears I will be yet to return there for some time.”

“Well, in that case, let us hope to resolve this matter with haste so that we might return home all the sooner,” Sophitia said. The Koridai party appeared to be ready to leave, so the princess moved on, smiling as the gray cloaked knights saluted her.

Among her brother’s party, the princess found Grand Archivist Botrick. Sophitia had not thought to invite the old man, but she could see why Lancel might have sought his counsel. None knew the history of Hyrule better than him, and he would surely provide some fascinating insight into the City in the Sky.

“Grand Archivist,” the princess said, coming up to the elderly Hylian man while he was discussing something with some of his apprentices.

“Hmm?” Botrick turned around slowly, shuffling in his long robes. “What was that? Yes?”

“It was I,” Sophitia said. “I merely wished to treat with you before we departed.”

“Hmm? Oh, yes, yes. Prince Lancel was most kind to invite me.” The old man was considerably hunched over as he stood. She worried that his health and mobility might not actually be well suited for the expedition they had planned. “I say, aside from the Hero of Twilight, no Hylian has been to Skyloft for, oh, a millennium, perhaps.”

“Yes, it will be history in the making,” the princess said with a smirk.

If I never become queen, at least I can still make it into the history books for something.

“Well, I should be going. Please let Lancel’s servants know if you require anything.” The princess left as the Grand Archivist was still shuffling in place to turn back around.

“Anyone else on your list?” Sophitia asked, walking beside the princess as she looked down at her ledger.

“Yes. I would like to find Mina and Lord Remoth,” Sophitia replied. The princess hadn’t had a chance to speak with him properly since her little outing with his daughter. With any luck, Mina had put in a good word for her by now.

They found Mina Remoth before they found her father. Her long red hair was hard to miss from across the way. Oddly, she seemed to be standing behind a prison wagon and peering inside of it through the bars.

“Hello, Mina,” Sophitia greeted her, speaking slightly more casually than she was used to. “What are you doing?”

“Hm?” Mina grinned at her wickedly. “Hey, Sophie! Lili! Check it out!” she said, gesturing inside the prison wagon.

The princess furrowed her brow, and curiously stepped forward with her bodyguard. Peering through the bars, she saw two men sitting inside. Both had shackles on their wrists and ankles, and chains connected them to a bolt in the floor.

“Recognize them?” Mina asked. “It’s two of the poor bastards who tried to jump us the other night.”

Sophitia’s eyes went wide, and she took a step back. “ What? What are they doing here?” Despite the shackles and the bars between them, Liliana still stepped in front of her protectively, hand on the hilt of her sword.

Mina giggled. “Your dear brother was kind enough to hand two of them over to my father, remember? We’re taking them back to Midoro for execution.”

“I see…” Sophitia’s experience with those men was one she would rather just forget. By her brother’s orders, the other two they’d captured were likely to be hanged sometime that day after she had already left the city. She wouldn’t mourn them, but the whole scenario was just too morbid to think about. Mina, on the other hand, seemed to be enjoying the situation.

“Daddy said I could have them,” Mina stated, speaking like a little girl whose father had agreed to let her keep a stray pet. “What do you think? A week on the rack, then impalement?” She locked eyes with the prisoners, baring her fangs with a fiendish smile. One of the men glared back angrily, while the other sheepishly retreated further into the wagon. “Or, given the nature of their attempted crimes, maybe something more... poetic?

“My word,” Sophitia said, appalled.

Mina laughed, her face returning to its normal, lighthearted and imputent state. “Relax, Princess,” she said, clapping Sophitia on the back. “I’m only joking.” Looking over her shoulder, she raised an eyebrow at the prisoners. “Or am I?”

Neither the prisoners nor the princess could tell. However, the prisoners soon covered their faces and shrunk back in terror as a massive shadow encompassed them all. Sophitia turned around and had to crane her neck upward to see who it was. As she’d expected, Lord Remoth had arrived.

“Greetings, Princess,” the tall man said in his deep, collected voice. Sophitia took a step back as he drew his long, dark cloak to himself and bowed respectfully.

“Uh, ah, yes.” Sophitia ran her hand through her hair, trying to compose herself. “Greetings, Lord Remoth.”

“I see my daughter has shown you the condemned that we are taking with us,” the Lord of Spikes commented, straightening back up to full height. “I trust their accommodations are suitable for the journey?”

The princess drew a blank, unable to find a response. Next to her, Liliana was similarly intimidated, keeping her hand on her sword as she looked up at the man worriedly.

Mina giggled, then practically skipped to her father’s side. “No worries over here, Dad. The prisoners are chained up good and tight. The princess and I were just talking about how glad we’ll be once their presence is removed from this realm.”

“Good,” Lord Remoth said, placing a hand on his daughter’s shoulder. He actually smiled a little, which somehow seemed creepy. Sophitia also noticed that, much like his daughter, the man had rather pronounced canine teeth of his own.

I guess that’s where she gets those from…

“I was most discomforted to hear about the dreadful encounter the two of you had with those men,” the lord went on. “But my daughter tells me she enjoyed your company that night.”

“O-Oh? That is most kind of her to say,” Sophitia replied, glancing at Mina, who smirked playfully back at her.

“Indeed,” Lord Remoth continued. “I consider it fortunate that she is finally socializing with others of her own high standing. She visits the capital so often, yet never seems interested in the nobles her age.”

Sophitia thought back to that tavern and those commoners Mina had wanted to bed. The princess wondered if that was her father’s way of saying he was aware of her activities and did not approve of them. “Well, I hope she will come to the castle and visit me more often, then,” Sophitia said, smiling politely at both the Remoths. “I would be glad to welcome her into my home any time.”

“D’aww, that’s sweet of you to say, Princess,” Mina replied teasingly.

Sophitia cleared her throat. “And, of course, you are always welcome in my court as well, Lord Remoth,” she went on, trying to sound as confident and respectful as possible. “While I do not expect the situation with Hebra to escalate any further, I am told there is no better general in the west. If war does become inevitable, I would be honored if you would assist me in such a conflict.”

“But of course, young princess,” Lord Remoth replied, bowing his head slightly. “I am bound to your father’s will. Any child of the king -- and any friend of my daughter -- is one I would be honored to serve.”

Despite her nervousness, Sophitia felt her lips curl into a self-satisfied smile.

Looks like making friends with Mina was worth it after all. Even if she is… questionable.

“I am happy to hear it, my lord,” the princess replied. “Now, shall we depart?”


Sophitia had planned on riding her horse for the whole journey, despite also bringing her own carriage along just in case. She figured it would give her more freedom and mobility with which to move about, proactively keeping in touch with different members of their party. However, just before departing form the city’s western gate, Victorique had invited her and Lancel to join her and Seraphina in her carriage until they reached the crossroads where their two parties would part ways. Since it would only be a short portion of the journey, Sophitia had agreed, leaving Liliana to tow her horse along with her outside.

“It has been a long time since all five of us were separated like this,” Victorique remarked.

“True, Sister,” Sophitia agreed. “Although, none of us will be completely alone. Even Percival is joined by Uncle Alchon.”

“Yes, I suppose it’s better this way,” Lancel remarked. “The kingdom would need to be suffering from not three, but five, potentially calamitous conflicts in order to truly separate all five of us simultaneously, no?”

“Hylia forbid,” Victorique said. Perhaps out of reflex, she made a triangle sign with her hands as she said it, and Seraphina mimicked her actions.

“The rest of the provinces are not without issue, though,” Sophitia stated. “Famine in Ordona, monsters in Faron and Necluda, and all sorts of tragedies seem to befall Lanayru and the Zora Dominion at the present time.”

“These do appear to be rather dark times, don’t they?” Lancel asked, although his playful smirk made it clear he was still making light of the situation. “Perhaps another demon has arisen to carry on the legacy of Demise.”

Seraphina gasped. “Lance!” she whined. “You shouldn’t joke like that.”

“Fear not, little sister,” Victorique comforted her, taking Seraphina’s hand in hers. “He did not mean anything by it.”

“And even if a demon were to arise,” Sophitia continued for her. “Surely one of us would be granted the Triforce of Wisdom with which to stop it.”

Seraphina smiled at that. More relaxed now, she soon began swinging her hand up and down, playfully dragging her elder sister’s hand along with it. “I wonder if the next Hero is out there already,” she mused. “You think it’ll be a handsome farm boy? Or a pure-hearted maiden?”

“Perhaps it’ll be a Goron,” Lancel joked. “Or a Hylian retriever with a little Triforce of Courage imprinted on its left forepaw. Who knows?”

Seraphina giggled. “No, silly. The Hero’s a Hylian. Like us.”

Sophitia furrowed her brow. She had never thought much about this matter before. “Is the Hero always a Hylian?” she asked. “The last Hero was Ordonian, was he not?”

“He was a Hylian who was raised in Ordona,” Victorique elaborated. “Although, I suppose there is no record of his parentage, so I suppose it is possible he was only part Hylian.”

“Yes, but is there any reason it would have to be a Hylian?” Sophitia asked curiously. “Why not a Sheikah? Our paths diverged long ago, but they are people of Hylia as well, are they not? And what about a round-eared person? Or a non-human one?” Thinking her brother might know the answer, she directed her attention to Lancel.

The prince shrugged in an exaggerated manner. “Reincarnation is not exactly common,” he replied. “It is quite difficult to study a phenomenon that might not occur for centuries at a time, so no one is quite certain of the rules. Of the dozens of recorded incarnations of the Hero over the past two millennia, there have been only a few qualities they tend to have in common. They have all been Hylian, and they are usually left-handed, just as Hylia’s Chosen Hero was.”

“I hear they’re usually pretty short, too,” Seraphina said, smiling as if she found that notion somewhat amusing.

“And often from lowborn backgrounds,” Victorique added. “But not always. The very first reincarnation of Hylia’s Chosen Hero was a knight of Skyloft, after all.”

“Well then, I suppose we have nothing to fear from demons,” Lancel said. “Surely the kingdom has an abundance of short, left-handed, Hylian peasants, no?”

“But you said every recorded reincarnation of the Hero has been Hylian,” Sophitia pointed out. “Over the course of two millennia, surely there must have been more than a few dozen instances of the Hero’s spirit returning to this realm. For all we know, there could be hundreds of Heroes who remain unaccounted for -- perhaps because the realm did not require their services during their lifetimes, or because they performed their heroic deeds without witnesses.”

“Ah, a fair point, Sister,” Lancel agreed. “But the Hero’s identity is presently irrelevant. After all, Hyrule needs only us.” The prince spoke with confidence, and no shortage of smug self-satisfaction.

Sophitia let out a small chuckle. “I know, Brother. It was merely academic curiosity.”

The carriage shook a bit as it slowed to a halt. “Hm? Vicky, why are we stopping?” Seraphina asked.

The door on the side opened and Impa Ayako poked her head inside. “Princess Zelda, we’ve arrived at the crossroads.”

“Thank you, Aya,” Victorique said. “Brother, Sisters, let us step outside for a proper farewell.”

The four of them climbed down out of the carriage. Impa, Jeanne, Anselm, and Liliana were waiting outside for them. Victorique and Seraphina remained standing by the carriage, while Sophitia and Lancel stood across from them.

“Lancel, Sophitia,” the eldest sibling began. “This is where we part ways, for now. I have the utmost confidence that you will succeed in your task, and I am very proud of both of you. May the gods grant you good fortune.”

“Thank you, Sister,” Sophitia replied. Victorique’s words meant more to her than she would care to admit. It was at times like this when she could easily see their mother in her. “I, too, have no doubt that you will be successful. The kingdom is lucky to have you, as are we.”

“Quite right,” Lancel agreed. “Goodbye and good luck, sweet sisters. Knowing us, I’d wager we’ll all be back home having completed our tasks in no time at all.”

Seraphina skipped forward and hugged them both at once. “Bye, Sophie. Bye, Lance. Have fun in the sky!”

With their farewells completed, Victorique walked back towards her carriage, followed by her Sheikah bodyguard.

“My ladies,” Dame Jeanne interrupted, stepping forward. “Might I have a moment to say farewell to my niece?” she requested.

“Of course,” Victorique replied. “You may join us when you are ready. Seraphina,” she went on, turning to her youngest sister. “Come with us, dear. We’ll wait for Jeanne together.”

“Okay.” Seraphina took her elder sister’s hand and followed her back into the carriage while Dame Jeanne bowed and excused herself.

Sir Anselm spoke to Lancel next. “Your carriage awaits you over here, my prince,” he said, gesturing with his armorclad arm. The prince nodded, and the two of them left together.

Liliana had stepped away for a moment, but she soon returned, leading two horses by their bridles. “Shall we, Princess?”

“Yes. Thank you, Liliana.” Her bodyguard helped lift her into the saddle of her pure white horse before mounting her own steed.

“I take it you wish to eavesdrop on Dame Jeanne and the Remoth girl?” Liliana asked without a hint of subtlety.

“Do not refer to it in that way,” Sophitia replied in a hushed tone, embarrassed by how easily her bodyguard had read her face. “...But yes, let us follow her. I am curious to observe their interaction.”

Keeping their distance, the princess and her bodyguard took their horses to rejoin the halted convoy. They watched as the red-haired knight marched over to her niece, who was waiting further up the road. Mina sat atop her horse beside her father, surrounded on all sides by black-cloaked knights of Midoro. Sophitia noted that Lord Remoth was riding a solid black Gerudo stallion, an extremely large breed of horse originating from Gerudo Valley. Being as tall as a Gerudo woman, he likely required such a horse, although Sophitia got the feeling he’d only chosen that particular mount because of how intimidating it looked.

“Mina,” Dame Jeanne called up to the Remoth girl, standing outside the circle of riders surrounding her.

“Hm? Oi, Auntie!” she called back.

“Would you come down here please?”

“Sure, sure.” Mina hopped down off her horse and trotted over to her aunt, ordering the black-cloaked knights to clear the way with a simple wave of her hand. “What d’ya need, Auntie?”

Dame Jeanne placed her gauntleted hands on her niece’s shoulders. “Mina, I pray that Prince Lancel and Princess Sophitia manage to resolve things peacefully with the Rito, but I want you to promise me something. If war breaks out, I want you to leave Midoro and return to the capital. Will you do that for me?”

Mina looked at her aunt impudently, like a child might respond when her overprotective mother gives her an unreasonable curfew. “You worry too much, Aunt Jeanne,” she said. “There’s no way the fighting would spill over to this side of Tanagar Canyon.”

“It is only a precaution, Mina,” Jeanne said. “I am certain your mother would tell you the same if she were here.”

The whinnying of a horse alerted them to the approach of Lord Remoth and his Gerudo stallion. As brave as Dame Jeanne may have been, even she had to take a step back as the imposing figure suddenly towered over her.

“My apologies, Dame,” the lord said. “But if I am to leave Midoro to take part in a war, then my daughter’s place is upon my throne, ruling in my absence. She will not be going to the capital.” Jeanne stared up at him defiantly, looking as though she couldn’t believe he was preventing her from keeping his own daughter safe.

“Should you step in, Princess?” Liliana asked her charge, the two of them still watching at a distance from atop their horses.

Sophitia thought about it. She respected Dame Jeanne greatly, and she would have been honored to help protect Jeanne’s niece just as Jeanne had always protected Seraphina. However, Jeanne’s needs were unfortunately at odds with Lord Remoth’s.

“No,” the princess said, pursing her lips. “I have only just gotten on Lord Remoth’s good side. I cannot risk undermining his authority in front of everyone like this -- not if I wish to keep him in my back pocket for later.”

“As you say, Princess,” Liliana replied. “Mina is a big girl, and I doubt the war will reach her in the swamp. She’ll be fine.”

Sophitia nodded, hoping she was right.

“...Very well, my lord,” Dame Jeanne finally replied. Then she returned her attention to her niece, her expression softening again. “Just promise me you will stay safe, and give my best to your mother.”

Mina smiled, flashing her impish fangs. “Of course. Gladly.” The two of them hugged, then parted ways. Mina returned to her horse while Dame Jeanne headed back to Victorique’s carriage.

Sophitia and Lancel’s party watched as Victorique and Seraphina’s began moving again, taking the road south. From up near the front of their convoy, Sophitia heard Sir Anselm shout the order to start moving again. And so, their cluster of horses, wagons, and one big Kodongo continued west. “Good luck, Sisters,” Sophitia said aloud, watching their carriage disappear from her line of sight.


After leaving the crossroads, Sophitia and her party continued on past Mount Gustaf, a mountain named for one of her ancestors. It was past midday by the time they reached the Regencia River and prepared to cross Carok Bridge. While they would still be in Central Hyrule when they crossed, they would be leaving Hyrule Field and entering Hyrule Ridge, the domain of Lord Remoth. They were making decent time up until that point, but the Grand Artisan and his Kodongo each had to cross the bridge on their own for fear of the bridge collapsing under their weight, which slowed their progress as everyone else had to wait for them.

Just past the bridge, they came to a rather unusual looking canyon. Large, rocky protuberances jutted out from along the canyon walls, forming something like a shattered roof over their heads as they passed through. The rock formations looked decidedly unnatural, as if something there had split the Earth open long ago.

“Keep on high alert,” Sophitia announced loudly to the guards and servants riding around her. “There will certainly be monsters about.”

“Whatever you say, Sophie,” Mina called back to her, looking over her shoulder from atop her horse.

Sophitia wondered if Mina had intentionally used her ‘adventurer’ name as a joke because of the mention of monsters, or perhaps she was simply repeating the name Seraphina often called her. Regardless, she smiled good-naturedly, still wanting to stay on Mina’s good side, even if the Remoth girl still seemed off to her.

The next few minutes of the ride were peaceful enough, but soon, Sophitia found herself pressing her hand to her temple, closing her eyes and wincing.

“Princess?” Liliana asked, riding beside her. “What’s wrong?”

“This is a dark place,” Sophitia replied in a mumbled tone, feeling very light headed all of a sudden. “I did not expect to feel this presence, but it seems it still lingers here…”

“What are you talking about?” the round-eared girl asked.

“This is where it all began.” Both the princess and her bodyguard flinched at the sound of Lord Remoth’s voice. He and his daughter had both slowed their horses, allowing Sophitia and Liliana to catch up to them until they were nearly side by side. “This is the Breach of Demise.”

“The what?” Liliana asked, monitoring her charge’s condition with concern.

“What, they don’t teach this at temple in Ordona?” Mina asked, smirking devilishly.

“More than three thousand years ago, long before the Kingdom of Hyrule was founded, this was where Demise, the First Demon King, crossed over into our realm from a great fissure in the Earth,” Lord Remoth explained. “And with him, he brought an army of monsters from other realms he had conquered on his quest to hunt down and eliminate the Golden Goddesses.”

“Blins, Goriyas, Mazura, Goomas, River Devils, Fokka, Wasu, Pols Voices, Mimics, Wizzrobes, Keese, Vire, Achemen,” Mina recited, counting off on her fingers. “All the world’s monsters came from right here!”

“Not all of them, Mina,” her father corrected. “There are numerous monster species that are native to our realm, such as the Lizalfos and the Lynels.”

Sophitia and Liliana both stared at them, surprised by how knowledgeable they seemed to be on the subject.

Well, Mina said her mother studies monsters. I suppose they’ve learned from an expert.

“But why is she ill?” Liliana asked, putting her hand on the princess’s shoulder.

“I will be fine,” Sophitia insisted, although her head was beginning to ache.

“The blood of Hylia runs through her veins,” Lord Remoth replied. “I imagine the prince is experiencing a similar adverse reaction to this... accursed place.”

Lancel.

“My brother,” Sophitia said, suddenly worried. “We must check on him.”

“Yes, Princess,” Liliana replied diligently. “Come, let us ride up to the front and--”

“Monsters!” someone further up the convoy shouted in alarm.

“Up high!” another cried.

Soon dozens were shouting the same thing, echoing the calls of alarm throughout the canyon.

Sophitia looked up. Sure enough, along the top of the canyon and many of the rocky protuberances, she saw large, hunched figures staring down at them. Some were different sizes and shapes, but most had weapons, and none looked pleasant.

Lord Remoth kicked his horse and charged forward, shouting orders as he did. “Archers! Ready your bows! Prepare for battle!”

Mina and Liliana stayed with Sophitia. “Captain Reede!” Liliana shouted to Sophitia’s guard commander who was riding in front of them. “Pull your men in and protect the princess!”

“Yes, Ma’am!” the captain shouted back. “Guards, form up!”

“Thank you, Liliana,” Sophitia said weakly. She should have been the one to give commands to her guards, but at the moment, it was all she could do to focus on what was right in front of her. Her mind was still hazy, and her condition was not getting better.

Throughout the convoy, Hylian soldiers loosed arrows up at the monsters, mages conjured spells of fire and lightning, and the Grand Artisan and his gorons hurled large rocks. The monsters fought back, loosing arrows of their own or tossing rocks or spears, but many held back, stepping away from the canyon’s edge.

Sophitia’s gaze was drawn to a large Moblin standing atop the craggy cliffside. The monster was hunched over, its fists on the ground and its arms bulging with muscle. Heavy jowls hung from the sides of its face, and it had a large, circular nose ring. From its mouth protruded two long, upturned tusks, like those of a wild boar, although one of them appeared to have been broken in half. Wearing a bronze cuirass, shoulderguards, and bracers, it was more armored than the rest of the monsters, which gave Sophitia the impression that this one was their leader.

Standing up straight, the Moblin raised itself to its full, imposing height. It raised one arm into the sky, clutching a spear in its fist. That tusked mouth opened wide, and it let loose a roar that echoed throughout the canyon. The other monsters joined in, and the princess nearly passed out, feeling as if the dark presence in the Breach of Demise had suddenly doubled in strength. Then, all at once, the rest of the monsters joined in the fight.

Hordes of tiny, devilish Miniblins hopped down the cliffside, carrying forked spears. Bokoblins, too, began crawling down, with clubs and swords slung over their backs. A few larger Moblins began leaping down from rock to rock, wielding larger weapons that the smaller monsters likely couldn’t even lift.

“Stay close, Princess,” Liliana urged, her sword drawn and ready for battle. “We’ll keep you safe.”

“Yeah, don’t worry about a thing,” Mina added, holding daggers in her hands. “We’ll show these lesser monsters who’s in charge.”

“We must not stop here,” Sophitia insisted, leaning forward and wrapping her hands around her horse to keep herself from falling. “We can’t let them surround us and kill our horses. Tell everyone to keep moving. Now.” She felt too weak to shout her orders to her troops, but she still had enough awareness of the situation to convey her orders to her bodyguard.

“Yes, Princess,” Liliana replied. Cupping her hands around her mouth, she shouted to the convoy. “Keep moving! In the name of your princess, keep moving!”

Captain Reede echoed her sentiment, setting off a chain reaction all the way to the front of the convoy. As ordered, they resumed their advance, picking up speed just as more and more monsters were reaching the ground.

Sophitia watched as smaller monsters were trampled by the horses in front of her. A few times, they had to weave around corpses of their friends and their enemies who had already fallen on the battlefield. A few arrows whizzed past their heads, either stray shots or ones that had been aiming for them.

“Hey, Princess, how about a little of that shield magic, eh?” Mina requested after a few too many close calls.

Sophitia nodded, then called upon the spell. A light blue prism of light flickered around them for a moment, just long enough to block the next hail of arrows, but the spell soon fizzled out. “I can’t,” Sophitia said, groaning in pain.

“Do not worry yourself, my princess,” Liliana said. “We will protect you.”

“Alright. Guess it’s up to us.” As Mina spoke, a Moblin appeared in the way of their frontline of riders. It swung its massive club down, crushing a guard and his horse beneath its weight. Sophitia, Liliana, and Mina yanked on the reins, changing course to avoid it. As they passed by the Moblin, it lifted its club again. Before it could swing it, Mina raised one of her daggers. It glowed with the same magnesis spell Sophitia knew her sister used, and the Remoth girl tossed the weapon at the monster. The dagger shot forward, propelled magnetically, and pierced the Moblin through the forehead. Mina then pulled her arm back, and the dagger flew back into her hand.

“Impressive,” Liliana commented, looking over her shoulder to watch the Moblin collapse to the ground.

“Oh, you haven’t seen anything yet!” Mina replied, smiling smugly.

A pair of Bokoblins managed to stumble past the guards riding on their right side. Liliana leaned into them, swinging with her sword arm. She managed to lop the head clean off of one of the Bokoblins, causing the other to stumble back in terror, only to be trampled by another horse.

“Whoa, damn!” Mina remarked. “Hey, look at us. We’re like a real adventurer party after all.” She laughed to herself, although Sophitia had no idea how she could be in such good spirits given the situation.

She travels between her city and the capital often. Does she always pass through here? Is this to be expected?

Before Sophitia had time to react, a stray arrow pierced the neck of one of the horses riding in front of them. It whinnied in pain and fell over, sending its rider flying. Unfortunately, both Sophitia’s and Liliana’s horses tripped over the fallen horse, and they soon found themselves crashing to the ground as well.

“Ow…” Sophitia ached all over as she picked herself up off the ground. Liliana managed to stand up first, and held out her hand to help her. Liliana’s horse tried to stand back up, but it was impaled by a throwing spear before it could manage it. Sophitia’s pure white horse still lived, but its leg looked like it might be broken.

“Protect the princess!” one of Sophitia’s guards shouted. Several of her knights who had been riding behind her circled around them, forming a perimeter against the enemy.

“Princess, get on my horse,” another offered, reaching down to her.

“Yes,” Liliana agreed. “Princess, you must keep moving.”

Sophitia nodded and approached the horse, but before she could climb onto it, a swarm of Miniblins descended upon them. Two or three of them hopped on top of each of the waiting horses and began fighting with the riders, stabbing at them with their devilish pitchforks.

“Get back!” Liliana grabbed the princess by the shoulders and yanked her away. A moment later, the rider who had offered her his horse fell to the ground, dead. His horse bucked and kicked wildly, then gave up on the struggle and fled. Amidst the ensuing chaos, all the other horses either ran away or were killed, dropping their knights to the ground.

This is bad.

Sophitia could not believe her misfortune. They’d only left the city earlier that day.

How could things have gone so wrong so quickly?

However, she had no time to dwell on that. Knowing she had to fight, she drew her rapier. Ordinarily, it shined with the brilliant, holy light it had been enchanted with, but as she held up the sword, she was disheartened to find it looking dull. It was as if the darkness in the air that was sapping her strength had snuffed out the light in her sword as well.

Half of the knights surrounding them had fallen. The Miniblins continued their assault with creepy, unflinching, tooth-filled grins, all the while emitting unsettlingly playful noises.

“Nyeh-na, Nyeh-na!”
“Deh, deh, deh!”
“Deh-nank, deh-nank!”

One of them hopped past the princess, then turned as it noticed her. On unsteady feet, Sophitia thrust her rapier forward, skewering the little devil as it leapt at her. The magic may have gone out of her sword, but that did not stop it from doing its job. The Miniblin’s squeals of pain sounded disturbingly like laughter, and it never let its maniacal grin fade, even as the life left its eyes.

“Princess!” Liliana shouted, standing back to back with Sophitia. She swung her sword, fighting off two more of the Miniblins as she spoke. “Are you alright?”

“I am uninjured,” Sophitia replied, shaking the blood off of her rapier. She most certainly did not feel alright, however. She felt like she had weights attached to her, and her head was still throbbing.

We need to get out of here.

The princess looked back at her horse, still lying on the ground, clearly in great pain. “I can heal her!” she shouted to Liliana over the noise.

“What?” her bodyguard asked. She saw Sophitia approaching the injured horse, then nodded. “Right. Hurry, Princess.”

With Liliana and a few knights protecting her, Sophitia knelt beside her horse. She knew she was nowhere near as talented a healer as her younger sister, and she had never tried to heal anything other than minor injuries before. However, she knew light magic could theoretically heal anything that could heal on its own. She didn’t know if that applied to the broken bones of a horse, but she had to try.

Closing her eyes, the princess tried to block out the noises surrounding her, focusing on her spellcraft. However, just as with her protection spell and her enchanted sword, she could not feel her magic answering her. “Ughh…” Sophitia groaned in pain, collapsing forward on top of her horse. “I’m sorry, girl,” she whispered.

“Princess!” Liliana stepped forward and gripped her by the arm. “You! Help me!” she shouted to one of the knights. Together, Liliana and the knight lifted Sophitia. “Let’s go!” she ordered.

The group of them began marching forward. Most of the Miniblins had dispersed or been dealt with by then, but there was still fighting all around them. Before they made it very far, they found their path blocked by a large Moblin with a spear and several Bokoblins with clubs. Looking behind them, Sophitia saw two more Moblins approaching them from the other side, joined by their own Bokoblin minions.

“Liliana…” the princess pleaded desperately.

“It’s okay, Princess,” Liliana said, trying to reassure her despite her own obvious fear. “We’ll get you to safety. Just hang in there.”

Sophitia shut her eyes and clenched her fists.

If light will not answer me here, then perhaps another element will.

Using all of her physical strength, the princess pulled herself free from the shoulders supporting her and stood on her own two feet.

“Princess?” Liliana asked in confusion.

“Din…” the princess spoke a single-word prayer before a red aura began emanating from her.

Just as Percival does it.

Moving quickly, Sophitia fell to one knee and slammed her fist against the ground, shouting a brief battlecry. The monsters took a step back as a bubble of fire appeared, forming a dome around the princess and her companions. The dome of fire expanded rapidly, engulfing the Bokoblins and Moblins around them in flame. Some of them caught fire, while others were not badly hurt but were forced to drop their burning weapons.

They have a chance now.

“Fight!” Sophitia shouted to Liliana and her knights. She remained kneeling, no longer having the strength to stand, but luckily, her knights saw the opportunity as well. With a valorous battlecry, they lashed out and began cutting down the monsters surrounding them.

From her position on the ground, Sophitia watched as Liliana faced down the Moblin in front of them. The monster was tall and muscular, with a face like a bulldog. It had dropped its weapon, but it seemed prepared to tear them apart with its bare hands. “You will not touch her!” Liliana shouted up at the Moblin. The monster roared and ran straight at her. The round-eared girl stabbed it through the center of its chest, but it did not fall yet. It grabbed her by the torso with one hand, lifted her up, and slammed her against the ground. She grunted in pain, but did not let go of her sword.

Fight, my friend. Please.

Liliana made eye contact with the princess. She looked terrified for a moment, but soon, her resolve returned to her. As the Moblin lifted her, preparing to slam her back down again, she thrust her sword into its wrist. The dog-faced monster roared in pain, releasing Liliana from its grasp. Quickly returning to her feet, the princess’s bodyguard charged at the monster once again, stabbing it in the chest for a second time. The momentum of her slamming into it knocked the Moblin off balance, and it fell onto its back. Liliana gave it no chance to get back up. Stepping to the side of its head, she knelt to deliver the finishing blow, stabbing it through the neck.

Thank you, Liliana.

The princess wanted to express her gratitude out loud, but could not bring herself to speak.

The fighting continued all around them, but it was now clear that they were winning. The other two Moblins had been killed by Sophitia’s remaining knights, and the Bokoblins were considerably less threatening without weapons.

Thank you, everyone.

The lesser monsters began backing away, clearly demoralized at the deaths of their larger cousins and sensing that the battle was lost. Then, there was a loud screeching sound from above them, and everyone looked up at the noise. Flying above them was a gigantic brown bat. However, before anyone had the chance to question it, the bat began to change shape. Its head and body stretched, taking on a more humanoid appearance. Its legs grew to become long and spindly, and its torso sprouted a pair of arms that were similarly proportioned. Its wings grew in size as well, now coming from the back of the humanoid bat monster.

A Vire? No, an Acheman?

Sophitia had heard of such monsters before, but she had never seen one. The Acheman screeched again, pointing with its gangly arm down the canyon in the direction they had come from. The sounds it made could have been some strange manner of speech, but Sophitia knew little of monster languages.

However, the Bokoblins seemed to get the message. Whether from the threat of the princess’s knights or by the order of the flying bat monster, the remaining Bokoblins turned and fled, yelping in terror.

Liliana returned to Sophitia, kneeling beside her and placing a hand on her shoulder. The princess felt relief wash over her.

“It’s alright, Princess. We’re safe now. Look.” Liliana pointed further down the canyon. Corpses of humans and monsters littered the ground, but a group of Hylian knights on horseback were coming their way. Riding at the front of them was Sir Anselm. His black armor and the axe he wielded were covered in blood, but the sight of him made Sophitia smile.

We are safe at last.

Her brother’s bodyguard halted his horse once he got close. “Is she injured?” he asked, looking down at them.

“No, Sir,” Liliana answered. “But she’s very weak.”

“I expected as much,” the elderly knight said. He turned to the soldiers lined up behind him. “Get the princess and her subordinates on horseback immediately,” he ordered. “We resume at once, and we do not stop riding until we’ve cleared the Breach.”

Chapter 17: Harun VI

Chapter Text

The prince felt a wave of relief wash over him as he set foot in the place he called home, even though he knew his return would be short-lived. He and the others in his party would spend the night in Naboris, but most of them would be departing yet again the very next morning, heading east for Taafei. The priestesses who had been traveling with them returned to their temples, just as some of the servants and civilians returned to their homes. The nomads they had picked up at the Arbiter’s Grounds dispersed into the city as well, although it was difficult to predict if they would stay for long. The prisoners they had captured were taken to the dungeons to be dealt with later.

While the servants took their supplies back to storage, Harun followed Queen Urballa and Elder Kobami up the front steps of the palace, along with a number of guards and retainers. Before they reached the top of the staircase, the doors flung open, revealing Princess Sabah and Commander Bularis. The queen had sent them on ahead earlier when she turned around to go help Harun, so they had arrived before everyone else.

“Mother!” Sabah hurriedly climbed down the steps, and Urballa climbed faster to meet her in an embrace. “I am relieved to see you.”

“I am glad you are safe as well, my child,” the queen said warmly. “I apologize for leaving you, but your betrothed required my aid.”

Please do not refer to me like that…

“I understand, Mother.” The two of them parted as Harun climbed the steps and caught up with them. “I am happy you are safe as well, Prince Harun,” Sabah said kindly, also giving him a brief hug. “What was it that attacked you? More monsters?”

“In a manner of speaking,” Elder Kobami answered for him, tapping her walking stick against the stone steps.

“What?” Princess Sabah asked.

“There were no monsters,” Harun explained. “Merely some… misguided folk who wished to do me harm.” The prince struggled against the urge to speak more harshly of the Hylianites who had attacked him. It would do him no good to let his rage take over now.

“...I see.” Sabah looked at him with the utmost sympathy, as if she could sense the matter was troubling him exponentially more than he was trying to let on.

“Queen Urballa,” Commander Bularis said, standing behind the princess. “I’ve tasked the servants with preparing a feast in celebration of your return, however short-lived it may be.”

“Thank you, Commander. I am certain everyone will appreciate a good meal after a long march through the desert.” The queen turned to address her retainers. “Everyone, I thank you all for your service thus far. You will not go unrewarded, I promise you. Those of you who will be joining me on our excursion to Taafei tomorrow, please return to your quarters and make whatever preparations you may need. Those of you who are to remain here, you may do as you wish for the night. I hope to see you all in the great hall when dinner is served.”

After being dismissed by the queen, many in the crowd began to disperse. Harun entered the palace with the queen, the princess, and their retainers, then did as instructed, leaving to return to his quarters and prepare for tomorrow.

“May I speak with you for a moment, Prince Harun?”

Looking over his shoulder, Harun found Princess Sabah was following him down the halls of the palace. The prince furrowed his brow, unsure as to why she wanted to speak. “By all means, please join me.”

As they walked together to his quarters, Harun couldn’t help but admire the familiar sights of the palace. While the architecture was somewhat similar to the Spirit Temple, it felt much more like it was designed to be lived in. Every room in the Spirit Temple had been cavernously large, as if it had been built for the gods. “I wish we did not have to leave home again so soon,” he said aloud.

“Yes,” Princess Sabah nodded, her jewelry jangling slightly as she did. “Being away from home certainly makes one miss one’s own bed. But it is nice to see other people. The letter Mother received said Princess Seraphina would be coming. I look forward to seeing her again.”

Harun remembered the youngest Hylian princess. She had visited Naboris a couple of years ago along with the Sage of Light and some ambassadors from Hyrule. The young girl was much more energetic than Sabah, but she was very kind, and the two princesses had become fast friends.

“Princess Zelda will be there as well. I wonder what she will be like.” Harun had only heard stories about Crown Princess Zelda Victorique Hyrule. Like him, she was next in line for her kingdom’s throne. The Hylianites in Naboris spoke of her as if she were the perfect princess -- wise, brave, pious, strong, beautiful -- a natural born ruler. Harun could only hope he would one day turn out to be half as good a ruler as they expected her to be. The Ganonites, on the other hand, said she was nothing but her father’s dog -- cold, calculated, ruthless, self-righteous, tyrannical, and willing to raze a village to the ground if the king ordered it.

I hope it’s the Hylianites who are right about her.

When they arrived at Harun’s quarters, the prince opened the door and gestured for the princess to enter ahead of him. She nodded her gratitude as she passed. “Please, have a seat,” Harun offered, indicating the chairs near the fireplace. He saw his belongings had been returned to his room already and left in a pile by his bed, so he placed his trident and the mirror shield with the rest of his things. He would be needing most of it tomorrow, so he did not feel the need to unpack. “So, what was it you wished to speak with me about, Princess?” Harun asked, waving his hand at the fireplace to ignite the wooden logs inside of it.

Sabah looked at him sympathetically as he sat down across from her. “I wanted to see how you were doing,” she said plainly, her voice as gentle as could be.

Harun blinked. After everything that had happened, it seemed impossible to put everything into words. “I am uninjured,” he said, deciding to focus on the immediate present. “An arrow grazed my head, but our healers took care of that with ease.”

“That is good to hear, but that is not what I meant.” Sabah’s royal headdress twisted a little as she shook her head. “How are you feeling? No one has been through more than you this past week.”

Except those who died.

Harun clenched his jaw, but he knew Sabah meant well. He sighed briefly, trying to think of a way to answer. “It has been… a trying time, to be sure,” he said, stating the obvious. The look of concern in Sabah’s eyes was suddenly too much to bear, so he leaned his head back and looked up at the ceiling.

“I can only imagine,” the princess said. There was a pause, during which she was probably waiting for Harun to say something, but he chose not to. “I hope you know, no matter what the people who attacked you might say, most of us do not think harshly of you.”

“After what I did to Lady Averla, it would not surprise me if they did,” Harun said, suddenly feeling bitter.

Princess Sabah looked more tense after he spoke those words. “That was not your fault,” she assured him.

“I know. None of it is. I never asked for any of--” Harun stopped himself before he could become angry, letting out another sigh. “You know, I am beginning to understand more clearly -- what you said about Demise. With everything that has happened to me, it is difficult not to think that the gods must simply hate me.”

Sabah shook her head. “Nephysis and Hylia both love you, Harun. Nephysis had her servants watching out for you, and Hylia allowed her priestesses to heal you.”

Harun looked down at his bruised arm. He had indeed been healed, for the most part. However, he had never been convinced of the theory that all magic came directly from the gods. He had never been devout, and he could use magic just fine. Even monsters practiced sorcery sometimes.

“Two of the people who loved me most have died because of me.” It hurt to say, but it was a truth that had been eating at him. Katta had been his first love, and Lady Averla had been as much of a mother to him as Queen Urballa.

“I still live, and I still love you,” Sabah said after being silent for a minute. “And so does Mother.”

Harun looked her in the eye, and saw she was close to tears. He suddenly realized what he’d been doing.

She is only a child. It is not right for me to burden her with all of this.

Harun smiled weakly, trying his best to put on a brave face. “And I am very grateful for that. I suppose at least one god must love me if I was lucky enough to be blessed with a family like you.”

Sabah’s face softened, and her lips curled into a smile. Placing her hands on her armrests, she hesitantly pushed herself up out of her chair. Realizing what she was doing, Harun stood up as well. She took a few steps forward, and they embraced. It was comforting to know there was still someone who cared for him, even if he was unable to see her the way he’d seen Katta. Sabah was still too young, and the hug she gave him was as if from a sister. Someday he would work up the courage to ask the queen to rethink their betrothal, but he hoped the two of them would remain close regardless.

“I will do whatever I can to help you through this,” Sabah said to him.

“And I will do whatever I can to keep you and our people safe,” Harun promised.

Even if that means safe from me.

After they let go of one another, the princess made her way to the door. “Will I see you at dinner?” Sabah asked before she left.

“Of course,” Harun said with a nod. “And thank you, my princess. For everything.”

Sabah smiled brightly. “You are welcome, my prince.”


The next morning felt very familiar to Harun. He had only just returned home, and now it was time to leave again. Many of the same members of their previous traveling party would be joining him, including Queen Urballa, Princess Sabah, Elder Kobami, and Commander Bularis. However, they were bringing less priestesses this time. Instead, they would be bringing diplomats and nobles of the queen’s court to aid in negotiations with the Hylians.

However, this journey would not be nearly as dangerous. They would be traveling along the road the entire time through an area of the desert where monsters were not very common. Assuming the weather was good, they would be able to reach their destination by nightfall.

They exited the eastern gate of Naboris in the early morning. Harun rode his camel on Queen Urballa’s right, while Princess Sabah rode on her left. Since they were taking the road, they were not bringing any sand seals this time, and due to the relative safety of traveling by road, they were to travel as one group with the royals in the center of it.

The first half of the journey went by without incident. The sun beat down on them hard, but their water supply was enough to keep them hydrated. They spotted a few lesser monsters off the road in the distance, but none attacked them, and the columns of guards would have been more than enough to defend the queen and her wards if need be.

When the noonday sun was above them in the sky, they approached the settlement that marked the halfway point of their journey to Taafei. “I see you remembered to bring that shield,” Queen Urballa remarked to Harun as the very front of the convoy reached the gates.

Harun reached behind himself to put a hand on the item in question. “Indeed, my queen. I feel it is my responsibility, and there may be some sort of clue to its origin in the fortress where Queen Nabooru once resided.”

Urballa nodded. “Are you familiar with the settlement before us?” she asked him.

“Kara Kara Bazaar?” Harun had never been there before, but he was familiar with it. “It is a trading post where our people exchange goods with the Hylians and other travelers. Some Gerudo take their Mother’s Pilgrimages here, too, if they do not wish to leave our territory.”

“Good,” the queen said, as if she were a schoolteacher and he were a student who had answered a question correctly. “Some merchants make a business of weapons and equipment, or of rare artifacts and oddities.”

“Ah,” Harun said, realizing what she was saying. “You think we might be able to investigate the shield’s origins at this bazaar.”

“Perhaps,” the queen said with a nod, her elegant headdress gleaming in the sunlight. “We shall stop here for a meal and a short rest before continuing. As long as we are here, you might as well see what information you can find.”

“Agreed.”

The convoy pulled into the city and found pens and hitching posts where they could leave their camels. Queen Urballa quickly began giving out orders. She sent several servants to gather supplies that would be needed while they were all staying at Taafei. A massive influx of residents at the fortress would likely put a dent in their stocks, and in Gerudo, it was always best to err on the side of caution when it came to food and water supplies.

“Stay with me, child,” the queen said, taking her daughter by the hand.

“Yes, Mother,” Princess Sabah said. “May we visit the food stalls in the market? I am quite hungry.”

“Of course, child.” Urballa surrounded herself with guards, including Commander Bularis and a few other Iron Knuckles. “Prince Harun, will you join us? Or would you prefer to look into the matter of the mirror shield?”

“I believe the shield will be my priority,” Harun said, deciding he should look into it while he could.

“Very well,” Urballa agreed. “But keep your guards with you. This is not the safest of places.”

Harun nodded reluctantly as several eager Gerudo approached him.

“May I join you, my prince?” Kyra asked, nearly bumping into him as she reached his side.

“I would be happy to carry your things for you, my lord,” Emri offered, somewhat hiding behind Kyra.

“I shall keep you safe, Prince Harun,” Laine declared, stamping her weapon into the ground.

“Thank you, ladies,” the prince said, turning to his old training partners. “You three shall be more than enough to guarantee my safety,” he said, hoping to deter any more guards from joining him. He would have preferred to simply wander the bazaar on his own, but the queen was right.

A small annoyance. At least these three had been Katta’s friends, in a way.

Like many Gerudo settlements, Kara Kara Bazaar had sprung up around an oasis. The pool of freshwater sat in the center, and around it, market stalls of all kinds could be found -- meat, fish, fruits, vegetables, weapons, clothing, books, trinkets, apothecary materials, pots, pets, mounts, livestock. The majority of the merchants were Gerudo or Deku Scrubs, most of whom resembled walking cacti. Harun also noted a number of foreigners in the bazaar, both as vendors and as patrons. There were a number of Hylians, some round-eared humans, a few Sheikah, several Rito, even a couple of Gorons.

There are voe here, too.

Harun had seen other voe before in his lifetime; mostly Hylian men visiting Naboris as ambassadors, along with their guards and servants. Still, it was strange for him to see so many of them in one place. Since they were all foreigners, they were all much shorter than he was, but they looked similar to him otherwise.

“Shall we find an armorer to question about your shield, my prince?” Emri asked, holding her spear close to her chest as if she were afraid she might accidentally drop it on him.

“Yes, that would be a good place to start,” Harun agreed.

As they walked through the crowded marketplace, Harun felt the stares of many people from all around him. The Gerudo were the most obvious about it, as all of them knew of the voe and were surprised to see him there. The foreign humans and Rito often had to do a double take, perhaps surprised to learn there was a male Gerudo at all.

The first vendor they stopped at was a very tiny building with a crude depiction of a suit of armor on the sign outside of it. Laine stepped inside first, and after glancing around, waved for Harun to come in after her. Inside, there was a Gerudo vai at a desk and a few rows of various pieces of armor, most of which appeared to be of decent quality.

“Welcome! Take a look at--” The armorer’s eyes went wide at the sight of Harun. “Oh my! The prince is here?” she asked incredulously.

“Indeed he is,” Kyra said, smiling smugly, as if bragging about being one of the few who were with him.

“Ah. Well, that is marvelous! Please, my prince, have a look at my wares. I promise you a good price on anything you desire!” the shopkeeper offered.

Harun considered himself lucky she wasn’t a Hylianite who kicked him out immediately. However, she didn’t seem much like a Ganonite. Her eagerness at his presence came off as something simpler. She may have merely been excited that someone who probably had a lot of money was in her store.

“I was wondering if you might be able to appraise something for me,” Harun said, taking the mirror shield off of his back as he approached the vai.

The shopkeeper looked shocked for a moment as she got a look at the screaming face on the shield. “Oh my. Where did you get a thing like that?”

“From the Spirit Temple,” Harun replied. “Apparently, it used to belong to Queen Nabooru.”

“Really? Well, give it here. Let’s have a look.” The vai reached out to him and Harun handed her the shield. She examined it briefly, turning it over a few times in her hands and tapping it here and there. “It is in tremendous shape for an item so old,” she said. “Being kept together by some powerful durability charm, I’d wager.” The armorer’s hand glowed with magic for a moment as she ran it slowly over the mirror. “Mhmm,” she nodded, perhaps having confirmed her suspicions about the charm. “Are you looking to sell it?”

“No,” Harun shook his head. “Can you think of any reason why Bulblins might want it?”

“Bulblins?”

“Yes. A band of them raided the Spirit Temple. Some of them tried to take that shield,” Harun explained.

The shopkeeper chuckled. “Probably just because it’s shiny, honestly. But then again, maybe this thing was made by monsters. It’s certainly not Gerudo craftsmanship, that’s for sure. I don’t recognize this style, but the Darknuts and the Martelfos make some surprisingly good armor, you know. For monsters, at least.”

Harun nodded. He had already known the shield was not Gerudo, but the possibility of it being of monster design had not occurred to him. “I see. Do you know of anyone else in the bazaar who might be able to tell me more? Perhaps someone who deals specifically in rare items?”

The shopkeeper looked hesitant for a moment, likely preferring not to tell him about a rival business. “Uh, well, if you’re looking for information about something rare, you may want to try Backeb. He’s the most well-connected merchant in the city. You can find him on the north end.”

“Excellent,” Harun said, taking the mirror shield back into his possession. “You have my gratitude for your assistance.” The prince reached into his pouch and pulled out a handful of rupees, placing them on the shopkeeper’s desk.

“Oh my!” The vendor looked surprised to have been given so much money for so little. “Well, uh, can I interest you in anything else before you go? I’m sure my armor will--”

“That will not be necessary.” Harun waved his hand as he turned to leave, and his guards followed him outside.

“It was very generous of you to pay her so handsomely,” Emri praised him.

“It was too much, my prince,” Laine argued. “She gave us nothing helpful about the shield.”

“Untrue. She gave us another lead to look into,” Harun corrected. “Let us see what this Backeb has to say.”


Together with his guards, Harun made his way north through the bazaar. As they went, they asked around about Backeb every now and then, and other merchants pointed them in the right direction.

Eventually, they exited the crowded bazaar altogether. The northernmost part of the settlement did not have shops and stalls, but rather it had houses and inns. There were roads running between the buildings, but the green of the oasis was still present all around them.

“This the place?” Kyra asked as they came to the entrance of an inn.

“Um, I think so,” Emri replied. “It looks like what the merchants described.

“Allow me to go in first, Prince Harun,” Laine offered, her hands gripping tightly around her spear.

“I am sure it will be fine.” Not wishing to be overly cautious, Harun opened the door and stepped inside.

“Welcome,” they were greeted by a Gerudo vai. The entrance hall had doors leading off in all directions, and there were two staircases leading up to the next floor. The innkeeper stood behind a table with parchment and quills placed upon it. Once Harun and his guards stepped closer, he saw the look of surprise on the vai’s face.

“Greetings,” Harun said, hoping to skip past the disgust or amazement, regardless of how she was going to react. “We are looking for a voe called Backeb. Might I find him here?”

“Yes, of course. He is in the garden out back,” the vai at the desk answered, pointing to the door behind her. “Is he expecting you?” she asked.

“He is not,” Harun replied. He did not wish to be rude by demanding an audience, but seeing as though he would be departing the settlement with the queen shortly, he did not have much time to waste.

“Um… Well, he does not usually treat with unexpected guests, but I am sure he will make an exception for… you,” the vai said uncertainly.

“Excellent. Thank you.” Harun nodded and headed for the door.

The garden out back was about what Harun had been expecting. It looked similar to the Southern Oasis, with lush greenery growing across the grounds. Cacti grew around the edges of the garden, and large flowered vines curled about as if for decoration. There were a few wooden tables set up in the garden as well. At one table, there was a Hylian voe sitting across from a Cactus Scrub a little more than half the Hylian’s size. There were also several Gerudo servants milling about, one of whom was writing in a ledger as the two people sitting at the table spoke.

The Hylian voe spoke first. Harun furrowed his brow, not registering what he had said. It took him a moment to realize he had spoken in the Hylian tongue. Harun had been schooled in Hylian as a child and could understand it well enough, but he had not had many opportunities to speak it as of yet. ‘Who are you?’ had been the voe’s question, so Harun replied in his best Hylian. “I am Harun,” he said. “Prince-in-waiting of the Gerudo.”

The Hylian voe looked confused for a moment, then a look of realization came over him. “Oh!” he said, standing up out of his chair. “Of course, that’s right. I forgot there’s only one of you. I’m Gartan.”

Gartan?

“Greetings, Gartan. And my apologies. I was looking for a man called Backeb,” Harun replied.

The Deku Scrub stood up next. His body was green and covered with cactus needles, but the dry grass and blooming flowers growing from his body gave him the appearance of clothing. He had no distinct head or neck, but the upper part of his body had hollow eye holes and a little snout for a mouth. The Scrub raised a hand and whistled a few strange noises.

Harun simply stared at the Scrub, dumbfounded. He had seen many different kinds of Deku Scrubs come into Naboris to trade with the Gerudo, but he had seldom interacted with them, and he did not know how their communication worked.

“He says he’s Backeb,” Kyra said, translating for the Cactus Scrub.

“...I see.” Harun walked forward, turning to the Hylian. “I apologize for interrupting, but I am only here briefly on my way to Taafei.”

“No, no, by all means,” Gartan said, laughing nervously. “Here, join us, your, uh, highness.”

Backeb trumpeted to the Gerudo serving girls as he took his seat again. Two of the girls approached, one placing a goblet in front of Harun and the other one pouring him a drink from a large pitcher.

“My gratitude,” Harun said. Taking the mirror shield in hand, he placed it on the table in front of him. “I will make this brief, good merchant. I seek information about this shield. Where it was made, how it came into the possession of a Hylian and then Queen Nabooru, and what Bulblins might want with it.” As he spoke, he slid it across the table over to the Cactus Scrub.

Backeb gripped the shield’s edges with his prickly fingers, examining it. Harun could not tell how he was reacting, as Deku Scrubs had no real facial expressions. After a moment, he piped up again, making several Deku noises.

“Uh…” Harun began, wanting to ask for a translation.

“By the gods, really?” Gartan said, sounding surprised.

“What is it?” Harun asked excitedly. It sounded as though the Deku Scrub had some useful information after all.

Gartan smiled. “Well, Backeb says that shield of yours is of Stalchild design.”

Harun was confused. The Stalchildren was the name of an extinct race of short, humanoid monsters with protuberant faces. What they had been called back when they had lived was unknown to him. Nowadays, their kind were only seen in Stal form, wandering aimlessly in the night after being raised by a Blood Moon. “If that is so, the shield must be extremely old,” Harun said skeptically.

“Oh, yes. Thousands of years old,” Gartan said.

Backeb whistled out a response as well.

“Good point, master. He says it is too well-preserved to be genuine, so it was likely made more recently. Probably a forger hoping to pass it off as a genuine article. People will pay a lot of money for what they think is an ancient artifact.”

Harun was disappointed in that answer.

Is that all this was? Some naive Hylian got scammed, then gave a fake monster shield to the queen thinking it was valuable?

The prince shook his head. “Even if it is a fake, that does not explain why a group of Bulblins raided the Spirit Temple in an attempt to steal it.”

Backeb perked up upon hearing that. His body turned in place as he spoke to Harun and Gartan, gesturing with his prickly hands.

“Another Sage Temple being raided by monsters?” Gartan said aloud to himself, adjusting his spectacles. “That is indeed interesting.”

“Please explain,” Harun requested. He had not thought to consider whether or not this was an isolated incident.

If monsters are attacking multiple locations in order to steal specific artifacts, something much larger and much more sinister could be in the works.

“The Temple of Time and the Water Temple have been attacked recently, too. Haven’t you heard?” Gartan asked, looking surprised. “A whole band of Blins climbed their way up to the Great Plateau and attacked the Temple of Time a couple of weeks ago. And the Water Temple has been raided several times by groups of Lizalfos recently.”

“Blins and Lizalfos?” If these attacks were connected in some way, Harun could understand it if just Blins were coordinating. But as far as he knew, Blins and Lizalfos hated each other. The Lizalfos worshipped dragons as gods, while the Blins harvested dragon bones to make weaponry.

Why would these monsters do a thing like this? What are they after?

“Have these monsters taken anything from the temples?” Harun asked.

Gartan shrugged. “Nothing more than monsters usually take. The Blins got all the way to the Temple of Time, but they were driven off by Sage Lucrezia before doing much real harm. They haven’t gone back there since. As for the Lizalfos, they’ve attacked a few times as far as I know, but all they’ve taken is food and weapons.”

Backeb trumpeted out some more Deku noises.

Gartan nodded. “All the Sage Temples house valuable artifacts, though. Are you sure they wanted that shield in particular?”

“I am positive.” Harun put his hand to his chin, pondering the situation.

Why would the Lizalfos persist, and not the Blins? Are they not working together after all? Or, perhaps the Blins have already obtained what they were after, but the Lizalfos have not.

If he was right, and monsters really were working together in pursuit of some goal that involved stealing artifacts from the Nine Sages, then this could be a threat to all of Hyrule. It might even be necessary to warn the Hylians and the Zora about it in case they needed to join together against the monsters.

I must consult Queen Urballa at once.

“Thank you both for your time,” Harun said, taking the mirror shield back and standing up from the garden table. “If you happen to obtain any more information pertinent to this item or to these events, please send a messenger to Taafei to inform me.” Reaching into his wallet, he pulled out a handful of rupees and placed them on the table. “I will pay you for the service, of course.”

Backeb made what must have been a happy Deku noise as he reached across the table to scoop up the rupees.

“You are most welcome,” Gartan said. “We will be sure to take you up on that offer.”

Harun nodded and dismissed himself, heading back indoors with his guards.

“You should not have paid him, my prince,” Laine said as they walked back through the inn.

“Oh? Why is that?” Harun asked, wondering if his guard suspected he had been scammed in some way.

“Did you see all the Gerudo servants he had waiting on him hand and foot?” Kyra remarked. “Just another damn Hylian conqueror treating our people like slaves.”

“Um, well, weren’t they working for the Deku Scrub?” Emri asked, holding the door open for the others as they exited the building.

“And who was the only one the Deku allowed to sit at his table? The Hylian,” Laine replied.

Harun sighed. He wanted to point out that he and the queen had many servants who waited on them the same way, they had witnessed no mistreatment of the servants in the garden, and he himself had been allowed to sit at their table as well. However, he knew that these three would never be willing to argue with him. He would not change their minds, but they would nod their heads and say they agreed with him regardless. It made him miss Katta once more.

At least when she disagreed with me on something, she’d challenge me on it.

“Let us regroup with the queen,” Harun suggested. “She is likely preparing to leave by now.”

“Yes, my prince,” the three guards said in unison.


By the time they returned to the area where the mounts and pack animals were being held, most of the rest of their party was already prepared to depart. Princess Sabah spotted Harun as he approached. “Welcome back, Harun,” she said to him, waving her hand.

“Greetings, Princess,” Harun replied. Once he reached his camel, he decided to dismiss his guards for the time being. “Thank you, ladies. You may return to your positions in the convoy now.”

The three of them looked disappointed, but they bowed and left to go find their own mounts.

“Prince Harun.” Queen Urballa appeared beside Princess Sabah, greeting Harun before helping her daughter back onto her camel.

“My queen,” Harun said, bowing slightly in greeting.

“Did you learn anything useful about the shield?” the queen asked.

“Yes, it seems I have,” Harun confirmed.

“Splendid,” Urballa said with a smile. “I am glad your time was not wasted. Please, tell me what you have learned.”

Once everyone was mounted and the supplies were secured, the convoy set off once again, departing through the eastern gate of Kara Kara Bazaar. Many people waved at them as they passed by, but many took no notice. The coming and going of travelers was likely an everyday occurance, and some might have mistaken them for a rather large merchant convoy.

“The shield is of Stalchild design,” Harun explained to the queen once they were back on the road. “Although, it may have been made more recently since it is too well preserved, even for an object reinforced with ferromantic charms.”

“Interesting,” Urballa said, sounding as surprised as Harun had been when he had heard that. “Could that have been why monsters wanted it?”

“That is still unclear,” Harun admitted. “However, it appears both the Temple of Time and the Water Temple have been attacked by monsters recently as well, although their objective is unknown, if they have one at all.”

“I see.” Queen Urballa pondered that information for a moment.

Harun understood that he was raising more questions than answers with this information, but he knew there was still something they could do with this knowledge. “I propose we share this information with the Hylians and the Zora,” Harun decided to say, mustering up his confidence.

“And why is that?” the queen asked.

“Perhaps they know something we do not,” Harun explained. “And if we work together, we will increase our chances of getting to the bottom of this mystery.”

“I think that is a wonderful idea,” Princess Sabah interjected, riding her camel a bit forward to catch up with them. “That kind of cooperation can only be good for our peoples. Right, Mother?”

Urballa took a moment to answer. “It may be worth telling them about,” she said. “But not immediately.”

Harun furrowed his brow. “What? What do you mean, my queen?”

“As Elder Kobami advised us before, there is likely some power to be had from that shield and whatever else the monsters may be searching for,” the queen explained. “Which means, the more we tell others about it, the more we risk that power falling into the wrong hands.”

Harun narrowed his eyes. “You mean you wish to hoard this power for ourselves and use it as leverage over the Hylians, rather than giving them the opportunity to use it as leverage over us.”

“Perhaps,” Urballa admitted. “That is what my wisest adviser suggests. And, given that we will be entering into negotiations with the Hylians by tomorrow, such leverage may become necessary very soon.”

“But, my queen,” Harun began, taken aback. “This could be something much bigger than us or the Hylians. Blins and Lizalfos working together -- something like that only happens when they have a demon to lead them, does it not? Surely a threat of that magnitude would necessitate us putting our differences aside for the time being.”

Princess Sabah said nothing, but she nodded vigorously in agreement.

“We do not know for a fact that these monsters are working together,” Urballa pointed out. “For all we know, they are actively competing. And, even if they are working together, that is no proof of any demon. Stranger things have happened without dark forces at work.”

The prince did not like what she was saying, but he had to admit she had a point.

And, I suppose, the only demons we know about are within me now…

Harun heard laughter in his head, but he shook it off. “I understand, my queen, but it seems too big a risk to not act on this.”

“I do not intend to do nothing, Prince Harun,” the queen said authoritatively. “However, we must prioritize. I promise you, we shall investigate this matter further in the future, but for now, I must ask you to avoid the topic once we reach Taafei.”

The prince was disappointed, but he tried not to let it show too much. “...Very well, my queen.” He stayed silent for the next few minutes, but then a thought occurred to him about another pressing matter. “What about me?” he asked. “Are we to tell the Hylians of my… condition?”

It took a moment for the queen to answer. “Such a thing cannot stay hidden for long,” she replied. “It would be better for them to hear it from us. Still, it should not be the first topic we discuss with them. I imagine it would be quite distracting, especially given how the Hylians feel about King Ganondorf.”

Harun nodded. “I understand.” The thought made him nervous. The Gerudo who hated Ganon had tried to kill him already.

What will the Hylians do when they find out?

Chapter 18: Link VI

Chapter Text

“Are you sure we can’t go back down the well?” Linkle asked, following her brother down the stairs of the inn.

Link rolled his eyes. “Look, I get it. You wanna do the whole ‘hero’ thing. But the way I see it? Killing those monsters down there is an exercise in futility,” he explained once more. “They’ll keep coming so long as someone’s raising them, and the sage herself is dealing with that. We already got paid. It’s not our problem anymore.” That was only a half-truth, but Link had decided not to share his suspicions with his sister. If the Sage of Shadow truly was behind the undead appearing beneath the well, then the two of them would be out of their depth trying to fight an enemy like that.

Why can’t everything be as easy to kill as a Bokoblin?

Linkle groaned in frustration, tapping her foot angrily behind Link while he handed some rupees to the innkeeper. “Well, we better find an even better quest next,” Linkle said. “I am not letting another perfect opportunity pass us by.”

“Don’t worry, Sister,” Link assured her. “You’ll be back to shooting Keese and stomping Chus in no time.” Hoping his sister wouldn’t bring up the matter again, he led her through the doors out into the street.

From there, they made their way to the town square. Just like back in Rebonae, there was a large wooden board open to the public with various posters plastered on it. For whatever reason, it was rather busy that day, so Link and his sister had to squeeze their way through a crowd of Kakariko citizens and other adventurers who were presumably looking for work as well.

“Alright, let’s see what we’ve got,” Linkle said excitedly, rubbing her hands together. “Hmm… Rats? No. Keese? No. Bandits? No…”

Link noticed that the largest poster on the bulletin board was the request from the sage detailing the undead infestation beneath the well. Most of the others in the crowd who looked like adventurers seemed to be reading that poster, blissfully unaware of how dangerous the request truly was.

It’s not our problem anymore. Let’s just find another job and move on…

“Bah!” Linkle spat. “There’s nothing else good on here.”

“What? What do you mean?” Link asked, quickly scanning the board. “What about that one? A band of Blins led by a… Moriblin? That’s a kind of Moblin, right? We haven’t killed one of those yet.”

“But that’s nothing compared to the monsters beneath the well,” his sister complained. “Remember that huge Bubble? That’s still down there somewhere. Let’s go hunt it! Come on. What’s the matter? You scared?” Linkle smirked and punched her brother in the arm.

“Ow.” Link rubbed his shoulder. “Course I’m scared, dumbass,” he said, lightly slapping his sister on the back of the head. “And you were pretty terrified after you fell into that lake surrounded by ReDeads, as I recall.”

“Halt!”

The siblings turned around at the sound of someone shouting from behind them. Pushing his way through the crowd was a young man who looked about the same age as Link. However, he wore proper armor, and he looked quite appalled.

“What?” Link asked as the young man approached them.

“Did I just witness you striking this fine lady?” the boy in the armor asked, glaring at Link while gesturing to Linkle.

“No, you saw me hit my sister.”

“Hey! I’m fine!”

“Eh.” Link made a ‘so-and-so’ gesture with his hand.

“Such disrespect,” the young man said indignantly. “Apologize to her at once!”

Link sighed, then turned away from the strange person, hoping he would give up and go away. “Look, Elle. Let’s just pick a quest and get going, alright?”

Linkle turned back to the board as well and started reading over the posters again. “Hmm,” she said, placing a hand to her chin. “I guess we could…”

“What about this one?” Link pointed to a piece of parchment with what was probably supposed to be a drawing of several Pebblits on it. “We could pick up some bombs, and then--”

“Hey! Do not ignore me,” the young man demanded.

Link heard the sound of a sword being unsheathed. Alarmed, he turned around again. Not only was the armored boy pointing a sword at him now, but the crowd had backed away and formed a circle around them, as if they were expecting to watch an exciting fight. “Whoa, what the hell’s going on?” Link asked, taking a step back.

“Fellow adventurer,” the young man spoke, sounding as though he was trying to make his voice deeper than it actually was. “I challenge you to a duel!”

“Uh-huh.” Link was incredulous, but he could tell he’d found himself in a dangerous situation all of a sudden. “You know what, we’re just gonna be on our way…” Clasping his sister’s wrist, Link tried to walk into the crowd, hoping they would not be pursued.

“What?” Linkle asked. She didn’t budge, and pulled back against her brother’s grip. “Brother, no! You were just challenged to a duel. Your honor is on the line. You can’t just walk away.”

“Sure I can. Watch me.” Link took another step towards the crowd, only for the boy with the sword to move and block his path.

“Draw your weapon and face me, coward!” the young man demanded. Some of the people in the crowd began cheering and shouting, encouraging the two of them to fight.

Link sighed. “Alright,” he said, reaching behind his back to grip the hilt of his sword. “Three-two-one-go!”

“Huh--? Aghhh!”

Before the young man had a chance to react, Link drew his sword, charged forward, and stabbed him in the shoulder.

“Oooohhhhh…” came the noise from the crowd.

The young man dropped his weapon and fell down to one knee, clutching at his wounded shoulder. His armor had protected him somewhat, but Link could see blood soaking through.

“What? You told me to!” Link said, feigning indignity.

Linkle chuckled, pointing at the wounded man. “Hehe, he got stabbed.”

“You coward!” the bleeding man shouted at Link.

“Oh, because you’re so brave -- wearing all that armor and challenging me to a fight,” Link countered, gesturing to his considerably less protective gear.

“Why, you-- I’ll, I’ll notify the guards, and, and I’ll--” the young man stammered, climbing back to his feet, still clutching his bleeding shoulder.

“That will not be necessary,” came a high-pitched yet authoritative voice from the crowd.

The three of them turned to its source and saw a strange sight. A little girl wearing armor was approaching them with a line of four soldiers following behind her.

“I was witness to the pathetic spectacle that occurred here just now.”

Link furrowed his brow, bewildered.

Oh, now what? Some knight’s sassy daughter or something?

“Who are you?” the wounded young man asked.

“I am Mila of House Shadowgale, Knight of Akkala,” the little girl said, straightening her shoulders proudly as she introduced herself. Link did not recognize the name, but many in the crowd began murmuring at the mention of it. As she spoke, the girl drew a golden sword from the sheath on her back, although it looked slightly too large for one of her size. “ You, silly overconfident mongrel, challenged this skeevy rat to a duel,” she explained, pointing her sword at each of them in turn. “You failed to set the terms, so anything goes. You lost, he won. That’s that.”

The wounded man looked shocked and humiliated. “But, but he--”

The little girl lifted her hand. “Stop. I care very little. Now, the three of you, step away from the board. I have an announcement to make.”

“Are you sure we can just leave him injured like that, Dame Mila?” one of the knight’s soldiers asked, speaking with a slight foreign accent.

Link couldn’t help noticing the soldier was a gorgeous, blonde, round-eared girl who looked maybe just a bit older than he was.

They don’t make soldiers like that in Necluda…

The tiny knight sighed. “Luft, heal the idiot.”

With a sound like the ringing of a bell, a little fairy flew out from the dame’s armor. It hovered next to her for a moment, flapping its wings, before flying over to the injured young man. The fairy flew in a small circle above his shoulder, dropping little sparkles of magic over the wound. Once it was finished, it returned to the little girl and disappeared.

“Whoaaa!” Linkle said loudly, staring at the girl-knight with wide eyes and an excited grin on her face. “You’re a Kokiri!”

“And you’re annoying,” Mila replied. “Now, I say again, move!” With a swift wave of the knight’s hand, Link, Linkle, and the newly healed man were shoved forward by a sudden gust of wind. Somewhat frightened and very confused, the three of them complied, moving quickly to join the crowd who had watched their ‘duel.’

With the siblings and their opponent out of the way, the Kokiri knight and her soldiers strolled up to the bulletin board. Clearing her throat, the short girl addressed the crowd. “Citizens of New Kakariko, I am here on behalf of Governor Rudi Vryciaro and Prince Percival Seliph Hyrule.” There was more murmuring from the crowd at the mention of one of the princes. “I come to you with two proposals. One is an opportunity to join the kingdom’s army, and the other is a quest for any adventurers open to it. Vanova!” she said, turning to the round-eared soldier.

“Yes, Dame Mila.” The girl called Vanova unfurled a large piece of parchment and plastered it onto the bulletin board, covering up some of the other requests.

“The prince is gathering forces at Akkala Citadel to fight against the cult of the earthquake sage. Any who wish to contribute to the effort are advised to join us there,” the Kokiri knight explained. “As for the quest, we were supposed to be joined by Chief Darote and his Goron warriors after they returned to Rudania following the royal summit. However, we recently received a message saying that a dragon has been ravaging the land near the Goron capital, and the chief refuses to leave until the dragon has been dealt with.”

Linkle’s jaw dropped. She didn’t say anything to interrupt, but she grabbed Link’s arm and shook him excitedly.

“So, Prince Percival is offering a substantial reward to any adventurers who help slay the dragon,” Dame Mila concluded, gesturing to the poster her subordinate had put up. “The details can be found here. I suggest you all make up your minds quickly.” With that, she and her soldiers turned and marched away.

Linkle squealed with an eagerness she had not displayed in a very long time. “A dragon, Brother! A dragon!”

“Yes, yes, Elle. I heard. Quit shaking me already!” Link complained, struggling against his sister’s grip.

“If we slay a dragon, we’ll be famous heroes for sure!” Linkle declared. She let go of her brother and pulled out her sword, slicing through the air as if fending off imaginary opponents. “Ooh, it’ll be just like when the Hero of Twilight slew the twilit dragon that was guarding the last piece of the Mirror of Twilight!” The crowd around her began to disperse, either to go about their business or to get away from her while she recklessly waved her weapon around.

Link was unsure how to respond. He’d been searching for some sort of excuse that would convince Linkle to leave Kakariko, and it seemed as though the gods had dropped a perfect one right into his lap. However, going after a dragon, one of the most powerful monsters in the known world, seemed even more dangerous than staying in the Sheikah city.

He felt his sister grabbing at his hand. “Come on, Brother. We must hurry, or another adventurer will slay it first.”

“Hold up there, hero,” Link said, dragging her over to the bulletin board. “That sounds incredibly dangerous. And last I checked, we couldn’t even slay a Hinox. I’m not sure this is a--” As his eyes scanned over the poster that the soldiers had left, his gaze fell upon the reward.

No. That doesn’t matter. We would never succeed anyway.

However, he realized they didn’t even need to succeed. All he wanted to do was get away from the city as soon as possible and let the heat die down. They could go after the dragon, fail, then continue on their way, perhaps to Akkala or the Woodlands. Surely there would be some easier work elsewhere.

“You know what, Elle? Let’s go slay a dragon.”


Encouraged by Linkle’s enthusiasm and Link’s desperation to get out of Sheikah territory as soon as possible, the siblings completed preparations for their latest quest rather quickly. As the perilous trails leading up through the Eldin Mountains were no place for a horse, they were forced to pay to leave Arion in the stable long-term with the intention of retrieving him when they eventually returned for their reward money. However, since they now had to travel light, they were easily able to pay the cost after selling everything they couldn’t bring with them.

Additionally, they were aware of the intense heat they would soon be facing higher up in the mountains, so they needed to purchase some protective gear. Link ended up choosing a set of armor made from Dodongo leather, which would shield him from the heat while also providing the same modest level of protection as his old gear. Linkle purchased boots and gloves made from the same material, but for the rest of her outfit, she chose a pink tunic laced with fibers from Eldin bomb flowers. The tunic would not explode, but the mention of bomb flowers had been enough to convince Linkle to buy it.

And so, still early in the morning, the siblings passed through the Maw of Death Mountain, traveling on foot. The trail took them between two lakes of water so hot they could see steam billowing into the air.

“You think we could swim in there?” Linkle asked, pointing down into the boiling lake to their right and casually kicking a rock over the ledge.

“Dunno,” Link said with a shrug. “Looks like a hot spring. There should be rivers of actual lava further up the mountain, so we’re probably good up until then.”

“I’m goin’ in, then,” Linkle declared, grabbing at her clothes as if to pull them off.

“No, you’re not,” Link denied. “In a giant lake like that? There’s probably monsters you’ve never even heard of in there.”

His sister turned to him with an excited expression on her face, more eager than ever at the mention of new monsters.

“Er, I mean, let’s just wait until we find a smaller spring, okay? I hear the Gorons like to soak in hot springs all the time. They probably know which ones are safe, and I don’t see any down there.”

“Yeah, ‘cuz they’d sink to the bottom,” his sister pointed out.

“Just come on.” Link walked past her, hoping the threat of getting left behind would be enough to convince her to hold off on diving into the unknown waters.

“Ugh, fine.”

After a couple more hours of walking, Linkle began to groan. “I wish we could’ve brought Arion,” she said, lamenting having to leave their horse behind.

“I’m not gonna carry you,” Link said immediately.

“Oh come on, Brother! You used to give me piggybacks all the time,” she complained.

“Yeah, when we were kids.”

“I’m still a kid.”

“Oh? You’re an adult whenever you’re begging me to let you drink.”

“Shut up.”

Link laughed. “Come on, Elle. You’re a big brave adventurer now. What would the other adventurers say if they saw you letting your big brother carry you on his back?”

“They’d probably say you’re my bitch.”

“Really not doing a great job of selling me on this one, Elle.”

“Bah!” Linkle kicked another rock off of the road in annoyance. It tumbled to the left of the path, then fell over a small ledge, landing with a plop. She gasped, noticing the small pond. It had been difficult to see at first since many large boulders were littered around it, but steam could be seen through the openings. “Hot springs!” she said excitedly. “Can we stop here for a bit, Brother? My feet are killing me.”

“Hmm? Yeah, might as well,” Link agreed. His muscles were beginning to ache from the hiking they’d been doing. A dip in the hot springs sounded appealing, as long as it wasn’t deep enough for monsters to be lurking beneath the surface.

“Yay!” Linkle threw her hands up and ran to the water’s edge. But, as soon as she got there, she was startled by something. “Ahh!” she shrieked, leaping backwards.

“Elle!” Link shouted, rushing to catch up with her. He drew his sword, expecting to have to fight something.

A large figure emerged, its body dripping with steaming hot water as it stepped onto the rocky surface beside the road. However, it was no monster. It was merely a Goron. The large, rocky brute yawned and stretched, then wiped the water from his face and opened his eyes.

“Hmm?” he made a noise as he looked down at the two humans barely half his size. Link was nervous that the Goron would be annoyed by them disturbing his leisure time in the spring, but instead, he smiled broadly. “Ah, more Hylians!” he said in a booming yet amicable voice. “Welcome to Gero Pond, brothers!”

“Um. Hello, sir,” Link said, taking a step back so he wouldn’t have to crane his neck as much to make eye contact with the hulking rock man.

“Brother and sister, actually,” Linkle corrected.

“Gorons call everyone ‘brother,’” Link pointed out in a hushed voice.

“Yeah, but I’m a girl.”

“I don’t think they know the difference.”

Linkle’s face scrunched up in confusion. Putting her hand to her chin thoughtfully, she very slowly tilted her head downwards. Upon finding nothing between the unclothed Goron’s legs, she slowly turned to brother, giving him a quizzical look.

Link shrugged and shook his head, not knowing any more about it than she did.

“Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you, brothers! Feel free to go on in,” the Goron said, gesturing to the spring. “Don’t worry. The water’s so mild, even you Hylians can handle it.” The Goron chuckled heartily before lumbering away.

Link peered through the mist created by the steamy water. He could see the silhouettes of more Gorons further in, although some were curled into a ball to rest, making them hard to distinguish from the boulders. “I don’t really trust a Goron’s definition of ‘mild,’ but it doesn’t seem too bad.” Stepping closer to the water’s edge between two of the large slabs of rock, Link knelt to remove his boots. “So, we going in, or what?”

“Oh hell yeah, let’s go!” As she spoke, Linkle kicked off her boots and hurriedly pulled her tunic off. “Oooohhhh,” she moaned as she stepped into the water. “Come on in, Brother. The water’s actually really nice.”

“I’m right behind you, Elle.” Before he entered the water, Link took his and his sister’s stuff and hid it in a little crevice between the rocks, covering it with another large stone. This would be a terrible time to get their clothes stolen, so he figured he might as well take the precaution.

Linkle waded further into the pool and was soon more than waist deep, so she dropped down to let the water soak her all the way up to her neck. “ Ahhhhh, damn that’s nice.”

Link stepped into the water just as his sister swam around a large boulder jutting out of the spring, disappearing out of his sight. “Ooh,” he said with surprise. Linkle had been right; the hot spring water was quite soothing.

As he waded through the hot springs, Link exchanged brief greetings with a few other Gorons he passed by along the way. All of them were casually relaxing in the hot water or by the water’s edge, and none of them seemed particularly surprised to see him.

That’s odd. Are Hylian visitors common around here?

When Link caught up with his sister, he found her in a little area sectioned off by a semi-circle of large rocks. However, she was not alone. There were three Gorons and four other Hylians lounging around with their backs against the rocks, soaking in the hot spring water. Linkle stood in the center, chattering away at them excitedly. When she noticed Link approaching from behind her, she turned to greet him.

“Welcome, Brother!” she said in a fake gravelly voice, imitating the way the Gorons said the phrase.

“Yes, welcome, brother!” one of the Gorons echoed, likely not noticing the joke and probably unable to tell he was her actual brother.

“Oh. Uh, hello, everyone,” Link said, waving to the group of Hylians and Gorons, to which several of them returned the greeting.

“Brother, this is so great.” Linkle grabbed him by the hand to pull him closer. “More adventurers!”

Getting a good look at the Hylians now, they looked much more like seasoned adventurers than he and Linkle did. The oldest one in the group had a well-trimmed beard and looked to be in his mid-thirties. He sat with his muscular upper body above the water, and Link saw he had many scars. A large claymore was propped up against the rocks next to him. Sitting near the bearded man was a slightly younger-looking man with tattoos on his arms. On the far side of one of the Gorons sat two Hylian women. The first had brown hair in a ponytail. Link thought she seemed the bookish type, but that might have been because her wooden staff with a crescent shape at the end of it gave her away as a sorceress of some kind. The other woman had long blonde hair and looked to be the youngest of the group. She had a staff with her as well. Hers was metallic and had a far more elegant headpiece with gold rings and blue gems. Her angelic appearance made Link think she was probably a priestess.

Or a princess.

“How do you do?” the tattooed man said in greeting. “Name’s Fin. This here is Russ,” he said, gesturing to the bearded man sitting next to him. “And them over there is Breen and Gaile.”

The sorceress nodded in acknowledgement, and the priestess waved in turn.

“Nice to meet you,” Link said, waving back. He probably should have been more wary, but the kind smiles of the girls disarmed him. “I’m Link. This here’s my kid sister, Linkle.”

The sorceress chuckled. “Link and Linkle?”

“Yeah, that’s what our parents stuck us with.”

“You two going after the dragon?” the bearded one called Russ asked.

“Yep!” Linkle proclaimed proudly. “You all might as well go home, because that dragon is all ours.” The four adventurers all chuckled at that.

“Well, good luck getting there before someone else kills it first,” the tattooed Fin said. “We thought we had a pretty good head start, but the Gorons here say half a dozen parties have passed through here already.”

“Really?” Link was surprised. It had taken them some time to stable the horse and buy their new gear, but they’d done so immediately after the quest had gone out. He’d thought they had a good lead, too.

“Oh yes, there have been lots of you coming through here all of a sudden,” one of the Gorons confirmed. “But we don’t mind. Always happy to treat with our Hylian brothers.” The other two Gorons grunted affirmatively, nodding their heads.

“Are Hylians common up here?” Link asked out of curiosity.

“No, sadly,” another Goron answered. “Seems you softshells can’t take the heat.” The Gorons all laughed at this.

“You’re always welcome in Eldin, though, brothers,” the third Goron said. “Our peoples share a mighty bond that can never be broken.”

“Indeed,” the fair-haired Gaile said, briefly forming a triangle with her fingers, further making Link suspect that she was a priestess. “Our peoples fought side by side under Hylia’s guidance against the Demon King. We will be proud to aid you against this dragon.”

Link noticed that Breen the sorceress was looking at him funny. “Hey, aren’t you the one who stabbed that guy in front of the quest board down in Kakariko earlier?” she asked.

Fin perked up at the mention of the incident. “Hey, yeah! It’s him! Three-two-one-go! Haha, oh, that was priceless, mate.”

“Don’t you encourage him,” Linkle complained, smacking her hand into the water to splash her brother. “That was so underhanded.”

“Maybe. But it was better than being stabbed.” Link casually reached over and put his hand on his sister’s head, shoving her downwards until her head was beneath the water.

Fin, Breen, and the Gorons all seemed to find this hilarious, but the priestess looked shocked. “Young man, stop! You’ll hurt her!” she pleaded.

“Don’t worry. She’ll get me back in a second.”

Link let go of his sister. She sprung out of the water and took a big gulp of air, then immediately punched him in his bare chest.

“Ow. See? All good.”

“She’s a feisty one,” the tattooed man commented.

“Easy there, she looks a little young for you,” Breen warned, which made the priestess gasp scandalously.

“Not like that.”

The exchange wasn’t anything serious, but nonetheless, Link silently waded through the water, stopping to rest against the rocks a fair distance from the other adventurers. He patted the spot next to him to invite his sister to join him. Likely thinking nothing of it, she obliged.

“So, how are you two planning to slay the dragon?” The bearded adventurer asked.

Link paused for a moment. In truth, he hadn’t thought of a strategy yet, figuring he had a few days before he reached Rudania. If they even made it that far, he was hoping an idea would come to him along the way.

“The Hero of Twilight used clawshots and magnetic boots when he killed a dragon,” Linkle answered unhelpfully. “He latched onto it and pulled it out of the sky, slamming it against the ground to shatter its armored scales. Then he finished it off with the Master Sword.”

“So what? You gonna go all the way to Faron first and nab the Master Sword, then bring it back here?” the sorceress asked with a smirk.

“Heh,” the tattooed man chuckled, elbowing Russ in the side. “‘Member when we tried to pull the Master Sword outta the stone? The cursed thing nearly sucked the life right outta us.”

“Mm,” the bearded man grunted, his face showing that it wasn’t a pleasant memory.

“Yeah, and Gaile was too scared to even touch it,” Breen said, tapping the back of her hand against the priestess’s shoulder.

Gaile shook her head. “That sword is for Hylia’s next chosen Hero. That is not my destiny,” she affirmed.

“Wait, you lot have actually seen the Master Sword? You’ve actually touched the Master Sword?!” Linkle asked excitedly.

“Of course,” Fin replied, accidentally splashing his companion a little as he raised his hands out of the water. “Every adventurer eventually gets curious and wants to see if they’re the Hero.”

“Every adventurer who’s willing to brave the Lost Woods, anyway,” the sorceress added.

The priestess shuddered at the mention of the cursed forest. “A dreadful place. So many poor souls, wandering and lost…”

Breen nodded. “Once you get through it, though, the Kokiri Forest is actually quite nice.”

Linkle perked up at that. “Oh, right. The girl who put up this quest was a Kokiri, wasn’t she? What’s she doing out here? I thought they never left their forest.”

The tattooed man chuckled. “You’re not from around here, are you?”

Link shook his head. “We’re from Necluda.”

“Ah. Well, she’s pretty famous up here in the northeast,” the man went on. “Not sure why she left her home, but she showed up here a few years back. They call her the Devil of Shadow Pass.”

“OoOoOhhh.” The sorceress wiggled her hands in the air, making mock spooky noises. “She’s got ‘devil’ and ‘shadow’ in her nickname. That’s how you know she’s scary.”

“Oooohhh,” Linkle said, sounding genuinely impressed. “Why do they call her that?”

“There’s a road that runs between the Eldin Mountains and Kanalet Ridge in Akkala,” the tattooed man explained. “It’s overlooked by a tiny village called Shadow Hamlet, so they call it Shadow Pass.”

“There used to be a forest there,” the sorceress continued. “But that Kokiri girl burned the whole thing down just to smoke out a small band of Akkalan separatists.” To emphasize her point, she grabbed her staff and waved it in the air, shooting a small burst of fire up into the sky.

“Excellent fire, brother!” one of the Gorons cheered as he and the other Gorons clapped.

“So she’s a pyromancer?” Link asked. “I didn’t think the Kokiri practiced that kind of magic.”

“Well, no, I think she’s an aeromancer,” the sorceress said, putting a finger to her chin and tilting her head upwards thoughtfully. “Some other soldiers lit the fires from both ends of the pass. But the whole thing was her idea, and she used her wind magic to fan the flames and suffocate the rebels with the smoke.”

“They say she laughed while she did it,” the bearded man said, reaching over to grip the hilt of his claymore. He had an intense look in his eyes. He clearly did not think kindly of the Kokiri knight. Similarly, the priestess looked mournful, and made a triangle shape with her fingers once again.

“That seems… a bit excessive,” Link said. He didn’t know the full details of the rebellion in question, but even though such a thing was considered high treason, the way the Kokiri had apparently dealt with it sounded a tad over the top.

“Yeah, well, rest assured,” Fin said with mock cheer. “She received knighthood for that ‘heroic deed’ of hers.”

“Heroic deed?” Linkle sounded bewildered. “Adventurers do ten times more heroic deeds every day. Why haven’t I been knighted yet?”

“She was serving her lord,” Russ said with disdain. “The ‘heroic deed’ is just a formality.”

Link rolled his eyes. “Ugh. Nobles,” he said with some contempt. His own interactions with proper nobles back in Hateno had been few and far between. He’d sold merchandise to their servants many times, but most nobles only spoke directly to his master, as if he and the other apprentices were not even worth their time.

The sorceress laughed. “Watch it, kid. You’ll hurt poor Gaile’s feelings.”

Link saw the priestess was hanging her head, looking a little ashamed. He realized she must have been highborn in some way. “Oh! Dreadfully sorry,” he said quickly, embarrassed to have insulted her accidentally.

“It’s alright,” she said meekly.

There was a brief, awkward pause afterwards. Mercifully, his sister changed the topic back to the more pressing matter. “So, how are you gonna slay the dragon?” she asked the other adventuring party.

“Nuh-uh-uh.” Fin smirked, waggling his finger at them. “That’s a trade secret. You didn’t expect us to give away our plans to a couple of competing adventurers, did ya?”

“I kinda did, yeah,” Link said.

Breen laughed. “Oh, come off it, Fin. We haven’t got a clue either. Never hunted a dragon before. Few people have. Successfully, anyway.”

“Ah. I see.” Link felt a bit relieved. It was good to know that even these veterans weren’t too far ahead of them in this regard. “We’ll probably try the ‘stab it until it dies’ method. Linkle’s a real pro at that one.”

“Hey. I shoot stuff, too,” she argued.

“Our people have a story about a mighty Goron hero,” one of the Gorons chimed in. “Back in the old days when dragons ruled Eldin and treated Gorons as cattle, a lone brother rose up to fight them. Wielding the enormous Megaton Hammer, he single-handedly slew Volvagia the Dragonlord and paved the way for a Goron revolution.”

“Great. Another dragon slain by a legendary weapon,” Link complained. “Can’t dragons be killed by any normal stuff?”

“Killing a dragon is what makes the weapon legendary, not the other way around,” Russ stated.

“My crossbow is gonna be so legendary when it takes down that dragon.” Linkle smacked her hand down onto the water’s surface in excitement.

Breen chuckled. “Well, if you’re that eager, why don’t you two travel with us for a bit?” she suggested. “We should really be getting back on the road if we wanna keep up with the other parties. Any of you object to them tagging along?” she asked her teammates.

Russ and Gaile shook their heads.

“Eh, why not?” Fin said with a shrug. “We’ll probably part ways before we reach the dragon. And if we don’t, we can fight over the bounty after we kill it. So, whaddya say, kids?”

“Sure!” Linkle readily agreed. She was probably looking forward to seeing what a group of professionals was like in action, even though she probably wanted the glory of killing the dragon all to herself.

Link was a little more skeptical. These people had been kind to them so far, but they were complete strangers, with weapons, who were after the same prize they were. Who could say what these people would do once they were away from the Gorons and there weren’t any other witnesses around?

“And what do you say, young man?” the priestess asked Link. “Is our company acceptable?”

Link blinked. “Yeah, I don’t mind.”

No way any of them would try to harm us in front of a priestess, right?

“It’s settled, then,” the sorceress said, grabbing her staff and using it to help herself stand up out of the water. “Let’s grab our gear and get back to it.”


The road got steeper and rockier after the party left Gero Pond. For a while, they continued northeast, but then they came to a bend in the road and began heading west. To Link, traveling with a larger party felt very different than when it was just him and his sister. However, it felt a little safer to know they had backup for when they inevitably ran into monsters. And, of course, monsters had been the primary topic of conversation for much of the journey, at least whenever Linkle could find an excuse to berate her new party members with questions about what they’d hunted in the past.

From what Link could tell, the four of them had been traveling together for several years. None of them seemed to be officially in charge, but Russ came off as the de facto leader. He wore Dodongo leather similar to Link’s and kept his claymore strapped to his back. He also carried a larger travel bag than the others. Fin was dressed the same as him, except his weapon of choice was a spear. Breen and Gaile both wore travel robes that were cut short to avoid dragging along the ground. Breen’s robes were red and pink with a faded purple cape. They might have been woven with bomb flower fibers like Linkle’s tunic, but Link assumed they were more likely enchanted with some kind of flame protection spell. She also wore boots and a leather breast guard. Gaile’s robes were white and blue with gold trim. They looked almost the same as what regular Hylian priestesses wore in their temples, but Link could never tell what kind of magic a mage was using for utility.

“Whoa, lava!” Linkle called out, pointing to a red, molten lake further up ahead.

“Don’t get too close to it,” Breen the sorceress warned. “It’s so hot, you don’t have to touch it to get burned.”

“Neat.” Linkle skipped forward, but her brother grabbed her by the arm.

“I’d listen to her,” he warned.

“I know, I know. I’m not gonna get too close,” she assured him, sounding a bit annoyed at his protectiveness. “Besides, this will keep me safe.” She grabbed her pink tunic and tugged on it for emphasis.

Link was skeptical, but he let go of her arm. “Just be careful, okay, Elle?”

“Will do.” Without further hesitation, she ran off.

“Your sister’s certainly got the adventurer’s spirit,” Fin, the tattooed man, commented to Link, a smirk of amusement on his face.

“If that’s what you wanna call it.” Link watched his sister in the distance as she scooped up a rock and tossed it into the pool of lava. She seemed entertained by whatever the result was.

“How long have the two of you been traveling together?” Gaile the priestess asked, offering a friendly smile.

“Hm? Oh, not long,” Link replied. “We only left home a few weeks ago.”

Russ turned around and eyed him disbelievingly. “And you want to hunt a dragon?”

Link thought about how to respond. Of course he didn’t want to hunt a dragon. Would admitting that make him seem cowardly? This adventurer clearly thought it would be stupid for him to even try, but would it seem even stupider if he knew he shouldn’t but was trying to anyway? And then there was the matter as to why he was really there. He couldn’t tell them he suspected the Impa family was behind the undead infestation beneath Kakariko. Just thinking about it made him glance around nervously, expecting to catch a Sheikah ninja ducking behind a rock somewhere.

She wants to hunt a dragon,” Link said honestly, pointing over to his sister. “ I want to make sure she doesn’t die.”

Fin laughed at that. Even in the dangerous environment they found themselves traveling through, he seemed completely at ease, walking with his arms resting on his spear which was draped across his shoulders. “Well, ain’t that sweet? Lookin’ out for your kid sister like that.”

“That’s very nice of you,” the priestess said sweetly. “Hylia smiles upon such acts.”

“I sure hope so.”

The goddess would probably smile upon me more if I kept Linkle from doing all this dangerous stuff in the first place.

“Brother! Look!”

Everyone directed their attention to Linkle who was pointing at something up ahead.

“A torch slug.”

Sure enough, what looked like a four-foot-long blob of lava had crawled up out of the fiery lake and was inching its way towards the road. It moved slowly, and the heat from the fire on its back made it appear hazy, but Link could barely make out two eyestalks extending up from the front of it.

“Great. Don’t touch it,” Link called out to her.

“I’m gonna shoot it.” The young girl pulled her crossbow off her back and aimed it at the slug.

“Smart,” Breen said. “I can make us some quality fireproof elixir out of that thing.”

“She’s not thinking of that,” Link commented. “She just likes to kill every monster we see.”

Fin chuckled. “She really is a natural born adventurer.”

“Mhmm.”

Linkle loosed a bolt at the torch slug. Molten slime splashed out of it from the impact, and the flame on its back blazed twice as high, as if more fuel had been thrown on a bonfire. Suddenly, the flaming slug monster wasn’t moving quite so slowly, and it was heading straight for Linkle. She shrieked and leapt backwards, scrambling to load another bolt.

“Elle!” Link cried, drawing his sword and rushing towards her. Before he got there, Linkle shot the slug a second time. The fire on its back flared up once again, but it slowed its movements. Link reached it when it was about two feet from his sister. Acting quickly, he swung his sword downwards and chopped it in half. The two pieces wriggled about for a few seconds, but eventually they stopped. The flames died down as the two halves of its body curled up on the ground.

“...Neat!” Linkle said with delight, stepping forward and crouching down to examine the dead slug.

Link sighed. “Be a little more careful with strange monsters, would ya?” As his sister poked the monster’s corpse with her shortsword, Link heard laughter from behind him. He turned to see the adventurers approaching.

“Well, look at you!” Breen said with a teasing smile. “This one’s quite the hero, eh?”

“I’ll say,” Fin agreed jovially. “Every sister could use a big brother to protect her from creepy crawlies like that.”

“Be nice, you two,” Gaile chided them with a look of disapproval. “I thought it was sweet. And you, young lady, are you alright?” she asked with concern.

“Hmm? Yeah, I’m fine.” As she spoke, Linkle picked up the front half of the torch slug. It was probably still quite hot despite the fire having gone out, but her gloves seemed to protect her hands well enough. “Hehe, look at it! Isn’t it gross?”

“Oh my,” the priestess said, taking a step back and placing Breen between herself and the dead thing.

The sorceress laughed and took it out of Linkle’s hand. “Nice work, kid. If you let me have it, I’ll let you and your brother have some of the elixir I make out of it for free.”

“Done,” Linkle agreed, scooping up the other half of the slug and climbing to her feet.

“Let’s keep going,” Russ suggested. “It’ll be nightfall soon, so we should find a good place to set up camp.”

“Yes, sir,” Fin said, mockingly saluting his companion as he turned to follow him back to the road.


Finding a place to camp for the night was not as difficult as Link had expected. Once they’d passed by the lake of lava, there was nothing immediately hazardous about their rocky surroundings. The cliff faces lining the road were full of small caves, so they found one to hide in for the night and set up their bedrolls. They slept in shifts, with one person awake at any given time to keep watch over the others for fear of monsters or rival adventuring parties, but none of them spotted anything in the darkness aside from a few flaming Keese flying by.

The next morning, they shared a quick breakfast from among their food reserves as none of them had hunted anything edible along the way. As she said she would, Breen also managed to brew up an elixir using the torch slug they’d killed along with a few other ingredients. All six of them drank a vial of it, as Breen claimed it would help with the increasingly high temperatures they’d encounter as they climbed further into the volcanic mountains.

The next part of their journey took them through a steep, narrow canyon. The area was filled with rocks that were covered in glowing red cracks. While not on fire, one could feel the heat radiating from the stones if they stepped too close. Link hoped their protective gear and the magical elixir would hold up for the rest of the journey.

“What are these things made of?” Linkle asked, hopping on top of one of the simmering red rocks, landing with her arms spread wide for balance. “Like, hardened lava?”

“It doesn’t matter,” Link said. “They’re dangerous. Don’t go near them.”

“But what if there’s treasure inside?” Linkle’s head turned back and forth real quick, scanning the area. “Are there any bomb flowers around here? I wanna try blowing these up.” The two of them had been walking slightly ahead of their new traveling companions, but when Russ and the others caught up to them, Linkle shouted in their direction. “You guys got any bombs on ya?”

“No,” Russ said, shaking his head. “Bombs sometimes get set off by the high temperatures up here. It’s best not to bring any.”

“Ah, dang,” Linkle said in disappointment, hopping down off the rocks. However, after skipping a few more meters, she came across another pile of them sitting right in the middle of the road. Jumping from one to the other, she climbed atop the largest one and stood there, posing proudly. “Ha- ha! I’m the queen of the mountain!”

“You’re the queen of embarrassment,” Link replied.

The joyful look on Linkle’s face lasted for a few seconds as she laughed, but suddenly, there was a loud rumbling sound. The rock she was standing on seemed to be shaking, and she moved her feet to maintain her balance. “Whoa, whoa. What’s going on here?”

“Get down from there!” Russ shouted. He and his companions all drew their weapons, so Link did the same.

“Elle. Do as he says.”

However, before she could do anything, the rocks lifted from the ground, moving forward as though they were a person sitting up.

“Shit!” Linkle shouted, jumping at the last second. Her feet fumbled as she jumped, and she ended up crashing rather ungracefully onto the hard, rocky ground.

“Elle!” Link ran to her side to help her up, moving quickly to pull her back behind the other adventurers.

The red, glowing rocks Linkle had been climbing on were now standing upright, joining together to form a vaguely humanoid shape, standing at about twelve feet tall. There was no head, but the largest rock formed an oversized, lopsided torso, while smaller rocks took the form of a tiny pelvis and two stubby legs. Two large rocks acted as heavy, brutish fists, connected to the main body by a couple of smaller rocks.

After brushing off the pain from her rough landing, the sight of the glowing golem in front of them made Linkle smile. “A Talus! An Igneo Talus! So that’s what these rocks were.”

Link was bothered by her lack of urgency about the situation, but ignored it for the moment. “How do we kill it?”

“There should be a gemstone-rich ore vein somewhere on its body,” Linkle explained. “Smash that and it’ll crumble.”

“Hey, not bad,” Fin said, apparently praising Linkle’s monster knowledge as he raised his spear towards the enemy.

“We can’t see it, so it’s probably somewhere on its back,” Breen noted.

“Breen, ice it. Fin, hold its attention. I’ll get behind it,” Russ said, doling out orders.

“Right,” Breen and Fin said simultaneously. The three of them approached the golem and, following Russ’s instructions, Breen began to pelt the monster with blasts of ice magic while Fin attacked it head on.

“What about us?” Linkle asked.

Gaile put a hand on the younger girl’s shoulder. “How about we stay at a safe distance until they take care of it?”

Linkle looked offended, like she’d just been spoken to as if she were a child. “But we’re adventurers, too!”

“I know, but you are rather new to this, and you’re quite young…” Gaile replied, giving her an awkward, apologetic smile.

“Elle, it’s fine,” Link said, trying to reassure her. He was perfectly happy to get the chance to sit this one out. “We can observe how a real party does it.”

“We are a real party,” his sister argued.

“Gaile!” Breen cried.

The priestess looked in her direction and saw one of the monster’s rocky fists flying through the air. Moments before it hit the sorceress, Gaile held out her staff. It lit up, and a blue magical barrier appeared around Breen. The boulder crashed against it, breaking into several pieces. The shield shattered too, but Breen emerged unscathed.

“Maybe we should move further back,” Gaile suggested. “It’s still quite dangerous here.”

Linkle looked to her brother, probably hoping he would join her side. Instead, Link gave her a sympathetic look and put a hand on her upper arm, pulling her along as he stepped back. She looked defeated for a moment and went along with him at first, but that did not last long.

“Augh!” Fin let out a cry of pain as the now one-armed Talus smacked him with considerable force. The spear-wielding adventurer was knocked back against the wall of the canyon, landing with a thud.

“Fin!” Breen shouted in distress.

Linkle gasped. “Come on,” she shouted to Link and Gaile, setting off towards Fin.

“No, wait!”

“Elle!” Link chased after her, drawing his sword and shield.

With Fin no longer distracting it, the hulking mass of volcanic rock turned in place. Russ had been on the other side of it, but now, he was its next target. However, by turning around, the Talus had exposed its weak point. Link could see a protrusion of rock jutting out from the top of its back, noticeable due to being colored differently than the rest of its body.

That must be what Russ is trying to get to.

Once Linkle reached Fin, she drew her crossbow and took a shot at the Talus’s weak spot. The bolt bounced off of it harmlessly.

Link and the priestess arrived a moment later. “Fin, are you alright?” Gaile asked worriedly, kneeling down next to him.

“Never better, love.” He winced. His head was bleeding, but nothing looked broken. The priestess’s staff lit up again as she began to heal him.

“What are we gonna do about that thing?” Link asked his sister. As they spoke, the Talus became irritated by another of Breen’s ice blasts. It threw its other fist at her, which she was narrowly able to dodge. “Oh. Well, there you go. It should be pretty much harmless now, yeah?”

“Russ, get back!” Linkle called out to the adventurer on the other side of the monster. A moment later, the Talus fell forward, as if it were trying to crush Russ with its body. But then, it stood back up, and new large rocks had attached themselves to it, forming new arms.

“Gods, dammit…” Link muttered.

“Get me on top of it,” Linkle said.

“What? How am I supposed to do that?”

“I don’t know, just lift me. Come on!” She ran forward, then turned to the sorceress. “Breen! Freeze its back!”

The sorceress glanced at her, then did as requested. A stream of icy wind blew from her staff, and Link could see the fiery cracks on the monster’s back dying down.

I hope that’ll be enough to make it safe for Elle to climb on it.

Link caught up to his sister, who was now dangerously close to the Talus. It seemed to be adequately distracted battling the adventurer with the giant sword, since it didn’t seem to notice the siblings behind it.

Are we ‘behind’ it? It doesn’t have a face. How do we know which side’s the front? How does it even see?

“Lift me up,” Linkle demanded.

Link felt like he was giving into her piggyback demands after all, but, reluctantly, he bent down on one knee and ducked his head. He felt boots stepping onto his shoulders, so he reached up to hold her ankles to help her balance. Then, moving quickly, he stood straight up.

“Whoo!” Linkle shouted as she leapt off of him. Luckily, the Talus leaned forward to swipe at Russ, so she was able to land safely on its back. She clung to it with her hands in the cracks of the rock, as if she were mountain climbing.

“Now what?” Link asked, taking a few steps back.

But then, as if feeling the intruder on its back, the Talus turned around again, ‘facing’ Link.

“Uh… Hi?” His eyes shot open wide when the monster swung its gigantic stone fist at him. He didn’t have time to dodge, but luckily for him, the same magical barrier Gaile had conjured earlier appeared around him. He was still knocked to the side when the barrier shattered, but most of the pain came from the landing. He rolled when he hit the ground, and he heard a ringing in his ears.

A hand grabbed him by the arm and helped lift him back to his feet. “You okay, kid?” Breen asked, steadying herself with her staff.

“Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine.” Dusting himself off, Link turned his attention back to the battle. The Talus was now advancing on Fin and Gaile. Fin had gotten back on his feet and was standing with his spear at the ready, although Link had no idea what he planned to do with it. Gaile stood behind him, projecting another barrier around the two of them. “We gotta help them.”

Knowing his sister was likely still clinging to the monster’s back, Link ran towards it. However, as it raised its fist to attack Fin and Gaile, its body released a cloud of smoke and embers, and then it began to crumble. The individual rocks that joined to form its shape fell off of it one by one, like a broken doll falling to pieces.

When its torso landed on the ground, Russ and Linkle were standing on its back. The ore vein Link had seen earlier had been almost completely hacked off, with only a small piece of it remaining connected to the larger boulder. Russ stood there clutching his claymore, and the serious look in his eyes made him appear rather intimidating.

Linkle, on the other hand, looked about as proud and jovial as she could be, standing confidently with her hands on her hips. “Fear not!” she shouted dramatically. “The Talus is slain!”

Link sighed, but more out of relief than embarrassment. He made his way over to the others to congratulate the victorious pair. “Well done, Sister.”

“My thanks, Brother. Catch me!” Evidently still rather invigorated from the battle, Linkle leapt down off of the boulder and into her brother’s arms.

Link held her for a moment after he caught her, worried she might have been hurt in the fight somehow. When he was satisfied she was okay, he resisted the urge to drop her, and instead he set her down on her feet next to him.

The adventuring girl took a moment to look the pile of rocks up and down, grinning with self-satisfaction. “This is the biggest thing we’ve killed so far, yeah?” she said, glancing at Link. “I knew we could handle ourselves as well as the professionals.”

Link raised an eyebrow skeptically. He certainly hadn’t contributed much to that fight, and given how small Link’s shortsword was compared to Russ’s claymore, he figured Russ must have been the one who chipped away at most of that rock. However, his reservations were unneeded.

“You did well,” Russ said to both of them. “We knocked some gems loose from the Talus’s ore vein. Let’s gather ‘em up before we continue. We’ll split ‘em six ways.”

Link tilted his head downwards curiously, spotting some large red rubies on the ground by their feet. “Sounds good to me.”

Chapter 19: Sophitia VII

Chapter Text

At some point during the ride, Sophitia had passed out. When she awoke, she saw they had cleared the Breach of Demise. She, Liliana, Sir Anselm, and the other knights with them had been some of the last members of their party to make it out, and the rest had set up camp at a crossroads to tend to the wounded.

“Are you well, Princess?” Sir Anselm asked.

Sophitia was sitting in front of him on his horse, with Liliana riding with another knight to their side. The terror of the monster attack had passed, and she felt relatively safe, albeit still a bit sickened from whatever dark presence hung over the Breach.

“Yes, sir knight. Thanks to you,” Sophitia replied, sitting up straight to get her bearings. “And thanks to you as well, Liliana.”

“Your gratitude is appreciated, my princess,” Liliana said. As usual, her demeanor did not betray much emotion, but Sophitia had known her long enough to tell she was extremely relieved. “It is enough to know you are safe.”

Others had not been so lucky. Their numbers had dwindled somewhat, and all around them, there were clerics and doctors doing what they could about the injuries of her and her brother’s attendants. It made her sick to her stomach all over again.

How did this happen?

“Where is my brother?” Sophitia asked, suddenly worried by the fact that he was not with his bodyguard.

“I am taking you to him, Princess,” the elderly knight assured her. “I had already escorted him to safety before he sent me back to retrieve you.”

I’ll have to thank Lancel for that.

The prince’s carriage was near the center of the camp, surrounded on all sides by knights. Sir Anselm dismounted, then lent his hand to Sophitia to help her down. Liliana was quick to hop down from her horse to join them. Sophitia stumbled a little as she walked, the motion making her realize just how much she was still being affected by the Breach, but Liliana lent her shoulder for the princess to lean against and steady herself.

“Prince Lancel,” Sir Anselm called out as they approached the door.

A moment later, the door slid open. “Ah! Sister! So glad you could join us!” The prince sounded well, but his face was pale as could be, and his eyes looked sunken and unfocused. He hopped down to the ground, and two nearby knights immediately moved in to catch him as he nearly fell over.

“Brother,” Sophitia began. “You have my thanks for sending Sir Anselm to rescue us. My attendants and I are in your debt.”

“That’s good to hear. I accept most forms of payment,” the prince replied, chuckling weakly. He opened his mouth to speak again, but soon broke into a coughing fit.

“Brother, are you alright?” Sophitia asked worriedly. She wanted to approach him to help in some way, but she was still leaning on her retainer for support.

“I should think not,” Sir Anselm replied, standing with his hands clasped behind his back and making no movement to aid his charge. “He is suffering the same ill effects from the Breach as you, Princess, combined with motion sickness from the carriage. And, I suspect, more than a healthy amount of wine, my prince?”

“I was celebrating my daring escape from the clutches of the forces of evil,” Lancel replied with an impudent grin. “I found it all to be quite healthy.” As soon as he finished speaking, he turned around and vomited onto the ground, causing his knights to step away from him.

“Hmm,” Sir Anselm grunted disapprovingly, but not at all surprised. “Did I not caution you about having two members of the Royal Family travel through the Breach of Demise?”

“Yes, you did.” The prince wiped his mouth and stood up straight, turning to face them again. “And as always, I took it into consideration and deemed your caution unnecessary.”

“And, as always, I end up having to watch you vomit, and clean up your mess. What would you have done had something happened to your sister?”

When the veteran knight spoke those words, a dark thought passed through Sophitia’s mind. The words of her other brother -- ‘Do not trust him.’ Her hand reached up to squeeze the bridge of her nose as she shook her head.

No. No way. My brother loves me. He would never purposely endanger my life. Not under any circumstances.

“Princess?” Liliana asked with concern in her voice.

“I am fine,” she said quietly.

“Had we taken the road south to the Coliseum with Victorique and then looped around back up north through Nima Plain as you suggested, we would have considerably lengthened our journey. This would have taken time that we may not have,” the prince explained. “And, might I add, we have never run into that many monsters in the Breach before. Even to them, that place is unholy. This was an anomaly. I never could have predicted this.” He then turned to his sister. He was still smiling, but it looked more strained, and his eyes were clearly filled with regret. “I’m sorry, Sister. I did not expect you to end up in any danger.”

Sophitia blinked. The suspicions planted in her head by Percival seemed utterly ridiculous now. “No apology necessary, Brother,” she told him. “I agreed to our charted course as much as you did.”

“Ah, there we go,” Lancel said, perking up. He turned back to his retainer while gesturing grandly to Sophitia. “As you can see, we are all on the same page. No need to bicker about who nearly got who killed.”

Sir Anselm sighed, but offered no further criticism.

The princess looked up into the sky. It wasn’t even dark yet, but their party was in no condition to travel. “We should camp here for the night,” she suggested. “Give the wounded a chance to recover.”

“Agreed,” Lancel proclaimed. “Lord Remoth can take his retinue north through Ludfo’s Bog at dawn while the rest of us continue west past the Seres Scablands. We should reach the Wind Temple within a few days. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I believe my servants have finished setting up my tent over there, so I intend to lie down and sleep this off.” The prince dismissed himself and stumbled away, followed by his knights.

“You should get some rest as well, my princess,” Sir Anselm suggested to Sophitia.

“I will,” the princess replied. “Thank you, Sir.” The knight bowed, then took his leave.

“I shall instruct the servants to set up your tent at once, Princess,” Liliana said, helping Sophitia stand up straight before stepping back from her.

“Very well, but I do not plan to rest quite yet.” Sophitia glanced around, searching through the crowd for any of her other guards. Luckily, her captain seemed to have made it out okay, as she spotted him giving orders to some sentries near the camp’s edge. “Captain Reede!” she called out to him, her head immediately feeling fuzzy just from raising her voice.

The captain heard her summons and came running, followed by a handful of his men. “Princess! I am most relieved to find you in good health.”

“Same to you, Captain,” Sophitia replied cordially, trying not to let on how awful she still felt. “Now, I have a job for you.”

“Of course, Princess. What do you require?”

“I want you to locate Governor Koridai, Grand Artisan Rodan, Grand Archivist Botrick, and Lord Remoth. We need to ensure they have all made it out of the Breach safely, and we will need to send search parties immediately if they haven’t. Also, request each of them to take a headcount of their subordinates. We lost many in the battle, and we need to know who and how many.”

“At once, my princess.” Captain Reede and his men saluted, then left to carry out her orders.

“Sophitia.” The princess turned around to find Liliana stepping away from her handmaidens. “Your tent is already being set up. Shall we head there now?”

“Hmm. I suppose,” Sophitia replied. “But only briefly, while I wait for Captain Reede’s report.” Liliana held out her arm to escort her, and the princess accepted it.

Over where Sophitia’s tent was being set up, they found her bed had already been unloaded from the supply wagon that carried her belongings. Liliana led her over to it, removed her charge’s rapier, and stood by while the princess lay down. “As soon as your tent is ready, I will have your servants retrieve water for a rose bath.”

Sophitia closed her eyes and smiled, enjoying the soft feeling of her bed. “You have my gratitude, Liliana. For everything.”

The round-eared girl leaned against the side of the bed, resting her hand on the hilt of her sword. “I am only fulfilling my duty,” she said modestly. “And I suppose I’d have been out of a job if you’d died in that canyon.”

The princess chuckled weakly. “How heroic of you.” She took a few deep breaths, already feeling more relaxed. “You know, my friend,” she said, sounding a bit more serious now. “What you did for me back there, I should think that was more than enough to qualify as a heroic deed.”

“Are you knighting me right now, Princess?”

“Not yet,” Sophitia replied. “A momentous occasion like that calls for a proper ceremony, in the throne room at the castle, with a cheering crowd and a feast in your honor. You’ll kneel before me, then rise again as Dame Liliana.”

“I thought I’d need a few more years of service before becoming a knight.”

“I’m a princess. I can knight you whenever I want.”

“That’s the abuse of power I can get behind.”

Sophitia chuckled at her retainer’s joke. She tried to open her eyes, but she found her eyelids to be very heavy. Telling herself she would only rest for a moment, she soon drifted off to sleep.


“Sophitia. Sophitia, wake up.”

“Mm… Liliana…” The princess could feel a hand on her shoulder, gently rocking her. The words she heard soon became clearer, and she realized Liliana was trying to rouse her from her sleep. “Hmm… Hm. What?” Groggily, she sat up in her bed. After taking in her surroundings, she realized she was inside her royal traveling tent.

They must have moved me in here after they finished setting it up…

“Sorry to disturb your rest, Princess,” Liliana said, almost in a whisper, “but I figured you would want to see Captain Reede’s report.” She was clutching a rolled up parchment in her hand, which she held out to her charge.

“Oh. Yes, of course. Thank you, Liliana.” Sophitia took the paper in her hand and unfurled it, quickly scanning through its contents. Once she finished, she let out a sigh of relief. “Excellent. All the VIPs are alive. Grand Artisan Rodan is apparently covered in scratches, but nothing a Goron of his size cannot handle. Governor Koridai suffered a minor wound which was healed with ease. The others were unharmed.”

“Indeed. Although there are casualties reported among all parties.”

“Yes, but far fewer than I predicted.” Sophitia moved to put the parchment down, but a thought crossed her mind. She scanned it again, quicker this time. “There is no mention of Mina Remoth.”

“Did you ask Captain Reede to check on her as well?”

The princess sighed, somewhat disappointed in herself. “No, I did not. I should have. If I allowed anything to happen to Lord Remoth’s daughter…” Not only did she fear the loss of the lord’s favor, but given his reputation, she was more afraid of his retribution.

“I doubt he would blame you for a monster attack,” Liliana said reassuringly. “Besides, she went on ahead of us when we fell behind. She likely made it to safety long before we did.”

“Perhaps,” Sophitia said, swinging her legs over the edge of her bed. “Still, Lady Remoth is fast becoming my friend. I wish to check up on her.”

“You’re gonna make me jealous, Princess,” her retainer said, still completely deadpan, but nonetheless teasingly.

Sophitia smiled. “One of the benefits of always having you by my side is that I never need to check up on you.” Once she was on her feet, the princess realized how much better she was feeling. Whatever ill effects she had suffered in the Breach of Demise had nearly worn off. Before stepping out of the tent, Liliana handed Sophitia’s rapier back to her, which she affixed at her waist. She was still dressed in her traveling clothes, but Liliana helped dress her in a warm doublet as the sun had gone down at that point.

After peeling the tent flap open, the knights who were standing guard at the entrance stepped aside and saluted her. Sophitia and Liliana gave them a curt nod as they passed, but did not request them to follow.

“How long has the sun been down?” Sophitia asked as they wandered between the other tents set up throughout the camp.

“Not long,” Liliana replied. “I wanted to let you sleep until morning, but I knew you would hate it if I didn’t let you work.”

“You know me well.”

Many of the tents they passed had no indication of who was inside. They likely housed servants, priests, or various other members of their retinue. Other tents had banners, flags, or shields on display, showing various House symbols. Since they did not know where Mina and her father would be set up, they had to keep searching.

Eventually, they spotted a grand tent marked by a black banner with a green Orhat emblazoned upon it. Guards stood outside of it wearing similarly colored cloaks.

As Sophitia and Liliana approached, the guards crossed their spears to block the entrance. Sophitia stopped in her tracks and regarded the men in front of her with confusion. As the fourth child of the king, there were very few people who would ever deny her access to anywhere, so it was not something she was very used to.

“Excuse us,” Liliana said firmly, stepping up next to her charge. “We wish to speak with Lord Remoth.” She spoke as if she could not believe the audacity of the guards, and her hand sought her weapon as if she genuinely planned to use it.

“It’s alright, Liliana,” the princess said disarmingly, waving her hand gently as if to tell her to calm herself. “Good sirs, would you kindly let your lord know that Princess Zelda Sophitia requests an audience with him and his daughter?”

Both guards wore black hoods over their heads, and their faces were further concealed by helmets with a single long, thin slit that revealed very little. However, a distinctive red glow was just barely visible through the eye slits of their helmets, giving both guards away as Sheikah. They did not respond for a moment, and instead only stared down at the young women silently. Sophitia actually shivered from how creepy it was. She hoped she merely came off as cold.

Finally, the guards turned their heads to look at one another. One of them nodded and walked into the tent, while the other stayed where he was, still blocking the way with his spear.

The princess forced a smile. “My thanks, sir knight.” She glanced at her retainer uncertainly, but the two of them waited patiently.

However, while she stood outside the tent, Sophitia noticed voices coming from inside. It was quite muffled, but she could just barely make some of it out.

“What were you thinking?” came a man’s voice, deep and intimidating, and clearly angry about something.

“What were you thinking?” A young woman’s voice replied, fierce and defiant, and on the defensive. “If I hadn’t gone back--”

“You could’ve been killed!”

“No one even saw me! Besides, those Blins were about to--”

“Listen, child. You have no idea how hard I’ve worked to… What do you want?”

A third voice that must have been that of the Sheikah guard spoke up. “My lord, the princess is outside. She requests an audience with you.”

There was a gasp. “Sophie’s here?” Mina Remoth sounded relieved.

“I see. Send her in,” Toren Remoth commanded.

“Yes, my lord.”

As the Sheikah guard returned through the opening in the tent, Sophitia straightened up and tried to act nonchalant, hoping neither guard could tell she had overheard anything. However, neither guard said anything. They simply stepped aside.

“Thank you,” the princess said again, bowing slightly before walking past them. Liliana followed her inside the Remoth tent, staying as close to her as she could.

As with most noble’s traveling tents, Lord Remoth’s was quite spacious. There was a large bed on one side, a weapon rack by the wall with a gigantic pike on it, and a table on the other end that could seat at least six people easily. The lord was seated as they entered, but he soon stood and raised himself to his full height. Luckily, the roof was quite high. Ordinarily, Sophitia and her retainer were instantly intimidated in the man’s presence, but he looked somewhat pale and disheveled at the moment. The lack of refinement somehow made him seem a bit less scary.

Mina had been standing next to her father’s chair. When she saw them enter, a look of relief seemed to wash over her face. “Sophie, Lillie!” As she spoke, she climbed over the table, coming towards them. “Glad to see you’re still alive,” the red haired girl said, clapping a hand onto each of their shoulders.

“I am glad to see you are safe as well,” Sophitia replied.

“We arrived here some time ago,” Liliana said questioningly. She seemed to be pointing out that word of the princess’s return would have spread to the camp already, and Mina should have known that.

“Ah, good. I just got back a minute ago,” Mina replied, stepping away from them.

“What?” The princess was shocked and worried by this news. Now that she mentioned it, Sophitia noticed the girl was a bit of a mess. Her clothing was dirty and torn, her hair was unkempt, and she seemed to be somewhat out of breath. “What happened? Are you alright? Were you harmed?”

“I thought you were in front of us,” Liliana said. “You rode off when we got knocked off our horses.”

“Yeah, but I got turned around. Plus, I wanted to make sure the other stragglers made it out of the Breach. Those Blins were vicious.”

“Princess.”

Sophitia flinched at Lord Remoth’s voice. He walked around the table to come stand behind his daughter.

“Ah, yes. Lord Remoth. My apologies; how rude of me,” she said, giving him a curt bow. “Thank you for having us.”

Lord Remoth bowed deeply in return before straightening up and looking down at them. “I apologize for not joining you when you made it to camp,” he said in his slow, deliberate tone. “As she has just finished telling you, my daughter had been left behind, so I was preoccupied with coordinating the search team.”

“That is quite alright, my lord. You were right to focus on your daughter’s safety.” Sophitia had been somewhat worried when she’d overheard the father and daughter arguing, but it seemed as if it was nothing to worry about after all. Lord Remoth had simply been upset with his daughter for putting herself in danger by going back for others.

He’s a surprisingly caring father.

“Now, what can I do for you, my princess?” the lord asked.

“Oh, I did not require anything in particular,” Sophitia replied. “I merely wished to see if you and your daughter were unharmed and able to travel come morning.”

“Oh yeah,” Mina said, tilting her head up and putting a finger to her chin. “I guess we’re parting ways tomorrow, eh?” Sliding behind Sophitia and Liliana, she put her arms around their shoulders and pulled them in close. “Well then, why don’t we have some fun tonight before I have to head home to Midoro?”

“I am afraid not, child,” Lord Remoth said plainly. “You are in no condition for such things. You must rest now.”

“Ugh, Dad. I’m fine,” the impish girl insisted.

Lord Remoth sighed. “You mustn’t trouble the princess this way.”

“It is no trouble at all, my lord,” Sophitia countered, smiling disarmingly. “Mina may come with us. I shall personally ensure that she gets everything she needs tonight.”

“How very generous of you, Princess.” Lord Remoth was as polite as ever, but Sophitia couldn’t help but hear the slightest tinge of annoyance in his voice.

The Lord of Spikes was not someone the princess wanted to upset. She decided it was probably a good time to get out of his tent. “Thank you, my lord. I shall take my leave now.” Sophitia bowed, then turned to exit with her retainer and the lord’s daughter in tow.

“Night, Dad!” Mina called to her father as she left.

Once outside, they walked past the silent Sheikah guards again, heading towards the next tent with the Remoth symbol upon it, which the princess assumed to have been set up for Mina. “You know, Mina,” Sophitia began. “Perhaps your father is right. I am quite exhausted from the day’s events as well. Shall we all turn in for the night?”

“Hey, how many people got killed?” Mina asked, not responding to Sophitia’s suggestion.

“What?” Liliana asked her.

“What about your brother? Is he okay?” Mina went on.

Stopping outside of the other girl’s tent, Sophitia furrowed her brow in confusion.

Why is she asking about Lancel?

“Yes, my brother made it here safely, even before I did,” Sophitia confirmed. “And I have obtained a count of the casualties. It is tragic that we have lost anyone, but judging by the size of the force that attacked us, it could have been far worse.”

Mina drew in a deep breath, then exhaled in relief. Afterwards, she clapped her hands together once, perking up. “Excellent! This calls for a celebration.”

“What?” Sophitia was still confused by the other girl’s actions.

“I know there was ale in the supply carts. Let’s go have a drink,” the impish girls suggested.

Is that all this girl knows how to do?!

“C-Come now, surely that is not the best of ideas,” Sophitia declined, gesturing to the tent’s entrance. “My lady, perhaps you should go lie down for a while. You must be tired--”

“Uh, uh, uh,” Mina held her hand in the princess’s face, wagging her finger. “I distinctly recall you promising my father that you shall personally ensure that I get everything I need tonight,” she said with a fiendish grin. “I’m gonna hold you to that, Princess. And right now, what I need is some good booze.”

Sophitia sighed, and Liliana put her arm around her back. “You know, Princess, this could be your last night to spend with Lady Remoth for some time,” she pointed out. “Why not share a friendly drink or two in her company?”

The princess noticed the look on her retainer’s face. She knew the round-eared girl was telling her something.

This is one last opportunity to cement my friendship with Lord Remoth’s daughter, further ensuring his loyalty.

She supposed Liliana was right. It would be bad form to rebuff Mina when they would be parting ways in the morning. “You make a good point, my friend. Sure, Mina. A drink would be lovely.”

“Hurray!” Mina cheered. “Come on, let’s go find the good stuff before my Dad’s soldiers drink it all.”


The next morning was rather hectic. A flurry of soldiers and servants had to pack up the entire camp in preparation to resume the journey. Most of the surviving wounded were healed well enough to continue, while those with more severe injuries were loaded into the wagons. As there had been several horses lost in the battle as well, many more people had to walk. To make up for any delays, Prince Lancel made the decision to begin the second leg of their journey two hours earlier than they’d initially planned. So, at dawn, while the rest of their party was finishing packing, Sophitia decided to ride the short distance north to the edge of Ludfo’s Bog with Toren and Mina Remoth in order to properly see them off.

The weather was terrible that morning. Sophitia was not surprised. The Ridgelands were famous for their poor weather, which came in the form of heavy rains and frequent thunderstorms. “I hope this rain lets up soon,” Sophitia said to Liliana and Mina. After having lost her favorite horse in the Breach of Demise, Sophitia had taken a new one, which she rode between her friends. She and the others all wore cloaks meant to shield them from the rain, but it made it somewhat difficult to see.

Mina giggled devilishly. “If you hate water, Princess, Midoro is not the place for you.”

As they rode closer, Sophitia could see what the Remoth girl was talking about. Just up ahead, the road seemed to disappear into the dark swamp of Ludfo’s Bog. Where there was no water, there was mud. A tangle of messy plantlife covered much of the area, but there were no trees. In their place were gigantic mushroom caps sitting upon ten, twenty, even thirty-foot tall stalks.

“Sure you wouldn’t like to join us for the grand tour, Princess?” Mina teased.

Sophitia laughed good-naturedly. “I am certain your city is a wonderful place, Mina. But I’m afraid I have not the time.”

“Sure, sure.” Mina nodded her head, smirking. “Ooh, check it out. You can see them now.”

“What?” Liliana asked. “The mushrooms?”

“Better.” Mina pointed, and the others struggled to see through the darkness and heavy rain. However, after riding for another moment, Sophitia could make out what Mina was pointing at.

“...Oh.” Up ahead, there was a tall wooden pole, sharpened to a point at the top. Upon that pole was what appeared to be a man’s corpse, impaled through the chest. As they rode closer, Sophitia could see there were more of these spikes further on, jutting upwards on either side of the road. Sophitia knew of this practice. It was what had earned Lord Remoth his nickname, the Lord of Spikes. Criminals and monsters were executed by impalement and displayed in this manner as a warning to other would-be wrongdoers and to monsters who dared stray too close to civilization. Some claimed it was an effective way to reduce crime and monster attacks, but Sophitia found the practice brutal and extremely vulgar.

“Princess…” Liliana said quietly, likely seeing the hints of distress on her charge’s face.

“I am fine,” Sophitia insisted, taking a deep breath to collect herself and maintain her composure.

Be like Victorique. Show no fear.

“Hey, where are those prisoners? Did they make it through the Breach? Oh, by Din, I can’t wait to see the looks on their faces...” Mina looked around excitedly, then spotted the bars of the prison wagon further back in the convoy. “Oi! Fellas! Take a good look!”

“Mina.”

“What?”

Sophitia pulled her horse’s reins, bringing it to a stop, then cleared her throat. “Well, I believe I’ve gone as far as I can afford. I really should be getting back to my brother.”

“Aw. Alright then, Princess. Hope to see you again soon. Try not to die out there, eh?” Mina flashed those impish fangs of hers. “Same to you, round-ears,” she added to Liliana.

After spotting the girls stopped on the road, Mina’s father rode over to join them, sitting atop his gigantic Gerudo stallion. “Ah. I see this is where we part ways.”

“I-Indeed,” Sophitia replied, only flinching a little. “My father and I were most grateful for your attendance at the summit, and for your willingness to aid us in the matter with Hebra.”

“No gratitude is necessary, child,” Lord Remoth said politely. “I am always honored to serve the Royal Family. Now, I shall gather our forces here and await your command.”

“Only as a contingency,” the princess firmly reminded him, perhaps too firmly. “Ahem. That is to say, I have hope that this matter can still be resolved peacefully. It would be unbecoming of us to move any troops into Hebra until we are certain it is absolutely necessary.”

“I understand, my princess.” The Lord of Spikes bowed his head. “I hope the rest of your journey proceeds without further incident.”

“Thank you. We’ll be on our way now. Farewell, my lord. Farewell, my lady.”

“See ya.” Mina gave one last wave as she and her father rejoined the convoy, moving into the swamps ahead. Sophitia remained and watched them for a short time, wondering if everything had worked out as planned.

“Shall we head back now, Sophitia?” Liliana asked.

“Yes. Let’s.”

The two of them turned their horses around and headed back the way they came. There was much Sophitia wished to talk about, but neither of them said a word until they had passed the last of Lord Remoth’s retinue and they were safely out of earshot.

“So, is everything proceeding according to your plans?” her retainer asked, correctly guessing that was what she wanted to discuss.

“Hmm…” Sophitia mused, pulling out her ledger. “Well, yes, on paper,” she replied. “I seem to have Lord Remoth’s loyalty and respect, but one can never know for sure how much of that is a facade when a person speaks to their betters.”

“Indeed, Princess. My constant flattery directed at you is often feigned, for example.”

Sophitia chuckled. “Nonsense. You mean every word and you know it.”

“I do.” Liliana nodded. “You are certainly among the three greatest princesses I know.”

Sophitia shook her head, amused. “Now then. As I was saying, I appear to be on good terms with Lord Remoth, as was the goal. But, if war does break out between Hyrule and Hebra, I suppose only time will tell how much I can truly control him.”

“I’m guessing the impaled corpses of his enemies lining the road do not inspire much confidence in his ability to exercise restraint.”

Sophitia shuddered. “Yes. Such a horrid practice. We hang criminals in the capital, sure, but we do not leave bloodied corpses on display for all to see.”

“Mina did not seem to mind.”

The princess sighed. “I pity her. To her, I suppose this all seems normal.”

“It is more than normal to her,” Liliana stated. “It clearly amuses her greatly.”

“Yes. She certainly seems to have inherited at least some of her father’s cruelty,” Sophitia admitted. “But she is not all bad. I would hope to see her again when all of this is over.”

Liliana smirked. “Oh? Were you not simply playing her friend to gain her father’s trust?”

“Come now, old friend. Do I truly appear so cold-hearted? I know for a fact you enjoyed her company as well. You must have appreciated having a friend to drink with again.”

“I suppose. We shall have to spend more time with her when all of this is over. But next time, let’s skip the part where we get attacked by bandits in a dark alley.”

When they returned to camp, they found all the tents had been taken down and everything that would be coming with them had been loaded back into the supply wagons. Not wanting to waste any more time, Sophitia sought out her brother so that the two of them might give the order to move out. She found his bodyguard standing outside of Lancel’s carriage, waiting patiently in the rain.

“Sir Anselm,” the princess called down to the knight from atop her horse. “Is my brother prepared to depart?”

“Indeed, Princess.” The elderly knight tapped his gauntlet against the carriage door before opening it. “She is here, my prince.”

Lancel poked his head outside. “Ah! Splendid. Come, get out of the rain and join me, sweet sister.”

Sophitia had initially planned to travel by horse for the whole trip, but given the dreadful weather, a ride in the back of a carriage sounded much nicer. She had one of her own, but perhaps it would be pleasant to ride with her brother instead.

It will also give us plenty of time to discuss our plans for Hebra.

“Certainly, dear brother.” Sophitia climbed down off of her new horse, then handed it off to one of Lancel’s servants. Liliana followed suit, and they both climbed into the carriage, sitting down across from the prince.

“We’ll be off now, Branli,” Sir Anselm said to the driver before joining them inside and shutting the door. A moment later, Sophitia felt the carriage lurch forward as it began to move, and she knew the rest of the convoy would be moving with it.

“So, the Lord of Spikes is on his way home?” Lancel asked, casually using Lord Remoth’s infamous nickname.

“Lancel…” Sir Anselm muttered disapprovingly.

“Ah, how rude of me,” the prince said, holding up a hand. “The Lord Paramount of Spikes.”

Sophitia smiled good-naturedly at her brother’s joke while Liliana helped her remove her rain-soaked cloak. “Yes. He is to hold his forces in the Ridgelands. Let us pray we have no need for them.”

“Indeed. That would make things too easy,” Lancel said. Once Liliana removed her own cloak as well, she hung both cloaks on a hook by the carriage door. “Ah. You’re both still soaked,” the prince commented. “We wouldn’t want you to catch a cold, now.” Holding out one hand, he waved it in a slow, flowing movement. Sophitia felt the water on her body running forwards, as if dripping sideways instead of downwards. She watched as it flew through the air from her and from Liliana, collecting in a sphere of water hovering above Lancel’s hand. Sir Anselm then opened the carriage door for a brief moment, letting Lancel casually toss the ball of water outside.

Sophitia felt as dry as she would be after wiping herself down with a towel. “Impressive,” Liliana said, running her hand through her hair to feel the lack of moisture.

Lancel wore a cocky smirk. “Princess Miphela may have taught me some aquamancy,” he said, shrugging with obviously feigned modesty. “Perhaps the Rito can provide me with some insight into the art of aeromancy while we are visiting Hebra.”

The princess nodded with her brother’s statement. “Sage Balla may very well be willing to. I look forward to meeting her.”

“And meet her we shall, and quite soon, might I add,” her brother replied. “We shall surely arrive at the Wind Temple before long. I wonder if what they say is true, and Zephos truly floats atop the clouds above his temple. A most slothful god, I hear.”

“I suppose that is fitting. He is only the god of gentle winds, after all,” Sophitia reminded him. “His brother likely never sits still.”

“Which is something I am sure sounds familiar to you, Princess,” Sir Anselm commented.

“Oi,” Lancel snapped his fingers, pointing to his retainer. “I strongly suspect that perhaps you had a particular brother of hers in mind when you related that sentiment, sir knight.”

Suddenly, the sound of thunder made Sophitia jump, a clear sign that the weather had gotten even worse.

“Hmm. I guess one of those gods is angry, eh?” Liliana said half-jokingly.

“Seraphina used to think thunder was the sound of Farore dropping something heavy,” Sophitia said, the memory of her little sister’s innocence causing her to smile. “And rain was Nayru’s tears.”

“Ah, yes. I remember,” Lancel said. “Perhaps not the most scientific of explanations, but a great deal more poetic.”

After a few more minutes of smalltalk, there was a lull in the conversation, so the princess pulled her ledger from her carrying bag. She cleared her throat before speaking up again. “While we have some time, perhaps it would be best if we discussed our plans in further detail?”

“An excellent suggestion, Princess,” Sir Anselm agreed.

“Oh, nonsense, sweet sister!” Lancel complained, leaning his head back into his seat. “We spent a week planning our every move, from the Wind Temple to Medoh to Skyloft. Surely you’ve grown tired of it by now?”

Sophitia kept up a neutral expression, but she was certain Liliana noticed one of her eyebrows twitch. Back when she was still being educated at the Hyrulean Royal Academy, there had been a noble’s son in her class who never needed to study. He always got good marks without even trying, and because of that, he seemed incapable of comprehending why anyone would want to waste their time studying. Lancel reminded her of that boy sometimes. However, a thought occurred to her.

If he has every step planned out already, then that means there are some things he hasn’t told me.

She certainly did not know the details of everything her brother intended to do. Was he keeping something from her? What could it be? A way to shift most of the credit to him? But, after a few minutes fretting over it, the princess shook her head.

I must stop letting Percival get to me…

“Be that as it may, Brother, there are still just a few details I wish to iron out with you, if you please.”

“Yes, yes, alright.” Lancel replied by retrieving his own ledger, opening it and allowing the pages to flip themselves to a particular page. “So, from where would you like to begin?”


The weather had actually eased up once they were past the Seres Scablands, and it was completely clear by the time they reached the Tabantha Great Bridge. It was as if the sky as well as the earth were divided by the great Tanagar Canyon that served as the border between the Ridgelands and the Hebra Province.

Crossing the bridge had been the first major holdup since they left camp that morning. The bridge was wooden and did not appear to be as well-maintained as it should have been, possibly because the Rito simply flew over the canyon anyway. So, they could not have the entire convoy cross at once. Sophitia considered it a minor miracle that the Kodongo that was pulling Grand Artisan Rodan’s wagon managed to cross the bridge at all.

Once on the other side, the road took them through a stretch of land between Piper Ridge and the Rayne Highlands. The Wind Temple itself was immediately visible at the peak of the highlands to the south, but to reach it, they were forced to loop around to the slopes on the west side and climb their way up from there.

Now that the weather was clear, Sophitia and Liliana had been free to ride their horses again. As they neared the temple, they passed by some ancient stone columns lining the road. The columns were an odd mix of Hylian architecture and Rito symbols, including statues of birds sitting atop some of them.

“Awfully high walls for a temple,” Liliana pointed out.

Sophitia looked ahead at the structure looming in the distance. Now that she mentioned it, the princess noticed it looked closer to a castle than a temple, if one were to ignore the religious icons decorating it. “That is true. Perhaps the defenses are to inhibit monster attacks.”

“It was not always a temple,” came a voice from beside them.

Sophitia and Liliana noticed they had been riding beside a wagon carrying Grand Archivist Botrick. “Is that so, Grand Archivist?” Sophitia asked politely, inviting him to continue.

“It was once known as the Fortress of Winds,” the old man said, not making it clear if he had heard her exactly. “It was the seat of power of the Wind Tribe until they decided to return to Skyloft. Later, it was claimed by the remaining Rito tribes, and they turned it into a temple for the twin gods of wind, Zephos and Cyclos.”

“Yes, that is so,” the princess confirmed, knowing the rest of the story from there. “And when Hebra became a part of the kingdom, the wind gods were invited to join the pact we had with the other eight Patrons, but only Zephos agreed.” It had been Sophitia’s great-grandfather who had managed to conquer Hebra, and a previous Sage of Light had facilitated the negotiations with the Rito wind shamans.

“Why didn’t the other god agree?” Liliana asked, sounding confused.

Sophitia thought about it, and realized she did not know the exact reason. “I am not sure. Not all gods get along with one another. Perhaps Cyclos did not see eye to eye with the other Patrons, or perhaps he did not wish to impart his power upon a sage.”

“Hm. The gods sure are petty.”

“Well, I don’t know about that…” Sophitia replied.

“Oh, no, she is quite right, Princess,” the Grand Archivist added. “Many gods, Cyclos especially, have been known to be extraordinarily temperamental. Spiteful, even.”

Sophitia sighed. “Yes, I suppose.” Nervously, she glanced upwards at the sky. It was slightly cloudy, but there were no signs of angry gods hanging above them ready to smite those speaking ill of them. Still, she did as her sisters often did, making the sign of the Triforce with her hands just in case. She was not as convinced as her sisters were that their divine ancestor was truly watching over them, but one could never know for sure.

Outside the gates of the Wind Temple, the convoy came to a halt. Lancel climbed out of his carriage along with Sir Anselm.

“Are we ready, Brother?” Sophitia asked as she and Liliana dismounted by Lancel’s carriage.

“Absolutely. Let’s go meet a sage!” Lancel made a gesture with his hand, and several of his knights approached him. “Gentlemen, we shall require two separate camps. Have the Grand Artisan’s and the Grand Archivist’s belongings unloaded here closer to the temple. They’ll be staying here while we continue on to Medoh. Me, my sister, and the governor require our camp set up further down the hill. We’ll only be here one night, but make it comfortable. Oh, and save some wine for me.”

“Yes, my prince.” The knights saluted, then hurried off. The prince, the princess, and their bodyguards stepped away from the group while the others began setting up camp. They waited until they were joined by the Grand Artisan, the Grand Archivist, and Governor Koridai, along with two knights in gray cloaks who escorted him.

“My lords,” Sophitia said, addressing them all respectfully. “Please come with me.” Taking the initiative with the hope of establishing herself in a leadership role early on, the princess led the way to the temple gates. The others followed behind her. Atop the stone walls that surrounded the inner complex, a pair of Rito guards wielding feathered spears stood on either side of the gate. When they approached, one of the guards blew into a horn, and a gust of wind opened the gate for them.

Past the outer walls, they were greeted by a group of wind shamans standing in a semicircle. All of them were Rito, wearing feathers and robes of various colors. Some carried feathered staves. Standing in the middle, a few feet in front of the others, was a very young Rito girl. Her feathers were white and pink. She was dressed just like the other shamans, but she also wore a necklace with a medallion hanging from it.

“Greetings, Hylian friends,” the young Rito girl said with a curt bow. “And Goron friend,” she added, nodding to the gigantic Rodan following behind the others. She did not seem to notice that Liliana was an Ordonian, but non-humans often could not tell the difference. “I am Balla, Sage of the Gentle Wind God. It is my pleasure to welcome you to my temple.”

Sophitia had figured as much from the sage medallion, but she was still surprised. She’d heard the new Sage of Wind was young, but she did not realize she was a child. It was difficult to discern her exact age, but Balla was about the same height as Seraphina. “I am honored to meet you, wise sage,” the princess said. “I am Princess Zelda Sophitia Hyrule. I trust my letter found you well?”

“Oh yes, thank you, Princess,” Balla confirmed, punctuating her sentence with a pleasant chirp. “I was most pleased to hear of your plans. A cooperative effort between our peoples to reclaim the City in the Sky is a most wonderful idea.”

“Yes, a most wonderful idea indeed.” Prince Lancel stepped forward, shooting his sister a sly grin.

Sophitia was not sure what exactly to make of it, but the impression she got was ‘Taking credit for my idea, Sister? Clever!’ She briefly hoped he wouldn’t feel the need to even the score for that somehow.

“Great sage, as my lovely sister has stated, it is an honor to meet you. I am Prince Lancel Leif Hyrule.” After bowing deeply, he gestured to their companions. “I’m sure you’ve already met the esteemed Governor Koridai. This distinguished fellow is our most learned Grand Archivist Botrick. And, of course, the one you can’t miss is Grand Artisan Rodan, the finest craftsman Hyrule has seen since Din herself.”

Sophitia bit back her minor distress. She realized it had been rude of her to begin speaking with the sage without properly introducing her companions. Now Lancel had implicitly pointed that out by doing it himself, while also securing his position as the one all the others are connected with. He even threw in some solid flattery for good measure.

Is this his revenge?

“I am happy to receive you all,” Sage Balla replied. “It is good to see you again, Governor.” Tilting her head far back, she turned to Rodan. “Grand Artisan, I believe you will be the one building the structure we plan to use in order to reach the City in the Sky? Is there anywhere on the grounds you would like me to show you so that you might find a good place to begin?”

“How about the roof, great sage?” Lancel offered before Rodan could respond.

Sage Balla nodded. “Of course. Shall we start there, artisan?”

The Goron chuckled. “Sure, that’s as good a place as any. We going inside this place? Hope the temple’s got big doors and high ceilings.”

“But of course,” Balla replied. “This temple is large enough for the Wind Gods, and they are both larger than yourself.”

“Well, that’s good to hear. Lead the way, brother!”

Balla chirped happily, then turned to gesture towards the temple’s entrance gate, a gigantic stone slab with various symbols inscribed on it. “Please come with me, friends.” The other wind shamans parted to let them pass. As they approached, the gates opened, releasing a rush of wind. Sophitia reflexively grabbed Liliana’s shoulder to avoid being knocked over.


As the party stepped inside, the princess saw that Balla had not been lying. Even the entrance hall was high-ceilinged. The hall stretched far in every direction, with several doorways visible along the wall. The sage led them to the one in the center.

Something unique Sophitia noted about the design of the building was that there were openings in the walls and ceiling large enough for Rito to fly through. There were also smaller holes dotting the stone walls. From the noise and the draft, it was clear that wind was circulating through these holes in all directions. The princess wondered what the function of that was. Perhaps they were to power mechanical devices throughout the temple, or perhaps the air circulation simply helped the shamans perform their aeromancy.

Passing through the center doorway, the party arrived in a large, square-shaped room. In it were two gigantic statues that stretched nearly from floor to ceiling. Each of the statues depicted a frog sitting atop a cloud. The one on the left was painted blue, and it was reclining on its cloud as if relaxing. The one on the right was painted red, and it sat upright with its arms crossed and a stern look on its face.

“Is that really what they look like?” Liliana whispered to her charge.

“Shh…” Sophitia shushed her, hoping the sage had heard nothing.

“Zephos, my Patron, still visits the temple from time to time,” Balla said, speaking from the head of the group as if acting as their tour guide. “But mostly he speaks to me with his voice in the wind. My predecessor tells me Cyclos has not been here for quite some time, but my people still offer him our prayers. His storms may seem destructive, but they are a vital part of nature as well.”

“Of course, Sage,” Lancel replied. “Storms are the gods’ way of correcting for extreme imbalances in the atmosphere. Without them, there would be little to keep global temperatures and pressures in check.”

“Ah, you impress me once again, young prince,” the Grand Archivist said approvingly.

Sophitia tried to think of something clever to say, but she drew a blank.

Why had I not thought to study weather phenomena before meeting with the Sage of Wind? How foolish of me!

As they moved past the large statues, they approached a doorway leading to a staircase at the end of the room. The doorway was flanked by three smaller stone statues on either side. These statues did not depict the wind gods. They were about the size of an ordinary human and they were of a vague humanoid shape, but they had the appearance of empty suits of armor, including a horned helmet with an empty circular depression where a face would otherwise be.

When Sophitia and her party came near the door, the statues suddenly moved, turning their helmets to face them. Within the circular part of each of their helmets, a glowing red ball of light appeared, as if it were a single angry red eye.

“Oh, dear,” Balla said. She stopped walking, so everyone else behind her did as well. They watched as the bodies of the statues rotated while the faceless heads remained in place, staring at them with those red cyclops eyes. The six of them marched in front of the staircase, blocking the way. Each statue held a stone spear and a gigantic tower shield, which they now raised in a defensive formation.

Liliana, Anselm, and Governor Koridai’s two knights reacted quickly, drawing their own weapons and forming a line between their charges and the statues.

“Sage, what is happening?” Sophitia asked. “Why have your Armos activated?”

“Sorry, sorry! No need to worry,” the Rito girl said, moving between the knights and the Armos and holding up her wings. “The Armos in this temple were built by the Minish, so they are quite ancient. We have had some difficulty adjusting their directives, so they often react this way to the presence of strangers.” From within her robes, the sage produced what appeared to be a thin silver wand. “One moment, please.” She began waving the wand like a conductor’s baton. It thrummed pleasantly, reacting to her movements as she waved it through the air. The wind circulating throughout the room picked up as well, and Sophitia could’ve sworn she heard the sounds of a distant choir singing in the wind.

After a moment, the lights in the Armos’ helmets turned blue. They lowered their spears and shields, then slowly moved in sync back to their posts on either side of the doorway. Once back in place, the lights faded, and they returned to being lifeless statues. Balla chirped a couple times, as if to clear her throat. “Now, then. Shall we?”

While the incident with the Armos was sudden and somewhat distressing, Sophitia and the others quickly decided to put it behind them and move on. The sage led them up a spiral staircase to the next floor.

After a short walk, they arrived in what appeared to be a room intended for prayer. Many smaller statues of the Wind Gods were spread out across the room, with cushions for kneeling or sitting circled around them. Some of the statues sat above fire pits, while others slowly rotated in place. The room was filled with Rito, many of whom were situated near the prayer statues.

There was an odd sort of silence when Sophitia and her companions entered the room. It seemed as though everyone had stopped what they were doing to stare in their direction, although the princess could not tell if they were staring at the Sage of Wind, the human visitors, or the conspicuously large Goron. For a moment, the only sounds were their footsteps on the stone floor and the wind blowing in through the many holes in the walls and ceiling. But soon, the low hum of gossipy whispers could be heard as well.

“Is this temple open to the public?” Sophitia asked curiously, subtly glancing about the room in an attempt to listen in on what the Rito might be saying about them.

Balla chirped affirmatively. “Indeed, Princess. While the shamans and I reside here along with some other caretakers, Rito from across Hebra travel here to offer their prayers to the Wind Gods.”

“I see.” Glancing to her right, Sophitia made eye contact with a Rito who had a head like a pigeon. Almost immediately, he looked away. He cooed to another Rito standing beside him, and the two of them flew towards the ceiling, exiting through a doorway high up on the wall. It was difficult to tell the cause of this reaction, but it did not fill the princess with confidence. She shot Liliana an uncertain glance, and her retainer simply nodded understandingly.

Later, I must try to speak with the people here.

“What’re those little protrusions over there?” Grand Artisan Rodan asked, pointing towards one of the walls. “Some kinda chute?”

Sophitia examined what he was referring to. At several places along the sides of the room, there were cylindrical stone structures sticking up out of the ground, like large pipes of some kind. They would have come up to about her chest, and they looked more than large enough for a person to climb into.

“Oh, those,” Balla replied. “We use those to travel between floors,” she explained. “Truth be told, the stairs do not get much use here.” With her wing, she directed their attention to the ceiling, where more of the pipes could be seen.

“Ah, how convenient,” Lancel said, adjusting his spectacles. “We may not be able to make use of these chutes as we ascend, but it will surely make our descent much more expedient,” he joked. Then he turned to Rodan and looked up at him. “I do hope our friends have constructed one large enough for you as well.”

Rodan laughed heartily, and his booming voice caused many of the Rito throughout the room to chirp in fright, some of them taking flight and exiting through the many doors and chutes.

“Oh, dear,” Governor Koridai said, glancing around. “Our sincerest apologies, Sage Balla. I am sure the Grand Artisan did not mean to frighten anyone.”

Balla chirped uncertainly. “...It is no matter.”

Sophitia pressed her hand to her face wearily.

I must have a talk with the Gorons before we leave them here.

Continuing with the impromptu tour, the sage led them up another flight of stairs, which now felt odd knowing that they were forcing her to take the long way. “There is one more floor before we reach the rooftop,” Balla explained as they stepped out of the stairwell.

The next room was much like the last. Gigantic, high-ceilinged, doors and chutes throughout, and filled with Hylian and Rito architecture mixed together. There were only two statues this time, both in the center of the room. One was a pretty Hylian woman with her hair in two buns. She wore a dress decorated with leaves and held a book against her chest with one hand, while the other hand gestured outwards. The look on the statue’s face was oddly playful. The other statue, situated directly behind her, was a gigantic eagle posing with its wings extended majestically.

“Farore,” the princess said, recognizing the likeness of the Hylian statue immediately. She reflexively made the sign of the Triforce with her hands, as did all the other Hylians in their party.

“That’s correct,” Balla said. “The Life Goddess is also the precursor to our current Wind Gods, so we honor her here as well. As you may know, she appeared in very different forms to your people and my own, so both are depicted together.”

Sophitia was not unaccustomed to the sight of a god in the form of a bird. After all, the capital’s very own Patron, Laemora, took the shape of a large bird that glowed with golden light. However, she still found it odd to think of Farore appearing as an eagle. The Golden Goddesses were the only gods older than Hylia, and no one alive today had ever seen them, but the princess was much more used to seeing her depicted in Hylian form. She wondered if maybe that was the reason most gods nowadays took only one form. Perhaps they could theoretically change their appearance however they wanted, but they preferred to be recognizable.

After one last flight of stairs, Sophitia and her companions finally reached the highest rooftop of the temple complex. It was a large, rectangular area, fenced in by a line of pillars around the outside edges. A brick walkway led from the stairs to a dais on the far side of the roof, going under a set of arches decorated with Rito and Hylian symbols, including the Triforce. The areas of the ground that were not tiled had lush green grass growing on it. Many brightly colored parrots perched atop the stone pillars, singing pleasantly in the wind.

“Right this way, Great Rodan,” Balla said, leading them along the pathway under the arches. The tiled ground opened up into a large square as they approached the dais. There was a Mark of Farore present in the center, consisting of a circle being enveloped by two crescent moons, one larger than the other, all together forming a larger circle. “Will this area be large enough?”

Rodan looked around. “Sure, brother. I can build it here. Course, we intend to fly in it, yeah? I can build it on the ground level outside just as easily.”

“Oh. Yes, I suppose,” Balla said, scratching her beak.

“You might think so, Grand Artisan,” Prince Lancel joined in. “But the grounds on the hill outside the fortress are not at all properly level. You might find building the base of the sky lift much easier up here.”

The Grand Artisan stroked his beard. “Hmm. You may have a point there, brother.”

“And you, Sage Balla,” Princess Sophitia began, hoping to contribute something meaningful to the discussion as well. “You and your shamans intend to be the ones to lift us into the sky. Perhaps your aeromancy will be at its strongest here, atop your Patron’s temple?”

“Oh, yes!” Balla chirped happily. “I am sure Zephos will hear our prayers from up here.”

“It’s settled, then,” Lancel said, clapping his hands together. “And what do we have here?” Climbing the two steps up to the dais at the end of the roof, the prince approached a large stone tablet sticking out of the ground. He looked it up and down, but he apparently could not read it.

“Is that Rito script?” Sophitia asked.

“Yes and no, Princess,” the Grand Archivist replied. “That is the language of the Wind Tribe.”

“What does it say, Sage Balla?” Lancel asked.

The sage chirped, then began to speak as if reciting poetry. “We are the Tribe of the Winds. Long have we lived with the winds. We have mastered them. Now, we join them. Together, with the great winds at our backs, we head for the skies.” When she finished, she nodded respectfully. “It was the last message the Wind Tribe left before returning to Skyloft, you see,” she explained.

“Ah! How amazingly fitting for our joint expedition,” Lancel said, smiling happily to the Rito girl and his companions. “The gods have surely fated this to happen. Just as Rito and Hylians left for the sky from this spot together in ages past, we shall do so together again very shortly!”

“A lovely sentiment, my prince,” Governor Koridai said.

Sage Balla chirped happily. “Truly the gods must be guiding us this day,” she said. “I am certain my people will feel the same.”

Lancel turned and locked eyes with his sister. He gave her a rather smug grin, before turning away and climbing back down the steps. Sophitia was confused for a moment, then it hit her.

He knew.

Her brother must have read about that inscription ahead of time while researching the Wind Tribe. Just a small little detail that he could exploit, allowing him to deliver some sentimental words that will surely be spread by Balla amongst the Rito, making them view him that much more favorably. He even suggested they build on the roof.

He truly has thought of everything.

“I’ll head back to camp and tell my brothers to start moving materials and equipment up here,” Rodan said.

“I can ask some of the shamans to aid you,” Balla offered. “If their winds can carry it, they may be able to lift it from the ground directly to the roof.” Then she turned to the others. “Is there anything else my people can help the rest of you with?”

“I do not believe so, thank you,” Sophitia replied. “Might I walk around for a bit? I wish to see more of the temple.”

“Of course, friend,” Balla chirped. “You are all free to explore the grounds however you wish.”

“Thank you again, Sage,” the princess said with a bow. “Liliana.”

“Yes, Princess.” Her retainer joined her at her side, and the two of them headed for the stairs.


“This visit seems to be going well,” Liliana commented once they were out of earshot of the others.

“Yes, it does.” Sophitia sighed, rubbing her temple. “Although it seems to be going far better for my brother than for me.”

“You think he’s made a better impression than you have?” Liliana stepped down the stairs with her arms crossed behind her back, glancing over her shoulder to check if anyone was following them.

“I should think so. I struggle to think of a single worthwhile contribution I have made since we arrived,” the princess said, her frustration coming through rather plainly.

“But nothing has been decided here that was not already decided through your letters,” Liliana pointed out. “No one has contributed anything new. Today has been simple formalities.”

Sophitia set foot on the floor with the Farore statue, looking over the back of the great stone eagle as she considered her retainer’s words. “Hm. I suppose you have a point,” she agreed, nodding slightly. “Although I must say, that is not much better. We will be leaving this place tomorrow morning, and we will not be back for several days. I would rather make some kind of impact while I am here.”

“The Sage of Wind seemed to like you,” Liliana pointed out, following her charge as she walked around to the front of the statues. “Although, perhaps she is too young to know better.”

Sophitia chuckled. She stepped in front of the statues of Farore and took a moment to stare into the face of one of the world’s creators. As the Goddess of Courage, Farore was thought to be the one who decided when the next Hero would be born. It was Nayru, the Goddess of Wisdom, who was most often associated with Sophitia’s family. She was the one who’d supposedly entrusted the Triforce to the Hyrule bloodline’s ancient ancestor, the goddess Hylia. The princess took a moment to offer a silent prayer to them both. Courage and wisdom would be sorely needed in the coming days.

“Sage Balla has been kind to us, but she needs to be,” Sophitia stated. “I want to know how the Rito people really feel about our visit.”

Liliana seemed to hesitate for a moment, looking over her shoulder. “That might not be the most pleasant experience, Princess,” the bodyguard said. “Given the reason behind you and your brother being here, I’d wager about half of them will be somewhat… less receptive than Sage Balla has been.”

“I know,” Sophitia replied. “Some will not like me. Some may even hate me. But if I am to do anything at all here in Hebra, I must understand why they hate me.”

Liliana nodded. “Very well, Princess. But, as your bodyguard, I must insist I be present at all times.”

“Of course, old friend,” Sophitia said. “Your company will be as appreciated as always. However, I must insist, please refrain from putting your hand on your sword unless absolutely necessary.”

“But threatening people is half the fun of being a bodyguard.”

“Oh, come now,” the princess replied, waving her along as she walked towards the stairs. “Allow me to do the talking as well, if you please. Your tongue can be as sharp as your sword.”

When Sophitia arrived on the next floor, there were still people in the main prayer room. However, she did not wish to disturb them, so she continued on. Taking one of the side exits, she proceeded down a hallway until she came upon another area of the temple she hadn’t passed through on her way up to the roof. It appeared to be a mess hall, as there were several tables present, many of which had dishes and silverware on them.

Standing by the entrance with Liliana, the princess surveyed the room. There were several groups of Rito sitting at the various tables. Some were dressed similarly to the shamans whom Sophitia figured were temple residents. The others she assumed were travelers who had stopped at the temple to pray. From their varying avian features and distinct outfits, she could tell they hailed from many different tribes as well.

This should be perfect. I can learn much about how the Rito peoples view the kingdom and my family.

“I beg your pardon, kind sir,” Sophitia said, approaching a tall Rito man with brown and white feathers who reminded her of a quail. “I was wondering if I might speak with you for a moment.”

The Rito man regarded her, then spoke a sentence in a language the princess could not understand. She stood there looking up at him in confusion, while he looked at her expectantly. After a moment, the Rito shrugged and walked past her, exiting through the doorway.

“What language was that?” Sophitia asked, turning to Liliana.

Her retainer shrugged. “How should I know? All Rito languages sound alike to me.”

“Well, why didn’t he speak Hylian?” While she had not yet traveled to every corner of the kingdom, Sophitia had visited several other provinces before, and the only Children of Nayru she had ever met who were incapable of speaking her language were the Deku Scrubs. Sage Balla had spoken perfect Hylian, so she had not expected to encounter such a language barrier at the temple.

Liliana furrowed her brow. “Because he doesn’t,” she said, as if it were so obvious.

Sophitia hesitated, looking around the room for a moment. “Hylian is taught in school. To every child in the kingdom,” she said, explaining why the Rito man’s lack of Hylian comprehension was so odd to her. The importance of having a common language throughout the entire kingdom had been stressed since Hyrule’s early days.

“Not everyone finishes school,” Liliana explained. “And people don’t always grasp a new language, even if they’re taught it.”

Sophitia toyed with her hair, feeling embarrassed. She never liked revealing her ignorance on something. Her bloodline was one that valued wisdom, yet she had made herself look foolish. Thinking about it some more, even though she had studied the Zora language at the Academy, she still had a lot of trouble with it. Liliana had taught her a few Ordonian phrases as well, but she was constantly forgetting how to say them correctly.

“Of course. How silly of me,” the princess said with a forced smile. “I suppose I sometimes forget that not everyone can speak Hylian. I even forget it isn’t your first language on occasion. Your ability to speak two languages so fluently is quite impressive, Liliana,” she said, paying her friend a genuine compliment.

“I suppose you did not know me when I first came to the capital. My accent was so dreadful, people could scarcely understand me at all.”

“Hm.” Sophitia nodded, then scanned the room again. Spotting a pair of Rito with heads resembling parrots sitting at a table, she decided to approach them. However, before she even said a word, they got up and left as soon as they spotted her. She sighed in frustration. “I only wish to speak with them,” she complained to her friend. “Am I so frightening that they must flee?”

“Um, pardon me, Princess?”

Sophitia turned around to find a green-feathered Rito woman standing before her. Liliana instinctively moved to step between them, but the Princess waved her off. “I beg your pardon?” Sophitia said.

“Oh. Um. You are Princess Zelda, yes?” the Rito woman asked.

The princess smiled. “Yes, that is me.” Although she and her elder sister did not look very similar, it was possible she was being mistaken for Victorique. However, she chose to interpret the situation as her own reputation preceding her for once. “What might I do for you, citizen?”

The Rito woman chirped happily. “Oh! Splendid. I just wanted to thank you for all you and your father have done for Hebra,” she said, speaking in only slightly accented Hylian.

“That is very kind of you,” Sophitia said in return. Like the Rito’s High Chieftain Kanelo supposedly was, this Rito woman appeared to be a member of the faction that supported Hylian rule. “Might I ask what it is you are most grateful for?” While the princess had intended to find out why the opposition did not like her family, she supposed it would also be useful to learn why the loyalists remained loyal.

“Well, I suppose what your ancestors did for my tribe in the past,” the Rito woman explained. “Ours was one of the weakest, and we had nearly been wiped out back then. But the Hylians came and saved us from the other tribes, and stopped all the fighting. If it weren’t for Hyrule, I might not have been born.”

Sophitia smiled proudly. “Yes. The Kingdom of Hyrule has always strived for peace, as was Hylia’s will. We wish for nothing more than--”

“Oh, just shut your lying, self-righteous mouth!”

The princess flinched at the sound of yelling, coupled with a metal cup being thrown to the floor. She turned to see an angry-looking gray-feathered Rito rising to his feet. Liliana stepped in front of her, gripping her sword.

“I beg your pardon, sir,” Sophitia said, trying to conceal her nervousness. “This kind lady and I were in the middle of--”

“Peace? Peace?” the Rito man shouted incredulously, his talons scraping against the ground menacingly as he moved towards them. “Well, now. I didn’t realize marching an army into our lands and planting it right outside of our place of worship was your idea of peace.

“It is not an army,” Sophitia insisted. “We bring scholars and craftsmen to work with the sage. The only soldiers are our guards, and they will not be staying. They are to accompany us to Medoh in the morning.”

“Oh, that’s so much better!” The gray-feathered Rito slapped some silverware off of a table with his wing as he took another step closer. “You only wish to march on our capital. You’ll use your armies to intimidate our chieftains into obeying your every order, just like the so-called-governor!”

“That’s close enough,” Liliana warned him, drawing her sword.

“Liliana, don’t,” the princess said quickly, not wishing to escalate things any further. But it was too late. Many people throughout the mess hall began to panic, squawking in fear as they took flight in order to escape the room.

“Ha!” the belligerent Rito laughed darkly. “And here you show your true colors. What, will you kill me for not bending the knee to you like all the others?”

“That is not how we govern,” Sophitia proclaimed. “We only wish to--”

“Go home!” the Rito shouted. “This is our land! Not yours!” As he continued to berate them, he switched into a language Sophitia did not understand. The princess did not know what to do. She wanted to reason with him, but he appeared to be ready to attack her.

However, things did not get any worse from there. Once the gray-feathered Rito finished saying his piece, he took flight, leaving through one of the ceiling chutes.

Sophitia and Liliana were the only ones left in the room. The princess breathed heavily. She was relieved it had not come to fighting, but the Rito’s words cut deep.

This is what half of them think of me? Like I’m some sort of tyrant?

Before coming to Hebra, she’d had a vague understanding that that was the case, but it was a completely different experience to see it up close. She’d thought she would be able to handle it, but now she felt like she wanted to cry. “Liliana…”

“Princess!” Her bodyguard dropped her sword to the ground, stepping forward to embrace her. “It’s okay, Sophitia. You mustn’t listen to him. He doesn’t know what he’s talking about.”

The princess nodded, her face pressed against Liliana’s shoulder. She stayed like that for a minute until she managed to get herself under control.

Stepping away from her retainer, she took a deep breath. “Thank you, Liliana,” she said gratefully. Then she cleared her throat. “Okay. I… I suppose I have gained some wisdom here today. Let us return to camp. I would like to begin planning for our arrival in Medoh.”

“Yes, Princess.” Liliana retrieved her sword and sheathed it, then placed a hand on her charge’s shoulder. “Whatever you think is best.”


Author's note (added 7/28/2023):

Today we met another sage.

Art Source

Chapter 20: Harun VII

Chapter Text

The gates that separated Gerudo Desert from Gerudo Canyon were large and imposing. Just on the other side was the Gerudo Fortress of Taafei. In the past, it had been the seat of power for Gerudo kings and queens, but now it was controlled by their Hylian governor. Harun had never been there before, but he’d been told many times that the canyon and the valley beyond were by far the most hospitable areas in the entire Gerudo Kingdom. Gerudo Desert and the Gerudo Highlands were largely barren wastelands, lacking in crops and besieged by extreme weather. Gerudo Valley, on the other hand, had an inexhaustible supply of water from the Regencia River, which also gave it fertile soil with which to grow crops. The Hylians had taken this land for themselves, and left the Gerudo to suffer in the wastelands that remained.

That was, of course, how Elder Kobami framed the situation. She’d spent the last leg of their journey reminding Harun all about it. Although he grew tired of the way she endlessly spoke ill of the Hylians, he could see some truth in her words. Even the weather seemed more favorable on this end of the kingdom, as if the gods themselves blessed the land in which the Hylians lived.

Atop the walls, the prince could see Hylian warriors keeping watch. They did not open the gates immediately when the queen and her retinue were spotted. Instead, a woman in an officer’s helm walked slowly from the far tower, coming to stand atop the center of the wall. “Halt,” she commanded with a single word in the Hylian tongue.

“Even now, they flaunt their control over us,” Elder Kobami spoke as their party came to a stop. Hovering next to Harun, she was looking ahead and talking as if she were merely thinking aloud, but the prince knew her words were intended for him.

Remember, we do not have time to see the Hylians as our enemy. Darker forces are at work. I can feel it.

They’d been lucky enough to avoid any more monster encounters between Kara Kara and Taafei, but monsters were basically all Harun had thought about during that time. After learning about the monster attacks on the other sage temples, he strongly suspected the Blins and the Lizalfos working together for some nefarious purpose. Although he was tempted to view the Hylians as his enemies at the moment, he reminded himself to keep a level head. If a new demon was rising, the Children of Nayru would be better off working together to fight it rather than squabbling amongst themselves.

Urballa’s retinue parted so she could ride to the front and address the gatekeeper. “I am Queen Urballa. Governor Vapith has requested my presence,” she proclaimed in flawless Hylian, holding up the governor’s letter. It was absurd for her to be required to identify herself. Surely the governor had known she was coming, and even when viewing her from atop the wall, it should have been obvious to anyone who she was.

Nevertheless, the gatekeeper peered down at her and her retinue as if considering whether or not to let them in. “Open the gates!” she declared after a moment before walking back across the ramparts.

Elder Kobami muttered something in disgust as they continued forward through the gates. Harun, too, could not help feeling somewhat condescended, but he resisted the urge to voice a complaint.

Past the gates, he was greeted with an unpleasant sight. On either side of the road that ran between the canyon walls, there was a line of Hylian soldiers standing at attention. None of them had their weapons drawn, and their presence could have been part of some ceremonial greeting, but it carried with it an air of distrust, as if they thought the Gerudo might attack at any moment.

Further down the road, just as the fortress was coming into view, they were greeted by another line of troops blocking their path. These ones wore violet cloaks and were more heavily armored, though not as heavily as the Gerudo Iron Knuckles. The armored Hylian in the front stepped forward and removed her helmet. “Greetings, Queen Urballa,” the knight said, bowing her head slightly. “I am Moza, Knight Commander of Taafei. My lady, Tauma of House Vapith, bids you welcome.”

Urballa dismounted and approached the knight who had greeted her. “Thank you, Dame Moza. Might I ask where Governor Vapith is now?”

Harun could tell she was slightly insulted that the governor had not come to greet them herself.

“I apologize, your highness, but presently, my lady is in council with Princess Zelda and the Sage of Light. She returned from the capital with them quite recently,” the violet knight explained. “If you would please come with me, I am to show you to your quarters. The governor will send for you when she is ready.”

Queen Urballa nodded. “Very well.”

Send for us ,” Elder Kobami muttered. “Absurd…”

The queen and her immediate retinue left their mounts and supplies behind to be taken care of by their servants. After some brief instructions, the violet knights led them up the hill to the fortress. While Harun recognized the fortress as being distinctly Gerudo in architecture, it was slightly different from what he was used to seeing. The complex appeared as many rectangular mudbrick buildings stacked next to and on top of one another, spanning the distance of a large cutout in the canyon walls. Hylian guards patrolled the many walkways and rooftops of the multilayered structure, and Hylian civilians from the city below could be seen going about their business as well.

Now that he could see them up close, Harun was once again reminded of just how short the Hylians were. Their knights looked formidable, but even so, every Gerudo present towered over every single one of them by at least a foot, often two.

How is it that our people ever lost to theirs?

Being a warlock, he knew there was more to battle than size alone, but even so, it seemed odd.

The part of the fortress that they were escorted to resembled three buildings stacked on top of one another like a ziggurat. It was connected to the rest of the fortress, but it seemed isolated from the rest of it. Everything appeared considerably less Gerudo on the inside. The first floor contained a mess hall, a council chamber, and a well-furnished parlor room with a fireplace.

“Bedchambers are on the upper levels,” Moza explained. “Please make yourselves at home. We shall retrieve you as soon as the governor is ready,” she reminded them.

“My thanks, Dame Moza,” Queen Urballa replied.

Moza placed her helmet upon her head, then she and her knights bowed gracefully before taking their leave.

At least they trust us enough to leave us on our own.

Harun suspected the Hylians would have guards posted outside to prevent them from leaving the premises without permission, but it was better than some alternatives.

“Mother,” Sabah said, standing with her hands cupped in front of her. “Is Princess Seraphina here?”

Harun realized the youngest princess had not been mentioned. He knew all the Hylian princesses were called ‘Zelda,’ but he’d assumed the one the knight had spoken of was the eldest, Zelda Victorique.

“I believe so, love,” Urballa replied, placing a hand on her daughter’s shoulder. “But we must be patient. You will see her soon enough. Why don’t you go upstairs and pick out your room?”

“Yes, Mother,” Sabah replied, smiling hopefully. She left for the staircase, followed by two of their guards.

The queen turned to Commander Bularis. “Go with her,” she commanded. “I would like you to keep a watchful eye on my daughter for the duration of our time here.”

“But what of yourself, my queen?” the commander inquired.

“I have your other Iron Knuckles,” she said simply, gesturing to the others standing by the wall. “Do not worry about me.”

“Yes, your highness.”

Urballa turned to her advisors as the guard commander followed after the princess. “Now then, who has my notes?”

“I do, my queen.”

“Very good. Everyone, gather around the table. We should discuss our terms while we wait,” she said, gesturing to the large round wooden table in the center of the room. “You as well, Harun.”

“Thank you, my queen.” Harun joined the others as they claimed their seats around the table. The prince sat to the right of the queen, intending to serve his role as her right hand.

“Guards,” Urballa said, getting the attention of the soldiers and Iron Knuckles in the room with them. “Please keep watch on all the entrances. Do not keep anyone out, but do alert us if anyone should arrive.” The guards saluted, tapping their weapons to the ground, then moved to fulfill their orders.

Queen Urballa straightened the stack of papers in front of her and cleared her throat. “Splendid. Shall we begin?”


Hours later, they still had not been summoned. Everything the queen and her advisors planned to share with the governor had been thoroughly reviewed, and now there was nothing to do but wait. Harun sat on the fancy couch closest to the fireplace, staring into space in annoyance. Some of the others had gone upstairs to rest in the bedchambers. Harun had gone up there briefly when the servants came by with his stuff, but even with his belongings placed in his room, he did not wish to wait there.

We are wasting time here.

Not only were they doing nothing at the moment, but the queen had expressly forbidden him from mentioning the mysterious mirror shield or the monster plot that involved the sage temples. He felt these were important issues that necessitated immediate action, but he couldn’t even share his suspicions.

He could hear the queen on the other side of the room, still speaking with Elder Kobami and another of her advisors. Kobami was fully on board with a hard press for independence immediately. Urballa did not plan to go quite that far yet, but her intentions were to request the governorship again, which would be almost the same thing in her eyes.

“Queen Urballa.”

Harun shifted in his seat to see one of the Gerudo guards entering the room.

“Yes? What is it?” the queen replied, stepping away from her advisors.

“The governor’s knight commander approaches.”

Harun stood up with a sigh of relief.

Finally.

“It’s about time,” Elder Kobami said, walking forward with her cane.

“Thank you, warrior,” Urballa said to the guard. “Go upstairs and retrieve my daughter.”

“Yes, your highness.”

Moments later, several of the violet-cloaked knights entered the room, with Dame Moza at the front. “Queen Urballa,” she said immediately. “The governor requires your presence.”

“And I am honored to accept.” Urballa spoke politely, but Harun could tell she was also saying ‘Took her long enough.’

“Splendid. Please come with us,” Moza instructed, gesturing to the door.

“One moment.” The queen held up her hand, waiting as the sound of footsteps echoed from the other room. Princess Sabah entered, with Commander Bularis following behind her. “Dame Moza, is the young Princess Zelda Seraphina with the governor as well?” Urballa asked.

The violet knight looked between Sabah and Urballa. “Yes, as a matter of fact. She came with her elder sister.”

Sabah’s face lit up at the confirmation. “May I come as well, Dame?”

Sabah’s Gerudo accent was much more pronounced than her mother’s when she spoke Hylian, but the knight understood her perfectly well. “Of course, Princess,” Moza replied. “The prince’s presence is requested as well.”

“Good. I was hoping to have him join us,” the queen agreed.

“Was it the governor who requested my presence?” Harun asked curiously. No doubt she had been informed that he had arrived with Urballa, and he figured she would not be happy with this news.

“Actually, it was Princess Zelda Victorique who wished for you to join,” Moza informed him. “Now, let us be on our way.”

The knight commander and her subordinates escorted them outside and through more of the fortress complex. Their destination was apparently on one of the higher levels, so they had to climb up several staircases and walk through both indoor and outdoor hallways between many different rectangular buildings.

Eventually, they came to a gigantic set of double doors that led into the audience chamber. The room was high-ceilinged with large braziers lining the walls. At the end of the room, a group of knights holding spears guarded a small set of steps leading up to the thrones atop the dais.

In the center throne sat Governor Tauma Vapith. She was tall for a Hylian, with long dark hair and a piercing gaze. The fine purple dress she wore gave her an elegant appearance, and while her throne was not as impressive as Queen Urballa’s back in Naboris, it was still imposing.

To her right sat a young Hylian woman who Harun had never seen before, but the diamond-encrusted golden circlet she wore gave her away as Princess Zelda Victorique. She was a beautiful woman with long brown hair, striking blue eyes, and a dress even finer than the governor’s. However, she gazed down at them with eyes like steel. She did not come off as hostile, but something about her gave off the distinct impression that she would not be easily swayed in any regard. Standing beside her was a Sheikah woman wearing strange foreign armor and holding a spear with a large curved tip. She did not look any easier to please than the princess she guarded.

On the governor’s left sat the younger princess, Zelda Seraphina, whom Harun had met before. She was a bit older now, but she was the same little blonde Hylian girl he remembered. Even now, upon her throne, she smiled pleasantly and swung her legs childishly. It was a sharp contrast to her elder sister. Harun recognized her bodyguard as well. She was a Hylian woman, but she had red hair like a Gerudo. She stood with one hand on the back of the younger princess’s chair, watching over her in a way that seemed almost motherly.

Joining the women on the dais was an elderly Hylian man who wore robes decorated with owl feathers. He was old, but not nearly as old as Elder Kobami. Harun had never seen this man before either, but Dame Moza had mentioned the Sage of Light earlier, so he figured that was him. The prince considered asking him if his temple had suffered any monster attacks recently. If so, it would fit the pattern, and it would make him even more certain that the monsters were attacking the sage temples for a reason.

If only Urballa had not forbidden me from telling them about it…

Queen Urballa got down on one knee and bowed. Harun and the other Gerudo present followed suit, some more reluctantly than others.

“Rise,” the governor said, allowing everyone to climb back to their feet. “Thank you for answering my summons so quickly. Your loyalty and compliance are most appreciated. I hope we did not keep you waiting long.”

“Not at all, my lady,” Urballa replied. “With such esteemed guests joining you here at the Gerudo seat of power, one would not blame you for nearly forgetting us.”

Harun raised his eyebrow at her comments. On the one hand, she had referred to the princesses and the sage as ‘esteemed guests.’ On the other hand, she had pointed out that this was the Gerudo seat of power, and practically accused the governor of neglecting them. The prince studied the faces of the Hylians carefully, but they were all doing an impressive job of hiding their reactions, except for Princess Seraphina, who was still smiling as though she had not noticed any potential slight.

“Yes,” Governor Vapith continued. “Today we are joined by His Majesty’s eldest daughter, Princess Zelda Victorique, as well as her younger sister, Princess Zelda Seraphina. I would also like to introduce the wise and honorable Aurun, the Sage of Light. They have graciously taken time out of their busy schedules to come here and assist in my review of your latest petition for the governorship of the Gerudo Province.”

“Your generosity is appreciated,” Urballa replied, gesturing to each of them in turn. “Perhaps the wisdom of the Royal Family might help you see that we, the Gerudo, are more than capable of ruling ourselves.”

Princess Zelda remained stone-faced, but a slight hint of displeasure could be seen in Governor Vapith’s expression. “We will discuss that soon enough,” the governor said. “I was hoping to begin with simple introductions today. We are likely to spend the next few days in discussion. It may be best to start first thing tomorrow morning.”

“With all due respect, my lady,” Queen Urballa said, her earrings jangling lightly as she shook her head. “My people have traveled far to come here, as did the princesses and the Sage of Light. I think it would be best if we did not waste any more time.”

The governor tilted her head slightly. “I understand your urgency, but--”

“She is right,” the elder princess interrupted, speaking for the first time since they’d entered the audience chamber. She did not speak loudly, but her voice carried with it a certain authority, enough to draw all eyes to her and to silence the governor mid-sentence. “I see no reason to delay our discussion any further.”

Queen Urballa smiled. “I am glad you see things my way, Princess. I hope you and I will be able to reach an agreement by the time you depart from my province.”

Governor Vapith was still paused, looking at the princess. She did not seem particularly happy to be overruled in what she considered to be her own court, but she must have decided that Zelda’s word was final. “Very well,” she said, turning back to Urballa. “In that case, let us move to my council chambers so that we might continue this discussion properly.”

As the governor and the princesses stood from their thrones, little Seraphina turned her head up to her caretaker. “Can I go play with Sabah now?” she asked.

The younger princess’s bodyguard smiled, looking to the older princess for approval. Upon receiving a nod from the crown princess, the red-haired Hylian acquiesced. “Certainly, Princess.”

“Yay!” Grinning with excitement, Princess Seraphina hurriedly climbed down the steps from the dais, then ran over to Princess Sabah, greeting her with an embrace.

“Oh!” Sabah said in surprise, returning the hug to the slightly younger, but much, much shorter girl. “Sera! It is so nice to see you.”

“I know!” Seraphina said, tilting her head back to look up at the other princess. “Hey, do you want to come ride the horses with me? They have a track out behind the fortress.”

Princess Sabah looked to her mother.

Queen Urballa nodded, smiling warmly. “Yes. Go and play, young ones. We will meet you at dinner.”

“Yay!” Princess Seraphina took Sabah’s hand and pulled her along. Commander Bularis, the red-haired Hylian, and a few other guards followed them out of the room.

Harun, however, followed Queen Urballa as she and the other representatives filed through a different exit, moving to the governor’s council chambers.


The new room was long and rectangular, with a high ceiling and tall windows along one wall that allowed light to stream in. Taking up much of the room was a long table with chairs surrounding it. Additional chairs lined the walls, presumably for those who were to attend but not take part in the discussion.

Governor Vapith took a seat at the far end of the table, with Princess Zelda sitting on her right and Sage Auron on her left. Queen Urballa sat on the other end, so Prince Harun sat to the right of her while Elder Kobami took the seat to her left. The rest of the chairs at the table were filled in by various Hylian and Gerudo advisors, and both parties had their own guards and servants lingering behind them, eying the others uncomfortably.

“Now, then,” the governor said, holding a hand out to her side. One of her servants handed her a stack of papers, which she placed on the table in front of her. “Let us begin our review of your latest petition.”

“Everything you need to know was sent to you along with my message,” Queen Urballa replied, nonchalantly running a hand through her hair. “During my time ruling under you, the regions I oversee have seen marked improvement. Crime is down, the economy is better than it’s been in decades, monster attacks have decreased…”

“We can discuss those matters in time,” Princess Zelda said. Her Sheikah bodyguard handed her a scroll. “I believe it would be more prudent to begin with something more rudimentary.”

“I believe these matters are rather rudimentary, Princess,” Urballa replied. “A ruler’s first priority is the welfare of the people whom they rule.”

“Perhaps. But I speak not of rulers,” Zelda said, unfurling the scroll. “I speak of the relationship between you and Governor Vapith.”

Elder Kobami made a disapproving noise, turning her nose up at the princess. However, the queen made no gesture of disrespect. “I am quite familiar with the nature of our relationship.”

“Per the agreement between the Royal Family of Hyrule and the Royal Family of Gerudo,” Princess Zelda continued. “The reigning Gerudo monarch is to be given limited autonomy and control over the Gerudo Desert and the Gerudo Highlands, under the supervision of the governor of the Gerudo Province.”

“And, for as long as I have reigned as queen,” Urballa responded, sitting up straighter in her chair, “the governor has received her taxes on time and in full, and any laws she has instituted have been enforced to the letter. Have I not fulfilled my role? Have I not proven my competence and loyalty?”

Urballa was doing a fine job of keeping her voice level, but Harun could feel the passion in her words. She was unquestionably frustrated. She wanted their trust and their respect, but she was not getting it. The prince nodded solemnly, as if he understood her perfectly at the moment.

“You have performed your duties most admirably,” Governor Vapith said, although it was difficult to tell if she was being complimentary or condescending.

“However, the agreement came with several provisions,” Princess Zelda added. “The crown is not entirely convinced you have met all of the criteria.”

“And what criteria might that be?” Elder Kobami asked, joining in on the conversation with clear displeasure in her tone.

“For one, the Queen of Gerudo was tasked with curtailing demon worship in the province,” Zelda stated.

Harun flinched. It suddenly became clear to him why the princess had requested his presence. He and Urballa had hoped to broach the subject delicately and at a more appropriate time, but perhaps they already knew something.

But how much do they know, exactly?

His curse, his possession, his actions at the Arbiter’s Grounds -- so many terrible things, all of which were capable of being used as an excuse to distrust the Gerudo.

Am I to be the cause of our failure here today?

Urballa leaned back in her chair, glancing off to the side for a moment. She did not seem as confident as she was a moment ago. “By Hyrulean law, citizens of the kingdom have the ability to worship freely,” she reminded them. “I cannot simply ban my people from worshipping Ganon if they so choose.”

“It is true that the worship of Ganon is not prohibited in Hyrule,” Sage Aurun spoke up. “But ‘not prohibited’ is not the same as ‘permitted.’ You are not required to make it illegal, but you still have a duty to educate your people on the immorality of such practices.”

“Explain to me how it is immoral to honor a king who fought for the good of his people,” Elder Kobami demanded.

“Because that very same king started a war all for the sake of obtaining power for himself, ” the elderly Hylian replied.

“And I suppose no king of Hyrule has ever done the same?” the witch swiftly countered.

“Hyrule has partaken in war many times,” Princess Zelda conceded, her steely gaze fixed upon the Gerudo advisor. “But never out of greed or a selfish desire for power.”

Power is everything. One cannot change the world without power.

Harun put his hand to his temple, wincing from a sudden headache. As the others argued about Ganondorf, the young prince felt the sudden urge to defend the man. He had not held a positive view of the previous king recently, but it was as if Ganon’s voice was screaming in his head -- his thoughts becoming Harun’s own.

“And while we are on the subject, I would like to discuss the voe,” Princess Zelda said, referring to Harun by the Gerudo term. “There are provisions to our agreement that pertain to him as well.”

“Which I have also followed,” Queen Urballa argued.

“Then why has he left Naboris?” Governor Vapith asked, folding her hands together in front of her. “He was to be confined to the city under your supervision due to the unique nature of the threat he presents.”

You are aware I am present, correct?

“Read the agreement again,” Urballa said. “I am permitted to take him out of the city with me in the event of an emergency.”

“And what, may I ask, was the emergency?” Princess Zelda asked.

Fuck.

The princess was not acting coy, but the way she had cornered them was too perfect to not be deliberate. Perhaps she already knew of the events that had transpired at the Spirit Temple, either by word of mouth or from intelligence gathered by their spies. But even if she did not know of the situation, they had to admit it, lest they risk being caught in the lie eventually and losing any trust they might have built thus far. At the moment, Harun genuinely did pose the threat they feared him for. It would be all they needed for an excuse to tighten their stranglehold on his people.

“My ward has… a condition,” Queen Urballa admitted.

That’s putting it quite delicately.

“And what is this condition?” the governor asked, once again addressing Urballa as if Harun wasn’t even there.

“I am cursed, ” Harun said abruptly, raising his voice slightly more than he meant to. For once, everyone turned their attention to him. “Ancient magics put in place by Demon King Demise have befallen me. It is beyond my control.” As he elaborated, a vision flashed in front of him. It was as if the conference table and everyone sitting at it had been transported into a void surrounded by fire, and the dark silhouette of the demon king stood behind the Hylians. “Urgh…” he groaned, rubbing his eyes until the vision passed.

People throughout the room began murmuring to one another in response to what Harun had revealed. The Sage of Light slammed his palm down on the table. “Why were we not informed of this sooner?” he demanded.

“Prince Harun is my responsibility,” Queen Urballa explained as calmly as possible. “I took him to consult the Sage of Spirit so that she and Alkawbra might assist in remedying the situation.”

“And?” Princess Zelda asked. She, too, was acting calm, but Harun could not help but sense hostility coming from her. “What was the result of this visit to the Spirit Temple?”

Dammit.

Things were only going to get worse after they admitted the rest of the story. “I received aid from Alkawbra, praise be to her name,” Harun said bitterly. “She allowed another’s spirit to live within me -- a spirit stronger than my own, so that I might draw from its power in order to fight against this curse.” He braced himself for their reaction before he finished. “The spirit of Ganondorf.”

Governor Vapith looked stunned. Princess Zelda did not react, but she stared at him intently.

Sage Aurun’s face showed a mix of disgust and skepticism. “Is this some sort of perverse joke?”

“No, Sage,” Queen Urballa replied. “The Sage of Spirit confirmed it. Prince Harun’s body currently acts as temporary host to the spirit of Ganon.”

Aurun stood from his chair and held out his arm. His eyes began to glow golden, and a cylinder of light sprung up around Harun.

The prince screamed. In an instant, he was Ganondorf again, chained to the pillar in the Arbiter's Grounds as the Sage of Water ran a sword through his chest. He felt the Triforce of Power burning on the back of his hand, and he struggled against his chains, desperate to fight back.

With a howl of rage, Harun was transported back to the council chambers, himself again. He was on his feet, his chair knocked to the ground behind him. Across the table, he saw the Sage of Light stumbling backwards as if something had knocked him back. A couple of Hylian soldiers ran to his aid to keep him from falling over. Still caught off guard, Harun took a moment to get his bearings. “What--?”

Suddenly, everyone was shouting. Those at the table stood up, and all the guards in the room readied their weapons, training them upon the other side.

“Halt!” Everyone froze at Princess Zelda’s command, the magically enhanced volume of her voice booming throughout the room. Her Sheikah bodyguard was standing in front of her, but the princess waved her off. The bodyguard looked skeptical for a moment, then slowly lowered her weapon and stood to the side.

“Lower your weapons,” Queen Urballa ordered her other guards, holding out her hands to signal them to stop.

“This is completely outrageous!” Elder Kobami voiced her disapproval. “The foul sage attacked our prince. We demand justice!”

“I did no such thing, witch, ” Sage Aurun denied, dusting off his robe. “I merely examined the boy. It seems there is indeed a very old soul contained within him, and it possesses a very dark power.” He turned his head to the side, looking across the table. “Princess Zelda, I recommend the boy be taken into our custody until we are able to cleanse him of this evil. He is too dangerous to be--”

“Do not speak of me as if I am not here!” Harun shouted, stomping his foot against the ground as he took a step forward. Several Hylian guards readied their spears against him, so he halted his advance. “I may have Ganon’s spirit inside of me, but I am not Ganon. I am Harun, and I am not your enemy.” He wished there was some way to make that clear. He knew there was something larger than them going on, and he wanted them to work together, but he could not say anything without betraying his queen.

Everyone stared at Harun for a moment. Princess Zelda was the first to speak up. “Prince Harun,” she said. “It was the Goddess of Spirit who placed the demon’s soul within you?”

Harun nodded. “Yes. I did not ask for this.”

Zelda considered this information for a moment. As usual, it was difficult to tell what she was thinking, but she did not seem afraid of him. “I see,” she said. “If it is the will of the gods, we shall not interfere. For now.”

Governor Vapith raised her eyebrows. “I beg your pardon, your highness, but are you certain that’s wise?”

“It is far from ideal, but if Alkawbra believes the alternative is worse, I will have faith in her,” Zelda stated. Then she turned to her sage. “I trust you have no issue with this?”

Aurun stroked his beard thoughtfully. “I have serious reservations,” he said. “But I must attempt to commune with Laemora to confirm the best course of action.”

Princess Zelda nodded. “Queen Urballa,” she said, turning her attention back to the Gerudo. “The governor, the sage, and I have much to discuss amongst ourselves. I suggest we end here for today. We can continue with negotiations in the morning.”

“That is agreeable,” Urballa replied with a nod, perhaps realizing it would be difficult to return to a normal conversation after what had just transpired.

“We will continue to leave the voe in your care,” Zelda continued. Then she turned to Harun. “Young prince, I apologize if any harm has come to you.”

“...Thank you, Princess.”

Zelda nodded. “May Hylia watch over you.”

After exchanging parting words, the Gerudo were dismissed. Harun exited the room with Urballa and her retinue, being led through the fortress by Hylian knights once again.

“Shall we return to your quarters, Your Grace?” Dame Moza inquired, leading the way.

“No,” the queen replied. “I wish to see my daughter.”

“Very well,” Moza replied. “To the tracks, then.”

Chapter 21: Link VII

Chapter Text

“How much longer ‘til we reach Rudania?” Linkle asked. From the tone of her voice, it was clear she was exhausted and sick of walking.

“It’s still quite a ways,” Link replied, taking out his map to confirm. They had just exited the canyon where they fought the Igneo Talus, and they seemed to be about half way between their destination and the place they’d camped out the night before.

“Ughhh…”

Breen laughed. “Relax, kid. The walking’s the easy part.”

“Yeah. How in the hell did you become an adventurer without getting used to a little walking?” Fin asked, sounding mildly amused.

“We’ve always had a horse for long distances up until this point,” Link explained.

“Ah,” Fin said. “Can’t take them everywhere, though.”

“Horses die,” Russ pointed out. “Often at the worst times. Get used to it.”

“You’re a cheery fellow, aren’tcha?” Linkle shot an annoyed look at the bearded adventurer, but he merely grunted in response.

“Fear not, young lady,” Gaile said, lightly placing her hand on Linkle’s shoulder. “It may seem difficult now, but like all things in life, it gets easier the more you do it.”

“You mean like fucking?” Linkle quipped.

The priestess removed her hand. “My word,” she said scandalously. Breen and Fin laughed. Russ and Link grunted disapprovingly.

Link looked back at the map. “Well, it looks like there’s a mining settlement just past that bridge up ahead,” he said, pointing to a dark iron bridge spanning over a river of lava a short distance down the road. “Maybe we can stop and rest there for a bit.”

“I suppose we could take a break for some food,” Breen agreed. “Maybe we can trade some of these rupees.”

“Gorons eat rocks,” Fin pointed out. “What exactly are you hoping to buy there?”

“They eat other stuff, too,” Gaile said. “Besides, we still have supplies left over from when we left Kakariko.”

“Well we’re stopping either way,” Linkle declared. “I gotta get off my feet for a bit.”

“I’m not gonna carry you.”

“I didn’t ask you to!”

After crossing the bridge, they could see the road up ahead led to the open gate of a low stone wall. Within the walls, a couple plumes of smoke were rising into the air.

“Looks like they’re cooking something,” Link said. “Do they need to cook rocks?” However, when he glanced at the others, he could see serious looks on everyone but Linkle’s faces. “What?” he asked.

“That doesn’t look like smoke from cooking fires,” Russ said.

“Perhaps a building caught fire?” Gaile suggested optimistically.

“Don’t know,” Russ replied. “Let’s investigate.”

Link wasn’t sure what was so suspicious about smoke and fire on Death Mountain. It would be surprising if they could go even an hour without seeing any.

But then again, there is a dragon on the loose...

When they got closer to the settlement, they could see the gates were not open, but rather they had been knocked down. Large slabs of the stone that should have been blocking the way were scattered on the ground.

“Figures,” Russ grunted. Everyone drew their weapons, ready to fight in case they found anything on the other side of the walls.

“What did this? The dragon?” Linkle asked quietly as they entered the settlement.

“Dragons don’t need to bust down gates, kid,” Fin pointed out.

“Maybe a Dodongo, then?” she asked, sounding a little hopeful.

The settlement was a total mess. There were only a few buildings that looked to be sleeping quarters for miners and storage sheds for equipment, but many of them had busted walls or smoking roofs.

Unfortunately, they found no one alive. Instead, they found several dead bodies scattered throughout the area. Some were Gorons wearing mining helmets, others were Hylians dressed like adventurers. There were also Lizalfos among the bodies, giving away what kind of monsters were responsible for the attack.

“By the gods,” Gaile said mournfully upon seeing the carnage. She stepped over to an adventurer who was lying with his back against one of the buildings and put two fingers to his neck.

“Anything?” Breen asked.

Gaile shook her head. She put her hand to his chest and saw it was covered in blood. “He was stabbed.”

“It was those Lizalfos,” Russ said, pointing to one of the dead monsters on the other side of the encampment. “Cunning bastards. Would be easier if it was a Dodongo.”

Link glanced at his sister. She didn’t appear to have any of her usual monster-hunting exuberance. She just looked upset. Wanting to comfort her, Link put his shield away so he could put his hand on her back.

“We need to find the monsters who did this,” she said quietly.

“I know,” Link agreed.

Breen sighed unhappily. “Alright. Gaile, you can get started on sending their spirits. The rest of us will look for any survivors.”

“Right,” Gaile said with a nod. She then began making her rounds, going from body to body, waving her glowing rod over them while whispering her prayers.

Everyone else split up, but Link chose to stick with his sister. As they searched, they found several more Gorons inside one of the buildings and another Hylian outside of it, but still no living Children of Nayru.

Next to the Hylian corpse was a dead Lizalfos. Its scales were different shades of green, and both its hands and feet had sharp claws. The monster also wore an iron scale cuirass with one spiky red shoulder pad. There was a sword of simple design on the ground next to it, but the sword through its neck was of Hylian design.

“We don’t have these in Necluda,” Linkle remarked, looking down at the monster. She would normally be more excited to see a new monster, but this time her words sounded hollow.

“Do you… want to leave?” Link asked. “We can let the others handle this, and just go on ahead to Rudania.”

Linkle shook her head. “I want to help,” she said. “I think… something should be done for them, you know?” She wasn’t being particularly eloquent, but Link could tell she felt strongly about this. She didn’t want to hunt these monsters just for the sake of hunting them, or even for a quest. In her mind, it was just something she needed to do.

Link nodded. Looking over the bodies on the ground, Link guessed the adventurer had probably killed the monster, before being killed by another one. Although her hair was brown and she appeared to be older than either of them, he still couldn’t help seeing his sister in her.

This could’ve been us…

Continuing on their search, the siblings eventually came to the entrance to the mines. It was a gigantic opening in the side of the mountain, lined with wooden support beams. It was dark inside, but they could see more bodies further in. “They went in here,” Linkle said with certainty. “There are more of them.”

Link was about to say she didn’t know that for sure, but he knew she was right. If the Gorons and adventurers had won the fight, there would have been survivors there to ask about it. “Alright,” Link said in acknowledgement. “Let’s go get the others.”

They regrouped with the other adventurers near the gate where they had come in. Gaile was kneeling on the ground a few yards away from everyone else, apparently giving one last prayer. The other three of them were waiting quietly, so Link and Linkle joined them. Russ gave them a questioning look. Link shook his head to indicate they hadn’t found anyone either.

A white glow emitted from Gaile for a moment. Once it dissipated, she stood up and turned around. “I have done what I can for them,” she said.

“Good,” Russ said. “Last thing they need after what they’ve been through is to end up as Poes haunting the mountain for eternity.”

“Anyone find anything?” Fin asked, tapping his spear against the ground and shifting uneasily.

“There were more bodies in the mines,” Link said. “I think we should check in there for any survivors.”

“Or more Lizalfos.” Russ hefted his two-handed sword up against his shouldguard, looking ready to continue.

“That’s a good idea,” Breen agreed. “Russ, Fin, you wanna lead the way?”

“You got it,” Fin said, marching on ahead. Russ nodded and followed him, as did the rest of the party.


When they stepped into the entrance of the mine, it became immediately apparent that they would be walking blindly within a few minutes. However, Gaile tapped her staff against the ground twice, and the end of it lit up brighter than any torch Link had ever held.

The gifts of the Goddess sure are convenient.

“Are we sure this is safe?” the priestess asked, looking up at the support beams lining the cave ceiling.

“Gorons are expert miners,” Russ said. “We’ll be fine so long as nothing’s damaged.”

The party followed a minecart track to start with. While the entrance to the cave was gigantic, it soon narrowed to a straight path. However, as it had been built for Gorons, it was still wide enough for at least four Hylians to walk side by side through it.

The path eventually widened once again, opening up into a massive cavern. In the center of the cavern was a raised, earthen platform. The minecart track continued over a bridge leading onto the platform, at which point it diverged into three more paths. One path continued forward and the other two went off to the left or right, each path crossing another bridge. The track going forward continued through the open mouth of an impossibly large monster skull, its open jaw held aloft by chains bolted to the ceiling. Below the bridges and surrounding the central platform was a lake of fiery lava. Link could tell his gear was protecting him from the heat, but it was still far from pleasant, especially with how unclean the air was.

“Well, fuck,” Fin said with anoyance. “Which way do we go now?”

“Should we split up?” Linkle asked.

“No.”

Linkle flinched as all four of the veteran adventurers responded to her in unison. “Okay, okay…”

Fin laughed, clapping her on the back. “Sorry, kid. One of the rules ya gotta learn early about adventuring is you never split the party.”

“We travel as a group for a reason,” Russ pointed out.

“Right. I knew that,” Linkle said, taking a step closer to her brother. “We never split up.”

“Unfortunately,” Link said dryly. Linkle responded by whacking him in the stomach with the back of her hand. The strike bounced harmlessly off of the leather, but she didn’t seem to care.

“Well, maybe we should…” Breen began to give a suggestion, but she trailed off as she noticed something off in the distance. The others followed her gaze and spotted what she’d seen. Two Lizalfos had come out of the giant skull’s mouth. The two of them moved with a hopping motion, as if they were jumping over something with every step.

“I guess that saves us some trouble,” Link pointed out.

“Let’s move,” Russ declared.

The six of them readied their weapons and hurriedly crossed the bridge. They reached the cavern’s central platform at the same time as the two reptilian monsters. The Lizalfos froze once they were face to face, making sounds of surprise. Both of them were clutching a pile of shiny objects to their chest. One of them accidentally spilled some of what they were carrying. A purple rupee rolled across the ground, coming to a stop at Link’s feet.

What?

He had expected the monsters to be armed, but instead, both Lizalfos were carrying a huge pile of money for some reason.

Guess that makes this easier…

Fin was the fastest, leaping forward and stabbing at the one on the right with his spear. The monster screamed in panic and jumped to the side.

“Look out!” Linkle shouted, running up next to him. The Lizalfos that Fin had attacked spun in place, whipping its tail around at him. Linkle stepped in and blocked it with her short blade, but the sound Link heard was metal against metal. There was an iron axehead slotted onto the end of the monster’s tail, which Linkle had just barely managed to protect the other adventurer from.

“Watch yourselves, they’re armed,” Link warned the others.

Both Lizalfos leapt backwards to the other end of the platform. They waited there, bending at the knee, ready to jump again at any time. As if in warning, they waved their tails back and forth menacingly. One was tipped with an axehead, while the other was tipped with a spiked metal ball. The monsters’ forked tongues darted out of their mouths as they spoke to one another in a screachy, indecipherable language, but from the way they eyed the exits and continued to clutch their haul of undoubtedly stolen rupees, it was clear they were more interested in escaping than in fighting.

“Where’d they get all those rupees?” Link asked.

“It’s a mine, genius,” Linkle replied.

“Yeah, but those aren’t raw gems,” Link pointed out. He bent down to pick up the purple rupee that one of the Lizalfos had dropped. “See? This is proper Hyrulean currency.”

“We’ll figure that out later,” Fin said. “Breen, ice the one on the right. Linkle, shoot the other one when it tries to run.”

“With pleasure.”

Breen moved to the front of the group and raised her staff. A blast of icy wind burst forth, freezing the monster in place. As Fin had predicted, the other one shrieked in fear and leapt for the bridge to the left. Linkle aimed her crossbow and took the shot. The bolt pierced its leg, causing the Lizalfos to fall on the bridge. It dropped the pile of rupees it was holding, causing much of the treasure to roll off the edge, dropping into the lava below.

Dammit.

Link was closest, so he ran to the injured Lizalfos. When he reached it, the monster thrashed about wildly, unable to stand up but perfectly able to swing the spikeball at the end of its tail. Link swiped at it with his sword, chopping off the end of the tail. The monster let out a wail, and in its struggle, it accidentally rolled over the edge of the bridge, joining the rupees in the pit of lava.

“Oof.” Link winced, turning away from the sight.

“Nice work, Brother,” Linkle congratulated him, appearing by his side.

“Careful,” he warned. “Pick up the rest of the rupees before they fall in, too.”

After collecting all of the rupees that had been dropped on the bridge, the party gathered around the frozen Lizalfos, taking the rupees out of its arms as well. “What should we do with this one?” Fin asked.

“Just kill it and take the spoils,” Russ suggested. “Not like we can interrogate it.”

Fin shrugged, then drove his spear through the frozen monster’s head. Ice cracked off of it when he removed his weapon. He and the others then proceeded to take the Lizalfos’s horn, fangs, and tail.

“Is anyone injured?” Gaile asked.

“We’re fine,” Fin replied, divvying up the rupees six ways. “I say we go the way these two came from,” he suggested. “Where there’s rupees, there’s people. There might be some Gorons who still need help.”

Gaile smiled. “I think that’s a wonderful idea.” However, as she gazed up at the giant skeleton beast’s mouth, she seemed to have second thoughts about their chosen path. “Um, the Blood Moon isn’t tonight, is it?”

“Nah,” Breen replied. “It’s comin’ up, though.” She seemed to realize why the priestess had asked. “Oh, jeez. Can you imagine a Stalcreature that big?”

Linkle perked up at that. “The Hero of Twilight defeated a Staldragon in the Arbiter’s Grounds,” she said, never missing the opportunity to bring up one of the Heroes.

“That’s not a dragon skull,” Russ said, sheathing his claymore. “That’s a Dodongo skull.”

“What the hell? No way,” Fin said, shaking her head. “They don’t get that big, do they?”

“Technically, most scaled creatures keep growing until they die,” Breen said. “So they’d get that big as long as they lived long enough, I guess.”

“Hm. Maybe that’s why dragons get so big,” Link mused. “They live longer ‘cause they’re harder to kill.”

“Well the one further up the mountain ain’t gonna be living much longer if we have anything to say about it,” Linkle declared.

“We’ll deal with that when we come to it.” Russ began walking across the bridge leading into the giant Dodongo skull. “Let’s deal with the monsters here first.” Sharing his priorities, Link and the others followed him.


The next few areas they wandered through did not have anyone in them. Some of the tunnels were open and cavernous, others were tight and cramped. Minecart tracks led everywhere, and complex machines and heavy lifting equipment could be found in some of the larger areas. Rivers of flowing lava were not uncommon, and small monsters like Kesse and Torch Slugs gave them only minor trouble.

However, after some searching, the party could eventually hear the unmistakable sounds of a battle. There were metallic clunks and angry warcries emanating from somewhere up ahead.

“You hear that?” Fin asked.

“Yeah,” Russ agreed. “Come on.”

The six of them ran to the end of the tunnel, which opened into a larger area with a paved floor. There were four Gorons there, each of whom was wearing armor and carrying a gigantic, club-like sword.

They don’t look like miners, do they?

The Gorons were fighting against half a dozen Lizalfos armed with swords and spears, some of which had weapons on their tails like the ones they’d seen earlier.

“Goron brothers!” Gaile shouted, announcing their presence. “We come to aid you!”

Way to ruin our element of surprise…

One of the Gorons crushed a Lizalfos beneath the weight of his sword, then stopped to glance in their direction. He seemed pleased to see them. “Gratitude, young warriors! Come and join the fun!”

Linkle grinned. “Well, you heard him. Let’s go!”

The ensuing battle did not last long. The Gorons likely could have handled it on their own, but the addition of six Hylian adventurers added a numbers advantage as well. In the end, one Lizalfos was cleaved in half by Russ’s claymore, one was simultaneously stabbed by Fin and frozen by Breen, one ended up with Linkle’s sword through its head, and two more were crushed by those mighty Goron weapons. The adventurers suffered only a few minor injuries, which were easily healed by Gaile.

The Goron who had spoken to them when they arrived removed his helmet and laughed. “Well fought, brothers! It was an honor bashing lizard skulls alongside you,” he said joyously.

“Good to meet you,” Russ said. “I trust you won’t mind us collecting the spoils?” Link could tell he was hoping to get at least that much as payment.

“By all means,” the Goron said, gesturing to the broken bodies of his enemies. “We must hurry, though. There are more Lizalfos left to crush over in the vault.”

“The vault?” Link asked, immediately suspecting that was where the two fleeing Lizalfos had gotten all of those rupees.

“More?” Linkle asked. She was still yet to put away her sword, and Link could tell she was eager for another opportunity to use it.

“Yes. We’ve been hit hard down here, I’m afraid,” the Goron explained. “Join us as soon as you are able, brothers. It’s just down this tunnel and to the right.” With that, the Goron put his helmet back on, and he and his companions curled up on the ground and rolled away.

“Gather the spoils quickly,” Russ ordered. “We’re following them next.”

After gathering everything of value from the dead monsters, Link and the other adventurers hurried through the tunnel to join the Gorons. When they rounded the corner, they found themselves in an even more spacious tunnel. The ground was still paved, and there were statues and torches lining the walls. At the other end, they could see a great metal door which was currently ajar.

“So that’s the vault,” Link said, knowing few other things would have doors like that.

“What’s it doing in a mine?” Linkle asked.

“Most Goron settlements are underground,” Russ explained as they made their way past the statues. “To them, having a mine connected to one of their cities is no different than us having a farm or a fishing lake next to one of ours.”

“Oh, right. The whole ‘rock-eating’ thing. Gods, that’s weird,” Linkle commented.

As they got closer, they could once again hear battle sounds. The door was barely open, but when the adventurers went to push it open further so they could more easily enter, they found it much too heavy to move. Nevertheless, they slipped inside.

The scene in the vault was chaotic. The room looked like a massive pit filled with a lake of treasure. Gorons, a few Hylians, and a great number of Lizalfos were running around ankle-deep in rupees, gold, and assorted artifacts. Some Lizalfos burrowed into the piles of treasure as if it were dirt, popping out for surprise attacks on their opponents. Several Lizalfos with wings were flying through the air as well.

Lining the edges of the pit, stretching from the floor to the high ceiling, were little nooks carved into the stone walls. These openings were filled with treasure chests, suits of armor, and other rarities, along with just enough room for a Goron to stand. Stone ladders appeared to be the intended way to reach these treasure areas, although some of them had been knocked over in the fight. At the far end of the room was another giant Dodongo skull, although it was significantly smaller than the one the adventurers had passed through earlier. There was also a small stone statue atop the skull, appearing to depict the one who had killed it.

All the adventurers, even the priestess, stopped in their tracks at the sight of so much treasure. It became easy to understand why those Lizalfos had simply grabbed as much as they could carry and ran for it. Link was certain of one thing.

We’re gonna get a huge reward for this.

“Looks like kind of a free-for-all in here,” Fin commented, observing the battle. “What say we join?”

Linkle was the first to enter the fray. She pulled out her crossbow and shot one of the winged Lizalfos out of the air, hitting it in the left wing and causing it to plummet into the treasure pile. “That was an Aeralfos!” she pointed out excitedly to no one in particular.

Link was glad to see her eager attitude had returned to her. Back outside of the mine, the aftermath of the battle they’d stumbled upon seemed to have dampened her spirits.

Yet somehow being in the battle itself is exciting?

But he had no time to question his sister now. As the others rushed off to help the Gorons and the other Hylians, Link stuck close to Linkle. A Goron several yards away picked up a Lizalfos and tossed it. The monster landed near them and rolled over by their feet. Link was quick to thrust his sword down into it, and almost in sync, his sister did the same.

“That one counts as mine,” Linkle said.

“In your dreams, Elle.”

They weren’t given much time to argue. An Aeralfos swooped down from behind them, kicking Link in the back of the head. He fell forward into the treasure pile. Linkle shrieked, then pulled out her crossbow, shooting at her brother’s assailant. She missed, but knelt down to check on Link. “Brother, are you hurt?”

“I’m fine,” he replied. “What really hurts is not being able to pocket all these rupees.” As he spoke, he lifted himself up and dusted himself off, knocking rupees out of the folds in his leather armor.

“Well, at least if you die here, you’ll get your dream death of dying on a pile of money,” Linkle quipped.

Link chuckled at that, but did not deny it. Lifting his head up, he saw Lizalfos climbing into the openings in the walls. Some of them would take the first valuable thing they could find and try to escape, only to run into a Goron intent on stopping them. However, some were acting odd. One of the lizard monsters opened a treasure chest, leafed through its contents, then chucked a pair of expensive-looking golden bracelets behind it before moving on to the next one. Several others were exhibiting similar behavior, focusing on treasure-hunting rather than fighting, but also being oddly picky about the treasure.

What the hell are they doing?

He turned to his sister, intending to share his observation with her. However, his thoughts were interrupted by the sight of a giant, spiked metal ball hurtling towards them. “Look out!” Diving forward, he tackled his sister to the ground. The spikeball landed past them with a menacing thud. When the two of them scrambled back to their feet, they saw the metal ball was at the end of a chain, which its owner yanked on to retrieve it.

“What the hell?” Link said aloud when he saw what was pulling on the spikeball. With its large size, heavy build, hunched-over posture, and full plate armor, he thought it was a Goron at first. But then he noticed the scales on the few exposed parts of its body, and the horns on the sides of its head that weren’t attached to its helmet. “Elle, what the fuck are we fighting now?!”

Linkle appeared to be that odd mix of terrified and excited. “A Martelfos,” she said, readying her sword. “I’ve read about these ones.”

“That’s great and all, but how do we--?” Link and Linkle dove in opposite directions as the spikeball hurtled towards them again. As he got back up, Link saw a Goron with a large club-sword approaching their attacker. “Elle, get back,” Link instructed. “We should let the Gorons handle this one.”

“No,” Linkle said. She backed up as she was told to, but she switched to her crossbow, preparing to keep fighting. She loosed a bolt, but the monster didn’t seem to notice as it bounced harmlessly off of its helmet.

“Elle, leave it to the Goron--”

“Yahhhh!” The Goron raised his sword and charged, but he did not get far. The Martelfos swung the chain and released it, sending the giant spikeball straight into the Goron’s chest. As big as the Goron was, he was knocked backwards, causing him to roll down into the treasure pile.

Link sighed and stepped in closer to his sister, holding up his shield despite knowing it would do nothing against a weapon like that. He quickly glanced around the room, seeing if he could spot Breen. Magic would probably do better against an enemy such as this, but the sorceress was busy fighting with a fire-breathing Lizalfos several yards away from them.

“You said you’ve read about these ones, right?” he asked Linkle, hoping to draw on her knowledge of monsters. “How do you kill it?”

“Um. Uhh…” Linkle smacked the palm of her hand against her forehead a few times, as if trying to jog her memory. A moment later, the two of them were forced to dodge to the sides once again as the bulky Lizalfos swung its ball and chain at them.

“Elle!”

“The tail!” Linkle cried as they got back up and regrouped.

“What?”

“The way their armor is designed, the back of it has more gaps than the front. There’s a big one by the tail, and two more under the arms.”

Link could see where this was going, and he didn’t like it. But, he knew his sister was not going to back down from this fight, and at least the other monsters were leaving them alone, probably too smart to get near this one while it was swinging that big metal ball around.

Unlike us.

“Alright. I’ll hold its attention. You get behind it,” Link ordered. “Move in as soon as it throws the spikeball.”

“Right,” Linkle agreed with a nod, putting her crossbow away. Then she took off running, trying not to lose her balance in the sea of treasure as she ran around the circumference of the circle, outside the range of the monster’s ball and chain.

Once Linkle was almost in position, Link took a few steps closer to the Martelfos, then banged his sword against his shield. “Come on!” he shouted, hoping to goad it into attacking.

The monster grunted, accepting his challenge. Letting go of the chain, it sent the giant metal ball hurtling straight at Link. He tripped as he frantically moved to get out of the way, but he remained safe as the spikeball smashed into the ground behind him. Hoping Linkle could get to it in time, he looked and saw she was already running at its back, sword drawn.

Will that even be enough to pierce its scales?

However, that did not end up being the problem. As if expecting the attack from behind, the Martelfos pulled the chain back part of the way, then suddenly yanked it and stepped to the side, sending the spikeball at Linkle.

“Elle!”

“Oh, fuck!” Linkle, too, was just barely able to dodge the attack. The metal ball missed her, instead slamming into the massive Dodongo skull that was on display, cracking its jaw bone. The force of the blow also knocked down the statue that was on top of it, sending it crashing onto the pile of rupees below.

The Martelfos looked at Linkle, then flinched and made a noise like it was just realizing something. It then charged towards her, which caused Link to panic.

“No!” Link cried, taking off running. The monster was big, so he hoped it would be slow. If he could get to it in time, he could stab it through one of the weak points in its armor before it got to Linkle.

“Ahh!” Linkle shrieked, running out of the way. Strangely, the monster did not follow her. Instead, it ran straight for the statue that had been knocked over.

Link stopped at a safe distance. Linkle ran back and nearly collapsed against him, panting from the sprinting she’d just done. 

What the hell is it doing?” Link asked.

“What’s what doing?”

The Martelfos bent over and grabbed something off of the statue. Lifting one of its arms, it held up a small wooden bow. Then it let out a roar. It was louder than Link expected, and both he and his sister had to cover their ears. Much of the fighting in the room stopped, and many other Lizalfos began screeching and roaring. An Aeralfos swooped down and took the bow from the Martelfos, then flew back towards the vault’s exit. Most of the other monsters acted similarly, grabbing whatever treasure they could get their scaly hands on and attempting to flee from the Gorons and Hylians they were fighting.

As a Lizalfos tried to run past the siblings, Link clotheslined it with his sword. Linkle took out her crossbow and shot one of the other runners in the back.

“What the hell is happening?” Linkle called out over the noise.

“I don’t--”

The Martelfos roared again, except this time, it was to announce that it was charging. Holding the ball and chain in its arms and bent over so its horns and helmet would ram anything in its way, it ran forward as fast as it could. Link and Linkle got out of its way and watched in awe as it trampled a few of its own companions in its haste. None of the other Hylians or Gorons dared to get in its way either.

Soon, every Lizalfos had either escaped or been killed as they tried to leave. Link stood where he was, dumbfounded over what they had just witnessed. However, the Gorons seemed to view it as a victory, raising their arms and cheering. Many of the adventurers joined in as well.

“Are the two of you unharmed?” Gaile approached the siblings, stepping over a dead Lizalfos with a squeamish look on her face.

“We’re fine,” Linkle replied, still slightly out of breath.

The other members of Gaile’s party regrouped with them soon after. “Glad to see you all made it,” Fin declared, resting his spear against his shoulder and looking rather triumphant. “Guess we sent the monsters running, huh?”

“...I don’t think so.” Link was staring at the toppled statue. Before elaborating, he trudged over to it, kicking gold and jewelry out of his way as he did.

“What d’you mean?” Breen asked as the others followed behind him.

“Didn’t you see the big one that roared?” Link asked.

“They all roared,” Russ pointed out.

“Yeah, but the Martelfos was the one that started it,” Link explained. “You saw it too, right, Elle?”

“Yep,” his sister agreed. “We were fighting it before it roared and ran away. We would’ve beaten it, too.”

“Hmm.” Link was pretty sure they were going to lose, but he didn’t bother saying it. When they reached the statues, he examined it more closely. “The Martelfos grabbed a bow off of this statue after it fell off the skull,” he said, looking up at the giant Dodongo skull. “It handed it off to one of the winged ones, and then they all took off.”

“That is certainly a strange turn of events,” Gaile said. “Could you lift up the statue, please? I am curious who it depicts.”

Seeing it up close, it was clear that the statue was of a human, not a Goron. But, as it was currently face down in a pile of treasure, its identity was unclear. Link and Linkle each grabbed one of its shoulders and pulled it upright. Once it was standing up, they stepped back to view it.

“A lot shorter than I was expecting,” Link admitted.

“It’s a kid,” Breen said. “Who is that? Why was it on top of the skull?”

The statue appeared to be a young Hylian boy. He was wearing a simple tunic and had a small sword and shield on his back. He stood in a fighting stance, and was holding a bomb over his head with a look of fierce determination on his face.

The sound of rustling treasure alerted the adventurers to others approaching them from behind. “Aw, they knocked over Buster.”

Turning around, Link saw three Gorons. The one who had spoken looked upset, and he was glancing between the statue and the top of the skull, as if thinking about how he would get it back up there.

“Hmm…” The Goron standing in the middle was a few feet taller than the others. He wore heavy iron boots, gauntlets, and a helmet, and he appeared to have metal plates bolted onto the rocky exterior of his back and shoulders like an unremoveable suit of armor.

“Buster?” Linkle asked. “Who’s that?”

The other shorter Goron chuckled. “Well, don’t you know? This is the legendary Dodongo Buster!” he declared. “A brave young fairy child who ventured forth from the forest two hundred years ago to aid the Goron people.”

“The way the story goes, one of the largest of our mines had become overrun with Dodongos, including this King Dodongo right here,” the first Goron explained, gesturing up to the giant skull. “But the Dodongo Buster suddenly appeared to slay the beasts and save our people from starvation. He became the sworn brother of the great Chief Darunia, for whom Rudania is named.”

“Don’t they teach you this stuff in school?” the other Goron asked.

“I must have slept through that class,” Link said. “And she never finished school,” he added, tapping his sister on the shoulder.

“Shut it,” Linkle replied. “Wait. You said he was a fairy child? Another Kokiri? Like the one who gave us this quest?”

“Of course,” one of the shorter Gorons said. “The Kokiri are friends to the Gorons. They make the most beautiful music. I’ve visited their forest three times now.”

“We have been there as well,” Gaile said. “It is truly an enchanting place.”

“Ugh,” Linkle moaned. “We have got to go there,” she said, turning to her brother pleadingly.

“We can go there next,” he promised, even though he was not sure he would be up for another journey that was quite so long after this one.

The giant Goron took a few steps forward, supporting himself with his knuckles pressing into the ground. The adventurers parted down the middle to let him through. Bending down, he took the statue in hand and turned it around, examining it. “Where is the Dodongo Buster’s bow?” he asked.

“The Lizalfos took it,” Link replied, glad to be returning to the matter at hand. His curiosity had been piqued, and he was hoping to find out why the monsters might want to steal this Kokiri hero’s bow.

“Ah. Brave Hylian adventurers, this brother is called Darongo. He is the guardian of this treasure hold,” one of the other Gorons said, belatedly introducing the bigger one.

“Yes…” the treasure guardian replied, still turning the statue over in his giant hands as if searching for damage. “This incursion has been most disturbing. It will take me forever to record all that has been stolen from us.”

“Why would they take this bow of his?” Russ inquired. “Is it of any value?”

“It is a historic artifact,” Darongo explained. “The Dodongo Buster himself gave it to Darunia.”

Linkle gasped loud enough to draw everyone’s attention to herself. “That was the Hero of Twilight’s bow!” she said so excitedly that her voice was high pitched and cracking.

“What?” Link asked. “Why would it belong to the Hero of Twilight? He just said it belonged to someone else.”

“But the Hero of Twilight borrowed it,” Linkle quickly explained. “When he came to Eldin to retrieve a piece of the Fused Shadow, the Gorons lent him a bow that once belonged to a hero of the past. He used it to defeat Chief Darbus, who had been corrupted by the Fused Shadow.”

“But monsters wouldn’t give a shit about that,” Fin replied. “Is it valuable? Powerful? Perhaps enchanted in some way?”

The giant Goron shook his head. “Not to my knowledge. It was a simple wooden bow, albeit of a rather unique design.”

“Odd,” Breen said, putting her hand to her chin. “Well, it must’ve been a coincidence that they left when they did, then,” she decided. “They realized the fight was lost, so they took whatever they could get their hands on and ran. The bow just happened to be close by.”

“But the Martelfos ran through an ocean of gold and rupees to get to it,” Link said, not seeing how Breen’s explanation made sense.

The sorceress shrugged. “The bow was on a statue that was kept higher up, like the more valuable treasures,” she said. “The monster probably assumed it was more valuable than the loose change on the floor, even if it didn’t understand the historical significance.”

Link scratched his head. “I guess…”

“What were the Lizalfos doing here, anyway?” Fin asked, tilting his head up at the Gorons.

Linkle gasped excitedly. “They weren’t here for themselves. They were collecting treasure for the dragon,” she declared. “Lizalfos worship them as gods. And dragons like to hoard treasure.”

“That is probable, unfortunately,” Darongo agreed, nodding his disproportionately small head. Turning around, he faced the room. “Hylian adventurers!” he shouted, getting the attention of everyone else in the vault. “I understand you all came here to hunt a dragon. I am giving you a secondary task. Return the treasures that have been stolen from my people. I will see that you are suitably rewarded.”

A cheer went up as the various adventuring parties around the vault shouted their agreement.

Linkle grabbed her brother’s arm and bounced excitedly on her feet. “This quest just keeps getting better!” she said. “We must retrieve the Hero’s bow at once.”

Darongo lowered his head. “I suppose you have all earned something already for aiding in our defense,” he said, turning to the other Gorons. “Brothers, distribute a modest sum of rupees amongst our Hylian guests. Then return to taking inventory.”

“Yes, brother,” the two of them said, pounding a fist against their chests.

After collecting their reward, the six adventurers left the Goron vault and returned to the mines, heading back the way they came.

“Looks like we have even more reason to hunt that dragon now,” Russ stated. “And we’re behind schedule, especially if there were other parties ahead of us that didn’t get sidetracked here at the mines.”

“We’d best hurry, then,” Breen agreed. “Let’s head to Rudania and see if we can get the latest information on the dragon’s whereabouts.”

Chapter 22: Sophitia VIII

Chapter Text

Sophitia spent most of the journey from the Wind Temple to Medoh in the back of her carriage, alone with Liliana. No matter how much her bodyguard had tried to comfort her the night before, the princess was still significantly demoralized from the events of the previous day. It had only been one outburst from one Rito, but she knew the bird man’s sentiments were shared by many throughout Hebra. Convincing the Rito people that she was there to help was going to be quite difficult if half of them saw her as a tyrant seeking to control them.

“Where are we now?” Sophitia asked. The sounds the carriage was making had changed. It sounded like the wheels were rolling over wood instead of pavement.

Liliana slid open one of the windows on the left side of the carriage and glanced outside. “We are crossing Kolami Bridge, Princess,” the retainer replied. “See? That must be Strock Lake.”

Sophitia looked out the open window. “Beautiful,” she said. Sliding along the seat to the other side of the carriage, she opened the window on the right as well. The view was quite different. They were already quite high up on the bridge, but she could see another steep dropoff further out. That would be Tanagar Canyon, the great divide that separates Hebra from Hyrule proper. They had crossed it before arriving at the Wind Temple the other day, but the princess still could not handle heights very well. She shuddered a little, then shut the window.

“Shall I tell your driver to go faster?” Liliana offered.

“That will not be necessary,” Sophitia replied, moving back to her seat across from the other girl. “But thank you, Liliana. Oh, and once we make it to the other side of the bridge, send word to my brother and to those at the front of the convoy that we should stop.”

“Stop?” the round-eared girl asked in confusion. “Are you feeling sick?”

“No, I am well. There is something I need to do to prepare for our arrival.”

“Very well, Princess.”

A few minutes later, Liliana opened the door to the carriage and leaned outside. “Oi!” she shouted, waving over a nearby soldier riding on horseback.

“Yes, my lady?”

“Inform the prince and the lead riders. We are to stop immediately,” Liliana commanded.

“At once, dame.” The man rode off, and Liliana shut the door.

“He called you ‘dame,’ did he not?” Sophitia asked with a playful smile on her face. “You have the presence of a knight already, my dear.”

“It’s not a bad assumption,” Liliana replied. “I’m in here alone with you. Many would think I’d have to be either your knight or your handmaiden. Or your whore, I suppose. But of the three, only a knight would carry a sword.”

Liliana, ” the princess replied with shock, even though this was by no means the first time the other girl had made a joke such as this. “By Nayru, what would your mother think if she heard you speak in such a way?”

“You say that as if my mother doesn’t talk this way, too.”

Sophitia laughed haughtily. “Well, I suppose it’s best that you get it out of your system while we have the privacy of my carriage.”

“I shall be the pinnacle of politeness in public as always, your highness.”

“You have my gratitude,” Sophitia said with a nod. Her hand moved to her chin as she thought of something. “Ah, and you’ve reminded me. You simply must introduce me to your family one of these days.”

“I’d like that, Princess.”

The carriage slowed to a halt. Liliana climbed outside first, then held out a hand to escort Sophitia down the few small steps on the side of the carriage. Prince Lancel’s retinue was further up in the convoy, so the two of them walked together in search of it.

When they found it, the door was still closed. Sir Anselm was outside atop his horse, but Lancel was nowhere to be seen. “Brother?” Sophitia called out. “Are you in there?”

“Yes, yes, one moment.” The door flung open and Prince Lancel climbed out, adjusting his clothing and buttoning his shirt as if he were just getting dressed. Before he reached the ground, two women leaned out the door and wrapped their hands around him, urging him to come back inside. “Terribly sorry, my darlings. Two seconds, that’s all.” The prince managed to disentangle himself and shut the door behind him.

Sophitia glanced at the ground awkwardly. She felt Liliana elbowing her in the side.

“I did not see them carrying swords,” Liliana whispered.

Hush .”

“Your highness, please put more effort into how you present yourself in front of your sister and this young lady,” Sir Anselm urged Lancel, looking down at him with disappointment.

“Well, excuse me , Sir Killjoy,” the prince replied. “I project the next few days to be a never-ending deluge of work, work, and after that, work. If I do not make time for recreational activities now and again, I am liable to expire from sheer exhaustion.”

Sir Anselm sighed, but had no response.

Turning away from his bodyguard, Prince Lancel cleared his throat and approached his sister, smiling apologetically. “Right. Now then,” he said, clapping his hands together. “Greetings, sweet sister. Why have we stopped? Was there trouble on the bridge?”

Sophitia blinked, taking a moment to get her mind back on track. “Yes. Well, no. What I mean to say is, Lake Totori is just beyond this pass, correct?”

“It is indeed,” Lancel replied. “But that is a reason for us to continue moving, which, if my thinking is correct, is the exact opposite of stopping, yes?”

“Makes sense to me,” Liliana concurred.

“I said hush , darling,” Sophitia repeated. Brushing her hair aside, the princess took a step forward. “I have a suggestion, Brother. We should take only our essential personnel beyond this point, and leave the rest of our retinue to camp here for now. We can rejoin them on our way back to the Wind Temple.”

Lancel looked confused, glancing about the area. “This seems a rather odd location to set up camp, Sister,” he replied. “Right next to Tanagar Canyon? And so far from the city? No doubt there are monsters nearby. Meanwhile, the lush green meadows and forests surrounding Lake Totori await us just beyond the pass. It would be rather rude to leave our guards and attendants all the way out here, I’d say.”

Sophitia pursed her lips as she considered how to put this. “What we have here,” she said, holding out her arms to gesture to the soldiers surrounding them, “is an army. A small one, perhaps, by our standards. But regardless, it was enough to frighten some of the residents at the Wind Temple. We are here to help the Rito, and to make peace with them. We cannot give them the impression that we are an invading army arriving at their doorstep.”

“Her words have wisdom, my prince,” Sir Anselm concurred. “With only a small security detail for the princess, the governor, and yourself, we should be able to handle your protection more than adequately.”

“Yes, indeed. That is good thinking, Sister,” Lancel said, nodding his head in agreement. “I suppose Father would be livid if he knew we did not have the entirety of our guard with us at all times, but what he doesn’t know, won’t hurt him.”

Sophitia’s ears burned with shame at the suggestion.

Would Father think me a fool? Am I being irresponsible? Am I endangering the governor?

However, Lancel was praising her for her suggestion, so perhaps she was doing something right. “It is settled, then,” she said, trying to sound confident. “I’ll inform the governor. Sir Anselm, would you kindly give the command to set up camp?”

“At once, your highness.”

Had she attempted to give a command to any of Percival’s subordinates, Percival would likely have been angry with her. However, Lancel did not seem to mind. “Very good. Now, if you’ll excuse me,” the prince said, turning his back to them. “I have my own duties to attend to.” With a wave of his hand, a gust of wind blew open the door to his carriage, and he climbed back inside to the sound of ladies giggling.

Sir Anselm grunted disapprovingly and rode off. Sophitia’s face grew red with embarrassment.

“It was rather unfortunate timing that we interrupted your brother’s fun,” Liliana pointed out.

Sophitia shuddered and stomped off. “Let us not speak of this. It is unbecoming.”

As they walked through the convoy in search of the governor, they observed many soldiers and servants waiting around in confusion. Some had already gotten word of the new plans and were setting up camp, while others sat atop their horses patiently. “Liliana, go find Captain Reede,” Sophitia commanded. “Tell him to assemble a dozen of my guards to accompany us to Medoh.”

“Yes, your highness.” Liliana put her hand on her sword and bowed slightly before departing.

The princess found Governor Koridai a few moments later. He was standing beside one of the supply wagons and speaking with some of his servants, one of whom was nodding and jotting down his orders in a ledger.

“Governor Koridai,” Sophitia greeted him as she approached, drawing everyone’s attention.

“Good day to you, Princess,” the governor replied. “Give us a moment,” he said to his subordinates, waving them off. “May I ask why we have stopped? Is everything alright?”

“Everything is fine. No need to worry,” Sophitia assured him. “However, there has been a slight change of plans.”

“Oh? How so?”

“You, my brother, and I will be continuing on to Medoh with only a small, private guard, and the rest of our soldiers are to remain here for the time being,” she explained. “We merely wish to avoid frightening the locals.”

Governor Koridai furrowed his brow and put a hand to his chin thoughtfully. “Are you sure that is wise, your highness?” he asked, clearly doubtful of the idea. “I realize this is your first time visiting Medoh, but as the governor of this province, I can tell you on no uncertain terms that there are many in the city who wish us harm. We may be putting ourselves in danger if we leave part of our guard behind.”

Upon hearing his response, Sophitia mentally scolded herself for informing the governor of the decision as a fait accompli instead of consulting with him first.

He had every right to be involved with the making of this decision, even more so than my brother and I. Have I slighted him by doing this?

Perhaps the right thing to do at this point would have been to reconvene with Lancel and discuss it amongst the three of them. However, she couldn’t do that now.

The decision has been made. The order has been given. Going back on it now would surely make me appear spineless, would it not?

“Fear not,” Sophitia said, smiling to hide her uncertainty. “My brother and I have brought with us some of the finest knights in the kingdom. I am more than confident in their ability to keep us safe. Our visit will be a short one as it is.”

The look on the governor’s face made it clear that he remained unconvinced, but he did not express any further doubt. “Very well, Princess. I shall inform my guards.”

“Thank you, Governor.” Sophitia bowed and excused herself as quickly as possible, heading off to find Liliana.

If only he’d reacted as favorably as Lancel did…

Liliana spotted her first as she was walking back to her carriage. “Princess,” her retainer said. “Captain Reede has assembled your guards. Your brother is ready as well.”

Sophitia nodded. “Good. Let us depart as quickly as possible, then.”

“Very well. Shall we return to your carriage, Princess? Or do you require a horse?”

“The carriage. Please, join me.” Liliana could probably tell by how Sophitia’s face was still slightly red, but the princess was still embarrassed by her recent faux pas, and she really wanted someone to talk to.

After returning to the princess’s carriage, Liliana helped Sophitia climb inside before joining her, shutting the door behind them. “Is something the matter, Princess?” Liliana asked immediately.

Sophitia ran her hands through her hair nervously, unsure if she was going to appear whiny. “Liliana, be honest with me,” she began.

“I always am.”

Despite herself, the princess managed a slight smile. “Sometimes regrettably so,” she quipped. Then she took a deep breath. “Do you think it is a good idea to bring only a small number of guards with us?” she asked.

Liliana looked at her with half-lidded eyes. “A dozen guards is a dozen more than most people have,” the round-eared girl pointed out.

“Yes, and most people do not have a significant portion of a province that wants them dead ,” Sophitia countered bluntly.

Liliana pursed her lips. “The way you explained it to your brother made perfect sense to me,” she said. “What is this about?”

“The governor is not happy with the arrangement,” Sophitia admitted. “He did not say so in as many words, but he expressed great fear for our safety, and he knows Medoh better than any of us.” The princess pressed her hands to her face and groaned. “I should have asked him before making the decision.”

“You and your brother both agreed to this course of action,” Liliana pointed out. “The responsibility does not lie with you alone. And you’ve said Lancel is the smart one in your family, so I doubt you could both be wrong.”

It made Sophitia feel somewhat better to hear that, but something was still eating at her. “You may be right,” she said. “But I was still the one to come up with the idea, and I was the one to tell Governor Koridai about it. He will respect me less now. And if anything does happen, he and his entire House will blame me. I came here to win the support of Hebra. If I keep acting so thoughtlessly, not a soul in this entire province will recognize me as their queen.”

Liliana drew her sword and rested it across her lap, tapping it idly as she thought. “Well, once you are queen, it will not really matter what Governor Koridai thinks of you, will it?”

“Once I am queen, his opinion of me shall matter exponentially more than it does now, as will the opinions of everyone else in the kingdom!” Without realizing it, Sophitia had begun to raise her voice. “And if I lose the people’s respect now, it will ruin whatever potential I had at winning the throne in the first place!”

“Sophitia, please, calm yourself,” her retainer, holding up one hand. “You fret over nothing of consequence. If anything is to ruin your bid for the throne, it will certainly not be something as minor as this.”

Sophitia slumped back into her seat, trying to calm herself with deep breaths. “Yes. Yes, I suppose you’re right.” She could still feel the anxiety that had overtaken her a moment ago, but Liliana’s words had soothed her somewhat. “I think I shall rest for the remainder of the journey. Please wake me before we arrive.”

“I shall, your highness.”


When Sophitia first laid eyes on the city of Medoh, she was amazed. Lake Totori was large and oval shaped; about the size of the island on which Hyrule Castle was built. On all sides, it was surrounded by a ring of lush green grass dotted with trees and small forests, all of which sat at the base of the surrounding mountains. It was like a little hidden paradise. With how isolated it was, the princess could more easily understand how the kingdom had gone so long without making proper contact with the people who lived there.

In the center of the lake was a tall island jutting out of the water, with steep cliffs on all sides. Leading up to it were three smaller islands connected by wooden bridges. Most of the buildings were wooden and shared similarities to the Rito architecture Sophitia knew from the Rito Post Office back in the capital. However, the most striking thing about the city was how vertical it was. Even with the four islands together, there was not much surface area with which to build outwards. Since the Rito could fly, it appeared as though the obvious solution was to expand upwards instead. Even from a distance, as she and her retinue approached the cliffside around the rim of the lake, Sophitia could see the Rito flying between buildings, going about their day as usual.

At this point, Sophitia, Lancel, and Governor Koridai were traveling on horseback. A mix of their guards rode in front of them, while another group of their guards rode behind them, followed by their personal carriages. Liliana and Sir Anselm rode alongside their charges as well.

Up ahead, a pair of Rito men stood guard at the bridge. Both of them held wooden spears. The weapons struck the princess as rather primitive, but the feather decorations adorning the spearheads were strangely beautiful for a killing implement.

A few meters away from the bridge, the Hylians dismounted and approached on foot. When the front line of guards reached the Rito, they crossed their spears to block the path.

“A moment, please,” one of the Rito guards said in accented Hylian, clicking his beak.

“Is there a problem?” Sophitia called from behind the guards, taking the initiative. The soldiers standing in front of her parted, allowing her, Lancel, and Governor Koridai to approach, although Liliana and Sir Anselm stayed between them and the Rito.

“There is no problem, madam.” The other guard gestured behind him with his wing. “Someone has been sent to escort you.”

Sophitia looked across the bridge and saw no one, but then she heard the flapping of wings. Tilting her gaze upward, she saw several Rito lowering themselves from the air. A moment later, five of them landed on the bridge. Four of them carried shortswords and shields that looked like kites, while the one in front carried no weapons at all. Several Rito remained flying overhead, some of whom had bows and quivers on their backs. It made Sophitia somewhat nervous, but none of them made any hostile moves.

“My greetings, Governor Koridai,” the lead Rito said, walking forward as the guards parted their spears. “Chief Kanelo wished for me to receive you and your guests upon your arrival.”

The governor nodded. “You have my thanks. I would like to introduce Prince Lancel and Princess Zelda Sophitia of the Royal Family,” he said, gesturing to the royal siblings.

“How do you do?” Sophitia curtsied as gracefully as she could. Lancel said nothing, but smiled and bowed.

“You honor us by coming here,” the Rito man said. “I am called Mazli. Please allow my friends to tend to your horses while I escort you into the city.”

“Your assistance is most appreciated, Mazli,” Sophitia replied. “Please lead the way.”

After crossing the bridge, they arrived on the first island. The pathway led them between groups of buildings stacked on top of one another on either side of them. There were doors on the ground level of some, but not all of them. There were also many staircases spiraling upwards among the wooden buildings. Oddly, there were no people. Other than the princess’s party and Mazli’s party, the street was deserted.

That was until Sophitia looked upward. Rito heads resembling all types of birds were peeking out of various windows and from atop the many rooftops. Some of them were only visible for a moment before pulling away out of sight, which left the princess wondering if they’d become scared once spotted. It reminded her of how many residents at the Wind Temple had reacted to their presence, and it was certainly not the best feeling in the world.

On top of that, the princess realized exactly how vulnerable they would be in the event of an ambush. The look on the governor’s face suggested he was worried about the very same thing. Beginning to feel nervous, Sophitia glanced at Liliana beside her. The round-eared bodyguard put her hand on her charge’s shoulder. Her other hand rested on the hilt of her sword as a silent reminder that she was there to protect her.

“Our apologies for making you walk so much,” Prince Lancel said to Mazli as they made their way across the second bridge. “If I had the aerial capabilities of a hawk or an eagle, I’d scarcely imagine spending even a single second on the cold hard ground, knowing the boundless heavens available for me to explore.”

“It is no trouble at all, Prince Lancel,” the Rito man replied. “Believe it or not, flying all the time can be quite tiring.”

“So the bridges and staircases were not constructed for the benefit of human visitors?” Sophitia asked, having assumed that to be the case.

“Some accommodations have been made for our earthbound guests,” Mazli explained. “But no, by and large. Our children are not able to fly until their wings develop, and those who are sick, elderly, or injured may not be able to leave the ground either.”

“Oh. Yes, of course.” Sophitia brushed her hair in front of her face in an attempt to hide the redness in her cheeks.

After all the research I did about the Rito, how could I not have learned their children couldn’t fly?

The princess was worried she might make more comments that made her appear ignorant, but she was not going to stay silent and let her brother receive all the attention during this visit. “I imagine it must also be quite helpful in the case of unfavorable weather,” she said, trying to think of other reasons for the layout of the city.

“Yes, indeed,” Mazli agreed.

Lancel laughed. “Does that mean Ol’ Cyclos is still stopping by now and again?”

“He does not grace us with his presence, but he certainly curses us with his weather from time to time,” the Rito man admitted. “Luckily, today appears to belong to Zephos,” he said, commenting on the clear skies and gentle breeze.

“High Chieftain Kanelo is expecting us, correct?” Governor Koridai asked.

“He is in a meeting of the Chieftains’ Council at the moment,” Mazli replied. “But that is where I was instructed to take you.”

The princess was intrigued by this. Perhaps they would get to observe how the Rito’s limited self-government functioned. It also might reveal who the allies and opponents of Hyrulean Unification were, which would make this meeting easier to navigate.

The second and third small islands were similar to the first, but it was the main island where most of the city stood. It was significantly larger, both in diameter and in height. The most notable feature was the massive spire of rock that rose from its center. A great spiral staircase ran around it, weaving into hundreds of buildings branching out from the central spire. It was truly an awe-inspiring sight.

“The chieftains hold council at the very top,” Governor Koridai explained, informing the prince and princess of their destination.

“We have to climb that whole thing?” Liliana whispered to her charge, her head tilted upwards.

The princess chuckled. “You’ve climbed my tower hundreds of times by now,” she pointed out. “Think of that as practice.”

“I wish I had wings. Or magic,” the round-eared girl mused.

“Even with magic, flight is no easy feat.”

Despite having climbed the steps of her own tower multiple times a day for most of her life, the princess ended up being less prepared to climb the Medoh spire than she thought. She only managed to make it about a third of the way up before she started to get tired. Her solution was to lean on Liliana every now and then for stability, but she tried to avoid doing so whenever someone looked her way so as not to appear weak.

However, the higher she got, the more beautiful the view became. At first, she could see the surrounding islands and the whole of Lake Totori. Then, the Tabantha Frontier to the south, where they had come from, came into view. The Wind Temple could even be seen in the distance. To the north were the icy Hebra Mountains, the largest mountains in all of Hyrule, except perhaps for Death Mountain. To the east sat the city of Snowpeak, the primary Hylian settlement in Hebra. Much of it was obscured by a snowy hillside, but Governor Koridai’s palace could be seen sitting atop the small mountain overlooking the city. Finally, to the west, there was only a short stretch of land between them and the abyss that separated Hyrule from the Outer Continent. On the other side of the great gap, massive ice shelves loomed in the distance, as large as the Hebra Mountains. The princess shuddered at the thought of what unholy monsters lurked in the mysterious, unexplored lands.

“We are almost to the top,” Mazli called back to the group after what felt like an hour of climbing.

“Oh, thank the gods…” Sophitia muttered under her breath, feeling an ache in her legs.

“If the chieftains are still conferring, we should remain silent in the audience,” Governor Koridai suggested as they neared the final steps. “While the general public is permitted to observe the proceedings, it is expected of everyone to not speak out of turn.”

Prince Lancel grinned fiendishly. “Of course. I wouldn’t dream of it.”

Sir Anselm sighed.

At the top of the stairs was a large, flat, wooden surface. It looked like a dock intended for naval ships, but it was way up in the air, likely to provide an easy landing zone for the Rito. However, the real feature was what was atop the center of the great spire. It was a great wooden structure resembling something like a bird nest or a giant basket. It had no roof, and the only ground-bound entrance was an opening that led out to the sky dock and the staircase.

“Right this way, please,” Mazli instructed, gesturing for everyone to enter the council chamber. Sophitia, her brother, the governor, and their guards slowly entered, walking as quietly as they could.

Inside, there was a crowd of Rito standing in a ring around the edges of the nest-like structure. Some of them seemed surprised to see Hylians, but none of them said anything, and many stepped aside to allow more people to enter.

Most of the area of the stone ground was taken up by a large, three-foot deep, circular depression in the center of the room, with the crowd merely standing on the rim around it. Down in the depression, there were a number of wooden thrones arranged in a circle, each decorated with a different Rito symbol, and upon each sat a Rito dressed in flamboyant chieftain’s attire. In the very center of the circle was an even larger wooden throne that seemed to be designed with some sort of swiveling base. Sitting on the central throne was a rather plump Rito who resembled an owl with brown and white feathers. Sophitia presumed that Rito was none other than High Chieftain Kanelo.

“As of now, the only Hebra lands the Hylians claim for their own are in the Tabantha Tundra,” one of the chieftains announced, responding to a statement that must have been said before the princess and her party had entered the council chamber. “Their crops do not grow, and their people freeze. Why not allow them to move further into the Frontier, if only to save their lives?”

“I do not follow,” another chieftain said from the other side of the circle. “Why should the Hylians claim any Hebra lands? If they are starving in the Tundra, let them return to Hyrule where they belong.”

Sophitia did not like the sound of this already. Clearly, her people were the subject of the current debate, and some of the chieftains were openly opposed to their presence there.

“Hebra is a part of Hyrule,” the High Chieftain replied, swiveling his chair to face the last Rito who’d spoken. “We all belong here.”

The princess was glad to hear that the High Chieftain truly was an ally of theirs. However, she furrowed her brow in confusion upon realizing something odd. Sidestepping her way through the crowd, she approached Governor Koridai and leaned in to whisper to him. “Why do they converse in Hylian?”

“Because it is the only language they all speak, your highness,” the governor replied.

The princess nodded, stepping away to return to her previous place in the crowd.

How many Rito languages are there?

She knew there were multiple, unlike the Gorons who had only one language across three continents. However, she had thought that perhaps there would be a singular Rito dialect that was more prominent than the others that could be used for formal meetings like this.

I suppose a common language with which to communicate is but one benefit the Hylians have brought to the Rito.

“If the Hylians in the tundra wanted to simply live there and mind their own business, I doubt any of us would care,” one of the Rito chieftains began, standing up from his throne. This one had majestic blue feathers, a sharp beak, and an arrogant gleam in his piercing green eyes. He reminded Sophitia of a falcon. “But that isn’t what the Hylians want, is it, High Chieftain?” He spoke his superior’s title almost mockingly, as if he did not truly recognize it.

“They wish to work with us, Chief Revalco,” Kanelo replied. “As our peoples did in ancient times. The letter I received from the Hylian princess is proof of this.”

“Oh, a letter, was it?” Revalco asked, his voice again filled with mockery as he took a few steps closer to the High Chieftain. “A letter delivered by one of our people, no doubt. That’s all we are to the Hylians -- a source of cheap labor. Glorified messengers. Soldiers to be conscripted, subjects to be taxed.” The blue-feathered Rito spread his wings and turned to address the crowds surrounding them. “How much have we given the Hylians over the years? How much have our mothers and fathers given then? And their mothers and fathers?”

Cheers from the crowd demonstrated that this chieftain had a staggeringly large amount of support from the Rito observing the deliberations. Many of the other chieftains voiced their agreement as well.

“And with all we’ve given them, what have they ever given us in return?”

“The roads,” came a voice from the crowd. Sophitia could hear it clearly, as the speaker was quite close by.

The Rito chieftains all turned their heads towards the source of the noise. “What was that?” Revalco asked, looking quite peeved to have been given an actual answer to his question.

The Rito in the crowd as well as the Hylian guards stepped back from the one who’d spoken. Standing there was Prince Lancel, wearing a playful smile on his face. “The roads,” he repeated.

Oh, gods. What are you doing, Brother?

They had been instructed not to interrupt the Chieftains’ Council, but the prince did not seem to want to listen.

Nonetheless, Revalco did not seem too bothered. He chuckled at the answer as if it were ridiculous. “Roads your people built for themselves,” he said. “Unlike you, we can fly. What use would we have for your roads?”

“I happen to know the Rito have been making use of moose-drawn carriages to transport supplies too heavy to carry in flight for centuries,” Lancel answered, stepping forwards. When he got to the edge of the pit, he hopped down like it was nothing, much to the surprise of Rito chieftains.

“Your highness, you mustn’t--” Governor Koridai tried to warn him.

“Relax, Governor.” Lancel looked over his shoulder and raised a hand to silence him. “I am more than capable of having a civil conversation with these most esteemed chieftains.” He turned back to Revalco and continued forward. “Now, where were we? Ah, yes, the roads. Just as you use them to move supplies, we use them to transport goods to trade with you. That’s another benefit us Hylians have given you, by the way. Ample trade opportunity and prosperity the likes of which this fine province had never seen.”

Several of the Rito chieftains nodded and voiced their agreement, and there were murmurs of reluctant concession in the crowd as well. However, Revalco was not pleased. “Perhaps you are unaware, but it is actually possible to conduct trade without conquering your trade partners.”

“That’s true,” another chieftain chimed in. “Hebra traded with Hyrule for years before we were part of your kingdom, even after you failed to conquer us the first time.”

Lancel held out his hands and shrugged. “My great-grandfather conquered this province, yes. He did so through bloodshed, yes. But at the time, your great-grandfathers were warring with one another’s tribes as well, were they not? And look at you all now! Go ahead and add ‘tribal unity’ to the list of things the kingdom has given you, Chief Revalco.”

Despite the severity of the topic at hand, Lancel appeared relaxed and confident in a way Sophitia could never hope to emulate. Had she been in the center of all those watchful eyes, being scrutinized for possible war crimes, she imagined she would be struggling to form even a single coherent thought.

How does he do it?

The falcon-headed Rito still appeared displeased, however. “I imagine it is quite easy for you to speak of ‘unity’ when we are all unified beneath your heel,” he said. “Perhaps we do not fight amongst ourselves quite as much these days, but all we’ve done is traded one enemy for another.”

“The Hylians are not our enemy,” High Chief Kanelo reiterated. “And Prince Lancel is right. To reopen old wounds would cause nothing but suffering for us all. Let us use this time of peace the gods have granted us now to build a better kingdom for us all.”

Princess Sophitia glanced between the high chieftain and the governor. Kanelo seemed extremely supportive of Hyrulean Unification, and he also appeared to be a wise and competent ruler, at least from what little she had seen in this meeting.

Perhaps awarding him the governorship truly is the solution.

However, if they chose to pursue that course of action, the majority of the Chieftain’s Council would still be against him. If someone like Chief Revalco were to take Kanelo’s place the next time they chose a High Chieftain, that would make him the governor, and he would no doubt declare independence immediately.

It is still worth considering…

“The Hylian prince chose to be combative when he rudely interrupted our council,” Revalco argued, dramatically swiping his wing through the air for emphasis.

Lancel put his hand to his heart. “Oh, did I do that? My apologies, I suppose I made the mistake of genuinely answering your question. As I recall, you were the one who asked what the Hylians have ever done for the Rito,” he pointed out. “So far, I’ve listed the roads, trade opportunity, prosperity, and tribal unity. And while we’re at it, we might as well throw in medicine, education, employment, a common language, protection from monsters, and the favor of the gods themselves. But, yes, I suppose, other than that -- what have the Hylians ever done for you?”

There was much laughter and humorous chirping from the crowd at Lancel’s words. The pro-Hyrulean chieftains all nodded and expressed their agreement. Chief Revalco and his followers seemed upset, but none of them were able to formulate an immediate response.

Lancel had made his point, and perhaps he had convinced a number of those in the crowd who had been on the fence. However, Sophitia got the feeling that the room had become more tense, like a fight might break out between the two factions at any moment. Perhaps sensing this, Governor Koridai stepped up to the edge of the council’s circle. “High Chieftain, if I may?”

“Of course, governor,” Kanelo replied, gesturing with his wing. “Please, join us.”

Koridai made his way over to Lancel and stood beside him. “Prince Lancel has come here with a proposal,” he said to the circle of chieftains. “As you have no doubt been informed, the City in the Sky will pass over Hyrule again in a few days time. The city has great cultural significance to both our peoples. And, given that it has been abandoned by the Oocca who once occupied it up until the Twilight War, we believe it has come time for us to reclaim it.”

“Naturally,” Revalco replied, sounding rather deadpan. “The Hylians see a city and wish to claim it as their own? Color me surprised.”

“But we do not wish to claim it as our own.” The princess felt all eyes on her as she spoke up for the first time since they’d arrived. Deciding that now was her chance to have some impact on the proceedings, she stepped forward as her guards parted from her.

Revalco sighed, putting his wing to his face. “And who is this? ” he asked, clearly annoyed that yet another Hylian was joining in.

As if sensing that Sophitia would have trouble gracefully dropping down into the circle, Liliana hopped down into the ring ahead of her, then held out her hand to help her down. The princess gave her a smile and a nod to indicate her thanks as she took her hand, then continued speaking as she stepped down to the ground below her. “I am Princess Zelda Sophitia,” she answered, doing her best to project her voice for the crowd.

Lancel waved her over. “Yes! Come, sweet sister. This shall be a family event!” Governor Koridai did not speak, but Sophitia could tell he was getting nervous about all three of them stepping into the circle like this, even if their guards were only a few meters away.

“Then tell me, Princess, ” Revalco continued. “What do you intend to do with the City in the Sky?”

“Just as Governor Koridai has said, of course,” she replied smoothly. “We wish to join forces with the Rito and reclaim the city together, just as the Wind Tribe did in ages past.”

“It makes no difference,” the falcon-headed Rito countered. “In the end, the city will be both of ours in name only, just as all of Hebra is. You can say otherwise all you like, but Hylian rule will always take precedence over Rito rule.”

Sophitia regarded her opponent. He was brash and opinionated, perhaps even a little arrogant, but that was nothing she had not seen before with her brother Percival. But besides that, everything he said appeared to come from genuine concern for the well-being of his people, and he was not without legitimate grievances. If she wanted to convince him that the Rito were not intended to be second-class citizens in her kingdom, she would have to do something to gain his trust. And, seeing as he was the most vocal leader of his faction, winning him over would be a significant victory for her cause.

“How would you like to be put in charge of the City in the Sky?” Sophitia asked Revalco. Immediately, there were murmurs from amongst the crowd. If what she’d said was shocking and unexpected, perhaps that was a good sign. “Once the city is reclaimed, I can make you a lord, and you will have full control over it.”

“Princess, perhaps we should not be too hasty…” Governor Koridai’s face was filled with barely-concealed worry. Her brother, on the other hand, was stroking his chin and eying her like she had just made an interesting move in chess.

“Well, I think it is a splendid idea,” High Chief Kanelo said, chirping happily. “Surely Chief Revalco would be honored to accept such a distinction.”

Revalco crossed his wings, staring down at Sophitia with the eyes of a hunter. He seemed quite skeptical, as if he expected her to retract her offer at any moment. However, he was on the spot now, and needed to give his answer in front of his peers and his enemies. “You would allow me full control over the city’s restoration?”

“Yes,” the princess replied simply. She kept her voice calm and steady, but she was already nervous enough just from the governor’s reaction. If Revalco rejected her offer, his relationship with him would begin on a bad note. But, if he accepted, what if allowing him to be Lord of Skyloft was a mistake? Only time would tell.

“I would appoint my own advisers?” Revalco went on.

“Whoever you so choose,” Sophitia answered.

“And what of taxes?” he asked.

Sophitia’s confidence faltered, and she glanced at the governor. “The city would be considered a part of the Hebra Province, so taxes must still be paid to Snowpeak, but you will decide how the funds are collected,” she offered as a compromise, knowing she could not allow him complete independence.

Revalco clicked his beak, as if he’d found the catch in her offer. However, after a drawn out sigh, he gave his answer. “Alright, Princess. I’ll play your little game. We’ll see if you can make good on your promises.”

The crowd was once again abuzz with hushed murmurs or squawks of surprise. Sophitia smiled, feeling as if she’d helped the Hylians and the Rito take a big step forward in their relationship. “Splendid, Chieftain,” she said. “I look forward to working with you.”


The accommodations the princess and her companions were given for the night were not quite what Sophitia had expected. On the inside, the building looked normal enough. It had the same aesthetic as a log cabin, with both the building and all its furniture being made of wood. It had a common area with a table where they could eat or hold meetings, and the guards on duty could keep watch there while the VIPs retired to their respective bedrooms. The rest of the guards were given a barracks further down the spire where they could sleep while it wasn’t their shift.

However, the whole place felt much less quaint whenever Sophitia went near the window. It reminded her that they were a great distance from the ground, and the building they were in was merely attached to the great spire by a series of supports beneath them. She would feel much safer back home in her tower where she didn’t feel like the floor could give out or the whole building could wrench loose at any moment and plummet to the city below.

The princess’s hands were shaking when Liliana grabbed her by the shoulder and pulled her away from the window. “Sophitia, are you alright?”

“What? Oh. Yes, yes, I’m fine,” she said, smoothing out her clothing and trying to hide her awkward expression.

“Shall I request accommodations on the ground level instead?” Liliana offered, obviously able to tell what it was that had put the princess in a trance for a moment.

“That will not be necessary, I assure you.” She would be fine so long as she didn’t look out the window, and even if she wanted to spend the night somewhere less high off the ground, she could not afford to show that kind of weakness.

“Then perhaps I could--” There was a knock at the door. Liliana’s hand quickly moved to her sword.

“Who is it?” Sophitia called.

“The one and only Prince of Hyrule!” came Lancel’s voice from behind the door.

Liliana raised an eyebrow. “There are two princes of Hyrule.”

“Ah, I see you’ve spotted my mistake. Very well. It’s the handsome one.”

The round-eared girl shrugged. “Fair enough.” She turned to Sophitia. “Shall I let him in?”

“Of course,” the princess replied with a nod.

Liliana opened the door, and Lancel stepped inside. “Thank you, my darling,” the prince said as he slid past her. “Might I have a moment alone with my sister?” he requested.

Sophitia’s retainer looked at her, and she nodded her permission, figuring her brother needed to discuss more private matters. So, Liliana left the room, shutting the door behind her. Sophitia stayed where she was, looking to her brother expectantly. Lancel moved into the room with a thoughtful expression on his face. He was smiling, but Sophitia couldn’t tell if he was happy. “Is there something you wish to discuss with me, Brother?” she asked in confusion.

“There is indeed, sweet sister,” he replied. Lancel pressed his hands together, then pressed his fingertips to the bridge of his nose, exhaling in frustration. “My, my, my. You must be playing an immensely dangerous game, huh?”

The princess blinked. “What do you mean, Lancel?”

“What, I wonder, is this gambit of yours?” he asked, wearing an odd expression of both admiration and annoyance. “You would give that which I have explicitly told you is quite possibly the most powerful weapon in the world to our most vocal opponent in Hebra?”

Sophitia remembered her brother’s crazy theories. He believed that the City in the Sky housed ancient weaponry that would make it a floating fortress -- one that would ensure peace throughout the land simply by virtue of Hyrule being in possession of it. Obviously, he was quite perturbed by her promise to make Chief Revalco lord of the city.

“He will not be our opponent for long,” Sophitia assured him. “With this gesture of goodwill, I believe we will earn his trust.”

“Ah. But that is thinking much too simply, ” Lancel insisted. “You’re only looking at the next move. What about your opponent’s next move? What about the move you wish to make ten moves down the line? Or have you thought of this already, Sister?”

The princess was more than a bit confused. She nervously toyed with a strand of her hair as she considered what to say next. “I assure you, I have thought this through. And there is no deception here, Brother. I wish for peace in Hebra, and this is how we will achieve that end.”

“Oh, sure, sure.” Lancel began pacing up and down the room, gesturing with his hands while he spoke. “We reclaim the city. The falcon-headed one rules it in your name. He and his followers come to love the benevolent Hylian princess who gave them hope and freedom. Peace falls across Hebra. Kanelo is made governor. All the other chieftains convince him to endorse you for the throne. And suddenly, you are Queen of Hyrule, with a loyal lackey commanding a sky fortress above all our heads.”

Sophitia was taken aback. “I-I, well, perhaps some of that is what I had envisioned, but the way you put it--”

“It will not happen that way, Sister!” Lancel raised his voice just enough to interrupt her. “Make no mistake. Revalco despises us. And if he controls Skyloft, even if it has no weapons of its own, it will still serve as an aerial, mobile fortress for the Rito. It would be enough for him and his followers to reclaim all of Hebra for themselves, and perhaps even the Ridgelands if they’re feeling bold. The entire northwest quadrant of our kingdom -- gone. Just like that.”

Sophitia’s cheeks burned red with shame. It was clear at this point that he was scolding her; letting her know that she had done something profoundly idiotic, and it presented potentially catastrophic consequences. All of it hinged on whether or not they could trust Chief Revalco to rule the City in the Sky peacefully. She had assumed he could, but what if she was wrong? What if this led to the very war she had been sent to prevent? Not only would she never become queen, but thousands could die.

“It does not have to be that way, Brother,” Sophitia said defiantly. “You may believe yourself to have all the answers, but even you cannot foresee the future. The horrid outcome of which you speak can be easily averted. We simply need to be the true friends and allies of the Rito that we have always claimed to be.”

The prince met her gaze, tilting his head with curiosity for a few moments. Sophitia wondered if she had made him angry, but then he laughed. She wasn’t sure if that was any better, since she figured he was probably being condescending in some way.

“Very well, sweet sister,” Lancel said, placing a hand on Sophitia’s shoulder. “Perhaps your optimistic outlook is a tad juvenile, or even naive, but I am not entirely opposed to seeking the greatest possible outcome, even if it means betting against the odds.” He took a step back and adjusted his collar. “Plus, I know Sir Anselm would agree with you, and I’d hate to have to endure another lecture from him.”

The princess felt somewhat relieved. “So… You will support me, then? We shall move forward with the course of action I have laid out?”

“Certainly. I will assist you,” he said, raising a finger. “But, while you hope for the best, I shall plan for the worst. Do your best to befriend the falcon-headed one, while I do my part in preventing the city from becoming a threat to Hyrule.”

Sophitia wasn’t sure what he meant by that, but she was glad he was on her side again. “Very well.”

“And, in the future, Sister, please consult me before making such a brash move,” Lancel continued. “I can’t directly oppose you in a setting like that council meeting, so let us always be sure we’re on the same page first.”

Sophitia nodded. “I understand, Brother. I apologize for having spoken out of turn.”

“Oh, not at all!” Lancel assured her, clapping her on the back. “There would be no use having you here if you weren’t going to participate.” With one last hearty chuckle, the prince turned and headed for the door. “Good night, sweet sister. Let us hope the journey back to the Wind Temple will be as pleasant as the journey here.”

“Of course. Good night, dear brother.”

Lancel exited the room, and Liliana immediately returned. “Is everything alright, Princess?” she asked. “I heard shouting.”

Sophitia smiled with slight embarrassment. “I am fine, Liliana. My brother and I merely had a slight disagreement, but we are aligned in our goals now.”


Author's note (added 7/28/2023):

Those of you who've played Breath of the Wild probably guessed who this guy was based on.

Art Source

Chapter 23: Harun VIII

Chapter Text

The two princesses seemed to be having a good time. Sabah looked to be a bit too big for her horse, and Seraphina seemed too small for hers, but both were doing their best to keep their balance as they directed their horses around the track.

Harun had never actually seen a horse before. In the desert, they rode camels or used seal sleds instead. Ever since the Hylians took control of the valley and the canyon, the Gerudo had had little use for horses. From what the prince knew about the animals, he could tell which ones were native to Gerudo Valley and which ones had been brought from Hyrule, as the Gerudo ones were much larger to match their larger Gerudo riders.

The prince sat with Urballa and Kobami in the stands overlooking the racetrack, much like the stands in the Coliseum back at the Arbiter’s Grounds, although these benches were made of wood. Bularis was down there with the princesses, riding what was probably the largest Gerudo stallion available in order to support the weight of her bulky armor. The Gerudo-haired Hylian woman who guarded Princess Seraphina rode a small white Hyrulean horse, and she was clearly more practiced with horseback riding than Bularis and the princesses were.

After a short while, Bularis rode over to the stands and removed her helmet. “Care to join us, my queen?” she asked, looking up at them from below.

“In a moment, Commander,” Urballa replied. She had been discussing something with Elder Kobami since they’d arrived.

“And you, my prince?” the commander asked Harun.

The prince straightened up. He had been sulking ever since the meeting, which had gone disastrously thanks to him, at least as far as he believed. Perhaps this would help him take his mind off of things. “Certainly, Commander.” Standing up, he made his way down the ramp that led to the tracks below.

“Come this way,” Bularis said, pulling the reins of her horse. It fought against her for a moment, but eventually gave up and trotted over to the stables. Inside were many more horses, some as large as Bularis’s. “Try that one,” she suggested, gesturing to a solid black Gerudo stallion.

Harun nodded. “I’ve never ridden a horse,” he pointed out as he approached the animal.

“It is not much different than a camel, in truth,” the commander claimed.

Harun’s horse snarled as he approached it, which made him hesitate. Slowly, he crept forward, then placed his hand against the horse’s dark coat. When it did not fight him, the prince put his foot in the stirrup and climbed atop it.

“That’s it,” Bularis encouraged. “Now, come. We mustn’t leave the princess unattended.”

“Yes, Commander.” It took him a moment to get the horse moving, but he followed Bularis out of the stables and back out to the track.

In the distance, Princess Sabah spotted them. She was riding alongside Princess Seraphina, and she said something to her companion before riding over to them. The Hylian princess followed.

“Greetings, Harun,” Sabah said warmly. “I am glad you are able to join us. I trust the negotiations went well?”

Harun grimaced. “They could have gone better,” he said. “I am hopeful we can accomplish more tomorrow.”

“Hi!” Princess Seraphina said, her sunny disposition immediately drawing attention to herself. “You’re that Gerudo boy, right? The only one?”

Harun furrowed his brow, glancing at Sabah. The Gerudo princess was grinning, seemingly finding the Hylian princess’s innocence to be endearing. “Why, yes. I am the voe,” he confirmed. “My name is Harun, ward to Queen Urballa. It is an honor to meet you, Princess Zelda Seraphina.” He bowed forward atop his horse, deciding it would be respectful to greet her properly since this was his first time speaking with her.

“Neat!” Seraphina said. “Wanna ride with us? It’s fun!”

“I would be glad to,” Harun agreed.

“Yay!” Seraphina pulled on her horse’s reins to turn it around. “Try and catch me.” With a light kick to her horse’s side, she took off. Sabah turned to follow her as well. Harun tried to direct his horse, but it shook back against him.

“Careful, my prince,” Bularis warned, catching him by the shoulder to steady him.

“Right.” Harun tried again. This time, his horse listened, and he followed after the princesses. Seraphina’s laughter could be heard even from a distance. Sabah, too, laughed quite a bit as they rode around the horse track. It was nice to see her so happy. The Gerudo princess was very mature for her age, and Harun so rarely got to see her acting like a child.

As he rode, Harun observed those around him. There were both Hylians and Gerudo in the stands, and many Hylian guards and stable workers could be seen coming and going. However, none of them appeared to be on edge the way everyone had been before and during the council meeting earlier.

There may be hope for our peoples yet. If only the princesses had been at the meeting…

Harun slowed his horse to a trot, allowing it to rest a while.

“Harun!” a young girl’s voice called from behind him. Princess Seraphina appeared, smiling curiously. “Hey! Sabah told me you met Alkawbra.”

The prince was slightly taken aback. The young princess was very forward, and did not give much warning before bringing up such a subject. “Uh. Yes, Princess,” Harun confirmed. “I conferred with her at the Spirit Temple several days ago.”

“Wow!” Seraphina said in amazement. “What was she like?”

Harun had flashbacks of the giant cobra encircling him and Nashorla, slowly closing in until her coils wrapped around them. “She… is not much for pleasantries,” was all he said, not wishing to disturb the young girl with the details.

The Hylian princess did not seem to notice anything was amiss. “Laemora talks to me all the time,” she said.

Harun furrowed his brow. “The Goddess of Light?”

“Yeah! She’s a big, pretty, glowy bird.” The princess giggled. “She’s the youngest of her siblings. Like me!”

The prince had his doubts about a god regularly speaking to this child, but perhaps the Patrons were friendlier in Hyrule. Hearing this made him curious about something. “Does Hylia speak to you as well?” Like Nephysis, Hylia had left the mortal realm ages ago. Other than mad prophets, nobody claimed to have contact with them or the Golden Goddesses anymore.

Seraphina tilted her head, as if she had to think about it. “I think so,” she said. “But not the same way. Sometimes when I pray, she gives me signs that she’s listening.”

“Hmm.” Harun nodded, but he took that as a ‘no.’ Sabah and many other Gerudo said the same about Nephysis. Perhaps the old gods still influenced the world in subtle ways, but nobody ever seemed to know for sure.

While he was thinking, Princess Sabah rode up beside them. “Harun, Sera, would you like to try some archery?” she asked, gesturing to the circular targets that were set up around the horse track. “I’ve never tried it from atop a horse or a camel before.”

“Yeah! That sounds like fun,” Seraphina agreed immediately. “Do you have a bow?” she asked.

“Well, yes, but not on me,” Sabah said. “We can borrow some.”

“I’ll go ask Jeanne.” Seraphina pulled her horse’s reins, directing it over to her bodyguard. Harun and Sabah followed her.

They found both Dame Jeanne and Commander Bularis on foot, standing outside the stables. However, their horses were both nearby, and they were still keeping a watch on the young princesses, ready to intervene if need be.

“Jeanne!” Seraphina called to the red-haired knight, trotting her horse over to her.

“Would you like to get down, Princess?” Dame Jeanne asked.

“Here, allow me.” Bularis grabbed the Hylian princess by the waist and effortlessly lifted her, placing her down on the ground.

“Wow!” Seraphina’s eyes sparkled. “You’re so tall!

The smallest hint of a smirk cracked on the commander’s face. “Or perhaps you are all simply short.”

“Commander Bularis,” Princess Sabah said, climbing down from her horse on her own. “We would like to practice some archery. May we borrow some bows?” she asked politely.

“Of course, Princess,” Bularis agreed.

“I’ll have someone fetch them right away,” Dame Jeanne said. She took a few steps into the stable and flagged down a passing stable boy. “Go to the armory and have them bring a selection of bows and arrows, if you please,” she commanded.

“Yes, Dame.”

“You have our thanks, Dame Jeanne,” Harun said in gratitude, now on foot and leading his horse to stand with the others while they waited.

“Think nothing of it.”

“Dame, I am curious,” Sabah began. “How is it that your hair is red when you are not a Gerudo?”

The knight shrugged. “It is simply the hair my mother gave me,” she replied. “My sister is the same way.”

“Is she a knight as well?” Harun inquired.

“No,” she said, shaking her head. “A researcher, actually.” As the knight spoke, Seraphina leaned back against her, so Jeanne protectively wrapped an arm around the small girl. “She left Necluda to travel the world around the same time I became a squire to a knight of House Kochi.”

“And how long have you been guardian to your princess?” Commander Bularis asked.

“Her whole life,” she replied, brushing her charge’s hair lovingly. Seraphina giggled.

Bularis nodded. “Admirable. I have served Queen Urballa for many years. Many of my Iron Knuckles and I have served the prince and princess their whole lives as well.”

Harun looked back and forth between the commander and the knight. Jeanne was so much shorter, and while she was armored, her plate seemed quite light in comparison to the commander’s. He would feel safer with Bularis for protection any day.

But then, it never pays to underestimate an opponent.

The prince frowned as he remembered something Lady Averla had taught him many times. Jeanne actually reminded him of her as well. She had never been quite as warm with him as Jeanne was with Seraphina, but she had her own motherly qualities.

And I… killed her. All because of Ganon.

“Harun? What’s wrong?” Seraphina asked, sounding concerned.

The prince unclenched his jaw. Realizing his anger must have been showing, he tried to return to a more neutral expression. “It is nothing, young princess,” he replied.

For the next few minutes, the five of them continued to talk amongst themselves. A Gerudo prince and princess, a Hylian princess, a Gerudo warrior, and a Hylian knight. It was more pleasant than anything he had expected to come out of their visit to Taafei. He wondered why the elder Princess Zelda had decided to bring her sister along with her. Even if it had been Seraphina who had asked to come along, he would not have expected the elder princess to agree, especially given how likely negotiations were to end poorly.

Perhaps she expected some good to come of the friendship between Sabah and Seraphina?

Princess Zelda did not seem the type to care too much about something like that, but there may have been more to her than he knew. Either way, the current situation gave him an idea.


“I wish to speak with the queen.”

The Iron Knuckles standing guard outside of Urballa’s bedchambers looked down at Harun, their faces concealed by heavy metal helmets. They stood with their giant axes crossed in front of the door, blocking the way. “Might I ask why, Prince Harun?” the one on the left asked, her voice muffled by her helmet.

“I must discuss our plans for tomorrow’s negotiations.”

The Iron Knuckles glanced at each other. The one on the right shrugged, then moved to open the door slightly. “My queen, the prince wishes to speak with you,” she called through the crack in the doorway.

“Send him in.”

The Iron Knuckles pushed the door open further, then stepped to the side, bowing to their prince. Harun nodded as he walked past them, and the door closed behind him.

The prince stood in the doorway. As expected, Urballa’s guest room in the fortress was quite spacious; obviously a room designed for important guests. The bed looked nicer than his bed in Gerudo Palace. The walls were decorated with antique weapons and priceless paintings. Urballa sat in a cushioned chair by a tea table, reading a book. On the other side of the room was a lit fireplace, providing much needed warmth from the cold night air.

Urballa put her book down. “Care to join me, Harun?” she asked, gesturing to the other chair across from her.

“Yes, my queen.” Harun took his seat, straightening his back nervously.

“You wished to speak with me?”

“Yes,” Harun said with a nod. He cleared his throat, then tried to speak with purpose. “My queen, I would like to apologize for what happened at the negotiations today,” he said. “Had I not been here, you would have been able to discuss more important matters than my condition, and the Hylians would be in a more charitable mood.”

“Your wellbeing is important too, Harun,” the queen reminded him. “Besides, it was not your doing. The Hylians put you in a position where you had to explain your situation to them. I suspect they already knew something about it, somehow.”

Harun nodded, not sure what else to say.

“However, Princess Zelda took the news well,” Urballa continued. “I am sure the proceedings will go more favorably tomorrow.”

“That is what I wished to talk to you about,” Harun said. He was relieved that his apology had been received well. Perhaps the queen would be as receptive to his suggestion. “Tomorrow, would it be possible to have Princess Sabah and Princess Seraphina present at the negotiations?”

Urballa raised an eyebrow. “Why do you ask?”

“I saw how well they get along,” Harun explained. “You saw it, too. At the horse track. And because of them, Commander Bularis and Seraphina’s bodyguard were able to converse on friendly terms. I think the young princesses may serve as a reminder that our people and the Hylians can truly cooperate.”

The queen toyed with her jewelry, deep in thought for a moment. Harun figured she would say he was being too optimistic, but his idea couldn’t hurt to try. However, she did not seem to think that way. “I am not certain it will be the best environment for children,” she replied. “The situation nearly turned violent today. The possibility of another disagreement getting out of hand in the same way is too great. My daughter is too young to take such risks.”

“You allow both me and Sabah to be present when you are addressing the citizenry back home,” Harun pointed out. “The disputes you deal with often come just as close to violence.”

“I am in control in Naboris,” Urballa rebutted. “Things are different here. If a fight is to occur, I want my daughter in another part of the fortress grounds entirely, protected by my best guards.”

“You do not seem to care as much about such precautions when it comes to my safety.” Harun spoke without thinking. Some little spark of anger from somewhere within him had flared up. He considered it only natural that the queen would care more about her daughter than she did about him, and given her young age, it made sense to be more protective of her. But even acknowledging that, some voice in his head told him it was unfair.

The look she gave him told Harun she was surprised by what he’d said, and she was perhaps a fair bit offended. “I am sorry, my queen,” he said. “I did not mean to say it like that.”

Urballa continued to regard him in silence for a moment. It was difficult to tell if she was once again weighing her options, or if she was deciding whether or not to scold him. Finally, she spoke again.

“I apologize, Harun,” she said softly. “I have never once wished to neglect your safety, but perhaps I have failed you on some occasions.” The queen looked somewhat guilty, which again made Harun feel he had been too harsh. However, she seemed to move past it rather quickly. “Moreover, it is true that the friendship between my daughter and the younger Hylian princess appears strong. Perhaps it may give us hope for the future of Gerudo-Hylian relations. And, if the elder Hylian princess saw fit to bring her, perhaps she recognizes this as well.”

“Precisely.” Harun had thought the same thing. There was no sense in letting the young princesses remain on the sidelines for the negotiations when their relationship showed such promise.

“And, with the Sage of Light present, my daughter’s adherence to both Nephysis and Hylia is bound to appeal to the religious members of the council.” More and more, the queen seemed to be warming up to the idea. “Very well,” the queen agreed. “But at the first sign of trouble, I will have her escorted somewhere safe.”

“Of course,” Harun agreed.

There was silence for a moment. He was somewhat nervous again. If his idea worked, it would mean he had actually contributed to the Gerudo cause, which would hopefully make up for whatever problems were sure to come from the Hylians’ reaction to his condition. However, if Sabah ended up getting hurt because of his actions, the queen would never forgive him, nor would he forgive himself. “Do you truly believe Vapith will relinquish her governorship to you?” he asked, hoping to be told she had a good chance.

“I believe it is possible,” Urballa replied. “The more I request it, and the more I fulfill the conditions given to me, the more pressured the Hylians become to acquiesce. Otherwise, they risk losing what support they have from our people, and provoking us into war.”

Harun furrowed his brow. Of course, he had heard talk of war with the Hylians many, many times, especially from Elder Kobami. However, now that he was here in Taafei and meeting with Hylian leadership, the possibility seemed much more real to him. “Would you truly go to war with them?” he asked uncertainly.

Queen Urballa ran her hand through her hair, jangling some of her jewelry. It took her an almost uncomfortable amount of time to answer. “There are circumstances under which I would, yes,” she admitted. “As queen, I need to be prepared for the worst-case scenario.”

“But you would not go to war simply because they refuse to name you governor, yes?”

“Most likely not,” she replied. “Kobami has been advising me to do so for some time now. But unless they place unreasonable restrictions upon our people or respond to our demands with violence, I do not believe it will be necessary, even if I am refused once again.”

Harun nodded slowly, his worries subsiding somewhat. However, he knew how manipulative Elder Kobami could be.

If only Averla were here to counteract her influence…

There were other Hylianites among the queen’s trusted advisors, but none were Lady Averla’s equal. Harun felt his throat tighten from being reminded of her for the second time that day.

Still so much of this is my fault.

“It is late, Prince Harun,” Urballa stated. “You should get some rest.”

“Yes. Right. Thank you, my queen. I bid you goodnight.” Harun stood and bowed his head before heading to the door.

I can only hope tomorrow will turn out better.


“Sabah, may I speak to you for a moment?” Harun caught up with the Gerudo princess in the early morning as she and Bularis were about to exit the guest area of the fortress. As far as he knew, Urballa had not invited her to join them at the negotiations that day, so he thought he could be the one to do it.

“Hmm?” Sabah turned around, her earrings swinging through the air as she did. “Of course, Harun. What is it?” Bularis stood beside her, waiting patiently. She was armored as usual, but she was holding her axe with the blade down on the ground.

He hesitated for a moment, remembering Urballa’s concern for her daughter’s safety. However, Harun knew he had to ignore that for now and continue on. “Your mother and I have discussed it, and we both believe that having you and Princess Seraphina present at the negotiations may help put everyone in a more cooperative mood,” he explained. “Would you be interested in joining us?”

Sabah smiled, but Bularis reacted first. “Are you sure that would be wise?” she asked. “Such meetings can get extremely tense, perhaps even dangerous.”

“It’s alright, Bularis,” the princess said, raising a hand to her. “If I can help make peace between us and the Hylians, I would gladly attend the meeting.”

Harun nodded, exhaling quietly with relief.

The level of maturity she displays for one so young still surprises me.

“Excellent. You have my thanks, Sabah,” Harun said. “Now, we must invite Princess Seraphina as well. Shall we visit her?”

“Sure!” Sabah replied, smiling brightly. “Bularis and I were about to pay a visit to the temple with Seraphina. The Sage of Light is supposed to give a sermon this morning. Care to join us?”

“...It would be my honor.” Knowing the sage was probably not very fond of him, the idea of listening to him preach was not very appealing. However, the sage did not seem dangerous, and he would hopefully be too busy with his religious duties to pay Harun any mind.

Gesturing towards the door, Harun invited the princess and her bodyguard to go ahead of him. They stepped outside, and he followed behind them.

The temple was further down the slope, a short distance away from the main fortress. It easily stood out because of its distinctive Hylian architecture, compared to the Gerudo appearance that most of the buildings in Taafei had. When they entered the building, the Sage of Light was already speaking. He stood at the altar at the far end of the room, in front of a two-story statue of the goddess Hylia. Most of the pews were filled with Hylians. Harun could see both Hylian princesses at the front, surrounded by armed knights on all sides.

Princess Sabah slid into an empty back row and took a seat. Bularis, likely believing her bulky armor would not allow her to fit, simply stood behind the princess. Harun decided to stay standing as well. Something about being in that temple gave him a strange, uncomfortable sensation, so he wanted to be able to leave on a moment’s notice if need be.

Ganon, Demise, I’m not sure which of you wants me to leave this place, but you’re both going to have to deal with it.

“These are indeed troubled times,” the sage spoke, gazing out into the audience. “Every corner of the kingdom sees the shadow of war looming over it, but we mustn’t fear. As the people of Hylia, we are honorbound to make peace in her name throughout the land.”

Then leave.

Harun pressed his hand to his temple. He heard the thought in his head as if it were his own, but it was not in his own voice.

“Here in Gerudo, we treat with our sisters from the desert,” the sage continued. “Though we have had our differences, we are all Children of Nayru, and we must remain united as one. I hope you will all join me in prayer, that we may have continued peace.” He made a triforce symbol with his hands, which many throughout the room copied. “Now, let us read from the Book of Mudora…” The Hylian holy book sat on the podium in front of him. Sage Aurun reached for it and opened it to a page near the middle.

As soon as the Mudora opened, Harun heard a loud ringing in his ears, as if the heavy book had been slammed on a table right beside his eardrums. The prince groaned slightly, covering his ears with his hands.

This was a mistake.

Without excusing himself to Bularis or Sabah, Harun hurriedly made his way to the exit.

Outside the temple, he took a breath of fresh air. He did not like having to appease the demons residing within him, but he could not take the risk of one of them gaining control of his body in such a crowded place. So, he walked a short distance away from the building and sat down on the hill. He would wait until the sermon was over, and then hopefully he could speak to the Hylian princesses about Seraphina’s invitation.

As he sat there, Harun gazed upon the Gerudo Fortress.

It should be ours.

The prince scowled. He wanted to tell himself he knew for a fact that the thought was Ganondorf’s, but he honestly couldn’t tell. This was Gerudo Fortress in Gerudo Canyon next to the rich and fertile Gerudo Valley -- why shouldn’t it belong to the Gerudo? What right did the Hylians have to be there?

Realizing he was accomplishing nothing but working himself up, Harun shifted his position so he sat crossed legged, then attempted to mediate the way Sage Nashorla had taught him. Having more mood swings would accomplish nothing, and it would only make it that much harder for Queen Urballa to make any progress. They would get the fortress back if Urballa obtained the governorship, after all. There was no need to use force, despite Elder Kobami’s insistence otherwise.

Time passed quickly while Harun was meditating. When he opened his eyes, Hylians were streaming out of the temple of Hylia. Most of them were commonfolk, going back to their daily business. There were some knights and soldiers among them, too. Harun stood up when he saw Sabah, Seraphina, and Zelda exit the building, surrounded on all sides by their guards. For a brief moment, the sight of Sabah surrounded by Hylians frightened him, but it quickly registered with him that the Hylians were escorting Sabah just as they were escorting their own princesses. Bularis and Aurun were with them as well.

“Good day to you, Prince Harun,” Princess Zelda greeted him, wordlessly parting her guards as she stepped forward. “How are you this morning?”

“I am well, Princess,” Harun lied.

“Sabah has come to us with an interesting proposition,” Zelda stated, getting straight to the point. “You wish to include her and my sister in today’s negotiations?”

“That is correct, Princess.” Harun looked at the younger princesses. Seraphina was clinging to Sabah’s arm, smiling up at him happily, while Sabah herself looked rather amused. “Provided there are no objections.”

“I wanna be there, too!” Seraphina confirmed. “We’ll get to save the world!” She gripped Sabah’s arm tighter, causing the Gerudo princess to wince.

“Ah! Sera!” Sabah complained before giggling good-naturedly.

Harun turned his attention back to Princess Zelda, who did not appear to have taken her steely eyes off of him at any point. “I trust it will not be too much trouble?” Harun asked, wanting Zelda to either confirm or deny her acceptance of the idea.

“No trouble,” the elder princess confirmed. “Political arbitration is hardly a job for children, but so long as they do not interrupt, I see no reason to disallow their presence.” As she spoke, she glanced down to her side at her sister and Sabah. For the briefest moment, her expression softened, the corners of her lips turning up at the sight of Seraphina hugging her friend’s arm. She then set her gaze back on Harun. “We are to begin negotiations again shortly. Will you accompany us to Governor Vapith’s council chambers?”

“Your Highness,” Sage Aurun spoke before Harun could answer. “I would have a moment alone with the prince before we convene.”

The princess looked to him. Neither of them said anything about what the sage wished to discuss. “Very well, holy one. We shall be off, then.” Zelda resumed marching up the hill, followed by the younger princesses and their escort of knights, leaving Harun and Sage Aurun alone.

The Gerudo prince looked down at the sage uncertainly. The old man’s beard billowed in the wind, as did the feathers on his cloak. It had been clear to Harun since he’d first seen Sage Aurun that he was something of a stoic, so it was rather difficult to tell how the sage viewed him. However, from the sage’s words at the meeting the other day, Harun suspected his condition was enough to make the sage wary of him. “What is it you wished to discuss, wise sage?”

Aurun waited another moment before answering, his head tilting back to look up at the sky. “I communed with my Patron yesterday,” he said. “The great Laemora, Goddess of Light.”

“The same goddess who speaks to Princess Seraphina,” Harun said aloud to himself, remembering what the young princess had said to him yesterday.

The sage nodded. “Indeed. I informed her of your condition, and beseeched her for guidance. Spirits are the domain of Alkawbra, so she refused to pass judgment. However, it was her wisdom that such darkness will always remain a threat so long as it remains in our realm.”

Harun narrowed his eyes. “Do you speak of Ganon’s soul? Or Demise’s curse?”

“Both,” Aurun answered.

“And does that make me a threat?”

“That depends on you, young one.” Aurun spoke plainly and authoritatively, but he made no move to attack the prince with any sort of sorcery, nor did he approach him physically. “I understand the wisdom of your people’s Patron was to fight fire with fire, so to speak. But such a solution seems like nothing more than a temporary measure, at best. If I were to have it my way, both dark presences would be expelled from you as soon as possible.”

“The last time someone tried to expel this dark presence from me…” Harun froze as he began to tell the sage what had happened. He did not wish to admit what Ganondorf-- what he had done.

“The curse cannot be lifted by the gods,” Aurun stated, inquiring no further about what Harun had been about to say. “I understand this. However, we are blessed with the presence of two members of the Royal Family.”

Harun raised an eyebrow. “The princesses? What do they have to do with this?”

“When the Golden Goddesses created the Triforce, they designed it so that its power could only be wielded by mortals,” the sage explained, sounding as if he was transitioning into another sermon. “That is why their successor, the goddess Hylia, gave up her immortal form to walk the earth as a woman. The princesses are descendants of that woman.”

Harun was confused. He knew of this, but he did not see how it answered his question. “Forgive me, Sage. I do not understand.”

“The Royal Family of Hyrule exists to do what the gods cannot,” Sage Aurun explained. “If the gods cannot cleanse you of your demons, then perhaps they can.”

Harun’s eyes lit up when comprehension dawned on him. “You mean… It is possible for them to remove Demise’s curse?”

“There are few guarantees in life,” Aurun said. “But yes, I believe there to be a possibility.”

Harun could not believe what he was hearing. Even if it were only a slim chance, this was the best news he’d heard in a very long time. And if the curse could be removed, then there would be no need for the spirit of Ganon either.

I can be free. Free of it all.

“Do it,” Harun said. “We must request Princess Zelda to perform this task at once.”

“No,” the sage refused, shaking his head. “The princess came here for a reason, and so did your queen. Removing your curse will take time, and it may be dangerous. We cannot afford to trouble them with it now when so much else is at stake.”

“But you’re the Sage of Light!” Harun complained, baffled by Aurun’s response. From how he had been acting the previous day, the prince would have assumed the demon’s curse to be his top priority.

“My duty is to the gods, and to the crown,” Sage Aurun said. “Furthermore, we are here to discuss the relationship between our peoples going forward. If that relationship is determined to be favorable, then perhaps Princess Zelda will be more inclined to risk her own safety to help you.”

Harun blinked. He could not believe what he was hearing. If he understood the sage correctly, his best chance at being freed of the curse was dependent upon the negotiations going in a direction that favored the Hylians. “Am I your hostage, Sage Auron?” the prince asked with venom in his voice. “Do you mean to use the promise of my curse being broken in order to force me to take the side of the Hylians in our negotiations from here on out?”

“Watch your tone, boy.” Aurun glared at him with eyes that glowed gold with power. “You would do well not to make such accusations. I merely told you the plain truth. There are matters at hand that are bigger than you or I.”

“Nonsense!” Harun shouted. “You said it yourself! This darkness will always remain a threat so long as it remains in our realm. Whatever petty squabbles our peoples might have, surely we can put them aside for a moment to deal with the common enemy?”

“The goddess Alkawbra saw fit to ensure that this common enemy remained locked inside of you for the time being.” Sage Aurun now spoke as if he were explaining matters to a child having a tantrum. “Rest assured, we will discuss this matter with Princess Zelda thoroughly at the meeting. There is no reason to make hasty decisions here and now.”

Harun glared at him. He still could not decipher the sage’s intentions, nor could he determine how much of what he’d said was even true. Nonetheless, he did not appreciate having the solution to all of his problems dangled in front of him like that, only for it to be yanked just out of his reach. He sighed, almost growling with rage. “I see even the wisdom of the sages is limited,” he said scathingly. “But very well. I will take this matter to your princess. Perhaps she will recognize where our priorities should lie.”

Chapter 24: Link VIII

Chapter Text

“Elle, don’t.”

“But I want to.”

“Why bother?”

“There might be gems in there.”

“Elle, it’s a freakin’ rock. All you’re gonna do is blunt your sword, and I’m gonna be the one who ends up having to fix it.”

Linkle stubbornly continued chipping away at the exposed ore vein, making little progress, if any. “Where’s your adventurer’s spirit?”

“Where’s your… fuck, I don’t know. Think of something clever for me.”

Where’s your fuck? ” Linkle repeated, laughing at her brother’s accidental nonsense sentence.

“Shut it.” Link turned around, hoping Russ and the other adventurers weren’t watching his sister’s antics. Three of them were sitting by the fire where they had cooked their meal, but Breen was walking towards them, staff in hand.

“What’s she doing?” the sorceress asked.

“Being an idiot.”

“Am not!” Linkle fervently denied. “I want the rupees in this ore vein.” Her sword dinged against the rock, causing her to curse under her breath.

“Rupees don’t just come out of the ground, Elle,” Link said. “Like, the material for it does, but you can’t just hurl a hunk of ruby at a shopkeeper and expect them to give you stuff.”

“Well, they probably will if they think you’re robbing them or something,” Linkle said.

Breen laughed, gesturing back and forth between the siblings. “You two are the worst. Here, step back. Let me try something.”

Link and Linkle obliged, backing away from the rock Linkle had been hacking away at, curious as to what the sorceress intended to do.

Breen posed with her staff pointed at the ore vein. Her eyes narrowed in concentration, and a red glow emanated from her staff. A moment later, a tiny ball of fire shot out from the tip of it. When it touched the rock, it disappeared. Link furrowed his brow, thinking the spell had failed. But then, there was a sudden explosion from within the rock.

“Whoaaaa!” Linkle watched in awe as pieces of volcanic earth rained down around them. Amidst the rubble, a few shiny jewels could be seen. “Neat. Thanks, Breen!” The young adventurer set about picking up the pieces, excitedly stuffing them into her bags.

“Don’t mention it,” Breen replied with a cocky smile, resting her staff against her shoulder. She then turned to head back over to the campfire.

Link decided to follow her. “Where’d you learn how to do that?” he inquired. He’d seen her perform pyromancy before, but only with flames, not explosions.

Breen shrugged. “Dunno. Must’ve been in one of the spellbooks I’ve come across. I really only bother with combat magic nowadays, so blowing things up was bound to be in one of ‘em.” She looked back over her shoulder, observing Linkle scooping up some shards of ruby. “What about you and your sister? Either of you practice magic?”

“Not really,” Link said, shaking his head. “My smithing master taught me some simple stuff. Durability enchantments, anti-theft charms, that sort of thing. And Linkle talks to animals, but she can’t really control ‘em or anything.”

“Hmm. Guess that’s how it is for most people,” Breen replied. “In my village, everyone only learned just enough magic to help with whatever their job was. But I wanted to do more. And I kinda had a knack for it, I guess,” she said, holding out her staff and twirling it on the edge of her fingers.

“That’s only ‘cause you can’t actually fight,” Fin taunted, having overheard them as they approached the camp.

“Yeah, yeah.” Breen kicked a pebble in Fin’s direction, and he laughed while raising a hand to protect himself.

“We should get moving again soon,” Russ said, sitting against a rock as he ran a whetstone up and down his claymore. “Other parties will be catching up to us, and we don’t want to be the last ones to get to Rudania.”

“Agreed,” Breen said with a nod. “Let’s get our stuff packed up, then.”

Link and his temporary party members set about grabbing their belongings and stuffing them back into their bags. They were all traveling relatively light, so it did not take long. After kneeling down to tie the straps on one of his bags, Link stood up and found his sister had appeared beside him, holding up a bag full of gems.

“See? Told ya.”

Link casually reached out and smacked the bag out of her hand. It plopped down onto the ground, spilling a small amount of its contents.

“Ugh. Dick .” Linkle knelt down and began scooping her prize back up.

“Hey!”

Link heard someone shouting from down the road. There were three young men about his age approaching them, one of whom was clad in a familiar suit of armor.

“Did I just witness you disrespecting this lady’s property?” asked the young man in the armor, gesturing to Linkle as she stood up with her bag in her arms.

“Oh gods, it’s this cunt again…” Link muttered under his breath, crossing his arms standoffishly.

“What did you say, cretin?”

“I said ‘Hey, buddy! How’s your shoulder?’”

“What?” The newcomer looked at Link in confusion for a moment, then recognition dawned on him. “You!” he said in an accusatory manner. “You have much to answer for, coward!”

“Huh?” Linkle looked the man up and down until she recognized him, too. “Oh. This cunt.”

The young man looked hurt by her response. “My lady, I have merely attempted to defend your honor.”

Linkle, standing on an incline, rested her arm on her brother’s shoulder and leaned against him casually. “Yeah? And how’d that work out for ya last time?” She looked at least half as irritated as Link was.

The young man was at a loss for words, then he shook his head and turned his attention back to Link. “You! You still owe me a proper duel,” he declared, drawing his sword.

“Whoa, whoa, Dayto!”

“Calm down, ya stupid git.”

His two companions stepped forward and put their arms in his path, attempting to push him back.

“Silence, knaves! Let me at him!”

“Is there a problem here?” From beside Link, Russ appeared, holding his claymore to his shoulder. Fin stepped around from Linkle’s side, while Breen and Gaile joined in behind them.

The young adventurer called Dayto looked frightened, especially by Russ. He and his companions took a step back, but he kept his sword raised. “W-Well, yes. There is a problem. This man has slighted me and this maiden. I demand satisfaction!”

“Oh, I’m no maiden,” Linkle pointed out.

“Elle…”

“What?”

Link sighed, but turned his attention to Dayto. “Didn’t we settle this already down in Kakariko?”

Fin snapped his fingers, pointing at Dayto. “Oi! You’re the little bugger that got stabbed, yeah?” He laughed, then gestured to Link with his spear. “Well, this oughta be easy, then. Go on. Give ‘em another thrashing.”

“Fin,” Russ said disapprovingly.

“Fellas, come on,” one of Dayto’s companions said disarmingly. “We don’t want any trouble. “Let’s just keep heading up the trail.”

“Yeah, let’s go kill the dragon and all that.”

“No!” Dayto declared. “I must defend my honor, and hers.” He pointed his sword at Linkle briefly, then trained it on Link.

“Oh, fuck off,” Linkle said, waving her hand dismissively. “Leave my brother alone already, will ya? When he does something to piss me off, I’ll deal with him. Believe me.”

Link could tell the man with his sword drawn was not happy with the way this was going. He almost certainly wanted Link to draw his own sword so he could fight him and prove something, either to himself or to those watching.

Maybe if I never draw my sword, he’ll just get pissed off and leave.

After all, Link doubted the trick he’d previously pulled with this guy would work a second time. And with Dayto’s companions obviously unwilling to back him up, there was no way he would risk attacking Link while Russ and the others were standing right there.

Dayto stared daggers at Link for a few moments more, then seemed to have gotten fed up with the situation. “Fine,” he said in frustration, sheathing his sword. “A coward like you is not worthy of my time.” With his companions sighing in relief, the three of them stepped past Link and the others, returning to the trail to continue up the mountain.

Russ and Fin lowered their weapons. “Well that guy was a bit of a prick, eh?” Fin stated, watching Dayto walk off.

“Do you know those people?” Russ asked the siblings.

“No,” Link replied, shaking his head. “That time he tried to pick a fight with me in Kakariko was the first time I met that guy. And I’ve never seen the other two.”

“I still think you should’ve just dueled him properly the first time,” Linkle said, sliding her arm off of Link’s shoulder and stepping away to collect her things. “Maybe he’d stop bothering us if you did.”

“Or maybe I’d be dead. Ever think about that?”

“Every day, Brother.”

“Goodness,” Gaile said indignantly.

Breen laughed at her reaction. “I can tell you’ve never had siblings.”

Russ grunted. “Well, those three are our enemies now. Being our rivals for a bounty this big was reason enough for them to want to kill us. Keep an eye out for them as we continue.”


The remainder of the journey to Rudania was less eventful than the previous day. Other than a swarm of flaming Keese and one immature Dodongo, Link and his party did not encounter any more monsters. They came across a few other adventuring parties along the way, but none of them were hostile, nor did they volunteer any help.

“Whoaaa!” Linkle cried in awe as the gates of the Goron capital city came into view. The walls were solid iron with a stone base carved from the mountainside. The ends of several large cannons lined the top of the wall, and armored Gorons patrolled back and forth along it. On either side of the gigantic gate sat a large brazier, crackling with dancing fire. A moat of freely flowing lava surrounded its base, with the only access point being a drawbridge in front of the gate.

“By Din,” Link proclaimed. “The walls are larger than the ones surrounding Hateno.”

Fin laughed. “Well, the walls around here are meant to keep out bigger things than you’d find in Hateno,” he pointed out. “You should see a fully grown Dodongo.”

Linkle gasped. “Can we?”

“Not now,” Link said. “Let’s head inside.”

As they approached, the gates were already open while the guards let in another group of adventurers. “Are you here for the dragon, brothers?” a Goron called down to them from atop the wall.

“Aye, brother,” Russ called back to him.

“Then hurry inside. You’ll want to head to the Gor Council Chamber.”

Gore council chamber?” Linkle repeated in confusion.

“A Gor is like a Goron elder,” Breen explained. “They counsel the chieftain.”

“Ah. That makes way more sense,” Linkle replied.

As they walked across the drawbridge, Link began to feel lightheaded from the heat. Even with the protection offered by his armor, it had been getting more and more difficult to stay cool as they climbed the mountain.

“It’s too hot ,” Linkle complained, tugging at the collar of her tunic.

“Oh, yeah. Good point,” Breen said, reaching her hand into her carrying bag and rifling through its contents. “Here, everyone take another dose,” she commanded, holding out some vials of red liquid. The fireproof elixirs they’d consumed earlier in the journey must have been wearing off, or perhaps the increasingly high temperatures meant they needed to drink more than they already had. “It should still keep us safe up here. Just don’t actually touch any lava, or walk through a fire.”

The priestess walking beside her winced. “Do you have anything that wasn’t made from slug slime?”

“Trust me, Gaile. This isn’t even in the top ten grossest elixirs I’ve ever made,” Breen replied.

Everyone took a vial and drank the elixir as instructed. Link did not enjoy drinking the elixir, but it seemed to have done what Breen had promised. The heat of the lava beneath them now felt no hotter than a sweltering summer day.

The Goron capital city was nothing like any Hylian or Sheikah city Link had ever seen before. All the buildings appeared to be carved from solid stone, and there was scarcely any wood to be seen. The roads were rough and irregular, and most were not paved by more than some sparse cobblestone. Both the buildings and the streets were larger than expected, likely to accommodate the Gorons of larger sizes. The entire city sloped uphill, which Link could see the Gorons took advantage of by rolling through the streets like living boulders. Rather than horses, bizarre beasts of burden like Kodongos and ostriches pulled wagons and carried supplies. And, perhaps oddest of all, while some street vendors in the marketplace sold meat, milk, or spices, most of them sold rocks , chunks of metal, and other minerals as if they were normal food.

“Greetings, brothers!” a Goron vendor greeted Link and Linkle when they stopped by his booth. “Care for a tasty rock roast?”

Link stared at the ten foot tall rock man through half-lidded eyes. “Thanks, but I’ll pass.”

Linkle put her hand to her chin and stared at the area in the back of the booth. Another Goron was spinning a skewered hunk of rock over a pot of lava as if it were a piece of meat cooking over a fire.

“You’re not actually considering it, are you?” Link asked.

“Hmm? What? No. I’m not a moron.”

“You say that…”

“Shut up.” Linkle looked back up at the Goron vendor. “Hey, why do you sell rocks when there are rocks all around you?” She gestured down at the ground and stomped her foot against the rocky mountainside to demonstrate her point. “Can’t you just eat them from the ground?”

The Goron didn’t seem fazed by what was probably a common question from foreign customers. “Hylians eat plants. Why don’t you just eat the grass from Hyrule Field?”

Linkle held up a finger and opened her mouth to respond, but then she froze, looking confused. “Oh.”

Continuing on through the city, they entered what seemed to be an industrial district. Every building had smoke billowing from it, and every outdoor workspace had a Goron hammering something on an anvil or pouring liquid metal into a mold.

Linkle gasped, grabbing her brother’s shoulder and hopping up and down. “Goron smiths! I hear they make the best weapons. We’ve gotta--”

“No way, Elle,” Link denied. “You think we’re made of money? Take it from a blacksmith. Goron craftsmanship is out of our price range.”

Linkle pouted. “But we’re about to slay a dragon, brother!” Reaching behind her back, she pulled out her sword and held it aloft. “You want me to do it with this old thing? It’ll probably snap the second it hits the dragon’s scales. Besides, think of all the money we’ll get from the reward. We’ll be swimming in rupees by the time this is over.”

Link considered it.

She can’t actually expect us to succeed on this quest, can she?

He had known from the start that they stood no real chance against a dragon. This whole quest had just been an excuse to get them out of Kakariko before the Impa Family had them killed for asking too many questions. As tempting as the reward sounded, it could never truly be theirs.

But we’ve teamed up with four pros, haven’t we? As long as we help out, we can still get our share of the reward if the others manage to kill it…

Link and Linkle certainly stood no chance, but the others might. “Alright, fine. We’ll look. But we’re not buying anything we can’t afford.” He knew his sister didn’t have the greatest understanding of money, so he would be the judge of that.

“Yippee!” Linkle cheered, leaping into the air. “Hey! Guys!” she shouted at Breen and the others. “We’re going shopping. Catch up with you later.”

Fin nodded, then examined his spear. “We might as well too, eh, Russ?” he suggested.

“I suppose,” the other adventurer agreed. “Heavy weapons are the Gorons’ specialty, so I’m sure I’ll find something I can use.”

Breen rolled her eyes. “Alright, ya brutes,” she said. “Gaile and I will go on ahead. Meet us at the council building. We’ll see what the other parties are up to.”

“Good luck, friends,” Gaile said before leaving with the sorceress.

Linkle clapped her hands together, then pivoted in place, glancing at all the shops in the area. “Let’s try this one,” she declared, pulling her brother by the arm. She led him into a stone building with a big sign on top of it depicting an anvil, the universal symbol for a blacksmith’s shop. Naturally, almost all the buildings in the area had some variation of such a symbol, but Linkle had chosen this one for some reason.

“Hilsener, brødre!” The Goron standing behind a counter greeted them when they stepped inside. “Hvordan kan jeg hjælpe dig?”

Link and Linkle stared at the rock man blankly. So far, they hadn’t met any Gorons who hadn’t spoken to them in Hylian, although Link recalled hearing some Gorons shouting in their native language during the battle in the vault.

The Goron shook his head, apparently realizing the situation. “Oh, that’s right. Welcome, brothers!” he declared with a heavy accent.

“Greetings,” Link said in return. “We’ll just be having a look at your wares. Don’t mind us.” Linkle was already passing through the rows of shelves, each of which had several finely crafted weapons on display. About half of them were made for Gorons, and clearly much too large for any human to use. However, there were still plenty made for smaller folk.

“Oohhh, look at this one, Brother!” Linkle said, waving him over. She was standing in front of a sword sticking out of a metal stand. Reaching forward, she wrapped her hands around the hilt of it. “It’s like I’m pulling the Master Sword out of the stone!” She gave it a yank, but it didn’t budge. She tried it again, and again, grunting in annoyance each time.

Link chuckled. “It appears that not even the great Sword of the Random Blacksmith’s Shop deems you worthy. What chance do you have with the real Master Sword?”

“Oh yeah?” Linkle asked, stepping away from the sword. “Why don’t you have a go, then?”

“Well, I already know I’m not worthy.”

“Damn right.” Linkle stepped over to another sword that was being displayed on the wall. This one didn’t appear to be stuck in anything, so she lifted it up and gave it a few practice swings. “Ooh, I like this one.”

“Hey, watch it, Elle.” Link took a step back, lifting an arm to shield himself from the sword’s swinging edge. “What do you want a longsword for, anyway?” he asked curiously. Her weapons of choice so far had been her crossbow and her shortsword. “You’ve never wanted a weapon like mine before.”

“It’s for practice, numbskull,” she said, thrusting the sword at an invisible enemy. “We’re heading south to Kokiri Forest after we slay this dragon, remember? When I claim the Master Sword, I wanna know how to wield it properly.”

Link rolled his eyes. He didn’t expect her to actually be able to pull the Master Sword from its stone, but he couldn’t believe she really wanted to go on an even longer journey after this one.

Well, maybe we can settle in Faron afterwards…

Sighing, Link scanned the weapon racks. Finding a longsword that looked like what they needed, he picked it up and checked its weight and balance. It was definitely well-made, and it seemed light enough for his sister to wield. “Here, try this one,” he said, carefully handing her the weapon.

“Thanks.” Linkle took it in hand and gave it a few flicks through the air. “Whoa, this feels so much better!” she said, striking a battle pose.

“I can teach you how to wield it,” Link offered. “It’s not meant to be used like a shortsword.”

She smiled at him gratefully. “So I can buy this one, right?”

Link knew it would be expensive, but he knew she would probably bug him about it every time they stopped in a town until she got what she wanted. “Sure. You’ll want a shield, too,” he said, taking one off of the wall. “Here, try this.”

Linkle held out her left arm at first, but she quickly pulled it away before Link could attach the shield to it. Then she held out her right arm instead.

Link smiled as he helped affix the shield to her right arm, knowing exactly why she was insisting on that one. Whereas Link himself was naturally left-handed, his sister was naturally right-handed. However, when she was younger, she had trained herself to be ambidextrous because she’d read that most incarnations of the Hero were left-handed. That was why she always used her weapons and tools with her left hand, even though she could use either.

Linkle posed with the sword and shield, imitating common depictions of famous Heroes. “This is so great,” she said. “I’m definitely Farore’s Chosen. I can feel it.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Link waved his hand. “Come on. Let’s talk to the blacksmith.”

“Aren’t you gonna get a new sword, too?” Linkle asked, following behind him.

“After we get paid for this quest.” If they really ended up with a share of the dragon bounty, he’d be able to afford much better equipment. And even if they didn’t, they’d surely get something from the other spoils along the way.

When they walked out of the smithy, Linkle was standing tall. Wearing her new sword and shield on her back just like Link did, she certainly looked more like the Heroes from the stories.

I wonder if I ever look like that, too.

The Goron council building was only a short walk from the industrial district, so they were able to catch up to Breen and Gaile not much later. When the siblings arrived, Fin and Russ were already there as well. The four of them were standing outside of the entrance, while continuous streams of Gorons and Hylians went in and out, many of them armed.

“Ah, there they are,” Breen said, waving Link and Linkle over as they climbed the stone steps.

“Welcome back,” Gaile said in greeting. “Have you purchased any new equipment for yourselves?”

“Sure did!” Linkle declared, drawing her new Goron-made longsword. “Check it out.”

“Ooh, nice!” Fin said. “That’ll cut a Bokoblin’s head clean off.”

Russ nodded in agreement.

“What about you?” Link asked.

Russ shook his head. “Not worth it after all.”

Link could understand that.

Probably more than he could afford, too.

“I didn’t get anything either,” Fin said. “But I got punched in the face,” he went on, pointing to the bump on his head.

Link furrowed his brow. “What? Why?”

“Oh, don’t worry. I had it coming.”

Link and Linkle still looked confused, so Breen stepped in. “Trust me, he probably did. Anyway, we’ve got news.”

“Is it about the dragon?” Linkle asked hopefully.

“Yep,” the sorceress confirmed. “The Gorons know exactly where it’s nesting. It’s in an abandoned mine just north of the city, along with a bunch of those Lizalfos that seem to serve it.”

“The Gorons are raiding it in a few hours,” Russ continued. “They’re offering a reward to any adventurers who join in, so we better get moving if we want to take part.”

Linkle gasped excitedly. “Din be praised! Of course we wanna take part. Let’s get going before someone else slays the dragon first.”


The road leading north out of Rudania was a lot like the trail leading up the mountain. It was hot, rocky, and filled with dangerous animals that had adapted to the harsh environment. The only real difference was that the rocky cliff face of the mountain was only on one side of them. On the other side was a steep cliff, over which was a long drop down to a fiery lake of lava.

Apparently, the abandoned mine that the dragon was nesting in was located on an island in the middle of Lake Darunia, which was a massive volcanic lake named after an old Goron Chieftain; the one who met the Dodongo Buster. The lake of lava was large enough that the entirety of the Goron capital city would’ve been able to fit inside of it six times over. It was almost as if they were heading into the peak of Death Mountain itself.

“This is absolute insanity,” Link pointed out.

“What is?” Linkle asked.

“...Really?”

“Oh, you mean all the lava?” Linkle asked, gesturing over the cliff’s edge. “Yeah. Crazy how it’s not even that hot, right? Guess Breen’s elixir really works.”

“Damn right,” Breen said proudly.

“Not just that. Look at this!” He pointed forward, indicating a group of Goron warriors marching in front of them further down the road. “We’re practically going off to fight in a war at this point.”

“The real war’s going on right now in Akkala,” Russ pointed out. “We’re just doing a job.”

“Yeah, yeah, sure,” Link said, waving his hand dismissively. “But we’re here, not there . We’re not gonna die in Akkala, but we might die here.”

“You worry too much, kid,” Fin said, walking casually with his spear over his shoulders. “We’re just fighting monsters, like always. Only difference is we got others backing us up this time, just like in that vault.”

In the distance, there were loud, booming noises that caused Link, Linkle, and Gaile to flinch in surprise. “Were those cannons?” Gaile asked, a hint of worry in her voice.

“Sounded like it,” Russ agreed. “That or bombs. The Gorons must be bombarding the mines; probably trying to draw out the dragon.”

When they rounded the corner to the other side of the cliffs, they were greeted by the presence of a true warzone. Along the shores of the fiery lake, the Gorons had set up barricades with cannons behind them. They were currently shooting at the nearby islands, on which the Lizalfos had constructed a series of watchtowers and other primitive-looking structures. As the cannons fired, the Lizalfos returned fire with flaming arrows. Between the shore and the nearest island, there was a long metal platform that had been placed over the lava to create a makeshift bridge, which Gorons as well as adventurers were currently using to invade the Lizalfos islands.

“Oh, shit,” was Fin’s eloquent reaction.

“What do we do?” Linkle asked, already placing her hand on the hilt of her new sword. Her face showed a mixture of fear and excitement.

“We cross the bridge and join the others,” Russ replied simply. “Find the nearest entrance to the mines and fight our way to the dragon’s lair.”

“But what do we do if we get there?” Link asked, struggling to keep up with the others as they ran past the Gorons in the encampment. “How do we kill it?”

“If we get it while it’s still underground, then it can’t fly,” Russ replied. “It’ll be no different than hunting a Dodongo.”

That answer didn’t inspire much confidence in Link. Dodongos were normally hunted using bombs, but they didn’t have any on them, as far as he knew.

And even if we did, what then? Like killing a Dodongo is supposed to be easy?

Crossing the makeshift bridge over to the Lizalfos-controlled islands made Link think of the pirate stories he’d heard from the sailors who traveled between Hyrule and Holodrum or Labrynna. Monsters or even other humans would drop a plank of wood between the two ships and use it to board the other one. However, right now, Link and the adventurers were the pirates, and the monsters were the ones being boarded.

When they reached the rocky shores of the volcanic island, Link spotted a flaming arrow headed towards them. “Hey!” He shouted, unable to think fast enough to say something more useful. His body reacted more quickly, pushing his way to the front of the group and blocking the arrow with his shield. A couple hundred feet away, there was a wooden tower connected to a cliff higher up. A Lizalfos with a bow was standing on top of it. “We gotta take out that one,” Link suggested, pointing to the tower.

“No,” Russ said, speaking loudly to be heard over the noise of the battle. “Keep away from there.”

“Why?”

A moment later, a cannonball crashed into the cliff next to the tower, sending rock debris flying and knocking some of the tower’s support beams loose.

“That answer your question?” Fin asked.

“We should get to the other side of the island,” Breen suggested. “Out of the range of the cannons.”

“Right,” Link agreed.

Great. As if it weren’t bad enough that the monsters are trying to kill us, we gotta worry about getting blown up by the Gorons we’re trying to help, too.

Before they got much further, they ran into another group of adventurers doing battle with a group of Lizalfos. It was three Hylians with swords against five green- and red-scaled monsters wielding axes and daggers. Linkle stopped to ready her crossbow, then let loose a bolt, spearing one of the Lizalfos through the head. Gaile stopped beside Linkle as well.

Guess we’ll help out these people.

Link started to move to join the other adventurers, but Fin’s voice called to stop him.

“Don’t waste time,” he said. Fin, Russ, and Breen hadn’t stopped running at all, and they were now several meters ahead of them.

Fuck, really?

“Right,” Link called back, stopping in his tracks. Looking over his shoulder, he gestured to his sister. “Let’s go.”

Linkle looked at him like he was insane, then completely ignored him. She went back to shooting at the Lizalfos, and Gaile raised her staff to begin casting some spells.

Link was about to try to appeal to the,, but he saw the others disappearing behind the cliff. He sighed, realizing he was better off trying to help here first.

The sooner we do this, the sooner we catch up.

One of the Hylian adventurers got knocked to the ground. The dark-red scaled, axe-wielding Lizalfos he was fighting stomped on his chest, then held up its weapon to strike him. Link charged at the monster, ramming it with his shield. He collided with the monster as the axe swung down, but only the handle smashed against his shoulder “ Augh! ” he cried in pain as both he and the Lizalfos tumbled to the ground.

Turning over onto his back, Link was forced to hold up his shield to block an incoming axe-tail from one of the other monsters. He tried feebly to swipe at it, but he could not reach. Luckily, one of the other adventurers stabbed the monster from behind before kicking it to the ground. The Hylian man offered Link a hand to help him up while one of his comrades finished off the Lizalfos.

“Thanks,” Link said in gratitude as he regained his bearings. There were still two Lizalfos left. One was dueling with the third adventurer, but the other was hopping towards his sister. “Linkle!”

His sister was busy shooting bolts at the other monster, but Gaile heard Link’s shouting. She turned and pointed her rod at the Lizalfos, and a barrier appeared between them. The hopping Lizalfos ran right into it, screeching in frustration as it hopelessly banged against the magic wall. It didn’t even notice Link coming up from behind and slashing it twice in the back. It quickly fell over dead.

Gaile lowered the barrier, and Linkle took one last shot at the final monster. She only managed to wound its arm, but the distraction was enough to allow the other adventurers to finish it off.

“Victory!” Linkle cheered, pumping her fist into the air. The other Hylians cheered as well, but their cries were soon drowned out by a Goron cannonball crashing into the ground only a few meters away from them.

We gotta move.

“Come on.” Link grabbed his sister’s arm and pulled her along. Gaile followed suit as they continued the way Russ and the other’s had gone.

“Wait! But the loot. And those other adventurers--” Linkle complained along the way.

“They’ll be fine,” Link replied. “But the others might not be if we don’t catch up to them.” He let go of her, but kept running.

“How is your arm?” Gaile asked him.

“What?” Link tried moving his arm. “Ow!” He hadn’t realized it, but his shoulder was still hurting from the Lizalfos’s axe handle smashing against it.

“Stop for a moment,” Gaile said. They were standing in a secluded, narrow pathway between the rocky cliff of the island and a steep drop into the lake of lava below. They could still hear the battle all around them, but no one else could be seen from their position. Gaile put her hand on Link’s shoulder and held up her rod with her other hand. The rod glowed with white light, and then her hand did as well. “How is it now?”

Link rolled his shoulder a few times experimentally. “I don’t feel a thing,” he said. “Thanks.”

Gaile smiled and nodded. “Excellent,” she said, the mild poshness in her voice still clear even from one word. “Shall we continue?”

“Right.” Linkle was the first to keep moving, and the other two followed behind her.

Before long, they found themselves at the northernmost tip of the island. Two crude bridges were set up nearby -- one leading to another island further north, and one leading to a larger island to the west. “Do you see the others?” Link asked, looking out across both bridges.

“No.” Gaile shook her head. “They must have covered considerably more ground than us by now.”

“Fuck,” Link muttered. “And after they gave us shit about not splitting the party…”

Gaile tilted her head downward ashamedly. “Perhaps we shouldn’t have stayed behind?”

“Fuck that!” Linkle replied. “We’re heroes. We don’t just leave people to die.”

“They were adventurers, too,” Link pointed out. “They could’ve handled themselves.”

“Gods, you’re so selfish sometimes, you know that?”

“Well, we fell behind because of something you wanted, so who’s the real selfish one here?”

“Um,” Gaile said, holding up her hand. “I chose to stay behind and aid those travelers as well…”

“Ha! See?” Linkle gestured to the priestess. “I’ve got the gods on my side.”

Link sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Whatever. We’re only wasting more time.” Turning back to the two bridges, he tried to figure out which way the others would have gone. “The dragon is probably beneath the largest island, right?” Link suggested, pointing west.

“Why’s that?” Linkle asked.

“Because dragons are big ,” Link replied.

“But surely if the dragon had entered the mines through an opening on one of these islands, we would be able to see an entrance that large,” Gaile pointed out. “It more likely tunneled in from somewhere else in the mountains, or submerged itself in the lava.”

“Ah, good point,” Link admitted, scratching his chin. “Well, you’ve been traveling with those three for a while now, right? How would they decide which way to go?”

Gaile eyed the bridges and the other islands they connected to, considering their options. “They may have figured out that most of the other adventurers would have chosen to head straight to the main island,” she said. “Thus, perhaps they hoped to get there first by taking a less guarded entrance on the smaller island?”

“Ah!” Linkle smiled brightly, sounding like she thought it made sense. “You’re a clever one, Gaile.”

“Yeah, see, this is why you should’ve finished school,” Link said to his sister.

“Bite me.”

Gaile looked half amused and half bewildered by the way the siblings spoke to one another. “Um, well, shall we?” she suggested, gesturing to the north bridge.

“Don’t mind if I do,” Linkle replied, taking the lead.

After crossing the bridge over the lake of fire, Link and his companions traveled across a crude pathway that led up a slope, coming to a plateau higher up on the island. From there, they had a good view of the larger central island. Since most of it was out of range of the Goron cannons, there were several Lizalfos towers left standing throughout the island. Flaming arrows rained down from them, attempting to hit the Gorons and adventurers scurrying around below. At several places, smaller skirmishes could be seen between the invaders and the Lizalfos.

“We’re not going over there,” Link stated firmly, continuing to walk along the path by the cliff’s edge while Linkle and Gaile watched the chaos.

“But surely we could--” Linkle began to say.

“They’ll be done fighting by the time we get there,” Link interrupted, pausing to look over his shoulder and gesture for them to follow him. “Besides, our friends probably need our help more than those people do. You planning to abandon them?”

Link’s words seemed to have the intended effect. “You’re right,” Gaile agreed. “We must find Breen, Fin, and Russ as soon as possible.”

“Good,” Link said, glad they were in agreement.

It was your idea to come this way anyway.

Compared to the main island, the one they were exploring was nearly abandoned. They came across a few Lizalfos bodies, as well as a few fallen Gorons and Hylians, whom Gaile gave a short prayer for. Clearly someone had been through there already, and Link was hoping it was Gaile’s companions.

After passing by a tall cliff on the other side of the island, Linkle stopped and pointed at something. “Look, Brother!” she said.

“What is it?” Link asked, keeping his sword ready in case of danger.

“Doesn’t that look like the entrance to a mine shaft?”

Link peered over the edge. On a lower level of the cliffs, he could see she was right. There was a Goron-sized hole carved into the rocky wall, complete with support beams inside the mouth of the cave. “You’re right,” he said. “Good eye, Sister.”

“Do you think perhaps the others went in there?” Gaile asked hopefully.

“Only one way to find out. Let’s go.”

Chapter 25: Mila I

Chapter Text

The Kokiri knight stood at attention. A bead of sweat dripped down her forehead, but she maintained her stoic expression. From experience, she knew that her youthful features were difficult for humans to take seriously, so she did her best to remain as professional as possible, especially in the presence of royalty.

At the moment, she stood before the king’s brother, General Alchon, Lord of Akkala Citadel. He sat upon his throne in his audience chamber, reading through the proposal Mila had drawn up after poring over the many scouting reports she had collected from their combined forces. Her lord, Governor Vryciaro, stood to the general’s side, but his input would not be required. Alchon would make his decision on his own, and Vryciaro would back it regardless.

Such a spineless excuse for a man.

Mila tried not to let her contempt show in her eyes as she thought of the governor. Her disdain for him had been growing by the day ever since they’d set out on this campaign. She’d managed to get a knighthood out of him, and she’d leveraged him as a connection to obtain an audience with a member of the Royal Family, but he had long since outlived his usefulness as far as she was concerned. The sooner she could ditch him for someone higher up the ladder, the better.

My next promotion cannot come soon enough…

The proposal Alchon was currently reading was her next big chance. He had been a tough nut to crack thus far, but if he would allow her to lead the charge against the Earthquake Sage’s forces and strike a decisive blow against enemies of the crown, perhaps then he would take her into his service. Akkala Citadel was infinitely more impressive than Governor’s Vryciaro’s castle back in Vigjaro. With a stronger base of operations, a higher quantity of more experienced troops, and the backing of a member of the Royal Family, there would be no telling what she could do.

“No.” General Alchon held the stack of papers off to the side. One of his servants took it from his hand, only to walk the few steps necessary to hand it back to Mila.

The Kokiri knight was stunned.

Did that bastard just reject my proposal with a single word?

She quickly flipped through a few of her papers as a quick sanity check, half-expecting to be holding somebody else’s plan by mistake. “I… I beg your pardon, my lord?”

“I see no compelling reason to leave this citadel and go on the offensive,” Alchon explained.

“But, but, your highness, the enemy is planning to attack the Earth Temple again,” Mila argued, slapping the back of her hand against the stack of papers that explained everything. “There’s no telling how long they can hold out. And with our forces split like this--”

“We will continue to reinforce them as necessary,” Alchon spoke again. “Eventually, they will realize that they cannot take the Earth Temple until they take this citadel. That has always been our long-term strategy. Here, we have every advantage. They will break themselves upon our walls, and we will outlast them.”

“Are you--?” Incredulous, Mila was ready to verbally tear into the general, but she stopped herself.

This is the king’s brother. If I want to get into his good graces, I must continue to play the part of the good soldier.

“Have you forgotten what foe we face? With respect, your highness, this fortress is most impressive, but Laverta is empowered by a god . You mustn’t underestimate what she is capable of. With one earthquake, she could bring down the entire citadel with you and everyone else in it.” Everything she just said had been in her proposal. Mila hated having to repeat herself.

Only morons need to be told twice.

General Alchon let out a sigh, resting on the arm of his throne. “Even if the false sage is half as powerful as her hapless followers believe her to be, not even the gods themselves can change the fundamentals of warfare. I understand you have done a service for this kingdom in the past, but do not make the mistake of believing a little combat experience makes you a strategist.”

Mila was shocked yet again. The rejection had been somewhat acceptable, but the general’s words, while ostensibly polite, were downright insulting. Her ears twitched at the sound of someone snickering from the far side of the room. She shot a furious glare in that general direction, causing several guards to flinch and stand at attention in response. She couldn’t tell which of them it had been, but at least they’d shut their filthy mouths.

When I run this place, I’ll have their heads.

Swallowing her pride, and her anger, Mila returned her attention to General Alchon. “Of course, your highness, but my part in quelling the last rebellion was more than mere combat experience,” she said, glancing at Governor Vryciaro out of the corner of her eye.

Have you not told him what I accomplished, you incompetent fool?

“My success in the Battle of Shadow Pass was due to brains, not brawn,” she continued. That was not entirely true, but there was much of that day she often chose to leave out when recounting the story. Nevertheless, she spoke truly when she said it was more than raw power alone that had led to her success. “My clever strategy allowed my forces to prevail despite being outnumbered in unfamiliar terrain, and beyond that, I was also the one who--”

“I believe I’ve heard enough,” General Alchon interrupted, waving his hand dismissively. “I have made my decision, and I intend to honor it. You may leave now, dame knight.”

Mila remained firmly planted in her spot a moment longer, still gazing with disbelieving eyes at the foolish old man who’d dared defy her. Governor Vryciaro, of course, stood there silently, as if he were hoping to avoid being noticed. “Tch,” Mila sounded in disgust. Before she could do anything else, she heard the telltale chiming of her fairy coming out of hiding, flying upwards to hover by the side of her head.

“You could always kill him now,” Luft said into her ear, speaking in the musical Fairy tongue that humans could not understand. “If you sat on his throne, the rest would obey you.”

Mila considered it for a moment, but knew that one act of satisfaction would lead to consequences much too severe to be worth it. She would have to bide her time, as always. In a huff, she turned around and stormed off. “Vanova! Attend me,” she shouted to her squire.

“Y-Yes, dame!” the round-eared girl called back, falling in line behind her on the way out of the audience chamber.

As they walked through the halls on the way to the knights’ barracks, they passed by many soldiers and servants. Most of them had enough sense to get out of her way, but one poor bastard who refused to move ended up on the receiving end of her wrath when she shoved him against the wall with a burst of wind. She ordinarily wouldn’t have been bothered enough to do such a thing, but the general had given her some anger to work out. Besides, it was good to give the lesser soldiers a new story to pass around every now and then. She cracked a smile at the thought of those idiots telling stories of ‘The Devil of Shadow Pass’ once again in the barracks later.

“For what it’s worth, dame, I thought your proposal was perfect,” Vanova said to her once they arrived at her quarters.

“Of course you did,” Mila said, bitterly tossing the stack of papers she was carrying onto her desk. “It was perfect. All the intel we’ve collected, all the skirmishes we’ve fought, everything was taken into account. We’re at war here! We could end it all in one fell swoop, but that useless old man would rather sit here in his safe little fortress letting his ass grow to fit his throne!” Letting out all the anger she’d been hiding in front of the king’s brother, Mila groaned in frustration and kicked her bed with one of her little legs.

Vanova stood by the door with an uncertain look on her face. “Would you care for some wine, dame?” she offered, smiling nervously.

Mila eyed her squire. The Lynnaean girl was clearly uncomfortable and even a little afraid of her, but Mila’s response was to look away in embarrassment more than anything else.

This isn’t the time to get angry and throw a fit. Just because I look like a damn child doesn’t mean I have to act like one.

The Kokiri knight took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. “Yes, thank you,” she said, accepting her squire’s offer. “Pour a glass for yourself as well.”

“Thank you, dame.” Vanova did as instructed, fetching a bottle of fine Labrynnaean wine and pouring two glasses of it.

Mila loosened the straps of her sword belt and lifted it over her head, laying her prized gilded sword down before sitting on the side of her bed. Vanova handed her a glass. “My thanks.” Clinking the glasses together, they each took a sip.

“Ahh…” Vanova said, eyes closed and smiling with satisfaction. Ever the optimist, she never stayed unhappy for too long.

“Remind you of home?” Mila asked the round-eared girl.

Vanova giggled. “Heavens, no. I was five when I left Labrynna. I did not drink wine back then.”

“Not in Brynna, either?” Most Labrynnaean immigrants ended up settling in a region of the Lanayru Province referred to as Brynna Plain. Mila had never been there, but she knew Vanova had been raised there before joining the army.

“Well, a little bit with my mother, I suppose,” the round-eared girl replied. “Do you ever miss the food in Kokiri Forest? I can’t imagine what exotic delights the fairy children must enjoy.”

“You’re not missing much,” Mila said in return. “Most Kokiri are too cowardly to hunt, so we have little meat. And the Great Deku Tree doesn’t want his ‘children’ to imbibe alcohol.”

“Oh. I see.”

“Hm.” Mila grunted in response, deciding to drop the subject. Standing up, she stepped over to her window, taking another sip of wine. “I fear General Alchon is a dead end,” she said, mostly thinking aloud. “He is so much higher up on the food chain than Governor Vryciaro, but he is too old and set in his ways.”

“Well, perhaps you might focus your efforts on someone younger, then?” Vanova suggested. “Maybe a captain who is still looking for good knights to serve under them?”

“Hm. I’m certain I could attach myself to someone like that for a time, but it would be no better than serving the governor.” Mila stared out the window, running through the list of suitable candidates. “Perhaps it was myopic of me to overlook the prince,” she said, nearly shivering at the thought of having to suck up to that arrogant prick.

“Ooh,” Vanova cooed happily. “He certainly is handsome!”

Mila rolled her eyes, but let her young squire’s comment go. “He is only the third child of the king, but that still puts him ahead of the general in line for the throne,” the Kokiri knight continued. “The problem is, what good is he now? He is no leader. He holds no lands of his own. He’s barely done anything throughout this entire campaign.” As stubborn as General Alchon was, at least he was more effective than his insufferable nephew when it came to warfare.

“Well, this might be a good time for him to prove himself,” Vanova suggested. “If he scores a few decent victories against the Earthquake Sage, then his deeds will be known throughout the kingdom. He may even take over for his uncle someday.”

Mila stroked her chin for a moment, then her eyes went wide as she processed her squire’s words. “That’s it!” the Kokiri girl said, turning to Vanova. “Getting into Prince Percival’s inner circle would be easy enough, but it would be pointless as things currently stand. However, if I help him go from ‘spoiled prince’ to ‘hero of the kingdom,’ just think of how much power I would have as one of his royal knights!”

And if General Alchon were to somehow perish in battle, perhaps his nephew would claim the citadel for himself, with a little persuading…

Putting her glass down, Mila sat at her desk, taking out a piece of parchment and a quill with which to write.

“What are you doing, dame?” Vanova asked, leaning over her knight’s shoulder.

“Adding something to my proposal,” she replied, dipping her pen in the inkwell. “One that will give our beloved prince -- and me -- considerable glory.”


The prince’s guest quarters were on one of the highest floors of the citadel. To get there, Mila and Vanova had to walk up flight after flight of stairs. Dame Mila was by no means in bad shape, but with her short, child-sized legs, climbing that many stairs was an arduous task.

In a long corridor on one of the mid-level floors, the Kokiri knight stopped for a moment, leaning with her hand against the wall. “Damn this accursed fortress,” she muttered aloud. “Perhaps I would’ve been better off going outside and attempting to fly to the top.” She knew that wasn’t a real option, however. Her aeromancy was strong enough to allow her short bursts of flight, but not nearly strong enough to get her to the top of one of the tallest buildings in Hyrule.

If only that damn tree would allow us to grow…

“Are you hurt, dame?” Vanova asked. She wasn’t the tallest of humans, although her oddly styled boots gave her a few extra inches. Nevertheless, like all humans over the age of twelve, she seemed to tower over the Kokiri knight.

“I’m fine,” Mila insisted. “I just hate stairs.”

“Aww, poor little girl,” came a voice from behind them.

Mila took her hand off of the wall and stood up straight. Three soldiers had appeared from around the corner and were coming down the hallway towards them.

“Do you need somebody to carry you?” one of them asked mockingly.

One of his cohorts looked confused by the sight in front of him. “Whose child is this?” he asked, apparently genuine with his question. “Does she belong to one of the captains?”

Mila groaned. With so many troops coming and going, it was inevitable that she would continuously run into new people who mistook her for a human child.

Have these idiots ever seen a child wearing a knight’s armor?

“Luft,” Mila said, summoning her fairy. Answering her call, the winged sprite appeared, chiming sharply to reveal herself.

“Whoa!” Two of the soldiers took a step back in surprise. “A fairy child? Here? Why?” Realization seemed to dawn on them after a moment. Perhaps they had heard stories of ‘The Devil of Shadow Pass’ before.

“Same reason as you,” Mila replied. “Now keep walking, Hylians. I’m not in the mood to deal with you simpletons right now.”

The others looked insulted, but one of them smirked derisively. “Whatever you say, little girl. Try not to dawdle too long on the stairs. I’d hate to see you trip before you make it to the top.”

Narrowing her eyes at the man, Mila reached behind her back and drew her gilded sword. While it was a little too large for her, she always hoped that only made it look more intimidating. “What do you say I cut you down to my size, and then we see which of us makes it to the top first?”

“Dame!” Vanova said in alarm, but Mila raised a hand to silence her.

“Dame? She’s a knight?” The man who’d been taunting Mila suddenly looked a little scared. This made Mila smile.

Perhaps now he realizes who I am.

“That’s right, soldier,” she said, gesturing down the hall with her sword. “Now move along. That’s an order.”

“Yes, dame!” two of them said in unison, quickly saluting her and then scurrying off down the hall. The taunting man, perhaps realizing she could probably kill him with no consequences, reluctantly left as well.

“Is it a good idea to threaten people like that?” Vanova asked, her voice making it clear she was uncomfortable with the idea of harming their own allies.

“It gets the point across,” Mila replied, sheathing her sword. “I’d rather people simply do as I say, but some need to be motivated.” She looked up at her squire before glancing at her sword belt. “You have a weapon as well, Vanova. Do not forget to use it.”

“Yes, dame.”

Together, they resumed their journey up through the citadel. When they reached their destination floor, Mila was worried she would have to wander through the halls in search of the prince. Luckily, the room he was currently occupying was easily identifiable. That gigantic Darknut-looking bodyguard of his was standing in front of the door. Had he not turned his head when Mila rounded the corner, she might have mistaken him for a suit of armor.

Great. The prince’s dog.

Even among the other knights currently stationed in Akkala Citadel, there were not many who Mila feared. However, Sir Onnick was one of them. Were she ever to have to fight him for some reason, she was certain all that armor he wore would make him too heavy to be pushed around with her wind magic, and even a sword as fine as hers would bounce off of him like a wooden stick. Nevertheless, she summoned her courage and approached the man-mountain, remaining stone faced and walking with purpose.

“Greetings, Sir Onnick,” she said politely, showing him the respect a fellow knight deserved. “I have need to speak with Prince Percival.”

She could not see the other knight’s eyes through his great horned helmet, but he was definitely staring down at her. However, he did not speak. Mila tried to glance at Vanova to share her confusion, but she found that her squire was still several meters away at the end of the hall, apparently too frightened to approach Sir Onnick.

“Is… this a bad time?” Mila asked.

Sir Onnick still did not speak, but this time, he raised a gauntleted fist and rapped it twice against the door behind him.

“Who is it?” the prince called from behind the door.

Mila expected the prince’s bodyguard to answer, but when he did not, she decided to speak instead. “Dame Mila of House Shadowgale, your highness,” she called past the armored man in front of her. “I wish to discuss the war effort.”

There was a pause, then the prince’s voice came again. “You may enter.” Sir Onnick stepped to the side, his armor clanking as he did.

Mila was relieved, but to her annoyance, she saw that the doorknob on the gigantic door was rather high. She could reach it if she stood on her toes and stretched her arm, but that was beneath her, especially in the presence of a fellow knight. “Vanova!” she called. “Attend me!”

“Yes, dame!” Despite her reluctance to approach Sir Onnick, Mila’s squire rushed down the hall and opened the door for her.

“Wait here,” Mila ordered. Vanova glanced nervously at Sir Onnick as the Kokiri knight stepped through the door and shut it behind her.

Inside the room, Mila found Prince Percival sitting on a couch by the fireplace with a book in his hand. Mila thought he looked odd for a moment, until she realized she had simply never seen him not wearing his ornate armor before. His build was slighter than she’d expected, although he still appeared somewhat in shape. From what little she knew about the two princes of Hyrule, it was Lancel who was supposed to be the brains, while Percival was supposedly the brawn.

That should make this easy.

“Yes?” the prince asked after a moment. He did not bother to stand, nor did he seem to expect this conversation to take long.

“I have a proposal,” the Kokiri knight responded, walking over to him with papers in hand. “Based on our current intel, I believe now is the time to strike.”

Percival did not seem particularly interested, but he put his book down and accepted the papers nonetheless. Just as she’d done while General Alchon had read her proposal, Mila stood at attention and waited patiently while the prince’s eyes scanned the pages. “What did my uncle say about this?” Percival asked as he continued to read.

“He is against leaving the tactically advantageous position of the citadel,” Mila admitted. “But we are making no real progressive by acting this defensively, and sooner or later, our forces at the Earth Temple will give out. That is why I suggest we take the bulk of our forces on the offensive while General Alchon and a host of troops remain here in case of any counterattack.” Mila would have preferred to bring as large of a force as they could, but she knew such a compromise would be necessary to get General Alchon on board in the end, even if the suggestion came from the prince himself.

Percival remained silent for another few minutes while he finished reading. She had effectively summarized her proposal, but he seemed to want all of the info before proceeding. “With our forces already divided, my uncle will be opposed to further spreading ourselves thin in this fashion.”

And now we begin.

“My apologies if I have been misinformed, my prince, but I was under the impression that this was to be your campaign,” Mila said. Something she’d learned about nobles was that the more power they had, the more of an ego they had, too. A prince would certainly take issue with having his authority questioned, and thus he would likely be willing to do whatever it took to remind others that he was the one in charge. “Does General Alchon have the final say in marching orders?”

“He does not,” Prince Percival denied quickly.

Mila allowed herself a slight smirk, satisfied with herself.

“But, he is the most seasoned military general in the kingdom,” the prince went on. “His judgment is not to be dismissed so readily.”

Mila straightened her back and cleared her throat. “Of course, your highness. I would never call General Alchon’s competence into question.”

Not openly. Yet.

Mila decided to try another tactic. “But, surely you have seen the lack of progress we are making while we sit here waiting for the Gorons to join us,” she explained. “Every moment we wait, the Earth Temple is at risk of another attack, the false sage’s heresy spreads, and the whole kingdom suffers for it.”

Perhaps he has a hero complex I can exploit -- or a god complex, more likely.

“Yes, I’m aware,” Percival replied simply, setting the papers down and standing up. He walked over to the fireplace and leaned with his hand against the wall. “My father has entrusted me and my siblings with the care of his provinces. If I am going to do this deed, I am going to do it right. There is no need to act in haste.”

His siblings, huh?

Siblinghood among the Kokiri worked very differently, but Mila had a decent enough understanding of how Hylian family units worked, and some things were universal. “You wish to be a loyal son to his majesty, yes?” Mila asked, preparing to lead him to where she wanted him.

The Hylian prince eyed her suspiciously, likely taken aback by her odd question. “Of course. That is something a fairy child wouldn’t understand,” Percival replied coldly.

Mila narrowed her eyes at that. Having left Kokiri Forest, she had disobeyed the laws and customs of her ‘father,’ abandoning him completely. Percival would surely know that by virtue of the fact that she was there at all, but he did not know the full story.

You’re the one who could never understand…

However, that was not important at the moment. “Would it please your father if your siblings brought peace to the other provinces while you sat here doing nothing?”

“I don’t appreciate your insinuation, knight,” the prince said, walking towards her menacingly. “You would do well to remember that you are addressing royalty.”

“I understand that, your highness,” Mila replied, making an effort to stand at attention again. “My only wish is to serve you, and I cannot do so without being honest.” The Kokiri girl felt her heart beating while the prince examined her. She was playing a dangerous gambit. She needed him to be somewhat angry if this was going to work. However, if she pissed him off too much, he was liable to execute her.

Eventually, Percival stepped backwards, falling into his chair by the fire. “Very well. Speak your mind, knight,” he said, granting her permission with a wave of his hand.

Mila breathed a sigh of relief, then cleared her throat. “Yes, my prince. As I’ve said, I believe we are progressing too slowly here in Akkala. At this rate, your siblings will have brought both Hebra and Gerudo into the fold before we even make contact with the false sage.”

From the way the prince appeared to be mulling it over, Mila was certain it was working. He would not care that progress was slow, but he would care that his progress was slower than that of his siblings. That would reflect poorly on him in the eyes of his father, especially if his only excuse was that he was following his uncle’s orders rather than taking the initiative on the campaign that was entrusted to him.

Go on… Let it eat away at you, you walking case of middle child syndrome…

“I shall discuss this with my advisors at tonight’s council meeting,” the prince replied after a moment. “I trust you will be in attendance, accompanying Governor Vryciaro?”

“Of course,” Mila replied, trying not to let on how ashamed she was at having to serve that pitiful man. Nevertheless, her spirit was lifted. It was clear that the prince wished to enact her plan. He would need to run it by his advisors as a courtesy, but his mind was no doubt already made up. “You will tell them that the plans were mine, yes?”

“Yes, yes,” Prince Percival said dismissively, climbing to his feet once again. “I give credit where credit is due.” He walked closer to Mila, giving her a quick once over. “You know, it is quite odd, seeing you walking around this citadel dressed in a knight’s armor. You have the appearance of a child, yet I am sure you are, what, two hundred years old? Three hundred?”

Mila smiled to herself. She was only twenty-five years old, yet all humans assumed she was either in her preteens or in her hundreds. It was as if they thought long-lived beings were born old. However, if the prince was going to make such assumptions, perhaps it would help him respect her a little more.

“I am of the second generation of Kokiri,” she said nonspecifically. Those of the first generation, like the Sage of Forest, had been created by the original Great Deku Tree. He had died under mysterious circumstances about two hundred years ago, just after the end of the Unification War. The current God of the Forest was merely a clonal offspring of the first one. He retained much of the original’s memories, but was nonetheless a distinct entity.

“I see,” the prince replied, although Mila was unsure whether he truly understood or he was just faking it in order to seem learned. “Well. You’ve given your input. I believe we are done here.”

Mila blinked, then realized she was being dismissed. “Thank you, my prince.” Mila bowed, hoping none of her irritation showed. Turning around, she walked back over to the door, then paused in front of it.

Curses…

Vanova was not there to open the door for her, and she certainly could not ask the prince to do so. Wishing she could die, the short little Kokiri stood on her toes and reached for the doorknob, having to stretch her arm to grab it. Once she had the door open, she quickly exited the room, not daring to look back to see if the prince had been watching her embarrass herself.

Back in the hall, she flinched when she nearly collided with the back of Sir Onnick’s legs. However, he must have heard the door open, because he stepped out of the way to let her pass without even looking at her.

Mila looked around for Vanova, but did not see her. So, she proceeded down the hallway alone, only to find her squire just around the corner.

“Oh!” the round-eared girl said with a smile when she saw her knight. “Greetings, dame. How did everything go with the prince?”

Mila glared at her squire. “What are you doing over here? You should’ve been guarding the door!”

“Is that some sort of joke?” Vanova responded indignantly. “I’m not about to stand around next to that Darknut. He’s scary. Besides, why would you need me guarding the door when he was?”

“Hm. Point taken,” Mila conceded. “Never mind that. Come with me. My mission was a success, but my work is not done yet.”


Dame Mila was beaming with pride as she exited the meeting hall that night, walking in line with her fellow knights behind their lord, Governor Vryciaro. That was not why she was so proud of herself, however. As he’d promised, Prince Percival had presented her proposal to his advisors, and although he’d gotten resistance from his uncle, the proposal had been accepted in the end. Governor Vryciaro, spineless as he was, had offered no opinion of his own, but praised the idea once the decision had already been made.

Mila heard some soft laughter and snickering as they marched through the halls. It was no mystery why that was. Being half the height of the other knights in her line, she must have stuck out like a sore thumb. However, she couldn’t be bothered to care about the chittering of idiots at the moment. She’d completed the first big step in her new plan, and she was enjoying the game too much to care about anything else.

When they arrived at the governor’s quarters, the knights stopped, and Vryciaro stood in front of them. He began by thanking them for their work that day, and then handed out watch duties for the night. “A number of you shall accompany Prince Percival and Prince Silorn when they set out tomorrow. I will give you your assignments in the morning.”

Mila rolled her eyes.

And you shall remain in the safety of the citadel, of course.

However, she chose not to humiliate him by asking why he would not be joining them. No, she needed something else from him. “My lord?” she spoke up.

The Hylian man looked down at her, having to tilt his head considerably to do so. “What is it, Dame Mila?”

“I did not wish to interrupt during the council meeting,” the Kokiri knight went on. “But, given that it was I who brought this idea to the prince’s attention, I assume I am to accompany him on his mission as your representative?”

“Yes, of course.” The governor nodded gratefully. “You have performed most admirably. I would be honored to have you represent Akkala.”

Mila smiled to herself. She knew he wouldn’t be able to say no, and she could have asked him to confirm it in private, but she wanted to do it in front of his other knights. They should all know that they were beneath her. “You honor me, my lord.”

Governor Vryciaro nodded again. “Now then,” he said, addressing the line of knights. “You all have your orders. Dismissed.” Mila and the other knights saluted him as he entered his quarters. Once he was out of sight, the knights put their arms down, at ease. Falling out of line, they began walking back to their quarters or heading to their assigned posts for the night.

Mila stood in place for another few moments, basking in her glory. Even if the praise had come from someone as worthless as the governor, it felt good to have been elevated above her peers like that.

With a telltale chine, Luft appeared, flying in quick circles around her Kokiri as she spiraled upwards. “Someone’s feeling high and mighty, isn’t she?” the fairy asked.

“You’re damn right,” Mila confirmed, turning to march down the hallway towards the barracks. “I’ve executed everything perfectly so far. And it’s been so long since things have been looking up like this.”

“Hmm? But you’re still a mere knight,” Luft said, fluttering beside Mila’s head. “Nothing’s changed yet.”

“Patience, Luft.” A wicked smile spread across the Kokiri’s face. “It’s all coming together. Soon I shall be a royal knight, in service to a prince . And he shall be lord of this citadel, on his way to becoming the king. And who knows where I can go from there…”

“Oooh!” The fairy jangled as she giggled, bouncing up and down in the air. “So you’re going to kill General Alchon after all, just as I’d suggested!” As Luft spoke, Mila walked by a pair of servants who looked at them curiously. The young knight was not worried about them overhearing anything, however. There was no way a pair of random humans understood what her fairy was saying. They were likely intrigued just to see one at all.

“Not quite,” Mila replied. “My hope is that he will be killed in battle one day. Barring that, I can simply wait for his limited human lifespan to expire. And it will not be me taking his throne. It will be Prince Percival.”

“Aww, that’s so boring !” Luft complained, shaking violently in the air. “Can’t we at least kill Vryciaro?”

“Ugh,” Mila scoffed, waving her hand dismissively. “Must you be so bloodthirsty? The death of that useless man would bring me little joy, and it would not serve my purposes. All it would do is introduce unnecessary risk and dull my blade.”

“You’re no fun,” the fairy said, but she giggled, clearly not all that upset about Mila’s refusal. “So, where are we going now? Gonna go whip some new recruits into shape?”

“No. I’m going down to the barracks to retrieve my squire again,” Mila replied as she headed for a staircase leading downwards.

“What do you need that bimbo for?” Luft asked.

“You hush. Her body is no more vulgar than your Great Fairy’s,” Mila chided. “The human is good company, and I wish to discuss my plans with someone less psychotic than you.”

“You mean you wish to brag to an easily impressed mortal.”

“I said hush .”

Akkala Citadel was the largest castle in Hyrule, apart from Hyrule Castle itself. It had been built hundreds of years ago to serve as a buffer between the Gorons and the Zora as part of the Hylians’ attempts to keep those two groups from fighting one another. Given that it was designed to house large armies and a full staff of servants year-round, there were various different living quarters located all throughout the citadel. Lords, nobles, and royalty were given the finest rooms on the highest floors. Knights like Mila had their own rooms as well, even if they were comparatively basic. The ordinary rank-and-file soldiers, however, were housed in the lower levels, sleeping in long, rectangular rooms with dozens of bunks lined up in rows.

Descending the stairs to the barracks, Mila continued to the women’s wing. There were considerably fewer female soldiers in the Hyrulean military, especially among the non-magical regiments, and their sleeping quarters were kept separate from the men’s for obvious reasons. As the Kokiri knight approached the entrance doors, the guards standing outside took notice of her. Both were young Hylian women dressed in chain mail and wielding spears. One of them had a look of fear in her eyes before quickly standing at attention. The other merely looked at her in confusion, likely assuming Mila was a child, as many did the first time they met her.

“Greetings, Dame Mila,” said the one who recognized her, saluting as she spoke. “How can we be of assistance this evening?”

“Dame?” the second guard muttered under her breath.

“At ease, soldier,” Mila replied uncaringly. “I’m just here for my squire.”

“Of course. Please, head inside.” The first guard moved to open her door, so the second guard reluctantly joined her. The double doors swung open and Mila stepped inside.

The feeling of walking through a soldiers’ barracks felt familiar to Mila. She had joined the Hyrulean army shortly after she left Kokiri Forest, and she had lived in places like this for a few years before being knighted. At the time, joining the army had seemed like the fastest way to make a name for herself in this strange new world she’d found herself in. She wasn’t actually old enough at the time, but she’d lied about her age. Being an eternal eleven-year-old in appearance, the Hylians had no way of knowing how old she really was, but the recruiters weren’t exactly looking for reasons to turn away a new volunteer who proved to be such a capable mage. Magic users were common among the Hylians, but few were on the level of a corporealized spirit like her.

As she walked through the barracks, she observed how the soldiers acted. Some seemed excessively dutiful, wearing their armor and uniform even during their leisure time. Others wore next to nothing, lying on their beds waiting for the noise to die down so they could get some sleep. Many of them gathered in groups around the beds to play some manner of card game, perhaps gambling to make things more lively. Upon the armor and shields of the women, Mila observed the crests of various Hyrulean Noble Houses, including House Vryciaro. Those women were usually the first to stand at attention when Mila passed, often saluting or looking fearful, but the Kokiri knight ignored them for now.

Mila found her squire at the end of the barracks. A group of women were crowded around her bed. Vanova sat with two Hylian girls on either side of her. They seemed fascinated by her ears. The Kokiri knight raised an eyebrow as she stopped to observe.

“Oooohh, they’re so smooth,” one Hylian woman said, running her hand along the rounded edges of the Lynnaean girl’s ear.

“I know,” the other Hylian said, doing the same. “They’re so cute!”

Vanova herself seemed rather embarrassed by the attention, but she laughed along with the others.

Mila raised a hand to the side of her head and felt her own ears. While she was not truly human, her people were made in the image of Hylian children, so the Kokiri all had pointy ears as well. She had never thought much about it. Other than those in the small province of Ordona, pretty much all humans in Hyrule had pointed ears, including the Sheikah and the Gerudo. Those with rounded ears were something of a minority.

“They’re not so impressive,” one of the women gathered around them said. This one was a tall, dark-haired Hylian, still wearing her armor. “Everyone knows round ears can’t hear the gods.”

“Oh, that’s just a myth,” one of the girls sitting next to Vanova said dismissively.

“Labrynna has its own gods,” Vanova pointed out. “Like Chronodormi, Goddess of the Ages. She has her own sage, too. Er, her own oracle , but it’s the same thing.” While normally referred to as the Goddess of Time by the Hylians, Chronodormi was nonetheless a member of the Hyrulean Pantheon of Patrons as well. Many years ago, she had been the seventh to join the new order.

“Pfft.” The dark-haired Hylian waved her hand. “That schizophrenic bitch? She and her sage are useless.” Some of the more religious women in the room gasped at the blasphemous statement, and several of them flashed a triforce symbol with their hands as a quick apology.

Mila was not sure what to think of that statement. She had heard that the Goddess of Time was perhaps the weakest of the Nine Patrons, which seemed odd to her given how grand of a concept time was. But then again, Mila could not think of what a god of time would even do. The wind gods regulated the weather, the spirit gods managed the afterlife, but a time god? Surely time would flow whether a god watched over it or not.

Still, no god could possibly be more useless than the Deku Tree…

Bored of observing the soldiers, Mila stepped forward. “Vanova,” she called, getting her squire’s attention. The women standing in her path parted to let her through, reacting with the usual mix of fear and confusion, depending on who was familiar with her and who wasn’t.

“Dame!” Vanova shoved the hands of the Hylian girls off of her ears and leapt to her feet, standing at attention and saluting.

“Get dressed,” Mila ordered. “I wish to speak with you.”

“Yes, dame.”

“What the hell is this?” The dark-haired girl asked, gesturing down towards Mila. “The round-eared girl’s master is a child? How does that even work?”

“She’s not a child,” someone in the crowd said.

“She’s a Kokiri.”

“A Kokiri?”

“Where’s her fairy?”

“By Nayru, she’s so cute !” One of the girls who had been feeling Vanova’s ears moved towards Mila, kneeling down as if to hug her.

Mila thrust her arm out, catching the girl’s face in her palm. “I would greatly prefer it if you would refrain from touching me,” the Kokiri knight explained calmly yet contemptuously. Gently pushing the girl’s face to shove her back, Mila stepped away from the crowd. However, when she turned to leave, she walked straight into the dark-haired Hylian woman, colliding against her armor with an “Oof!”

“Kokiri or not, mind explaining how someone so small became a knight?” the human obstacle demanded.

“Yes,” Mila answered simply, meaning to say that she did , in fact, mind. She attempted to sidestep the woman and walk past her, but she felt a hand on her shoulder.

“I asked you a question,” the increasingly rude girl said.

“Ruli, don’t!” another soldier warned her.

“Don’t you know who that is?”

“Ruli, for Din’s sake, take your hand off of her!”

Mila sighed, annoyed that her good mood was being ruined by these fools. “Listen to your friends, soldier.”

“So that’s how it is, huh?” the girl called Ruli said, probably assuming that Mila was insulting her less-than-knightly rank by addressing her as ‘soldier.’ “Think you’re too good for us, little girl? Because let me tell you…” Her words trailed off, and she removed her hand from Mila.

The Kokiri knight looked over her shoulder, lazily rolling her wrist in circles as she worked her magic. Ruli’s hair was swaying rapidly as if caught in a strong wind, and the girl was clutching at her neck as if choking.

“Ruli? What’s the matter?”

“Are you okay?”

“What’s going on?”

Ruli glared angrily at Mila. Reaching for her again, she stumbled as she stepped forward, falling to her knees, still gasping for air.

The little knight sneered at the suffocating girl.

Surrounded by air, yet unable to breathe.

“Dame Mila.” Vanova appeared at her knight’s side. “I’m ready. You can let her go now.”

“Good.” Mila let her hand drop, halting her wrist motions. Ruli fell to her hands and knees, sucking in a much-needed gulp of air. Returning to her usual demeanor, Mila coldly turned away from the other girl without another word. “Come along, then,” she said to Vanova, leading her back through the barracks.

On her way out, Mila made a concerted effort to avoid glancing at her surroundings. Every soldier in the barracks was staring at her, and she heard the hushed whispers being passed around already. It was enough to make her smile to herself. Yet another ‘Devil of Shadow Pass’ story they could tell the other soldiers.

After exiting the barracks, Mila led her squire up a flight of stairs. “May I ask what you require of me, dame?” Vanova asked after a brief period of silence.

“In a moment.” Mila’s gaze shifted back and forth, trying to keep herself aware of who was nearby. She had no reason to suspect anyone was wise to her plans, but it never hurt to be cautious.

When they arrived at her room, Mila unlocked the door and Vanova held it open for her. “Lock the door behind you,” Mila commanded.

“Yes, dame.”

As Vanova clicked the lock, Mila arranged two chairs so they could sit across from each other, then hopped up into her seat. “Please, join me,” she said, gesturing to the open chair. Vanova nodded and sat down, looking curious, but vaguely confused about the situation. “Everything is set,” Mila declared, smiling happily. “We leave with Prince Percival tomorrow morning.”

Vanova gasped excitedly. “Well done, dame! I will be honored to join you in the next battle.”

Mila nodded a few times, thinking carefully about what she would say next. “Good. Very good. That means I can trust you, correct?”

“But of course, dame,” Vanova said, sounding quite genuine. “You have done so much for me. I only wish to serve you in return.”

“And if I were to ask you with whom your highest loyalty lies, what would your answer be?” Under most circumstances, any good soldier would answer such a question with ‘the kingdom’ or ‘the king.’ Mila, herself, was guilty of lying in this fashion on many occasions. But, if her squire truly trusted her, she would give her an honest answer.

“Myself, dame,” Vanova answered after only a moment of hesitation.

Mila smiled genuinely at the answer. She knew that, like herself, Vanova had only joined the army out of necessity, not out of love for the Kingdom of Hyrule. The round-eared girl and her mother had been immigrants from Labrynna, and after her mother had been imprisoned for running an indecent establishment, a young Vanova had been left with nowhere else to turn.

“Good,” Mila said. “All I require is your second highest loyalty. I trust this is acceptable?”

“Naturally, Dame Mila.”

“And if I were to ask you to do something that puts my interests above those of the kingdom, would you comply?”

“Without question.”

The Kokiri knight wasn’t sure what she appreciated more -- having such a useful soldier, or having such a like-minded companion. “Excellent,” Dame Mila said, her mouth forming a devilish grin. “Serve me well, my squire, and I promise you will be suitably rewarded.”


Author's note (added 7/28/2023):

This was the first chapter with a new POV character. In addition to learning more about Mila, we met her fairy companion and her retainer.

Art Source

 

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Chapter 26: Sophitia IX

Chapter Text

Sophitia and her party set out from Medoh the next morning. This time, they were joined by High Chief Kanelo and a large number of other Rito, including Chief Revalco. While Rito normally preferred to fly rather than travel by mount or by cart, it was Kanelo’s will that they travel alongside the Hylians for the journey to the Wind Temple. So, the high chieftain joined Governor Koridai in his carriage while Chief Revalco rode atop a majestic Tabantha moose. Some of the other Rito traveled in a similar fashion, while others flew above them or scouted ahead.

Sophitia and Lancel had elected to travel on horseback, hoping to speak with Revalco and perhaps smooth things out with him before they journeyed to the sky together. However, as expected from the general attitude the falcon-headed chief had held at the meeting the day before, he had proven to be rather resistant to smalltalk. Riding next to him was intimidating enough as it was. The moose he rode was two feet taller than Sophitia’s horse, and its large, shovel-shaped antlers looked like they could gore her to death with ease. The chieftain himself carried a large, ornately carved wooden bow on his back, and Sophitia had no doubt the Rito knew how to use it.

“This is not going well,” the princess confided in her retainer, riding together several yards ahead of the Rito part of the convoy. “If I am to grant lordship to Chief Revalco, I must be able to speak with him more… pleasantly than this.”

“He doesn’t like Hylians,” Liliana stated matter-of-factly. “It is not entirely uncommon, especially the further you get from the capital.”

“Yes, I know.” This trip had certainly been a grim reminder of that. “Perhaps if I became closer with High Chief Kanelo instead. Maybe he would have an easier time getting through to Revalco.”

“Or maybe I could talk to him,” Liliana suggested.

Sophitia furrowed her brow. “I am not opposed to the idea, but what makes you think that would improve the situation?”

“I am not a Hylian,” the round-eared girl reminded her. “As far as he should be concerned, I’m just another poor, unfortunate victim of Hylian expansion from the far corner of the continent.”

Sophitia was confused by her friend’s words for a moment, but then the realization hit her. “Ohhh…” The princess smiled. “And when he hears your thoughts on the matter…”

“He will be more likely to listen to someone he views as in the same situation as him,” Liliana finished for her.

It sounded like a great idea at first, but then Sophitia thought about it more. “And you are certain you are up to the task?” the princess asked. “I trust you with my life, but, well, diplomacy has never been your strong suit, Liliana.”

“I was able to negotiate my way into a rather cushy job as your retainer, wasn’t I?”

“If you have found it ‘cushy’ to be guarding my life so far, then perhaps I truly am paying you too much.”

As the two of them spoke, the convoy moved into the canyon beside Strock Lake. Soon they would be reunited with the rest of their retinue who had been left behind on the way to Medoh. Sophitia knew that Governor Koridai would feel safer once there were some more Hylians in the party to balance things out in case anything went wrong. The Rito leaders had also been informed ahead of time that they would be joining up with the extra guards at Kolami Bridge, so there was no risk of them mistaking it for some kind of ambush.

Above her head, Sophitia heard a bird squawking. Looking up, she saw it was one of the Rito returning to the group after scouting ahead. However, he was flying very unsmoothly, like he was injured and struggling to stay in the air. The princess craned her neck to see over the crowd when the Rito landed. He began shouting frantically in a language she did not understand, and all the other Rito looked alarmed, many of them tilting their heads upward.

Chief Revalco spread his wings and lifted himself into the air. “We are under attack!” he called in Hylian. He then switched to his own language and began squawking orders to his men. Some of them took to the skies with him, rising above the canyon walls, while the rest circled around the carriage containing their high chieftain.

“Under attack?” the princess asked, having horrible flashbacks to the last time they had been ambushed while traveling through a canyon. “By whom? Where are they?”

“Stay close to me, Princess,” Liliana ordered. “Guards! To me!” she shouted. The rest of Sophitia’s protectors formed up around them, ready to fight if need be.

Screeching noises filled the air, causing everyone to look up. From the south, a horde of winged Lizalfos flew into the Rito, clashing with them in midair.

“Aeralfos!” someone called. “Bows, upward!”

“Mind your aim! You mustn’t hit the Rito!” Sophitia yelled quickly, realizing the possibility of friendly fire was dangerously high.

As a hail of arrows soared into the sky, Captain Reede rode up beside Sophitia. “Princess, we must keep the convoy moving. We will be safer if we can rejoin with the rest of our forces on the other side of the pass.”

Sophitia looked behind her. The carriage containing the governor of Hebra and the Rito high chieftain was still safe, being guarded by their combined forces. The princess did not wish to leave Chief Revalco and his forces behind to continue fighting without any ground support, but prioritizing the VIPs and getting them out of there safely seemed like the smarter diplomatic option. “Very well,” she said. “Give the order.”

“Yes, your highness.”

The captain began shouting commands, and everyone started moving again. Worried that perhaps her brother might disagree with the decision, Sophitia looked back at Lancel’s carriage. Soon after they had started moving, she saw the door open up. The prince climbed out and pulled himself onto the roof, balancing atop the carriage as it rumbled over the rocky ground. For a split second, the princess was worried he was going to give the order for everyone to stop. However, he instead raised his hands and began sending lightning spells skyward, helping the Rito in their fight against the Aeralfos.

Sophitia breathed a sigh of relief, but it was short-lived. Before they had managed to get very far, the bodies of dead or injured Rito and Aeralfos began plummeting to the ground all around them. Some collided with those riding on horseback, knocking them over. Others hit the road, only to be trampled over regardless of whether they had survived the initial fall. When a dead monster landed on one of her guards, Sophitia shrieked, quickly conjuring a barrier around herself and Liliana.

“Don’t worry, Princess,” her retainer called to her, shouting into her ear to be heard over the noise. “We’ll be safe once we get out of the canyon.”

Sophitia hoped that would be the case, but she chose to say nothing and continue focusing on keeping her barrier up.

It wasn’t long before live Aeralfos began descending into the canyon. In a short span of time, three of them flew over Sophitia, striking her barrier with their swords. Others dive bombed the guards riding beside her, but the princess got the distinct feeling that she was being targeted.

Could these monsters know who I am? Or are they simply attracted to the glowing magical barrier?

Glancing back to check on her brother, she saw Lancel fighting off flying attackers as well. Some tried to strike him as they flew by, which he blocked with a hastily conjured barrier. Others landed atop his carriage, but were quickly blasted with lightning.

They are targeting us. Do they know we are of royal blood somehow?

Luckily, the end of the canyon was in sight. The camp was just beyond that threshold. At the front of the convoy, Captain Reede began shouting in order to get the attention of their allies.

“Look, Princess,” Liliana said. “We’re almost there. Just a little--”

Ahh !” Sophitia screamed as two Aeralfos dive bombed her at once. The first one stabbed her barrier and bounced off of it, but the second one caused it to shatter. The monster shrieked triumphantly, flapping its wings as it reared back for another strike, but Liliana managed to parry it with her sword. Thinking quickly, Sophitia drew her rapier and thrust it into the monster’s stomach. It fell to the ground to be trampled by the other horses.

Moments later, they came out at the end of the canyon. The camp was already in disarray as the guards they’d left behind scrambled to prepare for battle. Aeralfos and Rito alike were returning to the ground to continue fighting, some with injured wings and other wounds.

Sophitia intended to keep going at first. Perhaps the larger Hylian force combined with the Rito would cause enough of a distraction to allow her, her brother, the governor, and the high chieftain to flee across the bridge. Any remaining monsters that followed them could hopefully be fought off. However, she changed her mind when she spotted Chief Revalco. With a sword pierced through his wing, he plummeted to the ground and nearly rolled off of the cliff.

Halt !” the princess shouted. “Hold here! Engage the enemy!” Those around her broke off from their formation to help the others in the fight. The carriages stopped and were surrounded by guards to defend them, while Lancel stayed atop his own and continued to sling spells at the enemy. “Liliana,” Sophitia said, grabbing her retainer’s shoulder. “You must aid Revalco.” She pointed to the fallen chieftain, who was struggling to return to his feet as more monsters approached him.

Liliana looked shocked. “No. My place is with you.”

“I’ll be fine,” she insisted. “I’ll join my brother. Revalco must live.” The princess could not fully explain herself in the heat of battle, but she hoped the message was clear. Saving their biggest opponent in the Rito council would be the perfect way to demonstrate that Hyrule was their friend. Additionally, Liliana’s earlier idea, which had involved the round-eared girl being the one to gain Revalco’s trust, would be much more likely to succeed if she was the one to save his life.

Her retainer hesitated for a moment longer, then reluctantly nodded. “Alright,” she said, turning her horse to the side. “I’ll return for you.” Kicking her horse in the side to get it moving, she rode off alongside some of the other guards.

Once her retainer was gone, Sophitia turned her horse around and headed for Lancel’s carriage. “Brother!” she shouted up to him as she got closer.

Lancel glanced down at her. “Ah! Sweet sister! Lovely day, isn’t it?” he asked, waving his hand to his side to encase an approaching Aeralfos in ice. “Though I must say, I am not enjoying the local wildlife as much as I do back home.”

Sophitia sighed frustratedly. “Now is not the time to be imperturbable.”

“My apologies. I shall strive to be more perturbable, then.” Stepping over the edge of the carriage roof, he hopped down to the ground, then walked over to his sister’s horse and conjured a barrier around them. “Well, you have my attention. What do you require, Sister?”

“We must do something to turn the tide of this battle before more are hurt,” Sophitia said, speaking as if what she was saying should be obvious. Not wishing to speak down to her brother, she climbed off of her horse and stood beside him. “I have Liliana protecting Chief Revalco, but I fear for Governor Koridai and High Chief Kanelo.”

As she spoke, three monsters landed outside of Lancel’s barrier, shrieking in anger. They stabbed at the magical walls, but made no progress. Giving them a cursory glance, Lancel stomped his foot, and suddenly all three of their attackers were electrocuted. “The battle is nearly over, if my estimates are correct,” he said. “And worry not about the governor and our guest of honor. I have Sir Anselm protecting them.” Lancel gestured with his hand, and Sophitia turned her head towards the governor’s carriage.

Sir Anselm had indeed engaged the enemy. With a look of grim determination on his aged face, he hacked through an Aeralfos with his axe and bashed another with his shield, splattering their blood across his elegant black plate armor. The other knights under his command were assembled around the carriage, and they appeared to be similarly effective in its defense.

“But we cannot simply do nothing,” Sophitia insisted.

“Who’s doing nothing?” Lancel asked, gesturing to the dead monsters at their feet. He had been the one who slayed them, along with many others so far. Sophitia, on the other hand, had only killed one, while leaving the rest to her guards.

The only one being ineffectual at the moment is me. I cannot let Lancel outclass me at every turn.

“Captain Reede!” she shouted, calling out to her guard captain from across the battlefield. The veteran knight was on foot now, but when she got his attention, he was quick to join her by Lancel’s carriage, accompanied by several of his men.

“Yes, your highness?”

“Have all other troops prioritize the defense of our archers. We need them to focus on shooting the enemies still in the air while the Rito are distracting them. And if at all possible, keep the fight away from the bridge. We cannot have it damaged if we are to cross it again,” the princess ordered.

“At once.” Captain Reede left her with her brother, shouting orders as he rejoined the battle.

“Huh. And here I was expecting you to draw your little sword and dance through the enemy, cutting them down left and right,” Lancel said with a smirk.

Sophitia put her hand on the hilt of her rapier. “I am quite practiced with it, but somewhat lacking in practical experience,” she admitted. “But I have no shortage of experience with using words as my weapon.”

The prince laughed, clapping his hand on her shoulder. “You are a clever one indeed, Sister.”

“I learn from the best.” Sophitia could not think of a time she had ever seen Lancel holding a weapon. He was obviously quite skilled with combat magic, of course, but that had never been what she admired him for. His power of persuasion was formidable, and if she wished to beat him to the throne, that was what she needed to emulate.

However, as Lancel had predicted, it was not long before the battle was finished. After a while, the swarm of flying Lizalfos had died down, and what few remained seemed to lose their boldness, opting to flee to the east rather than continue fighting. Once the area was safe, Sophitia and Lancel decided to check on the governor and the high chieftain.

“You did well, Sir Anselm. You have our thanks,” Sophitia said to her brother’s bodyguard.

“Your gratitude is appreciated, your highness,” he replied with a bow. “Serving the kingdom is my duty.”

“And you’ve saved the day once again, old friend,” Lancel said, tapping the elderly knight on the shoulder. “Now, how are your protectees? Governor Koridai! High Chief Kanelo! The interlopers have been slain, bested, and otherwise extirpated. You may come out now.”

The carriage door opened, and Governor Koridai stepped out, followed by the large owl man. “Is everything alright?” the governor inquired.

“How many were harmed?” Kanelo asked with concern.

“We have not yet taken a headcount of the wounded,” Sophitia explained. “But I can assure you, the casualties were minimal, thanks to the assistance of Chief Revalco’s braves. Your people fought admirably, High Chieftain.”

Kanelo nodded, his owl head twitching slightly. “I am glad to see our people can still work together. Where is Revalco?”

“He is with my bodyguard,” Sophitia replied. “I shall go check on him now.” Bowing, she dismissed herself.

When she found Liliana, she was thankfully no longer by the cliff’s edge. Instead, she stood beside the falcon-headed Rito chief outside of one of the tents. Revalco sat on a crate of supplies while a Hylian healer tended to his wounds.

“That’s enough,” he told the healer. “I’m fine. It’ll take more than some reptile-brained monsters to kill me.”

“Very well, my lord,” the healer said before taking her leave.

Sophitia had been about to approach him, but she hung back for a moment. She wanted to hear what Revalco and Liliana had to say.

“I’m impressed you’re able to use a bow so well while in flight,” Liliana stated. “It cannot be easy to stay aloft while your wings are busy with your weapon.”

“A trifle,” Revalco said, tilting his beak up almost snobbishly. “The Rito learn to do such things the moment we have wings.” He extended and retracted his wing a few times, as if to test how well it was healed. For a moment, it seemed as though Liliana’s compliment had missed its mark. Then, the chieftain said something Sophitia did not expect to hear. “I suppose you wield your sword well, for a Hylian.”

“I am not a Hylian,” Liliana replied. She brushed her hair away from the side of her face, showing off her distinctly rounded ears. Revalco stared at her in confusion, not seeming to understand what she was doing. “I’m an Ordonian,” she clarified.

A look of understanding came over Revalco. “Ah, I see. From far in the southeast, on the opposite side of the continent.” This was likely his first time ever meeting a round-eared human, given how far Ordona was from Hebra and how isolated both groups tended to remain. “So what are you doing here with these knife-ears?” he asked, gesturing vaguely in the direction of all the Hylians in the camp.

“I serve as personal attendant and bodyguard to Zelda Sophitia Hyrule, fourth child of the king,” Liliana explained, using her charge’s full name and royal title.

“I see,” Revalco replied, speaking absentmindedly as he lifted up his bow to examine it. “Such a shame.”

Liliana narrowed her eyes. “And why is that?”

“These people took everything from you, and rather than fighting back, you chose instead to serve them like an obedient dog.” Revalco set one end of his bow down on the ground and began adjusting the string.

“The Hylians did not take everything from me. They gave me everything that I have, and no one has done more for me than Princess Sophitia,” Liliana rebutted.

“Oh really? And how is that?”

Liliana stood with her hand on her sword and pursed her lips, thinking for a moment before speaking. “Back in Ordona, I was a fisherman’s daughter,” she explained. “The Kingdom of Hyrule has schools set up all throughout the province, even in tiny villages like mine. I received a proper education, despite not having the money for it. And, every year, the kingdom selects promising students from across the land and gives them a chance to attend the Hyrulean Royal Academy in the capital. I was selected when I was twelve. So, despite being a fisherman’s daughter from the outer reaches of the continent, I received the same education as the sons and daughters of the wealthiest nobles in the kingdom. And then, the princess of Hyrule chose me personally to live with her in the castle and be her number two woman. I was given wealth. I was given status. I was given a chance at a better life. And my family back home has been well cared for ever since.”

“You could say that,” Revalco said after she finished speaking. He still sounded somewhat dismissive and uninterested, but Sophitia could tell he was now only pretending to fiddle with his bow to appear nonchalant. “But from where I’m standing, it sounds like you were given the chance to do anything you wanted, and you chose to be a mere servant.”

“I chose to follow someone who I believe can change the world for the better,” Liliana countered without hesitation. “Those of your tribe would say they follow you for the same reason, would they not?”

The falcon-headed Rito was quiet for a moment. Then, he took his bow and stood up, letting out a sigh. “You are naive and idealistic, as to be expected of one so young.” He took a step as if to leave, but he stopped. “However, the tribe should always follow the chieftain they choose to follow. I supposed you’ve chosen yours.” It was more of a statement of fact than anything else, but his intent was clear. He approved of Liliana choosing her own leader.

Hopefully, when all of this is over, he will choose me as his leader, too.

When Revalco walked away, Sophitia hesitated. Having just heard Liliana say everything she’d said… She’d already known most of it, but hearing it all said at once like that…

“Princess,” Liliana addressed her, having noticed her standing nearby.

Sophitia flinched, then put a smile on her face. “Liliana. I see Chief Revalco is safe?”

“Safe and sound,” her retainer confirmed. As she approached, she had a confused look on her face. “Is something the matter, Sophitia?”

The princess felt her cheeks burning as she toyed with her hair. “Did you mean all that?” she asked. “About what the kingdom has done for you? What I have done for you?”

Liliana was silent for a moment. As usual, her blank expression was difficult to read, but Sophitia guessed that the round-eared girl was almost as embarrassed as she was. “Ah. So you heard all that, eh?”

The princess nodded. “My apologies for eavesdropping.”

“It’s fine,” Liliana said. “And… Yes. That is how I feel.”

Sophitia stared at her retainer, somewhat at a loss for words, then placed a hand on her shoulder. “You have done much for me as well. I hope I can continue to be the woman you wish to follow.”

Liliana nodded her acknowledgement, then turned away from the princess. “Very well. Come, your highness. We must prepare to move once again.”


When Sophitia and her party arrived back at the Wind Temple, Sage Balla and Grand Archivist Botrick were there to greet them.

“High Chief Kanelo, it is wonderful to see you again,” Balla chirped upon their approach. “Governor Koridai, Prince Lancel, Princess Sophitia. Welcome back. I hope your journey was free of danger.”

“Yeah, well, it wasn’t.” Revalco shoved his way to the front of the group. “We got hit by a swarm of Aeralfos on the way here. The clerics in the camp outside are tending to the wounded now, but if you got any other healers in the temple, send them out now .”

“Chief Revalco, please,” Kanelo interrupted, holding up a wing for his silence. “Hello again, my dear,” the owl-headed Rito went on, turning his attention to the young sage. “I would love to continue with our pleasantries shortly, but Chief Revalco speaks truthfully. Some of our wounded still require aid.”

“At once, High Chieftain.” Balla turned to her shamans and chirped something out to them. Several of them spread their wings and took to the air, flying back to the temple, presumably to fetch whatever healers they had inside.

“Splendid.” Prince Lancel stepped forward, clapping his hands together. “It is marvelous to be reunited on this most illustrious of days. As much as I would love to converse about the many other important matters we still have left to discuss, I fear there is one matter in particular that is of the utmost urgency. As you can see, if you tilt your head up to the heavens, the great City in the Sky will be overhead shortly.”

Upon the prince’s reminder, everyone looked up into the sky, facing west. The floating city had been visible during their journey through the Tabantha Frontier as well. It had appeared on the horizon at some point, coming down from the Outer Continent, and it had been getting closer and closer ever since.

“Oh yes, quite right, quite right,” Grand Archivist Botrick muttered in agreement. “Hm. Sage Balla, perhaps we should bring everyone to the roof so we might show them the Grand Artisan’s creation.”

“Very well,” Balla said with a nod. She gestured towards the temple’s entryway. “Shall we proceed?”

“Yes, please,” Princess Sophitia replied, stepping forward. “I very much look forward to seeing the structure he has created.”

“We’ll meet you up there,” Revalco said. Without another word, he and his braves spread their wings and took off, flying directly to the roof and leaving the rest of them to walk.

“I do apologize for his rudeness,” High Chieftain Kanelo said, remaining with those who were walking.

“It’s quite alright,” Governor Koridai replied. “We shall all reach our destination eventually.”

Walking through the halls of the Wind Temple, Sophitia was once again hyper aware of the way the Rito looked at them. There had been some hostility directed at them the last time they were in the temple, and with someone like Revalco around, those who objected to the Hylian presence in Hebra would only be emboldened. The princess knew she was well guarded, and both the Wind Sage and the Rito High Chieftain were on their side, but she still felt unsafe.

Liliana must have sensed her unease. Her bodyguard stepped closer and put a hand on her shoulder, leaning in to whisper in her ear. “Don’t worry, Princess. I don’t see anyone armed in the vicinity aside from us.”

Sophitia nodded, reminding herself that their visit would be brief this time.

“It will take some time for the City in the Sky to pass over us,” Grand Archivist Botrick said, explaining the situation to everyone as they slowly climbed the stairs. “If our calculations are correct, we should have time to make three trips from here with Rodan’s sky lift. Each group will land in a different location, however.”

“No matter,” Sophitia said. “We shall split up; bring a few Hylians and a few Rito in each group. We can all meet where we plan to make camp.” The others took no issue with her suggestion and voiced their consent.

As Sophitia climbed the final steps up to the roof, she was in awe of what she found. It was as if a brand new extension had been built into the roof in the short few days they had been gone. The sky lift was a cylindrical structure with a wide base and a domed roof, large enough for several dozen people to fit inside. There were also strange protrusions jutting out from the walls on the outside of it, which Sophitia assumed to be related to the wind magic propulsion system they wished to use.

“Ah, marvelous!” Prince Lancel approached the Goron artisans who were standing outside of the sky lift, still moving supplies around and putting the finishing touches on it. “Grand Artisan, as always, I am astounded with the speed and quality of your work.”

The gigantic Goron chuckled. “Well, it’s a good thing you gave this job to me. Anyone else would’ve needed another week.”

“I suppose it helps that you can probably lift the thing by yourself, after all,” Lancel joked, although he probably wasn’t too far off.

“It is not large enough for you, though, is it?” Sophitia questioned. The regular-sized Gorons he’d brought with him could fit inside easily, but Rodan was too large to even fit in the door.

“Aye,” the Goron agreed. “We were constrained by time, material, and space to build up here,” he explained. “Plus, I doubt even the Wind Sage’s magic is powerful enough to lift this ,” he said, tapping himself on his rocky back. “You lot can go up into the clouds without me.”

“We’ll bring you some nice souvenirs,” Lancel promised.

“You’ll be bringing me a lot more than that, if I recall our agreement.”

One of the other Gorons opened the door and gestured inside, so several Hylians and Rito went into the sky lift to see what it was like. Before going inside, Sophitia eyed Chief Revalco and his warriors. They were standing away from the rest of the group, watching over the proceedings. Revalco had his wings crossed and his big bow slung over his back. Having come up to the roof ahead of them, he’d probably already had his fill of looking around.

He doesn’t appear to object to the sky lift. I suppose that means he finds no flaws in its design.

“Alright, everyone. May I have your attention for a moment?” Lancel stood beside Rodan, calling everyone over to him. “You as well, please, Chief Ravalco.”

The Rito warriors looked to Revalco before moving, but once their chief walked forward to rejoin the group, they followed him.

“Splendid. Now,” the prince went on, clapping his hands together. “As we’ve said, the lift cannot hold all of us at once, so we are to make three trips with a mix of Hylians and Rito each time. The wise young Sage Balla and her talented wind shamans will be needed to power the lift, so they shall stay aboard until the final ascent. I propose the first ascent be led by Grand Archivist Botrick and Chief Revalco, then next by High Chief Kanelo and myself, and the last by Governor Koridai and my lovely sister.”

Sophitia raised an eyebrow, knowing Lancel must have had a reason for that specific order. Revalco would likely wish to go first since he wouldn’t trust the Hylians to be up in Skyloft without him. Sending Botrick along with him was the right move because Revalco was less likely to murder a Hylian archivist than a Hylian prince or princess, and Botrick was more expendable than them in the case that Revalco decided to kill him anyway. Lancel surely wanted to go next so he could beat Sophitia there, possibly giving himself time to explore without letting her know exactly what he was up to, while also giving himself alone time with the High Chieftain. That left the governor and Sophitia for the last trip -- the two Lancel had the least reason to try to impress or manipulate.

What is he after? Why does he wish to explore the City in the Sky without me?

The princess could not be sure that her brother had such ulterior motives, but if she wanted to prevent him from pulling in front of her in their race for the throne, she had to take every precaution. “Perhaps Governor Koridai and High Chief Kanelo should travel together?” Sophitia suggested. “They have experience working together already. It might allow the journey through the ruined city to transpire more smoothly.”

“That sounds reasonable,” the governor agreed. “High Chieftain?”

“Yes, indeed,” Kanelo said.

“A splendid idea, sweet sister,” Lancel said, although Sophitia could tell he was eying her with suspicion. “Very well. Any objections?”

Sophitia glanced at Revalco, expecting him to say something. However, her earlier speculation must have been correct, as he was apparently satisfied with being among the first to ascend.

“We are in agreement, then,” Lancel concluded with a bright smile. “Now, let us finish the preparations and get all our supplies together before we embark on our most historic journey.”


Watching the City in the Sky passing overhead was quite awe-inspiring. Even with how high up it was, Sophitia could tell it was massive. It wasn’t simply a large sailing vessel moving through the sky rather than the sea. It was well and truly an entire floating city. Even without considering the tactics behind it, she wished she didn’t have to be in the third ascension party. She wanted to board the floating city as soon as possible just to see what it was like up there.

“Won’t be long now, Sister,” Lancel said, sitting atop one of the runic pillars that lined the roof of the Wind Temple. “I can see the sky lift coming back down.”

“I see it, too, Brother,” the princess replied, holding her hand to her forehead to block the sun as she gazed upwards. “I must admit, I am quite excited.”

“But of course! We’re making history today, you and I,” Lancel said, swinging his legs forward and hopping down to the ground. “Whatever else happens after this, the two of us shall go down in history as the members of the Royal Family who finally reclaimed our ancestral homeland.”

“Do not let your guards down,” Sir Anselm reminded them. “He may be well behaved now, but I do not trust Chief Revalco.”

“Duly noted, old friend,” Lancel replied cheerily. “But I shan’t be letting the omnipresent threat of death damper my mood today.”

The royal siblings and their bodyguards watched as the sky lift was lowered back down to the roof of the Wind Temple for the second time that day. It was a testament to the skill of the wind mages inside of it that they were able to manage it so smoothly. Soon after it landed, the door popped open with a gust of air.

“Last call,” Grand Artisan Rodan called, standing by the entrance. “All aboard!”

Sophitia and her brother were the first to file in, followed closely by Liliana and Sir Anselm, and then another dozen or so Hylians and Rito.

“Is that everyone?” Sage Balla asked as the doors shut again.

“Yes, it is,” Sophitia replied. “We once again owe you a great debt, Sage. You and your shamans deserve a nice long rest after performing these strenuous feats of magic.”

“Thank you, your highness,” the sage said in return. She then turned to her wind shamans and lifted her baton, waving it as if conducting them. Together, they swayed and sang to the music of the wind, and the stone contraption they found themselves in began to rise.

“Oh!” Sophitia stumbled, losing her balance at the sudden shifting of the craft. Liliana caught her under her arm.

“Careful, Princess,” she said, helping her to right herself. “I suppose you don’t have your sea legs yet, eh?”

Sophitia laughed haughtily. “Well, we can’t all be lucky enough to be a fisherman’s daughter.” While it was true that Sophitia had sailed upon the rivers of Hyrule, she had never been out into the open ocean. She did not know how it compared to being inside of a flying machine, but she imagined it was just as disorienting.

As they rose higher and higher, Sophitia moved to one of the windows to watch the ground slowly shrink away. The windows of the sky lift were tall and thin; wide enough to see through and to allow for ventilation, but not large enough to fall through. At first, the sight was incredible. They quickly reached a higher point than she had ever been -- even higher than the towers of Hyrule Castle. However, as their ascent continued, the princess began to feel sick to her stomach.

“Oh, my,” Sophitia said, stepping away from the window.

Liliana rubbed her shoulder reassuringly. “Fear not, Sophitia. We are safe in here.”

“My word!” a Rito on the other side of the sky lift called out.

“Is that--?”

“Wow! It really is!”

“Quite a commotion over there,” Liliana noted, watching as the other passengers began crowding around on one side. “What do you think they’re looking at?”

“Come see for yourselves!” Lancel turned away from the window, waving them over with a grin on his face.

Curious, Sophitia and Liliana complied, joining the prince by the window. They peered outside, and it was instantly clear what everyone was talking about.

Drifting past the window was a gigantic blue frog. It lay atop a fluffy white cloud, hands behind its head and slumping back in an oddly human-like, relaxed posture.

“By the gods,” Sophitia exclaimed. “It’s… a god.”

“Praise Lord Zephos!” one Rito shouted.

“We thank you for the favorable winds, my lord!”

“May the winds bless us further!”

The relaxing frog god opened one eye, then the other. He turned his head as if noticing them for the first time. Shifting his body atop his cloud, he stretched and yawned, letting out a deep, unmistakably frog-like croak . The sky lift rose past him, and Sophitia wondered if the god would say nothing to them.

Such a shame. So rare it is to see a god, even for us.

However, before he was out of sight completely, the frog uttered two words in a deep, bellowing, yet oddly calm voice -- “Welcome home.” Then, with a lazy gesture of his blue, amphibian hand, the sky lift’s speed suddenly increased as a gentle wind blew them upwards towards their destination.

“Oh, heavens!” Sophitia called out, stumbling once again. Just as before, Liliana caught her.

“Careful, Princess,” she said. “We’re almost there.”

At last, the City in the Sky came into view. Sage Balla and her wind shamans carefully lowered the sky lift onto solid ground, like a crate being lowered onto a ship’s deck. When it landed, their vessel shook like it had when they took off, causing Sophitia to stumble one last time. The sage and her shamans ceased their birdsongs, and all of them nearly collapsed from exhaustion.

“Help them outside,” Sophitia ordered, raising her voice so her subordinates would hear her. The Hylians in the sky lift voiced their compliance, giving the Rito mages a shoulder to lean on as they walked them through the doors and out into the floating city.

As soon as Sophitia stepped outside, she was in awe all over again. The ruined cityscape was like nothing she had ever seen before. The architecture was ancient, yet advanced at the same time. It was beautiful, yet surreal, and even eerie. The city was built across many floating slabs of earth, some large and some small, and all of them interconnected by bridges or buildings that spanned multiple floating islands. Much of it was in disrepair and did not look particularly safe or easy to navigate.

“We’ll have to do something nice for that old giant,” Lancel said, stepping out of the sky lift and patting its walls. “This thing worked like a charm.”

“Shall we get moving, my prince?” Sir Anselm asked him, standing nearby with his hands clasped behind his back. “We may wish to meet up with the other expedition teams before nightfall.”

“No,” Sophitia objected, shaking her head. “The shamans are in no condition to travel. We should set up camp here.” The elderly knight eyed her unamusedly, which made the princess realize she had answered a question that had been directed at her brother, not her. “M-My apologies for interrupting.”

“No, no, you make a good point, Sister,” Lancel said, although the smirk on his face told her he was enjoying her embarrassment at least a little bit. “We shall send some of the other Rito ahead to fly over the city and search for the others. The rest of us shall camp here.”

“Very good, your highness.” Sir Anselm bowed to the prince, and then did so to the princess as well, as if to apologize for making her feel uncomfortable a moment ago. Then he turned to the Hylian soldiers who had gathered around them. “You heard the prince. Unload the supplies and begin setting up camp.”

“Yes, sir!”

Sophitia stepped over to the Sage of Wind, who was currently seated on a fallen column, pressing her wing to her forehead. “How are you feeling, Sage?” the princess asked.

“I am well,” she said. “I feel so honored to have been aided by my Patron.”

Sophitia smiled. The sages were some of the only people to interact with their Patrons even semi-regularly, yet it was still considered a special occurrence for some of them. “We plan to spend the night at this location, but we would like to send some of the Rito to scout ahead for the others. Would you mind making this request for us?” The princess knew that the Rito would be much more willing to accept a request from a Rito sage than from a Hylian royal, and deferring to Balla was the more diplomatic approach either way.

“Certainly, Princess,” Balla replied. Standing up, she chirped something out in a Rito language. Some of her people who had been helping carry supplies out of the sky lift heard her and came over to them. After a brief conversation, they nodded and returned to the group. Several of them unfurled their wings and took off soon after.

“Much appreciated, young wise one,” Sophitia said, bowing in gratitude.

Afterwards, the princess stepped away and stood by her bodyguard for a brief period, overseeing the proceedings as everyone else worked to get the camp set up. “I feel like taking a walk,” she said aloud, turning to Liliana. “Care to join me?”

“Have I a choice, Princess?” Liliana asked dryly.

“Let’s say, ‘no,’” Sophitia replied.

“Then it would be my honor,” the round-eared girl replied cheekily, taking Sophitia by the hand and gesturing forward. Sophitia laughed haughtily and began to walk away from camp.

“Be careful,” Sir Anselm called after them in warning. “There is no telling what ancient horrors lurk in this place.”

“Of course, Sir,” Liliana said over her shoulder. “I shall keep her safe.”

The two of them found a nearby stone bridge and cautiously walked across it. There were small signs of disrepair, but nothing that made it seem likely to collapse. Sophitia decided to peer over the edge, expecting to be terrified of the height she found herself at. However the city was apparently passing through some clouds at the moment because she could not see the earth below. “What a strange place,” she said. “A city in the clouds. It’s like something out of a fantastical painting.”

“I can honestly say I never thought I’d ever go somewhere like this,” Liliana said, leaning over the railing beside her charge. “When I was a little girl, my father let me climb up into the crow’s nest of a merchant vessel owned by an associate of his. For a while, I thought that was the highest point I’d ever stand upon.”

Sophitia laughed. “When I was little, standing at the top of Hyrule Castle felt as dangerous and exciting as this. Perspectives sure do change as one grows older, do they not?”

Liliana nodded, then furrowed her brow in curiosity. “What exactly is the mechanism keeping the city afloat?” she asked, pointing to the undersides of several floating platforms and buildings. Many of them had spires and strange protrusions beneath them, some of which had spinning propellers on the end.

“Well, the land was originally lifted into the sky by Hylia’s divine will,” Sophitia replied. “But there appears to be some sort of arcane technology at work here. Perhaps something of Oocca design?”

“Your guess is as good as mine,” Liliana said. “It’s all just magic to me.”

“Yes. I do wonder.” Sophitia turned away from the bridge’s edge and continued along it. “Come, now. Let’s explore.”

The bridge connected to a flat chunk of floating earth with a field of rich grass growing on it. In the center of the field sat a tall statue surrounded by smaller ones. The larger statue depicted Hylia, but the smaller figures resembled chickens with oddly-shaped, human-like heads.

“What are those little monsters?” Liliana asked.

“Those are the Oocca,” Sophitia replied.

“Truly?” The round-eared girl sounded almost skeptical. “Odd. They appear so alien. One would scarcely think them Children of Nayru.”

“Perhaps. But they were quite intelligent, and they played a significant role in shaping my people’s civilization.” Sophitia looked up into the face of Hylia, then closed her eyes and made the sign of the Triforce as a quick prayer.

Liliana nodded, then glanced around them. “Are we far enough away from your brother now?” she asked.

The princess smiled, chuckling slightly. “You know me so well.”

“Well enough to know Percival has succeeded in making you paranoid.”

“It is not paranoia to be cautious of Lancel,” Sophitia rationalized. “He is leagues beyond my own intelligence, and I know he is up to something.”

“True. You do appear rather dimwitted next to him.”

Ah .” Sophitia gasped in mock indignity, slapping her retainer on the shoulder. “Come now. Whose side are you on?”

“Yours, of course.” Liliana brushed her sleeve where the princess had touched her. “I’m afraid I simply do not understand what game you are playing with Lancel anymore. You both want the crown. It is in both of your best interests to facilitate the success of this campaign. What sort of trickery could your brother possibly get up to?”

Sophitia stepped away from the statue, peering up at the many tall structures that rose from the floating islands all around her. “I fear what Lancel told me about his plans for this place,” the princess said. “I understand his goal is to create peace, but if that peace should come from the threat of this city being used as a weapon… Well, that is not the kind of peace I would have. Not if I were queen.”

Liliana followed her charge’s gaze, examining the floating cityscape. “You believe your brother wishes to search the city for weapons, then?”

“Yes. I do not know what weaponry Skyloft may have, but what if he uses them on the Rito? Or threatens to use them, in any case.” The princess turned back to the statue of Hylia, looking up into her stone eyes. “Hylia created Skyloft to keep my people safe,” Sophitia stated. “She allowed herself to be reborn here as my great ancestor. She would never approve of this sacred place being used for such… tyranny.”

“So this isn’t about competing with your brother for the throne?” Liliana asked.

Sophitia blushed. “I… I still wish to be queen,” she said. “But… What kind of queen would I be if I could not resolve things peacefully with the Rito?”

“One who does not take the easy way,” Liliana replied, her hand twisting the hilt of her sword.

Sophitia laughed. “I suppose so.”

Liliana nodded. “Very well. Just tell me what needs doing, and I shall do it.”

Sophitia smiled gratefully, then put on a more serious face. “To start with, we need to head back to camp and keep an eye on Lancel,” the princess explained. “If any of his guards are sent on an errand, we must be sure to send some guards of our own to accompany them. If Lancel knows what he is looking for, we must not allow him to find it without us knowing. And, if he doesn’t know what he’s looking for, we need to ensure that we learn everything he learns.”

“Sounds like we should have brought some Sheikah,” Liliana said. “Although I suppose there could be some among us, lurking in the shadows.”

“Yes, if only.” Sophitia took one last look at the statue of their goddess, then began walking towards the bridge. “Come along, old friend. We have work to do.”


Author's note (added 7/28/2023):

Those of you who played Wind Waker may remember Zephos and Cyclos.

Art Source

Chapter 27: Harun IX

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

The Gerudo and the Hylians had once again gathered within the fortress of Taafei. Just as before, Queen Urballa sat on one side of the table, joined by Prince Harun and Elder Kobami. On the other side sat Governor Vapith, accompanied by Princess Zelda and Sage Aurun, with Zelda’s Sheikah bodyguard, Impa, lurking behind her. However, this time, the two younger princesses had joined them as well. Princess Sabah and Princess Seraphina sat beside each other, in between the Gerudo and Hylian parties. They were watched over by Commander Bularis and Dame Jeanne, who stood at the head of their respective guard details.

“Are we ready to begin?” Governor Vapith asked, smoothing out a pile of papers on the table in front of her.

“By all means,” Queen Urballa confirmed, gesturing invitingly with her hand.

“Very well.” The governor nodded before proceeding. “When we last spoke, we reviewed the agreement made between the royal families of Hyrule and Gerudo. There were several concerns, including a lack of progress towards eliminating demon worship, as well as questionable handling of the situation revolving around the Gerudo Voe.”

“I have some thoughts on that matter,” Harun spoke up, shooting a glare at the Sage of Light.

“Perhaps it would be best not to interrupt, Prince Harun,” Urballa warned politely.

“No,” Princess Zelda disagreed. “He may speak. I wish to hear what the prince has to say.”

“Thank you, your highness,” Harun said. “Allow me to explain. Only a few short moments ago, your sage came to me with an idea,” he said, shooting another glance at Aurun.

“It was merely a thought,” the sage interrupted. “A matter to be explored at a later time.”

Harun still could not comprehend why the sage considered this matter to be something that could wait. “With respect, Sage, the dark forces that seek to control me do not operate by your schedule.”

Princess Seraphina giggled at Harun’s remark. Everyone turned their attention to her, which caused Princess Sabah to look embarrassed. Seraphina, however, simply smiled, apparently glad to be receiving so much attention. Dame Jeanne placed a hand on the young girl’s shoulder and leaned down to whisper something into her ear. Seraphina nodded and ceased her laughter.

The elder Hylian princess turned back to Harun. “Please, continue. What was this idea?”

Harun cleared his throat. “The Sage of Light wisely pointed out a possible solution to the Curse of Demise,” he explained. “The curse cannot be undone by the gods, but long ago, the goddess Hylia devised a method of overcoming such a limitation when she sought to make use of the Triforce.”

Princess Zelda’s steely gaze seemed to harden, and for a moment Harun was worried that perhaps he had upset her by invoking Hylia’s name so lightly. However, she may have simply been working it out in her head. “You speak of Her Grace’s reincarnation -- when she came to this realm in the form of my great ancestor, Zelda the First.”

“That is correct, your highness,” the Gerudo prince agreed. “Her blood flows through you. Perhaps you are able to do what the gods cannot, just as your ancestor did.”

Zelda steepled her hands for a moment, thinking. Then she turned to Sage Aurun. “That was clever thinking indeed, wise sage,” she said to him.

“Thank you, your highness.”

The younger Hylian princess gasped excitedly. “You mean we can help him?” she asked her elder sister. Harun had not thought of it before, but with two descendants of Hylia present, perhaps the chances of them being able to break the curse would be even higher. “Yay! Let’s do it!” Seraphina turned to Harun. “What do you need us to do?”

“I suppose it is a possibility worth exploring,” Zelda concluded. “But it is not a matter to be taken lightly. If the curse we are dealing with is as old and powerful as we suspect, then we must approach it with the utmost care.”

The Voe was beginning to feel hopeful again. “So you will do it, your highness?”

“Yes, in time,” the elder princess confirmed. “I would like to do some research first, and consult the gods for guidance. We can begin as soon as our own matters have been resolved here.”

“Yay!” Princess Seraphina cheered.

Harun would have preferred to receive their help immediately, so this solution was not ideal. However, he conceded that it was not something that could be done expediently, so he was willing to be patient so long as he knew they would be working towards it in the meantime.

Perhaps the sage had a point. I will see to it that these negotiations are quick, then.

“I am against this,” Elder Kobami said plainly. Harun glared at her, but she did not notice him, instead turning to Urballa. “My queen, we cannot allow this blasphemy. If the Curse of Demise is broken, the next step will be to exorcise the spirit of Lord Ganon.”

“It is Harun’s decision,” Urballa said, denying her concerns immediately. “I am in agreement. We shall work together with the Hylian princesses in order to cleanse my ward’s spirit.”

Harun felt a deep appreciation for his queen upon hearing that. “Thank you,” he said to both her and Princess Zelda.

“Excellent,” Governor Vapith said, moving her quill across the page. “That settles that matter.”

“I should hope this has alleviated any concerns you might have had about the matter of demon worship in Gerudo,” Urballa pointed out. “Surely the action we wish to take against the demon lords is proof enough that I will not allow them to gain control of my kingdom again.”

The governor nodded, conceding the point. “That sounds agreeable as well,” she said, taking down another note. “Any objections, your highness? Sage Aurun?”

“No, Governor.”

“None.”

“Good,” Queen Urballa said. “Which means, as I have expressed previously, I have remained true to the terms of our agreement.”

“That may require a more thorough review, but I am satisfied at the moment,” Governor Vapith agreed.

Queen Urballa smiled pridefully, sitting upright in her chair. “Splendid. In that case, what of my petition for the governorship?”

“There are still other factors to be considered.” The governor passed a set of papers to Princess Zelda, then set another one in front of herself.

Urballa’s expression hardened, clearly becoming somewhat frustrated once again. “I gave you all other pertinent information yesterday . Aside from the issues which we have all agreed are being handled already, the desert and the highlands have been thriving under my administration.”

“That may be true,” Princess Zelda said coldly. “But there is something very important that I wish to know.”

“And what, exactly, is that ?”

“Do you understand the importance of a united Hyrule?” Zelda asked.

Urballa narrowed her eyes, but did not respond immediately.

Elder Kobami scoffed and banged her staff against the ground. “What is this drivel, now?” the witch demanded.

“To be the governor means to be an arm of the Royal Family,” Princess Zelda elaborated. “The Kingdom of Hyrule may be made up of nine different provinces, but it is all one kingdom under one rule. A governor must view their province not as a separate realm, but as a portion of Hyrule that they oversee in the name of the king.”

“We are not entirely convinced you view the Gerudo Province as anything other than the Gerudo Kingdom,” Governor Vapith added.

“It is the Gerudo Kingdom,” Elder Kobami stated firmly. “Urballa is its queen, and one day, Harun shall be its king , with Princess Sabah at his side.”

Sabah flinched at the mention of her name, but she said nothing. Harun considered whether or not to join the debate, but he was conflicted. Gerudo was his home, and his people were so different from the Hylians. It seemed strange to treat Gerudo and Hyrule as one in the same. On the other hand, the Hylian princesses were offering him aid, and despite their differences, he had seen that their peoples could get along.

Are we truly better off remaining one kingdom?

“I have a question about that as well,” Princess Zelda stated.

“About what?” Kobami asked.

The Hylian princess turned to Sabah. “You are betrothed to Prince Harun, correct?”

Sabah’s eyes opened wide at being addressed directly in front of everyone like that. “Um. Y-Yes, I am, your highness.”

“How do you feel about this arrangement?” Zelda inquired.

The Gerudo princess stared at Zelda for a moment, then turned to her mother. Harun could tell Sabah had reservations, but was worried about expressing them. Queen Urballa seemed confused, as if she’d been expecting Sabah to answer the question easily. “Go ahead, my dear,” the queen urged her.

Princess Seraphina scooted her chair closer to Sabah. “It’s okay,” she said with an encouraging smile. “Tell us how you feel.”

“Um… Well,” Sabah began, sitting up straight. “I suppose I don’t… particularly… understand it?”

“What do you mean, your highness?” Elder Kobami asked. “You and the prince are to be married. You shall be his queen.”

“But Gerudo do not marry. Not usually,” Sabah pointed out. “And, well, I know marriage is something Hylians do, and something other peoples do as well. You’re supposed to marry someone who… who…”

“Someone you love!” Seraphina said cheerfully.

“Right,” Sabah said. She turned her head to Harun, looking at him apologetically. “And… Well… I don’t think…”

She did not finish her sentence, but Harun knew what she was saying. In a way, he felt relieved. His arranged marriage with her was something he had never felt comfortable with, but he had never been able to properly express his reservations to Queen Urballa. Perhaps now that Urballa’s daughter was expressing her own concerns, it might be easier to talk her into reconsidering.

“I think we’ve heard enough,” Sage Aurun said. “Queen Urballa, do you truly intend to force your own daughter into a marriage she does not want?”

“The princess is a child,” Elder Kobami interrupted. “She simply doesn’t understand the importance of this tradition. When she is of age--”

“Enough,” Urballa said, holding up her hand for silence. Kobami looked angry, but did as she was commanded. The queen scanned the room silently, paying special attention to her daughter and to Harun. “It has long been the tradition of the Gerudo for the Voe to marry into the royal family,” she explained to everyone. “I have taken it as a given that the same would occur with Prince Harun and my daughter. But…” She gave Harun another appraising look, as if she could tell he was worried about the prospective marriage as well. “It appears the situation is more… complicated than I’d come to understand. Rest assured, no marriage will take place unless both my daughter and the prince consent to it.”

Harun breathed a sigh of relief.

Thank you, my queen.

Strangely, the Hylians at the other end of the table exchanged conspiratorial looks. Governor Vapith even smiled slightly as she noted something down.

What is the meaning of this? Were they hoping to prevent our marriage?

Harun was not sure why the Hylians would even care about such a matter, but it did not concern him either way. He did not want the marriage to take place either, so if the Hylians felt the same way, that would only make things easier for him.

“That’s okay,” Princess Seraphina said, putting her arm around Sabah. “I know lots of boys. You can marry someone from Hyrule!”

Sabah smiled, chuckling lightly. “My thanks, Sera. I shall consider it.”

Princess Zelda cleared her throat. “Splendid. I am pleased to have this matter settled so amicably. However, this does raise an additional question. Queen Urballa, who shall be your successor?”

The Gerudo queen narrowed her eyes. “My successor? Why do you ask?”

“If we are to plan for the future, we must know who is to take your place as king or queen, and possibly governor,” Vapith explained.

Harun was surprised to hear the current governor even mention the possibility of relinquishing her position to someone else. Urballa seemed just as surprised. “I see. Well, it had always been my plan for my daughter and Harun to rule Gerudo together. However, if my daughter is to take no husband, I suppose that will not be the case.”

“That being so, your daughter would be Queen of Gerudo, would she not?” Sage Aurun asked. Although Harun was older than Sabah, he had no blood relation to the queen, so Sabah was technically first in the line of succession.

“Yes, she would be,” Urballa confirmed. “I have been training her to be a wise ruler since she was young. I am certain she shall make a fine queen.”

“Your Grace, this is nonsense,” Elder Kobami said, voicing her complaint. “The Voe must be king. That is the way of the Gerudo.”

“He shall be king if Sabah chooses to marry him,” Urballa reiterated. “Until then, he shall continue to serve the kingdom in whatever capacity he is most suited for. Have you any objections, Prince Harun?”

Thinking about it, Harun figured most people would be upset to have their chance at obtaining the throne pulled out of their grasp so suddenly. However, he had observed his queen for years, and it was clear to him what a terrible burden it was to sit upon that throne. “I do not wish for Princess Sabah to suffer alone with the weight of the kingdom on her shoulders,” he said, “but if she wishes to take it upon herself, she shall have my support.”

Sabah seemed worried by what he had said, but she was not expected to become queen for many years. She was already wise for one so young, so Harun had no doubt she would grow up to be a good ruler.

“Splendid. We are aligned then, for the time being,” Queen Urballa stated. “However, Governor Vapith, if you are speaking of my successor becoming the governor of Gerudo, am I to take that as meaning you are once again rejecting my petition for the governorship?”

Governor Vapith steepled her fingers. “I have reviewed your proposal. Many times. I may be willing to concede to some of your requests, which we shall continue to discuss going forward. But, so long as your inner circle is composed of so many Gerudo separatists,” she said, eying Elder Kobami in particular, “we feel you cannot be trusted to help keep the kingdom unified.”

“That is not fair,” Urballa insisted, raising her voice. “Half of Gerudo holds some measure of Ganonite views. If I were to take only Hylianite advisors, I would deprive too many citizens of a voice in my court.”

“Do not bother, my queen,” Elder Kobami said. “This entire gathering is a meaningless farce. They will never give you any real power so long as you remain under their thumb. A revolution is inevitable, but none of you--”

“That is enough out of you, witch ,” Sage Aurun demanded.

Princess Zelda held up her hand for silence, and the sage complied. “Perhaps we should end here for today. We can discuss Queen Urballa’s proposal in further detail tomorrow, including reexamining the possibility of the governorship if it is deemed a worthy consideration.”


After the Gerudo party left the council chambers to allow the Hylians to discuss matters amongst themselves, Urballa and her retinue were taken to the mess hall for a midday meal. Once they were finished, like the previous day, they were allowed to roam the grounds under the supervision of the Hylian guards.

Harun chose to return to their guest quarters, where he sat and spoke with his own guards in the common area for a while. However, he soon grew weary of their usual attempts to gain favor with him. As expected, his supporters were against the decision for Princess Sabah to be the queen’s heir, saying he should be king instead. None of them seemed to understand his feelings on the matter, and being in the company of Gerudo his own age only caused him to think of Katta once again. So, the Gerudo prince retired to his bed chambers to read.

The sun was much lower in the sky when he heard a knock on his door. “Um, Prince Harun?” came Emri’s voice. “Princess Sabah and Princess Seraphina are here to see you.”

Both princesses?

Harun stood up. “You may send them in.”

“Yes, your highness.”

The door opened. Sabah stood there, with Seraphina beside her and the guards behind them. However, they did not come into the room right away. Instead, the Hylian princess tapped the Gerudo princess on the shoulder, then whispered something into her ear when she bent down. Sabah nodded, standing up straight again, then stepped into Harun’s room.

“I’ll be down the hall, Sabah,” Seraphina said.

“Alright. Thank you, Sera,” Sabah replied.

Seraphina’s bodyguard shut the door as they left. Harun was left confused by that exchange, but now Princess Sabah was alone in the room with him. “Greeting, Princess,” he said to her. Sabah’s gaze was down on the floor. She looked nervous; even guilty. “Sabah?”

“I apologize for what I did today,” the princess said, finally looking him in the eyes. She appeared to be on the verge of tears. “I, I, I was asked some very difficult questions in front of so many important people. I had no choice but to answer with all honesty.”

Harun was confused. She had said many things at the negotiations, but none of them had offended him. “Sabah, what are you saying?”

“I did not mean to call off our wedding so suddenly and so publicly. And I have no desire to usurp your throne,” she confessed. “I am so sorry. Please forgive me.” Pressing her hands together in an apologetic gesture, she closed her eyes as she began to weep.

“Sabah!” Harun embraced her, unsure what else to do. He held her against him as she cried and tried to think of what to say to calm her down. “Sabah, you mustn’t worry,” he told her. “I promise you, I have not taken anything you have said today as a slight against me.”

“How can that be?” Sabah asked, likely assuming he was merely trying to spare her feelings. “Mother has always said you would be king. She has always said I would be your wife. You… You must think…”

“Sabah, please, sit down,” Harun insisted, seeing she was close to crying again. Sniffling, she nodded her head and complied, taking a seat in one of the chairs by the desk while Harun sat down across from her.

To the prince, it was bizarre seeing Sabah like this. She was usually so calm and collected, acting very mature for her age, like a proper lady of the queen’s court. Seeing her cry reminded him that she was truly only twelve years of age, despite what wisdom she had been known to show.

“My princess,” Harun began, trying to sound as formal as possible. “I have always believed that I would be king one day -- by obligation. My mother figures have been telling me from a young age what was to be expected of the Voe, and I have always been prepared to accept that responsibility. But even so, it was not something I desired for my own sake.”

Sabah dried her eyes with a handkerchief. “Is that true, Harun?”

“Yes,” he assured her. “All I’ve ever wanted is to do my duty for my people. If my duty is not to be the king or to be your husband, then, as I said, I am willing to aid you in whatever way I can once you become queen.”

Sabah nodded her head, but she appeared deep in thought, almost hazy as she processed everything. “So… you did not wish to marry me either?”

Harun grimaced, scratching his forehead nervously. “In truth, it is not a concept I fully understand either,” he admitted. “I have read much literature from Hyrule and from the lands to the east. Husbands and wives are often mentioned. It is often the end goal of those who are romantically involved. But we Gerudo do not marry. And…”

“And the only one you’ve been romantically involved with was Katta,” Sabah finished for him.

Harun nodded slowly, feeling the guilt gnawing at him.

“I’m… sorry. About what happened to her,” the princess went on. “I knew you were with her. I never knew what to say about it. I… I felt horrible, knowing I would one day have to take you away from her.”

The prince had not been expecting that. He’d had no idea that she felt that way, and from the sound of it, she had been silent on the matter of their marriage for as long as he had been. “None of this was your fault,” he assured her. “And it does not matter that we are not to be married. You have helped me in so many ways. You talked sense into me after what I was forced to do to Lady Averla. And for as long as you have been alive, you have been a part of my family.”

Sabah looked touched. She stared at him for a moment, then smiled. “Yes,” she said, a bit of happiness returning to her at last. “This… I think it is better this way.”

They sat in silence for a brief moment, both clearly relieved that their arranged marriage had been called off at last. Sabah stood up, and Harun assumed she meant to leave, so he stood to walk her out. But first, she embraced him once more. “Thank you, Harun.”

“And thank you, Sabah.”

She let go of him and headed for the door. “I will speak to Mother and make sure she is clear on the matter,” she said. “And I will see you at dinner.”

“Of course. Enjoy your time with Princess Seraphina,” Harun said before she left.

Finding himself once again alone in his quarters, Harun lay down on the bed. He felt exhausted, but content. With so many things having gone wrong in his life lately, he was glad to finally have a stroke of good fortune.

Perhaps the gods smile upon me after all.


The next morning, Harun decided to visit the gate that led from Taafei out into the Gerudo Desert. He was curious what the view was like from atop it. His elders had told him many stories about King Ganondorf. According to legend, he had been staring out across the desolate landscape when he had his grand revelation that led to his desire to conquer Hyrule. That would have been back before his first failed rebellion, so perhaps he had been somewhat premature.

As the prince stood atop the highest tower, the view was certainly expansive. But, as expected, there was not much to see. The desert was truly a wasteland, with the only habitable places in view being Kara Kara and a barely visible Naboris in the distance. With the sun beating down on him, he could imagine how difficult life must be for the nomads wandering the desert. No rain, no crops, frequent storms, and an abundance of monsters. Hyrule had to have been better, because it certainly couldn’t be worse.

How do you feel, Elder One? Was this your line of thinking two hundred years ago?

Harun closed his eyes, attempting to commune with the spirit of Ganondorf. He felt nothing for a moment, so he tried some of the meditation techniques Sage Nashorla had taught him. He steadied his breathing and pushed his idle thoughts to the back of his mind, trying to picture the man he wished to speak with. Soon, he could feel that familiar surge of power growing within him.

When he opened his eyes, he looked around. He was in the same place, but something was different. The Hylians that had been patrolling the walls were gone, and in their place, there were Gerudo women wielding glaives and wearing rather old-fashioned violet uniforms.

“Look, my lord. Look and see,” said a voice from beside him. Floating over the edge of the tower atop a broomstick was the flaming-haired sorceress, Koume. “A burning wind punishes our lands, searing the world.”

“And when the moon climbs into the dark of night, a frigid gale pierces our homes,” came a voice from his other side. The nearly identical ice sorceress Kotake continued what her sister had been saying. “The people of Hyrule do not suffer as we do.”

“They live amongst lush, green lands.”

“Lands bountiful with crops.”

“They live amongst flowing rivers.”

“And sparkling lakes.”

“The gods bless them with wealth and fortune.”

“While not allowing us to even bear sons.”

After switching off numerous times, they both spoke in unison. “My lord, how long must this go on?”

“Hmm…” Harun leaned onto the parapet, musing at the twins’ words. “How long indeed…”

“Your highness.”

Harun felt himself being pulled back to reality. He stepped away from the edge of the tower, and saw that the witches were gone. Instead, there was an armored Hylian woman standing atop the tower with him. “An alarm was sounded at the fortress,” Knight Commander Moza told him.

The prince could hear loud bells sounding in the distance, but he could not focus on them right away. Instead, he stared at Dame Moza. He did not understand why, but he felt a strong, seething hatred for her at that moment. He clenched his jaw and took a step away from her, worried he would strike her if he didn’t restrain himself.

Dammit, Elder One. She is not my enemy.

“Your highness?” Dame Moza asked, sounding confused by his odd behavior.

Harun shook his head, trying to overcome the irrational hatred for the Hylians that Ganondorf was infecting him with. That was when the sound of the bells finally sunk in. “Alarm?” he asked, looking down at the short woman. “What is wrong? Has something happened?” he asked worriedly.

“I do not know, your highness,” Moza replied. “But it would be best if you returned to the fortress with me immediately.”

You do not command me, Hylian.

“Of course,” Harun replied, fighting his inner voice.

Together, they climbed down the ladder. Harun’s guards and a group of Hylian guards were waiting for them at the bottom. With Dame Moza leading the way, they all hurried up the road leading back to the fortress of Taafei.

Harun was expecting a monster attack, or perhaps a fire. However, as they approached the main fortress complex, he saw only humans fighting. On several levels, there were Gerudo clashing weapons with Hylians, and the ground floor was already littered with the fallen.

“What is the meaning of this?!” Harun demanded. His guards fell in around him, readying their spears as if preparing for their Hylian escorts to attack them.

The Hylians drew their swords as well, but Dame Moza held up her hand. “Halt! Stand down, soldiers,” she ordered her own guards. “Your highness,” she said, addressing Harun. “I have no idea what is going on in the fortress, but I recommend we return to the guest quarters until--”

“Are you mad?” Harun gestured to the ongoing battle up ahead. “I will not be stashed away while my people are being slaughtered.”

“From where I’m standing, it looks as though your queen is attempting a coup,” Dame Moza replied. “If you truly had no prior knowledge of this, it would be best if we kept you somewhere safe so you do not end up punished for another’s crimes.”

“You do not speak of my queen like that!” Harun shouted. “Guards, follow me. We’re going to find Urballa and get to the bottom of this.”

“Yes, my prince.” Many of the Gerudo voiced their agreement as they began moving towards the fortress again.

“Prince Harun, please!” Dame Moza followed, leading her troops with her. “This area is not safe. We cannot--”

Harun glimpsed an arrow flying over his head, and heard the guttural sounds Dame Moza made when it hit her. He stopped and turned around, looking on in horror as she fell to her knees, blood flowing from her neck where the arrow had pierced her. The Hylian guards rushed to her aid, trying to keep her steady.

Oh gods, no.

Turning back around, he saw several Gerudo with bows higher up on the walls, but he could not tell which of them had taken the shot. “Stop!” he shouted up to them, hoping the shooter would listen. “In the name of your prince, cease your attack!”

“You bastards !” one of Moza’s soldiers cried. Before Harun could react, the man ran towards them with his sword drawn, only to end up impaled by Laine’s spear.

“No! Don’t !” Harun ordered, but it was too late. The rest of the Hylians joined in, and the prince’s guards had no choice but to retaliate. Harun stepped backward, watching powerlessly as they killed each other in front of his eyes.

The fight was over quickly. The Hylians had the advantage of numbers, but each Gerudo was much larger and more formidable. In the end, Kyra, Emrie, Laine, and two more of his guards remained, while several had fallen along with the Hylians.

“Prince Harun,” Emri said hurriedly as she came to his side. “Are you hurt?”

“No,” he said, shaking his head. He stared at the bodies of the Hylians, unable to process the fact that they had not been his enemies just moments ago. The spirit of Ganondorf had certainly wanted them dead, but Harun had not.

They were merely soldiers doing their duty. They did not deserve to die.

“What are your orders, your highness?” Kyra asked.

Harun stood still for a moment, trying to clear his head. “We… We press on. Find Queen Urballa and discover the cause of this conflict.” He turned to move, then stopped. “But do not engage the Hylians,” he ordered. “Fight only if we are attacked.”

“Yes, my prince.”

The six of them continued into the fortress. In the entrance hall, they found the aftermath of a battle, with both Hylian and Gerudo corpses strewn about. However, up the stairs, they found a contingent of Gerudo troops keeping watch over the area, which meant the Gerudo had been the victors of this particular fight.

“Prince Harun.” The leader of the troops, an Iron Knuckle, removed her helmet when she saw the prince. “Thank Nephysis you are safe.”

“What the hell is happening?” Harun demanded. “Why has Taafei become a warzone?” The Iron Knuckle looked surprised, but her expression quickly became crestfallen. “What is it?” Harun asked.

“Prince Harun… Princess Sabah is dead.”

“...What?”

Impossible.

“How? When?” Harun asked, his breathing becoming rapid as panic set in.

“She was found in her bed. Her throat had been cut,” the Iron Knuckle explained.

“What?” Harun took a step back, suddenly losing his balance. Kyra and Emri caught him in their arms and tried to steady him.

What is happening? This is madness! Everything was going so well…

“My prince, perhaps you should lie down,” Laine suggested.

“No.” Harun shook his head in refusal. “Where is the queen?” he asked the Iron Knuckle.

“She is taking the main force to the governor’s throne room,” she replied.

Without another word, Harun rushed past her.

Luckily, the way to the throne room was mostly a straight path, although they had to climb some stairs and double back. They only encountered one other group of soldiers, but they were Gerudo as well, and Harun was able to pass by them without having to explain himself. Along the way, he racked his brain trying to figure out what was happening.

Why would the Hylians kill Sabah? They had no reason to. But who else would?

He briefly considered the possibility of monsters, but they were not known for their stealth, and even if they were, that wouldn’t explain why Sabah had been targeted.

A threat? To Urballa? But why?

When he and his guards arrived in the throne room, Harun saw the doors had been knocked down. There were some Gerudo soldiers standing outside, but they did not attempt to stop him as he entered.

“Why? Why did you do it? I demand to know!” Queen Urballa shouted. She was standing in the center of the room, with a veritable army a few meters behind her.

Harun forced his way through the crowd so he could have a view. Elder Kobami stood at the front of the crowd, grinning with wicked glee at the events unfolding. Off to the right side of the room, Governor Vapith was being held captive, forced to kneel while soldiers gripped her shoulders. Commander Bularis stood next to her, holding her battleaxe above the captive like an executioner waiting for the signal. Up the short set of stairs on the other end of the room, Princess Zelda stood in front of the governor’s throne. She had her own army of Hylians with her, along with her Sheikah bodyguard and the Sage of Light.

“You’re making a mistake,” Princess Zelda spoke plainly, looking down at Urballa with her cold, steely eyes. “If Princess Sabah was killed, it was not by my command, nor those of Governor Vapith.”

You lie !” Urballa raised her hand and pointed an accusatory finger at the Hylian princess. “That’s all you’ve done since the moment you summoned me here. You never had any intention of heeding my request. Your only goal was to set an example. To keep me in line. You made me name my heir so you could take her from me -- to let me know you could do the same to me whenever you wished!”

“That is quite enough,” Princess Zelda told her. “I assure you, your daughter’s death shall be thoroughly investigated and the culprit will be summarily punished. But before that, you will release Governor Vapith and tell your women to stand down. Now .”

“My queen, please do as she says,” Harun pleaded, wishing to prevent further bloodshed. He was completely clueless as to whether or not the Hylian princess was lying, but if they killed her now, perhaps they would never learn the truth.

“Do not listen to him, my queen,” Elder Kobami said, stepping closer to Urballa. “We control the fortress now. This is your kingdom once again, and no one orders you to do anything.”

“Tell me who killed her,” Urballa demanded. “Was it your Sheikah snake? Who gave the order? Was it you, or Vapith? Tell me now, or I shall have both your heads!”

Zelda’s Sheikah bodyguard attempted to step in front of her, but the princess waved her off. “Make no attempt to harm me or my governor,” Zelda ordered. “Release Vapith at once. Touching even a single hair on her head would be an act of war.”

Elder Kobami smiled. “ Good .” She stepped closer to Urballa again, hobbling with her walking stick. “It is as I have always told you, my queen. War is upon us. We cannot delay it any longer.”

Queen Urballa narrowed her eyes, not taking them off of Zelda for a second. “You’re right,” she declared. Turning her gaze to Bularis, Urballa raised her sword arm, then swiftly brought it downwards in a chopping motion.

No !” Vapith shouted as her captors roughly shoved her, forcing her to bend forward. Before anyone else had the chance to object, Bularis swung her axe, chopping the governor’s head clean off.

Princess Zelda was the first to react. She drew her rapier, and a second one rose into the air, hovering beside her. With lightning speed, she glided across the room towards Queen Urballa. The Gerudo Queen drew her own shield and scimitar, which crackled with lightning as she raised the weapon in front of her. The sound and force of their swords clashing hit the room like a shockwave, instantly informing them all that it was time for battle.

Attack !” Elder Kobami ordered.

Defend the princess !” Impa shouted, already rushing forward to join Zelda in combat.

While Urballa and Zelda continued to battle in the center of the throne room, the Gerudo and Hylian forces circled around them and clashed with one another in a flurry of swords and spears. Just as it had been with the fight against Dame Moza’s guards, the battle was size versus numbers, with the Hylians outnumbering the Gerudo at least two to one. However, these Hylians all appeared to be well-trained, well-armed, veteran knights in the Hylian crown princess’s honor guard, so they were not to be underestimated despite their short stature.

Commander Bularis and a couple of her Iron Knuckles cleaved their way through the enemy forces, swinging their colossal axes at anyone in their path. Princess Zelda’s Sheikah bodyguard proved to be an impossibly agile fighter, dodging every blow aimed at her while cutting down women nearly twice her size with her oddly-shaped spear. Elder Kobami took to the air, striking down Hylians with bolts of lightning and blasts of fire. Sage Aurun stood in the back of the room, summoning shields of light to block Kobami’s magic or rapidly heal his wounded allies.

At first, Harun simply stood back and watched, unable to decide what to do. But, as the fight proceeded in front of him, his mind became clouded. The Taafei fortress throne room disappeared from view, replaced with visions of other battles he had never witnessed. He saw Hylians and Gerudo fighting in Gerudo Valley and at the Arbiter’s Grounds, the forces of Twilight tearing down the gates of Hyrule Castle and slaughtering the Hylians within, and a group of Hylians led by a young Hylian man clad in green retaking the castle from an army of monsters.

Nothing has changed. Nothing ever changes.

“Harun! Harun! Prince Harun!”

When the scene shifted back to the present, Harun found himself on his knees with his hands to his head. The battle was still ongoing, and Emri was kneeling beside him, shaking him as she tried to snap him out of it.

“What’s wrong with him?” Kyra asked, standing over the two of them.

“Nothing,” Harun said, moving to stand up. Kyra and Laine each grabbed one of his arms and helped him to his feet.

“Your highness, you are in no condition to fight. We must get you somewhere safe at once,” Laine suggested.

“No!” Harun refused, shaking his head. However, he still had no idea what he wanted to do. He did not wish to fight the Hylians, but his people were dying. He couldn’t just stand there and do nothing.

If only Sabah could…

As he thought about the princess, his mind drifted to Sabah’s friend, the younger Hylian princess. She was not in the throne room with her sister, and from what Harun had seen, the entire fortress had become a warzone.

She is only a child, even younger than Sabah.

“Fine,” Harun said to his guards. “We are leaving.”

“We’ll escort you back to your quarters,” Laine said as they led him through the entryway to exit the throne room.

“No,” Harun refused. “We are not going to our guest quarters. We are going to the Hylians’ guest quarters.”

“What? Why are we going there?” Kyra asked.

“Princess Seraphina,” Harun said simply, unsure if he should express his desire to keep an enemy safe.

However, from the look in Emri’s eyes, she seemed to understand him. “Yes,” she said, smiling weakly. “Good idea, my prince. I believe she and her sister were being housed in the east end of the fortress, one floor down.”

“Then that’s where we’re headed,” Harun declared, hoping she would still be there and that she had managed to remain safe throughout the chaos.

He and his guards ran back down the stairs, then turned down the hall and entered the dormitories. They passed by several open bedroom doors, many of which revealed knocked over furniture and other signs of struggle. Harun was beginning to fear for the worst when he turned another corner. There was a hallway with a line of closed wooden doors. Several Gerudo were standing guard in the area, as if to keep watch over the rooms.

“Prince Harun,” one of the guards said when he approached. “What news of the battle?”

Harun did not answer her. “What are you all doing here?” he asked.

“Us?” the soldier asked. “We’re keeping watch over the prisoners, your highness. Those were our orders.”

“What prisoners?”

“The younger princess. And some diplomats, and a priestess. We have them here in these rooms.”

“Which room is the princess in?”

“That one,” the soldier replied, pointing to the door with two guards standing in front of it. “But be careful, my lord. Her bodyguard is in there with her, and she is still armed. They locked themselves in there to escape the battle. We are merely making sure they do not back come out.”

Harun thought for a moment, then decided this would be easier without any other Gerudo around. “Are you in charge here?” he asked the woman who was speaking with him.

“I am, your highness. In the absence of my captain.”

“Take your troops and head to the throne room immediately,” Harun ordered. “The queen is doing battle with Princess Zelda as we speak. We need backup.”

The soldier looked conflicted, glancing over her shoulder at the locked doors. “But, your highness, what about the prisoners?”

“They will mean nothing if the queen falls,” Harun replied quickly. “Now move!”

“Yes, my prince.” The soldier turned and called to her troops, ordering them to follow her. Harun watched as she led them back the way he had come until they were out of sight.

“What are we doing?” Kyra asked. “If we needed more troops, we could have found some who weren’t busy.”

Harun did not answer. “Wait here,” he ordered his three guards, then walked over to the door which supposedly had the younger Hylian princess behind it. Hoping not to startle them, he knocked on the door three times. “Princess Seraphina?”

“Begone!” came the voice of Dame Jeanne. “If you come through that door, I promise you, I will cut you down!”

Harun tried the handle, but it was locked from the inside. “Dame Jeanne, it is I, Harun,” he said, speaking loudly in hopes that she would hear him clearly. “I mean you no harm. If Princess Seraphina is to make it safely out of Taafei, it must be done now while the battle is elsewhere.”

“It’s Harun,” came Seraphina’s voice. “Is Sabah with him?”

“Shh. Hush, child. Wait here.” A moment later, the door opened a crack and the white helmet of Dame Jeanne poked through. “What is the meaning of this?” the knight demanded. “Are you in some way responsible for this treachery?”

They do not know what has happened either.

Harun shook his head. “There’s no time to explain,” he insisted. “Please. This area is dangerous. It is no place for a child. You must get Seraphina out of here while you still can.”

Dame Jeanne looked at him skeptically, then spotted his guards. “Stand over there with them. Do not come any closer.”

Harun nodded and backed up, returning to his guards. Jeanne cautiously crept outside of the room and looked around once more. She had one of those Hylian light magic barriers surrounding her, as if expecting an ambush. When she was apparently satisfied, she looked over her shoulder and waved to Seraphina. “Come, child. Hurry now.” The young princess ran over and grabbed onto her, hugging her close. Jeanne put one arm around her, still holding her halberd with the other hand. “Attention, my people,” she called out. “The Gerudo are releasing us. Please step outside and join me.”

Slowly, the other prisoners’ doors began to open. Frightened Hylian civilians stepped out into the hall, gathering around Seraphina’s bodyguard.

“Dame knight, what are we going to do?”

“Are we safe?”

“What the hell is going on?”

“There is no time,” Dame Jeanne said hurriedly. “Follow me. We are leaving. We’ll get out through one of the secret exits. This way.” Pointing with her halberd, she began herding her allies down the hall. Before she left, she turned to Harun. “Thank you, Prince Harun. You are a man of honor.”

Harun did not know how to respond to that, so he simply nodded. “I wish you luck. Keep your princess safe.”

“Bye, Harun,” Seraphina said, waving to him with a worried look on her face. “Tell Sabah I’ll see her again next time.”

Harun felt his heart sink, but he did his best not to let any emotion show on his face. “Goodbye, Princess.” He stood and watched them leave, waiting until they were out of sight before addressing his guards. “Never speak of this to anyone,” he quietly ordered. “Not even the queen.” The words felt treasonous before he’d even said them, but he had no choice. Thankfully, all three of these women were unnaturally loyal to him, so they all nodded their agreement.

“Yes, my prince.”

“Aye. Whatever you say, Harun.”

“I will not. You have my word.”

Harun put his hand to his chin contemplatively as he tried to figure out what to do next. He couldn’t put a stop to the battle in the throne room, but perhaps there were smaller battles throughout the complex that he could break up, or other civilians he could rescue. With any luck, the bloodshed could be minimized, which may make a ceasefire easier to negotiate later.

“What now, my prince?” Laine asked.

“Follow me,” Harun ordered. “I have work to do.”


Harun dreaded returning to the throne room, knowing what would come next, but he couldn’t avoid it forever. After what had transpired, they were at war with Hyrule, the only superpower on the continent. The path forward would not be an easy one, especially since he knew the others would never accept surrender as an option. However, there was a silver lining to the situation. At least Queen Urballa was still alive. That also meant her forces had won the battle, which meant many more had survived with her.

Much of the throne room still lay in ruin. The doors, many of the benches, the tapestries, parts of the wall and ceiling -- pretty much everything had been destroyed in the battle. However, Queen Urballa sat upon the governor’s throne all the same. Although, Harun supposed it was no longer the governor’s throne. It was the queen’s throne now. Despite it being much more modest than her own throne back in Naboris, it carried with it a much greater meaning.

“Prince Harun,” Urballa called down to him when he entered through the open doorway. “I am relieved to find you in good health. Please, join me,” she said invitingly, gesturing to the smaller throne to her right.

“Thank you, my queen,” Harun replied with a bow. “I, too, am glad to see you.” As he climbed the steps, he saw Elder Kobami and Commander Bularis had also lived. They stood by her throne, along with several of her guards. When Harun took his seat, he looked down at the queen’s other surviving advisors and generals who had been gathered among the rubble in the gallery. Their presence meant that Urballa wished to discuss matters before making an official proclamation to the people. Whatever happened now would determine the course of Gerudo history for the foreseeable future.

She is angry, but she can be reasoned with. I must not allow her to go down the same path as Ganondorf.

“My people,” Urballa said, speaking so her voice carried across the desolated room. “A grave tragedy has befallen us. My only daughter, Sabah, a girl of a mere twelve years, was murdered in her sleep last night.” There were gasps and murmurs amongst the room from those who, amidst the chaos, had been left unaware of the reason behind the recent battle. “In retaliation for this most heinous of crimes, Tauma Vapith, former Lady of Taafei and former Governor of Gerudo, has been executed. I now claim her throne by all natural rights. This fortress, our people’s ancestral seat of power, is ours once again.” Those in the gallery cheered, thrilled by this news. If there were any Hylianites among them, they did not show it, or perhaps their belief that the Hylians had murdered the young princess had swayed their opinions.

“I will send a message to the Sage of Spirit,” Queen Urballa continued. “I wish for her to perform the sending ceremony for my daughter and all the others who have fallen. We are to stay here and hold this fortress until this is done. In the meantime, we must prepare for the future. I will now hear your thoughts on how to deal with the Kingdom of Hyrule going forward.”

This is it.

“What of Princess Zelda?” Harun asked, wishing to gather information about their situation. “Was she defeated in the battle?” He had not been present for the conclusion of the conflict in the throne room, and he was unaware of whether or not the crown princess had been killed or captured.

“She retreated,” Commander Bularis answered. “Once it became clear to them that they were fighting a losing battle, both the princess and the sage fled.”

“And what of the younger princess?” Elder Kobami asked. Harun did not like her tone. He got the feeling she was going to suggest they execute Seraphina in retaliation for Sabah’s death.

Thank the gods I got her out of here safely.

“She was being held, but we lost track of her during the battle. She likely escaped with her sister,” one of the generals in the gallery explained.

“A pity,” Kobami said, disappointment clear in her voice. “She would have made a useful hostage.”

“Perhaps,” Urballa said, seemingly perturbed by the witch’s words. “However, before deciding what to do with our prisoners, we must decide on what is to be done with our territory. Am I to be Queen of the Gerudo Kingdom, or Governor of the Gerudo Province?”

“How could that possibly still be in question?” Elder Kobami asked with venom in her voice. “After what those monsters did to your own daughter, are you truly willing to bow to them once again?”

“Here, here!” Several of the others expressed their agreement with the elder’s line of thinking.

“We do not yet know who the culprit is,” Harun reminded everyone. “It would be a hasty decision to act on this matter before we have all the facts.”

“Nonsense,” Kobami argued. “What difference does it make who held the knife? Or whether it was the princess, the governor, or the sage who gave the order? The Hylians killed her one way or the other.” Harun believed the answers to those questions mattered greatly, but it was clear from the clapping and the voices of agreement that he was in the minority opinion.

Queen Urballa sat with her eyes closed while she considered things for a moment. She took a deep breath, opened her eyes, and gazed across the throne room. “The wise Elder Kobami speaks the truth,” she conceded. “Infanticide cannot be tolerated, and I cannot allow my people to live under the rule of a kingdom that would allow for an injustice such as this to take place.”

A darkly satisfied smile spread across Elder Kobami’s face. “Good, my queen. Justice at last.”

“Send a message to every city and every known nomad settlement throughout the desert and the highlands,” Queen Urballa continued. “Tell them what has transpired here today. I want every last warrior that can be spared to assemble here in Taafei. I will send my declaration of independence to the King of Hyrule and demand that he pull his forces out of my kingdom. The day after my daughter is laid to rest, our armies will begin our march through Gerudo Canyon. Our lands shall be ours once again, and we shall have our freedom at last.”

As the crowd cheered, Harun felt woozy. A deep-voiced laughter echoed in his head, slowly drowning out the noise in the throne room until it was all he could hear.

Nothing ever changes.

Notes:

I am posting this chapter on February 19, 2022. This marks the one-year anniversary of when I first began posting this story. I know there still aren’t that many people reading it, but thanks for sticking around this long, and I hope you’ve been enjoying the story so far!

-Gojaimas

Chapter 28: Link IX

Chapter Text

“The Gorons built these mines, right?” Link asked as they wandered through the tunnel. “Not the Lizalfos?”

“I think that’s what they said,” his sister replied. “Why?”

“I was just gonna say, these look a lot like the mines we were in before. Plus, I doubt monsters could build something as elaborate as this.”

“You’d be surprised, Brother.” Linkle tapped a support beam with the blade of her sword. “I’ve heard some monsters build huge fortresses, dungeons, towers, and labyrinths. The Outer Continent is supposedly full of them.”

“The Outer Continent is supposedly full of a lot of nonsense that doesn’t actually exist,” Link stated. “Like human-monster hybrids, demonic fairies, and your sense of modesty.”

“Hey!”

“Shh!” Gaile shushed them suddenly.

At first, Link thought she was just annoyed by their bickering, but he realized she was trying to listen for something. “What is it? What do you hear?” Link asked in a whisper.

“Voices,” the priestess whispered back. “Listen.”

The three of them were silent for a moment. After a few seconds, Link could hear what sounded like shouting, but it was very far away.

“Maybe it’s the others,” Linkle said hopefully.

Link drew his sword, knowing to be cautious regardless of who it was. “Let’s go see.”

As they continued through the mine, following the sound of the voices, the tunnel eventually diverged into two pathways. “Which way is it coming from?” Gaile asked.

“...Right,” Linkle declared, immediately starting down the indicated path. Link wasn’t entirely sure she wasn’t just guessing randomly, but he still followed her. Regardless, she seemed to have been correct anyway, because before long, they could hear the voices much clearer.

“Which way? Which way?” came a frantic voice from down the tunnel.

“Uh, uh, this one!” There was a second voice. Both the unseen individuals sounded like they were lost, stumbling through the darkness of the mine.

“Hello?” Linkle called out, cupping her hand around her mouth.

“Shh!” Link shushed her. He could tell the voices were not those of Gaile’s companions, so he wanted to be cautious.

“Who’s that?” the voice in the tunnel asked.

“Don’t know. It came from this way.”

Link crept forward, shield at the ready, gesturing for Linkle and Gaile to stay behind him. They came to another fork in the tunnel, with one path continuing straight and the other going to the left. Suddenly, three Hylians appeared from the left path, running so fast that one of them slammed into the wall of the cave.

“Hey!” Link shouted reflexively, readying his weapon.

The three Hylians shielded their eyes from the bright lights of the torch and of Gaile’s magic staff. One of them, a young knight in shiny armor, stepped closer. Link recognized him. When the man got a good look at Link and his companions, he frowned. “By the gods, it’s you people again!” he proclaimed, pointing to Link and Linkle with his sword. “Why must I continue to suffer the presence of this cowardly knave and this ungrateful lady?”

“Ugh, this fucking guy…” Link and Linkle groaned in unison, which drew a surprised look from Gaile.

“Begone with you,” commanded the adventurer, whose name Link remembered was Dayto. “We seek the dragon that befouls this land. It is not for the likes of you.”

“Well, the dragon ain’t this way,” Linkle said, gesturing over her shoulder.

“I told you we were going the wrong way,” one of Dayto’s companions complained to him.

“Silence, fool!” Turning around, Dayto pointed straight down the tunnel with his weapon. “ Clearly we are meant to be going in that direction.”

“Clearly,” Link repeated dryly. “Tell you what -- We’re already going that way, so why don’t you just go back that way?” Link suggested, telling them to go back down the tunnel they had just come out of.

“Never!” Dayto refused. “This wretched place is a labyrinth. We must try another route.”

“Then perhaps we should all go together?” Gaile suggested diplomatically.

No. ” Link and Linkle once again spoke in unison, causing the priestess to flinch.

“Well, uh…” One of Dayto’s companions spoke up. “Maybe we should…” He trailed off as a repetitive noise appeared to catch his attention. Link could hear it as well. There was a sound like metal scraping against stone echoing down the tunnel, coming from the way they had been planning to go.

“What is that?” one of the adventurers asked.

The six of them crept forward, with the light from the torch and the priestess’s staff revealing more and more of the mineshaft as they went on. Suddenly, they all stopped. It was tough to make out at first, but there was a tall, wide, imposing figure just beginning to become visible. It stopped as well, as if noticing them at the same time they noticed it.

“...Hello?” Linkle called out to the figure.

Whatever it was, it took another step forward, then another, the scraping sound continuing. As it stepped into the light, Link could tell what it was now. Like the one they had encountered in the Goron vault in the previous mine, the figure was a heavily armored Martelfos. The scraping sound was coming from the gigantic, dark iron warhammer the monster was dragging along with it. There were several gasps of surprise and yelps of sudden terror as the Hylians realized what they were dealing with.

“Fuck, get back, get back!” Link held his arms out and backed up, forcing everyone else along with him.

The Martelfos hissed and hefted its hammer into the air, the feathers on its helmet billowing as it did. Taking two massive steps forward, it swung its weapon downward. The Hylians shrieked in alarm, but the strike missed them, hitting the ground instead. The force of the blow kicked up small rocks from the ground, sending them flying.

Link glanced in every direction, trying to think through his panic. He spotted the tunnel Dayto and his party had come from, noting how much more narrow it was.

Perhaps we could trap the monster in there somehow.

“This way!” Link shouted, pushing and shoving to herd everyone towards the path he wanted. “Down the tunnel! Now !”

The other Hylians complied, taking off running as the Martelfos readied for another attack.

“But, Brother,” Linkle began while he pushed her down the path. “Shouldn’t we fight--?”

Later, ” he insisted. One did not need to be a blacksmith to know their weapons were pretty much useless against an opponent with armor that heavy, even if they tried to go for its supposed weak points.

Link heard the clanking armor and the heavy footsteps behind them speed up. The monster was beginning to charge. “Move, move, move!” Link called out.

“Who decided you were to be the one giving orders?” Dayto asked angrily as the others shoved him along.

“Shut it,” Link replied.

“It’s getting closer!” Gaile pointed out worriedly.

Looking over his shoulder, Link could tell she was right. The Martelfos was catching up to them, and fast.

“Brother, look!” Linkle pointed up ahead. “There’s another split!”

“That way, that way!” Link directed.

Linkle, Gaile, and Dayto’s companions turned and ran down the side passageway. However, as Link followed them, Dayto stopped at the fork, turning to face the charging monster. “Enough of this,” Dayto declared. “Let us stand and-- Augh! Hey!” Link grabbed the adventurer’s shoulder and pulled him down the tunnel with him just before the Martelfos arrived, barreling past them like a boulder. Link and Dayto lost their balance, falling over onto the hard stone ground.

“You imbecile ,” Dayto said in annoyance as he stood up and dusted himself off.

“Imbecile?” Link asked, climbing to his feet. “Are you mad, man?”

“Brother?” Linkle’s voice came from further down the passageway. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing! We’ll be right there!” Link grabbed Dayto by the shoulder again, but the adventurer quickly shook him off.

“Unhand me, craven!” he demanded. “You can turn tail and run, but I will slay this monster in the name of making this land safe.”

“Come off it, you loon,” Link said in disgust. “You can’t kill that thing and you know it.”

“I know nothing of the sort!” Dayto readied his sword and walked around the corner, off to hunt the beast.

“No! You idiot!” Link followed the other adventurer down the other tunnel, lighting another torch now that his sister and Gaile were too far away. Once it was lit, he could see the Martelfos had stopped a few meters down the mineshaft, and Dayto was rapidly approaching it. “Oi! Oi, stop!”

Ki-yahh !” Dayto yelled, charging at the monster and thrusting his sword into its back. Link could hear the sound of the impact, and he could tell the man’s weapon had done little to pierce the monster’s armor. Dayto stepped back as Link caught up with him, watching in astonishment while the Martelfos turned to face him. “...Um.”

The monster swung its hammer.

“Watch out!” Link grabbed Dayto and pulled him to the side, down another tunnel. They once again fell to the ground, and as they hurriedly scrambled to their feet, the Martelfos attacked again. Both of them managed to dodge out of the way, but the massive hammer hit a support beam. A rumbling sound could be heard all around them, and Link knew something bad was about to happen. “Run!” he shouted.

He and Dayto ran deeper into the tunnel as it began caving in behind them. They kept running until they could no longer hear the sounds of falling rock and snapping beams. When they finally stopped, they were completely out of breath. Link lit another torch, having dropped the other one when he tackled Dayto. “Oh, fuck…” he swore under his breath, walking back a couple of meters to inspect the rubble. The way back was now completely inaccessible, blocked off by no doubt hundreds of tons of rock. “You idiot ,” Link said scathingly.

Dayto glared at him. “That wasn’t my fault,” he argued.

“Not your fault? Not your fault ?” Link kicked the pile of rubble in frustration. “Well whose fault was it , then?”

“That hideous monster caved in the tunnel, not me!” Dayto proclaimed. “And who asked you to follow me?”

Link stared at him in disbelief. “I just saved your life. Twice . And now what? Now my sister is on the other side of that pile of rubble with a damned giant lizard monster, and I’m not there to help her because I’m trapped over here with you . All because you couldn’t fucking run away from a fight you had no chance of winning.” He emphasized his point with a shove to the other adventurer’s chest, knocking him against the wall.

Dayto did not respond for a moment. Both he and Link were still out of breath, so the only sounds filling the tunnel were their panting and the crackling of Link’s torch.

“I… apologize.” Dayto averted his gaze in embarrassment as he spoke. “I was merely attempting to do what the Hero would have done.”

“Yeah, well, I doubt the Heroes lived long enough to get famous by pulling boneheaded stunts like that,” Link replied, feeling like he was scolding a worse version of his sister. He was about to insult the other adventurer again, but he noticed the look of shame on his face. Link sighed.

Yelling at him isn’t going to get us out of here.

“Whatever,” he said, adjusting his sword belt with one hand while keeping the torch aloft with the other. “No sense waiting around here. Let’s see if we can find another way back.”


“From what province do you hail?” Dayto asked after walking in silence for some time.

Link didn’t really feel like talking to this man, but he decided to answer anyway. “Necluda,” he said. “Me and my sister are from just outside of Hateno.”

“I see,” Dayto said, catching up to Link and walking beside him. “Are you acquainted with the late queen’s sister?”

Link looked at the other adventurer as if he’d asked something ridiculous. “Never met her. Why would I have?”

“Is it not customary to swear fealty to your liege-lady in person?” Dayto asked. “Or was it your father who upheld those duties?”

“My dad’s dead,” Link answered, mildly irritated. “And we weren’t exactly a knightly family.” He looked Dayto up and down, examining his armor. “Guessing yours is?”

“Indeed,” the other Hylian replied, a look of smug pride befalling his face. “My father is in service to House Stylas of Faron.”

“Hm.” Link grunted in response.

Of course this twit is a noble.

Coming to a fork in the tunnel, Link held his torch towards both paths. One was caved in, while the other was clear. “Guess we’re goin’ this way,” he said, heading down the open tunnel.

“You said your companion was your sister?” Dayto asked.

Link sighed, realizing the questions would continue. “Yeah. Why?”

“Is she promised to anyone?”

“Fuck off.”

Dayto flinched in surprise, falling behind as Link continued walking. However, he quickly caught back up and continued speaking. “What of the priestess?”

“She’s a priestess.

“She has taken her vows, then?”

“Hell if I know. I just met her the other day.”

“Truly?” Dayto asked. “I see. I was under the impression that you and your party had been traveling together for some time.”

Link shook his head. “My sister and I only just left home earlier this month. We met the others in the hot springs on the way up the mountain.”

“You… You saw those ladies in the hot springs?” The look on Dayto’s face was one of wonder and curiosity.

Link rolled his eyes. “We’re trapped in a dragon’s den, and this is where your mind is at?”

“I, well, no ,” Dayto insisted, stumbling through his words. “I am merely troubled by the thought of you besmirching their honor by seeing them in such a state.”

“Yeah, well, last time you tried to ‘defend a lady’s honor,’ you got stabbed in the shoulder,” Link stated dryly.

“By you ,” Dayto pointed out. “And I would have won our duel had you fought with honor.”

Link groaned. “What is it with you and honor?”

“What in Hylia’s name do you mean?” Dayto asked, as if Link had said something appalling. “It’s--”

“Wait. Shut up.” Link held his hand out for silence. They had reached the end of the tunnel, but when Link stepped through the archway, he did not find himself back outside. Instead, he had stepped out onto a ledge overlooking a massive pit. It was too dark to see how wide or how deep it was, but he could see the path spiraled downwards along the walls of the massive open cavern. “By the gods,” Link exclaimed, peering over the edge.

Dayto stood next to him and looked down. “I can’t even see the bottom. How far down do you think it goes?”

Link thought for a second, then turned around and stepped back into the tunnel. Scanning the ground, he spotted a large rock and scooped it up with both hands. Returning to the ledge, he dropped the rock into the pit. It quickly disappeared into the darkness beyond the reach of the torch’s light. Link and Dayto waited until they heard the rock hit the bottom.

“...Fuck,” Link said eloquently. He sighed. “Well, hopefully we’ll find another exit along the way.” Resigned to his fate, Link set off down the spiraling walkway.

Link had hoped they could walk in silence for a while, but his new companion would have none of it. “So, why did you and your sister come to New Kakariko?”

“I got a thing for Sheikah girls.”

“...Truly?”

“No, you moron,” Link replied. “Well, maybe. But that’s not why. Lady Impa sent us to try to help with the well thing.”

“Lady Impa?” Dayto sounded taken aback. “As in, the Sheikah clan leader?”

“Yeah. We happened to be passing through Old Kakariko at the time.” Link couldn’t be bothered to explain the whole story about being saved by the ashen-haired Sheikah and then getting kidnapped and interrogated by the younger Impa who wore that creepy mask.

“I see.” Although Dayto seemed impressed, he did not ask any further questions about the Impa family head. “I, too, heard about the undead infestation beneath New Kakariko while I was passing through the town of Rauru,” he explained. “But when I arrived, I heard about the dragon, and that seemed to much more urgently require heroic intervention.”

Link groaned quietly in annoyance, but didn’t bother to say anything. Then a thought struck him. “Who did you hear about the monsters beneath the well from?”

“Hmm?” Dayto tilted his head upwards as he recalled the information. “It was a Sheikah fortune teller,” he answered.

“Fortune teller?” Link wasn’t surprised to hear that this idiot had gotten scammed by some charlatan with a crystal ball.

“That’s right. She gave me a palm reading and said I was destined for great things,” the adventurer said, beaming with pride.

Link narrowed his eyes. “...And when she read your palm, did she perchance examine the back of your hand as well?” he asked, remembering the odd behavior of the Sheikah women who had sent him and his sister on the same wild goose chase beneath the well.

“She did indeed, if I recall correctly.”

Link’s face contorted in confusion.

This is getting weird.

“Is that a common practice in fortune telling?” Link asked.

“Perhaps. I am unskilled in most magic arts,” Dayto said. That did not surprise Link either. Most people who practiced sorcery were smart. “Although, I suppose it is more likely that she was checking to see if I already possessed the Triforce of Courage.”

Link rolled his eyes. “You sound like my freakin’ sister.”

Dayto laughed triumphantly. “She wishes to be the Hero as well? She sounds like an excellent woman. Perhaps she and I would make a good pair.”

“You know, I could probably push you into this pit and nobody would ever know,” Link said nonchalantly. Dayto’s eyes opened wide in shock, as if he feared Link might actually do it.

As Link had expected, throughout their descent into the pit, they came across several other openings in the wall that would have led to other tunnels within the abandoned mine. Unfortunately, each one they came across was either blocked by debris or sealed off by a heavy iron door. And so, they continued their journey downwards, hoping to find a way out soon.


“Gods, that took forever,” Link griped when they finally reached the bottom. “I guess the Gorons could just roll down the ramp instead, but would it have killed them to put in a lift or something?”

Dayto seemed similarly glad to have made it this far, and he stopped for a moment to stretch. “Hey, look over there!” he said, pointing behind them.

Link turned around. At one end of the gigantic circular cavern, there was what appeared to be a massive opening in the wall, which was visible because of the light streaming from it. “Guess that’s where we’re going next,” Link decided. “Good thing, too. I’m almost out of torches.” The two of them made their way across the floor and stepped into the light. What they saw made their jaws drop.

The first thing that came to mind was the Goron treasure vault Link had seen in the other mine. Just like that vault, the sloped floor was absolutely littered with gold, rupees, jewelry, and other treasures. The cavern was actually much larger than the vault, with the ceiling twice as high and supported by the largest pillars Link had ever seen. Gigantic statues of Gorons lined the walls as if guarding the place. With lit torches hanging everywhere, the room was illuminated quite well for a place so far underground.

Link fell to his knees. “Praise Hylia!” After making the sign of the Triforce with his hands, he began grabbing rupees off the ground and stuffing them into his pockets.

“This is incredible.” Dayto walked forward, having some difficulty trudging through the ankle-deep piles of treasure. “So those fiendish monsters have been hoarding all their ill-gotten gains down here?”

“Yeah, it’s really something,” Link said distractedly, placing a few gold rings around his fingers.

Dayto looked down at him. “Do not take those, you knave. Everything here must be returned to its rightful owner.”

“I know you’ve probably been told to shut up so many times in your life that the words have lost all meaning to you by now, but please, shut up. ” Link shoved a few more fistfuls of rupees into his pockets before standing back up.

“The quest is to slay the dragon,” Dayto declared. “We will be suitably rewarded by the crown once we fulfill our duty.”

“Well, chances are, the dragon is up on the surface getting shot down by the Gorons’ cannons as we speak,” Link argued, hopping down a short flight of steps to a lower level. “If I walk out of here empty-handed, my sister and I might starve to death. That’s probably not something you’ve ever had to worry about, huh?”

Dayto rolled his eyes, following behind Link. “Oh, my,” the young man said, spotting something a few meters away. Trudging through a pile of rupees, he stepped up to a large sword sticking out of the ground. “This looks well made.”

“Hm?” Link got closer and examined the sword. “Yes, I suppose it is. Goron-made. Seems to have been sized for Hylians.”

Wrapping both hands around the handle, Dayto yanked on it, but the sword did not budge. He grunted as he tried again, and again. Link chuckled at his frustration.

What is it with people failing to pick up swords today?

“Here, let me try.” Link stepped closer, but as he did, Dayto’s grip slipped. His arm flung outwards, smacking Link in the face. “Ow!” Losing his balance in the pile of treasure, Link tripped. To make matters worse, because of the way the room sloped downwards, he began to roll downhill.

Link stopped rolling about when he collided with a stacked pile of gold bars halfway down the slope, grunting in pain when he did. “Agh. You dick!” he shouted up to Dayto as he climbed back onto his feet.

“My apologies, adventurer!” Dayto called back. “Are you injured?”

“No, no,” Link said, dusting himself off. “I’m just…” He trailed off as he heard movement behind him, like someone was pushing the piles of treasure around. Turning his head, he saw the ground swelling, like a tidal wave of gold and jewels was rising up from the sea of riches. However, as pieces of treasure fell away from the rising form, Link saw there was something beneath it. At first, he saw only bits of black and red scales, but eventually, he could make out a gigantic, reptilian eye opening wide. Nearly tripping backwards in fear, Link backed away in shock as he realized what he was seeing.

No. No, no. No, no, no, no, NO!

Without another moment of hesitation, Link sprinted across the sloping field of treasure and dove behind one of the massive stone pillars.

Hver truflar hvíld mína ?” A deep, booming voice echoed throughout the cavern, followed by the sound of gold coins being scattered about as the dragon shook them off like a dog emerging from a lake. Link could not tell what the monster was saying, but he dared not make a sound, opting instead to crouch down and sidle along the pillar to stay out of sight.

“Dragon!” Dayto shouted in his most authoritative voice, drawing his sword and posing dramatically at the top of the slope.

No! No, you freaking idiot!

Link’s eyes bugged out of his head as he stared up at the other adventurer, silently pleading for him to stop being so stupid.

Hvað var þetta? ” The dragon turned its head to face the source of the noise. Link could barely see as he peeked out from behind his cover, but the dragon was massive . “Ah, a Hylian ,” the dragon spoke again, in perfect Hylian tongue this time. There were some more loud booming sounds as the giant monster crept up the slope, approaching Dayto. “I was expecting this. Your kind can never resist sticking your nose where it doesn't belong.”

Dayto looked confused, as if he didn’t expect the dragon to be able to talk. However, he shook it off, readying himself in a fighting stance. “Silence, fiend! You have troubled these lands for far too long. I have come to put an end to your reign of terror.”

“Have you now?” Every step of the dragon’s massive claws sent tremors throughout the room. It extended its wings and flapped them experimentally, shaking off the last bits of treasure. With its body moved into the clearing now, Link had a better look at it. The monster did not have a serpentine body like some others he had seen depicted in artwork. Instead, it was more like a lizard, albeit a massive one with a pair of wings extending from its back. The dragon’s scales were dark red, with a lighter shade of orange-red on its underbelly. However, its wings were solid black. Similarly, the top half of its head was black, giving it the appearance of wearing an iron helmet with a pair of curved horns.

“And would you happen to be this Hero I’ve heard so much about?” the dragon asked.

“As a matter of fact, I am. Ki-yaaa!

No, no, no, NO!

The young adventurer let loose an over-the-top battlecry. Now that the dragon had come close to him, Dayto ran forward and leapt into the air. As the dragon was down-slope from him, he landed right on its face, attempting to drive his sword into the monster’s skull. However, the weapon bounced uselessly off of its scales, making a sound like metal clinking against metal. The force of the impact caused him to drop his weapon, and it landed with an audible thump in the piles of treasure below.

Everyone froze for a moment. Link was terrified that if he moved, the dragon would hear him, and possibly kill Dayto. Meanwhile, Dayto seemed to have no idea what to do next. He stood there, crouched down on top of the dragon’s face, staring down at it.

After a tense few seconds that seemed to go on for hours, the dragon inhaled, then exhaled smoke from its nostrils as if to express its annoyance. It then tilted its head downwards, letting the hapless hero fall to the ground. “Have you, perhaps, lied to me, Hylian?” the dragon asked, pinching Dayto’s sword between two of its claws and lifting it into the air. “This is not the Master Sword,” it said, dropping the weapon. The dragon then leaned its head in closer to Dayto, who shrank back in fear, lying on his back on the ground. “Nor do you bear the mark of Farore.”

Link had to do something, but he couldn’t think of what. Dayto was about to be eaten alive, but what could he do about it? His own weapon would fare no better than Dayto’s. He had no bombs, no magic, and no party. He was useless against such a gigantic foe.

“Listen well, Child of Nayru,” the dragon said in a low, menacing voice. “I have no desire to play games with the likes of you. I know there are dozens of you mongrels attempting to storm these tunnels as we speak. Is the real Hero amongst your forces, or have you come without him?”

Dayto pulled himself along the ground, attempting to move away from the dragon leaning over him. “I’m sorry! Please don’t hurt me. I’m not the Hero. I don’t even know who he is, I swear!”

The dragon examined the cowering young man for a moment, like a wolf eying an injured deer. It exhaled another puff of smoke, causing Dayto to cough frantically. “A pity,” the dragon declared. “And here I thought I would be the one to capture him. But, it appears I have no use for you.” The dragon opened its jaws.

No !” Dayto screamed.

“Stop!” Link shouted, stepping out from behind the pillar. He didn’t want to, and he wished with every fiber of his being that he could stay behind that pillar, but he couldn’t stop himself.

The dragon craned its neck around to look at him, then began turning its body, knocking over a small pillar with its tail in the process. “Ah, so the false Hero did not come alone,” the monster said, sounding more amused than it had been a moment ago. “Perhaps you are the real one?”

“No,” Link denied instantly, but he knew he had to buy time. Sooner or later, he’d think of a plan, or get lucky, or someone else would arrive to fight the dragon. He had to stall, otherwise he would die. “But I know where he is.” He wasn’t sure why exactly the dragon wanted to find the Hero.

Perhaps monsters see him as the scourge of their kind, and want revenge.

“Ah, this is most fortuitous indeed.” The dragon crept towards Link now, making its way down the slope. Not wanting to end up pinned beneath the monster like Dayto had been, Link turned and ran back around to the other side of the pillar. “And where do you think you’re going?” the dragon bellowed, beginning to sound angry. The stomping grew louder as it followed after him, causing avalanches of treasure as it went. “You came into my home, interloper. Show some respect!”

Link climbed atop a ledge that wrapped around another of the pillars. “This is not your home,” Link shouted back, hoping he could draw this out by staying off topic. “These mines belong to the Gorons.”

“You ignorant fool, ” the dragon spat, stomping around the pillar as it tried to keep up with Link. “Tell me, Hylian. Where are we? What is the name by which these mountains are known?”

“Um. Death Mountain?” Link replied, sidling along the ledge. The dragon’s head came around the corner, and he suddenly found himself staring into one of its gigantic red eyes.

“These are the Eldin Mountains !” the dragon roared. “Do your pathetic people not remember the Dragon God of Fire? He ruled over these mountains while your kind were still hiding in the clouds! These were dragon mountains before the Goron race even knew how to make fire!”

Link stayed perfectly still as the dragon righted itself, facing him head on with its teeth bared. “Per… Perhaps we got off on the wrong foot,” Link said, the words barely able to escape his mouth. “My name is Link. Link of Hateno.”

“Link of Hateno,” the dragon repeated with a hint of mockery in its voice. “Well, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Link of Hateno.” The dragon stepped back, positioning itself to stand up taller and spread its wings majestically. “I am Volder the Dragonlord, rightful heir to these mountains.” His voice shook the cavern as he spoke, and Link had to cover his ears.

If Link hadn’t been so terrified, he might have made a quip about how humble the dragon was. However, all he could do was stammer. “W-Well, Dragonlord Volder. It is an honor to meet you, and I--”

“Do you honestly believe you can preserve your life by wasting my time?” Volder asked, folding his wings and stepping closer to Link once more. “I shall ask you--”

A noise from across the cavern caught the dragon’s attention. Dayto must have been messing around with something and knocked over a pile of treasure, causing enough of a commotion for Volder to see it as a potential threat for a split second. Thinking quickly, Link jumped down from the ledge and ran down the slope.

Behind him, he heard the dragon growl in annoyance, followed by a deep inhalation. Kicking up rupees and gold coins as he ran, Link glanced over his shoulder. The underbelly of the dragon was glowing red, like a superheated sword in the process of being forged. Realizing Volder was about to breathe fire at him, he dove to the side behind a half-destroyed wall.

When the blast of fire seared the ground he had just been standing on, Link was close enough to feel the heat. Even with Breen’s flameshield magic protecting him, he got the feeling that dragon fire would still incinerate him in an instant if he got caught in it.

Hurriedly glancing around for anything that might help him get out of this, Link spotted something peculiar. Upon a pedestal a few meters in front of him sat a plain wooden bow. It struck him as odd and out of place given how valuable everything else in the dragon’s treasure hoard looked by comparison, but then he realized what it was. It was the bow the Lizalfos had stolen from the Goron vault.

So they really did steal it specifically. What the hell would a dragon want with a bow like this?

He heard the tremorous footsteps of Volder approaching. Unable to come up with anything better, he got up and ran straight for the pedestal. When he reached it, he snatched the bow and held it aloft. “Stay back!” he shouted, turning to the dragon.

Volder stopped, narrowing his eyes as he glared down at the adventurer skeptically. “And what, Link of Hateno, do you intend to do with that ?”

“Come any closer, and I’ll destroy it,” Link stated, trying to sound as confident as he could. He did not know why the dragon wanted the bow, but he knew the dragon wanted it nonetheless. That at least gave him some small amount of leverage.

The great dragon flexed his wings, staring at him for a moment longer. Turning his body, Volder began circling Link like a stalking lion, but he did not come any closer. “Do you even know what it is that you hold in your hands?” he asked. “The importance -- the value of it?”

“You’re damn right I do,” Link lied.

The dragon chuckled darkly. “You are shaking, little Hylian.”

Volder was right. Link tensed his muscles and tried to remain still. “The Hero will want this bow,” he said, making it up as he went. All he knew about the dragon so far was that he wanted the bow and he wanted the Hero.

Surely they must be related somehow. Was the Dodongo Buster the Hero of his era? No, Linkle would’ve known about him. Then who was he? And what’s so special about this bow? Is it because the Hero of Twilight once used it?”

“That he will,” Volder admitted, sliding his tail across the ground as he continued to circle his prey. “It seems the Hero is more knowledgeable than we expected.”

We? Him and his Lizalfos followers?

“Still, it changes nothing,” the dragon went on. “We already have three of them, and we know where the fourth is.” Stopping in his tracks, Volder turned in place, facing Link once more. “Perhaps the Hero has the others in his possession already?”

Link nearly fell over when the dragon’s head lurched towards him again, but he stood his ground, still gripping the bow as if he intended to smash it at the slightest provocation. He thought about what the dragon had said.

Three of what? Are there more bows like this? How many are there? Why does he want them?

However, the dragon did not seem to know where they all were, so he could use that. “That’s right,” Link said, bluffing once more.

“I figured as much. And now he has sent you to collect the bow for him.” The dragonlord lowered himself to the ground, folding his wings back as he settled upon his pile of treasure, seemingly bored of threatening Link all of a sudden.

The bow? So there’s only one? Then what are the other things?

“I suppose this is good news.” Volder spoke in a tone of mock joy, as if Link should be happy as well. “Once I hunt down the Hero, they will all be within our grasp. So, Link of Hateno,” he continued, his voice lowering and becoming more menacing as he went on. “Tell me-- Where. Is. The. Hero ?” The dragon shot him a death glare, growling as he completed his sentence.

Link tried to steady his breathing. Whatever he did next could decide whether he lived or died. The dragon had been successfully convinced that Link had valuable information, which was enough to keep him alive for the moment. However, Volder was clearly expecting an answer soon. If Link lied and pretended to give up the Hero’s location, then the dragon would no longer find him useful and kill him. But if he refused to give any answer at all, then the dragon might kill him anyway.

Please, Linkle. I need your help.

“How about a trade?” Link suggested.

“I don’t have to give you anything,” the dragon replied, unwilling to even hear what he had to say. “You are in no position to bargain, little Hylian. You will tell me what I want to know, or you will burn.” Volder punctuated his threat by venting smoke from the sides of his mouth.

“If you burn me, the bow burns, too,” Link reminded him. That seemed to get Volder’s attention. He subtly backed his head away, as if afraid to accidentally catch fire to the wooden bow. “Or how about I just smash it now?” Link asked. He feigned smashing the bow to the ground, but stopped himself at the last minute. The dragon snorted in fear, then glared at him when he realized what he was doing.

“Alright, you little wretch. You’ve made your point,” Dragonlord Volder said bitterly, climbing up to his feet. “What do you want? Treasure?” he asked, spreading his wings to gesture all around them. “Name your price. It’s yours.”

Link was surprised to hear that statement. Even if he had not seen the massive treasure hoard for himself, he’d heard that dragons were famously protective of the treasures they kept.

Whatever these monsters are after, it must be absurdly valuable.

“What, you expect me to believe you’ll just let me waltz out of here with pockets full of your treasure after I tell you where the Hero is?”

Whatever I do, I first and foremost must secure my safe exit.

The dragon gave out a low chuckle. “You are smarter than you look, little Hylian. Very well. How do you suggest we carry out our little transaction?”

Link’s mind went a mile a minute trying to come up with a suitable solution, but suddenly, he had what he thought was a good idea. “You need the Hero. I need him alive until I can claim my reward for the bow,” Link lied, tapping the bow in his palm for emphasis. “So, I leave here with the bow and deliver it to the Hero. Then, you can go claim the Hero and reclaim the bow and all the other… items that he has.” He still had no idea what other items the dragon wanted, but if Volder believed he would receive the Hero and the other items at the same time, it would surely appeal to him even more.

Dragonlord Volder smiled , if what appeared on the monster’s face could be considered a smile. “So you would collect the payment from your master, then betray him immediately after?” the dragon restated before chuckling again. “I admire your pragmatism, Hylian. However, that still does not settle the matter of how you would reveal to me the Hero’s location. What is there to stop you from leaving with my bow without ever telling me what I want to know?”

Link did not have an answer to that. “You’ll just have to trust me.”

“No, I do not think I will. In fact, I believe my patience has just run out. Tell me what I want to know, or I will kill your friend over there.” Volder craned his neck around to look behind him, directing Link’s attention to Dayto. The other adventurer was currently several meters away, sidling along the wall towards a doorway on the other end of the cavern, which could have possibly been an exit. When the dragon made his threat, Dayto froze in fear, holding up his sword half-heartedly with his back against the wall.

“Who, him?” Link asked, deciding to feign apathy. “He is no friend of mine. I don’t even know him.”

“Is that a fact?” the dragon asked, a hint of amusement in his voice. “Very well. Then I suppose you won’t be bothered by the sound of his screams as he burns to death in front of you.” Volder flapped his wings. Link was knocked onto his back by the blast of air that was created, and the dragon slowly lifted himself into the air. In the distance, Dayto screamed and took off running.

Fuck.

Link scrambled to his feet, still clutching the bow, and ran after the dragon. He had no idea what he could do to help, but his instincts had taken over. He expected the dragon to start breathing fire, but instead, Volder flew over to Dayto and landed right on top of him, pinning him to the ground beneath one of his massive front claws.

Ahhh !” Dayto screamed in pain. “Help! Help me, please!”

Silence ,” the dragon demanded. He turned his head to face Link. “You have still not revealed the Hero’s whereabouts to me, Hylian. I’m afraid it’s time for this one to die.” Volder opened his mouth, the fire heating his belly as he inhaled.

“Wait!” Link shouted. Out of breath from running uphill through piles of metal objects, he attempted to lean against a gigantic lit brazier attached to the base of a pillar. “Ah!” he said in surprise as it burned him, taking a few steps away from it. “I will tell you.” He racked his brain trying to come up with a place where nobody would be. If he sent the dragon to a city or a town, there was no telling how many people would be burned to death in Volder’s search for the nonexistent Hero. “He’s on Mount Drena.” Drawing upon his knowledge of the map of Hyrule, Link thought of a snowy mountain in the far northeast corner of the Hebra Province. It was very close to the impassable abyss between Hyrule and the Outer Continent, and thus was unlikely to have anyone near it.

However, despite Link’s careful consideration, this did not seem to be the correct choice. Volder glared at Link as if insulted. “You must truly think me an idiot, little Hylian,” he said with malice. “I know that mountain. My sister has made it her home. If the Hero had so much as set foot in her territory, he would have been within our grasp long ago.”

Link’s eyes opened wide.

Damn my accursed luck!

“I do not take kindly to being lied to,” Volder declared. “That will cost you this man’s life.”

Shit!

Link’s eyes darted around the room, searching for a plan B. His gaze fell upon the giant brazier he was standing next to, and then upon the bow in his hand. “Hey! Lizard!” he shouted. Once Volder’s eyes were back on him, he simply tossed the bow into the fire.

You imbecile !” the dragonlord shouted in anger, flapping his wings with urgency.

As the dragon flew to the brazier, Link sprinted over to Dayto. He felt the wind blow past him as Volder flew over his head, then he heard a loud crashing sound as the brazier was knocked over. When he reached Dayto, the adventurer was already climbing to his feet.

“Link, you--” Dayto began to speak.

Link grabbed him by the collar. “Shut the fuck up and come with me.” Pulling the other Hylian along, the two of them ran for the possible exit that Dayto had been creeping towards earlier.

The opening would be a tight fit for the dragon, but it looked large enough that the monster might be able to squeeze through it, so they were not in the clear yet. The cavern they had stepped into was a lot like the one they’d used to get down to the dragon’s lair. While it was smaller in diameter, it was a large circular room with a winding staircase leading upwards along the walls. However, the stairs were made of wood, and appeared to be of shoddy Lizalfos craftsmanship rather than anything made by Gorons.

“We’re going up?” Dayto asked.

“No, let’s go down,” Link said sarcastically, shoving the other adventurer towards the stairs. “ Of course we’re going up! Move !”

Every step felt like the stairs were going to give out beneath their weight, but Link and Dayto ascended as fast as they could. Not long after they began their journey upwards, Volder could be heard roaring from the next room.

“By the gods,” Dayto exclaimed, his voice trembling with fear.

“Keep going,” Link urged. “He probably won’t--”

There was a crashing sound from below as Volder smashed through the entranceway, knocking down a small portion of the walls in order to fit. Once inside, he opened his jaw, aimed upwards, and exhaled a mighty flame.

Link and Dayto screamed, diving forward as some of the fire spewed past them. Looking down, Link could see portions of the stairway beneath them were on fire, and it was spreading fast. “Move, move, move !” Link shouted, getting up and pulling Dayto to his feet. “Look! Up there!” Link pointed. There was a small opening in the wall that likely led to another part of the mine. It was only a short way up from their position. “Let’s go!”

The dragon roared and flapped his wings. As he ascended, he began knocking down the remaining pieces of the flimsy staircase. If Link and Dayto fell now, there would be no getting back up.

The pair of adventurers made it to the tunnel opening just as Volder had ascended to their level. They could hear the dragon inhaling as they sprinted into the darkness, then they screamed as their way was lit up by the fire approaching behind them. Another tunnel appeared on the right, so Link rammed into Dayto in order to knock them both into it.

They had made it to safety. The fire steaming past them dissipated, and the tunnel they were in now was much too cramped for the dragon to fit through. Outside, they heard Volder roaring with anger, before shouting at them as they limped away.

“You have failed , Hylian!” he called, his voice shaking the foundations of the tunnel. “The bow was not destroyed. Soon we will have them all, and the Hero cannot hide forever. We will find him!” The dragon roared again, and another stream of flame barreled down the tunnel, but Link was too far away from it to care.

Now, to find my sister…

Chapter 29: Mila II

Chapter Text

On the day they set out, an honest and true army marched through the Akkala Parade Grounds. Thousands of footsoldiers and cavalry arranged in formation made their way south from the citadel in order to take the road east towards enemy territory. Prince Percival himself led from the front atop his majestic white horse. His Darknut-like retainer rode beside him on a solid black Gerudo stallion, bearing a standard displaying the Triforce and Wingcrest sigil of the Kingdom of Hyrule.

From any distance, the most notable feature of this parade was the gigantic Hydrophant that ambled through the center of the crowd, with everyone and everything else giving it a wide berth. Hydrophants were magnificent creatures used as beasts of burden by the Zora. Large, blue-skinned, semi-aquatic mammals, they towered above every other animal Mila had ever seen. Between the tusks, the fan-like ears, and the elongated nose that made a noise like a trumpet, they were certainly odd creatures. This one had a carriage strapped to its back, carrying Prince Silorn and several of his Zora companions. Springing from the roof of that carriage was the Zora’s own banner, bearing the Zora’s Sapphire sigil.

Aside from the princes, columns of horse-mounted knights rode along with them, many of whom carried their own standards and flags representing various lesser Houses. At the front of all the Akkalan knights sent by Governor Vryciaro, however, was Dame Mila, riding on the back of a mountain buck. Due to their short stature and their forest home, the Kokiri did not ride horses, but Mila was not worried about looking out of place next to the giant blue monster the Zora prince was riding. However, it was a little humiliating to be so much lower to the ground than her squire, who rode next to her holding up a banner with Vryciaro’s grape bunch sigil on it.

Governor Vryciaro himself watched the procession from up high, along with General Alchon and the other nobles who were staying behind in the citadel. Their viewing platform was a balcony jutting out from the cliffside, which connected to the main building of Akkala Citadel via the underground passageways that ran throughout the mountain the citadel was built into. The balcony was also equipped with a number of cannons of Hylian design, which were much smaller and sleeker than Goron cannons. Mila hoped to see them rain fire upon their enemies one of these days.

On the day’s journey, the road took them through South Lake Akkala, a small body of water formed by the runoff from Upland Zorana. In turn, the water fed into the main part of the lake via Akkala Falls. The Hylian forces followed the road and crossed over the Sokkala Bridges, while the Zora and their Hydrophant simply cut straight through the water. Once they reached Kaepora Pass, they were officially in enemy territory.

The Earthquake Sage’s cult had gained a following throughout most of the eastern portion of the province. Much of their militant forces had amassed further north, however, which was where they had been launching their attempted invasions of the Earth Temple. Nevertheless, according to the scouting reports Mila had read, the false sage herself was still located in the south.

Namazu, the God of Earthquakes, bizarrely chose to take the form of a giant catfish. While his time in the material realm was mostly spent swimming through the natural underground waterways beneath Hyrule, he was said to surface in Ulria Grotto. That was where Laverta had made contact with him, and that was where they would find her.

If Prince Percival and his forces could break through the cult’s defenses and kill the sage, then this petty conflict would be over. However, the terrain surrounding Ulria Grotto was strategically defensive, especially when taking into account the geomancy practiced by the cult’s sorcerers. Nevertheless, the forces of Hyrule had the strength of a professional army on their side, while Laverta’s cult had a collection of religious zealots and a mercenary army at best.

“Dame Mila.”

The Kokiri knight had been lost in thought as she rode at the head of her company. The voice of a Hylian scout riding beside her pulled her back to the present. “Yes? What is it?” she asked, tilting her head up to see the man on the horse.

“Reports, dame.” The scout handed her a small scroll from among a pouch of identical scrolls, then rode off to continue his deliveries.

“What does it say, dame?” Vanova asked as her superior unfurled the scroll.

Mila’s eyes quickly scanned over the message. “The cultists in the pass saw us coming. They’ve retreated into Ulria.”

“Oh, dear,” Vanova remarked.

“No, it was to be expected.” Mila tossed the scroll away, giving it an extra flick with her wind magic to send it soaring. “With the sheer numbers the prince has brought here, they would have no hope to face us out in the open, even if we didn’t have the Zora’s Hydrophant.” As she spoke, the big blue animal lifted its trunk into the air and trumpeted, creating a brief light drizzle from the water it shot into the air.

“What are we to do, dame?” Vanova asked.

“We’ll keep marching until the prince insists we stop. Then we’ll set up camp, send an envoy to request the sage’s surrender, wait until she sends her response, bla, bla, bla.” Mila rolled her eyes and made the mocking motion of a mouth with her hand. Regardless of the circumstances, knights and nobles had a certain honor code they had to follow. Unless the enemy attacked first, they would not attack until the proper parley had taken place.

Such a waste of time. They haven’t surrendered so far, have they? Why would they change their minds now?

“That seems shortsighted,” Vanova replied. “Wouldn’t such proceedings only give the enemy more time to shore up their defenses?”

Mila cracked a smile. “I knew I made a good choice with you,” she said. Then she let out a sigh. “But alas, as a knight, I must keep up appearances. Especially when so much of my plans’ next steps depend on the prince’s opinion of me.”

“I see,” Vanova said with a nod, although Mila knew there was much the round-eared girl was still in the dark about.

Mila heard the telltale jingle of her fairy making an appearance. She turned her head to see Luft floating beside her, swaying imploringly. “Hey--!”

“Don’t say--”

“Listen!”

“Ugh. What is it, Luft?” Mila asked, no longer speaking Hylian.

“Why don’t we go ask the Great Fairy for help?” Luft suggested.

Mila turned her head north. Having lived in Akkala for the past few years, she had paid several visits to the Great Fairy who made her home just over the nearby ridge, beside the southeast shore of Lake Akkala. She was not Luft’s Great Fairy, but Luft was on decent enough terms with her flight. “The fairies would certainly be more useful than any of those Hylian healers we brought with us,” she said. “And the Great Fairy could do some real damage to the enemy if we could convince her to fight. I suppose I shall run the idea by Prince Percival. If I am able to secure the aid of the fairy flight, I will prove myself an even more valuable asset than I already have.”

“She won’t do it for free, though,” Luft reminded her.

“Nor would I expect her to.”

“Mmm…”

Mila lifted her head to find Vanova staring at her admiringly. “What is it?” she asked in Hylian.

“Your voice is so beautiful when you speak Fairy,” the Lynnaean girl replied. “Could you teach me the language?”

The Kokiri thought about it for a moment, then shrugged. “I suppose. It might be a useful skill for you to learn.” She planned to keep Vanova around for as long as possible anyway, and it would be helpful to be able to speak with her in a language none of her enemies would be able to eavesdrop on.

Hey !” Luft complained, shaking angrily. “Do not go sharing fairy secrets with mortals!”

“You hush,” Mila ordered. “We can die as easily as they can now that we’re trapped in this accursed world, so we’re all mortals here.”

Luft flickered like an angry firefly, but made no reply.


Not long later, the order went out to begin setting up camp. The prince’s forces were numerous, so they were able to spread out across the entirety of Kaepora Pass, effectively cutting off Ulria from any reinforcements they might hope to receive from the north. As Mila’s company was setting up their camp, Mila received her summons to join the prince’s war council meeting. She left one of Governor Vryciaro’s senior knights in charge and headed for his tent, bringing Vanova along with her.

The meeting tent was tall and spacious. It bore colors of purple, gold, and white, and was decorated with flags bearing the kingdom’s crest that waved in the breeze from all sides. The entrance was guarded by six knights of the prince’s Royal Guard, including his gigantic retainer. When Mila arrived, she meant to show them the scroll she’d been given as summons, but they recognized her and waved her in without it.

I suppose that’s one of the benefits of being the only knight with the appearance of a child. There isn’t much chance of being mistaken for someone else.

Stepping inside, she saw a round table set up in the center of the tent. It wasn’t quite as large as the table in Akkala Citadel’s council chamber, but it still impressed Mila that they bothered to bring such a large piece of furniture in one of the supply wagons. Seated at the head of the table was Prince Percival, of course, with Prince Silorn sitting on his right. A dozen other senior knights, generals, and advisors sat with them, while servants and soldiers waited patiently at the edges of the tent.

“Dame Mila,” the Hylian prince greeted her with a curt nod. He then gestured to an empty seat at the far end of the table.

The Kokiri girl blinked, confused for a split second, before remembering she was there representing Governor Vryciaro. That meant she would actually be on the prince’s council, not just observing like she had back at the citadel. While she outwardly gave off no emotion, only giving the prince a grateful nod in return, she felt butterflies on the inside.

I’m moving up in the world once again.

Mila casually waved off her squire who obediently went to stand with the other soldiers, then took her seat at the table. However, as soon as she sat down, it became obvious there was a problem. Being as short as she was, her head was barely above the table.

A Hylian man seated beside her chuckled. “Shall I have someone bring you a stack of books to sit on?” he offered.

“Certainly. Perhaps they can also bring you an instructional book on wit and denigration. The height jokes get old fast, you see,” Mila replied dryly with half-lidded eyes.

A few of the others at the table chuckled lightly at the exchange, but the Zora prince let out a jovial laugh and slammed a hand against the table. “A book on denigration!” he repeated through his laughter. “Very good! Very good, indeed. And, might I say, Dame of the Forest, it is an honor to have one of the Kokiri folk join us on this fine day. Clearly the Gorons have decided their loyalties are to themselves rather than to this glorious alliance our peoples share, but one can always count on the kindness of the fairy children.” Prince Silorn flashed a winning smile, showing off a mouth full of sparkling shark teeth.

“That is kind of you to say,” Dame Mila responded politely, knowing that she was talking to a prince, even if he was a prince in name only. “I, too, am glad we are here to represent our peoples working together.” That statement was a completely empty gesture. Mila knew she did not represent her people in any way, and she had left home for a reason. However, appearances were important, especially for this crowd.

“We will begin now,” Prince Percival declared, apparently not one for pleasantries. “You’ve already received your orders for camp placement. You are all responsible for the security of your sectors. I want a full blockade. No cultists pass our lines without us knowing.”

The others at the table merely nodded in agreement. Mila knew it would not be a difficult task to set up a decent perimeter and have sentries posted at all times. They had also been given orders to only unpack the essentials from the supply wagons so as to always be prepared to quickly move to a new location if necessary.

“Secondly, we must send an envoy to parley with the sage as soon as possible,” the Hylian prince went on. “We invade at dawn, so we must not give the enemy the chance to delay us.”

“Never fear!” Prince Silorn declared, pointing a thumb at himself. “ I shall go and meet this Sage of Earthquakes. As a fellow Zora, I am certain I shall be able to convince her of the error of her ways, and thus we might put an end to this horrible bloodshed.”

“No,” Prince Percival denied flatly. “You are too important, and I do not intend to give the enemy a hostage they can use as a bargaining chip. Sending a Zora has strategic value, however, so we shall send one of your subordinates, Prince Silorn.”

“Alas, you speak truly,” the other prince replied, putting a hand to his head dramatically. “My sister, mother, and father would simply be too overcome with grief should any tragedy befall me. I shall ask one of my comrades to go in my stead, and I shall be forever indebted to them for their bravery.”

There was a pause as Silorn sat down after making his spirited statements. “...Correct,” Percival said, apparently bemused. He then cleared his throat. “Moving along. I am quite certain the sage will not surrender, so we shall prepare to attack tomorrow as planned. We have our initial plans already, and we shall recalibrate based on the scouting reports that come in throughout the night. If anyone has any other ideas, now would be the time to share.”

“We could obtain assistance from the local Great Fairy,” Mila interjected, seizing the opportunity the moment it was given.

Prince Silorn flashed another toothy smile. “What a marvelous idea! Why, the Great Fairy of Lanayru has come to my people’s aid on numerous occasions. My dear, are you perchance on friendly terms with the Akkalan Great Fairy?”

“Yes,” Mila answered, attempting to sit up as tall as she could in her seat. “She is called Mija. I have met with her several times.”

“Great Fairies normally require some form of payment in exchange for their aid,” Prince Percival correctly pointed out. “What sort of payment will this Mija ask of us?”

“I suspect she will desire rupees,” Mila replied. Hylians were often surprised to hear fairies had a use for money, but just like ordinary mortals, incarnated spirits needed a system of currency for their business exchanges, too. “If not, she will wish to be owed a favor to be repaid at her request.”

Prince Percival put his jeweled gauntlet-covered hand to his chin, considering the suggestion for a moment. “Very well. Meet with her and make the request. Try to push for a rupee payment. Return to me with her offer.”

Mila smiled to herself, knowing she was yet another step closer to her goals. “Yes, your highness.”

The meeting went on for a short while longer, and while Mila paid attention, she took no interest in anything the other advisors seated around the table had to say. Eventually, the meeting was adjourned and they were all dismissed. Mila attempted to gracefully climb out of her seat, then turned and headed for the exit. Vanova fell in behind her, and they left the meeting tent together.

“Well done as always, dame,” Vanova complimented her. “I could tell both princes were impressed with your ingenuity.”

“The flattery is appreciated, Vanova, but I would hardly call it ingenuity,” Mila replied matter-of-factly. However, she smirked with triumph. “Still, it is another victory for us. Would you like to join me and visit the Great Fairy?”

Vanova gasped excitedly. “Yes! That would be wonderful. I’ve heard the Great Fairies are all so beautiful.”

Mila scoffed. “Prepare to be surprised, then. But no matter. Let us return to camp and retrieve our mounts. It’s time to bribe a guardian spirit.”


“You know, Dame Mila, I’ve just realized something,” Vanova said, riding down the slope beside her knight. “Your name and the Great Fairy’s name are quite similar. Mila and Mija, you know?”

“Hm. Don’t remind me,” Mila said. “My name is rather common among the Kokiri, and some fairies use a similar naming convention. Mija’s flight just uses slightly different solmization than the Kokiri Tribe.”

“Slightly different what? ” Vanova asked.

Solmization . It’s basically a way to learn the musical scale by associating a distinct syllable to each note,” the Kokiri knight explained. “My people use Do-Re-Mi-Fa-So-La-Ti. ” As Mila sang, her voice became higher pitched with each note.

“Oh! You have a beautiful voice, Dame,” Vanova complimented her.

“Hm. Well, I suppose the fact that my voice will never change is one of the benefits of not being able to grow up,” Mila replied, somewhat bitterly.

“So your name is from the Mi and the La?” Vanova asked, trying and failing to mimic her knight’s pitch on the notes.

“Yes. As I said, many Kokiri are named in such a way. Mila, Mido, Fado, Lami, Tifa, Sola, and so on,” Mila explained further. “The Fairy language is very musical, you see.”

“Fascinating,” Vanova said with genuine interest. “Do you think you could teach me to sing, Dame Mila?”

“I suppose so,” Mila agreed. “It will help you speak Fairy when I teach you to do that as well.”

If I’m going to be keeping her around, she might as well be as talented as I am.

“What does your name mean, Vanova?” Mila asked out of curiosity, knowing very little about the lands to the east.

“Er, well, the ova comes from ovna , which is a word for daughter. So, I guess at some point there was a man named Van in my family, and I somehow ended up with the name?” the Lynnaean girl explained uncertainly. “I’m afraid it’s not as interesting or fanciful as your name, Dame Mila.”

“No, but I like it,” Mila said kindly. “Was your father not called Van?”

“I’m not sure.” Vanova shook her head. “I did not know him.”

“Hm. My father is a talking tree,” Mila said.

“How magical!”

“Not really. All Kokiri are grown in pods from the branches of the Great Deku Tree,” Mila explained. “He draws our spirits in and gives us flesh, imitating the form of Hylian infants.”

“Fascinating. Does that mean you are all brothers and sisters?”

“We do not see it that way,” Mila replied. “We all call the Deku Tree our father, but we only refer to those from the same branch as our siblings. I have many of them back in the forest.”

“I see. You must miss them dearly.”

“I do not.”

“Oh… sorry?”

Mila looked up at her squire, having to tilt her head back to see her up on her horse. “No matter. It is of no importance right now. We have a different sort of fairy to speak with.” As they rounded the corner along the foot of the cliff, a small forest came into view. “Mija’s fountain is just through those trees,” Mila explained.

“Oh, I’m so excited!” Vanova smiled brightly, then tapped her heels against her horse and set it forward.

When they got to the treeline, the Kokiri knight and her squire dismounted and tied their mounts to the trunk of a tree, opting to proceed on foot. They did not need to go very far before they could see the vibrant blue light of the fountain glowing in the distance.

Suddenly, Luft flew upwards, jangling like a bell as she floated above her Kokiri partner. In response, several tiny, glowing figures began poking their heads out from behind trees and branches, lighting up the shady forested area like candles.

“Whoooa!” Vanova said in astonishment, tilting her head back to look up at the beings flying overhead. “These are fairies, too?” the round-eared girl asked. “They look so different from Luft.” That much was true. Luft and the other fairies were about the same size, but Luft had the appearance of a winged ball of light, while these fairies looked more like tiny glowing people with wings.

“Different Great Fairies give their flights different appearances,” Mila said. Then she switched to the Fairy tongue, looking upwards to address her hosts. “It is only me, friends. This human is my companion. She will do you no harm.”

“Positively beautiful!” Vanova said, either in response to Mila’s melodic words or to the glittery appearance of the fairies as they flew around.

“Come along,” Mila beckoned her squire, continuing forward. “We’re nearly there.”

The two of them walked through the woods for another few minutes, being followed by several fairies the whole way. Some of them even saw fit to land on Vanova’s head, shoulders, and outstretched hands, examining her with curiosity as she gazed upon them with wonder.

Eventually, they came to a clearing. Green grass and pretty flowers bloomed all around, and in the center of the clearing was a pool of water sitting inside of what appeared to be a gigantic flower. Smaller plants and colorful mushrooms sprouted from its petals and from the ground around it. A pair of golden bird statues sat atop curved decorations jutting out from the sides of the fountain, while what appeared to be the backrest of a large, golden throne stuck out of the water in the back. A pleasant purple mist billowed out of the water, forming a hazy cloud above its surface.

“So this is a fairy fountain,” Vanova said with a gasp of amazement. “When I was a little girl in Labrynna, I used to hear stories of the four Fairy Queens of Holodrum. This is like something out of a children’s storybook.”

Mila studied the look of awe on her subordinate’s face. She had not even met the Great Fairy yet, and she was already fawning over her. It was times like this that truly made Mila resent the Great Deku Tree for making her into a Kokiri. Had she been allowed a few more centuries in the other world, perhaps she could have been incarnated as a Great Fairy herself, or something even greater. She could have been adored, beloved, worshipped . Instead she was little more than a mortal child, not even allowed to grow up.

Mila shut her eyes and clenched her fist, taking a deep breath to temper her rage for the time being. She had to be polite today. The Great Fairies of Hyrule did not style themselves queens like the ones in Holodrum, but they demanded respect all the same. “Wait here,” she ordered her squire, taking a few steps closer to the fountain. “Great Mija. It is I, Mila of the Kokiri. Please, reveal yourself. I wish to have an audience with you.” She greatly preferred to introduce herself as ‘Dame Mila of House Shadowgale, Knight of Akkala,’ but those titles meant little to the fairies.

There was an audible rumbling sound as the ground shook slightly. “Dame? What’s going on?” Vanova asked nervously from behind her. The water in the fairy fountain began to bubble, with little splashes breaking through the pleasant purple mist. Then, all of a sudden, a gigantic figure popped up from the fountain, arms reaching up to the sky.

The Great Fairy Mija took on a form that resembled a pointy-eared human woman. However, she was much larger. At her full height, she was probably about six meters tall, although she remained waist deep in her fountain. In addition to her height, she was somewhat heavy, having thick arms and a bit more meat on her than most human women allowed themselves to put on. A poofy swirl of purple hair sat atop her head. Despite having just been underwater, her makeup was done nicely, and her fingernails were painted. Jewelry adorned much of her person, including rings, bangles, earrings, a necklace of light purple amethysts, and an accessory shaped like a set of butterfly wings sticking out from her hair behind each ear. The only clothing she wore on her upper body was a brassiere woven from gigantic purple flower petals and three belts of shiny coins strung across her midsection.

“Ah- Haaa !” the Great Fairy called out as she emerged, splashing water all around her. When she was finished with her theatrical entrance, she leaned forward and looked down at the tiny Kokiri who had summoned her, reaching up with a finger to scratch under her chin curiously. “Mmmmmm. Ah, yes. It’s you, young Mila.” The Great Fairy’s voice was deep, but unmistakably feminine. It carried with it an echoey, melodic quality that came off as godly and powerful, despite Mija’s friendly and casual demeanor. “How nice of you to visit again. My darling little fairies have so missed you.”

Mila nodded. “It is nice to see you again as well, Great Fairy.”

From behind her, Mila heard an awe-filled “Wow!” coming from Vanova.

“Mmmmmm?” Mija raised her head, looking further back in the clearing. “Oh, my! Who is this beautiful creature?” she asked, smiling warmly. “My dear, please come closer,” she insisted, beckoning the round-eared girl with a finger. Vanova just stared at the fairy with a dumb smile on her face, then looked to Mila in confusion.

“Come over here,” Mila told her in Hylian. “Apologies, Great Fairy, but she does not understand our tongue.”

“Oh! Of course. How silly of me,” Mija replied, now speaking Hylian as well.

Vanova ambled over and stood next to the shorter girl, then spoke to the giant woman. “Hello, Great Fairy!”

“Hello there, my darling,” Mija said. “Oh, my. You are positively radiant! Your ears are so small, yet your bosom is so large! What is your name, sweet girl? And from where do you hail?”

“I am called Vanova, and I come from Labrynna.”

“Oh, so far!” Mija said with amazement. “I thought you looked different from a Hylian.”

“Ahem,” Mila said impatiently. “My apologies, Great Fairy, but I am afraid we are here on business. My lord, the Prince of Hyrule, wishes for me to request your aid in a coming battle.”

“A battle, you say? Oh, how dreadful !” Mija put the back of her hand to her forehead and tilted backwards dramatically. “What great evils do you wish to do battle against, little ones?”

“A cult in service to Namazu, the Earthquake God.”

“What? That belligerent old catfish?” the Great Fairy asked. “Oh, how I loathe him. He once shook the earth nearby here so hard, he ruined my entire fountain! This was, oh, say, about eighty or ninety years ago. And he is still yet to apologize, mind you!”

“Oh, good!” Vanova said. Her face immediately changed to an expression of embarrassment. “I mean, that’s bad. But you’ll help us fight Namazu, then, right?”

“Fight him? Oh, no, no, no,” Mija replied, waggling a giant finger. “My flight is peaceful. We do not wish to get involved in any fighting.”

“Prince Percival is willing to pay you handsomely,” Dame Mila pointed out. “He has chests filled to the brim with rupees. We aren’t even asking you to do battle with Namazu himself, merely some of his mortal followers.”

“Sorry, darling. I’m afraid I just can’t do it.” The Great Fairy shook her head, causing her many pieces of jewelry to jangle rhythmically.

Mila sighed. “Very well, Great Fairy. In that case, how about lending us the services of your fairies to heal our wounded from the battle?” Mija put her hand to her chin, apparently considering it, but still hesitant. “You will still be compensated, of course,” the Kokiri knight reminded her.

The Great Fairy smiled. “Well, I have been looking to get a few more pieces made,” she said, holding out her hand and examining the back of it as if she were not wearing enough rings around her fingers. “Very well, little Kokiri. You shall have my darling little fairies to aid you.”

Mila smiled triumphantly. “Thank you, Great Fairy. You have done a great deed for the people of this land.”

And for my career.

“Oh, I’m always happy to help these precious little mortals,” Mija said, leaning down to examine Vanova more closely. “You two take care now!” Laughing to herself, the Great Fairy lowered herself back down into the fountain, splashing Mila and Vanova with a torrent of water once again as she disappeared beneath the surface.

“Wow!” Vanova said, spitting water out of her mouth. “She was so friendly.”

Mila was slightly annoyed by the outcome, seeing as though the Great Fairy was probably powerful enough to take out a sizable portion of Laverta’s forces all on her own. Had she agreed to involve herself in the battle, it would have easily assured their victory, decreased their side’s casualties, and ended the fight in one decisive battle. A quick and efficient victory like that coming about as a direct result of Mila’s influence would surely have been enough to impress the prince. Instead, she would have to settle for Mija’s flight serving as mere healers. It would still be quite useful, but not exactly the gigantic stepping stone she’d been hoping for.

“Let us head back to camp and deliver the Great Fairy’s answer to the prince,” Mila said, walking back towards the trees.

“Yes, Dame,” Vanova responded, falling in line beside her.

As they walked through the woods, more fairies flew around them once again, even more comfortable with them now that they had spoken with their Great Fairy. Mila knew her own fairy was still fraternizing with the others, but she could not see her. “Luft!” she called out into the swarm of little glowing creatures. “Return to me!”

A few moments later, a glowing ball of light flew down in front of the Kokiri knight. “Ah, come on!” she complained. “Can’t I stay a little longer? Ever since we left our forest, we’ve spent pretty much every day surrounded by mortals. I never get to see my own kind anymore!”

“We have no time for games, Luft,” Mila chided her. “The flight will be joining us again very soon. Just endure it.” Luft jingled angrily, but she did not object. Then she flew into Mila and disappeared.


When Mila and Vanova exited the forest, they returned to their mounts and untied them from the tree. However, just before she climbed back atop her deer, Mila heard a voice from above them. “Sounds like you could use some help, eh, fairy child?”

Reflexively, Mila drew her thin golden sword from its scabbard, leaping backwards and preparing for a fight. Vanova drew her own sword as well, but she looked confused. After a moment, they both looked up. Floating many meters above them was a very strange creature. It looked like a human-sized, red-skinned frog, hanging upside down from a dark gray cloud. After recovering from her initial shock, Mila recognized the frog creature and gripped her sword tighter, glaring up at him.

“What is that?” Vanova asked.

“Hm? Well now, why don’t you introduce me to your friend, fairy child?” the frog asked. Turning himself right side up, the frog floated downward atop his cloud, stopping when he was hovering just above the ground.

Mila took a step back, pointing her sword directly at him. “Cyclos,” Mila muttered.

Vanova looked shocked. “The… the god ?”

“What are you doing here?” Mila demanded.

Cyclos laughed heartily. “What are you angry at me for? You’re the one who tried to kill me , remember?”

“What?!” Vanova said in bewilderment.

Cyclos laughed again. With his arms crossed, he began circling around them, flying through the air. Mila and Vanova moved closer to each other and stood back to back, swords at the ready. “What are you doing here?” Mila asked angrily.

“Oh, well. I was just passing by, and I couldn’t help overhearing you begging Mija for some help with Namazu’s dogs,” Cyclos answered, stopping in place in front of the Kokiri. “So, I was thinking maybe you could use my help again, eh, fairy child?”

“I have no interest in being your dog again,” Mila spat out.

“Really? You seemed to enjoy my gifts quite a bit last time,” Cyclos said with a smirk. “What is it they started calling you after that? The Devil of Shadow Pass? Ooh, quite the famous one, you are!”

“I have no interest in your gifts if you expect me to be some mindless acolyte like the sages in return,” Mila explained. However, even as she said it, a part of her regretted it. The red frog’s words reminded her of that brief but glorious period of time when she had wielded the power of a god -- her rightful power. Maybe she could agree to his offer once again, then try to work out some other way to betray him.

No. It’s not worth it. Not yet. I may come back to defeat him someday, but I am not strong enough yet.

“Think carefully about this, fairy child,” Cyclos said, slowly drifting closer to her, causing her and Vanova to walk backwards. “You are about to wage war against a Zora with the power of a god behind her. Shouldn’t you have the power of a god behind you as well?”

“I will have no issue dealing with some mindless zealot like Laverta,” Mila claimed. “Now leave me be.”

Cyclos stared at her for a moment. He did not appear hostile, but he was the more chaotic of the wind gods. One could never be sure what he would do. However, he merely shrugged. “Suit yourself, fairy child. Don’t say I never did anything for you.” He began to ascend back up into the sky. “I’ll be watching you, now. We’ll see just how well you do without me.” Once he got high enough, the god seemed to disappear into his cloud, which then disappeared itself a moment later.

Mila let out a deep breath, relief washing over her.

“Dame Mila,” Vanova said, sheathing her sword. “How is it that you are acquainted with a god?”

“Get on your horse, Vanova,” Mila ordered as she climbed atop her mountain buck. At first, she did not plan on answering her squire’s question. For years, her plans had required her to keep things close to the chest, with only Luft knowing everything about her. However, despite how airheaded she could be sometimes, Vanova seemed the type to be able to keep a secret, and perhaps divulging something personal to her would help to further secure her trust.

“Do you know how I obtained my title?” Mila asked as the two of them set off to return to camp. “The Devil of Shadow Pass?”

“You burned down the woods in Shadow Pass in order to eliminate a rebel group, correct?” Vanova answered. It came as no surprise that she had heard the story before. It had probably been recounted numerous times in the Akkala Citadel barracks.

“Yes. Back when I was a soldier like you, I convinced my compatriots to set fire to the trees at both entrances of the pass simultaneously,” Mila explained. “Then, using my wind magic, I fanned the flames, allowing it to spread rapidly, and I kept the smoke trapped inside along with the rebels. They panicked, they suffocated, they burned. A few made it out and surrendered, only to be hanged for treason.”

“You did all that?” Vanova asked in amazement. “Dame, I had no idea your magic was so strong.”

“It isn’t,” Mila stated.

“What? What do you mean?” Being a round-eared human, Vanova had even less of an understanding of magic than the pointy-eared humans, so her confusion was justified. Most Hylians would know that the feat of magic Mila had described was too much for only one mage, even a Kokiri. That is, at least under normal circumstances.

“At the time, my powers were much stronger. Shortly before that incident, I was approached by Cyclos, and he offered to make me his sage, which I eagerly accepted.”

“What?!” Vanova was even more shocked than before. “You were a sage ? Like Laverta?”

“For a very brief period, yes. From the moment the wind god granted me his blessing, I felt the power coursing through me. I wasted no time in destroying my enemies, knowing the kingdom would reward me for my efforts. The Governor of Akkala granted me knighthood, but I wanted more.”

“Then why did you stop being a sage?” her squire asked. “And Cyclos said you tried to kill him. What happened?”

“Do not interrupt me,” Mila chided her before continuing. “As I said, I wished to work my way even further up the kingdom’s hierarchy, but Cyclos had other plans for me. He wanted me to gather followers for him -- spread his influence, like Laverta has done for Namazu. I had no interest in selling my freedom for power, but I knew he would revoke his blessing if I refused. So, I tried to kill him. Of course, I failed. As it turns out, the gods grant only a tiny sliver of their power to their sages, so I was no match for him. He defeated me, revoked my sagehood, and vanished into the winds. Today was the first time I’ve seen him since then. I thought he was here to kill me, but I guess he’s still hoping I’ll be his servant for some reason.”

“I see.” Vanova seemed to be at a loss for words.

That is fine. I have answered enough questions.

“Hm. Well, if nothing else, the experience has taught me to bide my time. I have no more desire to serve Prince Percival than I do Lord Cyclos, but eventually, I won’t need to serve either.” There was a brief moment of silence, during which Mila was worried that perhaps she’d said too much. However, she had already made her intentions perfectly clear to Vanova. If the round-eared girl had intended to turn on her, she would likely have done so already. “Speak of this to no one,” Mila ordered her, merely as an obvious reminder.

“Of course, dame.”


After briefly checking in with the House Vryciaro troops, receiving a status report, and handing out new orders, Dame Mila immediately proceeded to the officers’ tent in the center of camp. Mila was conflicted about whether or not she should feel pride at the news she was about to deliver. The prince might be upset that she had been unable to persuade Mija to join in the battle, but perhaps he would praise her for securing any fairy assistance at all.

“Is the prince inside?” Mila asked one of the guards. “Prince Percival, that is,” she added, remembering Prince Silorn was on-site as well.

“He is,” the man replied.

“I wish to speak with him.”

The guard looked down at her for a moment, as if deciding whether or not to take this apparent child’s request seriously. However, after a moment, he glanced over at another guard and made a gesture with his head. The other guard nodded and disappeared into the tent.

While she waited patiently, Mila maintained a neutral expression on her face. She could tell the guard she stood before was less than impressed with her. He appeared to be a knight himself, and was probably a good few years older than her. Mila had met many others like him. They seemed to think her being a knight devalued their own title -- if a little girl could be a knight, who couldn’t be?

I must be better than him. I am better than him.

A moment later, the other guard returned. “The prince will see you now,” he informed Mila.

The Kokiri nodded. “Thank you, sir,” she said respectfully. She even threw in a slight bow to the first guard as thanks for his time.

He can look down on me, but I will not sink to his level.

Inside the tent, the large council table was still there, but there were only three people seated at it. Beside the prince was a Hylian man called Mayro, a bishop of Laemora, the Goddess of Light. The priest was accompanying them as a religious advisor. On the other side was Lady Kaifa, a middle-aged woman who served as one of General Alchon’s lieutenants. Also in the room was Prince Percival’s gigantic bodyguard, standing menacingly in the back.

“Dame Mila. Welcome back,” the prince greeted her.

“Your highness,” Mila returned, her eyes flickering over at Sir Onnick.

“What news do you bring of the local fairies?” Prince Percival asked. “Will they be lending us their aid?”

“Yes, they will. In exchange for rupees, they are willing to heal our wounded,” Mila replied, getting to the point. She figured if she stated it confidently as a victory, perhaps he would interpret it as such, even if it was only a half-victory.

“Good.” Percival looked back down at some papers spread out on the table in front of him and Lady Kaifa, apparently finished with Mila’s report. She stood there in confusion for a moment, awaiting further inquiry, praise, or dismissal. However, before she could speak up, someone entered the tent behind her.

“Prince Percival, my good man,” said Prince Silorn, ambling right up to the table with a smile on his face. “Good news! It seems our diabolical enemy has appeared on the hilltop.”

“What?” Mila asked, thinking the situation had just become urgent. “The false sage is attacking?”

“Hmm?” Silorn turned to face her. Given his tall, Zora frame, he had to look downwards to see her. “No, no. Of course not, good fairy child. She has merely come to have a civilized discussion with my fellow prince and I in response to our parley request.”

“Laverta wishes to speak with us now ? In person?” The Kokiri knight was surprised, and worried.

This cannot be good.

“We should move immediately, your highness,” Lady Kaifa advised.

“Agreed,” Prince Percival said as he stood up. “Come with us, Mayro. With any luck, you’ll be able to appeal to her faithfulness.”

The bishop nodded. “Of course, my prince.”

“Dame Mila, you should be there as well, as Governor Vryciaro’s representative,” the prince added.

Mila was momentarily stunned by the powerful footsteps of Sir Onnick as he fell in line behind his charge. “Ah. Um. Yes, of course. Thank you, my prince.”

Outside the tent, the others began doling out orders to the nearby soldiers, telling them who would be coming with them and who would be staying there. Mila hurried over to her squire. “Vanova, we’re going with the prince. Laverta has come to parley.”

“What? Oh, that’s good news, isn’t it?” the round-eared girl asked.

“Absolutely not,” Mila stated.

“Why is that?” Vanova asked. “If she wants to speak with the prince, that might mean this conflict could be resolved diplomatically, right?”

“She’s coming in person instead of sending a proxy, knowing full well we could attempt to kill her,” Mila explained. “She wouldn’t be doing that unless she was confident we couldn’t kill her.” The Kokiri knight thought back to how powerful she had felt for the brief period of time she’d served as a god’s sage, with all that magic coursing through her. If Laverta was anything like she had been, then she was undoubtedly dangerous.

Following the prince outside the camp, Mila could see the Earthquake Sage’s party at the top of the hill leading up to Ulria, with dozens of buildings and tents displaying the size of her forces in the lands behind her. There were a few Zora and a few Hylians waiting beneath a large banner showing the face of a fish with whiskers. Every step made Mila wary, knowing Laverta could cause an earthquake at any moment.

When they got closer, Mila could see the Earthquake Sage more clearly. She was an elegant Zora woman with a pure white complexion, dark blue eyes, and long, flowing fins on her head and arms that were spotted with dark green patches. Her pink dress was decorated with a red tabard that had the symbol of Nayru emblazoned across it. There were gold bracers on her wrists and upper arms, and she wore a golden headdress with that same catfish symbol on it. As she waited for them, she sat upon a throne of rock and strummed a lyre, emitting a slow, peaceful tune. Her retinue of Zora and Hylians stood off to the sides, slightly behind her throne. Some of them held weapons, while others were probably mages like her.

Prince Percival stood across from her, still a couple meters away. His gigantic bodyguard waited by his side, but the rest of the party lined up in a row behind him, including Mila.

“Greetings, my prince,” the Zora woman said, rising to her feet and placing her lyre on the throne behind her. “I was honored to receive your invitation. Has the king sent you to discuss my claim to the Earth Temple?”

“Yes, he has,” Prince Percival replied. “The crown and the sages have made their stance on the matter perfectly clear. The Earth Temple stands as a testament to Lord Neshai, not Namazu. This will not change,” he stated, getting straight to the point. Mila liked that about him, at least.

Laverta simply stared at him for a moment, unfazed. After a brief pause, she turned to the right and took a few steps. “You see those islands over there?” she asked, pointing to a chain of islands visible off the Akkalan coast.

The prince looked. “What of them?” he asked, unimpressed.

“Those islands are inhabited by monsters,” Laverta said. “They all used to be connected to the mainland. When they were, the monsters would routinely pillage their way along the coast. For years, our people prayed to Neshai, but he did not answer. I, myself, traveled to the Earth Temple to ask Sage Barsud to speak with his Patron, but still he did not answer.”

Mila rolled her eyes.

Trust me, Zora. You are better off without a god’s interference.

“But Namazu did answer,” Laverta continued. “He shook the earth, tore the land asunder, and put a stretch of sea between us and them. Why shouldn’t we honor him instead?”

Mayro, the bishop of Laemora, stepped forward to answer. “The gods tend to matters too great for us to comprehend,” the man said. “We cannot choose to dissolve our pact with a Patron simply because they do not tend to our every whim. I do not deny Lord Namazu’s contributions, but he is still subordinate to Lord Neshai.”

“He no longer wishes to be,” Laverta informed him. “As Lord Namazu’s sage, in exchange for his gifts, I am to do as he bids. He desires Neshai’s title -- the God of Earth. By my honor, he shall have it, because he deserves it.”

“Enough,” Prince Percival declared, waving his hand dismissively. “Spare us the thin justifications of your zealotry. You and your ilk are guilty of high crimes against the Kingdom of Hyrule, including murder, treason, and blasphemy. I give you one chance to surrender. Return with me to the capital to stand trial, or I will see your entire cult dismantled and destroyed.”

Laverta stared straight through the prince. Her face did not show much emotion, but she obviously did not take too kindly to Percival’s demands. Mila could feel the sage’s magical energy pulsating. The Kokiri knight subtly placed her hand around the handle of her sheathed sword, sensing the possibility of a more violent refusal to the prince’s request.

She’s distracted. If I propel myself forward with a burst of wind, I could slice her neck before she even has a chance to respond. Sage or not, she’s still a mortal.

The thought was tempting. If she defeated the prince’s enemy and ended their conflict then and there, perhaps he would reward her. However, perhaps she would be punished for committing violence during peace talks. Also, there was always the possibility that she failed to kill the sage, which would result in immediate and brutal retaliation.

Not yet. I must bide my time once more.

“I love this kingdom as much as you do, Prince Percival,” Laverta told him. “The people of Hyrule deserve better than gods who abandon them.”

“And the gods of Hyrule deserve better than faithless cowards,” the prince replied. “I think you’ve made your position perfectly clear, sage. Don’t say I never gave you a chance. I will see you on the battlefield.” With that, Percival did an about-face and walked away, his cape fluttering dramatically as he did.

“Don’t say I never gave you a chance either, your highness,” Laverta called after him.

Mila smirked. Peace had clearly never been an option. Both the prince and the sage were stubborn as could be, and Percival was willing to walk away from ‘negotiations’ after nothing more than a threat and a token attempt at diplomacy.

The rest of Percival’s retinue followed him down the hill, but Mila waited and observed Laverta a moment longer. The Zora woman had already noticed the Kokiri and was looking at her intently. Given that Mila was most well-known in the Akkala Province, Laverta probably realized who she was, rather than mistaking her for a child playing dress up as a knight. However, Mila could not discern what the sage was thinking.

Perhaps she senses my magic, too. If only I were still as strong as she is…

Dame Mila turned away and started down the hill, deciding to leave before she had any more thoughts about trying to fight Laverta on her own. However, she felt a strange sensation, like she was being watched. Instinctively, she looked upwards. At first, she saw nothing. However, far up in the sky, she could make out a little red speck.

Cyclos.

Mila stopped again. The wind god was hovering far above her. If she were to pray for his blessing, offering her loyalty to him, he would return her sagely powers to her. The Kokiri knight glanced over her shoulder and saw the Zora sage was still staring at her. It was strange. It was as if she could sense Mila was a threat.

This is why Cyclos is here. I could wield the power again. I could kill Laverta, earn the prince’s confidence, receive endless rewards…

Mila directed her gaze upward once more, considering Cyclos’s tacit offer.

No. I said no, and I meant no. I will not serve Cyclos any more than I will the Great Deku Tree. There has to be a way to obtain such power without a price so steep.

Shaking her head, Mila hurried down the hill. While the others had been walking, Vanova had noticed her absence and was waiting for her. “Is something wrong, dame?” the round-eared girl asked.

“Many things, squire,” Mila replied. “But none of your concern, for now.”

Back at camp, the prince reconvened another meeting with all of his lieutenants. A board showing the area’s terrain was placed upon the meeting table, along with various pieces representing their forces and Laverta’s. “The sage has refused to surrender, as expected,” Lady Kaifa explained. “Thus, we move forward with our offensive. Luckily, Laverta seems to desire a confrontation upon the hillside, which saves us the trouble of breaking through Ulria’s defenses. However, she has clearly chosen this as our battlefield for a reason. We must be prepared for whatever sorcery and clever tricks she may have prepared. Any questions?”

When no one spoke up, Prince Percival turned to the Kokiri. “Dame Mila, summon the fairies,” he commanded. “We will require their aid sooner than expected.”

“At once, my prince,” Mila agreed. “Luft?” she called. After a moment, the glowing ball of light flew in front of her. “Deliver a message to Mija’s flight. I want them here now.”

“Hmph. Fine, fine. Just don’t go getting yourself killed while I’m gone,” Luft replied in the Fairy tongue before flying out of the tent.

“You all have your orders,” Prince Percival went on. “Now return to your positions and ready your troops. Dismissed.”


Author's note (added 7/28/2023):

Last chapter we met Zephos, today we got a glimpse of his brother Cyclos. Both appeared in Wind Waker. The earthquake fish god Namazu did not appear in person in this chapter, but he is a character from A Link to the Past who is based on his namesake from Japanese mythology.

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Chapter 30: Sophitia X

Chapter Text

“Princess. Princess Sophitia, wake up.”

Sophitia opened her eyes and sat up in her bed. It was dark, but the guard standing in the entrance of her tent was holding a lit lantern. Liliana had awoken as well. The round-eared girl sat up in her bed with one hand holding her sword and the other hand pulling her blanket up over her chest. Sophitia gestured to her silently, letting her know she could lower her weapon.

“Yes, what is it?” the princess asked, recognizing the guard as one of her own.

“Prince Lancel has left the camp, your highness,” the guard explained.

Sophitia gasped. “I see,” she said, climbing out of bed with urgency. Liliana did so as well, and the guard turned his back to them. “Where was he headed?”

“N-North, my princess,” the guard replied. “Do you wish us to pursue him?”

“No,” Sophitia answered as she began to change into her travel clothes. “Please return to your post, soldier. I shall handle it from here.”

“Yes, your highness.” The guard pushed the tent flap closed and left.

“What do you think he’s up to?” Liliana asked, pulling on her boots.

“I haven’t the faintest idea,” Sophitia replied. “But whatever it is, it’s either highly confidential or highly complex, otherwise he would have sent his subordinates to do it.”

Once the two of them were fully prepared, they exited the tent together. Before they went further, Sophitia needed to address the guards she had posted outside. “Do not allow anyone to enter my tent while I am away, please,” she said in a low voice. “If anyone asks, I am inside, asleep.”

The two guards looked at each other in confusion, but they nodded their acceptance. “Yes, your highness.”

“Thank you.”

The princess continued towards the north end of the camp, with Liliana at her side. Both wore hooded cloaks, and in the darkness, it would not be immediately obvious who they were unless someone saw them up close. In the middle of the night like this, the only ones awake were the night watchmen. Her brother’s soldiers and the Rito guards would only be worried about monsters coming into the camp, not people heading out of it.

However, Sophitia’s soldiers had been instructed to be on the lookout for Lancel, so she approached a pair of them who were posted by the north end of the camp. “Good evening, soldiers. I wish to know which way my brother went.”

“Hm? Oh, Princess. Yes. He went that way,” one of them said as they both pointed.

“Thank you. We’ll be going now.”

“Are you sure, Princess? Would you like an escort?”

“That will not be necessary,” Liliana informed him. The guard nodded, and they continued on their way.

The City in the Sky had a confusing, almost alien layout as far as cities were concerned, but even in the dark, it was not hard to discern which way to go. Many segments of the city were connected by bridges, and if Lancel had gone this way, it was easy to tell which bridge he must have taken. However, after a few minutes of walking, the princess and her retainer eventually came to a platform that presented multiple ways to go, and this far out, it was no longer reasonable to assume the prince had intended to travel in a straight line.

“Which way, Princess?” Liliana asked, holding up her lantern.

Sophitia closed her eyes and held out her hand. She was not the greatest sorceress in the land, but if she tried hard enough, sometimes she could sense the lingering residue of someone's magic, or a powerful source of it, like her brother. “I think… this way? Maybe?” she said, gesturing to the northeast. Liliana raised an eyebrow skeptically. “What? Lancel went that way. I can sense it.”

“I suppose I’ll have to take your word for it, pointy-ears.” Liliana went on ahead, lighting the way with her lantern.

“What sorts of monsters do you think are up here?” Sophitia asked. The city seemed deserted, but that didn’t mean there weren’t monsters lurking around any or every corner.

“Keese,” Liliana replied with no hesitation. “There’s always more bloody Keese.”

“I suppose this high up there would be many winged creatures,” the princess agreed. “Demon King Vaati’s influence still lingers here, I’m sure of it. As does that of the Twili.”

“Perhaps you should have brought a dashing hero to save you, Princess.”

“Who says I didn’t?” Sophitia replied with a smirk.

“Oh, are you referring to me?” Liliana asked flippantly. “I’m flattered, but I’ve never pulled a sword out of a stone.”

“Have you ever tried?”

“No.” Liliana shook her head. “I passed through Faron on my way to the capital when I left home, but only foolish adventurers and adventurous fools dare to enter the Lost Woods.”

“How poetic.”

Liliana stopped, holding her lantern high in the air. “Princess.”

“What is it?”

“Look up.”

Sophitia complied. “My word!” The two of them stood at the base of a very tall building. The structure was in an extreme state of disrepair, with large portions of the wall missing as if it had been bombarded with canonfire some time ago.

“Did we see this building before?” Liliana asked.

Sophitia shook her head. A structure this tall seemed hard to miss, but due to the fact that the city was constantly passing through clouds, the resulting fog made it difficult to see anything at a distance. “A structure like this must have some level of importance. Perhaps this is where my brother snuck off to.”

“Shall we investigate?” Liliana asked.

“We shall.” Sophitia gestured forward, allowing her retainer to lead the way.

If there had been a door, it was long gone. Instead, the entryway was probably about three times larger than it was intended to be, as if something large had rammed its way through it in the past. Accounts of the Twilight War spoke of a Twilit dragon being used to conquer the City in the Sky. The princess wondered if a monster like that had done this.

“Oof!” As Sophitia was walking, she suddenly collided with Liliana’s arm, which she had held up to block her way.

“Careful, Princess,” the round-eared girl said. She held her lantern forwards and low to the ground.

Sophitia looked down. The ground floor interior was a large square room with brick flooring. However, much of the floor had given way. In the dark of night, she could see nothing but a dark abyss when she peered over the edge, but she knew falling through would mean plummeting all the way to the ground. “...Well spotted,” the princess said, laughing nervously. “We Hylians do not do well in the dark, you see.”

It’s times like this that make me wish I had Sheikah eyes.

“Do you see a staircase anywhere?” Sophitia asked, squinting her eyes.

“No,” Liliana replied, whirling her lamp to her sides as they carefully made their way across the narrow path of the remaining floor. “Perhaps if you lit up the room with some of that fire magic?”

“Ah. A splendid idea.” Holding out her hand, Sophitia concentrated. Pyromancy was a school of magic that both of her brothers were talented in, so she had picked up a little bit from them. In a few seconds, a small, dancing flame appeared, hovering above her hand. “Let there be light,” she said, tossing the fireball upwards. The flame expanded, streaking through the darkness like a slow-moving, flaming arrow.

For a moment, the visibility was much better. “Over there,” Liliana pointed to the other end of the room. “There’s a staircase.”

“Perfect,” Sophitia said, smiling proudly to herself. “Now then, let us--”

All of a sudden, there was too much light. The princess looked up, quickly realizing why. The ceiling was completely covered in spiderwebs, and the webs had caught fire. The flames were quickly spreading across the entire ceiling. Soon after, a strange rustling sound began echoing throughout the room.

Ahh !” The princess emitted a high-pitched shriek when she spotted the giant Skulltulas scuttling across the ceiling. Some of them began lowering themselves by their webs, or simply let go of the ceiling and fell downwards to escape the flames. Many of them fell through the giant gap in the floor, but others hit the ground with a thud and began struggling.

“Get back!” Liliana drew her sword, then dropped her lantern and put an arm around Sophitia, pulling her along and heading back towards the entrance. “Princess, shield!”

“R-Right.” Sophitia raised her hand and summoned her spell. She found it difficult to focus in her current state of terror, but her blue barrier eventually flickered into existence around them. Just as it did, a giant skull with eight legs descended right in their path, hanging from a web. Sophitia screamed again, and Liliana pulled her back. The spider reached out with its legs and began tapping on the barrier, as if confused about why it couldn’t get to its prey.

“Kill it!” Sophitia shouted.

“Lower the barrier!” Liliana yelled back. Sophitia complied, and the bodyguard stabbed upwards with her sword, impaling the spider through its cephalothorax. It squirmed in its death throes, and Liliana stepped away from it, letting Sophitia renew the barrier.

However, their victory was short-lived. As the Skulltula collapsed to the floor, they saw half a dozen more behind it. The monsters crept towards them, their distinctive rustling sound getting louder and louder.

“No good,” Liliana said, holding out her arm in front of her charge. “We need to get to the stairs.”

Sophitia looked over her shoulder. She saw more Skulltulas on that side of the room, but none were blocking the path to the stairs at the moment. “Right,” she said with a nod. “Let’s go.” The two of them ran, taking as much care as they could not to lose their balance, knowing what falling through the holes in the floor would mean. Liliana had to slash a few of the monsters as they passed by them, but she did not have time to finish them off.

When they reached the stairs, they climbed as fast as they could. Looking over her shoulder, Sophitia could see several giant spiders still following them along the walls and floor. “What do we do?” the princess asked with urgency. “Do we try to bottleneck them at the top, or do we proceed to the next floor?”

“Burn them,” Liliana said. “They didn’t seem to like the fire.”

“Right.” Sophitia summoned a fire spell, sending a burst of flame down the stairs behind them. It hit a few of the monsters and sent them scurrying back, but more still came. “Not good enough!” Sophitia shouted, cursing her own lack of ability.

When they reached the top of the stairs, Sophitia was happy to see at least the floor was mostly intact on this level. However, whatever the room was used for in the past, it was now mostly empty, with only a few old pots and crumbling statues scattered about.

“Can you put up a wall to block the stairs?” Liliana asked.

“What? Oh, yes.” It took Sophitia a moment to realize what her bodyguard was suggesting, but then she turned back to the stairs and raised her hands. A wall of blue light rose from the ground, blocking the monsters’ way. The spiders banged against the wall in confusion, but could not get through it.

Liliana breathed a sigh of relief. “Good. Let’s keep going up,” she suggested.

“Alright, but how will we get back down?” she asked. Her barrier would not hold forever, and even if the spiders didn’t follow them, they would still be here when they came back.

“You think your brother’s in here somewhere, right?” Liliana reminded her. “He and Sir Anselm can help us.”

“Right. Good. Thank you, Liliana.”

“I live for your praise, Princess. Now, let’s get going before we die.”

The two of them continued up another five flights of stairs and through another five empty, ruined floors. Sophitia still sensed what she assumed was her brother’s presence, and they seemed to be getting closer, but the princess could not fathom why her brother would be in such a place.

Whatever is at the top, it better be worth it.

“Can we stop for a breather?” Sophitia asked. “I am feeling quite winded after all that.”

“As you wish, your highness,” Liliana replied.

They sat down together on a fallen pillar. The level they were on was less empty than the others had been, but everything was still in ruins. “You really intend to have this city rebuilt?” Liliana inquired, looking around the room. “Judging by the state of things, that might take a while.”

While their expedition party had not yet had much chance to thoroughly inspect the city, Sophitia knew Liliana was right. From what she had seen, most of the city’s buildings were no different from this one. “It may take a few decades. A few generations, even. But it can be done.”

“I’m not sure you have the patience for that,” Liliana said, idly cleaning her sword while they spoke.

Sophitia laughed. “Well, I intend to be queen for quite some time. Perhaps I shall live to see Skyloft returned to its former glory.”

“With a statue of you erected beside your great ancestor, of course?”

“Naturally,” Sophitia said with a smirk. “And perhaps one of Lancel as well, but only if there’s room.”

“Well, that seems awfully selfish of you.”

Ahh !” Sophitia jumped at the sound of someone else’s voice coming from the darkness.

Liliana leapt to her feet, holding her sword up defensively. “Who’s there?” she demanded.

There was the sound of someone snapping their fingers, and suddenly a small flame illuminated the far end of the room. There stood Prince Lancel and Sir Anselm.

“Oh!” Sophitia stood up as well, quickly signaling for Liliana to lower her weapon. “Please forgive my crassness, Brother. It was merely a jest.”

Lancel laughed heartily. “Oh, no need to apologize, Sister. I’m sure Father would be proud to hear you speaking like that.” Carrying his small flame like a candle, the prince approached them. Sir Anselm followed behind silently, his usual air of refinement about him.

“Hm. Well, he has a point,” Liliana said, sheathing her sword.

“Hush,” Sophitia scolded quietly.

“Sir Anselm spotted smoke coming from the base of the structure,” Lancel informed them. “That wouldn’t happen to be your handiwork, would it? Have we cause for evacuation?”

“Just roasting some Skulltulas,” Liliana replied. “Bottom floor is still infested with them.”

“Truly?” Lancel turned to Sir Anselm with a surprised look on his face. “Well, that’s rather disconcerting. We walked through without even seeing them.”

“You should consider yourself lucky, then.” Now that Sophitia had recovered from her initial shock, she decided it was time to discuss the real matter at hand. “Now, Brother. Might I ask what you are doing in this place?”

“Isn’t that my line, Sister?” Lancel countered. “Because it would appear as though you followed me . Can’t a man and his bodyguard go for a stroll through an abandoned, floating city in the middle of the night and climb a ruined tower in peace? Why, the nerve of some people.”

“Lancel,” Sophitia said, unamused.

“Oh, fine,” her brother said. “No use trying to hide anything at this point. You’re clearly too clever for me.” Lancel turned around and began walking back towards the stairs. “Come along, then. I’ve been dying to show this off anyway.”

Sophitia and Liliana exchanged a look. The round-eared girl shrugged, and the two of them followed. “So, what is this place?” Sophitia asked, unable to deny her curiosity any longer. “And why have you come here?”

“Patience, sweet sister,” Lancel replied as they climbed a set of stairs around the outside of the building. “All your mysteries shall be revealed when we reach the top.”

“Very well,” the princess replied. However, she was not satisfied. “Did you know this place was here?”

“Indeed! I’d studied a century-old map of the place weeks before coming here,” her brother explained. “In fact, it was a lucky coincidence that we ended up making camp so close by. I had expected the second sky lift trip to land closest to it, but my calculations were way off. I thought the sky lift would be slower, you see.”

“Uh-huh.” Sophitia shot an annoyed look at the back of her brother’s head. “Which means, given your initial plans, you had intended to leave me behind.”

“Quite right!” her brother said, as if he was proud of himself for his attempt at an underhanded technique. “Ah, but you most cleverly saw right through me, guaranteed we would arrive at the same time, and posted guards around camp so you could follow me.” When he reached the top stair, he turned around and smiled approvingly down at her. “Well done, Sister.”

On the inside, Sophitia was happier than she would admit to receive that kind of praise from her clever elder brother. “Well. It was the natural thing to do, I suppose,” the princess replied with false modesty as she climbed the last step.

“Yes. Naturally,” Liliana added. Sophitia lightly jabbed her in the side with her elbow.

Lancel laughed. “Well then,” he said, gesturing to the door. Sir Anselm stepped forward to open the large stone gates. “Step inside, and prepare to be amazed!” the prince declared, holding his hands in the air dramatically.

When Sophitia stepped into the room, the first thing she noticed was that it was not as empty as the lower floors had been. Everything was still in ruins, but it had not been completely looted and cleared out. There were tables and chairs scattered throughout, but they were quite small, probably having been designed for the diminutive Oocca. Large windows lined most of the walls, which would probably grant a great view of the city when it was light outside. Most notably, there was strange, advanced machinery throughout the room as well. It reminded Sophitia of Beamos statues she’d seen in the past.

“What is this place, Brother?” the princess asked. “Some sort of laboratory?”

“No, Sister,” Lancel replied, running his hands along a large piece of machinery as he strolled by. “This is the bridge.”

“The bridge?” Sophitia repeated, furrowing her brow in confusion.

“Not that kind of bridge, Princess,” Liliana explained. “Like the bridge of a ship.”

“Oh.” Sophitia looked around, searching for a steering wheel. However, after a moment, she realized the significance of such a room. “ Oh !”

“That’s right!” Lancel stepped into the center of the room, gesturing around him proudly. “Back when the Oocca controlled Skyloft, they controlled the floating city’s movements from here.”

“But I thought the city’s movements were controlled from within the Palace of Winds,” Sophitia said, thinking back to her own research into the City in the Sky.

“It was back in Vaati’s time,” the prince replied. “There is another bridge in the palace. Between the two, I think it would be best if we were to focus our efforts on restoring that one to working order, rather than this one.”

“Then why are we here?” Sophitia asked.

“Like I said, the Oocca controlled the city from here.” Lancel stepped in front of a raised dais sticking up from the ground. Like a Beamos, the dais looked like it was made of a material similar to stone, but not quite stone. “There’s something I need from here,” the prince went on. He seemed to fiddle with some controls and press some buttons, and then he placed his hand on the dais. A strange pattern of blue lights illuminated its surface.

“I do hope you know what you are doing, your highness,” Sir Anselm commented, standing by his charge. “It would be a most grievous tragedy should you cause the entire city to fall from the sky within one day of setting foot in it.”

“You insult me, Sir! I should hope you have a little more faith in me than that .” Once the dots and lines of the pattern on the dais finished lighting up, a smaller circle rose up from the dais. Within this second circle, a panel flipped over, revealing a small tablet of some kind. It was not like the stone tablets the Zora used to write on. Like the odd machinery on the bridge, it seemed advanced beyond what Sophitia had seen before. “Ah! Here it is!” Lancel declared, lifting up his prize.

“What is that?” Sophitia asked. She was beginning to get annoyed by how often she was forced to ask what was going on, but her curiosity kept her from getting too mad at her brother for the moment.

“This, my dear fellows, you can think of as the master key,” he said, turning to face them and holding the tablet in front of himself. “With it, we can activate the bridge and control this great skyship.” Holding out a finger, he tapped on the tablet. He paused for a moment, still smiling triumphantly, then tapped it again.

Sophitia narrowed her eyes, expecting something to happen. She and Liliana exchanged looks, and her bodyguard looked as confused as they did. Lancel gave the tablet a confused glance as well, then tapped it several times more.

“My prince?” Sir Anselm asked when the tablet still did nothing.

“Oh, bother,” he said with mild annoyance. “Well, I suppose it makes sense that it would be as much in disrepair as everything else. It’s not as though I would’ve been able to do much with it until the bridge was fixed, anyway.” Reaching to his side, he stuffed the tablet into one of his carrying bags.

“You intend to take it with you?” Sophitia inquired.

“Indeed,” her brother replied. “It may be an inoperable paperweight for the time being, but eventually, this will be the most powerful weapon in the world. Who better to hang onto it than dear old me?” Sir Anselm turned his head, but Lancel quickly raised a hand. “No need to answer that, Sir. It was merely a question for the philosophers.”

“Very well,” Sophitia conceded, unable to think of a clever excuse to suggest that she should be the one to keep the strange tablet instead. “Shall we inform the governor and the Rito of our discovery?”

“Oh, I should think not,” Lancel replied. “Knowledge is power, Sister. If anything should go wrong during the city’s reclamation, this will serve as our ace in the hole.”

Sophitia nodded. She would have preferred to keep as few secrets as possible from the Rito in order to build trust between them, but she could see the logic in her brother’s contingency plan. “I shan’t tell a soul about your new paperweight, Brother.”

“That’s the spirit!” Lancel declared. “Now, let’s head back to camp. We’ll need our rest if we hope to further explore the city in the morning.”


“It is unfortunate that we were unable to bring your carriage or your horse up here,” Liliana said, walking beside her charge. “Shall I carry you?”

Sophitia opened her mouth to respond, but she only managed to yawn. After returning to camp the night before, she’d only managed to get a couple more hours of sleep before sunrise. She would’ve managed to get more sleep, but she’d spent some time lying awake in her bed, thinking about the current situation. Assuming the things her brother had said were true, he now held the key to controlling the City in the Sky. That development had some major implications, and she needed to be prepared for what might happen as a result.

The ruined city looked somewhat nicer that day. They were no longer passing through clouds, so the fog had died down, and they were making their way through one of the larger and grassier of the floating islands that made up the city. The princess tried to picture in her mind’s eye what the place had looked like back when her great ancestor had lived there, and what it might look like once it had been rebuilt.

“At least the shamans are looking well rested,” Liliana commented, directing Sophitia’s attention to the sage and her party. The wind shamans had been so exhausted from powering the sky lift that they had gone to sleep soon after their arrival, and they hadn’t woken up until that morning.

“Good,” Sophitia said. “They earned it. Remember all those times I incapacitated myself from overexpending my magic back in our academy days? I felt like I would never wish to leave my bed again.”

“That is something I do not envy about you pointy-ears,” Liliana replied. “And you were not too keen about getting out of bed this morning, either. Or most mornings, in truth.”

“Do not speak so ill of your princess,” Sophitia replied with half-feigned indignation. “You make me out to be lazy. A good ruler must be diligent. Vigilant. Assiduous. Sedulous.”

“At a certain point, I’m fairly sure you’re just inventing words,” Liliana deadpanned.

“Hm,” the princess grunted. “That is what spending this much time with Lancel does to me, I suppose.” Looking up ahead, Sophitia observed her brother’s party. He’d brought most of his guards and a few surveyors with him. He, Sophitia, and Balla were all traveling fairly light, having left most of their supplies back at the camp. Although they were surveying the city as they went, their main goal at this point was to meet up with the other two parties. Sophitia did not know what the others had been up to since they’d separated, but based on how long they’d been walking, they would be running into Governor Koridai and High Chieftain Kanelo’s party soon.

“I wonder how Percival and my sisters are doing,” Sophitia mused aloud, suddenly thinking of her other siblings. “Do you think their campaigns are progressing well?”

“If I know your elder sister, I imagine she has re-conquered Gerudo by now, and she’s heading here to lecture you on the importance of proper high-altitude safety,” Liliana replied. “Percival, well, he’s probably hanging the heretic by now.”

“An interesting assessment,” Sophitia said, raising an eyebrow. “So you think them both more successful than I?”

“Not entirely,” Liliana said. “None of them have a magic rectangle that doesn’t work.”

Sophitia laughed haughtily. “Your astute counsel is always appreciated, old friend,” she said. “Regardless, I am certain my siblings have all made great strides towards their goals. However, given how much Lancel and I have accomplished here already, and how much more we stand to gain very soon, I can say with no exaggeration that Father will be more impressed with the Hebra campaign than the others.”

Suddenly, Sophitia’s guards all flinched, bringing their hands to their swords just in case. There was a lot of noise coming from somewhere up ahead -- shouting, metallic clanging, indistinct bird noises. It was difficult to tell exactly what was happening, but it certainly did not sound good.

“Perhaps you spoke too soon,” Liliana said.

“Not now, Liliana,” Sophitia replied. Looking up ahead, she saw Lancel and his party were rushing towards what looked like a ruined arena of some kind. The princess decided it would be best not to get left behind. “Guards!” she called, raising her voice. “Forward, now! Follow the prince!”

“Yes, Princess!”

“Sage Balla, perhaps it would be best if you were to wait here,” Sophitia said to the sage and her Rito shamans.

“Very well, your highness,” the sage agreed.

When Sophitia and her party caught up to her brother and his guards, they were already in the arena. The structure was open-air, and to get inside, they merely had to climb some stairs and move past some ruined pillars. Lancel and his guards were standing inside the entrance, so Sophitia joined her brother at his side. What she saw was worse than she’d expected. After her encounter with the swarm of Skulltulas the previous night, she was expecting more monsters of some kind. Instead, she found Hylians fighting Rito, and despite the battlefield, they did not appear to be sparring.

“What in Hylia’s name…” Sophitia said in bewilderment. She watched as a diving Rito impaled a Hylian soldier through the chest, only to be stabbed in the neck by a second soldier. Another Hylian next to him took an arrow through the slit in his helmet, falling over limply. A Hylian further towards the wall shot his own bow, felling another Rito passing overhead. “Lancel, what do we do?”

The look on the prince’s face was not one Sophitia was used to seeing. His eyes were narrow in focus and his jaw was clenched in concentration. He looked serious, as opposed to his ordinary devil-may-care attitude.

“My lord, shall we join the battle?” one of Lancel’s soldiers asked him.

“No,” he responded quickly, holding his arm out as if to block the soldier’s advance. “Everyone, form up around the princess and I. Defensive formation.”

“Do as your prince commands,” Sophitia ordered her own troops. Their combined forces quickly formed a protective ring around the two of them, shields up and ready to defend, with Sir Anselm leading at the front.

“Move forward!” Lancel commanded. As a group, they stepped out from the entrance and entered the arena. “Soldiers of Hyrule!” Lancel shouted, his voice magically magnified. “To me!”

The Hylians and the Rito throughout the arena took notice of the approaching royals and their guards. Those of the Hylians who were not currently engaged in a fight turned and ran towards them as fast as they could, while the others kept their eyes on their opponents and moved backwards.

The Rito continued fighting for a short while, but they soon realized how outnumbered they would be once Sophitia and Lancel’s reinforcements joined the battle. One of them squawked something in a Rito tongue, and all those that were not in the air took flight. Several of them took aim and loosed their arrows at the approaching Hylian formation, but the prince and princess together raised their hands, erecting a shimmering magical barrier around them. The arrows bounced off harmlessly, much to the annoyance of the flying archers.

Once all the surviving Hylians had been gathered beneath the barrier, the Rito began squawking again. Apparently, they’d realized the battle was pointless at this point. Together, they flew off, likely in the direction of Chief Revalco and the other Rito.

The royal siblings lowered the barrier. “Gather all the wounded,” Sophitia ordered her guards. “Take them somewhere sheltered and begin tending to their injuries. And someone go get the sage and her shamans. They may have some medicine with them.”

“Yes, my princess.”

“Who’s in charge here?” Lancel asked. The Hylians they’d rescued looked back and forth amongst themselves, but none of them spoke up. “Alright. Who was in charge here?”

“...Governor Koridai, your highness,” one of the soldiers answered grimly.

Sophitia looked at them with shock. “Where is he?” she asked, although she suspected the soldier was trying to say the governor was dead. Sure enough, he pointed towards a group of dead bodies further across the arena grounds.

Those who were not busy gathering the wounded accompanied the prince and princess to examine the bodies. Several Hylian and Rito corpses were in the area, but the unarmored man in the robes was undoubtedly Governor Koridai.

“Gods…” Sophitia said under her breath. She felt Liliana’s hand on her shoulder, and she weakly gave her a grateful nod.

Lancel covered his face with his hand, looking extremely frustrated, taking a deep breath before speaking. “What about High Chieftain Kanelo?” he asked. “Where is he?”

“That’s him over there.” One of the soldiers pointed to the corpse of a large Rito a few meters away. Lancel stepped over to him.

“Turn him over,” the prince commanded. Two soldiers quickly moved to do as he said. The distinctive owl-like head of High Chieftain Kanelo was unmistakable. Lancel threw his hands into the air exasperatedly. “Alright then. So they’re both dead. Fantastic news,” he said, his voice bitter with sarcasm. “I don’t suppose the lot of you would do me the favor of explaining just what the hell happened here on this fun little outing of yours?”

“We don’t know why it happened,” one of the soldiers replied, stepping forward to explain. “The governor and the high chieftain were getting along just fine, but someone ran out and stabbed Kanelo out of nowhere.”

Someone ?” Lancel asked in disbelief. “Oh, I suppose it must have been a local, here in this completely deserted city floating in the sky, yes?”

“No!” the soldier replied. “It was one of ours. One of Governor Koridai’s guards.”

Lancel looked at them all expectantly, then held out his hands. “Well? Does this mystery guard have a name?”

The soldiers exchanged nervous looks. “I didn’t see who it was.”

“Me neither.”

“I couldn’t see his face.”

“Was he killed in the ensuing battle?” Sophitia asked, joining in on the investigation.

Again, the soldiers all looked uncertain. “Uh, it was hard to tell.”

“I think he ran that way, but maybe the Rito got him.”

Lancel pinched the bridge of his nose. “One of Koridai’s guards killed Kanelo. No one knows who it was. No one knows if he’s even alive. I’m beginning to think we could fill Hyrule Castle with everything you lot don’t know.”

“Hold on,” Sophitia said, getting an idea. “If the killer ran and nobody saw him die, then it’s possible he escaped into the city, correct? In that case, we can gather the survivors and the fallen. If someone is missing, then we’ll know the killer is out there, and we’ll know who it is by a simple process of elimination.”

“Ah, I’m glad someone here still has a head on their shoulders,” Prince Lancel said, reaching into one of his carrying bags. He pulled out a piece of parchment and something to write with, then thrust them into the hands of one of Koridai’s guards. “Here. Write down the names of every guard in your battalion that accompanied the governor here today. Then take a head count and tell us if anyone is missing. Can you handle that?”

“Yes, your highness!” the guard replied.

“Then go! Go on!” Lancel urged, shooing him off.

As the guard sprinted off, Sophitia turned her head and spotted the wind sages entering the arena. Many of them looked shocked, while others hung their heads solemnly. The princess decided to approach the sage quickly, knowing they needed to convince her as soon as possible that this disaster had not been intentional. “Sage Balla,” Sophitia called to her.

“Your highness,” the young girl said, walking with two taller Rito behind her. “I heard what happened. Is it true? Is the high chieftain…?”

“Yes, I’m afraid so,” Sophitia said, nodding her head grimly. “Governor Koridai has fallen as well, as have several others.”

“How could this have happened?” one of the shamans asked angrily. “Who is responsible for this?”

“We are still investigating that,” the princess explained. “It was one of Governor Koridai’s guards, but he acted alone. I can assure you, the Kingdom of Hyrule did not wish for this tragedy. We will see the killer brought to justice, I promise you.”

The shaman cawed angrily, but said nothing further.

“We will need to give Kanelo and the others their last rites,” Sage Balla said. Her voice was a little shaky, but she seemed determined to fulfill her duties. “Their spirits must be sent along on favorable winds.”

“Take all the time you need,” Sophitia replied. “Afterwards, would you please seek out Chief Revalco and explain to him what has happened here? We cannot allow this tragedy to beget further violence.”

“Yes. Of course.” Sage Balla nodded, then walked off towards Kanelo’s body.

“Sister,” Lancel said, getting Sophitia’s attention. “May I have a word?”

“Yes, Brother?”

“If Koridai’s guards are unable to identify the culprit, then we’ll have to return to camp and fortify our position. We’ll need to be ready for battle as soon as possible.”

“What?” Sophitia said, shocked. “Brother, no! It cannot come to that. I’ve told Sage Balla to speak to Revalco--”

“She won’t be able to convince him to let this go, and you know it,” Lancel said simply. “Chief Ravalco is a brash, warmongering simpleton. He was looking for an excuse to rebel against Hyrule before we even arrived in the province, and we’ve just handed that excuse to him on a silver platter.”

“Then we’ll leave,” Sophitia said. “We can return to camp with Sage Balla, load up the sky lift, and--”

“I’m afraid that is out of the question,” Lancel interrupted again. “Skyloft is much too important. If the Rito become our enemy and manage to get the floating city operational again--”

“You have the key!” Sophitia said, perhaps too loudly, judging by Lancel’s attempt to shush her. “They cannot operate the controls without the key, correct? As long as we bring it with us, the city is just a bunch of floating rocks to them.”

“That may still be enough for it to present a serious threat to Hyrule as a whole,” Lancel explained. “Send the sage to bargain with the chief if you must. We can attempt to negotiate a peace when he comes to attack us. But nonetheless, we must prepare our forces for battle.”

Sophitia opened her mouth to protest, but she was interrupted by the return of the guard Lancel had sent on an errand. “Your highness!” he shouted, holding up a piece of parchment. “Every last man and woman in the battalion is accounted for. The murderer must have been killed in the battle.”

“Or they are hiding among us,” Lancel pointed out. “But we will explore that possibility later. For now, get the wounded as mobile as possible and tell everyone to prepare to move. We are to return to camp at once.”

“Yes, my prince,” the guard replied, turning to leave again.

Lancel returned his attention to Sophitia, and she must have looked upset. “We played the odds, and we got unlucky,” he said. “It is unfortunate, but we must do our best with the hand we are dealt.” With that, he walked off to begin giving orders to his troops. Sophitia stayed where she was for a moment, taking in everything that had happened.

“Are you alright, Sophitia?” Liliana asked softly, not having left her side.

“We just arrived here,” she said miserably. “Everything was going fine. How could we have lost it all so quickly?”

“All is not lost,” her bodyguard replied. “There is still time to repair the situation.”

Sophitia took a deep breath. “Yes. Yes, I suppose you’re right. If it is still possible to stop this incident from sparking a war, we have to try.”


As soon as the Hylians returned to camp, battle preparations commenced. Prince Lancel and Sir Anselm took command of Governor Koridai’s troops and began doling out orders.

“We’ll need sentries posted on those buildings there, there, and there,” Lancel instructed, pointing at the surrounding structures as he walked through camp. “Everyone with two working arms needs a bow and as many arrows as they can hold.”

“Shall we begin constructing barricades?” one of the House Koridai troops asked.

“Do you intend for these barricades to form a complete dome over the entirety of our camp?” Lancel asked. “Or is it possible you’ve forgotten that the Rito can fly?”

“Oh! S-Sorry, your highness.”

“No need for apologies, soldier. Just grab a bow and try not to accidentally shoot yourself with it before our enemies have the pleasure.” Lancel waved the man off, smirking to himself.

While her brother gave out orders, Sophitia opted to wait patiently for Sage Balla to return. With any luck, the sage would bring good news, saying she had convinced Chief Revalco not to retaliate for the High Chieftain’s death. If that were to happen, then all battle preparation would be rendered unnecessary.

While she waited, seated atop a fallen stone column, the princess pondered the mystery of Kanelo’s murder. From what the others had said, the assassin seemed to have worked alone. It was possible. Perhaps that particular guard held some grudge against the Rito people and wished to sabotage the peace talks, or perhaps he’d been paid handsomely by someone else who did. Maybe he’d been killed in the battle, or maybe he was in their camp right now, preparing to kill more Rito.

“Or, perhaps the killer didn’t act alone, and his compatriots are covering for him even now,” Sophitia said quietly, thinking aloud.

“You think there are that many traitors in our midst?” Liliana asked, sitting beside her charge and polishing her sword.

Sophitia thought about it a moment longer, then shook her head. “No, I suppose not. It seems unlikely, anyway. House Koridai has always been on good terms with High Chief Kanelo. I find it difficult to believe so many of the governor’s closest guards would harbor a hatred for the Rito. It’s much more likely that the killer was acting alone.”

“There is another possibility,” Liliana suggested.

“And what’s that?” Sophitia asked, curious to know what theory her retainer had come up with.

“What if Percival was right?”

Sophitia furrowed her brow. “Percival? Right about what?”

“About Lancel,” the round-eared girl said, casting a subtle glance across the camp towards the prince.

Sophitia looked between the two of them, wondering what Liliana meant. Then, she began to put it together. “A fight breaks out between us and the Rito, forcing us to remove their presence from Skyloft, leaving us as the sole controllers of what Lancel believes to be the most important weapon in history,” the princess said aloud. “However, the blame does not rest on us, because a single unidentified and possibly dead guard acted alone, and the resulting battle is initiated by the hotheaded Rito chieftain with a known grudge against the Hylians.”

“It would make sense,” Liliana said, nodding her head. “He was quick to order us back here to prepare for battle, and he seemed rather certain this would be the only outcome. Plus, with the way he was sneaking around last night, he’s been rather shady about this whole Skyloft business.”

Sophitia heaved a sigh, seeing the point Liliana was making. Still, she thought about it some more. There were some holes in the story. “I am uncertain, Liliana,” she said. “Not everything adds up as cleanly as that. Lancel seemed quite upset with what transpired in that arena. He doesn’t speak like that when everything is going according to plan.”

“How do you know he wasn’t simply putting on an act?” Liliana asked.

Sophitia tilted her head. “That’s fair. But still, why would he even take such a risk? We were getting along fine with the Rito so far. He even has the master key in his possession already. If he had merely allowed the expedition to progress as planned, he would have gotten everything he wanted without the need for bloodshed or the possibility of open warfare.”

Liliana tapped her sword against the ground with a pondering look on her face. “Yes. That is true,” she admitted. “But your brother has kept you in the dark about his plans before. Perhaps there is more going on than we know. Something that would require such drastic action.”

“Maybe…” Sophitia clenched her jaw, placing her hand against her forehead. Then she let out a sigh. “Yes, I suppose that possibility exists as well. But without further information, it is all merely pointless speculation. I shall attempt to get the truth out of Lancel once all this is over, but for now, let us avoid tossing out dangerous accusations.”

“That is most wise, Princess,” Liliana agreed.

“Naturally.”

Having decided on that course of action, Sophitia continued to discuss the situation with Liliana, mostly planning their exit strategy and how to convince Lancel to leave should Revalco try to attack them. A few minutes later, one of her guards approached her.

“Your highness,” the man said. “Sage Balla is approaching the camp with her shamans.”

Sophitia stood up hurriedly. “She’s not flying, is she?”

“No, Princess. They landed and are approaching on foot. The sentries know not to shoot at them.”

“Oh, thank the gods,” Sophitia muttered, letting out a sigh of relief. “Come along, Liliana. Let us hear what news the Sage of Wind brings.”

The princess was nervous as she walked towards the edge of camp. Balla had come without Revalco. Did that mean the two of them had been unable to reach an agreement on how to deal with the Hylians? Or was Revalco sending Balla on ahead to let them know there would be no violence?

I just hope my brother is wrong, for once.

“Greetings, Sage Balla,” Sophitia said, bowing to the short Rito girl. “Please, join me in the meeting tent.”

The sage nodded solemnly. “Yes. Very well, your highness. Please lead the way.” Sophitia could already tell from the girl’s tone that she was not here to give them good news.

Just before they entered the large tent that housed the council table, they bumped into Lancel. “Ah, so the sage is here!” he said warmly, as if there was nothing to worry about. “Welcome back, Sage Balla. Mind if I join you?”

“Please do,” Sophitia offered.

The prince, the princess, and the sage took their seats at the table, while Liliana and Sir Anselm stood guard just inside the tent’s entrance. “Would you like some tea, wise sage?” Lancel offered, leaning forward to slide the pot towards himself.

“No, thank you.”

“You sure? You’ve come a long way. I imagine those wings of yours are awfully tired.”

“Lancel,” Sophitia said. “Perhaps we should address the matter at hand?”

“Hm? You mean the matter of Chief Revalco being on his way to kill us as we speak?” the prince replied. “Well, it’s hardly worth discussing, is it?”

“Let’s not jump to conclusions,” Sophitia insisted.

“No, the prince is correct,” Balla said, hanging her head.

“Oh, what a surprise,” Lancel said sarcastically before taking a deep sip of tea.

“Kanelo’s braves told Revalco what happened,” the sage went on. “He believes the Hylians have been conspiring to slaughter us all from the start.”

“That’s preposterous!” Sophitia exclaimed. “We only wished to work together.”

“What of the Grand Archivist?” Lancel asked, his face a little more serious. “And the Hylians who were with him?”

Sage Balla took a moment to respond. “...They were already dead by the time my shamans and I arrived,” she said, her voice shaky.

Lancel nodded. “As expected,” he said, taking another sip of tea.

Sophitia was shocked.

What kind of warrior kills a helpless old man?

The princess placed her hand on the table in front of Balla. “We are grateful to you for bringing us this news, Sage. I am sorry you had to get involved in these most distressing matters.” Then she turned to her brother. “Lancel, please, we must leave while we still can,” she insisted. “If we take the sky lift back down to the surface, we can travel back to Medoh and inform the Chieftains’ Council of what has transpired here. We can resolve this without further bloodshed.”

Lancel sighed and shook his head, as if he pitied her for being so naive. “Oh, Sister. I wish it could be that way, I do. But do you truly believe we could get to Medoh before Revalco’s men? By now he would have already sent a messenger to inform the council of his version of events. And by flying over the terrain, they can get there in half the time we can. By the time we get there, the only thing that will be waiting for us is the entire Rito Nation out for Hylian blood.”

Sophitia opened her mouth to argue, but she could think of nothing to say. She had not yet thought the matter through as clearly as he had. “There must be something we can do…”

Lancel finished his tea and placed his cup down on the table. “Well, this has been a fun little chat, but I’m afraid I need to go prepare for the impending assault. I’ll be outside if you need me.” With that, the prince stood up and left, bringing Sir Anselm with him.

Liliana walked over to the table and sat down beside Sophitia. “What shall we do now, Princess?” she asked.

Sophitia put her hand to her head, thinking. “The first thing we need to do is spread this information,” she said. “The more of our allies who know what is happening, the better. Sage Balla?”

“Yes, your highness?”

“Could I ask you to send your shamanas to deliver some messages?”

“Of course. They would be happy to assist.”

“Good. All they need to do is explain the truth of what transpired here today,” the princess said. She was glad to have the sage’s loyalty, although she doubted all of Balla’s acolytes were as friendly to Hylians as she was. “We must send word to the Chieftains’ Council in Medoh, Grand Artisan Rodan in the Wind Temple, Lord Remoth in Midoro, Governor Koridai’s widow in Snowpeak, my father in the capital, and my sister in Taafei.”

“Very well.” Sage Balla nodded and stood up. “I shall send the message out right away.” After taking a bow, she left the tent.

“You don’t want to contact anyone else?” Liliana asked. “Your brother? Your aunt?”

“They’re half a world away,” Sophitia exaggerated with a wave of her hand. “Word will reach them in time, but they will not be able to provide immediate assistance of any kind.”

“I see.” Liliana put her elbow on the table and leaned her head against her hand. “Might I ask what you expect everyone to do with that information? Because it may be taken as a call to arms.”

The princess held up her hand and began counting off with her fingertips. “With any luck, the Chieftains’ Council will believe us and take our side against Revalco. Rodan will take our remaining forces at the Wind Temple and prepare their defenses. Lord Remoth will know to expect us since I imagine we’ll be going straight there once we return to the surface. The governor’s widow will mourn. And my father will appoint a new Governor of Hebra and a new Grand Archivist, and issue any other necessary decrees.”

“What of your sister?”

Sophitia’s hand began toying with her hair. “Well. If we do end up in danger, I imagine she will come rescue us.”

“Aw, how sweet,” Liliana remarked. “You want your big sister to come protect you.”

“Well. It’s only natural,” Sophitia replied, blushing slightly. “Would your elder brother not do the same for you?”

Liliana tilted her head in agreement. “He wouldn’t ride in on a white horse with an army at his back, but he has proven himself quite proficient at doling out beatings when necessary, at least.”

“Ah. An essential skill for any elder brother.” Sophitia recalled the night Percival rescued them and Mina Remoth from those thugs they ran into in the city. He said he’d have them hanged for trying to touch his sister.

Would he bring his army across the kingdom to save me, I wonder?

“We can worry about reinforcements later,” Sophitia decided. “As I said, I am not sending out a call to arms. I am simply spreading our side of the story. If only Revalco is allowed to do so, he may gain enough support for a full rebellion, and that is the last thing this kingdom needs.”

“You know, there is another way to stop Revalco from raising a rebellion,” Liliana pointed out. “If Lancel’s forces manage to kill or capture him here…”

“It may stamp out his cause, but it may also make a martyr of him,” Sophitia replied. “Lancel has weighed the odds and calculated the potential reward to be worth the risk, but I would rather not take that chance.”

“Of course, Princess.”

“Now then.” Sophitia stood up from the table, and her retainer did the same. “Let’s ensure my guards are prepared. I want the sky lift secure and ready to be used in our retreat should the need arise.”

Chapter 31: Harun X

Chapter Text

That night, Harun left the main fortress on his own. He needed to be alone for a while; somewhere where no one would bother him. In the darkness, he wandered through the empty streets of the deserted fortress grounds, his eyes empty.

Eventually, Harun came to the rocky canyon wall at the south end of Taafei. When he did, he looked up. The walls seemed to stretch upward without end, but for some reason, it was like something was calling to him. Acting without thinking, he began to climb.

Harun was not an experienced climber. Throughout his ascent, he constantly scraped his hands and knees on the sharp rocks, and he slipped enough to nearly fall to the ground several times. That did not deter him, and he did not stop climbing until he reached the next plateau.

When he arrived on a flat surface, he turned and looked out over Taafei. Under different circumstances, he might have been proud to see it. As Urballa had said, this was his people’s seat of power, and it was theirs once again. It is what any Gerudo would have wanted. He would’ve liked to see it, too, one day. But this was not what he had imagined. Sabah had died before even having a real chance at life, and now another chapter in the endless war between Gerudo and Hyrule was unfolding. None of it felt like a victory.

Turning around, he walked further across the plateau. He reminded himself of everything bad that had happened so far. Demise, Ganondorf, Katta, Averla, Sabah. Urballa had come so close to her objective. The Hylian princesses were going to help exorcise him. Any good that could have come from this journey had been snatched away from him, and he didn’t even know who was responsible for it, or why they had done it.

“Dammit,” he muttered under his breath. He looked over his shoulder, as if expecting one of his mother figures to reprimand him. “Dammit,” he said louder, feeling his raise bubbling to the surface. “Gods dammit!” His voice echoed throughout the canyon. His shouts were not directed at anyone. He simply could not think of anything to do but to rage at the heavens. Perhaps one of the gods was looking down on him. Perhaps they would accept the blame, but he doubted they would do anything to help him.

However, his thoughts soon turned to Ganondorf. The only one who would get what he wanted now was the demon king. Harun had experienced the old king's feelings, heard his thoughts, and seen his wishes. The prospect of war with the Hylians pleased him to no end.

“Are you happy?” Harun bitterly asked the spirit within him. “Thousands will die. Is that what you want?” His vision began to cloud over. Random, unclear images flashed before him. The familiar surge of power and anger burned within him as he lost his balance and fell to his knees. “Just leave me be, demon. I never wanted this. Begone. Begone! Begone!”

When Harun opened his eyes again, he was kneeling in ankle-deep water. His mind and his vision had cleared, so he tried to make sense of his new surroundings. All around him was a pool of shallow water, stretching as far as the eye could see. Above him was a haze of black clouds, blocking any sunlight that might have been trying to pierce through. Flashes of lightning jumped between clouds in the distance, illuminating the only other figure in sight.

Harun climbed to his feet. There was a man standing a few meters away from him. A Gerudo man, even taller than he was. The voe’s cape swayed gently in the wind, and he stood with his hands on a sword planted in the ground as he gazed up at the dark sky. The prince was stunned, and merely stood there staring at the voe until he finally turned and made eye contact.

“...You,” Harun said.

The dark lord nodded. “Me.”

The prince took a deep breath. He had wanted to yell at the other voe, but he was scared and confused, and he did not know if any of this was real. “Where are we?”

Ganondorf looked back up at the sky. “Inside the Master Sword.”

“...What?” The prince did not know what that meant.

“This has been my prison for the last hundred years,” the man said, turning back to Harun. “Until Alkawbra allowed me to aid you.”

Aid me?” Harun said with disgust. “You… You… Do you have any idea what you made me do?” he asked, taking a step forward, nearly in tears. “Lady Averla was my friend. My mentor. She was practically a mother to me. And you made me kill her with my own hand!”

Ganondorf did not respond, continuing instead to stand there with his hands over the hilt of his sword.

“Alkawbra was wrong,” Harun asserted. “You do not wish to help me. All you wish to do is use me -- use me to settle your grudge with Hyrule. That’s all you ever cared about, wasn’t it? It was never about freedom, or justice, or aiding your people. It was about vengeance. It was about power.”

“Power,” the demon king repeated musingly, but he did not confirm or deny Harun’s accusations. “You need me, young prince,” Ganondorf said after a moment. “The Goddess of Spirit told you as much. No matter how dangerous you think I am, I am nothing compared to the true darkness within you.” When he spoke those words, a red flash of lighting lit up the black clouds off in the distance, accompanied by a low, rumbling roar.

“I do not fear the darkness,” Harun declared. “I can fight it without you. I will conquer it -- make its power my own.”

“Power,” Ganondorf muttered again. “You do not understand the meaning of the word,” he said. “I bore the Curse of Demise for over a century, young prince. I learned to control it. After a while, you stop thinking of it as a curse. It is merely another weapon to use against your enemies. But it is no easy task. If you do not have the will for it, you do not control the power -- it controls you.” Another flash of lightning ignited the sky, and that terrible roar seemed closer than before. “The curse is hate incarnate. That is all it is. I hated the Hylians. I still hate them. I hated them so much, not even death itself could stop me from pursuing my vengeance. You will come to hate them, too. Or if not them, then someone else. You cannot escape it any more than I could.”

“I am not you,” Harun argued. “I will never allow that to happen.”

Ganondorf let out a low chuckle. “It matters not, young prince. The time for war with Hyrule has come once again. You will continue my work whether you wish it or not.”

“Whatever I do, it will be my choice.”

“No. It will be Demise’s choice -- unless you allow me to keep him at bay.”

Harun glared at the imposing figure before him. He struggled to decide what to do. If he allowed Ganondorf to continue possessing him, the demon king was likely to somehow manipulate him, using him as a weapon to decimate the Hylians in the coming war. But if he expelled Ganondorf’s spirit, perhaps the spirit of Demise would take him over instead. It could lead to the exact same result -- or, perhaps, to something even worse.

The prince took a deep breath. “Fine. You will do as the Goddess of Spirit commanded -- and no more. You are not to take control of me unless I will it. Do I make myself clear?”

Ganondorf lifted his sword, returning it to its sheath. “Very well, young prince,” he said, flipping his cape as he stepped towards Harun. “You are my successor, after all. I expect greatness from you. Do not disappoint me.”

Before Harun could respond, Ganondorf reached out with his hand and shoved him. The prince lost his balance and fell backwards, landing flat on his back. However, the ground was no longer covered by ankle-deep water. It was solid rock once again. Looking up at the sky, the thundering clouds were gone as well, and there was only the dark of night.

Sitting up, Harun sat cross-legged and closed his eyes. Despite having made no progress, he felt much calmer than he had been before his conversation with the demon king. The dark spirits still haunted him, but he had come to an understanding with one of them.

Is this what Sage Nashorla had meant by making peace with Ganondorf?

During his short time at the Spirit Temple, the sage had tried to teach him how to commune with the spirits. He had done that tonight, but he had seemingly managed to do it through anger rather than calmness and inner peace.

Have I done something wrong? Was this not the way? Will Ganondorf even stay true to his word? There is so much I do not understand, and yet Urballa and Ganondorf both expect me to be king one day.

Harun’s heart sank once again when he came to that realization. He had been allowed to spend one single night believing he did not have to be king, but with Sabah no longer the heir to the throne, it seemed as though the duty would once again fall to him.

Taking another deep breath, Harun stood up and walked back to the edge of the cliff overlooking Taafei.

Perhaps this need not be a curse.

Troubled times were coming, that much was for sure. If anything happened to Queen Urballa, their people would need a strong leader to take her place, lest someone like Elder Kobami seize the throne instead.

“Very well, old king,” Harun said aloud. “I will be your successor, but on my own terms. When the time comes, I will lead my people -- I will be king.”


In the days following Princess Sabah’s death, Harun spent much of his time alone. So much had happened all at once, and the young prince found that only the quiet meditation techniques he’d been taught by the Sage of Spirit were able to do anything to keep him calm. However, despite having recently opened a dialogue with the demon spirit that was possessing him, Harun had not made any further attempt to speak with Ganon. As far as he was concerned, the less he had to do with the previous king, the better off he would be.

After announcing her intentions to reclaim Gerudo independence, Queen Urballa had sent the news all across the province. Women from all throughout the desert and the highlands had come marching to Taafei to join the cause. Anti-Hyrulean sentiment was at an all-time high, with many who’d been formerly on the fence finally joining the Ganonite side due to the belief that the Hylians had ordered the murder of the young princess. Even some former Hylianites had been convinced of Hyrule’s wickedness.

Coming all the way from the Arbiter’s Ground, Sage Nashorla and her retinue had been among the last to arrive. It was the queen’s wish for her daughter’s spirit to be sent along to the next world by the sage herself, so Sabah’s funeral had been delayed until she arrived. Once she had entered the city, she and the other spirit priestesses had immediately gotten to work preparing for the ceremony. Harun wished to speak with her, but he’d not had the chance.

When it came time for the funeral procession, the streets from the fortress to the temple were lined with thousands of Gerudo, all coming to pay their respects in mourning of their lost princess. Harun stood with Queen Urballa outside the entrance to the fortress. Elder Kobami and the rest of the royal procession were there as well, waiting for the priestesses to bring Sabah’s body out of the fortress so they could walk through the city down to the temple together.

Sage Nashorla was the first of the spirit priestesses to step outside, slowly waving her lantern-bearing staff in front of her as she led the way. Behind her, six of her priestesses carried Sabah’s body atop a golden slab decorated with jewels around its edges. The princess herself could not actually be seen as she was covered in linen wrappings, but with how short the body was, it could only be a child’s.

A child.

Harun shuddered as the thought hit him again. Someone had murdered an innocent child; stolen her whole life from her. She would have been queen one day. She could have been the one to free the Gerudo peacefully. But now, she was gone. Her spirit was to be sent to the next world, and her body would remain forever in the crypt below the Spirit Temple.

I wonder if she’s here right now.

With her spirit not yet sent, perhaps Sabah was watching her own funeral procession. Harun had long suspected that the reason behind the distant gazes Sage Nashorla and the other spirit priestesses had was that they were constantly seeing spirits that others could not. So many Gerudo and Hylians had died in the recent battle. Were their spirits there, too? There could be dozens of them now haunting Taafei, slowly transforming into Poes or other malevolent entities. Harun hoped the sage and her priestesses would be able to give them all peace as well.

Queen Urballa put on a brave face as she fell in line behind the pallbearers carrying her daughter. She would not show how truly devastated she was in public, but Harun had heard her weeping behind her bedroom door in the fortress several times in the past few days. He’d tried to think of something he could do, but he found it difficult to even talk to her.

Harun and the others joined the queen and followed the priestesses down the path leading out from the fortress. They passed by lines of Gerudo on either side of them the whole way to the temple. Some stood with their heads lowered respectfully. Others saluted or muttered prayers. A few burst into tears at the sight of the child’s wrapped body, and some glared angrily, silently swearing revenge on the ones who did this.

When they arrived at the temple, Harun followed Urballa inside. The building was already full of Gerudo nobles, most of whom had known the princess quite well. Space had been left open at the front for the queen and her retinue, so Urballa and the others took their places there. The spirit priestesses continued on, carrying Sabah’s body to the far end of the room and placing it on top of a long, rectangular pedestal.

A large statue of Nephysis with Alkawbra wrapped around her took up much of the wall behind them. Only days prior, a winged statue of Hylia had been in its place, but after reclaiming Taafei, the Gerudo had torn that statue down. After two hundred years of being used as a house of worship for Hylia, the temple was back to being used to worship the Gerudo gods, as it had been built for in ages past. Most of the Gerudo in the city were elated by this, but Harun found it distasteful. Princess Sabah had been a devout follower of Nephysis and Hylia. Tearing down one statue in favor of another seemed insulting to her memory.

Nevertheless, the sending ceremony continued. The spirit priestesses in the back took instruments in hand and began playing a somber yet beautiful tune. Sage Nashorla and two other priestess waved their staves in rhythm to it. Harun could not see anything happening, but the air in the room changed somehow. He wondered if that was the spirits reacting to the sage’s magic, or if an invisible portal to a spirit realm had just opened up inside the temple.

Out of the corner of his eye, Harun saw Queen Urballa shiver beside him, although it was difficult to tell whether it was because of some spiritual occurrence or simply because of the circumstances. The brave face she’d been wearing for days was starting to crack, and Harun watched with a terrible feeling in his gut as she shed a single tear. The prince turned his attention back to the sending ceremony, not wishing to draw any attention to the queen’s turmoil or alert her to the fact that he’d noticed.

I am truly sorry, my queen.


The sun had already set when Harun returned to the temple that night. Most of the other buildings in the fortress complex had darkened, but the prince could see through the temple’s windows that the candles continued to burn inside. Sage Nashorla and her priestesses had been given their own quarters in which to stay for the duration of their visit, but Harun had figured the sage would still have business in the temple.

It was not easy to set foot back inside that building. What he’d experienced earlier that day was still fresh in his mind. Nevertheless, he entered. For a moment, the temple appeared empty. But, as he gazed across the expansive room at the giant statue of Nephysis and Alkawbra, he noticed someone lying at the foot of it.

“Sa--!” Harun stopped himself before he called out. Perhaps she was merely meditating, and it would’ve been rude to interrupt. Moving quickly but quietly, he crossed the room and climbed up onto the dais. There beneath the statue lay Sage Nashorla, eyes closed. “Sage!” Harun shouted, kneeling beside her. His eyes poured over her body, searching for signs of wounds.

However, a moment later, Nashorla opened her eyes. “Prince Harun,” she said, sitting up.

“Sage Nashorla.” Harun breathed a sigh of relief. “You are unharmed.”

“Yes, I am. I apologize for alarming you,” she said as they both climbed to their feet. “I was merely communing with my Patron.”

“Your Patron?” Harun repeated, tilting his head back to look up at the giant stone cobra on the statue. From his previous experience with Alkawbra, he half-expected to see it move. “What did she say?”

“Only what I wished to know,” the sage replied. “The spirits we ferried across the threshold today arrived safely.”

Harun nodded his head, then furrowed his brow. “Sage… Princess Sabah… Where is she now?” he asked. “She arrived safely, but to where?”

“I do not know, young one.” Nashorla continued to stare through him. She did not appear surprised by his question. As their people’s foremost spiritual authority, she probably got questions like that quite often.

“Does Alkawbra not tell you?” he asked.

“She does not.”

“Why not?”

“We are the living. It is not for us to know until we pass on ourselves.”

“But… Why ?” Harun looked up at the stone cobra again. “Why does she get to know? These are our loved ones. Shouldn’t we get to know if they are in a better place?” Sabah, Averla, Katta -- Harun thought of them all. It pained him to not know whether their spirits were truly at peace.

“Sadly, that is also something I do not understand, my prince. But I have faith that the gods have their reasons.”

Harun opened his mouth, but could not think of a follow-up question that would not be a repeat of his previous questions. He was not at all satisfied with the answers he’d been given, but he could tell the sage had nothing else to say on the issue.

“Sit with me awhile, Harun,” Nashorla offered, taking a seat on the ground as if to meditate.

Harun was about to complain, but he had come there to speak with her for a reason. “Thank you, Sage,” he said, joining her on the floor.

“What is troubling you, young one?” Nashorla asked.

Harun figured the answer to that would be obvious, but then again, Sabah’s death was not the only matter weighing on his mind. “Many things,” the prince replied. “I… spoke with the demon king.”

Nashorla blinked, her face betraying genuine surprise. “I see. So you have finally made contact with your spirit guide.”

“He is not my spirit guide,” Harun insisted forcefully.

“Alright,” the sage conceded, raising a hand as a signal for him to be calm. “What did Ganon say to you?”

Harun closed his eyes, picturing the voe he’d spoken to in his vision. “He said… He confirmed he was doing the job given to him by Alkawbra,” Harun replied. “He is keeping Demise’s curse at bay for the time being.”

“That is good,” Sage Nashorla said with a nod, urging him to continue.

“But he also said I would be his successor,” Harun added. “Not just because I am the voe, or because I will be king one day. He believes I will grow to hate the Hyruleans just as he did, and I will follow in his footsteps.”

Nashorla regarded him silently for a moment, taking in what he’d said. Harun averted his gaze, finding her penetrating stare somewhat uncomfortable. “Do you believe that to be your destiny?” she asked.

“No!” Harun denied. “I-- I don’t know. I don’t want it to be. But the Curse of Demise… he said that’s what it does. It is ‘hate incarnate.’ And lately…” Harun hung his head, ashamed of himself.

“It is natural for someone in your position to have feelings of anger,” Nashorla told him gently. After everything she’d witnessed Harun say and do back at the Spirit Temple, combined with the recent events in Taafei, Harun knew she had a point.

“It just…” Harun climbed to his feet, feeling the need to pace. “It just keeps getting worse,” he said bitterly, walking to the end of the dais and gazing out over the empty temple, imagining the Gerudo who had filled the pews earlier that day.

“Your condition?” Nashorla inquired, remaining seated.

“Everything!” Harun replied, gesturing to nowhere in particular. “We came all this way to speak to the Hyruleans. We had plans for a peaceful future for both our peoples. My betrothal to the princess was severed, and Sabah and I were happier for it!” Harun turned around and threw his gaze back up at the statue of the goddesses, as if accusing them. “And now she’s gone. And with her, our chance for peace. The queen and everyone else want to go to war, and they’re sullying Sabah’s name by using her death as an excuse to justify it.”

“You do not agree with the queen’s decision?” the sage asked. “Would you not have Sabah’s murderer brought to justice?”

“We don’t even know who that is,” Harun pointed out. “None of this makes a single iota of sense. And even if I maintain control of my own body, Ganon still gets what he wants in the end.”

“Prince Harun.” Nashorla stood up and grabbed her lantern-bearing staff that was leaning against the statue. “Have you shared these concerns with the queen?”

“How could I?” Harun asked. “She just lost her only daughter. She wants revenge. Nothing I say can change her mind now.”

“We are about to go to war, my prince,” the sage reminded him. “If you have any doubts at all about the validity of this extreme action, you must share them with Queen Urballa. It could be your only chance to prevent our people from making a colossal mistake.”

Harun took a deep breath, considering the sage’s wisdom. She had a point. If asking the queen to reconsider had even the smallest chance of preventing a war, surely it was worth trying. “Very well,” he agreed. Glancing out the window and seeing how deep into the night it was, he realized she was likely asleep. “I shall speak with her first thing in the morning.”

“That would be most wise, young prince,” Nashorla said with a nod. “May the gods grant you good fortune.”


When Harun went looking for Queen Urballa the next day, he was surprised to find her in the throne room. It was so early in the day, he figured she would be in her quarters, in the mess hall, or in the temple. Instead, she was sitting on the throne of past Gerudo monarchs, all alone in a completely deserted audience chamber.

As the prince slowly pushed the door open and stepped into the room, Urballa noticed him, but she did not say anything. She seemed distracted, gazing out across the audience chamber as if others were there. It worried Harun, but he walked down the carpet to approach her.

“My queen, may I speak with you?” Harun had to force the words out as he spoke. He knew this was going to be an uncomfortable conversation, but it was one that needed to be had.

“Of course, Prince Harun,” Urballa replied, looking down at him. “What is on your mind?”

“It…” Harun hesitated, searching for the right way to approach the matter. “It is about Princess Sabah.”

Urballa’s eye twitched at the mention of her deceased daughter’s name. “I see. That is not unexpected. I imagine she will be on all our minds for some time now. I am thankful that so many have traveled so far to honor her memory.”

“Yes,” Harun nodded in vague agreement. “But I am afraid there is something… troubling me. About the circumstances of her untimely death.”

That seemed to pique the queen’s interest. She leaned her chin against her hand and narrowed her eyes, appraising him. “What is troubling you, Harun?”

The prince took a deep breath. “I do not believe the Hyruleans to be responsible for it,” he admitted. Urballa stared at him for a moment. Her lack of reaction was unsettling. Harun had tried to work out how she would take it when he made his claim, but now that he’d said it, he couldn’t quite tell what she was thinking.

“Interesting,” she said at last, leaning back into her throne. “And what has brought you to this conclusion?”

“I have thought about this extensively,” Harun replied. “And no matter what angle I approach it from, I am unable to find a set of circumstances in which it makes sense for the Hyruleans to take such an extreme course of action.”

“Please explain,” Urballa commanded simply.

“From the perspective of the Hylians, what would they stand to gain by murdering the princess?” Harun asked.

“I can think of numerous possibilities,” the queen replied. “Lowering the morale of our kingdom. Severing my royal bloodline. Punishing me for insubordination.”

Harun shook his head. “Governor Vapith must have known that murdering the princess would only serve to enrage the Gerudo people, not demoralize us,” Harun countered. “Additionally, with Sabah in line for the Gerudo throne, and with her acceptance of the Hylian gods, the Hylians would’ve been incentivized to preserve your bloodline, if anything. And more importantly, if they truly wished to use Sabah to get to you, they would have simply taken her hostage. Killing her would have removed any leverage she might have been able to give them.”

Queen Urballa considered Harun’s words for a long while before speaking again. “I see the wisdom in your words, young prince,” she admitted. “But if it was not the Hyruleans who murdered my daughter, then who, may I ask, is the true culprit?”

Harun had an answer for that, but he could not say it straight away. An accusation this severe needed to be delivered with as much explanation as possible. “I believe we are playing right into the murderer’s hands,” the prince explained. “The killer must have known we would immediately blame the Hylians, and that the result would be war. That can be the only true motive behind this heinous crime.”

“So you believe this to be the work of the Ganonites, then?” Urballa asked. “Perhaps an agent of Shabonne’s? Or another from within their faction?”

“That is likely,” Harun replied, mentally preparing himself for his next words. “It might also be one of your Ganonite advisors.”

Urballa raised an eyebrow. “You accuse Elder Kobami, then?”

“Not accuse, my queen. I am merely stating it as a possibility,” Harun clarified, hoping to come across as merely sharing his suspicions. “You must admit it is suspicious, however. She has been encouraging you to declare war on Hyrule and fight for our independence for years, after all.”

Urballa shook her head and sighed. “I understand you and Elder Kobami have had your differences, but she is no monster, Harun,” she said to him. “She is a cunning old witch -- ruthless, even. But there are some lines even she would not cross. She loved Sabah like a granddaughter. I cannot imagine Kobami ever doing something to harm her.”

Harun thought about it. Moments ago, he’d been convinced that Elder Kobami’s zealous devotion to Ganon and strong desire for Gerudo independence would have allowed her to justify using any means necessary to obtain her goals. However, he remembered what the elder had shown him in the catacombs beneath the Arbiter’s Grounds.

The previous voe was murdered as an infant. Kobami seemed disgusted by such villainy.

“Fine,” Harun said. He was not entirely convinced of the witch’s innocence, but he had his doubts now, and he still had next to no evidence of her involvement. “Perhaps Elder Kobami was not involved. Nevertheless, as you’ve said, there are many among the Ganonites who would see us go to war with Hyrule. I am certain there is at least one individual in their ranks who would be willing to go so far as to murder a child in the name of their cause.”

“True enough,” Urballa conceded. “But could one not say the same of Hyrule?”

Harun furrowed his brow. “I beg your pardon, my queen?” he asked, not quite understanding what she meant.

“Just as you said. There are Ganonites who would kill a child for their cause. It follows that there are also Hyruleans who would kill for theirs,” Urballa clarified. “In other words, it changes nothing. We will always be able to speculate that perhaps another party had motive, but without further evidence, what can we do but assume the most likely explanation?”

“But how is it more likely that the Hyruleans were behind it?” Harun asked, raising his voice in frustration. “I just explained that they had no reason to kill Sabah!”

“Not Sabah alone , perhaps, but we do not know that she was their only target,” Urballa countered. “The Hyruleans may have simply wished to wipe the slate clean -- eliminate the entire Gerudo leadership and install their own puppet government made up of only those most loyal to them. I myself was surrounded by Hylians when I heard what had happened to my daughter. And you?”

Harun thought back to the moment when the fighting broke out. “I… I was with Dame Moza, and her Hylian soldiers,” he said, his eyes opening wide with realization.

“Precisely,” Urballa said with a nod. “Perhaps our assassins were all meant to strike at once, but ours were delayed, or Sabah’s struck too early.”

Urballa’s theory was beginning to make sense to Harun, but as he went over the details, it still didn’t quite add up. “No… No, there are still far too many holes in that explanation,” he said, shaking his head. “When the fighting began, Dame Moza came to escort me back to the guest quarters. Why would she bother with such a ruse? If their assassination attempt was already underway, why would she not simply attack me then and there?”

“Were you alone?”

“No, I was with my guards.”

“Then she was merely attempting to lead you somewhere to separate you from them.”

“Moza’s forces outnumbered my own!”

“Numbers are not everything. One Hylian is not the equal of one Gerudo.”

Harun felt his anger rising. The queen had an answer to everything he said, and the frustration was getting to him. “This is absurd. You say all I am doing is speculating, but you are no different,” he stated forcefully, his voice much louder than it had been a moment ago. “The culprit behind Princess Sabah’s murder has not even been determined yet, and you would go to war over it? Why are you so determined to make the Hyruleans our enemy?”

“The Hyruleans are our enemy,” Urballa replied. Her voice remained level, but she spoke much more firmly now. “You saw it during the negotiations. They never had any intention of giving us even another centimeter of freedom.”

“You speak no differently than Elder Kobami now,” Harun said accusingly. “If Lady Averla were here, she would never allow you to do this.” The queen narrowed her eyes at him after he said that. She did not say anything, but he knew he’d made a mistake.

If it weren’t for me, Lady Averla would be here…

Urballa rose from her throne and walked down the steps to Harun’s level. He lowered his head in shame, glaring at the ground, but she did not scold him. Instead, he felt her hand on his shoulder. “We are all emotional right now,” she said to him, her voice suddenly more gentle and understanding. “I never wanted it to come to this either, but regardless of what any of us want, war is already upon us. My beloved daughter is dead, and so is the Hyrulean governor. Our people cry out for vengeance, and princess Zelda has declared us enemies of the Hyrulean crown. What else can we do?”

Harun looked up and met Urballa’s gaze. He could see the fierce warrior’s spirit in her eyes, but he could also see the heartbroken mother. He realized that she was just as confused and terrified as he was. Lately, Harun had spent so much time counting his misfortunes, but he’d barely considered what everyone else was going through.

“I… I apologize for my outburst, my queen,” he said, dipping his head in shame once more.

“No apologies necessary, my child,” Urballa replied, embracing him gently. “We will get through these trying times together. I promise you.”


Harun walked away from his conversation with Queen Urballa more confused than he’d been before. He had failed to stop his people from going to war, he was no longer certain that the blame for Princess Sabah’s death had been misplaced, and he’d become convinced that war was practically inevitabile at this point either way. As a result, he went about the rest of his morning very mechanically, going through the motions in a haze of foreboding and uncertainty.

The prince managed to have a brief conversation with Sage Nashorla before she left, but it did not resolve anything, and all she could do was offer her sympathies and her prayers. While a number of her spirit priestesses remained behind to join the war effort, the rest of them and Nashorla herself departed soon after, bringing the bodies of Princess Sabah and several other fallen Gerudo nobles with them to be entombed in the Arbiter’s Grounds.

As for the rest of the Gerudo in Taafei, they prepared for war. Thousands of women assembled at the eastern gate bearing weapons, armor, horses, camels, potions, food, water, and everything else they would need for an all-out military campaign. Gerudo Canyon would take about a day and a half to pass through, and it was likely to be defended by countless Hyrulean outposts along the way. At the other end of the canyon was the still Hylian-controlled city of Yarna, where Princess Zelda was expected to have fled to. If they could retake Yarna and drive the Hylians out of the canyon, then the entirety of the Gerudo lands would be controlled by Gerudo alone for the first time in more than two hundred years.

Just as they had done while traveling through the desert, Harun and Urballa traveled separately for safety purposes. The first cohort to leave Taafei was a group of light cavalry, sent forth to scout ahead with orders to turn back and report if they ran into any danger. Queen Urballa’s cohort had been the next to leave. Her group made up the bulk of their forces, and she was joined by Elder Kobami and Commander Bularis.

The last cohort, bringing up the rear, was Harun’s. The soldiers left under his command were mostly new recruits, and it was their duty to escort most of the supply wagons. Harun had been outfitted with a new set of fancy-looking Gerudo voe armor intended to make him appear more authoritative as a military commander and as the crown prince. He was sure he would look intimidating to the enemy, but he did not enjoy being dressed for war, and the massive Gerudo stallion on which he rode was not making things any easier. He had never ridden a horse before, and the beast was much more temperamental than any camel he’d ever ridden.

“Are we ready to move out, Prince Harun?” Laine asked, riding up next to him alongside Emri.

“Yeah, these horses are restless ,” Kyra added, appearing to Harun’s other side, tugging on the reins of her mount. “We should get a move on before the others get all the action.”

Harun looked ahead at the gate that Urballa and her cohort had left through some time ago. Part of him wanted to ignore their orders and simply remain in Taafei, not taking part in the assault on Yarna at all. However, he could not bring himself to abandon his queen or let his people fight alone. “Yes, I suppose it’s time,” Harun agreed. He took a deep breath before raising his voice. “Forward, my sisters!” he shouted. “Move out!”

The start of their journey was rather uneventful, as expected. Harun ordered his troops not to let their guard down, but he would not expect the Hyruleans to try to ambush them until they’d gotten further into the canyon. Nevertheless, he frequently cast his gaze upward, checking to see if anyone was watching them from atop the cliffs.

“More water, my prince?” Laine offered a few hours into the excursion, holding out her waterskin.

Harun tried not to groan. “No, thank you,” he replied, lifting up his own waterskin to show he still had his own supply.

Laine pulled her arm back. “My apologies, your highness,” she said. “I know you do not appreciate it when we coddle you.”

The prince looked at her with surprise. For years, Laine, Emri, and Kyra had been among the noble girls he’d been raised alongside who clung to him the most. As children of prominent Ganonites, they had always showered him with attention and praise, no matter how much he told them not to. Katta had been the only one to truly treat him as an equal. Ever since they’d left Naboris, the three of them had been acting as his personal guards, and they’d been treating him much the same way. This was the first time any of them had apologized for it.

“You are forgiven, Laine,” Harun said, speaking genuinely. “I will let you know when I require assistance.”

“Hah!” Kyra let out a laugh. “I think we all know what kind of assistance she would like to give you.”

Laine and Emri both look scandalized at that remark. “I beg your pardon?” Laine asked, glaring at the other warrior.

“Ladies, please.” Harun held up his hands, riding between them as if to separate them.

Laine pulled on the reins of her horse and turned her attention forward. “My apologies once more, your highness.”

Kyra chuckled one more time. “Yes. My apologies.”

Harun looked at her. Out of the three of them, Kyra was the one who most reminded him of Katta. She was always direct and honest with her words, and she was much less concerned with formality than many of the other noble girls Harun had been raised alongside. She even looked like her, to the point where Harun wondered if they might have had the same father. Kyra and Katta had never gotten along, though. Harun remembered having to break up their fights quite often, lest they end up punished by Lady Averla.

Turning his head, he moved his gaze over to Emri. Of the three of them, Emri was definitely the least like Katta. She was gentle and kind hearted, even a little shy, and she was not the type to offer her own opinion unprompted. However, like Katta, she had always seemed rather indifferent to the Hylianite-Ganonite conflict, usually only offering token support of Gerudo independence whenever those around her expressed their desire for it. That may have been why she’d had the least conflict with Katta out of the three of them, although Katta had liked to tease her now and then.

Laine had often clashed with Katta, but in a different way than Kyra. Laine was always serious, putting duty and honor above all else. Between her size, strength, and discipline, she had the makings of an Iron Knuckle. She had always taken issue with the way both Katta and Kyra refused to take their duties seriously, often telling them to mind their manners in the presence of the prince. Harun knew she meant well, but that had always bothered him. He, too, knew what it was like to be weighed down by others’ expectations, but it never sat well with him when people changed the way they acted simply because he was there.

However, despite never having quite seen eye to eye with Katta, the other three noble girls had all had the decency not to besmirch her name following her death. Thinking about it, Harun began to consider that perhaps they understood him better than he gave them credit for. He even felt a little guilty for always being so cold to them and spurning their advances with jaded indifference.

“Ladies,” Harun said, getting the attention of all three of them. “What do you plan to do after all of this is over?” he asked. He often avoided making any kind of conversation with them, so he figured he should try being a little more polite.

“Prince Harun?” Laine asked, tilting her head in confusion.

“Say we take back Yarna from the Hyruleans,” he began to clarify. “Queen Urballa becomes the sole ruler of Gerudo. The fighting is over. What then? What will you do?”

“I will return home and continue my training,” Laine replied. “And I will continue to serve you, if you will allow it.”

“That’s probably the plan for all three of us, isn’t it?” Kyra said. “Unless the queen lets us stay in Yarna so we can keep fighting against the Hylians, who will no doubt attempt to take the city from us again.” The way she smiled as she said that gave Harun the impression that fighting the Hylians was something she looked forward to.

Their answers were very matter-of-fact, but they were missing the point of Harun’s question. “What if there was no fighting, and nothing to train for,” he said, rephrasing the question. “What would you do instead?”

“There is always something to train for, my prince,” Laine replied, either missing the point once again or genuinely having no other answer.

“Maybe I’d join the arena,” Kyra said. “You know, be a gladiator. Duel with other warriors, fight monsters, put on a show for the audience, and look damn fine doing it.” As she spoke, she swished her spear in front of her, fighting off imaginary foes.

It’s still fighting, but at least it’s only for sport.

“And what about you, Emri?” Harun asked, realizing the third girl hadn’t answered yet.

Emri seemed startled to be put on the spot all of a sudden. “Oh. Um. Well, anything I can do to serve the royal family would be an honor…”

“Ah, in that case, were you or the queen looking for a new concubine, Harun?” Kyra asked jokingly. Emri gasped, her face turning red.

“Kyra…” Laine muttered threateningly.

“Alright, alright, relax.” Kyra waver her hands in surrender, still chuckling at the looks on all their faces.

Harun was disappointed, but not by Kyra’s humor. He could tell Emri had wanted to answer differently, but she must have felt compelled to give an answer her mother would approve of, or perhaps her true answer wasn’t something she felt comfortable sharing so publicly.

Well, if I am to be king one day, perhaps it would not be terrible to have three loyal subordinates like them. Even if they can be overbearing.

“Hey, Harun, what if--?”

Enemy sighted !”

Kyra had been about to say something else, but she was interrupted by shouting from further up the line. Startled into a panic, Harun began frantically scanning the area as further shouting began. Up above them, he spotted several Hylians perched atop the scaffolding that ran along the cliffside. Right when he noticed them, the arrows began flying.

Shields!” Harun shouted, drawing the mirror shield he was still in possession of. He and several others around him were able to protect themselves from the first volley, but others in the convoy were not so lucky. “Archers! Return fire!” As the Gerudo archers drew their bows and began fighting back, Harun began casting spells. It was difficult, but he managed to hit a few of the enemies up above them with some long-range lightning spells.

Although the surprise attack had caught them off guard, the Hylians were few in number. After several of them had fallen, the rest retreated, either continuing down the wooden pathway along the cliffside or climbing the ladders further up.

“Get the wounded on carts,” Harun ordered. “Have the healers tend to them immediately.” As he spoke, the prince pulled the reins of his horse, trotting over to the canyon wall where one of the Hylians had fallen. He dismounted and looked down at the body. There were no arrows in him, so perhaps the dead man had been one of the archers he’d killed with lightning.

It was easy, wasn’t it?

Harun narrowed his eyes. The voice he’d just heard in his head was distinctly not his own. “I was merely defending my people,” he muttered, although he wasn’t sure if he was justifying his actions to Ganon or to himself.

As was I.

The prince took a deep breath, biting back his anger at the voice in his head.

“Prince Harun.”

The voe flinched, then turned around. His guards had rode up behind him. Kyra dismounted and approached the body as well, whistling appreciatively. “Nice shot, Prince,” she said. “A fine kill.” Harun chose not to thank her.

“What are your orders?” Laine asked the prince.

Harun took a moment to consider the circumstances. They had been attacked by such a small group, it could only have been a scouting force of some sort. Perhaps they’d only attacked because they saw an opportunity to kill the voe, or out of reflex at having been spotted. There were likely more Hyrulean scouts moving throughout the canyon, using the scaffolding to get around and perhaps shortcutting over the plateau to avoid having to travel along the entire road. The other Gerudo cohorts had probably been spotted by such groups numerous times as well.

“The Hyruleans must be intending to strike while we are still on the move,” he said aloud. “Their main forces are likely camped out atop Koukot Plateau. Once their scouts relay to them our locations and our numbers, they’ll either attack each cohort one by one or try to attack all three at once.”

“What should we do, your highness?” Emri asked nervously, glancing upwards as if expecting to see more Hylians there.

Harun looked up as well, trying to decide how best to approach the situation. Despite his participation in the recent battle, he did not wish to simply slaughter the Hylians. If he approached them with only a small force, perhaps he could negotiate with them, or failing that, at least stall their attack in some way through sabotage or distraction.

“I will go to the Hyrulean camp,” he declared. “And I’ll bring a dozen warriors with me. Laine, stay with the convoy. I’m leaving you in charge.”

“Yes, my prince,” the young woman replied, straightening her back and sticking her chest out with pride at having been given such a responsibility.

“Thank you. And send a rider up ahead to inform the queen of my intentions. They are likely aware of the enemy presence in the canyon, but tell them of our battle all the same.”

“What about us?” Kyra asked.

“You both come with me,” Harun replied, speaking to her and Emri.

“Great!” Kyra replied, stomping her spear into the ground and saluting with an eager smile on her face.

“We’ll do our best to keep you safe,” Emri promised.

“You honor me,” Harun said with a nod. “Now, make the preparations. We must move quickly.”

Chapter 32: Link X

Chapter Text

“It was terrifying.”

“Shut up.”

“The gargantuan monster, crushing me beneath its claws.”

“Shut up.”

“It was going to burn me alive.”

“By the gods, please shut up.”

Link had no idea where he was in relation to where he had entered the mine, nor did he see anything that would direct him toward an exit. So, his only option was to journey blindly through the tunnels and hope he didn’t run into any more monsters along the way. His only ‘companion’ at the moment was the annoying, quixotic knight who had gotten him into this mess in the first place, and he would not shut up about their recent encounter with the dragon.

“I’ve never had a near-death experience like that before,” Dayto said, presumably speaking to himself since he didn’t seem to care what Link had to say.

“You should try it more often. Maybe someday you’ll be able to lop off that ‘near-’ part.” Link stopped as they came to another fork in the tunnels. He held his torch out in one direction, then the other, trying to see further down the path. Neither looked any different from the dozens of tunnels they’d been down so far. He sighed. “When I get out of here, I’m never going below ground again.”

“Me neither,” Dayto said. “Wait. We’re adventurers. We have to go below ground all the time. What are we going to do?”

“Well, I could always go back to blacksmithing, and you could go back to doing what you love -- getting stabbed.” Link chose the left tunnel and began walking again.

“Why aren’t you more afraid?” Dayto asked after following Link in silence for a few minutes.

“Never been that afraid of the dark, I guess. Plus I got a torch.”

“I was speaking of the dragon.”

“The dragon can’t fit in these tunnels.”

“We almost died!” Dayto complained. “Give us a moment, for pity’s sake.”

Link stopped to turn in place, moving his torch so he could see Dayto clearly. “Hey, listen. I was fuckin’ scared back there, too, okay? I almost died just as much as you did. It sure would be nice to sit down and have a breather, but I’ve got other things to do today. My sister’s still out there somewhere, and I need to get back to her.”

Dayto looked upset, and he was still trembling with fear. However, he took a deep breath and steadied himself. “Very well,” he said. “I will help you save your sister.”

“I’m just finding her at the moment,” Link reminded him, continuing down the tunnel. “But, sure. If she needs saving when we find her, have at it. Hylia knows I’m over my quota for saving people today.”

“I must say, my friend, you are paradoxically both the best and the worst hero I’ve ever met,” Dayto stated, clearly perplexed at being constantly dismissed and insulted by the man who had already saved his life several times that day.

Link let out a chuckle. “You know what, I like it. Maybe Linkle will put that on my tombstone when she inevitably gets me killed in some horrible fashion.”

“Oh, my.” Dayto did not seem amused by the idea, but he didn’t say anything else about it. After a moment, he gasped, as if he had just remembered something. “Wait a minute. You know the real Hero!”

Link sighed, nearly burning himself as he wiped his forehead with the arm that held the torch. “No, I don’t know the damn Hero.”

“But you told the dragon you did,” Dayto pointed out. “I heard you talking about him.”

“I made all that shit up,” Link told him, amazed but not surprised to hear the knight had been stupid enough to believe him. “The dragon asked me about him, so I just said whatever I thought would stall him long enough to keep me alive.”

“So you don’t know what that bow is for?”

Link shook his head. “Sounds like the dragon is after some collection of relics or something. That bow belonged to some Kokiri kid who helped the Gorons slay a bunch of Dodongos back in the day, and the Hero of Twilight used it for a while, but I don’t know why the hell that makes it so special.”

“Perhaps the bow is enchanted in such a way that makes it deadly to monsters,” Dayto suggested.

“A bow’s already deadly to monsters if you shoot ‘em in the right place,” Link pointed out. “Like the eye. Always go for the eye. That’s what my sister says.”

“True,” Dayto conceded. “But what else could it be?”

“Don’t care,” Link said plainly. “I didn’t get this far in life by sticking my nose where it doesn’t belong. I was hired to slay a dragon, I failed, end of story. I’m not getting paid to figure out the dragon’s motives.”

“I see.” The other adventurer was clearly not impressed with Link’s attitude yet again. “Well… I suppose there is some merit to keeping such a professional attitude toward one’s own craft…”

Link thought about whether or not he could describe his work ethic as professional. Perhaps he’d held his work as a blacksmith to a certain standard, but as an adventurer?

“We have not failed yet, though,” Dayto said.

“What?” Link asked.

“The dragon still lives. We can still slay it.”

Link rolled his eyes, not wanting to bother explaining to the idiot the importance of self-preservation. Luckily, he didn’t need to say anything. As they rounded a corner, something important came into view. “Light!” Link shouted, seeing an unmistakable beam of sunlight streaming into the tunnel at the other end. “An exit. Thank the gods.” He took off running, with Dayto following behind him.

When he got outside, Link had never been happier to see the sun. Or rather, as much of the sun as he could see through the constant ash clouds billowing from the lake of fire beneath him. He took a moment to assess his surroundings. They were on one of the rocky islands. He could see the largest island to the east and the shore past another island to the south. “Oh, great,” he said. “We’re on the farthest one.”

“At least we made it out safely,” Dayto said optimistically. “So, what do we do now?”

“I still have to find my sister,” Link reminded him. “You can do whatever the hell you want now, but that’s what I’m gonna do.”

“I shall stay with you,” the other Hylian stated. “I promised I would help you find her as thanks for saving me,” he reminded Link.

“Oh. Right. Dammit.” Link looked around for a pathway that would lead to higher ground. If Linkle had left the mines, perhaps he would be able to spot her from somewhere up high. “There.” Link pointed to a rocky incline that didn’t look too steep to climb. “Let’s get to the top and see if we can spot her.”

From the highest point of the rocky cliff, Link could see a good deal of the other islands, as well as the shore of the lava lake. From the looks of it, things had died down considerably while they’d been wandering through the mines and dealing with the dragon. Other than dead ones, there weren’t any Lizalfos in sight, and the cannons on the shore were not firing anymore. Gorons were setting up blockades and standing guard at key points, while adventurers assisted them or tended to their wounded.

“Do you see her?” Link asked, scanning for familiar faces.

“I’m afraid not,” Dayto said, shaking his head.

“Hmm. They’re probably still underground. Or maybe on the other side,” Link said, pointing to the larger island to the east which was obscuring their view. “Let’s head back to the first tunnel I went in with them. Maybe we can retrace our steps.”

“That sounds like a splendid--” Dayto was cut off by a loud noise. At first, Link thought a volcano was erupting. Looking to the north, there was another group of rocky islands at the other end of Darunia Lake. A fissure of fire was sprouting from it, like a flaming pillar extending high into the air. Then, there was another loud noise as something large burst through the ground, sending rocks flying in all directions. In the midst of the fire, smoke, and destruction, a dragon emerged.

Link looked on in terror. Dayto fell to the ground, shaking. “By the gods,” Link muttered in amazement.

Did it decide to follow us?

Dragon !” Several voices began crying out.

“Dragon! To the north!”

“It’s here!”

“It approaches!”

“Man the cannons!”

All at once, the Gorons and the adventurers who’d been standing by began scrambling back to their battlestations, although Link had no idea what any of them aside from the cannoneers could possibly do. Link grabbed Dayto and attempted to pull him to his feet, knowing they had to get back below ground before the dragon reached their side of the fire lake.

“No. No. It’s back. It’s back!” The look in Dayto’s eyes was distant, as if he were having flashbacks to earlier when he was being crushed beneath the monster’s claw.

“Move, you damned fool!” Link yelled, forcing him to stand up. “We have to go. Now!” When he finally managed to get Dayto to stand up, it was not for long. In their haste, they both stumbled and fell once they reached the cliffside. They tumbled downwards, landing in a heap at the bottom. Link was quick to stand back up, aching from the injuries he’d sustained.

However, his haste had not been necessary after all. The dragon had not spotted them, or if he had, he wasn’t specifically targeting them. Instead, he glided over the large island in the middle. As he did, he unleashed a terrible roar, accompanied by a fierce stream of fire spewing from his mouth. The area it covered was so much larger than Link had expected, and it left a trail of still-burning flame in its wake. Those who were enveloped in the flames directly seemed to be instantly incinerated, while those on the fringes of the fire screamed in agony as they desperately tried to put themselves out or run for help. Even the Gorons, who Link had thought impervious to fire, were decimated by Volder’s flame.

While he had initially wanted to dive back into the tunnel for cover, Link instead watched in horrified awe as the dragon torched everything in his path on the way to the shore.

Hylia, please let Linkle be underground right now…

As Volder flew by, the cannons fired at him. By tilting his wings, the dragon managed to dodge some of them, but once he was too close, one of the cannons hit him directly. The bomb exploded against the dragon’s chest, and he let out a pained roar. His flight path curved to the right and he glided down behind the cliffs, out of view. Across the islands, some people began to cheer victoriously, while many others looked around cautiously in confusion.

Dayto climbed to his feet and stood next to Link. “Did… Did they just kill it?”

Link stared at the spot where the dragon had disappeared, waiting for him to come back up. “Doubtful. It’s a dragon.”

“But the Gorons hit it with a canon.”

“If it were that easy, they wouldn’t have hired all these adventurers,” Link pointed out, gesturing to the many parties still visible from where they were standing.

Sure enough, the distant call of the dragon was soon heard echoing from beyond the cliffs. Link reflexively crouched down, even though he was quite far from where the dragon must have been. The Gorons along the shore all aimed their cannons at the cliffside where Volder had vanished, readying themselves for a second volley.

However, minutes later, while all the cannons were facing west, Volder emerged from above them, coming down over the cliffs to the south. With another intimidating roar, he began spewing fire once again, quickly engulfing the cannons one by one in his cone of flame.

“Fuck this,” Link said aloud, running for the nearest bridge to the east. Crossing over to the main island in the center, he planned to find another bridge over to the tunnel entrance where Linkle might be.

“Wait!”

As he ran, Link looked over his shoulder to find Dayto rushing after him. “This way,” Link directed him, pointing in to the east.

“No!” Dayto shouted. Stopping where he was, he pointed to the shore where deathly black smoke was now billowing out into the sky. “We have to help them.” His earlier cowardice seemed to have retreated, but from the terrified look in his eye, it was clearly still there.

Link looked down at the strip of black, scorched earth that lay between them. Entire skeletons and the meager remains of the weapons they’d carried were scattered about. Back on the shore, things did not look much better. “Fucking how?” Link asked. “They’re dead. I’m not. Let’s keep it that way.”

“But look.” Dayto was pointing down at the lower level of the island. Over the edge of the cliff, Link could see wounded and heavily burnt Hylians and Gorons crawling around, moaning in pain. None of them could fight the dragon, and neither could he. But, at the very least, perhaps he’d be able to carry some of them out of the warzone into the relative safety of the mines. Link hesitated for a moment as he considered it. Linkle was still out there somewhere, and he had to make sure she was alright.

But then again, she’d kill me if I left these people like this, right?

Sighing heavily and stomping his foot in frustration, Link relented. “Fine,” he said. “Come with me.”

The two adventurers spent the next several minutes helping their fellow Hylians. Whenever the dragon was not flying overhead, they helped drag the wounded out of harm’s way. The injured Gorons were all much too heavy for them to lift, so they left them to the other Gorons.

As they worked, the dragon made another pass heading north, torching the islands on the east side. He then looped back around, carving another flaming swath through the islands to the west. However, by the time the dragon was finished, every able-bodied Goron or adventurer had taken shelter within one of the various mine shaft entrances, so the casualties were not nearly as severe as they’d been in the dragon’s first attack.

Having finished incinerating the chain of rocky islands, Dragonlord Volder perched himself on top of the cliffs to the south, overlooking the entire battlefield. From within the safety of the cave, Link peeked outside to see what he was doing. At first, Volder appeared to be simply admiring the destruction. But, as his gaze passed where Link was hiding, Link reflexively ducked his head back down, realizing at the last second that the dragon was scanning the area, possibly for him and Dayto.

After a minute, Volder let out a long-winded roar, then began to speak. “Here me, Children of Nayru,” he boomed, his voice echoing throughout the volcanic crater. “I know who sent you. I know why you are here. You have failed. The key leaves with me. Tell your master he is to surrender himself and the other keys. If he does not comply, the destruction of your homes and your people shall continue. Consider this a warning.”

Keys? The bow is a key?

After delivering his address, Volder let out another terrible roar. He then flapped his wings, rose back into the air, and took off, flying to the west. He soon passed over the cliffs and disappeared out of sight once again.


“Is it gone?” Dayto whispered, shivering behind Link.

“I think so,” Link replied, stepping out into the open. He waited there for a while, staring at the horizon, expecting Volder to return at any moment, but he did not. The dragon’s parting words echoed in his head, and left him worried. If what Volder had said was true, then there would be more monster attacks, and the attacks would continue until the Hero gave them something. But Volder only thought the Hero had the keys he spoke of because Link had lied to him about it.

What if the Hero doesn’t have them? What if there truly is no Hero in this era? Will the dragon and his lackeys continue to pillage and burn for no reason, all because of me?

The thought worried Link. He had enough to worry about without having to bear the guilt of being responsible for monster attacks, of all things.

“Hey, is that not your sister?” came Dayto’s voice from behind him.

“What?” Link had been so deep in thought, he hadn’t noticed Linkle running towards them. Trailing behind her were the four veteran adventurers they’d been traveling with as well as Dayto’s companions, but he barely noticed them. “Elle!” he shouted. When she got closer, he held out his arms, expecting her to tackle him with a hug. However, she ran right past him, drawing her shortsword. “What?”

Aghhh !” Dayto shouted as Linkle plunged her old sword into his shoulder. When she pulled the sword out, he fell to his knees, pressing his hand to his wound.

“You son of a bitch!” Linkle shouted down at him. “You could’ve gotten my brother killed !”

Link chuckled at the sight. “He got stabbed again,” he said under his breath, amused by the situation.

“Bloody hell! What is it with you two and my shoulder?” Dayto complained, still writhing in pain.

“Fuck you.” Linkle wiped the blood off her shortsword and sheathed it, then she finally turned to Link. “Brother!” she said with a relieved smile, as if spotting him for the first time. She then moved to embrace him.

“I’m so glad you’re alright,” Link said, returning the hug.

“You, too.” Linkle let go of him and stepped back, then gestured to the others as they arrived. “Gaile and I found the others,” she said proudly. “They were further down in the mines.”

Link glanced at the others and noticed Fin’s arm was in a makeshift sling. “What the hell happened to you?” he asked.

Fin shrugged with his good arm. “Well, you should see the other guy.”

“He’ll be fine,” Breen said. “Gaile already healed him as much as she could.” As Dayto’s companions joined him and helped him to his feet, Breen tapped Gaile on the shoulder with her staff. “Sweetie, would you mind helping that strange man with his wounds as well?”

“Of course,” the priestess replied, casting a cautious look at Linkle as she approached the man she had stabbed. Lighting up her staff, she began to heal him.

“So, what’d you two get up to while you were gone?” Breen asked Link.

“We found the dragon,” Link replied.

“Yeah, we saw,” Breen said, gesturing to the cliff where Volder had perched before.

“We arrived above ground just before the battle ended,” Russ explained.

“Right, but I meant before that,” Link clarified. “The idiot and I found the dragon’s treasure hoard. He attacked us and we escaped back to the surface.”

“You found its hoard?” Fin asked excitedly. “Well, did you get any of its treasure?”

Link reached into his pockets and felt the rupees he’d taken. “A bit, yeah.”

“Keep it,” Russ said, holding his arm in front of Fin who was no doubt about to ask for a share of it. “Since the dragon got away, I imagine our reward shall be significantly reduced.”

“I can’t believe you fought the dragon without me !” Linkle complained. “What was it like? Was it a lot bigger up close? Did it try to eat you? What were its weak spots? They always have a weak spot.”

“Hey, hey, calm yourself,” Link said, pushing her back to regain his personal space. “I didn’t even really fight it. I just ran.”

“Oh, damn.” Linkle stomped her foot. Then she appeared as if a thought had struck her. “Oh! It talked!” she said. “What did it mean about the keys? And who is the master it was talking about? Did it mean the Kokiri girl who sent us?”

Kokiri.

It suddenly occurred to Link that both the person who had given them the quest and the person who had first owned the bow were both Kokiri. “The dragon had the Dodongo Buster’s bow,” Link said aloud. “That was his ‘key.’ I don’t know what the others are supposed to be. Perhaps there is a connection between the Dodongo Buster and that other Kokiri who gave out the quest.”

“The Kokiri!” Linkle said excitedly. “They live near where the Master Sword is kept. Did you meet them when you visited the sword?” she asked the adventurers.

Breen nodded her head. “Yeah. Real friendly folk. A bit odd, though.”

Linkle turned back to her brother. “We should ask the Kokiri about it when we go to claim the Master Sword.”

It took Link a moment to remember that he had promised their next journey would be down south to the Faron Province so she could try to pull the Master Sword from the stone. “I… suppose.” He realized too late that he’d made the mistake of revealing too much information to his sister. Had he said nothing, perhaps this business of keys and Heroes could’ve been dropped.

Well, I doubt we’ll run into the dragon again if we head south.

He doubted they’d find any information in Kokiri Forest either, but he didn’t care. As long as they could remain safe, he’d be satisfied.

“How does it feel?” Gaile asked when she finished healing Dayto’s arm.

The other adventurer moved his arm, rolling it at the shoulder experimentally. “I feel grand, my lady,” he said. “You are as kind and talented as you are beautiful.”

Link, Linkle, Breen, and Fin all rolled their eyes.

“I am happy to have helped,” Gaile replied. She then turned to her companions. “There are many others who require aid,” she said.

“We’ll assist,” Russ said, volunteering for everyone. The others nodded their heads in agreement.

“Very well,” Link agreed, stifling a sigh. He was dead tired from everything that had occurred so far. All he wanted to do was find an inn back in Rudania and spend the night in a warm bed.

I hope Goron inns don’t only offer slabs of stone to sleep on…


That night, Link joined his companions at a Goron tavern, along with dozens of other Hylian adventurers. Ostensibly, they were celebrating their victory at having defeated the Lizalfos horde and driving out their dragon master. However, to Link, it felt like a hollow victory. The dragon had easily beaten them all, and the only reason he’d spared any of them was probably because he didn’t even see it as worth the effort to hunt the rest of them down after his first devastating attack.

Still, the survivors had all gotten paid handsomely. The quest to drive out the dragon had been completed, regardless of the fact that the dragon still drew breath, so all who were involved received a portion of the reward. Additionally, the quest to reclaim the stolen Goron treasures had been completed. The Gorons would probably be salvaging treasure from the abandoned mine for weeks, but it was back in their possession nonetheless, so all the adventurers received another sum of rupees on behalf of Darongo, Guardian of the Goron Treasure Hold.

Well, I’ve heard worse excuses to drink.

When they sat down at their table, they were almost immediately greeted by a Goron carrying a tray of mugs. However, they must’ve been mugs for Gorons, because they were the largest mugs Link had ever seen.

“Ah, now that’s an ale,” Fin said enthusiastically as the gigantic mug hit the table in front of him, letting out a thunk and splashing ale onto the table. Russ accepted his with a nod, scooting it closer to himself with both hands.

“Bloody hell,” Breen said in amazement. “I’m supposed to drink all that?”

“You’re celebrating, brother!” the Goron server said. “No need to limit yourself to just one.”

“Oh, none for me, thank you,” Gaile said, waving her hand to reject the mug the Goron was placing in front of her.

“Okay. Hot milk for you, then, brother.” The Goron handed her a smaller mug with a different drink inside.

“Milk for her, too,” Link interrupted as the Goron attempted to put an ale in front of Linkle.

“What? Fuck that!” Linkle complained. “I spilled blood today. Gimme a woman’s drink!”

“Whatever you say, brother.” The Goron gave both Link and Linkle an ale, then left their table, his footsteps shaking the ground enough to cause ripples in their drinks. Link sighed, and both Fin and Gaile laughed at the exchange.

Fin raised his mug, although he did so with no great ease. “To pay day!” he declared, making a toast.

Russ raised his next. “To victory.”

Continuing around the table, Breen tried to raise hers and almost spilled it, but managed to join her companions’ mugs above the table in the end. “To a job well done!”

Gaile raised her mug of milk, looking very out of place comparatively. “To Hylia’s mercy.”

Linkle barely waited for Gaile to finish speaking before she shoved her mug up into the air with the rest of them. “To another step in the Hero’s journey!” She gave Link an expectant look until he rolled his eyes and reluctantly joined the toast.

“To getting out of there in one piece.” He glanced at Fin’s arm, still in a sling. “Mostly.” The six of them clinked their mugs together and shouted “ Aye !” to varying degrees of enthusiasm, spilling more than a little ale in the process. Then they all tilted their drinks back and began to gulp them down.

Link took a couple gulps, then placed his mug on the table in front of him. Everyone else soon did the same, with Fin letting out a satisfied “Ahh!” as he did. However, Linkle continued to chug hers, still holding it to her lips as she drank greedily.

“Will you please ?” Link reached over and grabbed the drink from his sister, forcefully ripping it from her hands and slamming it onto the table. She looked like she was about to complain, but then she began to cough.

“E-Easy, easy…” Gaile tapped her on the back a few times with the palm of her hand.

Link sighed, thoroughly embarrassed. “Well, uh, so what are you four doing now that this quest is over?” he asked the group.

“We’re heading back to Kakariko,” Breen replied. “They had some good jobs available last time we were there. And even if those ones have expired, there’s always good work in the big cities.”

“We’ll be heading back down the mountain with you, then,” Linkle said, her voice a little hoarse from her coughing fit. “We gotta pick up our horse from the stables before we head down to Faron.”

“You’re going to try to pull the Master Sword from its stone?” Russ inquired.

“Yep!” Linkle replied proudly. “Link can try if he wants, but only I need to, because I know I’ll be able to do it.”

“Hm,” Russ grunted. “Use caution. Lots of adventurers try it, but it’s not as safe as it sounds.”

Link furrowed his brow. “Why? Are there a lot of monsters in the area?”

“Well, yes. It’s just past the Lost Woods, after all,” Breen said. “So there’re plenty of monsters, and you might, well, get lost .”

“And turn into a Stalfos,” Fin said cheerily, raising his glass.

“But that’s not what Russ meant,” Breen finished.

“Yeah. Remember what we told you on the way up the mountain?” Fin asked. “Don’t touch the sword for too long. If you do, it’ll start to suck the life force outta you, or something.”

“Pull it only briefly. If it does not budge, you are not worthy, so let it go,” Russ explained.

“Well I know I’m worthy,” Linkle declared. As she spoke, she moved her arm to gesture to herself dramatically, but ended up bumping her hand against her mug. It nearly tipped over, but she caught it at the last second.

Fin laughed. “Better hope hand-eye coordination isn’t a requirement for worthiness.”

“Shut it.” Linkle picked up her beverage and began to gulp it down once more.

Link was about to say something to her about it, but something caught his ear. He thought he heard someone say his name from across the room. Curious, he looked over his shoulder, scanning the other patrons of the tavern. It was full of Hylians he recognized from the day’s raid on the Lizalfos-infested mine, but he hadn’t interacted with many of them, much less given them his name. Finally, his eyes landed on Dayto.

Oh, fuck.

“Where are you going?” Breen asked as Link stood up.

“I might need to kill someone. Be right back.” Link walked away to confused stares and laughter from his table.

After making his way through the crowd to the other side of the room, Link found Dayto sitting with his two companions as well as some other Hylians, including several women who appeared to be hanging on his every word. “So, then the dragon comes right at me, its armor like tenfold shields, its teeth swords, its claws--” Upon spotting Link, Dayto’s face lit up. “Ah, speak of the devil! Here’s the man of the hour now!” Several of his listeners seemed excited by this news.

I hate this guy.

“Dayto, what is going on here?” Link asked plainly, trying to keep his expression as neutral as possible.

“I was simply regaling our fellow adventurers here with the thrilling tale of how you and I faced down the terrible Dragonlord Volder on our own in the bowels of the abandoned north mine,” he said proudly, no doubt loving the attention he was getting.

“What was the dragon like up close?” asked an eager adventurer who looked even younger than Link.

“Did you manage to harm it at all?” another more experienced-looking adventurer asked.

“How did you know it needed the bow?” asked a young girl holding a staff.

A woman who looked a little older than Link grabbed onto his arm, leaning into him. “Do you really know the Hero?” she asked, smiling at him expectantly.

“Yeah, who is he?”

“What’s he like?”

“Tell us!”

Link could feel a pounding in his head. “ Excuse me ,” he said, nudging the girl off of him and holding up his hands for silence. Then he cleared his throat. “I’m afraid you’re mistaken. I don’t know the Hero. Dayto, may I speak with you outside?”

Dayto looked nervous, but he smiled warily and stood from his chair. “Sure thing, old friend.” Some of his listeners around the table groaned in disappointment. “Not to worry, not to worry. We shall return momentarily,” he assured them.

Link walked straight out the door and into the hot Eldin night. There were some Gorons walking around the streets of Rudania, but none of them were close enough to eliminate the feeling of privacy. Dayto soon joined him, sighing as he stepped past the large Goron-sized door and let it swing shut behind him.

“Oh, what now? Are you going to stab me again?” Dayto asked in annoyance.

“Spoken like someone who hasn’t been stabbed enough today.”

Dayto looked frightened for a moment, then glared at Link. “Look, why don’t you just tell me what you want, okay?”

Link furrowed his brow. “No. No, no, you don’t get to take that tone with me, jackass,” he said, poking the other adventurer in the chest. “Who said you could go around telling tales about me?”

“All I did was recount our experiences with some fellow adventurers over a round of drinks,” Dayto argued. “It’s not like I took credit for anything you did. You saw how they were in there -- they love you. The ladies love you. Your heroic deeds are going to be known far and wide some day!”

“I’m not interested in being known .” Link pressed his hand to his face and sighed. Had it been Linkle in this position, she would’ve been thrilled.

If only we’d switched places today.

“Look. This is a… temporary form of employment,” Link explained, although what he said was rather hopeful on his part. “I am only traveling with my sister until she gets this whole ‘adventuring’ thing out of her system. If people think I’m some brave hero who fights dragons, they’re gonna start expecting me to do things like that all the time. And if people think I have connections to the Hero, well, I imagine the people who want to find him will be hounding me nonstop for information I don’t have.”

And that’s to say nothing of the monsters who are apparently looking for him…

Dayto looked confused, or maybe disappointed. “So… you really don’t want to be a hero?”

Link shook his head.

“And… you don’t want me to tell our story?”

“Tell it all you want. It’s a boring story anyway,” Link said. “Just leave me out of it.” Having made his point, Link walked past Dayto and went back inside the tavern.

Upon reentering, he could see Dayto’s audience on the far side of the room perk up at his reappearance. However, Link chose to ignore them and head back to his party’s table.

“Hey, welcome back,” Breen greeted him.

“Ya kill anyone?” Fin asked jokingly.

“No, but the night’s not over yet,” Link replied as he sat down. Grabbing his oversized mug, he lifted it to his lips and drank deeply, feeling like he needed it now.

“I never liked that Dayto guy,” Linkle said, leaning over towards Link, her speech slightly slurred. “I knew the first time I saw him… He’s… Something shiny… And like… You know?” As she spoke, she kept lowering her eyelids, then opening them wide, like she was fighting off sleep.

“Elle, what the fuck are you talking about?” Link asked. Reaching over, he put his hand on her mug and tilted it towards him. It was practically empty. “Oh, bloody hell…”

“Sorry, Link,” Gaile said, giving him an apologetic grimace. “We tried to stop her…”

“I didn’t,” Fin spoke up. “I thought it was hilarious.”

Link sighed, putting his hands on the table and pushing his chair back as he climbed to his feet again. “Alright, you little drunk. Time for bed.”

“No!” Linkle argued, but all she did was slide her empty mug back and forth across the table.

“Turning in for the night?” Breen asked, sensibly nursing her drink instead of chugging it.

“Yep. We’ll be up in our room,” Link replied, placing a handful of rupees on the table. “See you all in the morning.”

“Sleep well,” Gaile said. The others wished them a good night as well.

Leaning over, Link scooped his sister out of her chair. “No,” she protested again, but this time she said it half-heartedly, as if she’d been asked a casual question about something else. Carrying her in his arms, Link made his way to the staircase at the end of the room.

Luckily, despite being staffed by Gorons, the tavern they were staying in was intended for traveling Hylians, or any other races that weren’t twelve feet tall. The double room Link had rented was furnished with two soft beds and a locking chest for their belongings. It didn’t have much else, but the siblings had never needed much.

It’s better than sleeping in the wilds.

“Oof!” Linkle grunted when Link dropped her onto her bed.

“How are you feeling?” Link asked, stepping over to the door and closing it shut.

Linkle giggled. “My big brother fought a dragon today.”

“Sure he did,” Link said sarcastically. Her calling him ‘big brother’ like that reminded him of when she was ten. Apparently the Goron ale was making her even more childish than usual. “Remind me to scold you tomorrow morning when you’re sober enough to comprehend anything I say.”

Linkle rolled over onto her side and put her head over the edge of the bed.

“Elle?” Suddenly serious, Link stepped closer to his sister. “Are you alright? You’re not gonna vomit, are you?”

But Linkle wasn’t getting sick. Instead, she looked up at him with a stupid drunken smile on her face. “Today was scary,” she said, giggling a little.

“Yeah. You can say that again.” Link pressed his hand to her face to push her back onto the bed. She rolled over without much effort.

“But I couldn’t be happier,” she said, throwing out her arms and legs in a celebratory manner. “This was an adventure. It’s just what I wanted. Much better than piling up bales of hay my whole life.”

Link tilted his head. “Fair point. But I suppose you haven’t considered--”

“Thank you, big brother.” Linkle’s eyes were already closed, and she had a blissful smile on her face, as if she’d already fallen asleep and were pleasantly dreaming.

It took Link a moment to decide if he should say anything. She was about to pass out, and she probably wouldn’t remember this conversation in the morning. “You’re welcome, little sister,” he decided to say aloud. He wasn’t sure if she’d heard him since she didn’t react, and pretty soon he could hear the gentle sounds of her breathing as she slept. Link chuckled and shook his head, then climbed into his own bed.

He couldn’t get to sleep right away, however. Linkle’s words had forced him to think about something. Earlier that night, he’d told Dayto this adventuring business was purely temporary. He’d been telling himself that since they left home. This had all just been to indulge his sister’s wanderlust, which he was sure would wear off eventually, and then they could settle down somewhere and live in relative safety.

Maybe I was wrong.

This was the life Linkle had chosen. It made her happy. It made her feel fulfilled. And even after numerous brushes with death, her thirst for adventure was just as strong.

Laying his head on its side, Link looked over at his sister, sleeping soundly. He sighed, but at the same time, he smiled with an odd feeling of contentment.


The journey back down the mountain went a lot more smoothly than the journey up it. Link, Linkle, and the party they’d been traveling with ran into a few more monsters along the way, but they didn’t get sidetracked into a Goron mine infested with them this time around. While it was faster going downhill, they still weren’t quite able to make the whole trip in one day. However, with dozens of adventurers clearing the way, they were able to camp just off the road in relative safety. Other than that, their only major stop was on the second morning of their journey when they decided to take another dip in Gero Pond, the hot springs where the siblings had first met the party.

The six of them passed through the Maw of Death Mountain and entered New Kakariko feeling refreshed, or at least as refreshed as one could be after more than a day of hiking down a volcanic mountain trail. Link and Linkle accompanied the others to the city square where the public bulletin board could be found, listing all the odd jobs people like them would take.

“So, what’s next for you guys?” Linkle asked as they stood in a circle by the board.

“Whatever piques our curiosity,” Breen replied, scanning the posted notices. “I already see a few exotic monsters up for grabs.”

“Long as they got hefty bounties,” Fin joined in.

“What about you two?” Gaile asked in return. “Are you still planning to travel down south in hopes of retrieving the Master Sword?”

Linkle smiled proudly. “Of course! And when I’m declared the Hero, I hope you’ll all join my party again.”

Your party?” Link said flatly. She responded by jabbing him in the side with her hand.

“Hm.” Russ took a step forward and held out his hand. “Good luck to you both.”

Link took the adventurer’s hand and shook it. “Thank you. We appreciate all the help you’ve given us the past few days. It was nice to see how some real adventurers operate.” Once he was finished saying his thanks, he elbowed his sister when she did not join in on her own.

“Oh! Yes. Much appreciated,” she said hurriedly, reaching out to shake Breen’s hand.

The siblings went down the line exchanging goodbyes and thank yous with each of the four adventurers. “May Hylia watch over you,” were Gaile’s parting words to them.

That would be nice.

With their party reduced to a mere duo once again, Link and Linkle set off for the stable where they’d left Arion. On the way there, they passed by something that caught Linkle’s eye. “Hey, look,” she said, pointing while she grabbed Link’s arm to stop him in his tracks.

“Hm?” Link turned his head, but there was nothing there. All he saw was a patch of dirt that looked like a garden that hadn’t started growing anything yet. “Where? What is it?”

There , stupid!” Linkle pointed again. “Where’s the well?”

“The w--?” Realization dawn on Link. Glancing around him to check his surroundings, he realized she was right. The undead-infested well they’d been sent to this city to clear out had completely vanished. It was as if they had filled it in and covered it with dirt, not to mention taking down the wooden fencing they had placed around it. Link narrowed his eyes.

Was the Sage of Shadow telling the truth? Did they identify the necromancer and apprehend them? But why close up the well? Was it irreversibly cursed? Or did they want to cover up something…?

“Guess they gave up on fighting the monsters in it, huh?” Linkle said, sounding disappointed. “Damn. And that was such a cool quest, too. I was hoping we’d be able to go down there again before we left Kakariko.”

Link blinked, coming out of his thoughts. Suddenly, he was glad they’d filled in the well. “Yep. That’s a shame. Oh well,” he said, feigning disinterest. He resumed walking towards the stables, forcing Linkle to hurry after him.

On the way, Linkle drew her new Goron-made sword and began playfully swinging it about. “Would you be careful with that?” Link complained, walking sideways to distance himself from her.

“Relax. I’m a master,” she said, striking a pose often seen in statues of the Hero of Twilight.

“Like hell you are. You’ve only had that sword for a couple days,” Link pointed out.

“Well then, why don’t you train me like you promised you would?” his sister asked, dramatically flourishing her sword before sheathing it.

“I will, I will. On our way to Faron.”

When they reached the stables, Link did not see any of the ranch hands outside, so he decided to walk right in, expecting to find the owner or somebody they could give the rest of the payment to before taking Arion back.

“Link.”

“Gah!” Link nearly fell backwards as he rounded the corner. Suddenly blocking his path was a woman in a dark violet cloak. Her hood was covering most of her face, but Link could see white Sheikah hair coming from under it.

“What is it?” Linkle shouted, immediately drawing her sword again. She stepped between her brother and the cloaked figure, getting into a battle stance. However, the cloaked Sheikah woman seemed unperturbed.

After a moment, Link narrowed his eyes, looking at the figure with recognition. “Oh. You’re one of those shadow priestesses, yeah?”

The woman nodded.

“Well, for Din’s sake, don’t go sneakin’ up on people like that.”

Although maybe that’s the point with these people…

“Elle, put your sword away.”

“But…” She seemed reluctant, but probably out of disappointment rather than caution. “Fine.”

Stepping in front of his sister, Link addressed the shadow priestess. “What do you want?” he asked.

“The Sage of Shadow requests your presence.” she said.

Link felt the hairs stand up on the back of his neck. In his last encounter with the old Sheikah woman, he’d been worried that he’d accidentally uncovered some sort of conspiracy he could be killed for. The whole reason he’d been so eager to leave Kakariko in the first place was to get away from her. “If it’s about the quest, we’ve already been paid,” he said. “We’d really rather just take our horse and--”

“We’ve been instructed not to allow you to leave the city until you speak with the sage,” the shadow priestess informed him.

We?

Link glanced around the room. It was an empty office with a door leading into the stables where he could hear horses chewing on hay. There were windows and a door leading outside and it was a bright sunny day outside, but somehow, he still had the feeling of being watched.

Linkle gasped excitedly. “Does she want to give us another quest?”

It was difficult to tell with her face shadowed by the hood, but Link could’ve sworn he saw the priestess’s mouth curl into a slight smile. “Perhaps. She is most insistent. Go to the House of the Dead. You will be invited in.”

That’s comforting.

Link really wanted to try to talk his way out of this, but his whole body was tense, afraid that a Sheikah ninja would pop out of nowhere and kill him if he tried anything funny. He sighed defeatedly. “Very well. We shall meet her there.” Link turned to walk away. When he reached the door, he looked back and saw Linkle had not moved. “Come on, Elle. Let’s get this over with.”

“I wanna see her disappear,” Linkle said, not taking her eyes off of the priestess.

The woman tilted her head curiously, but had nothing more to say. A sudden puff of black smoke obscured her from view, which quickly dissipated, leaving no trace of the priestess.

“Cooool,” Linkle said with amusement. “Just like those ninjas.”

“Yeah, yeah. Let’s go already.” Link stepped outside, followed shortly by his sister.


The walk through the city on the way to the graveyard was tense. While Linkle skipped happily along, expecting to receive a new quest when they got there, Link’s mind was running a mile a minute trying to figure out what the sage really wanted with them, and more importantly, how they were going to get out of this mess.

Maybe we can blend in with the crowd and sneak out of the city. They wouldn’t kill a bunch of people just to get to us, right?

Nervously, he glanced over his shoulder. There were many others walking through the streets around them, and any one of them could be one of the Impa family’s agents in disguise.

Calm down. You’re being paranoid. We haven’t done anything wrong. Why would the sage want us dead?

But what else made sense? Did she truly want them for a quest? Why them ? There were dozens of adventurers in the city now, and most of them were fresh off of a recent quest. What was so special about him and his sister?

Link felt the temperature drop as soon as he set foot in Kakariko Graveyard again. It wasn’t nearly as creepy during the day, but it still wasn’t a pleasant place to be. The eerie silence was broken only by the occasional howl of wind blowing through the field of gravestones and the footsteps of the two siblings as they walked towards the temple.

No one was there to greet them when they reached the stairs leading up to the temple’s entrance, so they proceeded on their own. Afterwards, they stepped into the mouth of the tunnel and walked down the long staircase into the temple. Link’s nervousness grew as they descended further. It wasn’t until they got to the bottom when they encountered more Sheikah.

“Greetings, heroes.”

Link flinched. Two shadow priestesses stood on either side of the giant stone slab that served as the door to the temple proper. It was impossible to tell if either of them was the one who had met them in the stable a few moments ago.

“Greetings, priestesses!” Linkle seemed proud to have been addressed as a hero. “We are here to see the Sage of Shadow.”

“Of course.” The priestesses both bowed their heads and gestured to the door. As they did, the circle of torches arranged around the edges of the room began to light themselves, and the great stone door rose to reveal the entrance. “Please proceed into the House of the Dead.”

Link paused. “You want us to go inside?” he asked. “The last couple times we were here, the sage came to meet us out here.”

“Who cares?” Linkle said, grabbing her brother’s hand. “I’ve been kinda wanting to see what the temple is like on the inside anyway.”

“I thought you didn’t care about this one,” Link complained as she pulled him inside. The two priestesses entered behind them, and the door slowly closed shut once again.

What came next was a darkened hallway. Unlike the cave entrance outside, the hallway was properly constructed and paved, like the inside of a castle, although it felt more like a sewer. However, only a few meters inside, they turned a corner and came to a dead end. There was a large black pit in the middle of the hall, and on the other side of it was nothing but a wall with a terrifying face carved into it.

“Well, great. That figures,” Link said, gesturing in front of him.

“Whoa,” Linkle said, peering over the ledge down into the pit curiously. “This is so cool! You think it’s to keep out intruders?”

Link turned to the priestesses who were walking towards them. “What’s the big deal? Is this even the real entrance?”

The Sheikah women did not answer. Instead, they walked right past the siblings, stepping towards the open pit.

“Whoa, whoa, hey ! Are you crazy?!” Link moved to grab one of the priestesses to keep her from falling, but she stepped just out of his reach. A jolt of fear shot through him as he expected to see them fall into the pit, but they did not. They both just kept going, walking on air to the other side of the hole. “What the fuck…?” Link muttered.

Linkle watched the proceedings with an elated smile on her face. “Whoa! How did you do that?”

Stopping on the other side of the pit, the Sheikah women turned back to them. “Please, follow us,” they instructed in unison. They then walked right through the face in the wall, as if it wasn’t even there.

Link smacked himself in the forehead. “Oh, duh !” he said aloud. “It’s like at the bottom of the well. Some of the walls were just illusions.” Tentatively, he stuck his foot out and lowered it into the pit. As expected, it soon touched an invisible surface, as solid as the rest of the floor. “Come on, Elle,” he instructed. Together, they walked across the pit and through the wall.

On the other side was a large, rectangular room. On the far side of the room was another pit in front of a door on the wall that resembled a face with its tongue sticking out, forming a narrow platform in front of it. There were also hand-shaped statues on the wall on either side of the door, giving it the appearance of a monster trapped in the wall. Along the rest of the walls were several more carved faces like the one the siblings had just stepped through. The center of the room contained a circle of torches, in the middle of which was a large statue of a raven. Link knew it to be Karasu, the Goddess of Shadow and Patron of the Sheikah.

“This is so creepy,” Linkle said. She still seemed somewhat excited, but Link could tell she was also shaking a little, although she was probably only a fraction as scared as he was. “Where did those Sheikah women go?”

As if on cue, a violet robed, hooded figure emerged from each of the faces in the walls, silently stepping out into the open. Link’s hand instinctively went for the handle of his weapon, but he reminded himself not to draw it. None of the figures appeared armed, but they were likely all sorcerers. If they were hostile, the siblings would not be able to fight their way out of this. They would have to talk their way out.

“What’s going on?” Link asked. He kept his voice level in an effort to avoid causing his sister to panic, but he said it with enough firmness to let the Sheikah know he wanted answers.

None of the cloaked figures spoke. Instead, they all turned their heads to the doorway on the other side of the pit. A moment later, the bars in the face’s mouth slid open. From it emerged a familiar sight. The Sage of Shadow’s litter was carried out onto the stone tongue by her phantom servants. When they reached the edge of the pit, they kept walking. However, it did not appear as if the pit was another illusion. Instead, tiny discs of light appeared beneath the feet of the phantoms wherever they stepped, allowing them to walk across the dark abyss.

The phantoms turned and placed the litter on the ground at the foot of the raven statue, then vanished. The door slid open, revealing the small, old Sheikah woman. “Greetings, my children,” she said. “Please, come closer.” The cloaked figures all turned their heads towards the siblings, giving Link the distinct impression that it was an order rather than an invitation. Hesitantly, he complied.

“Hello again, Sage,” Linkle said cheerfully. “We have succeeded in our latest quest to liberate the Gorons from the tyranny of the dragon. We are prepared to accept our next quest.”

“Yes, I heard. You and your fellow adventurers have my thanks for defending our great allies, the Gorons,” the old woman said, nodding slowly. “However, before I entrust you with any such tasks, I must ask you a few questions.”

Link was nervous, but he tried his best to hide it. “What would you like to know, wise sage?”

Impa tilted her head up at him. Her face was blank and her eyes were piercing. “It has come to my attention that you have certain knowledge of the new Hero’s identity.”

Link froze, screaming internally.

I’m gonna fucking kill that Dayto guy…

“Well, of course he does,” Linkle said.

What ?!” Before he’d even had a chance to explain where that rumor had come from, it appeared as if Linkle was about to make it a whole lot worse.

Luckily, she did no such thing. “She’s me!” she declared.

Link’s shock and rage quickly faded to confusion.

Sage Impa, however, seemed quite interested. “Is this true?” she asked, very seriously.

Link sighed. “No, I’m afraid,” he explained. “My sister and I were about to embark on a journey down south to Faron in order to attempt to retrieve the Master Sword. My sister merely wishes to be the Hero.”

“And I am ,” Linkle insisted. “The Master Sword will simply prove it.”

The Sage of Shadow turned her attention back to Link. “If this girl is not the Hero, do you know who is?”

No ,” Link said firmly, hoping to quell the rumor quickly. “I know nothing of the sort. The dragon wanted to know about the Hero’s whereabouts, so I lied in order to keep him from killing me. That is all.”

Sage Impa’s gaze seemed to tunnel into him, as if she was trying to decide if he was to be believed or not. Link could scarcely comprehend why he would lie about something like this. If anything, a person would be more likely to lie about knowing the Hero in order to sound more important. But after a moment, the sage smiled, lowering her head with a sigh. “Were only my granddaughter here,” she said. “Nevertheless, I believe you, my child. I apologize for wasting your time by bringing you here into my temple. It is a matter of grave importance that we locate the Hero as soon as possible, so we must leave no stone unturned.”

Link felt himself relax. He was not in any trouble with the Impa family. They were merely searching for the Hero, which was to be expected of Hyrule’s leadership. Historically, the Royal Family and the Hero have always had a good relationship. They likely needed him to fight some demon or another.

“Well, fear not, Sage,” Linkle proclaimed. “Once I pull the Master Sword from its stone, your search for the Hero will come to an end!”

“In that case, I shall pray for your safe journey, my child,” the old woman said kindly. “Now, young man. You said the dragon was looking for the Hero as well, correct?”

“Yes.” Link nodded.

“Did he tell you anything else?”

“He said something about keys ,” Linkle replied. “He took the Hero of Twilight’s bow, and he demanded that the Hero surrender the other keys to him.”

“The dragon said to me, ‘We already have three of them, and we know where the fourth is,’” Link added, recalling the conversation he’d had with Dragonlord Volder. “I don’t know what these ‘keys’ are, though. The dragon did not elaborate any further.”

“Curses,” Sage Impa said under her breath. “Then it is worse than we feared. The enemy is moving fast.”

“What are these keys?” Linkle asked, her face filled with curiosity. “What do they unlock?”

The old woman looked at them hesitantly. “I apologize, my children. I cannot say. I fear I have said too much already.”

“Who is the enemy?” Link asked. He, too, was curious. He knew Volder was one of them, but it sounded as though he was only a part of the bigger picture.

“The only true enemy,” the sage replied. “Monsters. While we waste our time fighting amongst ourselves, the monsters are organizing -- and mobilizing. If they collect all of the keys, I fear it will lead to untold horror for our great kingdom.”

“Then let us help you find them,” Linkle offered enthusiastically. “Make that our next quest. I am to be the Hero, so saving the kingdom from untold horror is my job!”

The old woman laughed good-naturedly, then put a hand to her chin, considering the offer for a moment. “Well, I suppose you already know of the existence of the keys. If you were to help us locate them before the enemy does, it would be most helpful.”

Link did not like the sound of this. He expected adventuring to mean slaying a few odd Bokoblins and Keese now and then for a day’s wages. Fighting a dragon had already been enough of a stretch. Now his sister was looking to aid in a mystical quest to obtain some special keys before an army of monsters did? It was just too much. “Sister, I am not sure that is wise,” he said. “Despite our recent exploits, we are still quite inexperienced when it comes to adventuring,” he explained to Sage Impa. “Perhaps it would be best if you entrusted this task to someone more qualified?”

“Nonsense! It’s just finding things. Nobody said anything about fighting monsters yet,” Linkle argued. Then she turned back to the sage. “But we will be fighting monsters, yeah?”

“We already have others aiding in our search,” Sage Impa explained. “But we could always use a few more helping hands. You said you were to journey to the Faron Province, correct?”

“That’s right,” Linkle replied.

“There are two keys suspected to possibly be in that area. If you so choose, you may search for them on your way to the resting place of the Master Sword. If, for any reason, you deem it too dangerous to retrieve them, all I ask is that you report your findings. But, were you to successfully obtain these keys, you are to deliver them to us. Either way, you shall be richly rewarded for your assistance,” Sage Impa explained.

“See?” Linkle asked, turning to her brother. “That doesn’t sound so bad, right?”

Link’s instinct was to avoid getting involved, but he knew his sister would never drop the subject now until he agreed. Also, it did not sound as though they were being asked to go too far out of their way, and despite how terrified he was of the Impa family, he could not deny that their money was good. “Very well,” he agreed reluctantly. “Tell us of these two keys, great sage.”

“Both are likely to be found in the temples of my fellow sages,” Impa began. “However, they may still be hidden, and the other sages may not necessarily know of their importance, nor even their existence.”

“Ooh…” Linkle cooed, clearly quite taken by the mystery of it all.

“Look for the first key in the Water Temple. It is an item that once belonged to the late Princess Ruto of the Zora Dominion, and it is said to have been given to her by her fiancé as a token of their love,” the sage went on.

Aww !” Linkle seemed to find the notion to be very romantic.

“What is it, though?” Link asked, unsure what sort of item a Zora would give to his lover as a token of affection.

“I do not know for sure, but in place of engagement rings, Zora marriage customs involve pendants of opal and sapphire arranged in the shape of the Mark of Nayru. That may very well be what was given to the Zora Princess,” Impa explained.

“I see,” Link replied. “And what of the second key?”

“The second key may be found in the Forest Temple,” Impa replied. “This one should be easier to find, if it is truly there, and if it is truly what we believe it to be. You may find it helpful to speak to the Sage of Forest, for it is said to be a sword that once belonged to her brother.”

“Another legendary sword?” Linkle said excitedly. “Perfect! I’m already going to claim one, so I might as well claim two.”

“Yes,” Impa nodded. “So long as you turn it over to us once you claim it.” She did not sound very threatening when she said that, but Link chose that moment to glance around the room, and he was once again reminded of the fact that they were surrounded by cloaked Sheikah sorcerers. If they did find the treasures the sage spoke of, he would have every intention of turning them in for the bounty, but something gave him the distinct impression that keeping the treasures for themselves was not an option the Impa family would allow.

“We accept your quest, wise sage,” Link said, hoping to wrap things up so they could finally get out of the city and be on their way. “Rest assured, if we obtain these keys or find out anything about them, we will send a message to you straight away.”

“Yeah! You can count on us,” Linkle agreed.

“Thank you, young heroes.” The sage slowly nodded her head, and the phantoms that carried her litter began to reform. “I wish you luck on your journey. May the Goddess guide your path.” With that, the door to her litter slid shut, and she was carried away by the shadows.

Link and Linkle both jumped as they felt a hand on their shoulders, but it was just two of the shadow priests coming to escort them out. “Come with us, please,” one of them spoke.

Walking through an apparently solid stone wall and walking over an apparently bottomless pit was no less unnerving the second time around, but Link happily did so. Going back up the stairs to get out of the temple seemed to take forever, but when he and his sister exited the Kakariko Graveyard, Link breathed a massive sigh of relief.

“Oh, thank the gods,” he said, leaning his hand against the first wall he came across to take a breather.

We’re not dead.

“I know, right?” Linkle said, apparently oblivious to the potential danger Link had been afraid of. “This is so exciting! We’re on an honest-to-goodness quest to save the kingdom, and I’m going to obtain the Master Sword. Oh, I just can’t wait!”

“Well, seeing as you’re so eager, let’s grab Arion and get going right away,” Link suggested. “The best route is probably through Central Hyrule, so let’s head to the capital first. I’ve always wanted to go there.”

Chapter 33: Mila III

Chapter Text

As Dame Mila walked back to the House Vryciaro camp with her squire, she observed the other soldiers scrambling to prepare for war. They outfitted themselves in armor, sharpened their weapons, saddled up their horses, restocked their arrows, and got down on their knees to make peace with whichever god they hoped would favor them. It was a familiar scene. Mila had witnessed it many times since she joined the Hyrulean military several years ago. Even though she believed their victory in the coming battle to be highly likely, many of these people would not be returning with them.

Such a waste.

Mila was quite young for a Kokiri, having been brought over to this material realm only twenty-five years prior, but she would far outlive any of these Hylians if nature were to take its course. Yet, even with their short lifespans, so many of them would have their lives cut short even sooner, and before they’d even had the chance to do anything useful. Mila couldn’t help but see it as a criminally inefficient use of human resources.

Upon her return to camp, Mila ordered everyone to prepare for battle and to get into formation. Word had already spread by the time she’d gotten there, so most of them were already prepared. It was only a short while later that she found herself walking down the front line of the House Vryciaro troops. Dozens of trained soldiers, directly under her command, albeit temporarily. Even though she was not their true lord, they were still honorbound to do everything she commanded, no matter how much they objected to taking orders from a little girl. It brought a smile to her face every time one of them said “ Yes, Dame .”

Looking down the line at the other battalions, Mila could see the prince’s army was almost ready to attack. She could have simply waited patiently for orders to move out, but as long as they had time, she decided to address her troops first. Climbing onto the back of her mountain buck to somewhat compensate for her height, she made her way to the center again and turned to face the line of soldiers.

“Soldiers of House Vryciaro,” she said, projecting her childish voice as authoritatively as she could manage. “Today, you are asked to face the enemies of the kingdom. You are asked to fight. You are asked to carry out your duty set forth by your lords and your gods.” Mila looked out into the crowd. Many of them stood still, with stoic faces of determination. Others were visibly frightened. Others still rolled their eyes, having heard enough pre-battle inspirational speeches in their time.

“However, soldiers, no matter what else you are asked to do today, none of you are to die,” Mila went on. “The fools we face are the ones who have decided their cause is worth dying for. But you are not them. You are smarter than them. You are better than them. You will kill for the prince’s cause. You will not die for it. Understood?” The last word she shouted as a question, letting the troops know she expected an answer.

“Yes, Dame!” came a chorus of responses. Many of the House Vryciaro troops looked baffled, as if they never would have thought she’d demand anything but the utmost dedication to the prince’s cause. Nevertheless, they were hanging on her every word, and they seemed perfectly willing to do as she said. The Kokiri knight smiled to herself.

Not bad for a little fairy girl, huh?

Just as the prince’s army got into formation, Mila could see Laverta’s army gathering at the top of the hill, consisting mostly of humans and Zora. Percival’s forces outnumbered Laverta’s and was made up of professional soldiers, not to mention they had the Zora’s gigantic Hydrophant. Laverta’s forces were merely cultists and mercenaries. However, they always had the option of retreating behind the fortifications of Ulria. Laverta would need to die in this battle before that happened if they wished to avoid this becoming a more drawn-out conflict.

Coming from further down the line of the assembled forces, Mila began hearing shouts of “ Forward march !” Dame Mila drew her gilded sword and raised it into the air when the orders reached her. “Forward march!” she repeated to her own troops. Kicking the sides of her mount, she began creeping forward, followed by the rhythmic stepping of dozens of boots behind her.

The battle began with a hail of arrows let loose from the back of the enemy’s formation. Calls of “ Shields up !” echoed all throughout the Hyrulean formation as the troops protected themselves. Mila’s eyes traced the path of the arrows heading towards her section of the formation. As they got closer, she raised her sword and waved it a few times. While not easily visible, bursts of turbulent winds shot forth. Some of the arrows were knocked clean out of the air, while others lost momentum, changing trajectory enough to land harmlessly on the ground in front of them.

Glancing to her sides, Mila saw other battalions being buffeted by arrows. Most were safely blocked by shields, but others found their way into the tiniest of openings, piercing into the poor saps beneath. However, the army marched firmly forward, not letting a few casualties deter them so easily.

The enemy’s arrow volley was soon repaid as the archers behind Mila loosed their own arrows. However, since they were the ones attacking uphill, many of their arrows fell short without any wind mage’s intervention, and only a few cultists in the enemy’s front line fell from the attack.

The two armies traded volleys back and forth like this as Mila and her compatriots slowly advanced up the hill. As she finished knocking the latest round of arrows out of the sky with her wind magic, Mila noticed something. Laverta’s cultists had stopped advancing only a short distance from the top of the hill. This was not entirely unsurprising, given that they already had the high ground and were on the defensive. However, what was truly perplexing was the enemy’s front line. No longer was it headed by spear-wielding soldiers. Instead, a group of staff-wielding mages had stepped out in front of them. As soon as Mila realized this, she felt fear rising up inside of her.

What are they doing? Are they planning to cause an earthquake here? Can they do that without harming themselves?

All at once, the enemy mages lifted their staves, then stabbed them downwards into the ground. However, the earth did not begin to shake. Instead, a large boulder rose out of the ground in front of each mage, as if the stones had been buried there beforehand.

“Fuck,” Mila sword under her breath. Any second now, the enemy would send those boulders rolling down the hill towards them, and her wind magic wasn’t strong enough to stop that. They would have to move out of the way, but their formation was too tight. The situation required them to stagger their ranks in order to dodge the falling rocks. “Be on alert, soldiers!” the Kokiri knight shouted to her troops behind her. “Eyes forward! Cease advance! Move back and part to the sides!”

The House Vryciaro troops were a bit confused by the unorthodox marching orders for a moment, but they seemed to understand once they registered the boulder coming towards them. Mila herself set her mountain buck leaping to the right, moving out of the boulder’s path long before it reached their front line. The panicked screams and wails of agony coming from other battalions told her that not every group of soldiers had been as quick as hers. And, on top of the casualties, the boulder attack had successfully shattered their army’s formation, sending them into disarray.

“Form up!” Mila shouted at the top of her lungs. Kicking her mount in the sides, she set herself moving up and down what remained of their line, shouting the same order to every battalion she could. Other knights and commanders were doing the same, desperately trying to get their soldiers back in line.

Another wave of arrows rained down upon them. As the soldiers were scrambling to get back into place, many of them did not see the arrows coming and did not have time to raise their shields, leading to a much higher casualty rate than the previous volleys had.

The enemy was not advancing anymore. Instead, they remained further up the hill while their archers pelted them. The earth mages had retreated back behind the spearmen, but Mila knew they would not remain idle for long.

“Forward march!” Mila shouted, returning to lead her battalion as they got back into formation. “Advance! Advance, dammit!”

With a little encouragement, the prince’s army continued to move forward. Once their forces were only a few meters away from the enemy’s, the front lines of both sides readied their spears. Mila, sitting atop her mount, stopped approaching the spear wall. Raising her gilded sword and pointing it forward, she commanded the House Vryciaro troops to attack. The beginning of the clash was noisy and chaotic, but the sounds were mostly metal clanking against metal as spears stabbed against impenetrable shield walls.

“This won’t do…” Mila muttered under her breath, annoyed by the lack of progress after watching her troops struggle in vain for a short while. She decided to help out the same way she had with the arrow volleys. Cutting her sword through the air, she began buffeting the enemy shields with blasts of strong winds. It wasn’t much, but with every few swings, she managed to make one or two of the enemies stumble enough to create an opening in their shield wall. The Kokiri knight’s soldiers would then exploit this opening, stabbing through and impaling their opponents.

“Keep fighting, soldiers!” Mila called. As she did, she glanced around her. The other battalions had engaged the enemy, and most of them were making no more progress than she was. However, after a few moments, Mila saw what she’d been hoping to see. Like Laverta’s army, Prince Percival’s had mages in its ranks as well, and several of them were setting up in the back row of their formation. Upon receiving their signal, they began lobbing balls of fire into the middle of the enemy’s formations.

The effect was immediate. Aside from the cultists that were incinerated upon impact, the resulting fires disrupted the enemy ranks as panicked soldiers pushed and shoved to get away from the fires. With so many flames igniting at once, spaced out across the entire defensive line, there were few places they could run.

“Now, soldiers!” Mila ordered, doing her best to make her high-pitched, childlike voice heard over the shouting. “Eliminate them all!”

Taking advantage of the enemy’s panic and confusion, the Hyrulean troops began making considerable headway, taking out line after line of Hylians and Zora. With the enemy formation broken, Mila saw several other knights charging in on horseback. Seeing the opportunity, Mila decided to join them. She kicked her mount into action, leaping over her own troops to get to the enemy.

A deer was by no means as menacing as a warhorse, but something Mila had learned was that anyone smaller than a Goron will still be scared when something with antlers charges at them. The first human she charged at leapt out of her mount’s path, but in his panic, he failed to raise his shield to defend himself. Mila’s golden sword sliced through his chest as she trotted by leaving the cultist bleeding on the ground.

Her next opponent was not quite as easy. A Zora armed with a slim spear tried to stab at her. However, Mila was able to slash at the spear shaft with her sword, deflecting it enough to avoid getting impaled. The Zora lost his balance, which Mila was quick to exploit. With a quick wind spell, she sent him toppling to the ground, only for him to be trampled a moment later by another knight’s horse.

Everything was going well, until a man on fire suddenly ran past Mila. Her deer got spooked and reared back, but even though the flaming man was long gone, the deer bucked wildly. Mila was flown off of it and landed on the ground with a grunt, barely managing to cushion her fall with some quick wind magic. “You ungrateful bastard!” she called after the mountain buck as it leapt away through the chaos of the battle.

Before Mila could manage to climb back onto her feet, an enemy soldier loomed over her. He looked at her with confusion and horror, likely mistaking her for a child and appalled that someone would bring someone so young to a battlefield. Mila’s sword had landed just beside her, but she didn’t want to reach for it while her armed opponent was staring down at her. He would likely panic and stab her if she did.

You wouldn’t hurt a child, would you?

Mila put on a frightened face, as if she were about to cry. She always felt pathetic whenever she made use of a tactic like this, but something else she’d learned about humans was that they were powerless against a sad little girl. The man still looked confused, but he leaned forward and offered Mila his hand to help her up. She took it, but as soon as she did, she grabbed her sword with her other hand. As he pulled her up, she thrust the gilded sword straight through his chest. The Kokiri knight knew she shouldn’t, but she couldn’t resist giving him a wicked grin.

A child would certainly hurt you , though.

Once she was back on her feet, Mila did not have time to rest. Another Hylian cultist had witnessed her actions and was running at her, sword drawn and shouting. She couldn’t quite hear him over all the noise around her, but he clearly wasn’t happy that she’d just murdered his friend.

Without the added height afforded by a mount or the opportunity to trick her opponent into letting his guard down, Mila had to fight him head on. For someone permanently trapped in a prepubescent body, that was no easy feat. However, like all mages, Mila did not need to rely on strength alone. While wind magic did not have the same obvious combat capabilities as fire magic, it still had its uses.

When the enemy soldier slashed at Mila, he was surprised by the speed with which she managed to dodge out of the way; a gust of wind allowed her to glide safely to the side. Before he had a chance to comprehend his predicament, Mila quickly glided past him again, slashing at his neck while his guard was down. He fell just as his friend had.

Now, where the hell are my soldiers…


Finally having a chance to get her bearings, Dame Mila saw that her troops had finally caught up with her. Many of the Hyrulean soldiers were still engaging with the enemy, but the tide of the battle had turned significantly in their favor. However, Mila was not optimistic.

The sage still hasn’t done anything…

Laverta was the Sage of Earthquakes, and yet no earthquakes had occurred throughout the battle so far. Mila assumed this was because Laverta did not want to harm her own followers, but if her side was losing this significantly, the sage was bound to get desperate soon.

I need to find her and take her out, or I might die with everyone else.

She did not have to search for long, however. Soon, Mila felt the ground beginning to shake.

Shit! Is this it? Has Laverta already lost it?

But the shaking was not an earthquake. In the distance, towards the center of the battle, the ground cracked as something rose up from the earth. Screaming could be heard as loose rocks fell from the rising figure, crushing those beneath it. When the dust settled, a gigantic Stone Talus was standing there as everyone looked up at it in awe. Mila had encountered a few of these elemental monsters before, but most were no more than five meters tall. This one was upwards of twelve meters tall. Atop the stone monster’s head stood Sage Laverta, her lyre tucked under one arm.

“Prince Percival!” Laverta called out. “I warned you, and you did not listen. Call off your attack at once, or suffer the wrath of Namazu!”

There was a momentary standstill. Everyone on both sides was waiting to hear the prince’s answer. Would the battle continue, or would he surrender? Mila was not going to wait around, however. Taking advantage of the distraction, Mila made her way past the dumbfounded cultists staring up at their leader with mindless reverence.

Pathetic sheep.

The Kokiri knight was some distance away, but her goal was to get behind Laverta’s Talus. She couldn’t fly, but perhaps she could climb. She wouldn’t have to kill the monster anyway. If she could kill Laverta, the Talus should return to a harmless pile of rock.

I hope.

Not long after, a warhorn sounded. It was not a signal to surrender. As Mila had expected, the prince wanted to see this through to the end. All at once, the fighting started again. Swords and spears clashed against shields, and people shouted war cries like they wanted the whole world to hear them.

As she ran, dodging her way through the battlefield, Mila looked up at Laverta. The Zora sage began strumming her lyre, although the Kokiri knight could not hear it. Nevertheless, the gigantic rock monster slowly lifted its right arm back, then slowly swung it forward, releasing a large, fist-like boulder from the end of its arm. More screaming could be heard, but she was not aiming for the people. Instead, the boulder collided against Prince Silorn’s Hydrophant. The gigantic creature let out an agonizing sound as it was knocked over, spilling its riders from the carriage on its back. The Talus then lifted its left arm, tossing its other fist towards the far end of the battle. It soared through the air, then rolled as it landed, killing another swath of soldiers.

I need to hurry.

A few of Laverta’s cultists got in her way, but Mila was quick to chop them down, none of them expecting her wind magic-enhanced speed. Soon she had reached her destination. She was behind the great Talus, and she was alone. Most of the others seemed too terrified to get this close to the sage’s earthen beast, and those that were brave enough were already dead by Mila’s hand.

Looking up at the monster’s back, it was like watching a cliff face swaying back and forth. Climbing it traditionally would take ages, but with a few wind-enhanced jumps, she might be able to reach the summit quickly enough.

Assuming I don’t fall and die.

Mila sighed. “Farore… don’t be a bitch today.” With what was the closest she’d ever get to a prayer, the Kokiri ran forward and leapt for the rock monster’s leg, summoning a strong and favorable wind behind her. When she smacked against the walking cliff face, she only managed to find a hold with one hand, causing her to flail about until her feet found somewhere to step.

Off to a great start…

Almost immediately after she began climbing, the leg she was holding onto began to move as the Talus took a step forward. The monster’s foot landed with a crunch that silenced a few annoying screams, but the noise around her was still unbearable. Nevertheless, she soldiered on, climbing higher and higher until she reached the monster’s back.

The constant rumbling and titanic movements the Talus made were far from ideal for climbing, and once Mila had climbed high enough, she began to fear for her safety. Sure, she could cushion her fall if she lost her grip, but even the smallest mistake could kill her, and even if she landed safely, the Talus could take one step backwards and crush her underfoot.

“Need a little help?”

Mila nearly slipped. Hearing a voice from behind her was startling. Clinging to the monster’s back, she looked over her shoulder. Floating there on a small cloud was Cyclos, lazily reclining as he watched her climb.

“Is this why you still follow me?” Mila asked, glaring daggers at the psychotic frog god. “Just to taunt me?”

“That’s not the only reason, fairy child, but it is certainly one of them.” Cyclos snickered as he effortlessly rose higher into the air. “How do you plan to fight the catfish’s sage once you reach the top, hmm? Perhaps you could use a little divine grace of your own?”

“If I wanted grace, you’d be the wrong person to ask,” Mila shot back. As she did, her foot slipped. Losing her hold, she nearly fell, but a strong gust of wind practically slammed her against the Talus’s back, allowing her to grab hold again.

“That one was free,” Cyclos said with smug superiority. “But if you want a real miracle, well, perhaps you’d better pray for it?”

“I’ll pray for you to fuck off .”

“Hmmm?”

Mila looked up to find Cyclos’s face, now floating upside down above her.

“Well then, perhaps the winds won’t be as favorable as they have been so far,” he taunted. With a flick of his wrist, Mila suddenly found herself clinging to the rockface as a strong wind threatened to blow her off of it.

“Leave me, frog,” Mila demanded, raising her arm to climb higher. “We both know if you were going to kill me, you would have done it long before now.”

Cyclos laughed heartily. “Very well, fairy child. I’ll just sit back and watch. Good luck against the fish lady, now.” The god then ascended into the sky until he was out of Mila’s sight.

“Someday I will kill you,” the Kokiri muttered.

With the wind god’s distraction out of the way, Mila was free to continue her ascent. The Talus continued to rampage its way through the Hyrulean army as she moved closer and closer to the summit, and still her presence had not been discovered.

Laverta must be focused on the prince. Hopefully I can end this with one clean blow through her back.


By the time she reached the top, Mila’s arms and legs were aching, but she knew it would be over soon. She could hear the gentle sounds of Laverta’s lyre -- a strange contrast to the screaming and clashing of metal down below. With one last deep breath, the Kokiri knight summoned a strong wind to help push herself up, climbing onto the Talus’s head.

When Mila pulled herself onto her feet, she was standing behind Laverta. The Zora woman’s head fin swayed gently with the movement of the monster they rode upon, and she continued to serenely swipe her hand across the strings of her instrument. Hoping to seize the opportunity, the Kokiri drew her sword and charged forward.

Laverta must have heard her. The Zora woman turned around, and a look of surprise flashed across her face. She barely had enough time to react, but she reflexively swung her lyre, deflecting Mila’s sword just enough for it to miss her. Afterwards, she leapt backwards, letting her broken instrument fall to the ground. Mila charged again, but Laverta quickly waved her hand. A piece of rock broke off from the ground and flew up at the Kokiri, forcing her to dive to the side.

“I know who you are, fairy child,” the Zora sage told her.

“I’m glad the province still remembers me,” Mila said dryly. However, she did not care to cross words with an opponent she hoped would be dead shortly. Trying another tactic, Mila stepped forward and waved her arm, sending a gust of wind at Laverta, hoping to knock her off the edge. Laverta lost her balance and stepped back, but she quickly knelt down and raised a wedge-shaped wall of rock in front of her. “Dammit,” Mila muttered.

“Why do you fight me?” Laverta called out from behind her rocky barrier. “Do the forest gods have some stake in this battle? Or the wind gods?”

“Perhaps, but I don’t really care,” Mila replied, walking around to the side of the rock barrier with her sword raised. “This isn’t about the gods. It’s about me.”

“Such selfishness.” One half of the wedge-shaped rock wall launched itself towards Mila. She managed to dodge out of the way, but she did not see when Laverta launched the other half. It smacked into the side of her head, knocking her to the ground.

“Ahh!” Mila screamed in pain. Her helmet fell off when she landed, and while it had absorbed some of the blow, her head still bore an open wound. Rather than blood, ribbons of swirling green light leaked out -- her own spiritual essence failing to maintain its material form. Mila pressed one hand against the wound and reached for her sword with her other hand. However, as she reached her arm out to retrieve it, the ground beneath the sword rose up and slid it away from her. “Fuck,” Mila muttered as she watched her weapon tip over the edge and fall out of sight.

“This battle is not for your sake, nor mine,” Laverta stated, stepping towards the fallen Kokiri. “It is about Akkala. This may not be your true home, fairy child, but it is mine. Namazu can make this land safer. We cannot sacrifice his blessing merely to uphold an oath to a god who has abandoned us.”

Mila sighed, thoroughly unmoved by the zealous statements from the Zora sage. “Have you no respect for yourself?” the Kokiri asked, standing back up. “Namazu is using you. You’re killing your own countrymen simply to further the catfish god’s ego trip, and you’re too simple to even realize it.”

Laverta was taken aback. “And what do you know of the gods?” she demanded.

Before Mila could respond, she noticed something. Floating behind Laverta, a few meters over the edge of the Talus’s head, was Cyclos. He sat atop his cloud with his arms crossed, watching the battle as if it were entertainment. “I know enough,” Mila said, pointing at the frog god.

Laverta looked confused, then looked over her shoulder. “My word!” she said, turning around to face Cyclos. “Is that…?”

I cannot believe that worked…

While the Zora sage was distracted by the sight of a god in the flesh, Mila launched herself forward, propelled by as strong a wind as she could muster. She collided against Laverta, sending them both over the edge.

Mila knew it was a risky move, but an earth mage would be powerless falling through the air, and even a sage would die from a twelve-meter fall. A Kokiri would, too, but unlike Laverta, Mila could slow her descent. Hopefully, it would be enough for her to survive.

However, things did not go as planned. As Laverta screamed and Mila tried to separate herself from her, both of them were suddenly caught in a much more powerful wind than Mila had tried to summon. The Kokiri soon found herself flying horizontally through the air instead of falling. A great tornado had formed out of nowhere, and as Mila spun around in a circle, she caught glimpses of the wind god laughing uncontrollably from his position in the center of it.

“Cyclos!” Mila called out, although she could barely even hear herself. “Stop this madness!”

“And why would I want to do that?” the wind god asked, his booming voice echoing like thunder throughout the tornado. “You should know better than to make demands of the weather.” Cyclos chuckled at his own near-rhyme.

Mila was getting dizzy, and it was so difficult to breathe that she knew she would black out soon. “Are you… going to kill me?” she asked her former Patron.

“Hmm… who knows?” Cyclos lounged in his cloud, pretending to think it over. “I suppose if you were my sage, I wouldn’t want to, hm?”

Fighting to stay conscious as she tumbled through the air, Mila knew she had to swallow her pride.

It will be simple. Pretend to serve him, and bide my time. Just like with the prince.

“I’ll do it!” Mila shouted. “I’ll be your sage once again!”

“Oh, you will? Hm…” Cyclos tapped his hand against his chin. “You know, now that I think about it, I don’t think I want you anymore.”

What ?!” The Kokiri knight was confused. Had this all been the god’s way of humbling her? Making her grovel and admit she needed him? Or had this all been merely a sadistic joke?

“Sorry, fairy girl. You know how it is. Sometimes the winds change without any warning,” his booming voice declared, followed by more laughter. “But don’t worry. I won’t kill you. Not on purpose, anyway. I’ll just give you and the catfish’s sage the same chance. Bye, now!” Cyclos waved his hand. All of a sudden, it was as if the invisible force that had been keeping Mila and Laverta inside of the tornado had ceased to be. They were both sent flying through the air, screaming in terror as Cyclos flew away laughing.

It took all of Mila’s strength and focus to summon as much wind as she possibly could in the short amount of time she had before she hit the ground. It was far from enough to make her landing pleasant, but it slowed her down enough to keep her from dying. Between her shoulder dislocating on impact and her ribs cracking as she tumbled across the hard ground, the pain was enough for her to finally slip into unconsciousness.


“...up… you… on… lazy little…”

As Mila’s eyelids slowly opened, she found herself staring at a bright ball of light hovering above her face. “Luft…” she groaned, feeling the tingling sensation of fairy dust peppering her face.

“Well, finally ,” Luft said in annoyance. “By the great ones, you can’t go anywhere without me, can you?”

Mila actually managed a smile. “It’s true. I’ll try to remember that next time, old friend.” Lifting her head, she saw three or four of Mija’s fairies dancing across the rest of her body, helping to mend her broken bones.

“Hmph. Well, you’d better,” Luft insisted. “You know what happens to fairies who lose their Kokiri.”

“Better than what happens to Kokiri who lose their fairy,” Mila pointed out, remembering the horrific faces of the Skull Kids she’d encountered on her journey through the Lost Woods.

Looking around her, Mila saw others in the same state as her. Among the many bodies, there were wounded humans and Zora being healed by fairies. Cyclos’s tornado was long gone, and Laverta’s Talus had collapsed, leaving a vaguely humanoid-shaped pile of boulders on the hillside. “What happened to Laverta?”

“How should I know?” Luft replied.

Mila blinked a few times as the haze lifted more. She was beginning to remember what had happened more clearly. “She was in the tornado with me,” the Kokiri said aloud to herself. “She must be dead.” She sighed with relief at the thought, but then something occurred to her. “Shit. Is Cyclos getting the credit for this?” The wind god had made her beg for his help and nearly killed her. If he’d managed to steal her glory in addition to all that, it would have been the final humiliation.

“Will you quit squirming?” Luft complained.

“Oh, hush.” Mila lifted an arm to lazily swat Luft away. “ Ow .” Her face scrunched up in pain, and she carefully lowered her arm back down, realizing she was still quite injured.

After lying on the ground for a while longer, letting her fairy healers do their work, the Kokiri knight heard someone calling her name.

“Mila? Dame Mila? Mila Shadowgale?”

With her body mostly repaired, Mila managed to sit up. She spotted her squire walking through the remnants of the battlefield, searching for her. “Vanova!” Mila called.

The round-eared girl’s face lit up when she saw her knight. “Dame!” she shouted, running over to her. “Oh, thank the gods. I thought you’d been killed.” Vanova knelt down in front of the Kokiri girl, wrapping her arms around her.

“Hey! Hey ! Will you get off of me?!” Mila fought to free herself from her squire’s grip, still feeling aches of pain all over her body as she moved. “I know I look like a child, but I am your elder , young lady.”

“R-Right! My apologies.” Vanova released her, stepping back and standing at attention. “I was merely overcome with joy to see you were unharmed, dame.”

“What on earth makes you think I’m unharmed ?” Mila grimaced as she pushed herself up onto her feet. “Augh. I swear, I’m going to kill the fucking frog if it’s the last action I take on this plane of existence...” The Kokiri knight rubbed the back of her neck while she muttered to herself.

“Mm.” The round-eared girl nodded awkwardly, but her face lit up again a moment later. “Oh! I nearly forgot.” Reaching behind her back, she pulled a sword out of its scabbard. However, it wasn’t hers.

“My sword!” Mila said, staring in wonder at the gilded weapon as her squire carefully handed it back to her. She looked up at Vanova and smiled gratefully. “Thank you, Vanova. This sword is one of a kind. I would have been quite upset with myself if I had lost it.”

“I am honored by your gratitude, dame,” Vanova said proudly, bowing to the short knight. Looking down at the sword, she tilted her head quizzically. “It does appear to have a very unique design,” she commented. “Is it foreign?”

Mila chuckled. “More so than you would believe. It was originally made by my people, but it was reforged elsewhere.” She didn’t care to elaborate any further at the moment, however. There were more pressing matters at hand. “Laverta is dead, correct?” Mila asked, sheathing her sword.

“Yes, she is. She was killed by the tornado that tossed you,” Vanova confirmed.

“Good. Victory is ours, then.” Mila raised a brow as she realized something. “You saw me in the tornado?”

“Yes. Everyone did. I saw you dueling Laverta atop the Talus as well.” Vanova seemed proud just to be associated with her at this point. “Your bravery was commendable, dame. You will surely be rewarded.”

“I’d damn well better be,” Mila declared.

Even if Cyclos technically dealt the killing blow, as long as everyone saw me push Laverta off of the Talus, I’ll still be given at least some credit.

Taking a step forward, Mila nearly collapsed again, falling down on one knee. Nothing seemed to be broken anymore, but her body wasn’t going to let her forget she’d been tossed out of a tornado. “Take me to Prince Percival,” she commanded her squire.

“Shall I carry you?”

“That had better be a joke. Fetch me a damn horse or something.”

“Yes, dame.” Vanova ran off while Mila sat back down, rubbing her temple.

“So, what nickname do you think you’ll end up with this time?” Luft asked, chiming right beside Mila’s ear.

“Eh?”

“You became ‘The Devil of Shadow Pass’ last time. Maybe now you’ll be ‘The Titan Climber’ or ‘The Earthquake Slayer.’” Luft giggled, clearly taunting the Kokiri for her ego.

“You know, those aren’t half bad,” Mila replied. “It’s a shame you never got a nickname, though. Perhaps ‘The Vexing Pixie’ or ‘The Winged Whiner.’”

“Bah!” The fairy angrily rammed herself against the side of Mila’s head. “We’ll see who’s whining next time you get hurt and I decide not to heal you.”

Moments later, Vanova returned, riding atop a dark brown horse. “Dame Mila,” she greeted her, hopping off of her new mount.

“Splendid. Good work, Vanova.” Mila stood back up and approached the horse. However, when she looked up at the saddle she was expected to climb onto, she was reminded why she preferred to ride a deer. The Kokiri girl let out a sigh, swallowing her pride for a moment. “Would you mind…?”

“Hm? Oh!” It took Vanova a moment to realize what Mila was asking. “Of course, dame.” Grabbing hold of the smaller girl, Vanova helped lift Mila up onto the horse’s back. She then climbed up herself, sitting behind Mila.

The Kokiri let out another sigh, knowing she must look like a little girl being given a lift by her elder sister. “Let’s get going,” she commanded. “Where is the prince?”

“He and the other commanders returned to camp after giving orders to gather up the dead and wounded,” Vanova replied.

“Then take me there.”

“Yes, dame.” Vanova tapped her boots against the sides of the horse and started them trotting down the hill.

Before they reached the edge of camp, Mila insisted on climbing down from the horse. It had been embarrassing enough to be seen riding with her squire like that when only injured people and healers were around. If the princes and the other higher-ups saw her, she would never live it down. Her walking was a bit stilted, but it was better than the alternative.

As she walked through the camp with Vanova trailing behind her, murmurs of her name floated through the air. Several soldiers even got down on one knee out of respect for her as she passed.

Perhaps Luft was right. Maybe my time as the devil is over.

“Dame Mila.” A knight in regal armor, who Mila recognized as a royal guard, approached her. “Prince Percival has been looking for you. Please come with me.”

“Of course, sir,” Mila agreed. She had to force herself not to smile deviously, already trying to guess what her reward would be.

The guard led her into the prince’s tent. Percival, Silorn, Kaifa, and several other nobles and their guards were inside. When they spotted her, many of the guards took a knee and planted their swords in the ground, bowing to her. Sir Onnick did not, Mila noted.

“Ah! And the lady of the hour has finally graces us with her appearance,” Prince Silorn said completely genuinely, standing up from the table and spreading his arms welcomingly. “Come! Join us, great hero. We should all be honored to be in the presence of the one who slew the dreaded false sage.”

Prince Percival raised a hand at Prince Silorn, as if telling him not to overdo it. Then he turned his attention to Mila. “Yes. You’ve done well. And you shall be suitably rewarded along with the other heroes of this battle once we return to Akkala Citadel.”

Mila bowed her head, allowing herself a brief grin. “Thank you, my prince. I wish only to serve this great kingdom.”


The journey back to Akkala Citadel took considerably longer than the initial journey had. Many of the horses, as well as the Zora’s Hydrophant, had been killed in the battle, and many of the remaining ones now pulled carts filled with wounded, prisoners, and corpses. Mila would have suggested leaving the dead bodies behind, but it was customary to give fallen soldiers a proper burial.

Mila had thought it was strange when she first found out that humans left bodies behind when they died, like animals. While the death of a Kokiri or a fairy was a rare occurrence, she had seen it happen. Their corporeal bodies became ethereal again, and they passed on to who knows what realm. As she grew older, she learned this was not always the case with spirit beings, however. The original Great Deku Tree’s body still remained in the old Kokiri Forest. The humans had even hollowed it out and made a temple out of it once the Kokiri had migrated further north.

I wonder if Cyclos will leave a corpse behind after I kill him.

When they finally arrived back at the citadel, the guards informed Prince Percival that he was to meet with General Alchon and bring his lieutenants with him.

“Return to the barracks, soldiers,” Mila ordered the House Vryciaro troops, enjoying her last moments of being in charge of them, at least for now. “I shall summon you after I receive the governor’s next orders.” Most of the soldiers bowed and left, but Vanova stuck around.

“Shall I accompany you, dame?” the round-eared girl asked.

“Certainly, so long as you do not mind standing around for yet another boring meeting.” Mila turned and headed for the stairs, following the other officers and lords who were being escorted by their own subordinates. They made their way through the citadel and up to the general’s audience chambers.

Inside, General Alchon sat upon his throne, with Governor Vryciaro sitting in a smaller throne to his left. Mila filed in and stood in the gallery with the others, but Prince Percival stood front and center before his uncle.

“Percival,” the general spoke. “Word has reached me that the Earthquake Sage is dead. Is this true?”

“It is indeed, Uncle,” the prince replied, bowing slightly. “With Laverta’s death, we have cut off the head of the snake. Namazu is unlikely to find another potential sage any time soon. Members of her cult still remain, but they will no longer pose a serious threat to the kingdom. The campaign was a complete success.”

“With the number of casualties your forces appear to have sustained, I would hardly call that bold, head-on attack a complete success,” General Alchon replied sternly. He had been against the idea when it was first proposed, and he seemed to feel the need to remind everyone of that, even though it had worked out in the end.

Prince Percival hesitated before replying, no doubt having been hoping for a different reaction from his uncle. “The threat is removed nonetheless,” he reiterated insistently.

“Yes, I suppose it is. Perhaps my brother will take solace in that fact when I tell him that half my army is gone,” the general said, making a gross exaggeration.

“If my father takes issue with how I chose to accomplish the task he entrusted me with, then he can tell me so himself,” Prince Percival shot back. “A victory is a victory. Those who fought for me have earned more than contempt.”

General Alchon did not appear moved by his nephew’s statement. “Very well,” he said with little enthusiasm, getting up from his throne. “Come, Prince. I’ll let you handle their rewards.” Alchon stepped over to one of the smaller thrones and sat back down.

Prince Percival climbed the small set of steps and sat down where his uncle had been sitting. Most people would not have been allowed to do that, but even though the brother of the king clearly had more power and influence within Akkala Citadel, the son of the king technically ranked higher within the Royal Family’s hierarchy.

“Ahem,” Percival cleared his throat. “Prince Silorn, please come forward.”

The sharktail-headed Zora flashed a toothy grin. Stepping out onto the red carpet, he strutted proudly forward. When he was in front of the other prince, he tapped his silver spear against the floor, then got down on one knee and bowed his head.

“Prince Silorn, you and your people have once again proven your loyalty to the Kingdom of Hyrule,” Percival said.

Vryciaro nodded in agreement, but Alchon seemed unimpressed, merely staring blankly with his head resting against his hand.

“In return for your actions, I pledge to aid you and your father in restoring order to the Zora Dominion. You need only tell me what you require, and I shall grant it, within reason,” the prince continued.

General Alchon gave him an unamused look, likely angry at Percival for pledging more of his resources.

“My gratitude is as deep as the ocean itself, my fellow prince,” the Zora said with no small hint of humor in his voice. “I would be honored if you would accompany me to Lanayru sometime.”

“Perhaps,” Percival replied noncommittally. “You may rise.” Prince Silorn stood back up and returned to the gallery with a spring in his step.

Mila watched as the prince repeated this process with several others, calling on them to step forward, thanking them for their service, offering some small reward, then dismissing them. Lady Kaifa, one of General Alchon’s lieutenants, was granted additional land to her already considerable holdings. Mayro, the bishop, was told that the crown would speak to Sage Aurun on his behalf with the hope of getting him marked as a potential sage. Several lesser lords were granted smaller boons in the form of rupees, servants, horses, and the like. Just when Mila was beginning to think she was going to be snubbed, the prince finally addressed her.

“Dame Mila of House Shadowgale,” Percival spoke. “Please, come forward.”

Finally.

Mila did her best to walk with grace and dignity, holding her head high. Just as the others had done, she knelt before the prince and bowed respectfully.

“As a knight of Hyrule, you have done a great service to your kingdom,” the prince said. “You led your troops in battle, eliminated an enemy of the kingdom, and secured the aid of the local fairy flight to tend to our wounded.”

“After convincing you to go over my head and lead this reckless assault,” General Alchon said to his nephew, no doubt still upset that Percival had accepted Mila’s proposal right after he’d rejected it.

“That will be enough, Uncle,” the prince replied, raising his hand for silence.

“You watch your tone with me,” Alchon shot back. He then turned his attention to Mila. “If you ask me, this child has no place on the battlefield. The army has physical requirements for a reason. We’re lucky her presence didn’t get her entire regiment killed.”

“I take offense to that,” Mila said, climbing to her feet. She could endure plenty of unpleasantness, but she was unwilling to bite her tongue while the general discussed her as if she weren’t even there. “I may appear young, but we Kokiri are not bound by the same physical limitations as you humans. And, seeing as you are a seasoned military general, I assume you are aware that the kingdom’s military code does not hold sorcerers such as myself to the same physical standards as ordinary soldiers.” After stating her rebuttal, Mila paused for a moment. “My lord,” she added with a slight bow, acting as if she respected him so little that she could barely remember to address him properly.

That will surely get under his skin.

“I was told her past exploits which earned her the rank of knight were more than adequate proof that the battlefield is just where she belongs,” Prince Percival said. “And after killing the Earthquake Sage, I believe she has proven that once again.”

“It was Cyclos who smote the false sage, your highness,” Mayro pointed out from behind Mila in the gallery. “That victory belongs to the gods.”

“Cyclos would not have been there if not for me,” Mila rebutted, looking over her shoulder to give the bishop a dirty look. “It was my faith and my prayers that necessitated the wind god’s intervention.” She hated herself for saying that. Even pretending to pray to that bastard disgusted her. But she needed to appease her audience while still claiming credit for what was rightfully her victory, and that meant appealing to the Hylians’ faith in the gods.

“Regardless, Dame Mila, you have proven yourself quite effective,” Prince Percival went on. “We need knights who are both willing and able to shed blood for our kingdom. And as a reward, I shall grant you a proper title.”

Mila’s eyes went wide in surprise. “Truly, your highness?”

“Indeed.” Percival turned to Vryciaro, who had remained so silent Mila had genuinely forgotten he was there. “I trust you can accommodate this, Governor?”

“Yes, your highness,” Vryciaro replied with a nod. “I will find her suitable holdings and a decent manor to call her land.”

Mila could not stop herself from grinning.

Dame Mila sounded good, but Lady Mila?

“Thank you, Governor. Thank you, my prince!” Mila fell back down to one knee and bowed to them both, ignoring General Alchon’s disagreeable scoff.

“You may rise,” Percival said. Having granted her the reward he’d promised, he dismissed her.

Mila returned to the gallery and stood with her squire, who mouthed a silent ‘congratulations’ to her.

The ceremony went on for a while longer as there were a few other knights and lords who’d performed good deeds in service to their kingdom. The prince also mentioned that there would be a knighting ceremony the next day for soldiers who were eligible. Afterwards, he stood and relinquished the throne back to his uncle.

“I’m glad we have finished with the pleasantries, at last,” General Alchon declared after sitting back down in the center throne. “Laverta may have perished, but there is still work to be done if we are to completely root out this heresy. All of you have one hour to prepare your reports on the current state of affairs and your proposals for moving forward. Then we shall reconvene in the council chambers. Dismissed.”

The crowd in the gallery gave their respects and began filing out of the room. Prince Percival and Governor Vryciaro stood up to leave as well, but the general remained in his throne, absentmindedly tapping his fingers against the armrest.


“Shall we return to your chambers to celebrate, Lady Shadowgale?” Vanova asked with a perky smile on her face.

Mila stepped away from the crowd and stood with her squire by the wall in the hallway. “Hmm. Not yet,” she said. She was considering something that she knew the other girl wouldn’t like, but it was probably for the best. “I think it might be prudent for me to have a word with General Alchon in private.”

“But he was so rude to you, my lady,” Vanova replied. “Why must you speak with him?”

“That is precisely the point, Van.” Mila watched the other lords exiting down the hallway out of the corner of her eye, wishing for them to be out of earshot before she continued. “Despite the prince’s rank, General Alchon is still the most powerful person in the citadel. As much as it may pain me, I still need to get on his good side. His pride has been wounded by his nephew’s display of dominance just now, so perhaps he will be vulnerable enough to allow me to build a new bridge.”

“I see. That makes sense,” Vanova said. “You are so wise, my lady.”

The two of them waited for another minute, expecting to see General Alchon come through the doors to his throne room soon. Instead, they heard a loud noise coming from inside, like furniture being knocked over.

“What was that?” Vanova asked.

“I’m not sure.” Mila drew her sword and approached the door. “Arm yourself, Vanova. Follow me.” Together, the two of them swung open the double doors and stepped back into the throne room. “General Alchon!” Mila called in alarm.

All the way on the other side of the room, the general’s throne was on its side, with Alchon lying in a heap beside it, and four of his guards scattered about on the ground as well. Standing above them on the dais was a cloaked figure. Upon hearing Mila’s voice, the figure turned to look at them.

“Who are you?” Mila demanded.

Rather than responding, the figure disappeared in a puff of smoke. However, in the blink of an eye, he appeared once again, standing right in front of them. The cloaked man produced a knife from within his sleeve and slashed at Mila, but he must not have expected her to be as agile as she was. The Kokiri managed to dodge out of the way. Channeling the winds to propel her arm, she counterattacked before the man could strike again. Her sword slashed at his arm, cutting halfway through it before getting lodged in the bone. “Finish him!” Mila shouted to Vanova while the cloaked man screamed in pain.

Vanova complied, stabbing the man through the chest. She then withdrew her sword and stabbed him a second time for good measure. He fell to the ground, lifeless. “My lady, are you hurt?”

“I am fine.” As she answered, Mila hurried across the carpet over to where General Alchon was lying on the dais. There was blood all over the ground, leaking out of him. “Turn him over,” Mila commanded, knowing she could not lift the heavy man on her own. She and Vanova knelt down and rolled Alchon onto his back. His eyes were closed and he gave no response.

Vanova held her hand in front of his face. “He’s still breathing,” she proclaimed. “Can your fairy heal him?”

As if on cue, Luft appeared, jangling beside Mila’s head.

“No,” the Kokiri said, raising her hand to block Luft from moving forward.

“No? Why not?” Vanova asked. “Is he too far gone?”

“No, I mean…” Mila stood up, looking down at the general. She took a moment to consider her options. Ever since she arrived at Akkala Citadel for the first time, she’d been trying to get into the good graces of the king’s brother, thinking she’d be able to trade up from the governor. However, Alchon had been nothing but an obstacle.

Is he really worth more to me alive?

“My lady?” Vanova asked, watching the look of concentration on Mila’s face.

“It’s better this way,” she decided, turning to her subordinate. “With the general dead, the prince will be in command here. I have his favor.” She looked down at Alchon again. “I do not have his.”

Vanova looked nervous. “Are you certain, my lady? He is the king’s brother…”

“Yes, I’m certain. Let him bleed out. We’ll alert the guards once he’s dead.” Her eyes scanned the area, looking over the four dead guards lying about. “Check on them as well,” she ordered Vanova. “If any of them look well enough to recover, stab them once more.”

“Yes, my lady.”

Such loyalty. I am so glad I found this one.

As Vanova squatted down over one of the guards, Mila made her way back across the red carpet to examine the body of the killer. He was lying on his side, so she kicked him onto his back and knelt down, peeling the hood of his cloak back so she could see his face. “Interesting.” The man had a pale complexion and snow-white hair.

A Sheikah. Why would he want to kill the general?

“The guards are all dead, my lady. The general appears to have passed on as well.” Vanova came up from behind her. “A Sheikah? That’s odd.”

“Yes,” Mila agreed, standing up straight. “Akkala is a fairly diverse province, with many Hylians, Gorons, and Zora. There are not many Sheikah, but I suppose it’s no surprise that Laverta would have one or two of them in her cult.”

“You think he killed General Alchon for revenge?” Vanova asked. “He didn’t even take part in the battle.”

“Maybe. Or perhaps he’d been planted here ahead of time with orders to kill the general, and he simply did not strike until now,” Mila speculated. “Still, that is a mystery for someone else to solve. You’re certain General Alchon is dead?”

“He’s stopped breathing, my lady.”

“Good. Now then.” Mila pushed her way through the double doors back into the hallway, then took a deep breath. “ Guards !”

Chapter 34: Sophitia XI

Chapter Text

Sophitia and her retainer left the tent and began making their rounds through the camp, distributing orders to the princess’s troops as necessary. The princess also saw fit to inform Lancel’s and Koridai’s soldiers that they would be retreating to the sky lift if the battle turned south. From their reactions, it was clear Lancel had been treating the situation as if retreat were not an option. That was no surprise, given that the prince believed the City in the Sky held immeasurable value.

“How do you intend to convince Chief Revalco not to fight us?” Liliana asked on their way to meet with Lancel. “He’s already slaughtered the Grand Archivist and the other Hylians who were with him. It didn’t sound like he was in the mood for negotiation.”

“I doubt Revalco will attack us without at least sending someone to parley with us first,” Sophitia replied confidently. “I’ll merely explain to him what truly transpired. And the fact that the Sage of Wind has been in our company without any harm coming to her should be proof enough that we are of no threat to the Rito.”

Liliana sighed.

“What?”

“Revalco will almost certainly not send anyone to parley with you,” she explained. “That’s a very Hyrulean way of thinking, and Revalco does not see himself as a Hyrulean.”

Sophitia stopped walking and put a hand to her chin thoughtfully. “I see. I suppose that makes sense. But then, that would mean--”

The princess was interrupted by the sound of a warhorn coming from the buildings to the east. Up on the rooftops, she saw a Rito had landed, driving his spear threw the chest of one of the guards. The Rito was quickly dispatched by an arrow, but two more Rito arrived soon after to take his place.

Then, there was another warhorn, coming from a tower to the west. Then another to the north. Soon, the whole camp erupted into chaos.

“We’re under attack!”

“Bows skyward!”

“To arms!”

“For Hyrule!”

“Princess.” Liliana put an arm around her, drawing her blade. “We must get you to safety. We’ll fall back to the sky lift and prepare for our retreat.”

“No!” Sophitia denied. “We must find the sage first. The lift is useless without her.”

“Right,” her bodyguard agreed, quickly darting her head around. “Do you see her?”

Through the throng of Hylian soldiers rushing past them, Sophitia spotted one of the sage’s shamans poking his head out of one of the tents. “She might be in there.”

“Right.” As they made their way over to the Rito’s tent, Liliana tilted her head skyward. “Arrows!” she shouted.

Sophitia raised her hand, summoning her barrier. Four or five arrows broke against it with enough force to put some small cracks in the glowing crystal.

Oh gods. Had I been a second too slow…

Alarmed, the princess glanced around her, checking if any enemies were close by. “Look!” The princess pointed to a group of Hylian soldiers doing battle with some of the invading Rito. “They’re fighting over there.”

“Yes. That’s their job,” Liliana replied blankly, tugging Sophitia along.

“We have to help.”

“We are helping, Princess. Remember?”

Sophitia looked her retainer in the eyes, then looked down at her own hands. They were shaking. She was hyperventilating, too. Between the danger she was in and the sight of her allies being killed all around her so suddenly, she was having a difficult time thinking clearly. “R-Right,” she stuttered. “We must prioritize. Right?”

Liliana looked at her sympathetically, as if sensing what she was thinking. “Don’t worry, Princess. We’re gonna get you out of danger. Just come with me.” The princess allowed herself to be dragged over to the Rito’s tent, and the two of them stepped inside.

“Princess Sophitia,” Sage Balla greeted her with fear in her voice. “Are you alright?” The sage and three other shamans were gathered in the tent. It was meant to house many more of them, but the rest had been sent to deliver messages across Hyrule.

“I’m fine,” the princess replied. “Are any of you harmed?”

“No, we’re okay,” one of the shamans answered. “Revalco is here already?”

“I’m afraid so. Sage?” Sophitia held out her hand, still somewhat shaky. “You need to come with us. All of you do. We need to get to the sky lift so we can be prepared to escape.”

“Sage, don’t,” another of the shamans interjected. “If we go with them, Revalco will kill us. Let’s just return to the Wind Temple, like I said.”

“Don’t be a fool,” Liliana said to the Rito man, her voice carrying a hint of disdain. “Revalco will kill you anyway for coming back here to warn us about him.”

The shaman ruffled his feathers angrily, but made no counterpoint.

“Do not fear,” Sage Balla said. “The winds are with us today. Zephos will protect us.” She made a gesture of prayer with her wings, and her shamans followed suit. “We are with you, your highness.”

“Very good.” Sophitia moved to the entrance of the tent with Liliana and peeked outside. “We should move quickly.” When they stepped outside, Sophitia erected her barrier again, surrounding the six of them with glowing blue light. It wasn’t long before another hail of arrows began raining on them from the sky.

“Princess,” Liliana warned.

“I can hold it,” Sophitia insisted. Her barrier glowed as she put more focus into it, hoping to amplify its durability.

A few moments later, the sky lift at the other end of camp came into sight. But, before they could make it there, three Rito braves dropped down from the sky, armed with swords and spears.

“Out of our way,” Liliana ordered them.

One of the braves squawked something, but the second one spoke in Hylian. “Return the sage to us. Now.”

“We are not holding her,” Sophitia explained. “She is with us by her own design.”

“She speaks the truth,” Balla said. “Please, friend, allow us to pass.”

“Balla, you cannot trust these apes,” the brave replied, undeterred and leveling his spear at them. “They keep you alive because you are useful to them. As soon as you are not, they’ll kill you like they killed the High Chieftain. Please, come with us.”

“That is a lie!” Sophitia objected. “We were not responsible for--”

“Enough!” one of the other braves shouted. He charged forward, slashing at Sophitia’s barrier with his sword. “Come out and face us, you Hylian cowards!”

Sage Balla pushed her way past Sophitia and Liliana, drawing her baton from her robes. “I am sorry, friends.” She chirped out a few words in her own tongue, presumably for the benefit of the brave who did not understand Hylian. Afterwards, she closed her eyes and began conducting.

“Sage?” Sophitia asked as she began to hear a heavenly chorus.

The feathers of the Rito braves began to flutter in the wind, and they each held up a wing to shield their face. “Sage, wait!” one of them called. “Don’t!” A moment later, they were all swept up into the sky as easily as a fallen leaf in the wind.

“Wow,” Liliana said, clearly impressed.

“Thank you, Sage,” Sophitia said. “I’m sorry you had to do that.”

“It is alright. I did not harm them. I merely sent them to the other end of the city,” Balla explained.

“I see. Well, let us keep moving.”

Leading the way again, the princess and her retainer brought the Rito shamans to the sky lift. The windows were all shut, but the door was not locked, so they went inside. As she’d requested, a few of her guards were already there waiting for them.

“Your highness,” one of the guards greeted her. “Are you harmed? Do we need to leave now?”

“No, I’m fine. We must not leave yet, either,” Sophitia explained. “The battle is not yet lost, and my brother is still out there. We are to remain here for now.”

“Yes, my princess.”

Liliana stepped over to a window and peered outside.

“What do you see?” Sophitia asked her.

“Nothing,” the round-eared girl replied. “I don’t have a good view from here.”

“Hm. No matter.” The princess turned to her guards. “Have the others been reporting to you on the battle’s progress?”

“No, Princess,” the man replied. “But it has only just begun, and the soldiers have their orders.”

Sophitia nodded, then went to lean against the wall next to her bodyguard.

“Are you alright?” Liliana asked her softly.

The princess tilted her head back and closed her eyes. She was successfully keeping her breathing steady, but she could feel her heart beating rapidly. This was not her first battle. She’d survived two large-scale monster attacks so far on this campaign, plus that run-in with the Skulltulas. But, for some reason, this felt much scarier. They were not fighting monsters at all this time; those were fellow Children of Nayru out there. Those Rito had been her friends the day before. It all felt so wrong. She could not even hope for victory, since casualties on either side seemed just as bad.

“I shall endure,” Sophitia said simply, her father’s ‘ show no weakness ’ teachings kicking in. She looked down when she felt Liliana’s hand grab hers.

“I’m sorry things didn’t go as you planned,” the round-eared girl said.

Sophitia let out a soft sigh. “Well, few things do these days, it seems.” Pulling her hand away from her bodyguard’s, the princess stepped forward towards one of her guards. “I hate to send you into harm’s way, but would you kindly locate my brother and report back to me?”

“Of course, your highness.” The man bowed and exited the sky lift.


As she waited, Sophitia tried to consider all possible outcomes. The best case scenario would be for her brother to win the battle and capture Chief Revalco alive. From there, they could bring him to justice before the Chieftains’ Council in Medoh, demonstrating Hyrule’s willingness to show mercy to the kingdom’s enemies and the Royal Family’s willingness to work with the Rito Chieftains. Afterwards, they could return to the city with another expedition team and continue their work, coming out of the whole experience with both the city reclaimed and the bond between their peoples strengthened.

The next best scenario would be for her brother to win the battle, but with Revalco killed in the fight. They would have a lot of explaining to do when they next met with the Chieftains’ Council, but they would be able to truthfully plead self-defense, and Sage Balla would be able to corroborate their claims. With two out of three of the Rito representatives on their expedition dead, tensions between Hyrule and the Rito would be higher, but they could find some way to work it out. Perhaps Sophitia could stay in Medoh to negotiate terms for instating the newly elected High Chieftain as the new governor of Hebra, if her father would ever agree to it. Lancel could stay in Skyloft and continue his work there, since it was apparently of higher importance to him.

If they lost the battle and Lancel retreated to the sky lift, they would simply flee. Currently, they were hovering somewhere above Hyrule Ridge. Once they returned to the surface, they would make their way to Midoro, where they would wait to hear the decision of the Chieftains’ Council. Perhaps they would side against Revalco and negotiations could resume, or perhaps they would declare war.

The absolute worst case scenario would be for the same thing to occur, but with Lancel not surviving the battle. Sophitia did not wish to consider that possibility, but she recognized it.

When the soldier Sophitia had sent out finally returned, he knocked on the door asking to be let in. The princess nodded to Liliana, who opened the door for him. He was not injured, but he appeared haggard and out of breath.

“I am relieved to see you made it back to us, soldier. What news do you bring of the battle?” Sophitia asked.

The guard looked at her uncertainly for a moment, which worried her. “We are losing ground,” he said. “The Rito have taken the surrounding buildings, and their archers are forcing our retreat.”

“They are coming here?”

“Yes. The remainder of our forces are slowly coming this way, but they continue to engage the Rito in ground combat as well.”

“And what of my brother?”

“The prince lives, commanding the troops from the rear. His sorcery may be the only thing keeping our fellow Hylians alive.”

Sophitia breathed a sigh of relief. This was far from the ideal outcome, but at least Lancel was alive. “How many of our troops remain? Will they all be able to fit in here?”

The Hylian man glanced around him, judging the size of the sky lift’s interior. “I believe they will, your highness.”

The princess nodded. “Very good. Thank you for the report.” The guard bowed and returned to his position with the others, while Sophitia went to stand by her retainer again.

“This will all be over soon, Princess,” Liliana assured her.

“This battle, perhaps. But this is far from over,” Sophitia replied. “It looks like I shall be visiting Mina Remoth in Midoro after all.”

“It will be a joyous reunion,” Liliana said, perhaps half-sarcastically. “I suppose another night of debauchery will be in order?”

“Many people celebrate their survival after a battle in much the same way. Why not us?” Sophitia smiled grimly. It may not have been the best time for jokes, but this kind of banter with her retainer seemed to help calm Sophitia’s nerves.

Not much later, there was more frantic knocking on the sky lift doors. “Let us in! Let us in!” came several voices from outside. Sophitia’s guards were quick to open the doors. Immediately, retreating Hylian soldiers began pushing their way inside, some of them dragging wounded along with them.

“Princess, it’s time,” Liliana stated.

“It is,” Sophitia nodded, her heart beating fast, believing the enemy was right outside the doors. “Sage Balla! Prepare for departure!”

“I will, your highness.” The Rito sage began chirping orders to her remaining shamans, and the four of them positioned themselves around the interior of the lift, squeezing past the Hylians in their way.

Sophitia took a headcount of the surviving troops, but after they stopped coming, she noticed Lancel was not with them. “Where is the prince?” she asked frantically. “Where is my brother?”

“He’s outside, your highness,” someone from within the crowd replied. Sophitia immediately headed for the door.

“Princess, wait,” Liliana called, following after her.

When Sophitia stepped outside, she saw her brother was indeed there, along with Sir Anselm. Lancel stood with his back to her, his hand outstretched. He was clearly maintaining the massive, glowing, dome-shaped barrier that covered the entire sky life, separating them from the swarm of Rito just outside of it. There were dozens of them, armed with swords, spears, and bows. Some stood, while others flapped their wings, hovering in the air. In front of them all stood Chief Revalco, holding his ornately carved bow, nocking three arrows at once.

“I always knew you Hylians were cowards,” Revalco said. Having just won the battle, the arrogance in his voice seemed even more potent than usual. “And not only that, you were stupid enough to start a fight you couldn’t even finish. It’s a wonder your kind ever conquered even a single acre of this continent.”

“We did not start this fight, my falcon-headed friend,” Lancel replied. “You’ve had the wool pulled over your eyes. You’re just too bird-brained to realize it.”

“I’m sorry, was that supposed to be Prince Lancel’s famous wit?” Revalco stepped forward, his bow pointed downward but with the arrows still nocked and ready. “Perhaps something is being lost in the translation.”

“Lancel!” Sophitia shouted, running forward to join her brother at his side.

“Ah, and the other schemer arrives,” Revalco said, gesturing with his wing. “I’m glad you have all gathered in one place. It will make it so much easier to kill you.”

“Chief Revalco, I am very sorry for everything that has transpired here today,” Sophitia began. “But the man who killed Kanelo acted alone, I promise you that. We want justice for his murder just as much as you do. So please, there is no need for further bloodshed. Let us simply--”

“You truly expect me to believe that?” Revalco asked, ruffling his feathers. “Funny how, as soon as you’re cornered, it was all someone else’s fault. You people didn’t seem so keen on talking when you were shooting us out of the sky.”

“You struck first, chief,” Lancel argued. “If you had wished to speak, you would have sent an envoy to discuss terms.”

“No, you struck first,” Revalco said angrily. “I may not have cared much for the High Chieftain, but Kanelo deserved better than to be stabbed in the back. I’m not going to let you people get away with yet another atrocity. Hebra will no longer tolerate Hyrulean tyranny. You will all pay for what you’ve done.”

Lancel opened his mouth to respond, but Sophitia grabbed him by the arm. “No, brother. We should leave. No good can come of this.” Her brother looked down at her. His face made it clear that he was strongly opposed to giving up control of the city to Revalco, but apparently he realized they no longer had any choice.

“You’ve made a grave miscalculation today, my feathered friend,” Lancel said to Revalco. “Never let it be said that we did not give you a chance.”

“How kind of you,” Revalco said, raising his bow. “Now run along, little apes. Enjoy what little remains of your pathetic lives. I will find you again one day. That’s a promise.”

Without another word, Sophitia, Lancel, Liliana, and Sir Anselm turned around and entered the sky lift. “Sage Balla!” the princess called. “Take us down!”

“Yes, your highness.” Raising her baton, the sage began to conduct, and her shamans followed along. Soon after, the winds began howling outside the lift. Sophitia grabbed the wall to keep from losing her balance when their stone transport lifted into the air. It moved horizontally until it went over the edge of the floating island, then it began moving downward.

The victorious cheers of Revalco and his braves could be heard fading into the distance. Luckily, their enemies did not pursue them. The sky lift descended slowly at first, moving at roughly the same rate at which it had ascended the day before. But then, something went wrong. Sophitia felt butterflies in her stomach as the lift began to drop, as if it was falling out of the sky. Some of the people on board began to scream.

“Balla!” the princess shouted. “What is happening?”

“I-I don’t know!” she called back. She and the shamans seemed to be struggling.

They must not be strong enough to control the lift with these numbers.

Sophitia began to panic. Any minute, the sage could lose control completely. They would plummet back down to earth, and they would all die in the crash.

Hylia, please…

However, much sooner than expected, the sky lift came to a sudden stop. Sophitia and almost everyone else on board lost their balance, and many were painfully slammed against the ground. From outside, there was a loud crooooooak sound.

“What in Din’s name just happened?” the princess asked, dusting herself off as Liliana helped her to her feet.

Lancel stood up and put his spectacles back on. “I believe I know the answer to that, Sister,” he declared. Apparently somewhat injured, the prince limped over to the wall with a bright smile on his face, then opened the door. “Ah. Just as I suspected.”

“What?” Sophitia asked, following him. When she stepped outside, her feet landed on a strange, squishy, white surface. Before she had time to question it, she looked up and saw the face of a giant frog looking down at her. “Ahh!” she shrieked, leaping backwards. However, after taking a moment to process the situation, she realized she was not looking at a monster, but a god. “L-Lord Zephos?”

“Yes. Hello there,” the wind god replied, squinting down at them in confusion. “What are you doing on my belly?” Sitting up, Zephos waved his hand. A fluffy white cloud formed beneath the sky lift, raising it off of the god’s belly and moving it back a few meters. Sophitia and Lancel were now looking straight into the face of the wind god.

“Sage Balla, come out here,” Lancel said in a friendly manner, looking back inside the lift and waving her over.

Balla hurriedly joined them, getting down on her knees outside. “Lord Zephos,” she said reverently. “You have our undying gratitude for rescuing us.”

“Hmm?” The god squinted again, leaning his head forward. “Oh, it’s you, Wind Waker. Nice work getting all the way up here, kid. How was your trip to the old sky city?”

Balla looked up from her groveling position. Obviously, the trip had been a disaster, but she didn’t seem to want to give her Patron any bad news. “It was most lovely, my lord. We are truly blessed to have walked among the city of our ancestors.”

“Well, that’s nice,” Zephos said. “Not sure why you all had to interrupt my nap, though.”

“My apologies, O god of gentle winds. You see, we were just running away from a group of ne’er-do-wells intent on killing us,” Prince Lancel replied, pointing upwards. “And as much as I’d love to stay and chat about the weather -- which you’ve done a marvelous job with, by the way -- we are a tad pressed for time. So, if you would be so kind as to give us a gentle nudge in the direction of Midoro, my good Patron?”

Sophitia’s mouth was agape in horror.

Lancel! How could you be so uncouth as to speak to a god so casually?

However, Zephos did not seem to notice. “Hmm. Midoro? Which way is that?” he asked, turning his head from side to side as he glanced around.

Lancel walked to the edge of the cloud and pointed to the city in the swamp that was visible in the distance. “Right over there, you see. Just a bit north-northeast from here.”

“Sure. No problem, kid,” Zephos replied. “Alright. You all best get back in your little stone jar there. Good to see you again, Wind Waker. Don’t forget to pray and all that.”

“O-Of course, great one,” Balla replied. “I am honored to have been in your presence once again.”

The three of them went back inside the sky lift and shut the door. Through the windows, Sophitia could see the wind god lazily wave his hands, and all of a sudden, the lift began to move again. No longer were they falling, but instead being carried by like a leaf in a gentle breeze. Sophitia made the sign of the Triforce with her hands. She found Zephos to be quite different from the other gods she had met so far in her life, but she supposed he had earned a place in her prayers for a while.


Despite how smooth the flight was, the landing ended up being less than ideal. The sky lift crash landed in the swamp a few hundred meters from the Midoro city walls, and everyone on board had to climb out and wade through a pool of waist-deep water to get onto the road. Luckily, the town guard must have spotted them before they hit the ground. After walking for a short while, tired, hungry, bruised, and covered in mud, a group of riders in black came their way.

“Oh, thank the gods,” Sophitia said, leaning against her bodyguard with her arm around the round-eared girl’s shoulders. “Hello!” she called, raising her hand to wave at the approaching riders. “Help us, please!”

The men on horseback came to a stop in front of their party, looking down at them through slitted helmets. “What in blazes happened out here?” their leader asked. “It looked like a small building fell out of the sky.”

“Yes, that was us,” Lancel confirmed, stepping forward to the front of their group. “There is a most fascinating story behind the events that have transpired here today, and we would love to tell Lord Remoth all about it. Would you kindly take us to him posthaste?”

“Prince Lancel?” one of the riders said in surprise after recognizing him. The other riders exchanged looks, all of them apparently surprised by the sudden visit from a royal.

“Yes, of course, your highness. We’ll take you straight to the castle,” the lead rider said. “Get the prince on a horse! Now!”

“No,” Sophitia said, stepping up next to her brother. “We have wounded. Get them on horseback first.”

The lead rider looked to Lancel for confirmation, and he nodded his acceptance, making a casual gesture with his hand. “Right,” the rider agreed. “Men, help their wounded onto your horses. At once.”

The soldiers who had been wounded in the battle got to ride on horseback for the remainder of the trip. Lancel and Sophitia walked, which was a slow and uncomfortable process given the circumstances, but at least they were not being hunted by Ravalco’s braves anymore.

“We’re almost there, Princess,” Liliana said to Sophitia, still helping her along as they approached the city gates. “Are you well?”

“They didn’t recognize me,” Sophitia said quietly.

“Beg your pardon?”

The princess sighed. “They recognized Lancel, but they didn’t recognize me,” she complained.

“Oh,” Liliana replied. “Well. You aren’t wearing one of your dresses. No one recognizes a princess without a dress, surely.”

“If Victorique were here, they’d recognize her no matter what she wore.” Liliana said nothing, and the princess looked her in the eye. “My apologies,” Sophitia said, sighing once again. “I’m only bitter. Today did not go as planned.”

“It’s understandable, Princess,” Liliana replied. “But today was not a complete failure. Everyone here today is alive because you chose to secure our escape rather than fight a losing battle. That has to count for something.”

Sophitia smiled weakly. “It does. Thank you, Liliana.”

“You’re welcome.”

When they reached the city, the massive wrought iron gate on the outer wall opened for them. Several dozen more town guards joined their escort, forming a protective perimeter around them as they escorted the prince and his companions through the city towards the castle.

Something Sophitia noticed immediately about the city of Midoro was that Mina Remoth was right -- it was nowhere near as nice as the capital. Almost every building looked at least a little dilapidated. Sanitation seemed to be severely lacking, and the peasants walking through the streets appeared unwashed and sketchy. Even as more and more people took notice of their royal procession and began to gather around to watch, Sophitia did not feel welcome. Most of the glances she got made her feel uneasy or unsafe. She was glad to be surrounded by guards. If she hadn’t been, she was almost certain someone would’ve tried to mug her, or worse.

The crowds stopped following them and began to disperse as they approached the castle. As they crossed the bridge over the moat filled with swamp water, it was obvious why no one wanted to follow them. The walls were adorned with severed heads on spikes -- a gruesome reminder of Lord Remoth’s brutal punishment methods. As the princess drew closer, she cast her eyes downward, feeling queasy at the sight of it. Liliana put her hand on Sophitia’s head, as if to shield her from it.

“The sage should not be seeing this,” Sophitia whispered, for once remembering Balla was only a child. “This is no place for one so young.” She told herself that she would instruct Balla to fly back to the Wind Temple as soon as they had planned their next move. With any luck, she and her brother would be leaving just as quickly.

Past the gates, the riders dismounted and led them the rest of the way on foot. Heavily armored guards stood at the entrance to the castle, but they were allowed to pass. Once they were in the entrance hall, the knight in charge instructed them to wait. “I will return with Lord Remoth at once,” he told them.

Sophitia took a moment to examine the large room they had endered. Just like outside, the architecture was bizarre. She had read somewhere that Midoro had not originally been built by Hylians, but she couldn’t quite place the designs. However, despite the creepy feeling she got, she had to admit the place was nicely decorated. Whereas the city beyond the castle walls was filthy, the castle was immaculately clean. Lush red carpet led from the entrance to a pair of twin spiraling staircases, which led up to a balcony level overlooking the entrance hall. A large, ornate chandelier hung from the center of the ceiling, lighting the room along with several braziers affixed to the walls.

If the rest of the grounds are anything like this, Midoro might have the nicest castle I’ve seen apart from my own.

The princess did not have long to admire the interior, however. Soon, a large shadow fell over them. Sophitia looked upwards. Atop the balcony, the tall, imposing figure of Lord Remoth had appeared, dressed in his dark, flowing robes. The princess felt a chill up her spine, and almost everyone in their party took a step back upon spotting the dark figure.

Only Lancel and Sir Anselm appeared undeterred, stepping forward to greet their host. “Lord Remoth! A pleasure to see you again, my good man,” Lancel said, ducking down into an exaggerated bow. “You have my profound gratitude for welcoming us into your home on such short notice, particularly with us being as drenched in swamp water as we are.”

“Prince Lancel,” Lord Remoth said. He spoke softly, yet his deep voice carried throughout the entrance hall with ease. “And Princess Sophitia. I did not expect to see you both again so soon. What an unexpected pleasure.”

“The pleasure is all ours,” Sophitia replied, taking her place at her brother’s side and giving the lord paramount a bow as well. “Yet I am afraid we come bearing unfortunate news. Our expedition to the City in the Sky did not unfold as planned.”

“That may be the understatement of the century, sweet sister,” Lancel said in agreement. “Many have died, including Governor Koridai and High Chief Kanelo. If we wish to prevent the Hebra Province from falling into chaos, we must act with the utmost haste.”

Lord Remoth waited patiently for the royal siblings to finish with their explanation. “I see,” he said emotionlessly. “That is indeed quite the tragedy. We shall discuss this further once you have recuperated.” Holding up his hand, Lord Remoth snapped his fingers. Several servants streamed into the room through the many entrances on the upper and lower floors of the entrance hall. “Have our guests bathed and fed. Send for me once they are ready.” Without waiting for the prince or princess to respond, Lord Remoth turned around and exited the room.

Sophitia and Lancel exchanged a look as the servants approached them. “Well, I suppose we are in dire need of a good wash, wouldn’t you say?” Lancel said, straining some swamp water out of his shirt.

“Yes, I suppose so.” Sophitia knew they were in a hurry, but any diplomatic or strategic decision they could make would take time to implement. Besides, they had surely earned a brief moment of respite.

As the others were led away, a pair of pretty servant girls approached Sophitia, but before they could offer to escort her anywhere, they were interrupted by a voice from above. “Aw, wicked! It is you two.”

Sophitia looked back up to the balcony. Leaning against the railing was Lord Remoth’s daughter. “Mina?” the princess said.

To Sophitia’s surprise, the redheaded girl hopped over the railing. She fell down to their level, landing on the floor in a crouched position, then sprung up to her feet. “Oi, oi, welcome to the swamp, ladies,” she said, approaching Sophitia and Liliana with her arms open invitingly. She pulled them both into a hug, despite their current filthy state.

“Oh! Well, it’s, uh, lovely to see you again as well, my friend,” the princess said, awkwardly returning the hug. “Careful, I’m drenched in swamp water at the moment.”

“That you are,” Mina agreed, stepping back. She turned to one of the servants who was waiting patiently off to the side. “Oi, did one of the girls go on ahead to prepare my bath already?” she asked.

“Yes, my lady,” the servant girl replied.

“Beautiful. You can take off now. I’ll take the princess there myself,” Mina insisted.

Her servant bowed, then exited the way she’d come in.

“Alright. Come along, Princess. You too, round-ears. Let’s get you cleaned up before my father has you impaled for dripping all over his carpet.” Flashing her toothy grin, Mina waved them along as she led them along.


Sophitia and Liliana followed the Remoth girl down a series of hallways, admiring the decor as they went. Lord Remoth must have had a penchant for paintings, since every wall they passed seemed to have several pieces of art mounted upon it. Many of the paintings were portraits of well-dressed individuals, likely ancestors of the Remoth family. Others depicted great battles throughout history, both against monsters and against other Children of Nayru. There were a few famous scenes that Sophitia recognized, such as Demise emerging through the Breach and igniting the first Demon War. Others were unknown to her. Some of it was much too macabre for Sophitia’s tastes, but she supposed that was to be expected from a man like Toren Remoth.

“So, how’re things?” Mina asked, glancing back at them as she bounded along, her feet brushing against the fine carpeting. “Heard anything from my aunt recently?”

“I’m afraid not,” Sophitia said, shaking her head. She was curious about how her siblings were faring in Gerudo and Akkala, but there were much more pressing matters at hand. “And things did not go quite as planned in Skyloft.”

“Ah. That’s rough, sister. Things never go as planned, do they? Probably why I don’t plan anything.” Mina giggled, turning the corner and kicking a door open. “Behold!” she declared, gesturing inside.

Sophitia and Liliana followed her into the room. The spacious, immaculately clean washroom came as a surprise to the princess. Much of the space was occupied by a large, circular pool filled with pleasant, steaming water, like a hot spring. “It looks lovely,” Sophitia commented. “I apologize for intruding.”

“Not at all,” Mina said, already undoing the buttons on her surcoat. “Now, come on. Throw off those soaked rags of yours and join me in the bath. You’ll love it. The water’s great, honest.”

Sophitia shared a look with Liliana, but they both shrugged and complied. Mina practically dove into the water, landing with a splash and coming up with a giggle. Liliana stepped in after her, before taking Sophitia’s hand to guide her down the slippery steps.

“Ahhh…” The hot water felt good on the princess’s skin as she lowered herself in, letting her shoulders dip below the surface. Liliana joined in, sitting down next to her.

“Told you the water was nice,” Mina said with a toothy grin. Standing up, she waded through the bath to the side across from Sophitia and Liliana. “So, what exactly happened up there?” she asked, vaguely pointing upwards.

“It might be best not to discuss that right now,” Liliana told her. “The princess should be allowed to rest for a bit.”

“No, no, it’s quite alright,” Sophitia insisted. “Mina is the daughter of our host. She has a right to be informed.”

“Damn right,” Mina affirmed. “Now go on, then. How much of a disaster was it really?”

The princess decided to give Mina the short version of it. She left out everything about Lancel’s secret plans and the floating city’s control mechanism, but she gave a brief summary of what had happened in Medoh, how Kanelo had been murdered, and the immediate aftermath that had led them to crash into the swamp outside of her home.

“Wow. That really was a disaster,” Mina said, laughing heartily.

Liliana raised an eyebrow. “This is no laughing matter,” she said plainly.

“Yes, yes, I suppose you’re right.” Mina choked back another giggle. “Although, Zephos sounds rather laidback for a Patron, eh? Lazing around on a big, fluffy cloud in the sky? Now there’s a god I can pray to.”

“Yes. Well. We would like to speak with your father as soon as possible,” Sophitia informed Mina. “I do not believe we will need his armies quite yet, but it may be prudent to be prepared.”

“Sure, sure. Father will do whatever you say, Princess. He is a loyal servant of the crown.” Mina spoke plainly, but it was the impish grin that gave away her sarcasm. Staring Sophitia in the eyes, the red-haired girl brought her fingers to her chin. “Say, you said you still have no idea who killed Kanelo, yeah?”

“Yes,” Liliana confirmed, narrowing her eyes in suspicion. “Why do you ask?”

“You brought quite a few of your guards here with you,” Mina pointed out. “How do you know the killer isn’t still here?”

“That is a possibility we have considered,” Sophitia said with a nod. “The guards who were with my brother and I at the time are above suspicion, but we have some of House Koridai’s troops with us now as well.”

“You know, my father has the best interrogators in the world,” Mina offered. “A few days down in the dungeons and Kanelo’s killer will be writing his entire autobiography.”

Sophitia was horrified by the implication, and apparently her shocked expression was enough to make Mina laugh once more. “I assure you, that will not be necessary,” the princess insisted. “I will not submit the soldiers who fought bravely in our defense to any harm, especially when we do not know for sure whether the true culprit is among them or not.”

Mina shrugged. “Suit yourself. But hey, if you wake up to someone running a sword through you in the middle of the night, don’t come crying to me.”

“She brings up a good point,” Liliana said quietly. “We still don’t know the killer’s true allegiance or intentions. If he is hiding among the Koridai troops, he could be a danger to you, your brother, and especially Sage Balla.”

“You think the killer just hates Rito?” Mina asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Could be,” Liliana replied. “Not all people are fond of those who differ from them.”

Perhaps it was because a round-eared human had been the one to say it, but something about that statement seemed to amuse Mina Remoth immensely. She smiled wide, baring her impish fangs, although she had the decency to not laugh. “Oh, I’m well aware of that,” Mina said. “But not to worry. I’ve a feeling that won’t be a problem for much longer.”

“If only that were so,” Sophitia said. “The goal of this expedition was to improve relations between the Hylians and the Rito, after all. Yet, I fear it has had the opposite effect.” The princess sighed, laying her head back and sinking further into the water. “At this rate, I shall never be queen…”

“That’s not true,” Liliana assured her. “Nothing that happened up there was your fault, and you mustn’t give up after one failure.”

“Round-ears is right, you know,” Mina agreed. “Plus, if you really wanna be queen, you could always just kill your siblings.”

Sophitia and Liliana both shot her horrified looks.

“Oh, for Din’s sake, I was joking!” Mina held up her hands in surrender, although she was laughing as she did.

All three of them focused on washing themselves for a couple minutes before Mina resumed the conversation. “So, if you’re not gonna use my father’s dungeon to find out who the killer was, how do you plan to find out?”

Sophitia thought about it for a moment. So far, the only suspects were her brother and the remaining Koridai troops. And for all she knew, the killer could already be dead. She planned to question her brother as soon as possible now that they were out of danger, which would hopefully allow her to eliminate him as a suspect. However, she did not know how to deal with the Koridai guards. “I’ll have to keep them all together,” she said, thinking aloud. “If I lose track of any of them, I may lose my chance.”

“You could absorb them into your own guard, Princess,” Liliana pointed out. “Our numbers have dwindled since the battle as it is.”

“I can take command of them temporarily, but ultimately, their place is in Snowpeak,” Sophitia said. “They have a duty to fulfill, and with Governor Koridai dead, they will have a new governor to protect soon.”

“Pfft. If you were the new governor, would you want to be guarded by the guys who let the last governor die?” Mina asked.

“A fair point,” Liliana conceded.

“But, besides,” Mina went on. “If they need to return to Snowpeak, why don’t you just go with them? My father will want to divide our forces to box in the Rito from both ends of Hebra. You could lead the northern division in Snowpeak and keep an eye on Koridai’s men from there.”

“Box in the Rito?” Liliana repeated questioningly, raising an eyebrow. “They can fly.”

“True, but they still trade and transport supplies by cart. Plus, the main idea is to be in position to attack them on two fronts,” the Remoth girl explained.

Sophitia was impressed. Not that anything she’d said was particularly complex, but Mina did not strike her as a tactician. “Is your father training you in battle strategy?”

Mina laughed. “He’s trying. I’ve had to sit in on a lot of his boring council meetings. He’s been planning for war with the Rito ever since we got back, so I know all his secret plans,” she said, waggling her fingers mockingly.

Sophitia shared a look with Liliana. For a moment, she found it disconcerting that Toren Remoth had been planning for war, but she realized Mina must have meant he had been preparing just in case it became necessary, as they’d requested him to. “Well, I think it is a splendid idea. In Snowpeak, I will be able to broker the peace talks between the newly appointed Governor of Hebra and the newly elected Rito High Chieftain, so my presence there shall serve several useful functions.” The princess stood up, stepping out of the bath. “I would like to take this idea to my brother and your father. Let us convene with the others straight away.”


When they finally sat down to meet with Lord Remoth, it was at an extremely long, rectangular table, like the kind that would be found in a dining hall. However, it was the only furniture in the narrow room apart from the chairs. One wall was lined with windows, and the other with the same sort of paintings found throughout the castle, depicting noble lords or battle scenes with monsters and knights.

Lord Remoth sat on a throne at the far end of the table, with his daughter as his right hand. Lancel was seated at the other end, with Sophitia beside him. They were so far away from Lord Remoth, Sophitia thought they would have to shout in order to hold a discussion with him. Also joining them at the table was Sage Balla and several lesser nobles serving under Lord Remoth. An assortment of guards and servants stood throughout the room as well.

The meeting began with the royal siblings recounting the events of the last few days, including their arrival at the Wind Temple, their meeting with the Chieftains’ Council in Medoh, the Aeralfos attack, their return to the Wind Temple, their ascent to the City in the Sky, the assassination of High Chieftain Kanelo, the aftermath, their retreat, and their encounter with Zephos. As expected, the only major detail that they chose to leave out was the fact that Lancel was currently in position of the supposed master key to Skyloft’s control system.

Once they were finished, Lord Remoth sat quietly for a moment, his fingers steepled. He seemed to be contemplating the situation. Meanwhile, beside him, Mina looked bored out of her mind. She had already heard most of the story from Sophitia earlier, so she was mostly zoned out, leaning against the table with her hand against her cheek.

“It seems Hyrule is at war once again,” Lord Remoth said eventually.

“Not necessarily,” Sophitia said quickly. “Sage Balla has already sent word to the Chieftains’ Council to tell them what really transpired. Chief Revalco will no doubt want war, but the other chieftains may not agree.”

“Half the Chieftains’ Council already agreed with Revalco before all of this occured, did they not?” Lord Remoth calmly pointed out. “With their leader and their greatest supporter of Hyrulean unity murdered by Hylian hands, enough of the others will go over to Revalco’s side. We are likely to receive their declaration of independence within the day, and then it will be war.”

Sophitia wanted to argue, but he was right. Things were going to get worse before they got better. “That may be. But that does not mean another Hyrulean occupation of Hebra will be necessary. I propose I go to Snowpeak. When I receive the decision of the Chieftains’ Council, I will invite their new High Chieftain to sit down and discuss the matter. The Rito can still see reason, even Revalco. These are Children of Nayru we are talking about, not monsters.”

Mina smirked at that, perhaps thinking the princess was being naive. Lord Remoth remained as emotionless as ever, but he seemed to find merit in what she was saying. “Very well. So long as the Rito do not attack first, it may be worth giving them one last chance to surrender before we take back the province.”

Sophitia noticed Sage Balla shudder a bit at that statement. “Wise sage, will you be able to keep the peace at the Wind Temple?”

“Yes, your highness,” the young Rito girl said. “Above all else, it is my desire to keep Hebra as peaceful as the gentle winds of Zephos.”

“However, as I have said, these peace talks rely on the notion that the Rito will not attack first,” Lord Remoth reiterated. “It would be prudent to have our armies in place so as to avoid losing control of our strategic positions in Hebra.”

Sophitia sighed. “Brother, what do you think of this?”

“The only strategic position that should be of any concern at all is the City in the Sky,” Lancel stated. “The Grand Archivist and I, before his untimely demise, calculated the floating city’s trajectory based on historical data and weather patterns. It will turn south, pass over the Gerudo Highlands, then loop back around up through Hebra. After that, it will eventually pass right over the City of Hyrule itself. If they controlled it, the Rito would be able to drop an army out of the sky if they wanted to.”

“The Rito only wish to secure the Hebra Province. They are not interested in conquering all of Hyrule,” Sophitia pointed out.

“No, but we are,” Lord Remoth replied. Mina smirked at that, but the statement made Sophitia feel queasy.

“This is not about conquest ,” she insisted. “It’s about unity.”

“Whatever the case, retaking Skyloft should be our priority,” Lancel went on. “I shall return to the Wind Temple and commission more sky lifts from Grand Artisan Rodan. We must be ready to send an army up there when it passes by again.”

“It is settled, then,” Lord Remoth said plainly. “We shall divide our forces between Snowpeak and the Wind Temple. We will respond to any aggression in kind, but we shall hold off on an invasion while the princess pursues a diplomatic solution.”

“Agreed,” Sophitia said.

“I see no problem with that either,” Lancel added. Then he clapped his hands together and smiled. “Well, that was easy. Now that that’s settled, how about some wine?”

Mina snapped her fingers and pointed in Lancel’s direction. “I second the motion.”

“Hmm. Very well,” Lord Remoth said reluctantly. He waved his hand and several servants hurried out of the room. “Now then, your highnesses, when are you planning to depart for your destinations? You are more than welcome to stay here in my castle for as long as you desire.”

“You have our thanks,” Sophitia said politely. “But I shall be departing first thing in the morning. Time is of the essence.” That much was true, but she also did not wish to remain in the castle of the Lord of Spikes any longer than necessary.

“I intend to do the very same,” Lancel said. “I am too eager to continue my work. I simply cannot wait a moment longer.”

“Are you quite certain that is wise, Princess?” Lord Remoth asked. “The Blood Moon will rise the night after next, and it is at least a two-day journey from here to Snowpeak. With even the slightest delay, you risk being caught out in the wilds during the Blood Moon.”

Sophitia dreaded the thought. She’d completely forgotten that the Blood Moon was coming up so soon. “I see. That is rather unfortunate timing.”

“Yes, quite unfortunate indeed,” Lord Remoth agreed. “Perhaps it would be best for you to remain--”

“Nah, you don’t wanna stay here for another two days, Sophie,” Mina interrupted, waving her hand dismissively. “The night life in Midoro is terrible, and all around us is nothing but dark, dank swamp. Besides, weren’t you in a rush or something?”

Lord Remoth turned his head slowly to face his daughter. “It is rude to interrupt, child.”

“Yeah, yeah.” As Mina spoke, the servants returned. One placed a wine glass in front of her and filled it, and she eagerly snatched it up and took a sip.

Sophitia thought about her situation for a moment. As both she and Mina had said, time was of the essence. “I suppose you’re right, Lady Mina. While I would love to stay, I am uncertain I can afford to delay myself for even two days.”

Lord Remoth nodded his head while he swirled his wine. “Very well. I shall send a battalion of my soldiers to accompany you, but I will require a few more days to mobilize my armies. I shall join you some time after the Blood Moon.”

“That is acceptable,” Sophitia agreed, secretly happy about this news. She imagined the negotiations would go much more smoothly without a menacing army sitting on the Rito’s doorstep.


The next morning, Sophitia woke up as early as she could. The night before, she had told her own troops and those of House Koridai to do the same. The sooner they finished their preparations, the sooner they could set out on their next journey. As Lord Remoth had pointed out, the Blood Moon would be occurring very soon, and the princess wanted to ensure they would make it to Snowpeak before then.

Once Sophitia was prepared, there was only one thing left to do before she departed. While her party left the castle to assemble by the eastern gate, the princess and her retainer made their way to the guest chambers where her brother had spent the night.

“Good morning, Sir Anselm,” Sophitia said politely, greeting the old knight who was standing in front of the door.

“Good morning, Princess,” he said in return, bowing his head slightly. “Did you sleep well?”

“I did, thank you. Would my brother happen to be inside?”

“Yes, he is,” Sir Anselm replied, turning to the door. “In fact, he is already late,” he said, raising his voice a little.

“I know, I know. You mustn't rush art, old friend,” came a muffled reply through the door.

“May I go inside to speak with him?” Sophitia asked.

“Yes, she may,” Lancel answered through the door.

Sir Anselm sighed and pushed the door open, gesturing inside.

“My thanks, sir knight,” Sophitia said. She turned to Liliana. “Would you mind waiting outside, please?”

“Not at all, Princess. I love guard duty,” her retainer replied dryly.

Sophitia merely smiled at her, then stepped inside and shut the door. She found her brother standing in front of an ornate, full length mirror, fiddling with the buttons on his shirt. “Good morning, Sister,” he said kindly, not turning to face her, but looking at her reflection in the mirror. “Come to say your goodbyes to your beloved elder brother before we part ways for a time?”

“Yes,” Sophitia replied, walking closer. “I plan to head straight east and cut through the hills beneath Lindor’s Brow. We’ll be off the road for a time, but the route is shorter, and I do not wish to pass through the Breach of Demise again.”

“Smart girl,” Lancel said, grabbing his overcoat from a hanger and slipping it on. “Similarly, I was planning to cut through the Seres Scablands to the southwest. We may get struck by lightning a few times, but it will save us nearly a day of travel.”

Sophitia laughed haughtily. “That is quite the gamble.”

“Well, you know me, Sister.” Lancel turned to face her. “I wish you luck on your journey.”

“Thank you.” Sophitia’s smile faded as she put on a more serious face. “But, before I depart, there is something important I must discuss with you.”

“Oh?” the prince replied distractedly, still adjusting his wardrobe. “And what might that be?”

Sophitia took a deep breath and crossed her arms. “Although we are parting ways for now, we still intend to honor our agreement, yes?” she asked. “Securing Hebra is our mutual goal. Once we pull ahead of Victorique and Percival in line for the throne, we shall compete for the title of father’s heir. But, for now , we are allies, correct?”

“All true, every word of it,” Lancel proclaimed proudly, turning to give her his full attention. “We both have our roles to play. I shall retake the City in the Sky, you shall make peace with Medoh. Separate objectives, but a common goal.”

Sophitia nodded. “I wish to continue our partnership, of course. But, if we are to do so, I need to know that I can trust you.”

“Oh, please, Sister. Have I ever lied to you?”

“Yes.”

“Alright. To revise that, have I lied to you recently ?”

The princess pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. “You know very well what I am referring to. That whole business with Skyloft and the master key. You kept a large portion of your plans from me. For all I know, there is much more that I don’t know.”

“I suppose that is true, but strictly speaking, one can never be completely sure that they have all the information, no matter how much they may or may not know,” Lancel pointed out. “Is there anything in particular you are looking to know at this time, Sister?”

Sophitia was unsatisfied with that response, but as long as Lancel was offering to tell her one piece of information now, there was one question she had that took priority. “Very well. You may keep your secrets for now, so long as you swear the rest of what you say is true. However, I would like you to tell me one more thing, Brother. Are you responsible for the murder of High Chieftain Kanelo?”

Lancel blinked, then stared at her with a look of amused astonishment for a moment. “Interesting. I was trying to guess what you might ask me, but I never would have imagined that particularly bizarre inquiry.”

“Answer the question, would you kindly?”

Her brother laughed. “No, Sister. As a matter of fact, I am not responsible for sabotaging my own plans, thrusting myself into a war I had hoped to avoid, and placing myself in a desperate position in which I must reclaim a flying city from an army of bird people. Such a brilliant tactic was not in my schedule this week.”

Sophitia sighed. “I figured as much, but I had to ask. As I’ve said, I never know what you’re planning, Brother. And with the way you gamble, this could’ve been one of your more reckless moves in a game you chose not to share with me for whatever indecipherable reason you’ve conjured up.”

“My, oh, my. I am certainly flattered that you find me to be such a devious mastermind. I can only hope to live up to that reputation one day.”

Having received her answer, Sophitia was reasonably satisfied in her belief that Lancel was not the true culprit. “Very well. Thank you for your time, Brother. I suppose I’ll be off now.”

Lancel smiled goodnaturedly, then stepped forward and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Farewell for now, Sister. You have an inquisitive mind and Nayru’s wisdom. Do not let that go to waste.”

Sophitia was surprised to receive such praise as her brother’s parting words, especially since she had just finished accusing him of conspiracy. “You honor me, Brother. That is high praise coming from one as clever as you.” Lancel took his hand off her shoulder, and she gave him a curt bow. “Goodbye and good luck,” she said, giving one last farewell before turning to exit the room.

Outside in the hallway, she found Sir Anselm and Liliana waiting patiently. “Ah. Princess,” her bodyguard said, stepping away from the wall she’d been leaning against. “Are we prepared to depart now?”

“Yes,” Sophitia nodded, turning to Sir Anselm. “Thank you, sir knight. We’ll be off now.”

“Farewell, Princess,” the elder knight said. “You keep her safe, now,” he added, addressing Liliana.

“Of course. That is my profession,” Liliana replied. Together, the two girls headed for the castle’s exit. “Was it him?” the round-eared girl asked once they were alone again.

Sophitia shook her head. “No, thank the gods.”

“Then we still don’t know who did it,” Liliana pointed out.

“True, but we may still discover the truth in time,” the princess replied. “But for now, let’s focus on getting to Snowpeak before the Blood Moon floods the kingdom with undead once again.”

Chapter 35: Harun XI

Chapter Text

Before moving on, Harun and the others gathered up a small group of warriors as Harun had suggested. They rode with the rest of the convoy for a little while longer, looking for a way up to the wooden walkways on the side of the cliff from which the Hylians had attacked them. When they finally found a way up, Harun and the others left their mounts in the care of the convoy and bid them farewell, leaving Laine in charge while Harun was gone.

The way up they’d found appeared to be a lift of some kind. It was a wooden platform attached to a rope and pulley system that stretched a great distance upward, with a second platform attached to the other end up at the top. There was a heavy metal box sitting on the lower platform, and a couple of barrels visible on the upper one.

“Kyra, give me a hand with this,” Harun commanded, stepping onto the platform and pushing against the box. “You, you, you, and you, climb on as well,” he ordered Emri and three of the other guards.

“Yes, your highness.”

With the six of them on the platform, Harun and Kyra pushed the box off of it, but the lift did not move. “We’re too heavy,” Harun muttered. Perhaps it was for the best. These structures had been built by the Hylians, who were noticeably smaller and lighter. If the lift had begun to ascend, perhaps something would have snapped under their weight anyway. “Alright, one at a time, step off.”

One of Harun’s guards stepped back onto the rocky ground, but the lift still did not move. However, after one more did, they suddenly weighed less than the barrels on the upper lift. Finally, they ascended.

“Wahooo!” Kyra cheered.

Emri was less enthused by the speed at which they rose upward. She ended up clinging to Kyra for the remainder of their ascent, eyes firmly shut.

The lift stopped moving once the other platform reached the ground. Kyra was the first to step off of the lift, and Emri stayed clinging to her until they were on solid ground once more. The third guard they’d brought along joined them soon after, with Harun stepping off last.

Looking around, the prince saw they were on a large, flat, rocky surface, about two-thirds of the way up the side of the cliff. There were various tools and pieces of mining equipment scattered about, along with more wooden structures and pathways. However, there was nobody present aside from them. The Hylians had likely abandoned it and fled to Yarna for safety after the Gerudo revolted and took Taafei.

“Prince Harun,” Emri said, pointing to a crank mechanism near the lift. “Can we bring the others up with this?”

“Hm. Yes, but not all of them at once.” He wasn’t sure how strong the lift was, or how capable they would be of turning the crank if there were eight people aboard the lift. Walking over to the edge of the cliff, he looked down. “We will bring you up!” he shouted to the rest of his guards. “Two at a time!”

“Yes, your highness!” Two of the warriors stepped onto the lift, and Emri and the other guard began turning the crank. It appeared to be working, as the lift was ascending.

“Two at a time?” Kyra asked. “This’ll take forever .”

“Have patience,” Harun told her. “If this device breaks, we will have to search for another way for them to get up here.”

“Hmm. Good point, I guess,” Kyra agreed. She stood beside Harun, watching the lift ascend, but soon, she began tapping her spear against the ground. Harun glanced at her. She was fidgeting impatiently, mere seconds after being told she had to wait. He supposed that was to be expected. Kyra had always been the type who preferred to keep moving, never wanting to stop and wait for anything.

The prince sighed. “Kyra, go look for a way to reach the top of the cliff,” he ordered. “If you manage to reach the plateau, take a quick look around, but try to stay low and don’t let the enemy spot you.”

Kyra smiled, stomping her foot as she positioned herself to salute him. “As you wish, my prince!” she said enthusiastically before darting off down one of the wooden walkways.

Deciding to take a moment to rest while the other members of his warband ascended the lift, Harun found a wooden crate to sit on, placing his trident down beside him. Reaching behind his back, he took the mirror shield in his hands and held it in front of himself, examining it. The macabre design of the screaming face stared back at him unsettlingly. With all the chaos of the past few days, he’d nearly forgotten about the mysterious artifact.

The monsters… They’re up to something. If only we could work with the Hylians to investigate…

He sighed to himself. He knew there was something bigger going on, but his people had been sidetracked by this war that was only beginning. A lot of time -- and lives -- would be wasted. He hoped whatever nefarious plots were going on would not get worse while the Gerudo and the Hylians busied themselves with killing each other.

All we need to do is take Yarna. There will be no need to prolong this conflict beyond that.

He didn’t know if that was him being optimistic for once, but at least the Hylians had not physically occupied the desert or the highlands. Retaking just the canyon and the valley would not be nearly as time consuming as a large-scale war across the entire Gerudo region.

“Prince Harun,” Emri spoke, her soft voice jolting Harun out of his thoughts. “May I sit with you, please?”

Harun glanced over at the crank and saw it was now being operated by the warriors who had just arrived, giving Emri a break. “Certainly,” the prince said, gesturing to the crate next to him.

“Thank you.” Emri sat down, but she did not say anything. She watched her compatriots turning the crank, absentmindedly fiddling with her spear. A few times, she tried glancing over at Harun, but she always looked away again at the last second.

“Are you nervous?” Harun asked, trying to sound understanding.

“What?” Emri replied, meeting his gaze.

“Do not fear. I am actually hoping to negotiate with the Hylians if we find them atop the plateau,” Harun explained. “But even if things do turn to violence, I’ve seen you fight. You fought well at Taafei, and on our journeys through the desert.”

“O-Oh,” Emri said, exhaling softly. “Thank you, your highness. I may not be as capable of a warrior as Kyra or Laine, but I will do my best to serve you.”

What she said made Harun think about the way Emri had always acted during training. Ever since they were children, she’d always been willing to put the work in as much as the others, but something was always missing. She didn’t really seem to have the drive or the motivation to become a warrior, yet she trained for it anyway.

“I asked you before what you would do if you did not have to fight,” Harun said, reminding Emri of their earlier conversation. “Surely there must be something that would interest you beyond fighting in a war or guarding me.”

Emri smiled weakly and fidgeted more with her spear, casting her gaze downward. “Um. Well, my grandmother was a great seamstress,” she said. “She used to show me how to weave with fine silks, and make beautiful clothing and tapestries. I still do it a little back home, after training and everything…”

Harun was surprised. Emri never talked about herself, so he had no idea of her other skills and hobbies. “I see. So you wished to follow in your grandmother’s footsteps? Why did you choose to become a warrior instead?”

“Well… it was my mother’s wish for me to do so,” Emri admitted, looking ashamed. “N-Not that I am not proud to serve you, your highness!” she added quickly.

“Of course. And I am proud to have you in my company,” Harun replied, hoping to ease her discomfort. He felt bad for her. By ‘ It was my mother’s wish,’ she likely meant ‘ My mother forced me to .’ Her mother probably saw the opportunity to improve their family’s station by attaching her daughter to the future king, and disregarded her daughter’s own wishes in the process.

I hope none of the others were put in similar situations…

“Prince Harun!” came a shout from behind him.

Harun quickly climbed to his feet and turned around, then tilted his head back to look up. Kyra was standing atop the cliff far above him. “Keep your voice down,” he called back to her, worried her shouting would attract the enemy.

However, Kyra seemed completely unworried about that. “Look!” she shouted, pointing upwards behind her. “Get up here. You’re gonna want to see this.”

Harun narrowed his eyes in confusion, unable to see what Kyra was pointing at. He decided to walk further from her so he could get a better angle, and when he did, he could see it. There was a pillar of black smoke billowing upwards in the distance, likely from somewhere in the center of the plateau. “Is it the Hyrulean camp?” Harun called up to Kyra.

“I think so,” she shouted back. “There’s a battle happening there right now.”

“A battle?” Harun muttered aloud to himself. “Has the queen sent her warriors ahead of us?”

“Prince Harun,” Emri said, stepping up next to him. “We are all here now. Should we join Kyra up there?”

Harun glanced around and saw that his entire detachment of warriors had safely made it up the lift and were now standing in a semicircle around him. “Yes,” he said with a nod. “We must move quickly.” Before he left, he directed his attention back to Kyra. “How did you get up there?”

“There’s a ladder. It’s that way,” she called back, pointing to her right.

Harun nodded. “This way, ladies,” he ordered, setting off down the path along the wooden scaffolding.


When they reached the very tall ladder that led the rest of the way up to the plateau, Harun and his warband climbed upward, with Harun going first. Kyra was there to meet him, and she took his hand to help him to his feet.

“Look, Prince,” Kyra said, pointing across the plateau.

The Hyrulean encampment was some distance away; about halfway across the plateau. It was located at the foot of the cliff that led up to the next level. The buildings were mostly small wooden structures, likely meant to serve as a mining camp or some sort of base camp for Hylians traveling across the plateau as a shortcut through the canyon. The largest building in the center of the cluster was on fire, and even from this distance, the sounds of shouting, clanging metal, and warhorns could be heard.

I really do not wish to fight… but if my people are in danger…

“We must join them,” Harun declared. “Onward.”

“Yes, your highness!” several of the warriors replied.

As they ran towards the encampment, Harun’s mind began to drift. Without wanting to, the sounds of the fighting made him flash back to the day the Gerudo had taken Taafei. The chaos and the confusion had been unbearable. He hoped he would not feel the same way during the battle.

However, as they got closer, Harun spotted something he did not expect. A Hylian attempted to flee the encampment, running out of one of the buildings towards the open plateau, but it was not a Gerudo who pursued him. A green-scaled Lizalfos sped out from the same building that the Hylian had left, catching up to the short man with ease and leaping onto his back, pinning him to the ground. The Hylian man screamed as the Lizalfos bit into him, tearing him apart.

“Monsters!” Emri shouted in surprise and fear.

Harun stopped running, and everyone else stopped with him. His instinct was to assess the situation first. Now that they were closer, he could see more of what was going on. Hylians and Lizalfos were battling in the camp, not Hylians and Gerudo.

“It’s not our battle at all,” one of Harun’s warriors commented.

“Serves ‘em right,” another added.

“Let’s just wait for them to fight it out, then finish off the winner. Right, your highness?”

“What?” Kyra asked. “No! Where’s the fun in that? Let’s get in there and slaughter them both !”

“We did not come here to fight monsters,” another warrior reminded her. “There is no reason for us to get involved here. Should we not simply return to our sisters in the canyon below?”

“But what if the Hylians win?” someone else added. “They’ll just come after us next.”

“What say you, Prince?” Kyra asked Harun. “We gonna fight, or what?”

Harun felt his heart palpitating fast. He wasn’t sure whether it was the urgency of the situation, the sights and sounds of the battle in front of him, the unexpectedness of encountering this scenario, or the fact that the decision was his, but he felt a sudden and enormous weight on his shoulders.

The Hylians are the true enemy.

Ganon’s words echoed in his head, but he was determined not to listen. He’d come up here with the intention of negotiating with the Hylians. Perhaps this unexpected situation was an opportunity presenting itself.

If we save them, perhaps they will see that we do not need to be enemies.

“We shall help them,” Harun declared.

“Fantastic.” Kyra grinned, gripping her spear tightly. “We’ll help them finish off the last of those Hylians.”

“No, we shall help the Hylians ,” Harun clarified.

“What?”

“Why would we do such a thing, your highness?”

“Is that not the opposite of why we’ve come here?”

The Gerudo in Harun’s warband were clearly confused, and immediately began voicing their displeasure at the suggestion.

“Prince, let’s be realistic,” Kyra said, eying him with bewilderment. “An innocent child is one thing, but the Hylians here are clearly enemy soldiers.” She did not mention the younger Princess Zelda by name, but the mention of a child made it clear what she was referring to.

Sighing, Harun turned to Emri, hoping at least she would back him up. However, she gave no opinion, which made Harun think she probably disagreed with him, but was too nervous to voice her objections.

Listen to them, young voe.

“I am the prince ,” Harun declared, more to Ganon than to anyone else, but no one but him would recognize that. “I have made my decision. Move in and defeat the monsters. Spare the Hylians. I wish to speak with them afterwards.” After giving his orders, he drew his trident and his mirror shield and headed into the camp. He was half-worried his warriors would abandon him, but he soon heard footsteps following him, and Kyra appeared at his side.

The first one to see them coming was a young-looking Hylian man dressed in the uniform of a low-ranking Hyrulean soldier. He’d been running to the other end of the camp, and stopped to do a double take when he saw Harun and his warband running towards him.

“Gerudo !” he shouted to warn his comrades, but while he was looking at the supposed enemies coming his way, he failed to notice the Lizalfos coming up behind him. Kyra threw her spear, causing the soldier to dive to the side. The spear did not hit the Lizalfos, but it forced the monster to halt its advance, leaping backwards to dodge the projectile.

With the Hylian out of the way, Harun was safe to send a lightning bolt from the tip of his trident, shocking the Lizalfos as it attempted to advance once again. The monster fell to the ground. When Harun reached it, his boots slid across the rocky ground as he came to a stop. He then raised his trident and stabbed downwards, finishing off the creature before it could recover.

Kyra, Emri, and the rest of his warband circled around him, but he wanted to try talking to the Hylian he’d just rescued. “Fan out in teams of two or three,” he ordered them. “Move!”

“Yes, your highness!” the Gerudo warriors agreed, moving into the camp to continue the battle.

By then, the Hylian had managed to climb to his feet. He pointed his sword at Harun, looking him up and down nervously, likely realizing who he was.

He thinks you’re a demon.

“Are you hurt?” the prince asked in the Hylian language.

“What do you want?” the man demanded.

“I wish to speak to whoever is in charge here,” Harun requested. He spoke calmly and plainly, holding his shield up but keeping his trident lowered.

“We’ll tell you nothing, traitor!”

Traitor? That’s a new one.

Harun sighed. He probably would not get much information from a common footsoldier. He decided to return to the battle and look for the Hylian commander on his own. “I am going to join my comrades now.” Dismissing himself, he took a few steps away from the enemy soldier, but kept his eye on him. As expected, the man charged at him the second it looked like Harun was giving him an opening.

“Ahh! Agh-- ” The Hylian’s battlecry was cut short. Moving quickly, Harun bashed the sword out of the man’s hand with his shield, then dropped his trident in order to grab the man by the neck. The Hylian stared up at him in terror, clearly in awe of the younger man’s height and of the strength with which he held him.

“I do not want to hurt you,” Harun said, tossing him to the ground. “Do not follow me.” He retrieved his trident and ran off, not giving the Hylian a chance to try anything else.

Further into the camp, Harun came to a more open area. On all sides of him, he could see battles taking place. Hylians against monsters, Gerudo against monsters, and Emri’s group appeared to be some Hylians and Gerudo joining forces against the monsters.

The Hylians are not fighting us… This might work after all…

It will never work.

Ignoring the other voice in his head, Harun turned towards the next Lizalfos he saw running towards him. This one carried a spear and held it outwards as it moved, keeping its body low to the ground. Getting into a defensive stance, Harun raised his shield.

Unexpectedly, the monster stopped in its tracks. The expression on its reptilian face was not easy to read, but its mouth hung open as if in shock. However, it soon recovered, focusing its bulbous, rotating eyes squarely on Harun. Emitting a raspy scream, it charged once more, leaping at him.

The prince moved his shield to block the monster’s spear, and the Lizalfos landed in front of him. Harun moved quickly to stab it with his trident, but the Lizalfos leapt backwards an almost absurd distance. However, it soon ran at him again, this time circling around to his side. Harun raised his trident and summoned lightning, but he unleashed his spell too early, missing his target as it continued to run around him.

When the creature finally attacked again, this time Harun bashed it with his shield, knocking the spear out of its hand. Hoping to electrocute the Lizalfos when it went to retrieve its weapon, Harun began summoning another bolt, but the Lizalfos did not do as expected. Instead, with an angry screech, it rammed into him and latched onto his shield with its scaly hands.

“What in the--?” Harun was confused as he fought for possession of his shield, tugging it back as the Lizalfos attempted to pry it from his hands. Acting fast, Harun stabbed the creature in the side. It emitted a shrill scream of pain and let go of the shield.

The Lizalfos, disarmed and wounded, decided to flee. However, it seemed to have an alternative goal in mind. It ran over to the corpse of one of its fallen brethren, then reached down to retrieve a slender warhorn the other monster had been carrying on its waist. It then leapt atop a crate and up onto the roof of the nearest wooden hut. Raising the warhorn, the Lizalfos blew into it several times, as if to relay a specific message.

Harun felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up. All the other battles taking place around him suddenly stopped as the monsters leapt away from their human opponents, perking up at the sound of the horn and directing their attention to the one making the noise. The wounded Lizalfos atop the building pointed down at Harun and screeched.

In seconds, Harun found himself surrounded. The confused Gerudo and Hylians ran towards him as well, but Harun was already backed into a corner as the lizard monsters advanced on him, spears and boomerangs drawn. All of them had their gazes set on one thing -- the mirror shield.

What is this infernal thing?

Even while he was in imminent danger, Harun took a moment to acknowledge that he’d been right. When he’d heard about the Temple of Time being attacked by Blins and the Water Temple being attacked by Lizalfos at around the same time, he’d hypothesized that these groups of monsters were collaborating somehow. The fact that the Bulblins he’d encountered at the Arbiter’s Grounds and the Lizalfos he was fighting now both wanted the mirror shield seemed to confirm that.

When this fight is over, I’ll simply explain this to my people and to the Hylians. We can work together against these monsters…

Ganon’s laughter echoed inside his head, taunting him for his naive optimism. Harun ignored him and focused on the task at hand. Thinking quickly, he had an idea. Raising the mirror shield, a shadow appeared over it as the prince began working a shadowbinding spell. He’d never been able to create an accurate phantom of himself the way Elder Kobami could, but a relatively small, inanimate object like a shield should have been easy enough.

Harun brought his arm back as if readying to throw the shield, then swung it forward. Six separate phantom shields were tossed into the crowd of Lizalfos, spread out in an arc. Immediately, the monsters all began scrambling for the closest shield, fighting each other to grab what they must have hoped to be the real one.

However, Harun had not thrown his shield at all. Instead, while the monsters were distracted, he charged through the center of the crowd, shoving several Lizalfos out of the way in order to join his warband on the other side.

“Prince Harun!” Kyra called as they reached one another. “Are you harmed?”

“I’m fine. Now hurry, attack!” As he gave the order, the Lizalfos were beginning to realize they’d been deceived, and they were once again turning their attention to the prince. The Gerudo let out a battlecry, and the fighting began once again.


The fight was by no means easy. The Lizalfos outnumbered the Gerudo two to one. Harun hadn’t realized how much magic he’d expended, but he was suddenly beginning to feel the fatigue that came with overexertion. He decided to stick close to Kyra and Emri, fighting side by side with them to avoid being flanked by his opponents. Together, they managed to slay several of the monsters while the rest of the warband did their part as well.

The odds had shifted and the Lizalfos were the ones who were outnumbered by the time the first Gerudo had fallen. Harun heard the woman’s pained scream as a boomerang got lodged in her shoulder, shortly before another Lizalfos lunged forward to impale her with its spear. Harun, too far away to do anything to stop it, could only watch in fear. That momentary distraction proved disastrous, as he soon felt a sharp pain in his leg.

“Augh!” he screamed, falling to one knee. A Lizalfos had thrown its spear at him, and it managed to penetrate one of the weak points in his armor.

“Harun!” Emri shouted, grabbing him and pulling him back away from the battle. Several other Gerudo noticed what had happened and moved in closer to block the advance of the remaining Lizalfos. “By the gods, oh no…” Emri muttered as she continued to drag him further away.

“I’ll live,” Harun insisted, trying to calm her down. He was bleeding, but he was pretty sure a wound like this would not be fatal.

The battle continued without him from there. Only one other Gerudo warrior fell before the battle ended. Once only a handful of monsters remained, they withdrew from the battle and scattered, running off in all different directions. Harun was soon joined by the rest of his warband, who gathered around him to see if he was alright. After removing the spear, Emri had begun tending to the wound, using what knowledge of battlefield medicine they’d been taught by Lady Averla over the years.

“Do not fear,” Harun told them. “I am certain we--”

“Attention, Gerudo!”

Harun flinched at the voice of a Hylian man. In the heat of the battle, he’d forgotten about them, and he hadn’t stopped to wonder why they were not aiding them against the Lizalfos. Supported by Emri and Kyra, Harun was pulled to his feet, and the Gerudo warband turned to face those addressing them.

The prince was surprised to find a battalion of Hyrulean soldiers, at least four dozen strong, standing before them. Perhaps reinforcements of theirs had arrived during the battle, or perhaps they had simply regrouped after the initial confusion had worn off. Either way, if the Gerudo were going to fight once more, they would be even more heavily outnumbered this time, and against much more intelligent and organized opponents.

The man who had spoken stepped forward. His armor was of higher quality than the others, and the helm he wore was decorated with a feather. He appeared to be their captain. The cloth covering part of his chest armor was emblazoned with a sigil that Harun did not recognize, but he knew from his studies of Hylian culture that it was probably a family symbol of some sort. When he got close to Harun, four of the prince’s guards stepped in his way, pointing their spears at him. The Hylians behind their captain raised their weapons and stepped forward in response, but the knight raised his hand to stop them.

“You’re him,” the knight said, looking up at Harun. “The demon king’s heir.”

“Do not call me that,” Harun said. He spoke calmly, but only because his wound and his fatigue had left him too tired for hostility.

He speaks the truth, young prince.

Harun clenched his jaw, wishing he’d never connected with Ganondorf’s spirit enough to allow these interruptions of his thoughts.

“But you are him. Prince Harun, the Gerudo voe,” the knight reiterated.

The prince eyed the knight suspiciously. The Hylian man was not particularly menacing, but he still had a small army behind him, and there was a definite air of disdain in his words. “I am,” Harun confirmed, despite not truly needing to. There were no other Gerudo voe to be mistaken for him.

The knight looked down. “I see you are wounded,” he noted. “As thanks for defeating those monsters, I shall see to it that you are properly healed.”

Harun felt a spark of optimism. Perhaps the knight had no ill intent after all. “Thank you, sir,” he said.

“I am curious about something,” the knight went on. “Why is it that the monsters swarmed you? And what was it you threw as a distraction?”

They watched the entire time. They did nothing to help you.

“The shield I carry,” Harun replied. Now seemed as good a time as any to inform the Hylians of their common enemy’s plans. Still being supported by Emri under one arm, Harun reached for his shield and displayed it to the knight.

The Hylian man eyed it with confusion. “Interesting design,” he said. “What is it?”

So they know nothing of these items either.

Harun had been hoping the Hylians possessed intel he was missing, but this one at least appeared to be in the dark as well. “I am still unsure myself,” Harun replied. “But the monsters want it. I am hoping to continue investigating why that is.”

“I see.” The knight nodded, mulling things over for a moment. “Well, tell your troops to give up their weapons. We will tend to your wounds and see to it that the shield is kept out of monster hands.”

Harun was shocked. “Give up their weapons?” He wondered if his understanding of the Hylian language was flawed. Perhaps the knight was saying they should lower their weapons.

“Correct,” the knight confirmed. “You are in no condition to fight, and you are clearly outnumbered. It would be best for all of us if you surrendered without any further violence. I give you my word that none of you will be mistreated.”

He lies.

“We cannot trust him,” Kyra said, speaking in Gerudo so that the Hylians could not understand her. “We must fight.”

“I agree, your highness,” another warrior joined in. “A single Gerudo is worth ten Hylians in battle. We can take them.”

“Just say the word,” another added, readying her spear.

“Silence. Allow me to handle this, please,” Harun said to them before turning back to the knight. “Sir, there is no need to make prisoners of us. We have come here on a diplomatic mission. Please escort us to Princess Zelda. She must hear what I have to say about the monsters and their machinations.”

“A diplomatic mission? Please do not make a mockery of my intelligence,” the knight replied, narrowing his eyes. “You have an army marching through the canyon towards Yarna as we speak. Now, on with it. Throw down your arms and come quietly.”

You must fight.

Harun’s breathing became heavy. He was beginning to see Ganondorf’s point, but he couldn’t fight in this condition even if he wanted to. Both the knight and Harun’s guards seemed to take his silence as refusal, which it was , if Harun were to admit it. The Gerudo women moved in front of Harun again, lining up and stepping forward.

The knight stepped back with a sigh. “I should have known your kind were not the type to go down without a fight.” Waving his hand, the Hyrulean soldiers advanced and spread out, circling around the Gerudo warband. “Take the prince alive,” he ordered. “As for the others, kill all those who do not surrender.”

“Protect the prince!” Kyra shouted as the Gerudo circled around Harun.

“Stay close to me, Harun,” Emri told him, still helping to hold him up.

Harun nodded, then tried to cast a spell. However, the magic was not coming to him. He watched in horror as another battle began. His people easily cut down several of the much smaller Hylians, but he knew it was a losing battle. Within seconds, he watched a sword stab through one of his guards. “No!” he shouted feebly.

I can defeat them.

No ,” Harun repeated firmly, speaking to Ganondorf this time.

Give me control. You must.

The prince watched as a second Gerudo fell. The defensive formation was already beginning to fail.

We will all die.

Harun took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and prayed he would not regret this. “Fine.”

The effect was immediate. Harun felt an ocean of power flowing through him, and he no longer felt pain in his wounded leg. Unlike his previous times being possessed, when next he opened his eyes, he was still conscious and could see his true surroundings, but he had no control over his body.

Moving Harun like a puppet, Ganon lifted his foot and stomped it down onto the ground. The earth beneath them shook, causing everyone to lurch this way and that as they lost their footing. A moment later, spires of rock shot out from beneath the ground in a circle around them. Dozens of Hylians were knocked back, some of them crushed or impaled.

“Harun!”

“My prince!”

“Your highness…”

The Gerudo surrounding him were in awe, but Ganondorf ignored them. As the Hylians began recovering from his attack, he raised his hands to the sky and lifted himself into the air, hovering above the ground. The area around them began to darken as a mass of swirling, dark purple shadow formed above his head. However, the shadowed mass soon lit up with brilliant light. Unleashing a warcry, Ganondorf swung his arms outwards. The glowing mass above him split up into wisps of ball lightning the size of his head, zipping around in all directions. One by one, they collided with the Hylians below, electrocuting them to death.

“By the gods!”

“Demon!”

“You’ll pay for that!”

The surviving Hylians began screaming in fear and anger. Ganondorf floated forwards and dropped himself back onto the ground. He landed in front of a soldier who looked up at him in terror and tried to back away, but Ganondorf quickly grabbed the man by his neck and snapped it like a twig. He then took the sword out of the man’s hand and, with an incredible display of martial prowess, began cutting his way through the rest of them.

When the last Hylian fell, Ganondorf stood tall and looked over the battlefield, surveying his work. There was only one Hylian still moving. The knight commander, bleeding on the ground, was trying to crawl away. Ganondorf’s footprints were heavy as he approached his enemy. “You were courageous, I will grant you that,” Ganondorf said, his own voice layered over Harun’s. “But that was not enough this time, I’m afraid.”

The knight rolled onto his back, looking up at him with something beyond fear. “Please…” he begged, barely able to speak through his wounds. “I was only doing my duty!”

“So was I,” Ganondorf replied, placing his boot on the man’s face. “My duty to my people. To my homeland.” He paused for a moment as the knight struggled beneath him. “Hyrule will enslave Gerudo no longer. I hope Alkawbra sends you to the worst hell imaginable.” Ganondorf pressed down harder on the man’s head.

“No! Please !” A second later, the knight’s skull caved in, crushed beneath Ganon’s boot.

With his enemies vanquished, he walked forward and looked out over the cliffs, pausing to reflect.

Enough.

Harun had done nothing but watch helplessly as the Demon King slaughtered them all using his body. He wished there had been some other way, but now that the threat had been removed, he wanted his body back.

You have done enough. Return control to me at once, elder one.

Ganondorf stood there silently, and for a moment, Harun feared the demon had no intention of relinquishing the reins. “There is still much to do,” he said aloud. “You must finish what I started.”

Harun flinched, suddenly realizing he was himself again. However, he immediately collapsed to his knees, feeling as if he’d just spent a week’s worth of magic in five minutes. His leg wound opened up again, spilling more blood onto the ground.

“Prince Harun!” The surviving members of his warband rushed to his aid, gathering around him.

“Your highness, are you alright?” Emri asked with concern.

“How did you do all that?” Kyra asked. “That was absolutely amazing !”

“It was not me,” Harun said, coughing. “It was the Demon King.”

Several of the warriors gasped, muttering amongst themselves.

“So it’s true.”

“By Nephysis!”

“The Old King lives once more!”

Just as before, Kyra and Emri lifted Harun to his feet, helping him stand. “My shield and my trident,” Harun said weakly. “Retrieve them,” he ordered.

“Yes, your highness.” Two of the warriors rushed off to collect his discarded equipment from amongst the battlefield.

“We make for the cliffs to the east,” the prince went on. “We must regroup with the others.”


Harun lay awake atop his bedding. Some of his guards stood outside of his tent, but he was alone for now. In the distance, he could hear the faint sounds of yet another battle. At that moment, Queen Urballa was leading the attack on Yarna. Commander Bularis had wanted to wait until morning so their warriors could get some proper rest beforehand, but Elder Kobami had advised them that the Blood Moon would occur on the next night. They did not want to risk getting stuck outside the city’s walls when the dead began to rise, so taking the city sooner rather than later was essential.

Although it had been some time since Ganondorf had possessed his body, Harun was still severely fatigued, and his wounded leg had not yet fully recovered despite being tended to by their healers. After rejoining the convoy, he’d spent the rest of the journey through Gerudo Canyon in the back of a wagon, unable to effectively move or fight on his own. So, rather than participating in the battle, Harun had been left behind in the base camp they’d set up outside the city. He did not mind, however. He had seen enough bloodshed for one journey.

Bloodshed you caused.

“I did not,” Harun argued against the demon’s voice in his head. “That was your doing.”

At your request.

The prince sighed. “They left us no choice. They meant to kill my friends.”

They would not have done so had you surrendered.

Harun tried to roll over, feeling uncomfortable, but stopped when he felt a pain in his leg. “I could not allow us to be taken hostage.”

Precisely. Hyrule means to make slaves of us all. We have no choice but to fight back. Your queen takes Yarna as we speak for this very reason.

There was not much he could say to that. Harun did not wish to fight the Hylians, but as Ganondorf pointed out, he had no choice. He wondered if Ganondorf had been in the same position two hundred years ago when he was king. Maybe this was how it started. Maybe he truly would follow in the Demon King’s footsteps in the end. “The fighting ends after tonight,” he rationalized. “Taafei and the canyon are already ours. Yarna is all that remains of Hyrule-controlled Gerudo territory. Once we have it, there will be no need for war. We can have peace once again.”

There can be no peace with Hyrule. You will learn in time.

“Silence!” Harun ordered.

The sound of the tent flap being opened alerted the prince to someone entering. “Did you say something, my prince?” Laine asked, leaning in through the entryway.

“No, Laine. My apologies,” Harun replied.

“None necessary, your highness. Please get some rest.” Laine bowed before ducking back outside.

“I will. Thank you.” Harun closed his eyes, muttering to himself. “By the time I wake up, this will all be over.”

Chapter 36: Link XI

Chapter Text

“This is gonna be so great !” Linkle declared, lightly pounding her fists against her brother’s back as if she were playing a bongo drum. “All the best Heroes have been here. And I mean all of them. The Hero of the Sky was here when the city was first built. The Hero of the Minish lived just outside the city, and he defeated the Demon King Vaati after he took over the castle. And then the Hero of Twilight defeated the Demon King Ganon after he took over the castle.”

“Wow. Hyrule Castle could use some better security, huh? Sounds like it gets taken over a lot,” Link replied, unphased by his sister hitting his back. He continued to direct their horse along the road, approaching the city’s eastern gate. They weren’t even inside the walls yet, and already he could tell the city was huge. It had to be at least three times the size of Hateno.

With walls like these, how the hell does this place get conquered so much anyway?

“Can we visit Hyrule Castle?” Linkle asked, clearly enthusiastic about the idea.

“Sure. Just go on a crime spree. I’m sure they’ll be more than happy to give you a free tour all the way down to the dungeons,” Link replied dryly.

“The Hero of Twilight was imprisoned in the dungeons,” Linkle went on without missing a beat. “Right after he got turned into a wolf.”

“Ah, so that’s all we gotta do? Well, I suppose you could head into the forest up north and get bitten by a Wolfos.”

“Pfft, that’s just a myth.”

Link raised an eyebrow and glanced over his shoulder. “Really?”

“Ya-huh,” Linkle smiled. “Wolfos bites don’t turn you into a Wolfos. They were never human to begin with. They’re just wolf-like monsters.”

“I’m just surprised you don’t believe that. You usually believe every piece of bullshit you hear.”

“I do not ,” Linkle insisted, punctuating her sentence by slapping him on the shoulder. “Ooh! Did you know, in the Outer Continent, there’s another kind of wolf monster called a Wosu? They wield these wicked knives and can steal your memories if they stab you.”

“What? That one doesn’t even make sense.” Link was going to point out that this kind of thing was exactly what he’d been talking about, but they were getting close to the city gate, and they were going to have to talk to the guards before being let inside. “You got our travel papers?”

“I thought you had them.”

“What?! Elle, did you--?”

“Relax, Brother! I’m only joking.” Laughing, Linkle reached into one of the leather bags attached to the horse’s saddle. After rooting around for a moment, her face became more serious. “Um…”

“Elle, don’t tell me--”

“Still joking!” Linkle’s face lit up. She smiled smugly as she pulled their papers out of the bag. “You’re so gullible.”

“Whatever. Just don’t fuck around with the guards, will ya?”

As they approached the gate, a guard holding a spear directed them off to the side. Small wooden shacks with square windows cut out of them lined the wall leading up to the door. Link dismounted and pulled the horse with him up to an open window. A guard stood on the other side, leaning against the counter with a look of boredom on his face.

“Entry, please,” Link requested, handing over their papers.

The guard glanced at the papers briefly, then looked the siblings up and down. “Adventurers? Here for the Blood Moon?”

“Yep!” Linkle called down from the horse.

“We won’t be long,” Link said. “Just passing through on our way to Faron.”

“Well, either way, there’ll be official bounties on undead starting tonight,” the guard explained as he scribbled something in a ledger and stamped their papers. “Check the bulletin boards. The info’s posted everywhere.”

“Thanks, we will,” Link said as the guard handed back their papers.

When they were let into the city, the giant gate wasn’t actually opened. Instead, they were let in through a smaller door within the gate. It was still heavily guarded, but they seemed to be letting most people in.

Link continued to walk while Linkle stayed atop the horse. Glancing around at the swarms of people flowing through the streets, Link immediately noticed how crowded the place was. He saw a great number of people who looked to be fellow travelers. Some of them carried weapons, which probably meant they were adventurers, too. However, most of them did not. “Looks like a ton of people are looking to hide in the capital tonight,” Link speculated.

“Makes sense,” Linkle agreed. “In terms of keeping monsters out, there’s no place in the world safer than the City of Hyrule. Those walls we just passed through have got all kinds of wards built into them. Not to mention Laemora herself watches over the city. Ooh, that reminds me! We should stop by the Light Temple to pray before we head out tonight.”

Link looked over his shoulder, tugging on the horse’s reins. “Head out tonight?”

“Yeah,” Linkle confirmed. “We should leave a few hours before sundown. There’ll be a lot of monsters outside of Mabe.”

“Elle, we’re not going anywhere tonight. It’s the Blood Moon .”

“That’s why we’re going out tonight, Brother!” Linkle argued. “This only happens once every two or three years. If adventurers like us don’t help to lay the undead to rest again, Hyrule won’t be safe to travel.”

“Hyrule is never safe to travel,” Link countered. “Look at all the shit we had to go through just to get here .”

“Yeah, and this is what Hyrule is like at its safest . The next few months are gonna be hell for the kingdom if we don’t do our part to keep it safe.”

Link sighed. On the night of every previous Blood Moon they’d been around for, he and his sister had simply taken shelter in Hateno. He’d been hoping to do the same in the capital this time. Also, he greatly preferred sleeping in a bed over sleeping in the wilds, so the idea of leaving the biggest city in the world right after they got there only to go back out into the wilderness did not appeal to him in the slightest. However, this was clearly yet another thing that Linkle was adamant about. She’d go off into the night on her own if she had to, and he couldn’t risk that, especially on a night like this.

“Fine,” Link relented. “But we’re going to be properly prepared this time. We’ll need fire, we’ll need our weapons blessed, everything that’ll make undead easier to deal with. I don’t want a repeat of the graveyard or that damn well.”

“Hurray!” Linkle cheered, throwing her arms into the air. “Then let’s hurry up and see as much of the city as we can before we go. This place is just so cool! We’re definitely coming back here after I get the Master Sword, okay? Maybe the king will knight me himself. Ooh, or better yet, maybe Princess Zelda will!”

Link didn’t comment on Linkle’s fantasies of obtaining the Master Sword and becoming a knight. He could only hope her heart wouldn’t break when she finally did try to pull the sword from the stone. “Alright. Where to first, then, Sister?”

“Hyrule Castle!” Linkle declared, pointing to the northwest.

They continued down the road for the next few minutes, eventually coming to the largest town square Link had ever seen. The ground was beautifully paved, a large fountain adorned with statues sat in the center, and various shops and buildings surrounded them on all sides. Pathways cutting through the buildings in all directions fed into the square, and crowds of people were bustling about. The majority of them were Hylians, but among them, there were also Sheikah, round-eared humans, Gorons, Zora, Rito, and Deku Scrubs. It felt like the whole kingdom was converging on one spot.

Link heard the sound of Linkle dropping to the ground. “Where are you going?” he asked as she moved past him. Her eyes were glazed over in wonder, taking in the sights. She wandered over to the great fountain in the center of the square and began turning in place, looking everywhere she could.

“This place is amazing !” Linkle shouted loudly enough to turn some nearby heads. Then, she looked to the north. There, across the moat in the distance and beyond the wall on the other side of it, was Hyrule Castle. The fortress itself looked as big as some of the other cities they’d been to so far. “There!” Linkle said, pointing. “We’re going there!” With that, she took off.

“Elle! Elle, Wait up!” Yanking on the horse’s reins, Link fought his way through the crowded city square to follow her. He considered himself lucky that she stopped to look at everything she saw along the way, as he was barely able to keep her in his sight. He wasn’t too worried about losing her, though. He knew she was headed for the castle, which she would not be able to enter anyway.

Linkle didn’t even make it to the bridge. A line of guards stood in the way, not letting anyone cross the moat. “Hi, good morning. Can I go through here?” Linkle asked one of the guards.

“Elle, stop!” Link cried, letting go of the horse and running forward.

“What business have you in the castle, little girl?” the guard asked.

“I want to see Princess Zelda.”

“Princess Zelda is not here.”

“Which one?”

“None of them.”

“None of them are not here?”

“No, none of them are here. And I doubt they’d have time for some random peasant if they were.”

“Elle.” Link grabbed his sister by the shoulder and pulled her back. “Sorry, sir. We’ll just be on our way,” he hastily said to the guard she was talking to.

“But I wanna know where the princesses are,” Linkle complained as he dragged her back to the horse.

“We’ll ask around while we’re resupplying,” he suggested. “You can’t just go up to the castle guards carrying all those weapons and ask where the damn princess is, Elle. That’s how you get arrested.”

Linkle looked over her shoulder, as if just realizing she was still carrying a sword and crossbow on her back. “Hm. Alright, you may have a point or two there,” she agreed. “Then come on, let’s go shopping.” Linkle grabbed hold of Arion’s reins and pulled him along.


It only took a few minutes to find their first stop. Once the siblings came across a building with a sign indicating it was a general store, they tied their horse to the post out front and went inside.

“Welcome!” They were greeted simultaneously by a Hylian man stocking shelves and a Hylian woman standing behind the counter.

“Hi!” Linkle returned their greeting with a bright smile and a wave to each of them. “We’re looking to buy some stuff for killing undead.”

“Oh. Well, uh, we don’t sell weaponry here,” the woman replied.

“Can I interest you in some cured meats?” the man said, taking a piece of salted pork from a barrel and holding it up. “You look like a couple of travelers. This stuff keeps well on long journeys.”

“No,” Linkle replied before taking a moment to process the question. “I mean, yes! We’ll take that, too.” She hurried over to the barrel and began filling up a bag.

“We actually weren’t looking for weapons.” Link walked up to the counter to speak with the woman. “We were thinking more like torches, tinderboxes, oil, cloth, that sort of thing.”

“Oh, I see.” The shopkeeper glanced to her sides, checking her inventory. “We should have all of those things. Let me gather them for you. But please, do not start any fires in my store.”

“I won’t,” Link assured her. Then he looked over his shoulder at Linkle.

She might.

“Don’t touch the pots,” Link said to his sister, catching her reaching for one atop a shelf.

Linkle flinched and took a step back. “Why not?”

“You always break pots.”

“I do not!”

“Whatever. Just don’t touch it. Come and help me with this stuff.”

While the shopkeeper gathered the requested items, Link and Linkle picked out travel food to restock for their trip, along with a few other necessities. Link tried to think of anything else they might need. He realized that fire would be helpful for dealing with ReDeads, but there were always tons of Stalfos during the Blood Moon as well. “Excuse me, do you sell hammers?” he asked the man by the shelf.

“Sure. What kind do you need? Something for carpentry?”

“Something for cracking skulls,” Link replied. The man looked at him strangely. “ Stalfos skulls,” he clarified.

“But if it can crack other skulls, too, that’d be a bonus,” Linkle added with a giggle.

Once they had everything they needed loaded into their bags, Link dropped a few handfuls of rupees onto the counter. “Thank you, travelers!” the woman said as she counted it. “Is there anything else we can help you with?”

“Yeah, where’s the princess?” Linkle asked.

“The princess?” the man asked. “Why, all the king’s children left the castle weeks ago.”

“What?” When the bridge guard had said the princesses were not in the castle, Link had figured that meant they were at the temple or the courthouse or something. He hadn’t expected them to be out of the city entirely, especially on the day of the Blood Moon. “Where are they?”

“The eldest and youngest princesses went to Gerudo,” the woman explained. “Although I hear war has broken out down there.”

“The same goes for Hebra,” the man chimed in. “The Rito are causing all sorts of trouble. The other princess and Prince Lancel left to go deal with that.”

“And Prince Percival went to Akkala to deal with some dangerous cult,” the shopkeeper went on. “He should be back soon, though. From what I hear, the cult is done with.”

“Gods bless that man,” the other shopkeeper said. “I hope he’ll be the next king. We could use a king who gets things done, I say.”

“Oh. I see,” Linkle said, sounding a little disheartened at the news that she wouldn’t be able to meet any of the royal children. “Well, thanks for the info. And the other stuff,” she said, shaking one of the bags she was holding.

“Safe travels!”

The siblings stepped outside and began loading everything onto Arion’s back. “Bloody hell, how long were we in those mountains for?” Link said in shock. “There’s two wars going on in the kingdom right now? And what’s this about a cult? Didn’t that Kokiri girl say something about that?”

“These are surely times of great strife for our fair kingdom,” Linkle said, putting on some sort of poetic voice as she climbed onto the horse. “All the more reason that the kingdom needs its Hero !” she declared, raising her sword to the sky.

“All the more reason not to go to Gerudo or Hebra,” Link added. He was glad they had already charted a course for Faron. They might end up uncomfortably close to Gerudo along the way, but once they cross Lake Hylia, they should be in the clear. “What do you say we stop by the Light Temple and see if we can get our swords blessed? It’ll be like having a discount Master Sword.”

“Sold!” Linkle agreed. “Onward to the Light Temple!” she declared, pointing with her sword.


The Light Temple was in the northeast section of the city. It was just north of the east gate where they’d entered the city, but they’d passed by it earlier in favor of heading straight for the castle. As they backtracked through the city, Link couldn’t help but notice how at home he felt. Old and New Kakariko both had a distinctly Sheikah feel to them, but the City of Hyrule just felt like a grander version of Hateno.

If only we could stay here.

It wouldn’t be hard to find blacksmithing work in the capital city, and there was ample farmland stretching down south through the rest of Central Hyrule. If Linkle ever agreed to retire from adventuring, this would probably be the ideal place for them to settle down again.

The Light Temple was one of the most impressive buildings Link had ever seen. It was a massive cathedral, with a much older and more unique architecture than the temple in Hateno. Having just visited the Shadow Temple in New Kakariko, this was not the first sage temple the siblings had ever been to. However, much of the Shadow Temple had been obscured underground. The Light Temple wasn’t nearly as creepy either.

“Did you know that the Light Temple used to be the Temple of Time?” Linkle asked as they approached the building, sounding excited like she always was when she talked about something related to the Heroes. “Back then, the Master Sword was housed here.”

“Why’d they move it?” Link asked, slightly curious.

“I dunno,” Linkle admitted. “But its current resting place is another old time temple, too. Right by the Forest Temple. I don’t know if it was ever a sage temple, though. Ooh! Can we visit the Temple of Time on the way to Faron?”

“You mean the actual one? On the Great Plateau? Why?”

“Because I want to meet all the sages someday,” Linkle explained. “Their fates are tied to the gods, same as the Hero. We’re supposed to work together to protect the kingdom.”

“Hmm. Well, we’ve met the Sage of Shadow. We’ll probably see the Sage of Light here. We’re supposed to talk to the Sages of Water and Forest for our quest. If we meet the Sage of Time as well, that makes five out of nine.” Link was kind of amazed now that he’d stopped to think about it. Most people would probably only meet one sage in their lifetime, and only if they’d decided to make a pilgrimage to the closest sage temple in their region. Somehow, they’d been sent on a path to meet more than half of them in a relatively short timespan.

Maybe the gods really are fucking with us somehow…

“Although,” Link went on. “If we wanted to meet the Sages of Fire and Earth, we probably should’ve done that before leaving Eldin.”

“Oh, dammit!” Linkle cried, slapping her forehead. “Why didn’t I think of that before? Ah, well. There’s always next time. We can meet them last, since we’re probably gonna meet the Sages of Spirit and Wind after I obtain the Master Sword.”

“What makes you so certain of that?” Link asked, not liking where this was going.

“Well, obviously, once I’m officially recognized as the Hero, it’ll be my duty to end the wars our kingdom is fighting. Just like the Hero of Twilight did.”

“Yes. Obviously,” Link said sarcastically.

Fighting a monster or two is one thing, but a freaking war?

After hitching up their horse again, the siblings climbed the steps up to the temple’s entrance and stepped inside. The first thing Link noticed was how high the ceiling was. Several of the city’s smaller buildings stacked on top of each other could probably fit inside the temple. After that, it was the tall, thin, stained glass windows lining the walls. They depicted gods such as Hylia, the Golden Goddesses, Laemora, and her predecessors, the four Light Spirits. Sunlight was streaming in through the windows, making marvelous patterns across the floor.

At the far end of the room, there was a raised platform behind a dark marble altar and in front of a large, square, stone door. Above the door, there was a gigantic golden triforce embedded in the wall. Not the real one, obviously, but its significance was great enough that even an imitation felt powerful.

There must not have been a service being held since the place was not crowded, but there were still a few dozen people scattered about in the pews. Some of them appeared to be praying, while others stared up at the images of the gods in quiet reverence. Not wanting to disturb anyone, the siblings quietly made their way down the central aisle to the other end of the room.

Off to the right side, there was a large statue of Hylia, depicted in her usual form as a Hylian woman with angelic wings. Linkle knelt in front of it and clasped her hands together, moving her lips as she silently muttered her prayer. Link knelt beside her and offered one of his own.

Please keep my sister safe.

When Link stood back up, Linkle was still praying, so he stepped back and waited for her to finish. Given the important role the gods played in so many of the Hero stories Linkle loved so much, she had always felt a strong connection to them. Link didn’t know what she was asking of them now, but it was probably something like ‘Please grant me the strength to save the world.’

As long as we have the strength to save ourselves, I’ll be satisfied.

Knowing they would need a priest to bless their weapons, Link looked over the room. He saw several men and women in white robes embroidered with golden triforces and other symbols. Most of them were talking to other visitors, but Link would be able to find one to ask for help once Linkle finished praying.

“We should’ve asked Gaile to bless our weapons before we split up,” Link said aloud as his sister stood back up. Seeing the temple priests dressed similarly to their former adventuring companion had caused him to think of her.

“Hm. Maybe we could’ve, but I doubt her enchantments would’ve lasted this long,” Linkle replied.

“What, a couple days? She seemed pretty talented. I think she could’ve handled it.”

Linkle giggled. “You’re only saying that ‘cause you were hot for her.”

Link furrowed his brow. “I was not.”

“Oh really? ‘Cause when we were in the hot springs with her and Breen, it sure looked like you--”

Link clamped his hand over his sister’s mouth. “Hey, hey, shhh ! We’re in church, you idiot,” he whispered.

“Ahem.”

The siblings turned their heads. A priest was standing a few feet away from them, looking confused.

“Sorry,” Link said, quickly removing his hand from his sister’s mouth and taking a step away from her. “We’ll try to keep our voices down.”

The priest observed them for a moment, then he smiled slightly. “Adventurers, I take it?”

“Indeed!” Linkle proclaimed, stepping forward majestically. “We’ve come to help fight the oncoming undead hordes.”

“Splendid,” the priest said, sounding pleased. “Your kind are always welcome here. You do our kingdom a great service, protecting her people by ridding the land of those horrid monsters.”

“We do what we can,” Link said, trying to sound more humble than his sister.

Linkle gasped. “Are you the Sage of Light?” she asked excitedly.

“What? Me?” the priest asked, putting his hand to his chest. “No, my child. His Holiness is still yet to return from his visit to Gerudo.”

“Oh…” Linkle hung her head in disappointment.

“I hope he returns safely,” Link added in an attempt to be polite. The sage was in a province that was currently a warzone, but Linkle seemed more concerned with the fact that she wasn’t going to get to meet all the sages as quickly as she’d wanted.

“I’m sure he will,” the priest assured them. “Now then, adventurers, we’ve had many of your fellow monster slayers come through here these past few days. Many of them requested to have their weapons blessed to help them fight against the dead that will rise with the Blood Moon tonight. Will you be requiring this service as well?”

“Yes, please,” Linkle answered cheerfully. “We would be honored to receive Laemora’s blessings.”

The priest chuckled slightly. “Well, I’m certain you have it. But I hope my blessing will be useful as well.” He turned around and walked over to the marble altar. “Come. Place your weapons here, young heroes,” he said, gesturing with his arm.

Linkle hurriedly joined him by the altar, placing both her shortsword and her new longsword upon it. Link followed her, placing his own longsword down as well. “Uh, by the way, what do you charge for these services…?” he asked uncomfortably, wondering if that was rude to ask a priest.

The man furrowed his brow. “No payment is required. I can only hope this small gesture will aid you in your noble quest to defend our kingdom.” Turning to the altar, the priest raised his hands and began slowly waving them over their weapons, muttering a quiet prayer. The siblings watched in awe as brilliant white lights spread across the blades, forming glowing runes and holy symbols.

“The Master Sword was forged like this,” Linkle whispered to her brother. “Zelda the First blessed the Goddess Sword before the Hero of the Sky fought Demise, giving it the power to defeat all evils.”

“Uh-huh.” Link had heard many stories about the Master Sword. To him, it sounded as though the legends regarding its power were greatly exaggerated.

If the sword could truly defeat any evil, why would the gods keep it stuck in a stone to limit its use instead of allowing it to be used to wipe out all evil?

When the priest’s ritual was completed, the lights emanating from the blades died down. “You may reclaim your weapons,” the man said. Link and Linkle did so, sheathing their swords and reattaching them to their belts. “May the Goddess bless your path.”

“Thank you,” Linkle said.

“Thanks for your help.” Link tapped his sister on the arm, and together they headed back down the aisle towards the exit.

“This is amazing !” As soon as they set foot outside the temple, Linkle drew her longsword again. The action of unsheathing it seemed to have an effect, as the blade lit up briefly. It did so again when she swung it through the air.

“Be careful with that thing, will ya?” Link reminded her. “I’m not looking to get smited today.”

Linkle giggled and put her sword back in its sheath. “Alright, let’s head back to the market district. I wanna see what else they have here.”


“Oooooh,” Linkle mused, staring up at the sign.

Link stood beside her. The shop that had caught her attention was a bit strange looking. The upper floor showed that it was an ordinary stone building with a wooden roof, but the ground floor was decorated to give it the appearance of a circus tent. Above the entrance, there was a large sign that resembled a stretched out, grinning face. Within the open mouth of the face were the words ‘ Happy Mask Shop.

Link flinched as he heard a bell tolling in the distance, but Linkle smiled and took his hand. “Let’s go inside and check it out,” she suggested.

“You sure we should be wasting our time with this?” Link asked. “I mean, what are we gonna do with masks?”

“Who cares? It looks like fun!” Linkle insisted, pulling him through the door along with her.

Inside, the shop wasn’t very big. It was just one rectangular room with a service counter at one end, although there was no one standing behind it at the moment. There was no furniture or anything in the customer area. However, the walls were covered with rows upon rows of masks made from wood or other similar materials, each one mounted like a trophy on a wooden holder.

Some of the masks were fairly normal-looking, depicting humans, Gorons, Zora, or some other Child of Nayru. Some had odd decorations, like tribal paint, cultural symbols, or what could have been House crests. On the other hand, some of the masks were downright bizarre, depicting monsters, grossly exaggerated features, or creatures Link did not recognize.

“Okay… this is creepy as hell,” Link stated.

“I think it’s neat,” Linkle replied, reaching out her hand to take a mask off of the wall. The one she took was white and gray, resembling linen bandages wrapped over a person’s face, with some extra fabric hanging off of it. “Ooooh, look at me!” Linkle said in a mock-spooky voice after putting the mask on over her face. She walked towards her brother with her arms held outwards, moving her legs stiffly. “I’m a Gibdo!”

Link laughed and smacked her arms down. “That seems a little macabre for the day of the Blood Moon, don’t you think?”

“Hmm, maybe.” Linkle took the mask off and placed it back on the wall. “Ooh! Look at this one.” A little further down the wall, she found a mask resembling a woman’s face with heavy makeup on. It came complete with a wig of long, red hair with leaves and vines entwined in it. Linkle pulled the mask on and turned to Link, fluffing her new hair and posing. “Check it out, I’m a Great Fairy! Oooh, aren’t I so tall and mystical and sexy ?”

Link rolled his eyes. “Have you ever even seen a Great Fairy?”

“I met one bathing in Nirvata Lake once, remember?”

“I thought you made that up.”

“I did not!” Linkle took the mask off, revealing an annoyed pout.

Link grinned. “Alright, whatever. Anyway, put that thing back and let’s get out of here. We should really try to find some more information about this quest the Sage of Shadows sent us on before we leave the city. We shouldn’t be wasting our time here.”

The sound of someone chuckling caused both Link and Linkle to jump in surprise. A man had appeared behind the counter. Linkle hastily put the fairy mask back on the wall, as if she was worried she might get in trouble for touching it without buying it.

“Time is a terrible thing to waste,” the man behind the counter said. “We only have so much of it, you know. Well, most of us do, anyway.” He chuckled again.

Link furrowed his brow. The Hylian man behind the counter looked well-groomed for a commoner. He had short, light-brown hair that appeared combed and well-maintained. His clothing also appeared finely-made and was a royal purple in color, and he wore golden jewelry around his collar and shoulders. However, there was something uncanny about his expression. The salesman stood there patiently with his hands clasped atop the counter, staring at them with a wide, unflinching grin on his face. There was something off about his eyes, too. His irises must have been about the same color as his sclera, because his eyes appeared as two tiny black dots.

“Um,” Link said, clearing his throat after realizing he’d been staring for too long. “Sorry, but, uh, we were just looking.”

“Oh, but that would be a waste of such a grand opportunity,” the salesman told him. “If it’s a quest you’re on, I assure you, my masks can be most helpful.”

Link winced at his own stupidity. He would’ve preferred to keep their quest private as much as possible, but apparently he had spoken of it within earshot of this odd stranger.

“Really? How?” Linkle asked curiously.

Link sighed. His sister was easily suckered in by salespeople.

There’s one born every minute, I guess.

The salesman lifted his hands and clapped them together once. “A good question! You see, each of my masks will grant you an ability of the subject whose face is depicted upon it. Magical, isn’t it?” he said, chuckling once more.

“Wow!” Linkle said. “What about…?” She scanned the wall for a moment, eventually settling on a mask that looked like the face of a pig with tusks. “This one? What’s it do?” Linkle asked, taking the mask off of the wall and putting it on.

“Ah, a fine choice.”

Link and Linkle both jumped back. While their eyes had been on the wall, the salesman had apparently come around to the other side of the counter and moved closer to them without making a sound.

Gods, this guy’s creepy.

“That, young hero, is the face of a hog who was used to sniff out truffles buried in the ground,” the salesman explained. “It shall grant you the truffle hog’s incredible sense of smell.”

“Really?” Linkle said excitedly, sniffing the air and oinking like a pig.

Elle ,” Link scolded her for her childish behavior.

Linkle laughed and kept sniffing. “Whoa! I think it works,” she said, turning towards the door. “I can smell the food we’re carrying on the horse.”

Link rolled his eyes, knowing the smell had probably been on the two of them this whole time, but she just hadn’t noticed until she was intentionally sniffing like that. Having done some saleswork during his time as a blacksmith’s apprentice, Link was well aware of this sort of trick. Some of the other apprentices would claim something like the sword they were selling improved one’s balance. A customer would hold the sword and stand on one foot, and if they didn’t fall, they’d believe it was because of the sword.

Please don’t fall for this, Elle.

“That’s nice, but we really must be going,” Link insisted. He gestured at his sister, telling her to put the mask back where she found it.

Linkle sighed. “Okay….”

“Very well,” the salesman said, not letting even a hint of disappointment show in his voice. “Might I suggest the library?” he went on as the siblings turned to leave.

“Excuse me?” Link asked, confused.

“You were hoping to find information regarding the sage’s quest, yes?” the salesman explained. “You will find no greater repository of knowledge than the Library of Hyrule, young heroes.”

Link still did not appreciate this stranger knowing anything about their quest, but he supposed it was a good suggestion nonetheless. “Thank you. We’ll give it a look.” He took Linkle’s hand and moved towards the door.

“I hope we meet again someday,” the salesman said as his parting words, still staring at them with that ceaseless grin on his face until the door shut behind them.


After some searching, the siblings found the Library of Hyrule closer to the city center. A small stone staircase led up to the entrance, flanked by statues of Nayru, the Goddess of Knowledge. Link was surprised by the size of the building. The library in Hateno was much smaller. Linkle had actually spent much more time there than Link. Ever since she learned how to read, she’d been obsessed with reading old stories about heroes and monsters.

When they entered the building, there was a receptionist behind a table and an armed guard by the door, but he didn’t seem particularly intimidating with the bored expression on his face. Looking past the receptionist, Link could see row after row of bookshelves. A lightwell going up to the ceiling revealed that the building had several more floors, all of them appearing to house even more bookshelves. There were areas with tables and chairs set up throughout the library, but few people were present.

“Welcome,” the elderly Hylian woman behind the table greeted them. She wore simple brown robes, and various books were piled on the counter and sitting in stacks behind her. “What knowledge do you seek today, travelers?”

“Good day, Miss,” Link said, returning her greeting. “I am looking for something about the history of the Zora royal family, as well as something about the Sage of Forest.”

“I see. The history section is down that way, starting at the eleventh row,” the archivist said, pointing across the room.

“Do you have anything about the Heroes?” Linkle asked, smiling eagerly.

“Same section, child,” the archivist replied. “Please keep your voices down and do not draw your weapons. Enjoy your stay.”

“Thank you.” Link turned and began walking down the aisles, while Linkle ran ahead of him. He was a little annoyed that she seemed to be getting off track already. It would’ve been easier if she’d help him look for what they needed.

Well, maybe she’ll find a safer way to reach the Master Sword or something.

When Link found the shelf he was looking for, Linkle had already plopped herself down at an open table with a couple of books. The history section had books for many eras and many regions, but Link managed to find a recent one which looked to be about the de Bon dynasty. There was very little about the Kokiri, but he grabbed a book on them as well and joined his sister at the table.

For the next few minutes, Link read in silence. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Linkle bouncing in her seat, swinging her legs in joy as she read. Link didn’t know if there was any Hero story she hadn’t read a thousand times already, but she seemed to be engrossed by whatever she had found anyway.

“So, what’d you find?” Linkle asked after a while.

“Not much,” Link admitted, putting his book down. “I found out a bit more about Princess Ruto. Apparently she was the daughter of the previous Zora King and his first wife, so she would’ve been King Ralis’s half-sister. She died before her father did, so she never became queen.”

“Oh. That’s… sad.”

“Yeah. But there’s no mention of her being married or engaged, so I’m not seeing any clues as to what this ‘token of their love’ is supposed to be.”

“Huh. Well, maybe the Sage of Water will know,” Linkle said. “What about the other one? The sword?”

“I got nothing on that, either. Just a bit about the Sage of Forest,” Link replied, shuffling the books around. “Her name is Saria. And she’s old. Really old. When the Ancient Sages finally relinquished their power after the Twilight War, she was already a few hundred years old. She’s the last living member of the second generation of Sages.”

“What about her brother?”

“The book didn’t mention him, but apparently Kokiri are considered ‘siblings’ when they’re grown from the same branch of the Great Deku Tree. So, for all we know, she could have hundreds of brothers.”

“Hm. Sounds like hell,” Linkle said casually, a mocking smile on her face. “And sounds like you’ve wasted a whole bunch of time.”

“Tell me about it.” Link slammed the book closed and stacked it on top of the other one. “So, what about you? Find any new Hero stories? Because that’s a more productive use of our time.”

His sister smiled smugly and raised her book towards him. “I found the Dodongo Buster,” she said triumphantly.

“Really? Wait, was he the Hero?” Link was confused for a moment. The Gorons had told them the Dodongo Buster was a Kokiri, and Link was pretty sure the Hero was always a Hylian.

“Nah. This is just a book of regional folk heroes,” Linkle explained, showing him the cover.

“Oh, okay. Does it mention his bow?”

“Nope, no bow. He took out those Dodongos with a sword and some bombs.”

“What? He didn’t even use a bow to do it?” Link was growing more confused. It seemed as though the more they found out, the less he understood. “Then why’d they put the bow on his statue? Why’d they even have his bow in the first place? And why is it one of those ‘keys’ everyone is searching for?”

“Dunno. But!” Linkle raised one finger into the air, looking as if she was about to deliver some amazing news. “ After the Dodongo Buster busted the Dodongo King, he traveled to Lanayru. There, he discovered that the Zora princess had been swallowed up by Jabu-Jabu, the Patron of Water, because he was irritated by an infestation of parasites. So he went inside Jabu-Jabu’s belly to save the princess and defeat the monsters. And, guess who that Zora princess was -- Princess freakin’ Ruto!”

Link raised his eyebrows. “Wait, what?” He grabbed the book and quickly skimmed the pages.

“That’s right! While offering food to Jabu-Jabu, the god inhaled her. Swallowed her whole! Isn’t that gross ? Wow, I wish I could fight a monster so big I could go inside its stomach and come out in one piece,” Linkle mused, apparently forgetting that Jabu-Jabu wasn’t the monster that had been fought.

“Hm,” Link grunted as he read. “I guess the timelines match up. The Gorons said the Dodongo Buster was around about two hundred years ago, so Princess Ruto would’ve been a child at the time. But jeez, he slew a King Dodongo and saved the life of a god? For a race of children, the Kokiri are pretty powerful.”

“Yeah. But I don’t think this is a coincidence,” Linkle said. “What if the Dodongo Buster is Princess Ruto’s fiancé?”

“What? How does that make sense?” Link asked, narrowing his eyes skeptically.

“Princesses always fall in love with the heroes who rescue them. Haven’t you heard any story ever?” Linkle insisted, speaking as if it was the most self-explanatory thing in the world.

“Uh. Yeah. That’s some bullshit.” Link slid the book across the table back to his sister. “You know how many knights and bodyguards princesses have? They probably have a new person saving their life every week. They can’t fall in love with all of ‘em.”

“It worked for the Hero of the Sky and the Hero of the Minish,” Linkle countered. “They both married the princess they rescued.”

“The Hero of Twilight didn’t. And he saved two princesses,” Link pointed out. “Besides, the Dodongo Buster was a Kokiri, right? Kokiri stay kids forever. They probably don’t even know what marriage is .”

Linkle tilted her head. “Well, yeah, you might have a point….”

“Exactly. Princess Ruto’s fiancé was probably just some Zora noble.”

“Hm. Darn.” Linkle seemed disappointed. She’d probably been hoping for something more exciting and romantic. “Well, maybe when we talk to the Sage of Forest, we can ask her about the Dodongo Buster. She was alive back then, too, so she must’ve known him.”

“Oh, that’s right. Good thinking,” Link agreed. “Alright,” he said, standing up and grabbing his books off the table. “No sense wasting any more time here, right?”

“Yeah, let’s go.” Linkle stood up as well. “It’s probably past noon already. We gotta get going if we wanna get to Mabe before sundown.”


“Come on, come on. Hurry up!” Linkle urged, waving her brother along from higher up on the ramp.

“Alright, alright. I’m coming, relax,” Link said with mild annoyance, dragging Arion along with him.

Even though reading about heroes had been the last thing she’d done before they left the city, the first thing Linkle wanted to do when they arrived in Mabe Village was visit a shrine dedicated to one of the Heroes. Up on a tiny acropolis, a small building stood with a statue in front of it. The statue was a stone figure depicting a teenage Hylian boy holding a sword and shield. The most notable feature of the boy was his cap. Rather than fall behind his head, the boy’s cap curled upwards, and a bird-like beak extended from the end of it.

“So this is the Hero of the Minish, eh?” Link said, stopping in front of the statue. “I thought he’d be taller.”

“Yep! That’s him!” Linkle proclaimed, gesturing to the statue as if she were its curator. “Him and Ezlo.”

“That’s his cap, yeah?” Link didn’t know the story as well as his sister did, but the bird-beaked hat on the Hero’s head was referred to as the Minish Cap in the version of the story he was familiar with. However, while it looked like a hat, it was actually a living being named Ezlo. The Hero had gone on his adventure wearing Ezlo as a hat, and Ezlo had allowed the Hero to magically shrink down to a size smaller than a mouse.

“It sure is,” Linkle replied with a smile. “Ezlo was originally a Minish, and he was a sage to one of the wind gods, although that was way before the wind gods were part of the Pantheon of Patrons. He was transformed into the Minish Cap by his apprentice, Vaati, who went on to become the second Demon King.”

“And the Hero of the Minish slew Vaati with the Four Sword,” Link said, finishing the story for her. Like the Master Sword, the Four Sword was legendary. It supposedly had the power to split those who wielded it into four separate versions of themselves. “Is that it? In his hand?” Link asked, pointing to the fancy looking sword held by the statue.

“Well, it’s gotta be just a replica. No one knows where the real one is. Except maybe the Royal Family. And the Sages.” Eager to see the rest, Linkle turned to the building by the statue. There were several armed guards patrolling the premises, including four standing by the entrance. It seemed rather excessive, and they looked very out of place since the building didn’t look like much -- just a house at the top of a hill. Link could tell by the chimney that the building had once been used as a forge. The Hero of the Minish’s grandfather had been a famed blacksmith, and his home and workshop had been where the Hero was raised.

“Let’s go inside,” Linkle suggested cheerily, practically skipping past the guards. They did not stop her, luckily, so Link assumed it was open to the public and followed her inside.

Despite appearing to be an ordinary craftsman’s house on the outside, the building was more of a museum on the inside. Many objects sat inside glass cases atop tables, shelves, and pedestals. Other objects were not behind glass, which probably meant they were replicas. Stone slabs accompanied many of the objects, giving a short description of what the items were and what the Hero had used them for. There were more guards inside, but they didn’t spare the siblings more than a passing glance and continued to lounge around.

Linkle gasped and ran over to a display case, pressing her hands up against it. “Look! It’s the Roc’s Cape!” she said excitedly. Behind the glass was a simple white cape with a blue trim. “The Hero found it in the City in the Sky. It let him jump high and glide through the air. And look!” She stepped over to the next case which sat atop a small table, showing a pair of brown leather boots with feathers attached to the sides. “The Pegasus Boots! Wearing these allowed the Hero to run really fast. Oh, I used to dream about having these!”

Link couldn’t help but smile. His sister was excitable by nature, but he couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen her this happy about anything. Even if this museum appeared to be nothing more than a random assortment of items, to Linkle, it was one of her favorite stories come to life.

“What’s this one?” Link asked, pointing to a simple wooden cane that curved at the top.

“Ooh!” Linkle leaped next to him before he could read the inscription. “It’s the Cane of Pacci!”

“Sounds magical.” Between the shrinking and the making copies of himself, the Hero of the Minish sounded like he’d been a powerful sorcerer. “What’s it do?”

“It flips things over,” Linkle replied.

“...Excuse me?” Link raised an eyebrow, wondering if he misunderstood.

“You wave it at something, and the cane raises it into the air and flips it over,” Linkle explained.

Link blinked. “Well. I’m sure that’s… useful.”

“The Hero used it to flip the Gleerok onto its back and attack its soft underside.”

Link said nothing.

“It’s a cool item!” Linkle insisted.

“I’m sure it is.” Link turned around to look at something else. Walking around the corner, he found a table showing several other tools the Hero had owned. There was a boomerang, a lantern, a pair of digging mitts, some weird looking jar, and an assortment of other odd items. He recognized some of them from the stories, but he drew a blank for some of them.

After a few minutes, Link noticed his sister walking up and down the aisles with an intense look of confusion on her face. She appeared to be searching for something. “What are you doing?” Link asked her after watching her scan through the items on the same table for the third time.

“A few things are missing,” she said. “I found pretty much everything the Hero used in the stories, but I can’t find his bow, his mirror shield, or the Ocarina of Wind.”

“Mirror shield?” Link repeated. His old smithing master back in Hateno had occasionally received orders for such an item. It could be used as a defense against magical opponents due to its ability to reflect magic projectiles. It could also be used to blind an opponent by reflecting light from the sun into their eyes, but it was really more of a novelty item, for the most part. “I don’t remember that part of the story,” Link said. The items that made it into the Hero stories were usually the ones that the Hero used to defeat some giant monster, but he couldn’t recall any stories about the Hero of the Minish defeating anything with a mirror shield.

“Uh, let’s see…” Linkle muttered, tapping her hand against her head. “Hmm. Oh! That’s right. I remember the story behind it now,” she said. “In his travels, the Hero of the Minish met the Biggoron.” Link knew from the legends that the Biggoron was a Goron blacksmith who had lived for hundreds of years and grown to be the size of a mountain. “The Biggoron asked for a bite of the Hero’s shield, since he could tell it was high quality steel. The Hero agreed, but the Biggoron couldn’t help himself and ate the whole thing. So, as compensation, he made a new shield and gave it to the Hero. I don’t know why he chose to make a mirror shield, though.”

“Gorons are so weird,” Link remarked, still finding it odd that they ate rock and metal. “Hey, where’s the Biggoron supposed to be nowadays? Is he in Eldin? Why didn’t he get rid of the dragon?”

Linkle shrugged. “He was probably asleep. He sleeps for years at a time, I think.”

“Lazy bastard,” Link said with a chuckle. “So what was that last thing? The something of whatever?”

“The Ocarina of Wind ,” Linkle replied testily.

“The hell’s an ocarina?”

“It’s a musical instrument. You blow into it and press your fingers over the holes.”

“You mean like a flute?”

“Yes, but no.” Linkle glanced around the immediate area one last time, as if she were still expecting to find it. “The Hero got it from the Palace of Winds, which is now the Wind Sage’s temple. He would use it to call a bird that would fly him across Hyrule.”

“I wish we had one of those,” Link said. “Sounds better than a horse.” 

His sister ignored him and walked over to the corner where one of the guards sat. “Hey, some of the Hero’s items are missing,” she abruptly informed the man.

“Hm? Wait, what?” the guard said, sounding alarmed for a moment as he leapt out of his chair.

“The Hero’s bow, his mirror shield, and the Ocarina of Wind aren’t here,” Linkle explained.

“Oh.” A look of relief came over the man’s face. “Yeah, those have been missing for a month or so at this point.”

What ? Where’d they go?” Linkle asked, speaking as if the situation was urgent.

“How should I know? They’re missing .”

“Well, were they stolen, or what?”

“Yes,” the guard replied. “During a monster raid on the village. Someone must have taken advantage of the confusion to steal them. That’s why Lord Lontha assigned more guards to this place.”

“How do you know the monsters didn’t take them?” Link asked, walking up beside his sister.

The guard turned to him in confusion. “Well, nothing else was stolen. And nothing was smashed or anything. A monster would’ve taken everything it could get its grubby little hands on.”

“Okay, but why would someone steal only those three things?” Link went on. “There’s plenty to steal here.”

The guard shrugged. “What am I, a fortune teller? I get paid to sit here and make sure nothing else gets stolen. I’m not the one investigating the theft.”

“Alright, alright. Sorry to bother you.” Link turned to leave, tapping his sister’s arm to tell her to follow him.

“That’s so unfortunate,” Linkle said aloud as they left the building. “Who would steal a Hero’s relics? That’s sacrilege!”

“Well, at least they didn’t steal the Cane of Pacci. Thank the gods,” Link said sarcastically.

Linkle punched his shoulder. “It’s a cool item!”

“Yeah, yeah.” Link stepped up to Arion and began untying the horse from the post. “Hmm. You know, it’s weird that the bows of two different Heroes have been stolen recently, huh?” He felt his sister punch his other shoulder. “Ow! What was that one for?”

“I still can’t believe you let the dragon steal the Hero of Twilight’s bow,” Linkle said.

“What? I didn’t let him steal it. What was I supposed to do?”

“You could’ve slain the dragon.”

“Why didn’t you slay it?”

“I would’ve if I could’ve!” Before her brother had a chance to reply, Linkle suddenly gasped. “Wait a minute, that can’t be a coincidence.”

Link opened his mouth to tell her otherwise, but when he thought about it, he couldn’t deny it. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.” He glanced over his shoulders, noting all the guards around them. “Let’s talk about it on the way,” he suggested, thinking it wise to discuss their quest somewhere more private.

After riding down the hill away from the Hero’s shrine, they headed towards the village proper. “You think those items were stolen by monsters?” Link asked his sister. “They could’ve mistaken the Hero of the Minish’s bow for the Hero of Twilight’s bow.”

“Hey, yeah!” Linkle exclaimed. “Maybe the mirror shield and the ocarina are keys, too.”

“The dragon did say they already had three of them,” Link agreed, realizing how much more sense it made with that piece of the puzzle added. “They got two keys and a fake key here, and the Hero of Twilight’s bow might have been the real third key.”

“And Sage Impa wants us to find the fourth and fifth,” Linkle stated, reiterating their quest. “Did the dragon say how many keys there are?”

“No.” Link shook his head. “He just said they know where the fourth one is. That could be one of the keys we’re looking for, but if it’s a different one, there could be at least six.” While they were on the subject of uncertainty in the numbers, he had another thought. “Hey, if the Hero of the Minish’s bow wasn’t really one of the keys, what if the mirror shield and the ocarina were fake keys, too?”

“That could be,” Linkle agreed. “I can’t think of any other Heroes who had a mirror shield, though.”

“The keys aren’t all items that belonged to Heroes,” Link reminded her. “We’re looking for a Zora’s engagement present and a Kokiri’s sword, remember?”

“Oh yeah.” Linkle groaned. “This is so confusing !”

“You said it,” Link agreed. “Well, you don’t know of any other famous mirror shield, yeah? What about ocarinas?”

Linkle didn’t answer for a moment while she thought about the question. “There is one more I can think of,” she said. “The Royal Family used to have one -- the Ocarina of Time.”

“Used to?” Link repeated. “What happened? Did it go missing, too?”

“No,” Linkle replied. “I think they gave it to the Sage of Time back when Chronodormi joined the Pantheon of Patrons.”

“It would probably be in the Temple of Time, then, yeah? Hmm…”

Linkle, who had been sitting with her back against her brother’s, excitedly scrambled to turn around. “Does this mean we’re gonna visit the Temple of Time on the way to Faron like I wanted?” she asked enthusiastically, clapping her hands against her brother’s shoulders.

Link thought about it. They hadn’t been hired to investigate the keys this thoroughly, but the Impa Family would probably be willing to pay for any information they could obtain either way. It wouldn’t be too far out of their way, either. On top of that, the mystery of it all was making Link insanely curious, even if he knew it might be a colossal waste of time. “I guess so,” he agreed.

“Yay!” Linkle shouted, throwing her hands into the air.

“But let’s deal with that later. We still have to survive the Blood Moon, remember?” Link reminded his sister. “Let’s stop by the village now, and then we can scout out a good place to prepare for battle.”


After all the preparation they’d done in the city, there hadn’t actually been much left for the siblings to do in the village. They already had all the supplies they needed, as well as information on the bounties being rewarded for the undead monsters they’d be hunting that night. Aside from the Hero of the Minish’s shrine, the only major point of interest in Mabe Village was Lon Lon Ranch, which was said to produce the highest quality horses in all of Hyrule. Link was considering buying a second horse with some of the reward money they’d receive once the Blood Moon was over, but there was no need to purchase one yet.

“We shouldn’t just stay on the road,” Linkle said, sitting behind Link as they rode down the path. “Most of the Stalcreatures are gonna be popping up out in the fields.”

“Alright, but we shouldn’t go too far from town,” Link replied, wishing to be cautious. “We need to have some place to fall back to if things get too dangerous.”

At the moment, the siblings were riding along the road that stretched between Mabe Village and the Hyrulean military garrison located near Mount Daphnes. The wooded foothills of Passeri Greenbelt lay to the northwest and the sweeping plains of Windvane Meadow stretched to the southeast. While the curse of the Blood Moon affected most of the kingdom, Hyrule Field was especially notorious for having a great deal of Stalcreatures. Even months and years after a Blood Moon, one could still count on spotting at least one or two of them while traveling through the field at night. So, if a pair of adventurers were looking to slay as many of them as possible, this would be a good place to do it.

“That hill over there might be a good spot,” Link said, pointing to a small, elevated part of the field to the southeast. “We’ll see them coming for miles. You’ll be able to use your crossbow easily. Maybe we can set up a bonfire in a circle around it…”

“Ooh, smart idea, Brother,” Linkle said, tapping her knuckles against his back. “If we smash a Stalfos on a hill, its bones will roll down to the bottom, and maybe that’ll give us more time before it reassembles itself.”

Wanting to get a closer look, Link pulled the reins and walked the horse off the road.

“Ahh…” Linkle said as a cool breeze blew over the field, causing all the grass around them and the trees in the distance to tip in the same direction. “You don’t get that in Necluda,” she remarked, climbing down off the horse when they stopped at the top of the hill.

“What? Wind? You think we don’t get wind back home?” Link asked skeptically.

“Not like this we don’t,” Linkle insisted. “Besides, Necluda’s not nearly as beautiful as Hyrule Field. I mean, look at this!” Linkle spread her arms and spun around, gesturing dramatically to their surroundings. “The flowers, the butterflies, the sunlight.”

“The piles of skeletons from ancient wars buried in mass graves just meters beneath our feet.”

“Exactly!” Linkle said, either not hearing him or not caring what he’d said. “Tonight is going to be so exciting. First a necromancer, then a dragon, then some secret keys, and now a Blood Moon . The gods have certainly blessed us with a true adventure.”

“Praise Farore,” Link said sarcastically, invoking the Golden Goddess most associated with the Hero.

“Hey, what was that idea you had about a bonfire?” his sister asked, glancing around. “There aren’t a lot of trees near here. We might be able to go over…”

“Hmm?” Link turned his head to face her when she trailed off. “What is it, Elle?”

“Look!” she shouted, pointing. In the distance, there was someone on a horse coming from the southwest. They were moving fast, pursued by three Bullbos. Each of the large, tusked, boar-like monsters was being ridden by a pair of Blins. “We need to help them!”

“Dammit,” Link said under his breath, already climbing back onto the horse. Given how dangerous their night was going to be, he had hoped to at least spend the rest of the day in relative safety.

“Come on, let’s go!” Linkle shouted, kicking her heels against the horse to get it running.

As they got closer, Link could see the riders more clearly. “Looks like Bulbins,” his sister said, readying her crossbow. The Bulblins sat atop their mounts in pairs, with the one in front holding the reins and the one in back wielding a bow.

“Hm.”

Like monster versions of us.

Link got a clearer look at the horse rider as well. It was a Hylian woman wearing white armor. Despite being a Hylian, she had red hair like a Gerudo. It took Link a bit longer to notice, but there was a second rider sitting in front of her as well, appearing to be a child. As the red-haired woman held the horse’s reins, she also protectively hugged the child close to her. Their Bulblin pursuers were firing arrows at them, and the woman was constantly glancing over her shoulder. Whenever it looked like she’d be hit, she waved her hand, and a protective magical barrier shot up around them.

Perhaps she is some kind of priestess.

Gaile had used a similar defensive spell regularly during their journey in Eldin, so Link figured it must be a pretty common one. He found it strange that a priestess would be wearing a knight’s armor, and as they got closer, he saw she also had a long polearm strapped to her back.

“Get me close,” Linkle shouted.

“Got it.” Link’s plan was to sweep in from the side and circle around behind the monsters, then come up on their right and ride beside them. Linkle could shoot them from a distance, and if they got too close, one or both of them could use their swords.

As they made their first pass, Linkle loosed a bolt on the closest pair of Bullbo riders. She managed to hit the one holding the reins. The monster didn’t die immediately, but it fell from its mount and took a rather hard tumble. Its archer partner appeared to panic, dropping its bow and scooting forward to grab hold of the reins.

“Got ‘em!” Linkle cheered.

Link took the horse around the back of them. While he turned to come up on their side, he could hear the Bulblins shouting at each other. They were pointing between him and the woman they were chasing, as if arguing about who had to deal with who.

Clever or not, they’re still monsters, after all.

“Shoot ‘em while they’re arguing,” Link told his sister, hoping to kill them before they figured themselves out.

“Right.” Linkle loosed another bolt. This one pierced the second archer right through the head. Its body went limp and fell backwards onto the road. In response, its partner roared in anger and yanked the reins to the side. The Bullbo gave out a pig-like squeal in response before veering off the road.

“Oh, shit!” Link shouted as the Bullbo grew closer. His sister was still reloading, and the boar monster was about to ram them from the side. Thinking quickly, he turned the horse to the right. He did not know much about Bullbos, but he figured the hulking beasts must be less maneuverable than a horse. So, he planned to loop back around again, allowing Linkle to shoot its second rider before it had a chance to catch them.

When they righted themselves, they were back to riding down the road behind the others, although they were further behind them now. The armored woman was still being pursued by two of the Bullbos, but now, the third was heading the other way, coming towards the siblings once again.

“Elle, don’t miss!” Link shouted.

“Gee, great advice, Brother,” she replied. “Now, duck.” At her request, Link put his head down. A moment later, he heard the sound of the crossbow releasing. However, rather than hitting the rider, this time it was the mount that took a bolt to the head. It squealed as its legs gave out, tumbling to the ground, crushing its rider beneath it as it rolled.

“Nice shot,” Link praised his sister.

“Uhh, thanks,” she said after a moment’s hesitation.

“...You were aiming for the rider, weren’t you?”

“Well it got the job done!” Linkle slapped him on the shoulder. “Now hurry it up. We need to catch up with them.” For some reason, Arion seemed to heed Linkle’s words, whinnying loudly before speeding up.

As they closed the gap between themselves and the others, the armored woman’s horse slowed down a bit, and the Bullbo with only one rider came up along her side, raising a club. Just as Linkle gasped, afraid it was going to hit her, the woman raised her poleaxe and swiftly swung it downwards. It chopped at the boar monster’s legs, causing it to trip and tumble along the ground.

“Woo-hoo!” Linkle cheered. “You get ‘em, lady!”

There was only one Bullbo left now, but it had both of its riders. The two of them seemed to be arguing. As Link wondered what they were up to, the archer suddenly turned around. With an angry roar, the archer loosed an arrow towards him.

“Agh!” Link cried, feeling the sudden pain of the arrow lodged in his upper chest, very near his heart.

Brother !” Linkle shouted. She caught him as he slumped back in the saddle, placing her hand by the arrow and putting pressure on the wound.

The Bulblins still seemed to be arguing, but apparently they’d decided it was time to withdraw. Their Bullbo suddenly turned to the side and ran off into the field. Linkle did not pursue them. Instead, while still holding Link against her body, she grabbed the reins with one hand and pressed the horse onwards.

“Brother, they’re gone. Are you okay?” she asked worriedly.

“Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine,” he said quietly, wincing in pain. “ Agh ! This hurts like hell, though. Am I bleeding? Yep, I’m bleeding.”

“Okay. Okay, don’t panic. We’re almost to safety.”


They followed the armored woman and the child all the way back to Mabe Village. It was not a long trip, as the village had been in sight for quite some time. The armored woman stopped her horse just past the town gates, so Linkle pulled Arion to a stop right behind them.

“Guards!” The red-haired woman climbed down to the ground, calling for the guards right away. “Guards! On me, now!”

“Let me down, too,” her child insisted.

“Yes, Princess,” the red-haired woman answered, lifting the little girl out of the saddle and setting her down.

Princess?

“Princess?” Linkle said aloud as her feet hit the ground. However, she quickly turned her attention back to her wounded brother. “Come, Brother. Let me help you down.”

Link groaned, but obliged.

Moments later, several town guards had gathered around them. “Fetch the sheriff and Lord Lontha at once,” the armored woman commanded.

“Yes, Dame.” A few of the guards ran off.

“Jeanne! He’s hurt.” The little girl tugged at the knight’s side, pointing to Link.

“Yes, that is accurate,” Link replied, feeling woozy. His sister knelt down on the ground, lowering him down to let him sit with his back against her.

The knight did a double take. “Hylia’s grace,” she said, a look of concern in her eyes.

“I can help!” The apparent princess came forward, crouching down in front of Link. Then she held out one hand, hovering it over his wound. The young girl had deep blue eyes and bright blonde hair. If he hadn't just heard she was a princess, Link still would’ve guessed she was highborn from the fine clothes she wore and the angelic look about her.

“Hello there,” Link said, feeling a little lightheaded.

“Can you help him? Please,” Linkle said imploringly.

“Don’t worry, heroes,” the princess said. “Hylia will save you.” She closed her eyes and began mouthing a prayer. Her hand lit up so brightly that Link and Linkle had to shut their eyes for a moment. However, despite the temporary blindness, Link began to feel better. The pain quickly faded, and he no longer felt like he was about to pass out.

“Jeanne,” the princess said, looking over her shoulder.

“Yes, Princess.” The red-haired knight seemed to know what her charge wanted. She knelt down beside the princess and grabbed the arrow, yanking it out of Link’s chest.

“Ow!” Link said, a jolt of pain reappearing, but it quickly subsided once again as the princess continued to heal him for another minute.

When the princess lowered her hand, Link touched his chest where the arrow had been. There was still blood on his clothing, but the wound was completely gone. “Wow,” he said. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” the princess said with a smile. “And thank you for saving us from the scary pig monsters.”

“You’re okay now, right, Brother?” Linkle asked, still cradling Link from behind.

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

“Good.” Linkle stood up excitedly, allowing Link to fall backwards.

“Ow!” Link complained, having to climb back to his feet on his own.

“You’re Princess Zelda Seraphina!” Linkle said to the little girl. Then she turned to the red-haired knight. “And you’re the Crimson Angel!”

“Mhmm,” the princess nodded, smiling brightly. “You can call me Sera.”

“Aw, you’re just the cutest thing ever !” Linkle proclaimed, kneeling down to give the princess a hug. Seraphina giggled, returning the hug.

Before the knight could respond, she was approached by an armored man holding a feathered helmet under his arm. “Dame,” the man said to get her attention. “You called for the sheriff? What seems to be the problem?”

“Sir, I am Dame Jeanne of House Felltom. I speak on behalf of my charge, Princess Zelda Seraphina Hyrule,” she said quickly yet formally, gesturing to the princess as she mentioned her. “We were traveling from the Coliseum and our party was attacked by Bulblins on the road just outside of the garrison. My comrades may still be in danger, and the Sage of Light is with them. You must send a detachment of your guards to aid them immediately.”

“Do as she says.” Another man had appeared behind the sheriff. This one was a middle-aged Hylian man dressed in fine robes rather than armor.

“Yes, Lord Lontha,” the sheriff agreed.

“If you can spare any additional guards beyond that, I would like to request an escort the rest of the way back to the capital,” Dame Jeanne continued. “The sun will be setting very soon, and we cannot afford to risk having the princess outside the city’s walls when the Blood Moon rises.”

Lord Lontha nodded, then gestured to the sheriff. “Do it.” The sheriff nodded and stepped away, shouting orders to the surrounding guards.

With that taken care of, Dame Jeanne returned her attention to the siblings. “Young man, young woman,” she said to them. “What are your names?”

“I’m--”

“I’m Linkle!”

“--Link.”

Linkle jumped back to her feet as she interrupted her brother, standing beside him to address the red-haired knight.

Princess Seraphina giggled. “Are you two brother and sister?”

“Yes, we are,” Link replied.

“Aww,” the princess swooned, as if it were cute. “I’ve just returned form being on holiday with my sister, too.”

Dame Jeanne put her hand on the young girl’s shoulder, as if silently telling her to hush for a moment. “What you did just now was very brave,” she said to the siblings. “We may not be standing here right now if it hadn’t been for your timely intervention. It must have been the will of the gods that our paths crossed when they did.”

Almost in sync, Linkle and Seraphina both smiled and made the sign of the Triforce with their hands.

Link was still having a hard time processing this. Somehow, the young girl they had saved from monsters after happening upon them in the middle of Hyrule Field turned out to be one of the princesses, and she had personally healed his wound.

How many others will be able to tell a story like that?

“We are glad to have helped,” Link said.

“If I may, I would see to it that you are rewarded for your efforts,” Dame Jeanne went on. “How can we repay you?”

Linkle gasped. “Can I have one of the Hero of the Minish’s treasures?” she requested before Link had even realized what they’d been offered. He narrowed his eyes, wondering if such a bizarre request would actually be accomodated.

Dame Jeanne looked surprised as well, probably having been expecting them to request rupees or a commendation from the king or something. However, Princess Seraphina did not seem to take issue with it. “Sure!” she said. “It is yours, my friends.”

Her bodyguard turned to Lord Lontha with a look of concern on her face. “My lord, I know the Hero’s belongings are sacred relics housed in this town, but--”

“She can take whatever she wants,” Lord Lontha said, waving his hand dismissively. “Recently, I’ve begun to realize those old things are more trouble than they’re worth. Better they go to a couple of adventurers than sit around collecting dust.”

“Yay!” Linkle cheered, leaping into the air and spinning. Seraphina clapped, Linkle’s excitement apparently rubbing off on her.

Dame Jeanne nodded. “Very well. You may each select one.” Reaching to her side, she took the princess by the hand. “We must be off now. Thank you again for your assistance. May Hylia watch over you.”

“Bye!” Princess Seraphina waved as her bodyguard led her back to their white horse.

“Goodbye!” Linkle waved back.

Lord Lontha approached them next, waving them along. “Follow me,” he said, walking back towards the acropolis where the Hero’s house was located.

“This is the greatest day of my life!” Linkle proclaimed, following the lord. “I call the Pegasus Boots.”

“We could’ve asked for rupees,” Link said. “Hell, we could’ve asked for land to retire in. This is a princess we’re talking about, Elle.”

“I know!” his sister replied, apparently only registering the part about the princess. “Isn’t it amazing? I saved a princess ! I must be the Hero. There could be no other explanation.” Then she groaned. “Oh, if only it had been one of the other Zeldas,” she lamented. “Princess Seraphina is too young, but the others would have fallen head over heels for me, I’m certain of it!”

“You got some real messed up notions about love in that head of yours, Sister,” Link said, flicking her in the side of the head.

“Ow. Like you know any better, Brother.”

When they arrived back at the Hero’s house, the guards on duty all stood at attention. “Lord Lontha,” one of them said, saluting. “What brings you here?”

“Allow each of these adventurers to take an item of their choosing from the shrine,” Lord Lontha commanded. “By order of Princess Zelda.” After giving his orders, he turned and left.

“Wow,” the guard said, turning his attention to his guests. “What did you two do to earn that?”

“We killed, like, four Bulblins,” Link deadpanned, realizing how ridiculous it was now that he’d been asked to explain it.

“...Well, fuck, I coulda done that!” the guard replied.

“They were attacking Princess Zelda,” Linkle explained. “We saved her.”

“Still, though.” The guard turned and opened the door. “Well, come on, then. In you go.”

Link was unsure what item he would choose as his reward, but Linkle’s mind had been made up before they even arrived. She ran straight over to the display case that housed the Pegasus Boots. “Those! I want those!” she said, like a child in a sweets shop.

The guard who had let them in turned to one of his comrades. “Fetch the keys,” he said.

“What?”

“Lord Lontha’s orders.”

The other guard shrugged. “Long as I’m still getting paid.” He grabbed a keyring from a drawer and used one of the keys to unlock the case. Linkle immediately grabbed at its contents.

“Da-da-da-daaa!” she declared, thrusting the boots into the air. Without any regard to manners, she then proceeded to kick off the boots she’d been wearing in order to slip on her new winged ones. “These are gonna make me so fast--”

“Don’t run inside, Elle,” Link told her. “You’re gonna break something.”

“Ugh, fine .” She took a few steps towards the exit, but stopped. “Oh! Which of the Hero’s treasures do you want, Brother?”

“Did he happen to have a bottomless rupee bag or a magic ring that makes him invulnerable?” Link asked facetiously.

“Hmm… No, I feel like I’d remember something like that,” Linkle replied. “How about his Gust Jar? It shoots gusts of wind!”

Link ignored her, scanning the items in the room. He decided to pick something practical. Linkle’s new boots sounded extremely useful, assuming they actually worked as advertised. He wanted something just as useful. “What about that boomerang?” Link asked, pointing to a wooden boomerang that was painted yellow and white with a red gem affixed to the middle of it.

“The Hero’s magical boomerang!” Linkle proclaimed, lifting it up. “If you throw it, it always comes back to you.”

“Isn’t that what all boomerangs do?”

“Yeah, but this one does it magically .”

Link took it from her, considering it. Despite being a small wooden weapon, it had a heft to it, and felt like it could really do some damage if thrown with enough force. He had a sword and now a hammer, but unlike Linkle with her crossbow, he didn’t have a ranged weapon anymore. “Mind if I try it outside?” he asked the head guard.

“Be my guest.”

Link nodded. He and Linkle stepped outside. As soon as her feet hit the grass, Linkle took off in a sprint. She glided effortlessly across the ground, charging forward at a speed that could have been as fast as a horse. “ Yeahhhh !” she shouted, skidding to a stop at the edge of the acropolis. “Did you see that? Did you see how fast I was? Did you, Brother?” she called from across the grass.

Despite his skepticism, Link was impressed. Those boots appeared to be the real ones from the legend.

I wonder if this magical boomerang is real as well.

He didn’t have much experience with boomerangs, but he knew one had to throw it a certain way for it to properly return. So, in order to test the magical boomerang, he threw it haphazardly out in front of him as if he’d meant to throw it straight. The boomerang spun through the air, then somehow changed direction, transitioning into a smooth curve off to the side. It eventually looped around and headed back towards him. Holding up his hand, the boomerang flew right into it, as if on purpose. “Huh.”

It works.

“Wow!” Linkle called. “That was cool!” She started running again. However, when she tried to turn to head towards Link, she suddenly tripped and fell, tumbling across the grass. Several of the guards watching her laughed.

“Ooh…” Link winced. “You alright?” he asked, stepping over to her and offering his hand.

“Yeah, I’m good,” she replied as he helped her up. “Guess it’s kinda hard to change direction once I really start moving.”

“Will you be taking those, then?” the head guard asked.

“Yes, we will,” Link answered, holding up the boomerang as confirmation.

“Okay, then. Use them wisely, young adventurers.”

“We will. We are truly blessed to have been granted such gifts,” Linkle proclaimed, posing to show off her new boots.

Link untied the horse and climbed onto it, but Linkle chose to walk, although she did more running than walking. “So, what now?” Link asked at the bottom of the hill.

“Let’s go back into the field,” Linkle replied, running back past Link before turning around and running past him the other way. “With these Hero’s relics, we’re gonna be unstoppable tonight!”

Chapter 37: Seraphina I

Chapter Text

Seraphina had never been happier to see the gates of the capital. Out of all of her siblings, she spent time away from home the least. Usually, her trips were fun visits to her friends amongst the children of other nobles throughout Hyrule. That was what she'd thought her trip to Gerudo would be, and for a while, it had been. She hadn’t seen Sabah in so long, and it had been exciting to finally meet the prince she hadn’t been allowed to see before. However, all of that had changed the night Jeanne had rushed her out of Taafei. It hadn’t been until they arrived safely in Yarna that she was told what had happened to her friend. She’d spent much of that night crying.

The rest of the journey back home had been somewhat somber, but as always, Jeanne had been able to cheer her up. The whole ride back, the knight had regaled the princess with stories of her youth in Necluda, tales of old knights and heroes, and legends of gods and spirits. Being held in her protector's arms was warm and comforting. Even when they were chased by monsters, Jeanne had made her feel safe.

As they approached the gate with the riders who had escorted them from Mabe, the princess tilted her head back, looking up at the red-haired woman’s face. Jeanne noticed and smiled warmly down at her. “We’re home, little angel,” she said softly.

“Yes.” Seraphina nodded. “I can’t wait to see Father again. Do you think Sophie and my brothers are back, too?”

“I hope so, Princess.” Reaching down to the carrying bags hanging from the side of the horse, the red-haired knight retrieved a horn. She lifted it to her lips and blew.

“Open the gates!” the guard at the front of their party called up to the tower once the sound of the horn died down. “The princess returns!”

Seraphina saw many people lined up in front of the gate. They must have been trying to get inside because of the Blood Moon. The sun had already gone down, so it would not be long. As she and her party got closer, the gate guards began herding people out of their way, clearing a path to let the princess in first.

“They will all be inside before the Blood Moon begins, right, Jeanne?” Seraphina asked, concerned that they were still outside the walls this late in the evening.

“Of course, little angel,” Jeanne assured her. “Let’s just get ourselves inside and let the guards take care of everyone else.”

“Okay,” the princess agreed, relieved.

Once inside, they stopped and let the riders from Mabe circle around them. “You have our thanks for escorting us here,” Jeanne told them. “I can take the princess back to the castle on my own from here. You may return home, and may the Goddess guide you.”

“It was an honor, Dame,” the head guard replied. “Farewell.” He and his comrades turned their horses and headed back for the gate.

“Farewell, friends!” Seraphina called after them. “Do we have to go back to the castle right away?” she asked Jeanne. “I want to wait for the others.”

Jeanne looked a little worried for a second, glancing up at the full moon in the rapidly darkening sky. “It’s getting late, little angel,” the knight replied. “Perhaps we should get you to bed?”

“Please? Just for a little!” the princess begged. “The Blood Moon won’t start for hours, and we’re already safe inside the walls, right? I just wanna make sure the others are okay. Please?”

Jeanne was hesitant, but Seraphina’s puppy dog eyes must have won her over. The red-haired knight sighed. “Very well. But only for a short while.”

“Yay! Thank you, Jeanne!”

Her bodyguard glanced around to locate the nearest guard. “Excuse me, young man,” she called to an idle gate watchman holding a spear. He looked alert when he realized a knight was addressing him.

“Yes, Dame?”

“Please deliver a message to the castle. Let them know Princess Seraphina has returned to the city and will be arriving at the castle shortly.”

“Yes, Dame!” the guard agreed, hurrying off.

“Now, let’s go. Up there!” Seraphina urged, pointing up to the wall.

Jeanne directed the horse over to one of the towers that led up to the top of the wall. The knight dismounted first, then helped the princess down. Seraphina immediately ran inside and began climbing the steps.

“Princess, wait! You mustn’t leave my sight!” Jeanne called after her.

Seraphina giggled and stopped on the staircase. “Sorry, Jeanne.” She waited for her attendant to catch up, then let Jeanne take her by the hand. The knight led the rest of the way, tapping her halberd against the ground as they walked.

On top of the wall, there were several guards on patrol. When the princess and her companion appeared, many of them stood at attention, although Seraphina didn’t know if it was because they recognized her or just because Jeanne’s armor revealed her status as a knight. “At ease,” Jeanne told them with a wave of her hand. “Do not mind us. Please go about your duties.”

“Yes, Dame.”

Seraphina walked along the wall until she was practically right on top of the southern gate where they had entered the city. She pressed her hands against the parapet and leaned forward, gazing off into Hyrule Field. It was dark, but she hoped she would see Sage Aurun and the others coming soon.

“Be careful, little angel,” Jeanne warned, stepping behind her. “Lean too much and you might fall over.”

“I’m not a baby, Jeanne,” Seraphina complained.

Jeanne put her hands on the princess’s shoulders. “I know, Princess. I am merely carrying out my duty to ensure your well-being.”

Seraphina leaned back against her caretaker, letting the taller woman wrap her arms around her. “I know,” she said, comforted by the warmth that came with Jeanne’s presence. “Do you see them?” The princess went back to gazing into the field, on the lookout for Aurun’s party.

“I see nothing, Princess.”

Seraphina rested her arms against the parapet again. “Laemora,” she said quietly. “Please light their way.”

From where she was standing, the princess was reminded of the Gerudo fortress of Taafei. She had spent some time looking down at the city below from atop the high walls, talking about whatever came to mind with Sabah. “I wonder if she’s with Mother now,” she said, thinking aloud.

Jeanne’s hand tightened momentarily on Seraphina’s shoulder. “Who, Princess?” the bodyguard asked cautiously.

“Sabah,” she said. There was some melancholy in her voice still, but she did not feel the need to cry anymore.

“I… I’m sure they’re both someplace wonderful now, little angel,” Jeanne said.

Seraphina turned around to face her. “You knew her pretty well, right, Jeanne?” she asked. The third princess had only ever known of her mother from stories people told of her, and from her portraits in the castle.

Jeanne hesitated, but she nodded. “Yes, child,” she said. “My family has long been in service to hers. Queen Elincia was very kind.”

Seraphina smiled. She may not have had a mother, but she’d always had Jeanne. Unlike her siblings who had been attended by other royal guards in their youth before eventually settling on their current bodyguards, Jeanne was the only attendant knight Seraphina had ever had, and she couldn’t imagine having anyone else watch over her.

Before she could say anything else, something caught Seraphina’s eye, so she turned around. The clouds had parted somewhat, allowing the light of the full moon to stream through, illuminating the road leading through the field up to the southern gate. Out in the distance, the princess could see many horse riders approaching.

“Is that them?” Seraphina asked excitedly.

“Perhaps,” Jeanne replied. “Shall we wait until they are closer, then go down and greet them?”

“Okay.”

Seraphina watched with eager anticipation as the riders slowly came into view. Many of them were dressed the same as the guards from Mabe village that had escorted them to the city. However, mixed in with them were other outfits she recognized. Guards, clerics, and attendants they had been traveling with when they left Victorique at the Coliseum. Sage Aurun was there as well, wearing his distinctive owl feather cloak.

“It’s them! It’s them!” the princess shouted excitedly.

Jeanne took her by the hand, smiling with relief. “See, little angel? I knew they would be alright. Let us go and meet them downstairs.”

Once back down on the ground level, they waited by the gate for the others to enter. Soon after, the clambering of hoofsteps signaled their arrival. Sage Aurun rode in along with the others, surrounded on all sides by the guards from Mabe.

“Sage!” Seraphina called out. “Greetings, everyone! Welcome home!”

The riders took notice of the princess and called back their own greetings. The princess and her knight watched as some of them dismounted. Their escorts were dismissed and rode back out through the gate. Sage Aurun and a few of his attendants approached them while the rest left to head back to the castle or the cathedral.

“Princess. Dame Jeanne. I am quite relieved to see you have made it back in time,” Sage Aurun said, bowing his head respectfully.

“And you as well,” Jeanne replied. “Were the soldiers from Mabe able to reach you in time?”

“The fight was over by the time they arrived,” Aurun said. “We met them on the road, as well as a pair of travelers who said they aided you, but we saw no more monsters between there and the capital.”

“That is a relief.” Jeanne put her hand on Seraphina’s shoulder. “Princess, it is getting late. Perhaps we should say goodnight to Sage Aurun?”

“Aww…” Seraphina moaned, but she was starting to feel a little drowsy. “Good night, Sage. I’m glad you were with us on this trip.”

“It was an honor to join you and your sister, Princess.” The sage nodded and signaled to his attendants. “We must return to the cathedral now. May the Goddess keep you safe tonight.”

“You, too,” Seraphina replied.

“Are you ready to return to the castle now?” Jeanne asked after watching the sage remount his horse and leave.

“Okay,” the princess nodded. “Let’s go.”


“Dame Jeanne.”

The knight and her charge stopped, turning around to see the one who’d greeted her. They had been walking through the castle grounds on their way to Seraphina’s tower, having just gotten back a few moments ago. Jeanne had seemed intent on getting the princess to bed as early as possible, which Seraphina did not mind. This had been her routine on every previous Blood Moon. The whole event sounded scary, so sleeping through it in the safety of one of the most well-guarded places in Hyrule was not so bad.

“Yes?” Jeanne asked.

A well-dressed servant stood before them, hands behind his back with impeccable posture. “The king requires an audience with you. He wishes to discuss the matter of Gerudo,” the servant replied.

Jeanne glanced down at Seraphina, concern in her eyes. “Very well. Please allow me to escort the princess to her quarters first.”

“No,” Seraphina said, smiling excitedly. “I want to see Father, too.” It had been a long time since she had last seen him, and with all her siblings still visiting the other provinces, he was the only member of her family still in the castle. “Please, Jeanne?”

Her bodyguard looked to the servant, but he did not remark on whether the king would permit or forbid his daughter’s presence at the requested meeting. Regardless, she returned the princess’s smile wearily. “Okay, little angel. Let’s go see your father.”

“Very good. Dame, Princess, if you would,” the servant said, turning around and leading the way.

Even though she was tired, Seraphina enjoyed walking through the castle again. It was nice to see other parts of Hyrule, but ever since she was a child, she’d been the type to get homesick easily. It felt good to be in familiar surroundings again, without having to worry about monsters and fighting.

We are safe here.

Although it was late, there were still many people awake throughout the castle. Seraphina didn’t even recognize them all, but she greeted as many of them as she could. Many responded with a respectful “Good evening, Princess,” while others gave her a warm “Welcome back, Princess!” Jeanne had to take her hand in order to force her to keep up because she kept stopping to try to talk with people.

When they reached her father’s study in the upper reaches of the castle, two members of the Royal Guard stood outside the door, eyes obscured by their distinctive helmets. They seemed to have been expecting them, as they allowed the servant to step past them and open the door. “Go on inside, Dame, Princess.”

“Thank you,” Jeanne said.

“Thanks!” Seraphina followed her inside, and the doors shut behind them. In the room, her father was behind his desk, scrawling something onto a piece of paper with a feathered pen. “Father!” the princess shouted, lighting up at the sight of him. She quickly rushed over and went around the side of his desk, throwing herself into a hug to his side. “I’m back! It’s so good to see you!” Her father did not stop what he was doing, but he did offhandedly pat her head while he continued to write. “Yes,” he said absentmindedly. “Dame Jeanne, have a seat.”

“Thank you, Your Grace.” The knight sat down in one of the fine chairs on the other side of the king’s desk. “Princess, I think that’s enough for now, hm? Why don’t you come sit with me?”

“Okay.” Going back around to the other side of the desk, she shoved one of the other chairs a bit closer to her caretaker before hopping up onto it.

“I received some updates on Gerudo several days ago,” King Tychon said, putting his pen down. “I imagine the information is outdated. I need a report on the current situation.”

“Yes, my king.” Dame Jeanne cleared her throat. “Urballa has revolted, and the Gerudo seem to heavily favor her decision following the… passing of her daughter.”

Seraphina felt a pang of sadness at that, and she could see that Jeanne was not pleased to have to say it in front of her. The princess reached over and placed a hand on Jeanne’s.

The knight glanced her way, giving her a brief, reassuring smile. “We have already lost Taafei. The Gerudo have marched on Yarna as well, although Princess Zelda had moved most of our forces out of the province beforehand.”

“She moved them?” the king asked. “To where?”

“To the Coliseum, Your Grace,” Jeanne replied. “Your daughter reasoned its position was more easily defendable due to the bridge the enemy would have to cross in order to invade, and it is more easily supplied and reinforced by Gatepost and Windvane. It is also outside of Gerudo territory. Since Urballa’s goal is to retake her land, she may have no intention of extending any further than Yarna.”

“She is not retaking her land, she is stealing ours,” King Tychon corrected.

“Yes, of course,” Jeanne agreed hurriedly yet gracefully.

“Nonetheless, I concur with my daughter’s reasoning,” the king continued. “Whether the Gerudo invade or not, we will keep the Coliseum occupied so as to keep pressure on them until we can send reinforcements.” As he spoke, he picked up his pen and began writing again. “The situation in Akkala has died down for the most part, so I will have Percival take his armies southwest.”

Seraphina perked up at the mention of her brother, but Jeanne raised an eyebrow. “Prince Percival?” the knight asked.

 “I would send Lancel or Lord Remoth as they are closer, but they are occupied with the Rito rebellion,” King Tychon explained.

“What of General Alchon?” Jeanne asked.

“My brother is dead,” the king replied. “Percival is acting lord of Akkala Citadel for now.”

What ?” Seraphina nearly fell out of her chair. “Uncle Alchon? What happened?”

“It would appear one of the Earthquake Sage’s followers snuck into the citadel and killed him in retaliation after the sage was killed in battle,” her father replied.

“By Nayru…” Seraphina felt like she was going to cry again. She couldn’t believe what she’d just heard. She’d known her uncle for her entire life. How could he just disappear like that so suddenly? She felt Jeanne gripping her hand comfortingly, but her eyes still welled up with tears.

As she felt the sadness creeping through her, the lighting in the room changed. In addition to the candles atop the king’s desk, moonlight had been streaming in through the large window leading out to the balcony. However, in a matter of seconds, the moonlight had shifted from a pale silver to a coppery red. Through the window, Seraphina could see the entire sky was filled with the odd coloring, and she felt a chill up her spine.

The Blood Moon had begun.

“Hm. Earlier than expected,” King Tychon commented.

Something is not right, child.

Seraphina flinched. “Laemora?” she asked, looking into the sky.

Both her father and Jeanne turned their attention to her. “Do you hear the goddess’s voice, child?” King Tychon asked.

“Yes, I heard her,” Seraphina replied, standing up and moving towards the window.

“Princess, wait!” Jeanne left her chair and grabbed Seraphina by the wrist to prevent her from going any further. “What does the goddess tell you, little angel?” She was speaking kindly, but there was clear worry in her voice, so the princess knew it was serious.

The seals in the walls. They have been deactivated.

“She’s talking about the seals in the walls,” Seraphina told them. “She says they’re… deactivated?”

Her father stood up abruptly, slamming his hands on his desk. “ What ?”

The princess leaped in surprise, startled by the sudden loud noise.

“No…” Jeanne said incredulously, pulling Seraphina in closer and wrapping her arms around her. “That’s not possible. How can this be?”

“I do not know, but we must assume it is true and prepare for the worst,” the king replied. “Sound the alarm and spread the word. We need to--”

His words were interrupted by a puff of smoke suddenly appearing beside him. A man stepped out of the smoke wielding a knife, but with reflexes beyond what an old man such as the king should be capable of, Tychon grabbed the man by the wrist and the neck, lifting him up and slamming him down onto his desk.

Seraphina shrieked. Jeanne stepped back, pulling the princess along with her. Another burst of smoke went off next to them, and Jeanne was quick to conjure a barrier around them. The man who appeared next thrust his weapon harmlessly against the prism of light, at which point Jeanne dimmed it long enough to swing her halberd at him. Seraphina shrieked as the man’s blood splattered over them.

Get my daughter out of here !” the king ordered. “ Guards !” The door burst open and the two royal guards who’d been standing outside came in, spears at the ready. “We’re under attack!” Tychon shouted.

Two more clouds of smoke exploded in the room, but Jeanne did not wait for more assassins to appear. “Come, Princess,” she said, pulling her out of the room. “Quickly, now. Quickly!”

What is happening ?” Seraphina screamed, confused and scared, her tears finally flowing.

“I don’t know, but we need to get somewhere safe,” Jeanne insisted.

“What about Father?” the princess asked.

He’s in danger, too. Will he be alright?

“Princess, please! You have to trust me.” Jeanne’s voice was desperate, and although she didn’t sound even half as scared as Seraphina felt, the princess was pretty sure her knight was as confused and uncertain about the situation as she was.

Together, they ran through the halls of the castle and down several flights of stairs. Oddly enough, the castle seemed much more empty than it had been when they were on their way up.

Where did everybody go?

They had gone down several floors by the time they found anyone else. Five guards wielding spears were coming down the hall just as they were passing by the south side windows. The guards were running as if in response to the commotion.

“Guards! On me!” Jeanne called to them. “The king is under attack, and--” She did not have a chance to finish her sentence before two of the guards thrust their spears at her. She reacted quickly, shoving Seraphina behind her and swiping with her weapon to block theirs. “ What in Din’s name are you doing ?” she screamed. “I am Dame Jeanne, sworn protector of Princess Seraphina!”

“It’s me!” Seraphina pleaded, unsure how these guards could possibly have mistaken them for someone else.

Why are our friends attacking us?

The guards did not respond. One of them made some hand signals to the others, and they circled around the princess and her knight, spears pointed outward. Jeanne summoned a bright red barrier around them, holding out her halberd as she turned in a circle to look over their opponents. They all wore helmets that covered their faces, so it was difficult to identify them. “What you are doing is treason,” she informed them. “Throw down your weapons and let us pass at once!”

Seraphina shrieked as the guards began stabbing at Jeanne’s barrier. At first, the blows did not appear to do anything, but as Jeanne continued to plead with the guards, cracks began to appear in the barrier and it flickered with instability. “Jeanne…” Seraphina hugged her protector tight, terrified beyond belief.

“Stay close to me, Princess,” Jeanne reassured her. She stood at the ready, hands gripping her weapon tightly and a look of determination in her eyes. Just as the barrier seemed like it was about to break, she let it disappear.

She struck quickly before her opponent realized he was vulnerable, stabbing him through the chest before quickly pulling out and chopping at his neck. She then spun around, swinging her halberd in an arc around her to force the other guards to step back. She stabbed the next closest guard, then pulled back and swung for the one next to him. This time, her attack was blocked.

“Jeanne!” Seraphina shouted, seeing the guard behind her move to stab his spear into her back. Jeanne was able to spin around just in time to deflect the blow. The other guard she had stabbed a moment ago had fallen to his knees, but before he could get up, Jeanne took the opportunity to swing her halberd downwards, cleaving his skull in with the axe blade. Seraphina’s eyes opened wide in shock as yet more blood splattered over her.

Jeanne’s next attack was dodged, and the one after that was blocked. The enemies seemed to be growing familiar with her attack patterns, and she must have been beginning to tire. Many of the enemy attacks managed to make contact, and while Jeanne’s armor was sturdy enough to take most of it without issue, it wasn’t long before one of her opponents finally got a real hit in, jamming his spear through an opening in the side of her right leg. “Aghh!” she shouted, collapsing down on one knee in agony.

“Jeanne!” Seraphina shrieked.

The guard pulled his spear out of her leg, but she did not let him get away. Forcing herself to stand back up, she quickly swung her halberd, managing to slash him across the chest up to his neck. He stumbled over to the wall and fell, writhing on the floor as blood spilled out of him.

“Let me heal you!” Seraphina raised her hands, speeding through her prayers as she called upon her healing spell while Jeanne continued to fight. Her efforts did not last long, as Jeanne suffered another blow to the shoulder soon after. “Stop!” Seraphina shouted to their attackers. “Please, stop! Stop !”

Still wounded, Jeanne grabbed the princess and pulled her along as she hobbled backwards away from their remaining opponents. “Don’t worry, Princess,” Jeanne tried to reassure her through heavy breaths. “There’s only two left. I can deal with them.”

However, just as she said this, a swarm of at least ten more guards rounded the corner at the other end of the hallway. For a moment, Seraphina was relieved, thinking they had come to rescue her and Jeanne, but she soon realized they could just be more traitors.

Please… Please, help us…

“There!” one of the guards in the distance shouted, pointing in their direction. “Take her. Leave the princess to the others.”

“Yes, sir!”

Seraphina’s heart dropped as the guards began to advance on their position. “Princess,” Jeanne said, clasping her hands down on Seraphina’s shoulders. “You must get somewhere safe.”

“What? Where?” Seraphina replied in a panic.

“I love you, little angel,” Jeanne said, giving her a tender kiss on the forehead. When she stepped back, another barrier appeared, but this one only surrounded Seraphina.

The princess’s eyes opened wide. “Jeanne, no!”

But the knight did not stop. Jeanne shoved her hands against the barrier and pushed it backwards. The window behind Seraphina broke and she fell through it, screaming as she tumbled through the air, falling several stories to the castle grounds below.


The barrier shattered when it hit the ground, absorbing most of the impact, but it still hurt when she landed. The entire outside world was still bathed in the coppery red tinge of the Blood Moon, and she could hear screaming and general commotion in the distance all around her.

“Somewhere safe… somewhere safe…” Seraphina repeated to herself as she climbed to her feet. “Please… Laemora, where should I go?”

Come to my temple, child. My sage will protect you.

The princess had never been more relieved to hear the goddess’s voice. Getting her bearings, she set off down the fastest path to the city. She moved as fast as she could and tried to avoid being seen. After being attacked by the castle guards, she was afraid she couldn’t trust anyone now.

After making her way down to the lower levels, the gate to the bridge that led over the moat was in sight. The gate was open, and long lines of guards were funneling out into the city. The princess stayed hidden behind a wall, peeking out from behind it to watch, unwilling to let the guards see her. She felt her heart racing, and the fear she’d felt before was still yet to fade.

Why is the gate open? What are they doing? What is happening in the city?

As she watched, she heard an odd noise from behind her. Turning around, she saw nothing at first, but when she tilted her head up, she saw something strange. It was like a portal had opened up a couple meters above the ground, appearing as a circular disk of blackness, like a window into a starless night sky. “What…?” Seraphina uttered in bewilderment. She’d witnessed so many unexplainable things so far that night, but this latest one left her completely at a loss.

Suddenly, something fell out of the portal, landing in a heap on the ground. The princess shrieked and stepped back in surprise. It looked like a naked person, but their body was emaciated and their limbs strangely elongated. They did not move, and they certainly looked dead. “...Hello?” Seraphina asked nervously, her voice quivering. “Are you… alright?” she asked, stepping closer to the body.

“Aughhh…” Without warning, the body moved, letting out a ghastly moan that caused Sophitia to leap backwards again. The mass of elongated limbs untangled itself and tried to stand up, lifting its head. Finally, Sophitia saw its face. Its lower jaw hung open, and its sunken eyes stared forward with no life behind them. The princess had never seen a ReDead before, but she had seen drawings of them, and she knew right away what it was.

Ahhh !” she screamed, turning to run away. She wasn’t worried about whether or not the guards were on her side anymore; she just wanted to get away from that monster.

The guards standing by the gate noticed her when they heard her screams. “What? Princess Seraphina?” One of the guards, this one wearing a plumed captain’s helm, stepped forward as she ran towards them.

“A monster! A monster!” she shouted, clinging to his waist and hiding behind him. “Over there!” she said, pointing.

“What?” In the distance, the ReDead that had appeared limped out from behind the wall. It slowly turned its head. Upon spotting them, it began creeping towards them.

The guards began to panic, clutching their weapons in fear.

“By the gods!”

“They’re inside the castle grounds now!”

“Where the hell are these things coming from?”

“Men!” the guard captain shouted. “Pull yourselves together. You and you, take it out. The rest of you, with me.”

“Yes, sir!” The two soldiers the captain had indicated left to go deal with the ReDead.

“Now, Princess. What are you doing out here?” the captain asked, wrenching her off of him and getting down on one knee to speak with her.

“We were attacked,” Seraphina replied, her eyes filled with tears. “Father, Jeanne, I don’t…” She wasn’t sure what to tell him. These guards did not appear to be her enemy, but she didn’t know what was going on or how to explain it. But then, she remembered what Laemora had told her. “The temple!” she shouted. “I need to get to the Light Temple. Now!”

The guard captain looked confused, but he stroked his chin in consideration. “I suppose if the castle is not safe, the cathedral may be the next best place. The undead undoubtedly cannot enter there, at least.” The man nodded, having made his decision. “Alright, Princess. My name is Glendo. Stay close to me, and we will keep you safe. Okay?”

“Okay,” Seraphina said. She was still terrified, but she felt a small sense of relief. These guards were not like the ones who’d attacked her for some reason; they were like Jeanne.

I can make it to the Light Temple. The Sage of Light will rescue me.

Captain Glendo stood back up and signaled to the half a dozen soldiers standing around him. “Alright, listen up! New objective. We’re taking the princess to the cathedral. Move quickly and keep her surrounded at all times. Understood?”

“Yes, sir!”

Together with her newfound guard detail, the princess crossed the bridge over the castle moat. The entire world was still red and hazy from the light of the Blood Moon, and as they moved closer towards Central Square, the sounds of screaming and chaos got louder and louder. Seraphina kept telling herself she was almost to safety. Whatever she faced next, she could get through it.

As expected, Central Square was an utter disaster. People were running through the streets, screaming in terror. The City Guard was doing battle with undead monsters out in the open. In addition to the portals that spawned ReDeads appearing in the air and on the ground, Stalfos were clawing their way out of the earth to attack whoever came close. The streets were littered with the bodies of guards, townsfolk, and monsters, some of which were being consumed by the grotesque ReDeads.

“Stay close, Princess,” Captain Glendo reminded her. As soon as they could, the guards tried to lead her out of the city square and away from all the commotion. They took a left down a street heading east. Hyrule Cathedral was in the very northeast corner of the city. Getting there would take some time, but the route would be simple.

The street they went down was not as active as the square, but it was not long before they ran into more monsters blocking their path. A couple of townsfolk had come running out from a nearby alleyway, screaming in terror. They were soon followed by three Stalfos. One of the skeletal monsters wore armor and carried a sword and shield. The others were unarmored, but held spears. One of them was also missing an arm, but pursued its prey as relentlessly as the others. The townsfolk were caught and killed right in front of them, causing Seraphina to scream.

The guards in front of her raised their shields as the Stalfos took notice of them. “Stay back, Princess. We’ll handle this,” Captain Glendo insisted.

The unarmored Stalfos were felled rather easily. One got its head bashed off by a soldier’s shield the moment the fight started, and the one-armed Stalfos toppled over after one of its legs was cut off. The Stalfos with armor posed more of a challenge. It did not manage to kill anyone, but it slashed two soldiers across the chest before it was finally subdued, collapsing into a pile of bones on the pavement.

“Hurry, now. Before they reform,” one of the guards at the front of the line shouted.

“Come on, Princess. We must move.”

“Okay.” Seraphina had to step over the monster bones to get through. They were twitching and vibrating, as if trying to reassemble. She did not want to be around when they did.

Once they were a safe distance away, having made it to the next street, Seraphina wanted to help the wounded guards who had protected her. “Stop!” she shouted.

“What is it, Princess?”

“You’re hurt,” she said, stepping up to the two that were bleeding.

“I’ll be fine,” the first one insisted.

“Okay, heal me first then,” the other one said.

Seraphina placed a hand on each of them. Bright lights appeared, piercing through the surrounding veil of red as she healed them. Slowly, the wounds on their chests closed up. “Thank you for helping me,” she said to them.

“It is our duty, Princess,” one of them said. “Now, let’s keep…” Before he could finish, he got distracted, tilting his head back to look upwards. Seraphina and the others followed his gaze. Up in the sky, a little to the south, a veil of dark clouds was forming, swirling together unnaturally. It cast a rather large shadow, blocking some of the red-tinged moonlight.

“What in Din’s name is that?”

“Some sort of storm? As if tonight wasn’t going badly enough…”

The veil of clouds did not remain for long. In a few moments, it transformed, taking on an appearance similar to the portal Seraphina had seen the ReDeads fall out of, only much, much larger. Before she had a chance to react, something descended from it, and it wasn’t a ReDead.

The monster was gigantic, and it appeared to have a humanoid shape. However, since it was still hanging upside-down from the portal, the lower half of its body could not be seen. Its skin was a sickly pale violet, and while it had muscle, its body was criss-crossed with visible veins, and even its spinal cord was pronounced as if its skin was too tight. In place of a head and neck, there was an odd protrusion atop its shoulders. The protrusion folded open like a flower at the end, revealing a single gigantic, glowing red eye. Perhaps the strangest thing about the giant creature was its hands. They looked like they’d been chopped off at the wrist, but they floated in front of the monster’s arm stubs as though they were still attached by some invisible force.

Despite having no visible mouth, the floating giant let out a deep, moaning roar. Using its severed hands, the creature began hitting the ground rhythmically, as if beating a drum. The earth shook with the rhythm, and as it went on, portals opened up all around the monster, dropping more ReDeads into the city.

“Sweet mother of all that is holy…”

“I’ve never seen a creature like that.”

“Demon! A demon has entered the city! Hylia, save us!”

“Men! Keep moving! Make for the cathedral! Princess, come on!” Captain Glendo shouted.

Still shaking, Seraphina ran along with them. The guards chopped down several ReDeads that came too close as they went, but they stopped for nothing. Despite her terror, Seraphina could not stop glancing back at the demon in the sky. At first, it stayed floating where it was, and they were getting farther away from it. But then, the monster turned its ‘head,’ seemingly setting its great red eye upon her in particular. It emitted another low-pitched roar, and suddenly, it was moving. The portal it hung from glided through the air, and the demon’s disjointed hands continued to beat against every street and rooftop it passed over.

“It’s coming towards us!” one of the guards shouted.

“Faster! Flee for your lives!”

Seraphina could see the Light Temple in the distance, and could do nothing but pray.

Please, Hylia. Send Laemora to us. Save us! You must save us from this demon…

The rhythmic thumping of the demon’s drumbeat got closer and closer. Soon, the guards running behind the princess screamed, but were quickly stamped out. Captain Glendo grabbed Seraphina, lifted her up, and kept running. “Don’t worry, Princess. We’re almost there.”

Seraphina allowed herself to be carried, closed her eyes, and kept praying as tears streamed down her cheeks.

Please… Please… Laemora… Save us…

The demon’s hands came down upon them, but at the last second, they slipped into a narrow alleyway between two rows of buildings. The demon roared behind them and continued beating its hands against the rooftops, but they’d been spared for the moment. It was not enough to hold the demon for more than a few seconds, however, so the guards did not stop running.

Please… Hylia… Laemora… I’ll do anything… Please, protect us!

They were closer to the Light Temple now, but Seraphina didn’t know if they’d be able to survive the final stretch. “Father…” she said under her breath, wondering if she and him would both join Mother in the next world.

But then, a burst of brilliant white light ignited the path in front of them. The very temple itself was glowing, offsetting the blood-red tinge from the moonlight. Seraphina opened her eyes wide in reverence, knowing her prayers were being answered. The light seemed to stream off of the temple, gathering in a swirling ball in front of the building. The mass of light grew rapidly and began to take shape, until a glorious, giant, glowing golden bird emerged, letting out a majestic, eagle-like screech.

“Laemora!” Seraphina cried. Behind her, the demon roared, backing away from the newly emerged bird goddess.

“Enter my temple, Children of Hylia. I will deal with this fel creature.” Laemora’s voice echoed with power, exuding an air of both wisdom and righteous fury.

“Thank you!” the princess replied. As Captain Glendo carried her up the temple’s steps, Seraphina watched as Laemora flew at the demon, flapping her great golden wings and letting out a battle screech.

The doors to the temple opened by themselves. As soon as the princess and her guards entered, they slammed shut once again.

“We made it!”

“Praise Hylia!”

As the guards expressed their relief, collapsing to the floor in exhaustion, Glendo placed Seraphina down on the ground. “See, Princess?” the man said, panting. “I told you we’d make it.”

“Thank you, Sir,” Seraphina said, giving him a hug and a kiss on the cheek. “Will you come with me to see the sage, please? I want to make sure he is alright.”

“Of course, Princess.” The guard captain turned to his remaining men. “The rest of you, stay here and guard the door.”


The main area of the cathedral looked like a disaster relief shelter. Hundreds of people were in the aisles, in the pews, and by the walls. Many of them were wounded, and clerics were tending to them. Other priests moved up and down the aisles, trying to keep everyone calm.

“Sage Aurun!” Seraphina called out as she walked down the central aisle. “Sage Aurun!”

“Princess?” Her shouting had gotten the attention of quite a few people nearby, but a cleric carrying a jug of water was the first to recognize her. “What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be in the castle?”

“I need to find Sage Aurun,” she said, not wanting to have to say the castle wasn’t safe either. “Please, it’s important.”

“He’s over there,” the cleric pointed. At the front of the room by the statue on the right side, the elderly sage was tending to a guard who was covered in blood while two more soldiers and another cleric stood by and watched.

“Thank you.” Seraphina ran the rest of the way down the aisle, all the while hearing the sounds of the goddess and the demon doing battle outside. The ground shook every time there was a loud crash, and Seraphina winced whenever she heard Laemora screech in pain.

“Sage Aurun!” The princess stopped when she reached him.

The sage looked up at her. “Princess?” He turned to the cleric behind him. “He is stable now. Take over for me.”

“Yes, Sage.”

Aurun stepped away from the wounded man. “Princess, what are you doing here?”

“Laemora is here.” she said quickly. “She appeared outside. The city is under attack by a demon, and Laemora herself is fighting it as we speak.”

The sage nodded. “Yes. I felt her presence a few moments ago. There are monsters in the city somehow, but I doubt there is any demon. Whatever Laemora is fighting, I am sure she shall smite it with little effort.”

Seraphina smiled, finally feeling a genuine sense of relief that she’d desperately needed. “Yes, Sage,” she said, exhaling deeply. “Hylia has truly blessed us with a remarkable Patron.”

“Indeed, my princess,” Aurun agreed. “Now, there are still many wounded to tend to. Would you kindly lend us your healing magics as well?”

“Of course, Sage.” Healing had always been the one school of magic Seraphina excelled in. Laemora had brought her to this temple filled with wounded men, women, and children. It must have been for a reason. “Sir,” she said, turning to Captain Glendo. “Thank you again for everything. I am safe with the sage. You can rejoin your friends now. They might need help if the monsters make it to the door.”

“By my honor, your highness.” Glendo bowed, then headed back down the aisle towards the entrance.

For the next several minutes, Seraphina made her rounds alongside the sage and the other healers. Some people had been bitten by ReDeads, others had been stabbed by Stalfos, others still had scrapes and bruises sustained while fleeing in the confusion. Seraphina had been told in the past that the Blood Moon never lasted for more than two hours or so. She had no idea how long it had been since it started, but she felt like it must be over soon.

Laemora will protect us. The Blood Moon will vanish. All this madness will end. I just need to believe…

However, despite busying herself with healing the wounded, she was never able to completely ignore the infrequent rumbling of the earth or the sounds of the two giants fighting in the city outside. The sage had told her Laemora would defeat the enemy easily, but if that were the case, why wasn’t the fight over yet?

Please be okay… Please be okay…

The princess had just finished closing up a particularly nasty chest wound when she heard another loud crash. Shuddering with concern, she felt the need to check on what was going on outside. After excusing herself from the sage’s presence, she quickly made her way around the pews and back to the atrium. There, she found the guards huddled by the windows.

“What in Hylia’s name is happening?” the young princess asked.

“This is horrible…” one of the guards said, not having noticed Seraphina.

“Fear not,” one of the other guards chimed in. “I don’t know what that thing is, but there’s no way it can kill a god.”

“Yes, especially one who does Hylia’s will.”

Seraphina went up to one of the large cathedral windows and pushed her way past the guards.

“Oh! Princess, what are you doing back here?”

“Princess, perhaps you should return to the main area. This is not something a child should see.”

“I want to see her!” Seraphina insisted. “Laemora is my friend. I need to know if she’s alright.”

“Well, as you wish, your highness…”

Looking outside, Seraphina could see the battle was still raging on. A good portion of the surrounding buildings had been flattened. Giant, golden, discarded feathers littered the ruined cityscape. The demon was covered in scratches from Laemora’s talons, dripping blood so dark it was practically black.

Laemora attempted to fly into the demon from the side, but it swiped at her with one of its disembodied hands. The goddess dodged it and flew upwards. Letting out an eagle cry, she spread her wings, emitting a bright, radiant light. The demon seemed to recoil in discomfort, and Laemora took the opportunity to swoop in, plunging her talons into the demon’s giant red eye.

The soldiers cheered and sang Laemora’s praises. She seemed to be winning now. Seraphina felt a tinge of hope, but the terrifying and violent display in front of her turned her stomach.

Please be okay…

The demon moaned in pain as the bird goddess gouged its eye. Rather than counterattack, the floating horror flailed about for a moment, and then it seemed to dissolve. Seraphina watched as the demon’s body became less solid, melting into a smoky black vapor. The soldiers cheered once again, thinking the monster was defeated.

However, the mass of darkness enveloped Laemora. She responded by spreading her wings and emitting a bright light once more, but the shadow continued to close in around her. The light faded like a candle burning out, and in moments, the demon had solidified again, its disembodied hands gripping Laemora. The goddess wailed in pain.

No !” Seraphina shrieked, but it was too late. The demon squeezed tightly, then twisted its hands. A horrifying snapping sound echoed through the city, followed by an explosion of light that caused Seraphina and the guards to leap away from the window, covering their eyes.

Ahhhh !” The princess fell to her knees. Aside from being blinded, she felt a sudden, piercing pain in her head.

She’s… She’s…

“Laemora!” Seraphina shouted. Already crying, she stood back up and looked out the window again. The goddess was gone, leaving behind only a pile of golden feathers and ash. The demon drummed its hands against the ground, as if celebrating its victory. After a moment, it finally ascended back into the portal from whence it came, disappearing.

The princess remained against the windowsill, burying her face into her arm. She sobbed deeply over the loss of another friend, unable to comprehend what she’d just witnessed.

A god… How can a god…

“Princess, get away from the window!” Captain Glendo grabbed her from behind and pulled her back. “Go rejoin the sage. Quickly now.”

“What?” Seraphina asked, wiping the tears from her face. A pounding on the door told her danger had arrived outside, and she feared what might happen to the Patron’s temple without Laemora to protect it. “O-Okay,” she said weakly, rushing back out of the atrium as the guards readied their weapons in a line around the door.


Seraphina had to push her way through a crowd of people to get to the front of the room. So many townsfolk were huddled together now, confused and scared. When she found the sage, he was kneeling in front of the altar with his hands on his head. “Sage, I…”

Aurun looked up at her. His face showed him to be in considerable pain. “Princess -- augh… I… I can’t feel the goddess’s presence… Did… Did she truly…?”

Unable to bring herself to answer, Seraphina scrunched up her face as tears began to flow again, nodding in confirmation. The Goddess of Light, Protector of Hyrule, had perished.

The sound of glass shattering came from both sides of the temple, and the sound of a door breaking down and an ensuing battle could be heard coming from the atrium. The temple’s occupants screamed in terror, some knocking each other over in panic.

“Princess!” the sage cried through strained breaths. “You must hide!”

Seraphina was even more scared than she’d been throughout the entire night, but she nodded and heeded his advice. Not sure where else to turn, she spotted a statue of Hylia in the corner. There was very little space between the statue and the wall, but for a child of Seraphina’s size, it was enough. She ran to the corner and squeezed behind the statue, positioning herself in such a way that allowed her to peek out from behind it slightly.

The princess had been expecting ReDeads or Stalfos to be the cause of the shattered windows, but they were not. As the terrified crowd continued to scream, many of them pointed upwards. Way up in the air, beneath the high ceiling of the cathedral, there were several humanoid, bat-like monsters with large ears and spindly limbs.

Achemen? Here? In the Light Temple?

The monsters flew around for a short period, then began dive bombing the crowd. Some bit their prey, others lifted them into the air and dropped them. Unable to watch the senseless slaughter, Seraphina slid her head back behind the statue, shut her eyes tightly and clamping her hands over her ears.

Hylia, please, save us! You must save us! Make it stop, make it stop!

After a while, the noise died down. There was no more screaming. Other than the growls of the bat monsters, the only remaining sounds came from the Sage of Light, who had been left alive for some reason.

“You will all be punished for this,” he spat out in a hoarse voice. “The gods have no mercy left for murderers like you.”

“Feeble old man.”

Seraphina shivered at the sound of the monster’s voice. It was deep and somewhat echoey. One of the Achemen was talking to Sage Aurun.

“You wish us no mercy? I judge that as quite fair. We do not plan to be merciful either.”

No, no, no! Aurun, please! Use your sorcery! Get us out of here!

Sage Aurun had always been the most powerful practitioner of light magic Seraphina had ever known, but it seemed as if the loss of his Patron had left him crippled, at least for the time being.

Maybe I can heal him. If I just run back to him, maybe…

Suddenly, the princess heard a great number of footsteps; the kind made by soldiers with their armored boots. She felt another tinge of hope. Perhaps reinforcements had arrived, enough to drive out the monsters.

“Lord Remoth!” Aurun called out. “Thank Hylia. Please, dispose of these wicked monsters!”

Lord Remoth?

Seraphina remembered the scary man who sometimes visited the castle. He’d been at the summit, and he left with Sophitia and Lancel. Cautiously, she peeked out from behind the statue again. Sure enough, the tall, lordly-dressed man was walking down the nave, followed by a dozen or so soldiers.

The Achemen flew towards him, and for a moment, Sophitia feared to watch the battle that would ensue. However, none did. The Achemen simply stood at the end of the aisles, letting Lord Remoth and his soldiers pass.

What? What are they doing?

“Lord Remoth…?” Sage Aurun seemed to suspect something as well. He had managed to climb to his feet, but he was leaning against the altar unsteadily.

Lord Remoth did not respond. As he approached, he began to change shape. Seraphina had seen the Sheikah alter their appearance before, but this was different. There was no illusion being cast and no illusion being undone; his body was actually changing. Like and Acheman, his face became bat-like, his fingers grew long spindly, and a pair of leathery wings appeared from behind his cape. Seraphina covered her mouth and sank back, trying not to make any noise.

“You…” Aurun sounded as surprised as the princess was. “You cannot enter this sacred place,” he declared, righteous fury welling up in his voice. “None of you can!”

“Is that a fact?” Lord Remoth’s voice was as calm and as deep as it always was, but it now carried with it a different quality, speaking the same way the other Acheman had earlier. He stopped at the end of the nave, standing across from the sage. The monster looked around the room, then held out his hands, as if he was expecting something to happen. “How odd. It appears there is no one here who would prevent my admittance.”

“You monster ,” the sage spat out in disgust. “This is all your doing, isn’t it? The undead, the monster in the sky, Laemora -- how could you do this? You traitor !”

Lord Remoth took a few steps closer to the sage, glancing about the room once again. “Where is the princess?” he asked. “I know she is here.”

Seraphina slid fully behind the statue again, curling up into a ball in the hope that she could just disappear.

“She’s gone,” Aurun lied.

There was a pause. “Is this true?” Lord Remoth asked.

“No, Master,” one of the other Achemen replied. “Some of the civilians fled through the windows, but none were children.”

“I see.” Another pause. Some of the Achemen growled, and Seraphina heard the flapping of their wings. She shut her eyes tightly, worried they were searching for her now. Instead, she heard a thump and the sound of the sage groaning in pain. Worried about him, she risked a peek out from behind the statue. Two of the Achemen had shoved Aurun to his knees and were now holding him there.

“Tell me where she is,” Lord Remoth ordered him calmly. “Where is she hiding?”

“Why?” the sage asked. “Why are you doing this? She’s a child!”

Lord Remoth stared at him for a moment. “Do you know what the difference is between your kind and mine?” he asked.

“A soul,” Aurun said immediately.

“Education,” Lord Remoth corrected.

The sage looked confused. He clearly hadn’t expected that answer. “What?”

“Humans, Gorons, Zora, Rito -- what do you call yourselves? The Children of Nayru. Why is that?”

“Nayru gave us the light of civilization,” Aurun answered. “She taught us law, morality, society. She gave it to all of us freely. We accepted it, while you monsters rejected it, choosing instead to live your lives murdering and pillaging.”

Despite the sage’s insults, Lord Remoth remained patient, waiting for Aurun to finish before speaking. “Did we reject the teachings of Nayru? Or, perhaps, were we never offered them?”

Aurun scoffed. “What are you saying?”

“The gods play favorites, Sage. You know this better than most. Hylia chose your people, and Laemora chose you. Why would Nayru have been any different?”

“Do not waste your breath, beast. I will not hear this blasphemy in my temple,” Aurun said defiantly. “Whatever grievances you may have with the gods, I fail to see how that justifies killing children.”

“Ah, yes. The princess,” Lord Remoth said, holding out his arms. “Youngest child of House Hyrule. Our great rulers. The kings and queens of all the land. Tell me, O Wise Sage. In the centuries since Zelda the First founded this kingdom, have her descendants -- those with all the power in the world -- have they ever tried to bring ‘the light of civilization’ to monsterkind?”

“Of course not,” Aurun replied, taken aback. “Such an act would be futile. A monster cannot be taught civility any more than a horse can be taught to read.”

Lord Remoth took a step closer to Aurun and knelt down, talking face to face. “There. That ,” he said, pointing to the sage, “is exactly what I aim to eliminate.”

Aurun looked confused. “What do you want, beast?”

“What I want is a world where my daughter won’t be burnt at the stake when people realize what she is!”

That was the first time Seraphina had ever heard Lord Remoth raise his voice. Even the other monsters in the room cowered in fear until he took a moment to compose himself again.

“Yes. We monsters murder, loot, pillage, devour, and destroy,” he said, gesturing to the carnage all around them. “But not for long. I will show them all a better way. Your way. They will be like you. They will live alongside you, as my kind have. But that cannot happen while those who cannot hide their true forms are barred from your cities, driven into the wild, and forced into the Outer Continent. No, if there is ever to be true peace in Hyrule, the old ways of the Royal Family must be eliminated.”

Sage Aurun shook his head. “You are mad.”

Lord Remoth sighed. “A pity, but not unexpected. I can only hope the princess will be more open-minded than you.” He held out his hand to the side. One of his soldiers stepped out of line and approached him, handing him a rather large, dark iron spear.

“You will never live to see this new world of yours,” Aurun declared defiantly.

“Perhaps not,” Lord Remoth agreed. “It’s a shame you will not live to find out.” The lord raised his spear above Aurun’s head. Not wanting to watch, Seraphina covered her eyes behind the statue. She flinched when she heard the sound of the sage being impaled. Tears spilled from her eyes once again as she cried in silence.

This is not happening… Please, Hylia, help me!

The princess opened her eyes to find the redness in the air fading. The Blood Moon had ended.

“It appears it is over,” Lord Remoth remarked. “I must go. You, search the entire temple,” he ordered. “Find her.”

“Yes, Master,” several monstrous voices agreed at once, followed by the sound of many footsteps. Lord Remoth must have left with some of his troops, but now the rest of them and the Achemen would be searching for her.

I need to get out of here.

Peeking out from behind the statue, Seraphina looked for a way out. She could see six Achemen and six Hylian soldiers walking up and down the pews, looking under every seat, knocking over every statue, and turning over every corpse. The way they were spread out, it would be hard to make it to any of the exits without being seen.

The closest Acheman lifted the body of a dead cleric and took a bite out of his neck. Seraphina could not stop herself from gasping in horror at the sight. The monster turned its head in her direction, and she ducked behind the statue, covering her mouth with her hand. She heard a sound like the monster was sniffing the air, and then she heard footsteps approaching her.

What do I do? What do I do? Please! Jeanne, Victorique, someone! Please, help me!

She considered just giving herself up. It had been hard to tell, but it sounded as though Lord Remoth had wanted to take her alive. Perhaps he thought she could help him with his plan to make people and monsters get along, or whatever he was talking about. She didn’t understand it at all, but maybe he wasn’t completely soulless.

As the footsteps got closer and closer, she braced herself, ready to stand up and say ‘ Wait! Don’t hurt me! I give up! ’ But before she could, she heard a familiar sound. Around the side of the statue, she could see a burst of smoke, just like the ones the assassins had appeared from in her father’s study. A moment later, she heard the approaching Acheman wail in pain. Seraphina gasped in horror as dark red blood splattered onto the wall next to the statue.

“What the hell was that?”

“Gods, what happened?”

“Over there!”

The Hylians in the temple began shouting, and the other Achemen roared in rage. Seraphina curled up in a ball, knowing that their attention had been drawn to her spot. They’d all be coming for her now, and what would happen if they blamed her for what had just happened to their friend?

Help me, help me, please, someone help me…

She heard another sound like a smoke bomb going off, followed by the screams of someone else being killed. The others in the room were hit with another wave of confusion.

“Huh?”

“Who’s there?”

“Are there more of them?”

“Watch out!”

The mysterious attacker was appearing and disappearing in the smoke, killing the Hylians and the monsters searching for her one after another. Seraphina had no idea what to make of it.

Are they one of the people who attacked Father? Are they rescuing me? Or do they plan to kill me after killing everyone else?

Trembling with fear, Seraphina decided to peek out from behind the statue one last time. The scenario was much as she’d imagined. The Achemen, having apparently been targeted first, all lay dead in pools of their own blood. The Hylian searchers clutched their weapons, frantically glancing about in an effort to find their opponent.

“Where are you?”

“Come out where I can see you!”

“We gotta get out of here!” One of them turned and ran for the exit, but his path was soon blocked. Another puff of smoke erupted, and an arm reached out, slicing the man’s throat with a knife. Seraphina, now frozen in fear, was unable to look away as the rest of Lord Remoth’s remaining men soon met the same fate.

When it was over, the smoke cleared. Everyone in the room but her was dead, and the mysterious attacker was nowhere to be found.

Is it over? Am I safe?

Slowly, she crept out from her hiding place, taking a few tentative steps toward Sage Aurun’s body. She knew he must be dead, but hoping against hope, she wanted to try to heal him. But, before she reached him, an obscuring cloud of smoke appeared to block her view.

Seraphina shrieked in terror as a man stepped out of the smoke, reaching for her. “No! Please!” she shouted. He grabbed her by the neck, preventing her from screaming further, then pulled her into the smoke.


For a brief moment, the princess could see nothing. She felt a strange sensation, like she was moving without moving. Then, the grip around her neck loosened. When the smoke died down, she found herself outside the city, some distance from the outer wall. The mouth of the river that fed into Hyrule Castle’s moat was to the north. The Light Temple must have been just on the other side of the wall. Now that the Blood Moon had ceased, the night sky was dark once again, illuminated only by the light of the full moon.

Next to her, the man who had grabbed her was on his knees, coughing. She could see he was a Sheikah, given his white hair, although it was streaked with an ashen gray. He was dressed like a ninja, wearing an outfit similar to those worn by the agents who worked for the Grand Watcher. The princess stared at him for a moment. He’d killed her pursuers, gotten her out of the place where she’d been in danger, and hadn’t harmed her.

Perhaps he truly was there to save me.

She still didn’t know what to think, but she silently gave a prayer of thanks to the gods who had sent this man to her. “Are you alright?” she asked him.

The ashen-haired Sheikah finished coughing and stood up, pulling the cloth covering back over his mouth. He shook his head, then grabbed her again, by the arm this time. Another cloud of smoke surrounded them, and Seraphina felt that strange sensation again. When the smoke disappeared, they were on the road this time, having moved further east, closer to the Hylia River. The Sheikah man collapsed once more, coughing into his hand. The princess saw blood this time, and she gasped.

“Sir!” she shouted in concern. “You must stop!”

“We can’t,” he replied in between coughs, shaking his head. “Not safe. Need to get further from the city.” He stood up and grabbed her arm again.

“No, wait!” The princess voiced her complaint, knowing what could happen if the man continued to overuse his magic in his condition, but he ignored her. They were soon enveloped in smoke once more.

They appeared by the bank of the river this time.

“Sir! Stop, please!”

The Sheikah fell to the ground, blood dripping from his mouth and hand. He wasn’t moving. Seraphina was about to say something, but she heard noises coming from the darkness. Looking up, she realized in horror that the field was swarming with Stalfos, wandering aimlessly through the darkness. She could see dozens of them from where she was standing. The Blood Moon may have ended, but the monsters it revived hadn’t been put back in the ground yet. She and the man who had rescued her were in danger.

None of the Stalfos seemed to have noticed them yet, so she knelt down beside the ashen-haired Sheikah and rolled him onto his back. She gasped when she realized he was suffering from more than magic overuse. He had claw marks across his torso and arm, and what must have been a spear wound in his side. “Hylia…” she said under her breath. She began to heal him, keeping her back to the monsters in hopes of blocking the light she produced with her spell.

Live. Live. You must live.

The Sheikah man’s wounds slowly faded, although Seraphina was sure she’d be unable to remove the scarring from some of them. After what felt like an eternity, the ninja stirred, groaning in discomfort and lifting his head. “Shh!” Seraphina shushed him. “We need to go,” she whispered. “Please. This way.”

“Shut up, you--” Sitting up, the Sheikah noticed what she was talking about. He’d managed to fight against impressive odds before, but this many monsters would clearly be too much for him, especially in his current condition.

“Come on.” The princess grabbed him by the arm. He managed to stand, and together, they hobbled their way to the river. Getting to the edge, they slid down an incline to the sandy riverbank, out of sight of the monsters. The Sheikah ninja stumbled and dropped to the ground, lying against the incline.

“They won’t find us down here,” Seraphina said, trying to be optimistic. “I can finish healing you.” Kneeling beside him again, her hands lit up as she called upon her magic.

“Stop!” The Sheikah man slapped Seraphina’s hands away.

The princess was taken aback by his outburst. “I can help you,” she insisted.

“Shut up .” The ashen-haired Sheikah stood up and brushed himself off, looking around as if to get a sense of his surroundings. “This way,” he said, continuing down the riverbank to the southeast.

“What?” Seraphina was confused. “But the castle is that way,” she said, pointing the other way along the shore. The north route would take them to the moat. There might have been a way to get back to the castle safely from there, now that the Blood Moon was over.

The Sheikah man groaned in anger. “Are princesses supposed to be this stupid?” He stepped back and grabbed her by the wrist, pulling her along with him.

“Hey! Wait!” she complained, but her words fell on deaf ears.

They trudged along the riverbank through the dark of night for several minutes. Seraphina was scared, tired, and absolutely bewildered by the attitude of the man who she thought had saved her. He wasn’t friendly, and he didn’t seem particularly happy to have helped her. As with everything else that had happened over the course of the night, she was at a complete loss.

“Who are you?” she finally managed to ask as they approached the underside of Orsedd Bridge.

“Sheik,” the man answered. He was no longer holding her wrist, so he was walking a few paces in front of her while she tried her best to keep up.

Sheik had been the name every one of the Sheikah watchers had given her whenever Seraphina had tried to ask their names when she was younger. At first, she’d been confused about why they all shared the same name, thinking perhaps they were siblings, just like she and her sisters were all called Zelda. She’d later learned that it was the name all Sheikah gave others when they wished to remain anonymous.

“Did the Grand Watcher send you to save me?” the princess asked, assuming Sheik must be another watcher.

“I didn’t save you,” Sheik replied.

“What?” Another answer that made no sense. “Yes, you did.”

Sheik stopped and turned around. “No, I didn’t.” Reaching to his side, he pulled a knife from his belt and stepped towards her.

Seraphina was horrified. “Wait! Don’t!” she shouted. As she backed away, she tripped, falling to the ground.

Why? Why would he hurt me now, after he saved me?

“Hold still,” Sheik growled, kneeling down and grabbing hold of her head.

The princess closed her eyes as he brought the knife towards her, expecting to feel its sting any moment. Instead, she felt it slicing through her hair. Her heart was beating so loud she could hear it, but she opened her eyes. Sheik’s red eyes and cloth-covered face were staring back at her, but he was not attacking her; he was simply cutting her hair.

“W-What?” she asked, her voice trembling.

“Princess Seraphina is dead,” Sheik declared. After shortening her hair to shoulder-length, he roughly ran his hands through her hair, then pressed his hand over her face for a moment. “I’m Sheik,” he reiterated. Grabbing her by the back of the neck, he bent her over the river and forced her to look into the water. “And so are you.”

With the light of the full moon hitting the river, the princess was able to see her reflection in the water. However, she did not see herself. A complete stranger was looking back at her. Her hair was not only shorter, it was white. Her eyes had turned red, and even her face appeared slightly different in subtle ways.

Ahh !” Seraphina shrieked, pushing back against Sheik and falling away from the river. “What did you do? What did you do?”

“It’s an illusion, kusogaki !” Sheik shouted. He tore off his face covering and tossed it into the river, then ran his hands over his face and through his own hair. While he remained a Sheikah, his face changed slightly, and the distinctive gray streaks in his hair disappeared. “You’re not a princess anymore. You wanna live? You’re nobody . Get as far away from Hyrule Castle as possible, and stay away.”

“What? No! I can’t!” Seraphina pleaded, tears already streaming down her face. “I have to get back to my family!”

“Your father’s dead, kid,” Sheik told her. “So’s your uncle. Your siblings will be dead soon, too, if they’re not already. The entire Royal Family needs to die. If it’s not the wars or the monsters, it’ll just be one of us.”

“Us?” Seraphina asked.

He glared at her menacingly, but he did not answer.

“But, but, my friends! Back at home, I--”

“Remoth isn’t the only traitor,” Sheik interrupted. “Don’t you get it? You’re not safe here. Your ‘friends’ are the ones trying to kill you!”

“But what about Jeanne?”

“Who the fuck is John?”

Jeanne !” Seraphina repeated. “My caretaker. She was with me in the castle.”

Sheik narrowed his eyes. “She wasn’t a target,” he said. “But she’s probably dead, too.”

Seraphina didn’t know how to react to that. She stared at him, unmoving. Even though she was outside, she felt claustrophobic, like the world was closing in around her. “No,” she said, shaking her head as she sobbed. “Jeanne isn’t dead. She can’t be. I don’t believe it. I won’t.”

“Believe whatever you want.” Sheik turned away from her and began climbing up the slope, heading towards the bridge.

“Hey! Wait!” Seraphina stood up, stumbling over the sand as she followed him. She was finding it difficult to do anything. Her tears were making it hard to see, and her limbs felt heavy. Climbing the slope took longer for her than it did for Sheik. By the time she set foot on grass, he had already made it to the wooden bridge. “Wait!” she shouted again, running to catch up.

“What the hell are you doing?” Sheik asked, not breaking pace.

“I’m coming with you,” Seraphina asserted.

“Why?”

The princess sniffled, wiping away her tears as she tried to speak clearly. “You helped me, didn’t you? I don’t want to be alone right now.”

Sheik stopped. The look he gave her was menacing. He clearly did not want her to follow him. She didn’t understand why, but she didn’t care.

“Please,” Seraphina begged.

There was a long silence between them for a moment. The steady flow of the river beneath them and a brief howl of wind was all that could be heard, until the rattling of bones in the field behind the princess reminded them of the Stalfos wandering about. Sheik grunted, then kept walking. “Come on, Sheik,” he said to her, reminding Seraphina of her new name.

Despite everything else, the princess felt a tinge of relief, and moved to follow him.


Author’s note:

This chapter can be thought of as the end of “Book One” of this story. It’s not the exact halfway point because I plan for it to be 80 chapters in total, but I wrote everything up to this point before I finished my detailed plans for the rest of the story. Things will be a little bit different moving forward. More characters will get to be POV characters now and then, and the rotation through the three main POVs will be less regular from this point on. Now that the storylines are beginning to cross over more, it’s become more important to show things in chronological order as much as I can. I know I don’t have many regular readers, but I hope those of you who have made it this far are looking forward to reading the rest of the story!

 

Additional author's note (added 7/28/2023):

Sheik actually had a cameo in a much earlier chapter, but he received a proper introduction in this chapter. Laemora has been mentioned before, but she likewise did not appear in person until now.

Art Source

 

Art Source

Chapter 38: Sophitia XII

Chapter Text

It was a relief to see that the sun had risen when Sophitia awoke. That meant the Blood Moon was over. She knew it would be, even if the sun wasn’t up. The Blood Moon had already ended shortly before she fell asleep, but in her paranoid mind, it could’ve come back at any moment.

Their travels over the previous few days had progressed at a slower pace than anticipated, and as a result, they’d still been outside when the Blood Moon began. Even on the icy slopes of the Hebra Mountains, there were bones to be resurrected as terrible Stalcreatures, and they’d had to fight their way to the gates of Snowpeak Palace.

What was more surprising to Sophitia was that she’d awoken before Liliana. That almost never happened, but as the princess sat up against the elegantly carved backboard of the queen-sized bed she’d been given for the night, there Liliana was, sleeping soundly beside her. They did not always share a bed. Back at Hyrule Castle, Liliana had her own bedchambers in Sophitia’s tower. However, last night, Sophitia had been so shaken by the Blood Moon that she didn’t want to be alone.

“Liliana,” Sophitia said, putting her hand on the other girl’s shoulder to gently shake her awake.

The round-eared girl groaned lightly as her eyes slowly opened, looking at the one who roused her with annoyance.

Sophitia withdrew her hand. “My apologies,” she said.

Liliana took another moment to fully awaken. “None necessary, Princess,” she said, climbing out of bed. “Allow me to fetch you something warm to wear.”

The princess crossed her arms over her chest and rubbed her shoulders, noticing the chill as soon as Liliana mentioned it. Her bed had been exceedingly warm given the number of heavy blankets piled over her last night, but it was perpetually winter in Snowpeak. She would need something warmer than her nightgown to deal with it once she was up and about.

As Sophitia climbed out of bed, Liliana returned with her clothing, including a lovely white fur doublet for her to wear.

“How do you plan to proceed with Koridai’s subordinates today, Princess?” Liliana asked as she helped Sophitia dress.

The princess and her retinue had met with the stewards of Snowpeak Palace the night before, but given the chaos of the Blood Moon, they hadn’t had time to discuss the reason for Sophitia’s visit. All they’d learned about the current situation in Snowpeak was that, a few days prior to their arrival, the late governor’s wife had opted to leave the palace to spend time with her remaining family after receiving the news of her husband’s death, leaving Hebra without an official acting governor.

“We shall gather all of the late governor’s advisor’s immediately,” Sophitia decided. “There is only a small window of time left before the province falls into total war. If we are to proceed diplomatically, we cannot delay for even a moment.”

“Very well, Princess.”

While Liliana proceeded to dress herself next, Sophitia took a moment to quickly jot down some notes in her ledger. Then, once they were suitably prepared for the day, they set out.

Stepping into the hall, Sophitia was immediately greeted by two of her guards saluting her. “Good morning, gentlemen,” the princess greeted them. “Would you be so kind as to gather all available House Koridai advisors in the council room for me, please?”

“At once, your highness.”

“What shall we tell them?”

“Just tell them their princess seeks their counsel on the matter of the unrest in the province.”

“Very well, Princess.”

After sending her guards off to do their task, Sophitia and Liliana made their way through the governor’s palace, heading for the council chamber.

Sophitia enjoyed the feel of Snowpeak Palace. Despite the cold, it was the kind of place she could spend a holiday in the mountains. The decor was finely crafted, the artwork in the hallways was regal and well-made, and it seemed as though every few feet revealed a cozy little nook with a fireplace and several well-stocked bookcases, ideal for spending the day reading while sipping a nice cup of tea.

This place is much more welcoming than Midoro Palace.

However, she was not on holiday. She would find time for herself eventually, but for now, she had to keep her goal in mind.

The fate of the province -- and my chance at the throne -- is at stake.

Snowpeak’s council chamber was essentially a dining room. The room was long and thin, with an elongated table stretching across most of it. One wall consisted of various paintings of winter landscapes, the Golden Goddesses, and Koridai family ancestors. A row of audience chairs lined that wall as well. The opposite wall had many windows overlooking a splendid view of the mountainside and the city below.

At the end of the long table sat a chair that was larger and more elaborately decorated than the others. Sophitia smiled to herself and approached the chair. “This place is lovely, wouldn’t you agree, Liliana?” she asked as she pulled the chair out and sat down.

Liliana stood by the window, gazing outside. “Yes, it’s quite nice,” she agreed. “How do you think the city fared during the Blood Moon?”

“I shall ask during the meeting,” the princess replied. “But I imagine they managed just fine. Cities are the safest places to be during a Blood Moon, and the astromancers predicted this one years ago.”

“My father used to take me and my family out to sea during the Blood Moon,” Liliana said, stepping away from the window. “There’s no undead in the water aside from Stalfish, and they’re no danger to anyone so long as you stay in the boat.”

“Your father is a clever man,” Sophitia complimented. “I can see where you get it from.”

Liliana nodded. “Clever enough.”

“When she was little, I would take Seraphina into the innermost chambers of the castle during the Blood Moon,” Sophitia said, smiling pleasantly at the memory. “I would have the servants fill the room with pillows and her favorite treats, and we would spend the whole night without having to see even a glimpse of that blood red sky.”

While Sophitia was reminiscing, Liliana seemed to take notice of the princess’s choice of seating. “Nice chair,” she commented plainly.

Sophitia smiled. “It’s gaudy, I know, but I thought it fitting,” she said. “Do I look like I belong at the head of the table?”

“You do, Princess,” Liliana agreed. “There’s a white fox sigil above your head, though. Are you going to have it changed to your own family crest?”

Sophitia leaned forward and turned her head. She’d noticed the symbol on the back of the chair earlier. The snowcoat fox was the symbol of House Koridai, and its imagery was present throughout the palace. However, thinking about it now made her realize something. “You know, perhaps I should sit somewhere else for today,” she said, standing up. “I do not wish to disrespect the late governor in front of his subordinates.”

“It is only a chair, your highness.”

“Still.” The princess grabbed the chair and dragged it off to the side, away from the table.

Liliana shrugged, but she grabbed the next closest chair and pulled it over to where Koridai’s chair had been at the head of the table.

“Thank you, Liliana,” Sophitia said, taking her new seat. It didn’t feel nearly as royal, but sitting at the head of the table came with an air of importance she would enjoy either way. “I would like you by my side while I discuss matters with the stewards once they get here,” the princess said to Liliana. “You are my right hand, after all.”

“Of course, Princess,” Liliana agreed. “We could have some of your soldiers line up behind you as well if you like.”

“What good would that do?”

“It would make you more intimidating.”

Sophitia laughed good-naturedly. “I have no need for intimidation tactics. After all, we will be discussing how best to negotiate peacefully.”

“If you say so.”


Not long later, the council chamber’s door opened on the far side of the room. Sophitia immediately stiffened her posture, trying to appear elegant for the newcomer. “Ah, good morning, Arbiter Ponthos.”

“Good day, Princess.”

Ponthos was a distinguished-looking Hylian man in his late fifties. Sophitia had met him briefly the previous night. He hadn’t been particularly friendly, nor had he been rude. Sophitia thought he came across as overly business-oriented. She considered that a good thing, though. It meant she could work with him. As an arbiter, he had served as Governor Koridai’s advisor on legal matters.

Also joining Arbiter Ponthos was a younger Hylian man carrying a tablet with some parchment attached to it.

“I hope you don’t mind if my assistant takes the minutes for this meeting,” Ponthos said, moving right past the pleasantries.

“Not at all. That would be most helpful,” Sophitia said with a nod.

Ponthos and his assistant nodded as well. The arbiter took a seat a few chairs down on Sophitia’s left, while his assistant sat in an audience chair against the wall and readied his quill.

The next to enter was a middle-aged, blonde Hylian woman dressed in the white robes of a priestess, accompanied by her own retinue of similarly-dressed followers.

“Ah, welcome, Your Excellency,” Sophitia greeted the woman.

“Blessings to you, daughter of Hylia,” the bishop replied, forming the Triforce symbol with her hands. “I am honored to accept your invitation.”

The blonde woman’s name was Varke. She was the Bishop of Snowpeak, and she had been the first to properly greet Sophitia when she’d arrived the previous night. As a devout follower of Hylia, Varke automatically held Sophitia in high regard due to her divine ancestry.

Good. At least it will not be terribly difficult to obtain her support.

“Please, join us,” Sophitia insisted, gesturing to the many open seats at the table.

Over the next few minutes, as Sophitia’s invitation spread throughout the palace, several more of the late governor’s advisors entered the council chambers. However, there was one in particular that the princess was waiting for.

“Ah, Lord Nobiro, I’m so glad you could join us.”

Nobiro was a well-dressed, dark-haired Hylian man. He looked younger than Arbiter Ponthos, perhaps in his late thirties. Like all the others, Sophitia knew very little about him at this point, but he had apparently been Governor Koridai’s chief advisor. Since Sophitia was currently looking to appoint a new acting governor, Lord Nobiro’s experience made him the ideal candidate, even if the position would be temporary.

“My thanks, your highness,” Lord Nobiro replied, joining the others at the table while his attendants took their seats along the wall.

With everyone of significance having arrived, Sophitia decided it was time to begin. “Thank you all for coming on such short notice,” she said, gesturing across the table to all those in attendance. “And I wish to thank you once again for your hospitality, and for keeping me and my people safe during last night’s Blood Moon.”

“The pleasure is ours, Princess,” Arbiter Ponthos replied.

“We were simply doing our duty,” Varke concurred.

“Of course.” Sophitia nodded. “Now, if I may, I would like to speak with you all about the reason I’ve gathered you here this morning,” she went on. “As I’m sure you’ve read in my letter, the situation with the Rito has grown dire. Governor Danton Koridai has unfortunately passed away. He was killed by the Rito in retaliation for the death of High Chief Kanelo, who was murdered by an unidentified assailant. Nonetheless, Chief Revalco and his followers have turned against us and taken control of the City in the Sky. If he manages to secure the loyalty of the Chieftains’ Council, we may have a full rebellion on our hands very soon.”

Despite the fact that this was not news to them, many at the table began murmuring in response to Sophitia’s words.

“What are we to do, your highness?” Lord Nobiro asked.

“My brother is working with the Sage of Wind and the Grand Artisan. He plans to return to Skyloft and take it back from the separatists before they do any real damage with it,” Sophitia explained. “Our job is to contact the Chieftains’ Council and negotiate with them. We must ensure they do not side with Chief Revalco. It is the only way to avoid war.”

“Ordinarily, it would fall to the governor to lead such negotiations,” Arbiter Ponthos pointed out. “However, due to recent events…”

“Indeed. A new governor must be appointed,” Sophitia said. The next words out of her mouth were going to be either a question to the council about who they would suggest or her own suggestion of Lord Nobiro. However, before she said anything, she had a thought.

Why not me?

Before she’d realized she had a legitimate chance to become queen, Sophitia had thought the highest position she could aspire to was the governor of one of the provinces, or something of that level. She’d studied the position to learn its duties and functions, and she believed she would be fully capable of performing them.

What better way to show them all I am fit to lead this kingdom?

“Given my familiarity with the crisis at hand, and due to my favorable standing with the Sage of Wind and the current Chieftains’ Council, I believe it would be best if I were to temporarily take on the role of governor,” Sophitia said, effectively appointing herself. “At least until the situation has been resolved.”

“A splendid idea, Princess Zelda,” Varke said, nodding her head. “I can think of none better.”

Some of the others around the table nodded their heads as well, but others looked less convinced. Princess or not, Sophitia was a sixteen-year-old, and she was suggesting herself over Lord Nobiro and all the other more experienced candidates. Sophitia felt herself becoming nervous.

I hope I didn’t step on too many toes just now. Perhaps I should simply move on. No one will question it once it’s already been decided.

That didn’t sit right with her, however. Additionally, she did not wish to make herself appear any more presumptuous than she already had. “Lord Nobiro, Arbiter Ponthos, do you find this acceptable? I shall be counting on you for your guiding wisdom, after all.”

Arbiter Ponthos nodded. “I have no objections, Princess,” he said. He was a man of law, and as a princess of the Royal Family, Sophitia certainly had the power to appoint herself if she wished.

“Nor do I,” Lord Nobiro replied, although his face and tone seemed to imply he was agreeing slightly more grudgingly than his counterpart.

“Splendid. I look forward to working with you all. Let us give everything we have for the betterment of our great kingdom.”


“Was this always your plan?” Liliana asked from behind Sophitia.

The princess sat at the desk in her quarters, running her quill across a piece of parchment. “Appointing myself governor, you mean?” she asked for clarification.

“No, I mean your hair.”

Sophitia furrowed her brow, turning to face the other girl.

“That was a joke, Princess.”

“It’s not easy to tell with you, you know.”

“That’s part of my charm.”

Sophitia chuckled, then turned back to her work. “Truth be told, this wasn’t my plan,” she admitted. “But, I saw an opportunity, and I took it. I believe this is even better than my original plan, actually. If I can be governor, then surely I can be queen.”

“I see,” Liliana said. “It is unlike you to make such spur-of-the-moment decisions. This is more like something Prince Lancel would do.”

Sophitia took a moment to think about that. Her decision had indeed been rather sudden, perhaps even impulsive, almost to the point of irresponsibility. She could have angered several high-ranking Hebran lords, after all. “This doesn’t change anything, really,” she rationalized. “The only difference is that I’ll be the one to negotiate with the Rito directly, rather than letting Lord Nobiro do it while I tell him what to say. The end result is the same. I just happen to have a new title.”

“Shall I refer to you as ‘Governor Sophitia’ from now on, then?”

Sophitia put her hand to her chin. “Hm. That actually sounds like a step down from ‘Princess,’ does it not?”

“Such vanity for one with divine blood.”

“Oh, hush.” The princess offhandedly waved off Liliana as she continued to write.

For the next hour or so, Sophitia went through several drafts of the letter she planned to send to the Rito Chieftains’ Council. She wanted to make several things perfectly clear. That included reiterating what she’d said in her previous letter, which was that High Chief Kanelo’s death was not due to the will of the Kingdom of Hyrule, but rather that of one man who acted alone. She also wished to urge them not to follow Chief Revalco’s example, and to instead elect a new high chieftain with whom she could sit down and discuss future plans for the province.

“Would it be better if I specifically stated we have no plans for military action?” Sophitia asked, thinking aloud. “Or would that come off as suspiciously specific denial? Yes, best to say nothing of it. They must be made to see diplomacy as the only option on the table.”

“Might I ask a question, Princess?” Liliana asked.

Sophitia put down her quill and turned around in her chair. “Of course, Liliana. What is it?”

“If you do succeed in getting the new high chieftain to sit down with you, what do you plan to do if they still wish to withdraw from the kingdom?”

Sophitia blinked. Of course, she knew such a thing was possible, perhaps even likely. However, her efforts so far had been focused on ensuring things proceeded peacefully rather than violently. Her underlying assumption was that she could make everything else work so long as she could succeed in that respect first. “I will be able to convince them otherwise,” Sophitia declared. “If they are calm and rational enough to talk rather than fight, then of course they would be able to see reason.”

“And what if that isn’t what they would consider reasonable?”

“Nonsense.” Sophitia shook her head. “The Kingdom of Hyrule brings civilization and prosperity to everywhere it reaches. If you were chosen to lead the Ordona Province, would you elect to secede from the kingdom?”

“Absolutely not,” Liliana replied. “I see what Hyrule has done for Ordona, and for me. But I am not a Rito, and Hebra is not Ordona.”

“That should not make a difference.”

“And yet, it does.”

Sophitia shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She could imagine the scenario. She’d sit down across from the new high chieftain at that long table in the council chamber downstairs. She would thank them for seeing reason and turning away from Chief Revalco, and then she would lay down her suggestions for how to improve the state of the province moving forward. But then, the new high chieftain would say ‘ No. ’ It would not be an act of malice or insubordination. They would simply state their intentions to govern themselves, and request that Hyrule withdraw.

What would I do?

“I can’t simply let them leave,” Sophitia said. She was not speaking to Liliana. Instead, she was staring down at the hardwood floor, voicing her own internal monologue with considerable stress. “What would it do to the kingdom? The Rito run our postal service. How would we communicate across the land? One of the sages is in Hebra. What does that mean for the Nine Sages and their pact with the gods? The Rito tribes constantly infight without outside intervention. Would the tribes fall back into chaos and war? The Children of Nayru must be united if we are to stand against threats that are beyond us as individuals. What happens the next time a demon king rises?”

“Princess…”

“But if I refuse, what then? Shall I let Lord Remoth send forth his armies? I’m doing all of this to prevent war.! Why must I use force to get them to do what is best for them anyway? But I’m supposed to be the queen one day. How can I ever be queen if I don’t have the stomach for that sort of thing?”

“Sophitia!”

The princess jumped. She realized now that she had practically been shouting, and anybody outside her room may have heard her freaking out. “My apologies, Liliana,” she said, readjusting her clothing as she hurried to compose herself. “Um, well, if I might ask, what do you think I should do if such a situation were to arise?”

“I haven’t the slightest clue, Sophitia,” Liliana admitted plainly. “But I placed my trust in you long ago because I know you’ll do the right thing. Whatever happens, I’ll still be here to follow and support you.”

Sophitia nodded. “Thank you. I can only promise to do what I think is best for the kingdom.”


“This seems to be in order,” Sophitia said, placing the parchment on the small table set up in front of her throne. She dipped her quill in the inkwell and signed her name, allowing herself a small, self-satisfied smile. One of her servants bowed as he collected the signed paper, then left to deliver it.

Her first few days as acting governor of Hebra had gone more smoothly than she could’ve hoped. Owing in part to her own preparation, the princess was quite familiar with the current state of the province, both for the Rito as well as its Hylian residents. Combined with her management and organizational skills, she actually thought she’d done a rather good job of taking over Governor Koridai’s duties, especially with the aid of Koridai’s advisors.

“Princess Zelda,” Arbiter Ponthos spoke when it was his turn to approach the throne with his assistant in tow.

Sophitia smiled. She was not used to being addressed by her given name. It would get rather confusing if her sisters were present. However, when she was without them, it felt good to be referred to by the name of their kingdom’s founder. It felt like a sign of respect. “What news do you bring me, Arbiter?” Sophitia asked.

“There has been a rise in physical altercations in the city recently,” Ponthos replied. “The pressure of the conflict with the Rito seems to have the people on edge. I suggest we hire more guards for the city watch.”

“Very well,” Sophitia said. “I will see what is in the budget for a long-term solution. In the meantime, I can assign some of Lord Remoth’s troops to city watch duty.”

“Thank you, Princess.” Arbiter Ponthos nodded while his assistant jotted something down, then turned and left.

“How many of Lord Remoth’s soldiers do you still have?” Liliana asked, standing with her arms crossed to Sophitia’s right.

“Enough,” the princess replied vaguely, knowing she had already put many of them to work in other areas. “It is strange that Lord Remoth has not yet arrived with the rest of his army, however,” she noted. “I hope they have not run into trouble on the road from Midoro.”

“Given that the Blood Moon was only a few nights ago, monster troubles seem likely,” Liliana added.

“Yes, I suppose. I’ll send a few scouts to confirm. Although, at the moment, I suppose we are better off without the extra mouths to feed,” Sophitia mused. “Now, onto the next order of business.”

Another man approached Sophitia’s throne next, holding a rolled up scroll. The man had a serious and somber look on his face. Before saying anything, he got down on one knee and bowed. “Princess Zelda Sophitia Hyrule, it is with a heavy heart that I bring you dire news from the capital.”

Sophitia blinked. All around the audience chamber, people began murmuring nervously. The princess was worried as well. Any number of things could have happened in the capital, but she did not wish to jump to conclusions. “I see. Please tell me what news you bear, messenger,” she said, trying to remain level-headed and dignified in the face of bad news.

The man climbed to his feet, cleared his throat, and unfurled the scroll he was holding. “On the night of the Blood Moon, tragedy struck the City of Hyrule. The protective wardings on the city walls failed, and scores of newly risen undead flooded the city.”

With this first bit of the news, the audience chamber was abuzz with frantic conversation. Many of those in the room had family in the capital, and some feared the worst. Sophitia was among them. For a moment, she couldn’t think straight, but she fought through it long enough to raise her hand for silence.

The messenger continued when the noise died down. “Worse still, the sky opened up, and a horrific, headless demon emerged. The goddess Laemora appeared and did battle with the demon, but unfortunately, she fell.”

“What?” Sophitia could not stop herself from interrupting. Undead in the capital had been bad enough. The appearance of a demon had made it worse. But the death of a god?

This is far worse than I could have imagined.

The room quickly got noisy once again. Many of those in attendance were as shocked and horrified as Sophitia was. The more devout among them were distraught to the point of tears, lamenting the loss of their great protector.

“There is more, I’m afraid,” the messenger went on as Sophitia called for silence once again. “The city suffered many casualties that night. Chief among them being King Tychon Aldoranus Hyrule himself, as well as Aurun, the Sage of Light. The third princess, Zelda Seraphina Hyrule, was also in the capital during the Blood Moon, and she has not been seen since.”

Sophitia felt like her soul had left her body upon hearing this news. The sounds now filling the room faded into silence. Everything seemed like it was growing distant. The light disappeared around her. She was alone.

Father… little sister…

The world returned to her when she felt Liliana’s hand grab her by the arm. It was not done in a comforting way, but rather to pull her to her feet. Sophitia could not think clearly at the moment, so she merely obeyed the tugging on her arm, standing up from her throne.

“Lord Nobiro,” the round-eared girl said hurriedly. “Take things from here.”

“Um. Yes, dame,” the lord replied, stepping towards the throne to take Sophitia’s place.

Liliana pulled Sophitia along without another word, swiftly exiting the room and heading back towards the princess’s living quarters. Sophitia continued to let herself be pulled along, unable to process the situation beyond watching her surroundings change.

The next thing Sophitia knew, Liliana was slamming the door behind them and leading her over to the bed. “I… I need to…” The princess still was not thinking clearly. She became vaguely aware that abruptly leaving her court like that would be bad for her image. “I should be ruling, or--”

“Don’t worry about any of that,” Liliana told her. “Please, Sophitia. Have a seat on the bed.”

“Father…” she said, suddenly recalling a distant memory of the king smiling down at her. “Sister…”

“Sophitia? Sophie!”

The room was spinning. The princess felt a tremendous pressure pushing against her from all sides. Liliana’s voice became deep and distant. Before she knew what was happening, she fainted onto the bed, swiftly losing consciousness.


When the princess awoke, she was in bed with the blankets covering her. For a brief moment, she almost thought the horrible news she’d received had been nothing more than a dream, but she knew better.

She didn’t cry, however. She wanted to. This was the kind of news she could cry about and almost nobody would judge her harshly for it. But for some reason, she didn’t. She just felt that horrible weight pressing down on her. So many horrible things had happened during the Blood Moon, and hearing about it all at once had been too much to comprehend.

The princess pulled the blankets off of her and sat up in bed.

“Sophitia?”

Unsurprisingly, she found Liliana sitting in a chair beside her, keeping watch over her. Sophitia merely looked at her retainer, not knowing what to say.

“Are you well?” Liliana asked.

Sophitia shook her head. She was not going to lie or pretend she was alright, but she still couldn’t think of anything else to do.

“I understand,” Liliana replied, speaking in a soft voice. “Is there anything you need?”

The princess thought for a moment. “Who is seeing to my meetings?” she asked, remembering she had abandoned her post in the middle of her duties.

“Lord Nobiro and your other advisors are handling everything,” Liliana said. “Forget all of that for now.”

“I’m the governor,” Sophitia said, trying to say she should be the one out there doing her job. “I guess I won’t be queen, however,” she added. She hung her head in shame the moment she said it. That was the last thing she should have been thinking under the circumstances, but she couldn’t help it.

Victorique will be queen now. All of this was for naught.

Liliana shifted in her seat, fiddling with the handle of her sword uncomfortably. “You will be beloved wherever you may rule, Princess.”

Sophitia said nothing for a while. Their talk of rulers had gotten her thinking of her father again. “Father wasn’t beloved,” she said.

“Sophitia?”

“Not by the people, anyway. Mostly,” she said. “But we loved him. My siblings and I. And my mother. I have no idea if he loved us, but we loved him.”

“Of course he loved you,” Liliana tried to assure her.

“I wonder if I would have been the kind of ruler he was,” Sophitia went on, barely registering what Liliana was saying. “He was good at what he did, I think. I wanted to be like him. But he wasn’t beloved. I would want to be loved, if I were queen. Could I have been both?”

“Sophie…”

“I wager Victorique will be both. Everyone always loved her. She’s perfect. She’ll be a great queen. Even the people will see it. My brothers and I will just have to support her. If only Seraphina…”

“Seraphina may yet live,” Liliana reminded her. “She is merely reported missing. She probably fled the city when the undead came in.”

“Yes, I suppose that’s true,” Sophitia said, but she wouldn’t look at Liliana as she said it. She did not truly believe it. She could not bring herself to be optimistic.

Neither of them said anything for a while. Out of the corner of her eye, Sophitia saw Liliana stand up out of her chair. Moving slowly, she stepped closer to the bed and leaned over. Sophitia felt the other girl’s arms wrap around her, pulling her into a comforting hug.

“Queen or otherwise, I’ll be here for you,” Liliana told her.

She still did not cry, but the princess teared up for a moment. “Thank you, Liliana.”

Chapter 39: Harun XII

Chapter Text

Taking Yarna had ended up being significantly easier than anticipated. Knowing Princess Zelda’s reputation as an accomplished military leader, brilliant tactician, and powerful mage, the Gerudo had gone into the battle expecting the fight of their lives. However, within hours, the city had fallen, and the keep that served as its lord’s seat of power had been claimed by Queen Urballa.

As it turned out, Princess Zelda and her forces had not been there at all. For whatever reason, the princess and her armies had continued north over the Digdogg Suspension Bridge. By the time the Gerudo had arrived in Yarna, Zelda had left Gerudo territory completely. As a result, the Gerudo army had been pitted against only the Yarna city guard under the command of the local lord. Without number superiority or the guidance of the princess, the Hylian forces hadn’t stood a chance.

Harun found this all to be good news. An easier battle with less participants meant a shorter battle with less casualties on both sides. And with Princess Zelda absent, there was no major Hyrulean leadership left in the entire Gerudo Kingdom. For all intents and purposes, it would appear as though they had won. The entire ordeal had ended shortly after it had started. Surely the gods had smiled upon them for once.

While his injuries were mostly healed, Harun hadn’t moved around very much the day after the battle. He’d spent the next night in well-furnished bedchambers within Yarna Keep. Only a small section of the city’s walls had been destroyed in the siege, so beyond a little extra defense required at that section, the walls had held up perfectly well throughout the Blood Moon. When the sun rose on the morning of the following day, the undead horrors that had arisen during the night retreated beneath the earth’s surface, and all was calm once again.

“You’re looking a lot better,” Kyra said, leaning against the balcony railing beside Harun. “Not that you ever look bad, mind you.”

“Kyra…” Emri said, as if uncomfortable with the other girl’s words. She stood several paces away from the railing, perhaps afraid of heights.

“I am feeling better,” Harun confirmed, ignoring the rest of what she’d said. He lifted his previously wounded leg and stomped on the ground a few times to demonstrate. “The healers did good work with me.” Placing his arms on the railing, he leaned against them and looked over the horizon, smiling lightly to himself.

“We have accomplished so much in so little time, your highness,” Laine said, standing dutifully by the doorway that led inside the keep. “I only wish we could have taken part in the glorious battle to reclaim this city.”

“Pay it no mind,” Harun told her. “I’m just glad it’s all over. We can return home now.”

And perhaps the Sage of Spirit can provide more help towards managing this curse.

Since he was dwelling on the positives at the moment, Harun did not wish to think too much about the curse or the spirit of Ganon. While the conflict with the Hylians had been resolved, he still had problems to deal with. The Sage of Light had previously indicated that the Royal Family of Hyrule may have had a way to rid him of the curse, but that ship seemed to have sailed with both the sage and the princess leaving Gerudo. Nevertheless, it may still be possible for Sage Nashorla and him to work together to find some alternative.

“I love a happy ending,” Emri said cheerfully.

“We’re heroes,” Kyra said, bouncing playfully against the stone railing. “Heroes always get a happy ending.”

“You and I have read very different stories, Kyra,” Laine replied. Before their conversation could continue, they heard footsteps approaching. Laine placed herself in front of the doorway, planting her spear firmly in the ground. After a moment, a Gerudo servant appeared from inside the keep. “State your business,” Laine said firmly.

“It’s alright, Laine,” Harun said, waving her off. “What is it?” he asked the servant girl.

“My apologies for interrupting, your highness,” the girl said, “but the queen would like you to join her in the throne room.”

“Very well,” Harun replied.

The servant bowed and went back inside.

“Ugh. Sounds like another meeting,” Kyra said, throwing her head back dramatically as she whined. “We’ve just freed our kingdom. We should be celebrating, not wasting our time with pointless chatter.”

“Perhaps the queen wishes to plan the celebration now,” Emri suggested. “Um, would you like us to escort you, Prince Harun?” she asked, twisting her hands around the shaft of her spear.

“Certainly,” Harun replied, gesturing to all three of them. “Please, join me.”

It was only a short walk to Yarna Keep’s throne room. When Harun arrived, much of Queen Urballa’s court had already arrived. Elder Kobami and her other advisors were there, along with some priestesses, military lieutenants, and various others who’d been accompanying them since Naboris.

The queen herself sat on a modest throne, made for local lordship rather than royalty. Urballa did not seem to mind. After all, they would likely be leaving soon, and she would be able to return to her true throne in Taafei, or in Naboris. As there was little room for others on the dais aside from the queen and some of her guards, Harun simply joined those who had assembled in the gallery.

“Thank you all for coming,” the queen spoke a few minutes later. “In the wake of the tragedy, we have all come together to accomplish something great. For the first time in centuries, Hyrule has been expelled from Gerudo lands, and we are free to govern ourselves fully once again.”

A cheer went up from the crowd. Harun did not join in, and not because he necessarily took issue with it. He was merely exhausted with the whole conflict and would rather just put it all behind him.

“However, we are not to get complacent,” Urballa continued. “Our campaign does not end here. To strike while the iron is hot, we must continue northward, beginning tomorrow at dawn.”

Harun perked up at that statement.

What?

“My queen, what of--?”

“Excuse me.” Harun interrupted before one of the queen’s advisors could finish her thought. “My queen… might I ask why we must continue northward?”

“Princess Zelda may have left Gerudo,” Elder Kobami began, answering for Urballa from the gallery to Harun’s left. “However, she and her forces remain on our doorstep. They have set up camp in the Hyrulean Coliseum, just on the other side of the Digdogg Suspension Bridge.”

“And?” Harun asked. “Let them stay there. That is their territory, this is ours. I see no reason to prolong this conflict.”

We are done. Just let us be done!

We are not yet done. The enemy still stands, the voice of Ganon disagreed.

Silence, demon.

“I understand your desire to cease fighting, Harun,” Urballa replied politely yet firmly. “However, we cannot simply declare ourselves the victors and expect the Hyruleans to accept it. The fact that Princess Zelda abandoned Yarna is proof enough that this was not meant to be their final act of resistance. The Hyruleans clearly intend to amass their forces at the Coliseum until they are prepared for a counterattack.”

“But if we strike now, we can disrupt their forces before they are prepared,” Elder Kobami continued for her. “We can take the Coliseum for ourselves and make it our own first line of defense against incursion into our territory. Perhaps we can even capture Princess Zelda. The king would surely sign any treaty we want in exchange for her return.”

Harun hated every word of it, but he knew there was some truth to their statements. He would prefer to simply leave a defensive force in Yarna and return home instead, but the forces they had in the city likely wouldn’t stand a chance against the full might of Hyrule should they be given the opportunity to assemble on their doorstep. And, as they’d seen, the city itself is not a particularly strong defensive position. Having seen the map of the area, the Hyrulean Coliseum was in a much more strategic location, and if the structure was anything like the Gerudo Coliseum at the Arbiter’s Grounds, it would make for a much more formidable fortress.

“Fine,” Harun relented bitterly. “But once we have accomplished this task, then we are finished here, yes? Gerudo will be free and well-defended, and there will be no need to encroach on Hyrulean territory any further, correct?”

“Of course, Harun,” Queen Urballa replied. “This has never been about taking land from the Hyruleans. This is merely about reclaiming our own lands.”

“I see. Thank you, my queen.”

This is the last step. Then we can go home.


“They are utter fools,” Harun said aloud.

At the moment, no one else was around. The sun had fallen, and Harun stood on the balcony outside his bedchambers, overlooking the city. Although he’d ultimately agreed to go along with Queen Urballa’s plan -- or more likely, Elder Kobami’s plan -- he still was not happy about it at all.

To the north, he could see the great Digdogg Suspension Bridge, which spanned the entire Regencia Lake to connect Gerudo Canyon Pass to Hyrule Field. It lay between Mount Nabooru to the west and the Great Plateau to the east. Harun thought the bridge had an odd name, but apparently it was named for the Digdogger, a type of gigantic echinoderm monster. Some Hylian hero had slain one such monster hundreds of years ago, along with three other significant monsters in the area, and four of the bridges in the region were named in celebration of his conquests.

“Tomorrow, we’ll be marching across that bridge, no doubt walking into some sort of ambush…”

They are not prepared. We will take them by surprise and lay waste to them.

“I said silence , demon.”

He’d begun hearing Ganondorf’s voice more clearly recently. Their connection seemed to have grown stronger after his last possession, and now they could even converse sometimes. Harun hated it. Nothing made him feel more crazy than essentially speaking to his own inner voice.

Why do you resist? You approved of your queen’s orders, did you not?

“Yes,” Harun said bitterly. “But this is the last time I will take up arms against the Hylians. After this, we will be free.”

Hundreds of years of conflict between our peoples will not be ended in a few days time, young one.

“Perhaps that’s because not enough of us want to end it,” Harun snapped back. “ One person murdered my foster sister. One person should pay for it. Going to war with Hyrule was insane to begin with. It undermines every effort the queen has ever made towards peaceful negotiation.”

War is a necessary evil.

“I’m sure the Hyruleans say the same.”

I do not understand you, successor. You claim to abhor violence, yet you yourself have killed so many. You surround yourself with armed guards. And you have never objected to our people having an army.

“I only kill to defend myself or my people -- or when you possess me and force me to kill, demon.” Harun angrily slammed his fist down on the stone railing, then turned around as if to confront the spirit he was arguing with.

You needed me to kill for you. It was to defend you and your people.

“In the canyon, maybe. But what of Averla?” Harun asked, raising his voice as he glared at the wall. “Have you any idea what you made me do?”

You forced me to relive my own execution, young one. I barely understood what was happening at the time. You wish to blame someone? May I suggest the goddess who saw fit to bind us together? Or perhaps the sage who does her bidding?

“They said you were supposed to help me.”

And I have. Keeping Demise contained is no easy task, little prince. And you have already conceded that you only survived the battle in the canyon because of me. You need me whether you wish to admit it or not.

Harun growled in annoyance, stepping back over to the railing to look out over the city. It didn’t matter who he argued with. Ganondorf, Kobami, Urballa -- they all had an answer for anything he could say.

I understand your frustration, successor. I, too, had a vision no one else could see. But your judgment is clouded. Your queen has kept you sheltered your whole life. You know nothing of Hyrule and the horrors it brings. The witch is right. We have no choice but to fight them.

“I have already agreed to help Urballa and Kobami secure their Coliseum,” Harun muttered. “But I will go no further than that. I swear it by all the gods and demons of this world.”

“Prince Harun?”

Startled, Harun flinched and turned around. Kyra was standing in the doorway that led back into the keep, wearing a confused expression on her face and casually holding her spear. Emri was standing behind her, peering over Kyra’s shoulder nervously. The two of them had been on guard duty, standing by outside the door to Harun’s living chambers in Yarna Keep.

Was I loud enough for them to overhear?

“Who were you talking to?” Kyra asked.

“...No one,” Harun lied, not wishing to discuss his conversation with the demon king.

“Um. Okay. Would you like us to--?” Emri began to speak, but she was interrupted by Kyra.

“You were talking to him , weren’t you?” the other girl said to Harun, excitement lighting up her face. “Is he here now? Can I talk to him?”

No ,” Harun said firmly.

“Aw, come on!” Kyra complained. “Can’t I just--”

“I said, no !” Harun repeated, raising his voice for emphasis. “Go back inside and leave me be.”

Emri was now fully hiding behind Kyra, having been terrified by Harun’s sudden burst of anger. Kyra, too, was mortified, looking like a child who had just been scolded by an angry mother. “Oh. Uh, okay. I mean, yes, my prince. My apologies,” Kyra said, clutching her spear tightly. She and Emri turned to head back inside.

Part of Harun wanted to simply let them return to their post so he could be alone for the rest of the night. However, as he watched two of the girls he’d grown up with shrink away, the guilt set in very quickly. “No, wait.”

Kyra and Emri stopped in their tracks, turning back to him nervously.

Harun sighed. “I am sorry, Kyra, Emri,” he said with obvious shame in his voice. “It has been a most trying day.”

Kyra did not seem to know what to say. For a moment, the three of them stood there, hesitating. Eventually, Emri stepped out from behind Kyra, leaning her spear against the wall and leaving it there. She approached Harun and gently placed a hand on his shoulder. “We understand, your highness,” she said quietly. “Would you like to come inside and speak with us about it?”

Hearing those words came as a serious relief to Harun. “Yes,” he said. “I think I would like that.”


“Our scouts have confirmed where the enemy forces are placed around the bridge,” Commander Bularis said, speaking to those gathered around the table in the war room. She was joined by the queen, the prince, and two dozen or so elders and officers of the queen’s court. A large map of Yarna and the surrounding area had been laid out, with tiny models placed upon it to represent the Gerudo and Hyrulean forces. Their focus was on the Digdogg Suspension Bridge, which was actually made up of six smaller bridges connecting five island plateaus jutting up out of Regencia Lake, where the Regencia River ended. “Islands one and two are safe. Island three, the large one, has minimal ground forces, with a few more reserves on islands four and five. Our numbers far exceed theirs.”

“Surely they do not expect us to believe they would leave such an important choke point so poorly defended,” Urballa commented. “What else do they have planned?”

“They have cannons on the Great Plateau,” Bularis replied, gesturing to stone walls along the edge of the risen geographic figure to the east of the bridge. “As soon as we reach island three, we’ll be in their range. And even if we make it all the way to the other side of the lake,” she went on, moving her hand further along the edge of the plateau, “they have more cannons covering the road all the way to the south side of the Coliseum.”

“Then all we must do is rid ourselves of these cannons,” Elder Kobami stated. “It should be simple enough. We’ll send a warband up onto the walls and slaughter them all while the main forces continue along the bridge.”

“How do you propose we reach their battlements?” Harun asked skeptically. “Scaling the plateau would not be difficult from this side of the Regencia, but once we get up there, we’ll have the River of the Dead between us and the cannons,” he pointed out, gesturing to the river that led to a waterfall over the edge of the Great Plateau. “Going around could take days.”

“We won’t need to climb atop the plateau from here,” Elder Kobami replied, chuckling wickedly as she explained her plan further. “We’ll use boats, rowing close along the plateau’s edge until we’re right beneath their battlements. Then, our witches can raise the warriors to the top, catching them by surprise.”

“A sound plan, elder one,” Urballa said earnestly. “Very well. If all goes according to plan, that will cover our journey across the bridge. Afterwards, we will set up our base camp on the other side of it. From there, the question becomes how to take the Coliseum.”

“That’s right.” Commander Bularis moved over, turning everyone’s focus to the model of the great Hyrulean structure. “Their Coliseum is situated in an extremely defensible position. A small mountain covers it from the south, while Aquame Lake covers it from all other sides. Only a single bridge connects it with Hyrule Field, located on the north side.

“It could take days to get from our planned base camp to that bridge,” Harun pointed out.

“Yes. And while we circle around the lake, the Hyruleans will no doubt continuously pelt us with cannonballs fired from atop the Coliseum.”

“Can we use the same trick?” Queen Urballa asked. “Rather than go all the way around, could the witches create a shorter path for us?”

“Hmm…” Elder Kobami placed two fingers to her chin, looking over the scale model of the area on the table. “From here,” she said, pointing with her long, thin finger to a small cliff on the west side of Aquame Lake. “We may be able to extend some sort of land bridge, giving our troops a new access point and preventing us from having to make a dangerous excursion to the north end of the lake.”

“Could we accomplish this twice?” Commander Bularis asked. “It may be beneficial to divide our forces and attack from both sides simultaneously.”

Kobami examined the map once more. “It would not be the same technique, but we may be able to accomplish a similar result here,” she said, pointing to cliffs to the southeast of the Coliseum. “The mountains are lower at this point. We could raise the earth up to the next level, then do so again further north.”

“We must attempt to take the Coliseum while doing as little damage as possible,” the queen reminded everyone. “It is to become our fortress, and the gatekeeper of our lands. Every wall left standing and every cannon left operating will be a boon to us. Princess Zelda and her people are to be treated fairly once they surrender. We must give King Tychon no reason to reject our requests for negotiation. Any questions?”

It was difficult to read the mood in the room. There was a kind of dread that loomed over everyone when further acts of war were on the horizon. At the same time, many in the war room carried a sense of pride or even excitement. The Gerudo were finally taking back their lands, and those present were going to get to be a part of it -- a part of history. Even Harun could sense those feelings creeping up inside of him, although he could not tell if that was his feelings or Ganondorf’s.

“We are ready to follow you, my queen,” Commander Bularis told her, putting her fist to her chest. Many others in the room did the same.

“Good,” Urballa replied, jangling her jewelry as she nodded. “Then make your preparations. Be ready to march on my word.”


It was cold when the Gerudo army set out across the first leg of the bridge. A dense fog filled the air as well, making it difficult to see too far in front of oneself. The military strategists had said this would be a stroke of good fortune. The Hyruleans would never see them coming, and their cannoneers would be firing blindly. However, even if the low visibility was expected to be a net gain for them, that did little to calm anyone’s nerves.

“What’s the matter, Emri?” Kyra asked, walking alongside her companion, staying in formation with the others in their battalion. “You cold?”

Emri indeed appeared cold. She was shivering, and the way she tried to rub her arms for warmth forced her to carry her spear clutched to her chest. However, she seemed more frightened than freezing. “I don’t like this,” she said, her eyes darting this way and that. “The Hyruleans could appear from anywhere, at any moment.”

“Fear not, sister,” Laine said confidently. She strode in front of them, carrying an axe, which she believed would be the better weapon under the circumstances of the upcoming battle. “The Hylians are no better with wind or water than we are. We will meet them ahead on the bridge for a clean, honorable battle, not one of surprises and dirty tricks.”

Harun wondered if that was true. He was expecting an ambush of some kind, but he could not think of how such an attack would occur. The individual bridges that made up the Digdogg Suspension Bridge were all quite high up, so it was difficult to imagine an attack from below. While there were sorcerers who could fly, like Elder Kobami, he did not expect such mages to be common among the Hylians. And even if there were archers hidden somewhere, they would not be able to see through the fog.

Perhaps we truly are in for a fair fight.

Harun shook his head. “Best to keep your wits about you regardless, Laine,” Harun instructed. “Keep in formation, and stay vigilant.”

“Of course, my prince,” Laine replied.

The first island they reached was quite small. Even with the fog, it was plain to see that it was deserted. So, upon reaching the island, the Gerudo army simply continued onto the next bridge, heading to the second island.

“I wonder if we’ll have to deal with many Stalcreatures when we set up camp tonight,” Kyra wondered aloud. “I doubt the Hylians have completely cleaned up the region so soon after the Blood Moon.”

Emri made a sharp ‘ eep ’ noise at the mention of Stalcreatures. This made Kyra laugh, and she moved closer to wrap an arm around the other girl’s shoulders.

“Quit fooling around,” Laine scolded. “The prince ordered you to remain vigilant.”

“Sorry, sorry.”

The second island was long and thin, almost like an earthen bridge slightly wider than the actual bridge. As the scouts had indicated earlier, there was no Hyrulean presence to be seen. But, as they reached the next bridge, the Gerudo forces became more alert. The upcoming central island, which was much larger than the others, was where they expected to meet the enemy.

“Do you hear anything?” Kyra asked as they crossed the third bridge.

“Not yet,” Laine replied.

“Really?” Kyra seemed both confused and disappointed. “That’s odd.”

Harun furrowed his brow. “That is odd,” he agreed. “Our vanguard must have reached the central island by now. Why have they not engaged the enemy?”

“Perhaps the fog is preventing us and the Hylians from seeing each other,” Emri suggested, her voice barely above a whisper.

“Or perhaps they pulled back to account for their cannons firing blindly into the fog,” Laine added.

“That sounds logical,” Harun said with a nod. “If that is the case, than we can expect--”

Suddenly, there was a loud splashing sound from behind them, mixed with the sound of screaming. Harun turned around, but could not see far enough through the fog to make out what was happening.

“What the hell was that?” Kyra asked.

Emri yelped as the sounds were repeated. Another loud splash followed, and now the screams were getting closer.

“Run!”

“Keep moving!”

“Get off the bridge, now!”

Crowds of Gerudo soldiers rushed towards them, fleeing from whatever it was behind the fog.

“Forward!” Harun ordered, shouting at the top of his lungs to inform as many of the soldiers as he could. “Make for the island! With haste!” Harun and his guards ran forwards with everyone else, trying to avoid getting shoved off of the bridge as the crowd surged along with them.

Soon, the source of all the panic became close enough to be visible through the fog. A massive jet of water shot up from below, blowing a hole through the wooden bridge and knocking several Gerudo soldiers off the edge. Another jet of water followed soon after.

Luckily, Harun had already been close to the end of the bridge when the water attacks had begun. He cut it close at the end, but he was able to barely make it to the central island before the jets of water reached him.

“Get a headcount,” Harun ordered as soon as he got his bearings. “And send word to the vanguard. The queen must be informed.”

“Yes, my prince.” Several Gerudo soldiers set off to do as he said.

“Laine, Emri, Kyra, are you alright?” he asked, turning to his close companions.

“Y-Yes,” Emri replied, clinging to Kyra, both of them soaking wet.

“We’re okay,” Kyra confirmed.

“I am unharmed as well.” Laine planted her axe in the ground and began wringing her clothes dry. “What was that? Hydromancy? Or some sort of monster?”

Harun stepped over to the edge of the bridge. The suspension ropes and a few of the planks remained here and there, but much of the walkable part of the bridge had been destroyed. It was uncrossable now. The prince was not sure what they were up against, but whatever it was, it could only have done this on purpose. The rest of their forces back on the previous two islands had been cut off from them, and any that had made it across to the central island were now stranded with no way to retreat.

“This was no lake monster. This was tactical; by the enemy’s design,” Harun concluded.

“Does that mean they’re here? Now?” Emri asked.

“Perhaps. They could be attacking us from ships on the lake down below,” he reasoned. “That would make it hard for us to fight them, but it would also make it hard for them to harm us now that we’re no longer on the bridge.”

“So what should we do, my prince?” Laine asked.

Before he could answer, Harun heard a loud boom in the distance, followed by another, and then another.

“Cannons!” Kyra shouted.

Soon after, panicked screams rang out all around them. Soldiers broke ranks to duck and hide behind rocks or whatever cover they could find. Those close to the edge were nearly knocked over the cliff in the struggle.

Harun knew he had to calm everyone down, otherwise they would have no hope of continuing and the battle would be over before it had even truly begun. “Sisters!” he called, projecting his voice as best he could. “Hold your positions. This half of the island is not in their cannons’ range. We are safe here.”

While there was still some chaos within the crowd of warriors assembled around him, much of the noise died down as his words proved true. They continued to hear the booming sound of the cannons, but nothing landed anywhere near them.

“But the queen is not safe!” one of the warriors called back. “Those at the front are under fire, and they have likely engaged the enemy on the fourth bridge already.”

“Getting ourselves killed trying to follow them will do them no good,” Harun reasoned. “We must wait for Kobami’s forces to take the enemy battlements and disable the cannons.”

“Then what should we do?”

Harun tried to think. This was all happening too fast. He’d felt prepared going into the battle, but now that it had arrived and he was on his own to lead his troops, it was as if he’d forgotten everything he’d ever been taught about warfare.

You need me.

Harun heard the demon’s voice in his head. He was almost happy to hear it. With the power of Ganondorf, he might have been able to win the battle on his own, but he was not that desperate yet. He still did not trust the other voe, and allowing himself to be possessed in any capacity always carried a risk with it.

“Forward march,” Harun ordered his troops. “Make for the edge of the enemy’s blast zone. We await word from the queen, or the signal that Kobami’s forces have taken the plateau’s walls.”

“What?”

“Are you mad?”

“That accomplishes nothing!”

There was immediate dissension, which was only made worse by the sound of the enemy’s continued bombardment in the background, no doubt still causing fear.

“The prince has given you an order,” Laine stated plainly and loudly. “You will do as he says.” She began marching, followed by Kyra and Emri. Others followed them, including some of those who had been reluctant. Harun felt relieved, and took his place at the front.

While the islands jutting up out from the lake were all somewhat small compared to the plateaus Harun had crossed throughout Gerudo Canyon, the central island Harun found himself on was somewhat larger than the others. It had a curved, paved road going across the center of it, connecting the bridge at one end to the bridge at the other end. Grass grew alongside the road, and large rocks sticking up out of the ground in some places looked like they could be used for cover once they were in range of the cannons. Harun hoped it wouldn’t come to that. He knew from the briefing that they would be safe until they were about halfway across the island, but with the fog, it was difficult to tell where that was.

“I hope Elder Kobami accomplishes her mission soon,” Kyra said aloud.

Harun grunted. He did not like having to place his faith in the witch, but he did not doubt her ability to succeed. She had selected a number of their most talented swordswomen, assassins, and infiltrators for her mission, and even Kobami herself was capable in a fight due to her magical skill. Additionally, her enemies were the Hyruleans. If nothing else, she would put in a valiant effort against those she hated so completely.

As he walked, Harun’s attention was drawn to his right by the sound of screaming. Just like what had happened on the bridge, there was a crash of water over by the edge of the cliff, knocking several Gerudo soldiers off of it.

“Look out!”

“By the gods!”

“Get away from there!”

However, rather than jets shooting up like a geyser, the water now attacked them in the form of giant tentacles. Pillars of water rose up from the lake below, but they bended and flexed, sweeping across the ground in a deliberate motion.

Emri shrieked, crowding in closer to Kyra with her spear in front of her. “What is it now?” she asked in both fear and exasperation.

“Some sort of Octorok?” Kyra suggested, perhaps thinking the tentacles were real body parts of some sort.

Before anyone could offer another suggestion, a particularly large water tentacle extended past their comrades and raised itself above them. After a brief pause, the tentacle brought itself downwards, as if to crush them.

Many Gerudo screamed, but Harun stepped forward, slamming his boot into the ground. As he did, he thrust his trident forward. A burst of wind and lightning surged forth. In an instant, the water tentacle was obliterated, splashing down upon them in harmless globs of lake water.

“Well done, my prince,” Laine praised him.

“Y-Yes, thank you, Harun,” Emri agreed.

“Stay close to me,” he urged them. Looking out into the crowd of soldiers still in the area, he spotted a few of the younger witches who had received similar magic training. “Witches!” he called out to them. “The water constructs are vulnerable to our sorcery. Protect your sisters!”

For the next few minutes, the prince and the witches continued to disrupt the water tentacles while the others simply tried to get out of their way. The cannons were still booming in the distance, so they could not move forward or backward. Standing their ground was the only option.

However, just when it seemed like the Gerudo had managed to get the situation under control, the enemy changed their tactics. The next column of water did not rise up into the air and crash down like a crushing tentacle. Instead, it came up over the edge of the cliff, flowing quickly across the ground like a large snake made of water. It managed to push a few Gerudo off the edge, but that was not all. There were people swimming through the flowing water snake. As it streamed across the ground, dozens of Zora leapt out of it and began attacking with swords, spears, and boomerangs.

“Zora!” Laine cried. “Those filthy Hyrulean bootlickers.” Just as she spoke, a boomerang flew at her head, but it was blocked at the last moment by Emri’s spear. Laine thanked her, then charged forward, cleaving the nearest Zora with her battleaxe.

“Zora…” Harun repeated to himself under his breath.

Of course. The Hylians could never pull off this kind of hydromancy on their own.

This raised certain alarm bells in Harun’s head. If the Hyruleans had Zora patrolling the lake down below them, could Kobami’s strike force have ever made it safely to their destination? They were attempting to reach the cliffs of the Great Plateau via boat. What if they hadn’t made it? Who could stop the cannons now?

We can.

Harun ignored Ganon’s voice for a moment, taking the time to protect his comrades with a few well-placed spells and a thrust of his trident. It was difficult to find the time to even think with all the chaos around him, but as soon as he found a lull in the battle, he quickly surveyed his surroundings.

His forces were in disarray. The water tentacles had effectively broken their lines and scattered the Gerudo across the battlefield. The Zora were swarming in, moving with precision and fighting in their element. He had to reunite with Queen Urballa’s half of their army if they were to have any hope of success. That meant either braving the cannons’ line of fire, or eliminating the cannons as an obstacle.

Let me take the reins , he heard Ganon’s voice say.

Harun considered it. Ganondorf had done as he’d promised back in the canyon, but that did not mean Harun could trust him. With the Gerudo marching on Hyrule, he might see this as another chance to accomplish what he had set out to do before he had died.

No. I am to remain in control , Harun replied to his demonic passenger. But you will lend me your power.

Ganondorf’s laughter echoed in his head. I’ll lend you my power , the old king agreed. But we’ll see if you remain in control.

A moment later, a Zora emerged from one of the water snakes and came running at Harun with his spear drawn. Harun reacted in an instant, knocking the fish man’s spear to the side and impaling him with his trident. The weapon pierced the Zora’s armor like it was nothing, and Harun tossed the lifeless body off to the side. He could feel the power coursing through him again. It was a different experience this time, but the same mixture of fear and excitement was present. The battle around him seemed to slow, and he no longer felt overwhelmed, as if he were confident he could defeat the enemy army by himself.

Go forth , Ganon urged him. Show them true power.

Harun inhaled and closed his eyes. When he opened them, he spread his arms. Everyone around him, friend and foe alike, was knocked back a small distance as a blast of air spread out in all directions. The fog cleared, revealing the whole battlefield for the first time.

Harun could see the queen’s forces at the far end of the Digdogg Suspension Bridge. They were engaged in battle with an army of Hylians, but many of them were stuck hiding behind the cliffs to avoid the bombardment from the cannons. He could see the cannons, too, up on the walls along the edge of the Great Plateau. He knew he had to destroy them, but first, he had to deal with the Zora.

Striding forward with purpose, Harun walked towards the edge of the cliff in the direction of the cannons. Along the way, several Zora came at him, but all were easily dispatched without much thought, never causing him to slow his pace. A stream of water rushed towards him, intent on either knocking him off or delivering Zora reinforcements, but either way, he removed the obstacle just as easily. The pillar of water exploded, and the Zora within were left paralyzed by a surge of lightning.

When he reached the cliff, he looked down. He could see the Zora swimming around in the lake below, sending pillars of water upwards. Stepping out over the edge, he allowed himself to drop down. As he fell, he raised his trident, feeling the power of a lightning storm building up within him.

Just as he landed in the lake, he thrust his trident downwards. A mighty splash of water erupted around him, as if an explosion had gone off underwater. Thunder crackled as bolts of lightning leapt in all directions. The Zora in the water were sent flying into the air, screaming in terror. Some crashed against the cliff, splattering on the rocks. Others were fried by the electricity. Pillars of water that were being raised by the hydromancers collapsed, sending the soldiers within them falling back down into the electrified water below. Not all were killed, but those who remained scattered in all directions.

With this objective complete, Harun felt himself effortlessly rising out of the water, carried by the air currents up towards the Great Plateau. The Hylians on the wall took notice of him. Someone began shouting orders, and a few of the cannons rotated in place, aiming in his direction. One of them fired. The cannonball soared through the air, coming right at him. Harun slapped it with his trident, causing it to shatter into pieces. Any others that fired with enough accuracy met a similar fate.

Once he was close enough, Harun raised his hand. A potent, violet flame appeared in his palm. He held it for a moment, then threw it down the barrel of the closest cannon. The operators dove out of the way as the cannon exploded in a puff of violet smoke, leaving only charred and melted pieces behind.

He continued to fly along the edge of the walls, destroying each cannon one by one. Some Hylians fought back with bows or magic, but most simply fled once their comrades’ efforts proved useless.

When the last of the cannons was a smoking ruin, Harun finally landed atop a tower along the wall. For a moment, he stood there, staring blankly in front of him. Slowly, the power that had been coursing through his veins left him. He fell to one knee, suddenly exhausted. But, more than tired, his head felt clear.

What?

He had not been possessed this time. All the actions he’d taken had been his own -- not Ganon’s, and not Demise’s. And yet, he had acted mercilessly and mechanically, dispatching dozens upon dozens of opponents without sparing them a second thought. And now, he looked out over the battlefield, with smoke rising from everywhere along the path he’d taken.

“Why did I…?” he said aloud.

Because you had to , Ganon’s voice answered. And because you could.

From his vantage point, Harun could see the entire Digdogg Suspension Bridge. With the Zora in disarray, the cannons disabled, and the fog cleared, his troops were free to move forward and join up with Queen Urballa. Together, their combined forces were quickly turning the tide of battle. He watched as the Gerudo army gained ground, until the Hyruleans were eventually forced to retreat, heading back towards their Coliseum.

This was a remarkable victory for our people , Ganondorf told him. And we owe it all to you.

Harun did not know what to think. Part of him was glad he’d been able to help end the battle so quickly, saving countless lives that would have been lost the longer the fighting went on. But part of him wanted to vomit. He remembered the faces of the Zora and the Hylians he’d killed -- the way they screamed in terror before meeting their end.

What is happening to me?


With the Digdogg Suspension Bridge cleared and the enemy’s battlements along the edge of the Great Plateau devastated, the Gerudo proceeded as planned and began setting up their forward base camp. They still had much to do, and their troops would need rest and time for their wounds to heal. Unfortunately, with parts of the bridge destroyed by the Zora’s interference, it was going to be difficult to call for reinforcements or extra supplies from Yarna. They would have to either make temporary repairs to the bridges or send boats across the lake below, neither of which would be easy.

Despite the non-trivial losses their forces had suffered, many of the Gerudo were in a celebratory mood. As far as they were concerned, they had achieved their latest in a string of significant victories, and they were probably hoping to ride that inertia until the Coliseum had fallen to them as well.

Harun, of course, did not feel like celebrating. He barely thought about the other Gerudo. All he could think of at the moment was himself, Ganondorf, and those he’d killed in the battle. And so, while the others set up camp in the valley between the plateau and the mountains, Harun sat by himself, looking out over the cliff into the lake.

The sound of clanking metal boots alerted the prince to the approach of an Iron Knuckle. Someone of lighter foot accompanied the armored warrior as well.

“Your actions today were quite remarkable, my prince,” Commander Bularis said from behind him. “Much of the camp is talking about you. With the power you wield, they believe we can take the Coliseum with ease.”

“I am sure they would say that,” Harun said blankly.

Bularis did not respond, but the lighter-footed Gerudo took a seat beside him. “Many of our warriors feared for their lives in that battle,” Queen Urballa told him. “Many of them live because of your intervention.”

The logical part of Harun’s brain recognized that as a good thing, but he couldn’t feel anything for it. “I don’t want to fight in the next battle,” he told her.

There was a pause. The queen turned and signaled to Bularis. The commander’s heavy footsteps clanked once more as she left the two of them alone.

“I have asked much of you recently. I understand that,” Urballa told him. “You need time to recover. I can grant you this. Is there some other task you wish to complete instead?”

Harun thought for a moment, searching for anything else he could do that would still feel productive. He didn’t want to fight, but he didn’t want to do nothing while the rest of his people fought and died. “The shield,” he said, remembering the mystery he had been investigating before all of this chaos had occurred.

Urballa did not appear to understand. “Queen Nabooru’s mirror shield?”

“Yes. The monsters are up to something. I have a feeling it’s of much greater importance than our conflict with the other Children of Nayru,” Harun reiterated. “The Spirit Temple was not the only sage temple that was attacked.” He thought back to the news he’d received in Kara Kara. “The Temple of Time was attacked as well. It is just atop the plateau. If I can go there, I may uncover more of this mystery.”

Urballa’s jewelry jangled as she tilted her head in consideration. “We may have taken the edge of the Great Plateau, but it is still Hyrulean territory. It may be dangerous for you to tread there, especially if you wish to enter one of their sage temples.”

“I will bring only my guards, and we will make our intentions known to any we encounter,” Harun reasoned, hoping Urballa would grant him permission to go.

The queen considered it for a moment longer, then finally nodded. “Very well. It is not a long journey, so I will grant you and your guards a day or two of respite. However, I fully expect you to return as soon as your errand is complete, young prince. We should not remain separated for too long.”

Harun felt a wave of relief. It would only be for a couple of days, but it was better than nothing. “Thank you, my queen. I am certain my quest will prove fruitful.”

Chapter 40: Link XII

Chapter Text

“Woo-hoo!” Linkle shouted, running past the horse at an impossible speed, her winged boots kicking up dust as she sped down the road.

Link shook his head. Ever since his sister had obtained those Pegasus Boots, she’d been unable to stop herself from using them as often as possible. Granted, they had come in handy three nights ago during the Blood Moon, as had his new magical boomerang. Between him and his sister, they had managed to slay a great number of undead monsters, which had allowed them to secure a hefty reward back in the village of Mabe.

“Yeah!” Linkle ran past him again, running in the other direction this time.

“Elle, get back here,” Link called half-heartedly.

He heard her screams getting louder as she ran back towards him, then felt her hop onto the horse behind him. “Here!” she declared, drumming on her brother’s back with her fists to let him know she was there.

Link grunted, tapping the horse with his foot to get it to go a bit faster. “You’re certainly not lacking for energy today.”

“Ugh, sorry,” she said, rocking back and forth on the back of the saddle. “I’m just so excited! We’re gonna meet our next sage!”

After rescuing the youngest princess on the road outside of Mabe Village, the siblings had ended up having an encounter with the Sage of Light as well. The princess and her bodyguard had gotten separated from him and the rest of their party when the Bulblins attacked. The siblings had only ended up speaking with him very briefly as they passed each other, but he had praised them for rescuing the princess and sent them away with his blessing. It wasn’t much, but with Sage Aurun being the second sage they’d met, Linkle was getting excited to meet their third and fourth ones as well.

“If she’s there,” Link reminded his sister. She’d been pretty disappointed when they visited the Light Temple only to find that the Sage of Light was not there at the moment. Even though they’d ended up meeting him by coincidence later, he didn’t want her to get her hopes up too much.

“I bet she’ll have a quest for us,” Linkle said, ignoring Link’s words. “Destiny sent us to her. And now that a new demon has arisen, Hyrule needs its Hero more than ever.”

Link and Linkle had been out in Hyrule Field during the Blood Moon. However, when they’d returned to Mabe the following morning, word had spread of the events that had transpired in the capital. Apparently, some sort of gigantic, headless, shadow demon had appeared, killing not only the Sage of Light, but even the Patron of Light herself. And if that wasn’t bad enough, the king had also been killed in the chaos when a swarm of undead appeared in the city.

Thank the gods I listened to Linkle.

Ironically, the decision to leave the apparent safety of the capital in order to fight monsters during the night of the Blood Moon had prevented the two of them from being present during those events, possibly saving their lives. Linkle had been supremely disappointed, feeling that she had missed her opportunity to prove her heroism by slaying the Headless Demon.

“We’re here!” Linkle announced, gasping as the next town came into view. Their actual destination, the Temple of Time, was atop the Great Plateau, which had been in sight for some time. However, the only way up to the plateau that was available to the public lay within the town of Gatepost.

“Okay, just reminding you, do not use your new boots in town unless you have to,” Link warned her. “You’ll get robbed in a second.”

“How can I get robbed if they can’t even catch me?” Linkle pointed out.

“Probably by outsmarting you somehow. That’s how everyone else beats you at anything.”

Linkle kicked him in the back of the leg with the tip of her new boot. “Rude.”

Regardless, she seemed to heed Link’s warning and stayed upon the horse as they entered the town, then proceeded to walk normally after they dropped Arion off at the stable.

“Where are you going?” Link asked, seeing his sister strolling into the center of town, away from the Great Plateau.

“I wanna check the quest board,” she insisted.

“What?” Link didn’t like the idea of picking up more random, dangerous monster hunts on a whim. “I thought we were just here to visit the Temple of Time.”

“I know,” she replied, drawing her crossbow and idly tapping it against her shoulder, as if attempting to look more like an adventurer. “I just wanna look is all. Who knows? Part of my destiny could be on there.”

“The gods don’t post flyers on public notice boards, Elle.”

“How do you know? Chronodormi lives right up there,” Linkle said, pausing to point up towards the top of the Great Plateau. “I’m sure she and her sage give out quests to adventurers all the time.”

“Hm. I guess. Maybe,” Link admitted. After their dealings with the Sage of Shadow, it was believable that the Nine Sages treated it as one of their duties to enlist the aid of the adventurers who roamed through their territory.

“Make way!”

The sound of clanking feet and a captain calling out orders drew the siblings’ attention. Before they could reach the notice board in the town square, their path became cut off by a line of marching soldiers. They seemed to be streaming in from the same entrance Link and Linkle had used to enter Gatepost, but they were heading towards the west exit.

“Whoa. What’s going on?” Link asked, grabbing Linkle by the shoulder to pull her away from the soldiers.

“I dunno,” Linkle replied.

“Must be from Kolomo Garrison,” Link said. Just outside of town, they had passed by a military base on Lake Kolomo. Link wasn’t sure why so many of the soldiers were marching through the town now, but he figured that’s where they must have been stationed.

“Think they’re here to help with the leftover undead tonight?” Linkle asked. While the night of the Blood Moon was always the worst, the undead that arose during that night tended to linger. It would probably be an entire year before one could walk outside at night without a guarantee of running into a Stalcreature of some sort.

“Maybe they’re just going to the Coliseum,” Link suggested. Having never left Necluda before now, the siblings had never been to the famous arena on Aquame Lake. However, Link knew it was only a short distance west of Gatepost. “Perhaps they need more guards to keep watch over the prisoners and monsters they keep there.”

Linkle whipped her head around, searching for something. Spotting a guard who was watching the soldiers pass, she walked right up to him. “Hey! Where are they going?” she asked, pointing to the line of marching soldiers.

“The Coliseum,” the guard replied.

“Hm.” Linkle looked back at her brother, tilting her head in acknowledgement of his accurate guess. “What for?” she asked, turning back to the guard.

The man furrowed his brow for a moment, but he must have realized Linkle was a traveler who had just arrived in town. “They were summoned by Princess Zelda. The Gerudo are invading as we speak.”

Linkle gasped. Without a word of thanks for the information, she left the guard, running back to her brother. “Did you hear that?”

The hair stood up on the back of Link’s neck. “Elle, don’t get any crazy ideas,” he told her, knowing she would want to instantly rush off to save another princess.

We are not here to enlist in the army and fight some war.

“But Princess Zelda needs us!” Linkle insisted.

“She has them ,” Link argued, pointing at the column of soldiers still marching towards the princess’s position. “Besides, we’ve already been tasked with a quest by the Sage of Shadow, right? What kind of heroes would we be if we shirked that responsibility?”

Linkle looked conflicted. Her gaze jumped back and forth between the soldiers and the Great Plateau, trying to decide which potential sacred destiny to follow. Frustrated, she kicked the dirt in annoyance. “Ugh! Fine. I guess you’re right…”

“Of course I am. I’m always right. Now, let’s go.”


The entryway to the Great Plateau was at the south end of Gatepost’s town square. A great arch decorated with hourglasses and other such symbols was carved into the cliffside, through which there was a great staircase leading upwards through a tunnel. Presumably, it would emerge somewhere atop the plateau, closer to the Temple of Time.

“Oh, jeez,” Link complained as he took his first step and saw the climb that was in store for him. “What is it with sages and stairs? Between this and the Shadow Temple, I’m starting to notice a pattern.”

“I wonder if I can use these boots to run up the stairs really fast…” Linkle wondered aloud, looking down at her feet as she climbed the steps.

“Don’t try it,” Link warned her. “You’ll just trip and land face-first.”

In response, Linkle stuck her leg out in front of her brother’s path. He tripped and fell forward, only managing to catch himself at the last moment.

“Ouch!” he complained, the palm of his hand scraping against the edge of the stairs.

“Oh, shit,” Linkle said, concern appearing on her face. “I just meant to-- You okay?”

“Yeah, yeah…” Link said, dusting himself off as he stood back up.

“Good. Sorry. Um. Well, watch your step, brother,” Linkle said with a guilty laugh, beginning to climb faster to put some distance between them.

Link caught up fairly quickly, and soon, the two of them emerged from the tunnel and stepped out onto the Great Plateau.

“Whoa…” Linkle said in wonder, gazing out at the land surrounding them. There were peaceful fields of grass, a small forest and some buildings in the distance, and the sight of mountains far to the southwest. Linkle turned around and kicked her Pegasus Boots against the ground, charging over to the edge of the cliff. “ Woooow !” she called back, apparently amazed by how much of Hyrule they could see from up there.

Figuring she’d catch up on her own time, Link ignored her and set off for the temple.

The Great Plateau was massive, and it had much more than just the Temple of Time on it. In addition to the forest and the mountains, there were several small bodies of water and a wide-open field. Small houses were set up in some places as well, which likely belonged to the farmers Link could see tending to the fields. There was also another abbey set up along the eastern cliffside, which likely housed some of the priests who ran the temple.

They were obviously not the only pilgrims who came to visit the Temple of Time. Given the well-worn pathway that led from the plateau’s entrance all the way to the temple itself, this was probably a frequent occurrence for the area. Link wondered how many others from Necluda had traveled this far.

Just as Link approached the stairs leading up to the temple upon the hill, he could hear the rapid footsteps of Linkle coming from behind him. Skidding to a halt, she slid right past him. “Whoa, whoa, whoa!” she called as she lost her balance, eventually tripping on the first step and landing face-first on the stairs. “Ow.”

“Told ya,” Link said, not missing the opportunity to rub it in his sister’s face. “Be careful with that nonsense here,” Link warned her, casually climbing the stairs past her. “This is a sacred place. We don’t wanna piss anyone off.”

“Understood,” Linkle said, saluting from position down on the ground. She then hopped to her feet and continued alongside him.

The Temple of Time was a very impressive piece of architecture. It reminded Link of the Temple of Light back in the capital. That wasn’t all that surprising, since Linkle had informed him that the Light Temple was a former Time Temple. However, the fact that this building was not in a city, and thus was by far the largest building in sight, made it all the more imposing.

“Wow…” Linkle muttered in awe, staring up at the front archway.

“Pretty impressive,” Link remarked. “Let’s see if the sage is home.”

However, before the two of them could enter the temple, someone emerged from the entryway. The figure was over seven feet tall, clad in black armor that appeared foreign in design. Behind him, he was followed by several women with spears and swords. All of them had flaming red hair.

Gerudo? Here?

For some reason, Link felt as though time had slowed down. He could hear every footstep the Gerudo warriors took echoing inside his head alongside his own heartbeat. The sky seemed to dim ever so slightly, and the temperature seemed to rise. His heart rate rose, and his hair stood on end. Link had never felt such a fight-or-flight response before. Even ignoring all the armor and weaponry, something about the giant man seemed dangerous . The stern look on his face seemed to conceal an endless rage and hatred, as if it were fighting to get out.

Glancing at his sister, he could see she was similarly stunned and frightened. She stared up at the Gerudo man with terror and awe. As he and the women behind him came closer, Linkle eventually broke free of the spell, reaching behind her back to pull out her sword and shield.

Elle, no!

Upon spotting Linkle drawing her weapons, two of the Gerudo women attempted to step in front of the man, readying their spears. However, the man held out his hands, signaling for them to halt. Link did the same to Linkle, preventing her from advancing any closer towards them.

'iinahum yaqsidun muhajamatak ya 'amiri ,” one of the Gerudo women said to the man, speaking in a tongue Link did not understand.

antazir. daeni ataeamil mae dhalik ,” the man told her, calmly stepping forward. He turned his gaze down onto the siblings, which caused them both to shrink back in fear. “Hello,” he said in slightly accented Hylian.

“Stay back!” Linkle demanded, keeping her weapon raised.

“Elle. Please,” Link said nervously.

The Gerudo man had a shield and a trident on his back, but he drew neither of them. Instead, he raised his hands disarmingly. “I did not come here to fight,” he explained.

“Yeah, right,” Linkle spat back. “We heard the Gerudo had invaded. And what do we find? The Gerudo prince desecrating our temple!”

Link hadn’t thought about it, but since there was only supposed to be a single male Gerudo, the man in front of them must have been their prince. He also noticed an obvious tinge of anger in his sister’s voice. Oddly enough, Link felt angry, too. He glared at the Gerudo prince. For some reason, he felt as though the prince intended to harm his sister.

Stay the fuck back, you monster.

“What did you do to the sage? Answer me!” Linkle shouted.

Nothing ,” the Gerudo prince said firmly. He gestured to the temple’s entrance behind him. “Go inside. Ask her yourself.”

“Liar!” Without warning, Linkle lunged forward, attempting to stab at the much taller man. The Gerudo prince was surprised, but he acted quickly. A pillar of shadow rapidly emerged from the ground, solidifying to block Linkle’s blow. She pulled back and attempted to slash at him from the side, but he grabbed her sword arm by the wrist with one hand, then backhanded her with the other, knocking her roughly to the ground.

“Don’t you touch her!” Unable to think straight, Link pulled out his sword and charged the prince as well. When Link swung, the Gerudo blocked the blow with his armored forearm. He then put his hand on Link’s arm. The young Hylian felt a surge of pain shoot through him, as if he’d been struck by lightning. His muscles tightened and he couldn’t even scream. It only lasted a few moments before the Gerudo man shoved him backwards. He landed on the ground beside his sister.

“Brother!” Linkle sat in a crouched position, her nose bleeding. She put one hand on Link and used her other to raise her sword against the Gerudo, feebly threatening him.

The prince glared down at the two of them, still appearing to be holding back unfathomable rage. However, he did not move to attack them. “ yati. nahn mughadiruna. ” He turned and left down the staircase. His guards hurried after him, shooting dirty looks at the Hylian siblings as they passed.

When the pain stopped and his muscles loosened, Link sat up, putting an arm around his sister as they watched the Gerudo leave together. He felt his heart beating extremely fast, but he could feel himself calming down with every step the Gerudo took away from them.

“You okay?” Link asked his sister.

Panting, she nodded. “Yeah. You?”

“I think so,” he replied. “You’re bleeding.”

Linkle dabbed at her nose, seeing the blood. “It’s nothing,” she insisted, pushing against Link’s shoulder to help herself stand. Then she held out her hand and pulled Link to his feet. They stood there for another moment, watching the Gerudo shuffle off into the distance, heading for the forest.

“What… was that?” Linkle asked, putting her hand to her head.

Link had felt it, too. “I don’t know. That guy just… really pissed me off, for some reason.”

“Yeah. Me, too,” Linkle agreed with a confused nod. “Some sort of magic? He shocked you with lightning, so he must’ve been some sort of sorcerer.”

“Maybe.” Link turned back towards the temple’s entrance, suddenly remembering the Gerudo had been inside. “We should make sure everyone in the temple is okay,” he suggested.

“Yeah. Good idea. Let’s go inside.”


It was uncanny how similar the Temple of Time was to the Temple of Light on the inside. Everything from the walls, to the pillars, to the ceiling was nearly identical. It was almost as if they had been transported back to the capital. The only obvious differences were the stained glass windows, which depicted different religious symbols and figures.

Despite the siblings’ concerns, it appeared as though the Gerudo prince had been telling the truth after all. There were very few people within the temple, likely because many had fled upon the arrival of the Gerudo, but there were no bodies, no blood, and no signs of a struggle of any kind.

As Link and Linkle entered the nave, most of those in sight disappeared behind pillars or through the room’s other exits. Link figured they were still in panic mode, and the sight of two more newcomers armed with weapons had frightened them again.

However, one person remained, either because she did not notice or did not fear them. Standing at the altar with her back to them was a tall woman holding a scepter. Link and Linkle exchanged a look, silently agreeing that she must have been the sage. Together, they approached her.

“Excuse me, great sage?” Linkle asked, trying to get the woman’s attention.

“Yes, my child?”

When she turned around, Link was rather stunned by the sage’s appearance. For one, she certainly didn’t dress the way he expected a holy woman would. Her dark violet dress, while ostensibly a priestess’s robe, was elegant, expensive-looking, and exceptionally revealing. It had a plunging neckline and a slit up the left leg, with the only things covering her left arm and leg being gold jewelry and glowing, magical tattoos. Her choker was decorated with red and black feathers, and a two-pointed headdress fitted with red jewels adorned her head. In addition to her odd clothing, the woman had skin almost as dark as a Gerudo’s and hair almost as white as a Sheikah’s. Link assumed she was a Hylian, but he couldn’t quite tell.

Shooting a quizzical look to Linkle, Link saw his sister was openly staring at the woman, mouth agape in awe and confusion. He quickly elbowed her to snap her back to reality, hoping their reaction so far hadn’t offended the sage. However, the woman’s ruby red lips curled into a smile, and she lightly chuckled under her breath.

“Um, great sage,” Link began. “My name is Link, and this is my sister Linkle.”

“Greetings, Link and Linkle. I am Lucrezia.” The sage held her scepter to the side and gave them a bow, which the siblings returned.

“We, uh, sort of ran into the Gerudo prince and a bunch of his guards on the way in,” Linkle said, getting right to the point. “They didn’t harm anyone here, did they?”

Sage Lucrezia shook her head. “No, thank the gods.”

“I see. That’s odd. We heard in town that the Gerudo were invading,” Link explained. “What was the Gerudo prince doing here, if not to attack?”

The sage gave him a mysterious smile, climbing down the steps from the altar to approach him. Up close, it became clear just how tall she was. Link shrunk under her gaze, unsure how to react to the oddly attractive holy woman. He turned to his sister for help, but she’d gone back to staring at the sage.

“He claimed he wished to help me,” Lucrezia explained.

“Help you?” Link asked, taking a step back to regain some personal space. “With what?”

Lucrezia put a hand to her chin and turned away slightly. “How best to explain…” she mused. “Monsters have been attacking the sage temples recently, you see. Mine was attacked several weeks ago. Tarua’s has been attacked several times as well. And Prince Harun claimed the Spirit Temple was attacked by Bulblins who were attempting to steal a mirror shield that had once belonged to a Gerudo queen.”

Linkle snapped out of it at those words. “Mirror shield?”

“That’s right,” Lucrezia confirmed.

“Some monsters stole the Hero of the Minish’s mirror shield from Mabe,” Linkle explained. “They also stole the Ocarina of Wind. Is the Ocarina of Time still here?”

The sage gave her an intrigued look. “Yes, it is,” she confirmed.

“Really?” Linkle asked. “Did the Gerudo prince want it?”

“Perhaps,” Lucrezia replied. “He asked if there was anything important in this temple that the monsters had stolen, or tried to steal. I did not trust him, of course, so I told him there was no such thing here.”

“You think the Gerudo are after the keys, too?” Link asked his sister.

“It sure sounds like it. Them and the monsters both,” Linkle said, nodding to her own words.

“Keys?” the sage asked. “May I ask what you two are talking about?”

Link suddenly became embarrassed. “Uh. Sorry, Sage. I guess we haven’t fully explained why we’re here yet.”

“Yeah,” Linkle agreed. “We have traveled far at the request of Sage Impa.”

“You have been sent by my fellow sage from Kakariko? How very interesting.” The Sage of Time regarded her with renewed curiosity. “Might I ask what she has tasked the two of you with?”

“Sure!” Linkle said, practically knocking Link out of her way so she could step closer to the elegantly-dressed woman. She seemed excited to explain the details of their quest. “Sage Lucrezia, Sage Impa wishes for us to obtain objects of great importance. There are monsters scouring the kingdom in search of them as we speak. I, Hyrule’s next chosen Hero, must obtain these objects before they do.”

Lucrezia raised the back of her hand to her mouth and laughed haughtily. “I see. The Hero is in my presence, then, is she?”

“Indeed she is,” Linkle declared confidently.

“Intriguing.” Lucrezia looked back and forth between the two siblings. “So, tell me, what are these objects you seek?”

“Um. Well, one is a gift that was given to the late Princess Ruto by her fiancé, and the other is a sword belonging to the Sage of Forest’s brother,” Linkle explained. “However, since the monsters have stolen the Ocarina of Wind, we think they might be after the Ocarina of Time, too. One of them might be a key.”

“You said you still have it?” Link asked, wondering why that might be.

“I do indeed,” Sage Lucrezia repeated. “However, the monsters who attacked my temple not long ago took no interest in it.”

Linkle furrowed her brow. “What? Why not?”

“Your guess is as good as mine, great Hero,” the sage said, a hint of humor in her voice. “Would you like me to show it to you?”

Linkle gasped excitedly. “Yes, please!”


Lucrezia led them towards the back of the temple, taking them to a staircase leading down into some sort of vault or catacomb. Along the way, Link caught his sister staring again, so he elbowed her and gave her an imploring look. She raised her hands in a shrug and mouthed ‘ What ?’ but her poker face didn’t fool Link.

“How long ago did the monsters attack here, exactly?” Link inquired.

“Three weeks, four days, and seven hours ago,” Lucrezia replied as she reached the bottom of the staircase. She turned around and saw the looks on the siblings’ faces. “Time is my domain, children.”

Link supposed that made sense. “Where is the ocarina?” He asked, looking around the room. The underground chamber they’d been led into was filled with statues depicting several gods and other figures, most of whom Link did not recognize.

“Right this way.” Lucrezia continued to lead them, taking the siblings down a line of statues, eventually arriving at a finely-crafted stone likeness of a Hylian woman wearing a regal dress and a crown.

“Who is this?” Link asked. “A member of the Royal Family?”

“Indeed,” Lucrezia confirmed. “The daughter of Nohansen the Uniter.” The stone woman held a small, blue instrument in her hands, clutching it against her chest as if she treasured it dearly.

“This is it?” Linkle asked hopefully, pointing to the ocarina.

“That is it.”

“And the monsters had no interest in it?” Link asked for clarification, still confused.

“A few of the Bokoblins in the raiding party made their way down here,” Lucrezia explained. “They stole a few things of value, and smashed some of the statues.” The sage gestured to some of the other statues that appeared to have had pieces broken off of them. “They did not seem to care for the ocarina, if they took any notice of it.”

Linkle turned to her brother. “What does this mean?”

“How should I know?” Link replied.

“Why would they steal the Ocarina of Wind, but not the Ocarina of Time?” Linkle pondered, putting her hand to her chin. “Did any incarnation of the Hero ever take this item into their possession?” she asked the sage.

“Not to my knowledge,” Lucrezia answered. “It was an heirloom passed down by the Royal Family, until my Patron joined the Pantheon.”

“Maybe that’s why!” Linkle conjectured, snapping her fingers like she’d just figured it out. “All the other keys -- the Hero of Twilight’s bow, the things belonging to the Hero of the Minish -- they all belonged to Heroes at some point. The monsters left this ocarina behind because no Hero had ever owned it.”

“But Sage Impa told us the other two keys were owned by a Zora princess’s fiancé and the Kokiri sage’s brother,” Link reminded her, casting doubt on his sister’s theory. “And then there’s that other mirror shield that was stolen from the Gerudo. What do any of those have to do with the Hero?”

“Hmm…” Linkle considered that, thinking deeply again. “Good point. Sage Lucrezia, do you know anything about these keys?”

“I’m afraid I do not,” the sage answered. “Sage Impa has not informed me of this matter.”

“Hmm.” Linkle frowned, then groaned. “Curses! Just when I thought we were getting somewhere.”

“Don’t worry about it, Elle,” Link said, placing a hand on his sister’s shoulder. “We can focus on collecting the two keys Sage Impa told us about.”

“I guess,” Linkle replied. “Can we take the Ocarina of Time with us?” she asked the sage.

Lucrezia tilted her head curiously. “Why do you require it?”

“Yeah, Elle. This wasn’t one of the keys,” Link repeated, seeing no need to obtain more items they hadn’t been hired to retrieve.

“I’m still not sure about that,” Linkle said, shaking her head. “I just have this feeling like it’s related to all of this somehow. It’s like the gods are trying to tell me something. Besides, if it stays here, the Gerudo prince might come back for it once he realizes it’s here. So, can we have it, great sage? To keep it safe from the monsters and the Gerudo? Please?”

Lucrezia stared at Linkle in amusement for a moment, perhaps impressed by her audacity. Link thought the sage would refuse, but then she smiled broadly. “Very well, Hero.”

Link furrowed his brow in confusion. “Really? Just like that?” he asked. “Isn’t this a priceless heirloom from the Royal Family?”

“I am but a servant of the gods,” the sage replied, taking hold of the Ocarina of Time and lifting it out of the statue’s hands. “If the gods wish me to aid the Hero on her journey, then I shall. Although, I feel I should inform you, this instrument no longer holds the power it once held.” Bringing the instrument to her lips, the sage blew into it, covering select holes with her fingers. A beautiful sound emanated from it, but despite the instrument’s supposed magical properties, nothing else of note occurred.

“Oh,” Link replied.

Well, if it’s useless, I guess it’s as good in our hands as hers. And maybe that’s why the monster’s didn’t want it.

Linkle’s face lit up as Lucrezia handed her the ocarina. Having a sage acknowledge her as the Hero must have made her happier than anything in the world at that moment. “Wow! Thank you so much, great sage!”

“Guard it with your life, my children,” the sage said in return. “Now, please, return to the upper level with me.”

With the Ocarina of Time in hand, the siblings were brought back upstairs. Linkle tried to play her new instrument as they walked, but she had little success. Link wondered if the instrument was supposed to have had some magical time-altering properties, but given Linkle’s low proficiency with magic and her lack of musical skill, he didn’t think she would have been able to use it properly anyway.

“Thank you again, great sage!” Linkle said happily as they prepared to depart through the temple’s entrance.

“Think nothing of it.” Lucrezia gave them a strange smile. Link couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but something about the look she gave them appeared somewhat devious, as if she’d just played some sort of practical joke on them. “Good luck on your journey, heroes.”

“Thank you, sage,” Link replied, still somewhat amazed they’d been allowed to take the ocarina in the first place. “We’ll be off now.”

Outside of the temple, Link and Linkle climbed down the stairs they’d climbed up on the way in. As soon as they were far enough away to be out of earshot, Linkle stopped fooling around with the ocarina, placing the instrument into her pocket. She glanced over her shoulder, as if checking to see if the sage was still watching them. “Brother. Did you see the size of her--” she began, holding her hands up in front of her chest.

“Elle, don’t.” Link cut her off. “That’s… probably blasphemous, or something.”

“I’m just saying, why do the gods gotta play favorites with their sages like that? I mean, come on. Save some for the rest of us!” she complained, tapping her hands against her chest.

Link sighed, then lightly chopped his sister on the head with the side of his hand.

“Ow.”

“Come on,” he said, deciding not to engage with his sister’s statements any further. “We have another sage temple to visit next, don’t we?”


Of the nine Sage Temples in Hyrule, no two were a shorter distance apart than the Temple of Time and the Temple of Water, not even the Goron-controlled Fire and Earth Temples. While the Temple of Time was located atop the Great Plateau, the Water Temple was located within Lake Hylia. If one were so inclined, one could dive off of the southeastern cliffs of the Great Plateau and land directly in the waters of Lake Hylia. So, given the close proximity of the two temples, Link and Linkle would be able to visit them both within the same day. Once the siblings left the Temple of Time, they climbed down from the Great Plateau via another great staircase located near the Eastern Abbey, which set them down on the ground level very close to Lake Hylia.

“Wow!” Linkle called out in amazement upon their arrival at the Bridge of Hylia. Lake Hylia was as large in area as the Great Plateau, and the great stone bridge spanned its entire length, connecting the southern tip of Central Hyrule to the Faron Province on the other side. Taking a few steps onto the bridge, Linkle leaned against the stone railing, looking out over the lake. “There’s the temple!” she pointed out excitedly.

Link joined her on the bridge. He could see it, too. Out on the lake, a small stone structure stood upon the largest of a group of small islands. Link knew the structure itself was not the whole temple. Most of the Water Temple would be beneath the lake, and the structure atop the island would simply be an entrance designed for air-breathing guests. He imagined the Zora who ran the temple had easier ways of coming and going using entrances that lay hidden underwater.

Linkle hopped up onto the railing, looking like she was ready to dive in. “Well, let’s get going,” she suggested.

“Whoa, whoa, bad idea.” Link grabbed her by the hem of her tunic. “You see how far that is? You’ll never swim all that way. Besides, there’s probably, like, a lake monster or something waiting to eat you.”

“Well, how do you suggest we get there?” Linkle asked. As she spoke, she turned in place atop the stone railing, searching for an alternative.

“Oh, I don’t know. How about we take that convenient ferry over there that seems to exist specifically for this purpose?” Link pointed over the edge of the bridge. Down at the bottom, along the shore of the lake, there was a small dock jutting out into the water with a few small boats tied to it. There was a small shack next to the dock, which Link assumed was to house the ferryman.

Linkle glanced down to her side and took notice of what her brother was pointing at. “Oh,” she said. “Alright, then.” Crossing her arms, she pulled her tunic over her head and dropped it on top of Link. “Meetcha down there!” she said cheerfully before diving off of the bridge.

“Elle!” Link shouted. He lunged forward to try to catch her, but he was too slow. After a long fall, she landed with a splash, but did not resurface immediately. “Elle!” Link shouted again. “Elle?”

However, Linkle did eventually emerge from beneath the surface of the lake. “Whoo!” she shouted, splashing the water around herself joyfully. “Come on, brother! Join me!”

Link sighed in relief. “Fuck that. I’m taking the long way.” Stepping away from the edge, Link walked back to the north end of the bridge in search of a path leading down to the lake below.

It took him a few minutes to make the journey down to the lakeshore. When he arrived, he found his sister sitting on one of the support beams of the dock, wringing the water out of her undershirt. However, she was not alone. There were three other people with her. Two of them wore armor, having the appearance of town guards. The other wore simple peasant attire, likely a dockworker of some sort. At first, Link was worried that his sister was in trouble for diving into the lake like that. But then, Linkle said something that made them all laugh, and his fears subsided.

“I told you not to do that,” was the first thing Link said upon joining the circle forming around her.

“What? I was fine.” Linkle picked up one of her boots, held it upside down, and began tapping the sole of it to shake the water out.

“Is she with you?” one of the guards asked Link.

“Yes, unfortunately.”

“Hey!”

“Alright. We’ll leave her to you, then.” The guard tapped his companion on the shoulder, then they both turned to leave.

“Bye, guys!” Linkle called, waving after them.

Before Linkle could finish drying off, Link tossed her tunic at her. While she fumbled with that, he turned to the other man who had stuck around. “Do you work here?” Link inquired.

The man nodded. “Yep. You folks need anything?”

“We’re going to the Water Temple!” Linkle informed him happily.

“How much for a ride on the ferry?” Link asked.

“No ferry today,” the dockworker replied. “You can rent a rowboat, though.”

“That’ll do.” Link reached for his wallet.

While Link paid the dockworker, Linkle finished getting dressed after drying her clothes as best she could. Once they were ready, they climbed aboard a two-person rowboat and started paddling.

Although the island that housed the entrance to the Water Temple was in view throughout the whole journey, it still took quite a while to reach its shores. Link and Linkle both felt their arms getting sore from the constant rowing, and they ended up switching off for much of it. However, they soon came to a dock that was quite similar to the one they’d left, and a pair of dockworkers came to receive them. One helped them climb out of the boat while the other tied it to the dock. As they’d already paid before crossing the lake, they had no reason to hang around the shore for very long, so the siblings quickly set off down a dirt path leading to the entrance of the temple.


Something Link had not expected about the temple was that its entrance was surrounded by guards. They were not priests who could likely handle themselves in a fight due to their magic prowess, as he had encountered at the Shadow Temple. All around the perimeter, there were armed Zora guards wearing armor and carrying swords, spears, and bows.

“You think they’ll let us in?” Link asked his sister quietly as they got closer to the entrance.

“Hm? Sure they will. Why wouldn’t they?”

“Well, they wouldn’t have all these guards if everyone was welcome,” Link reasoned. “Plus, we came on a day where there apparently wasn’t a ferry. Maybe that boat guy scammed us.”

“You worry too much. Here, watch.” Linkle picked up her pace a little, walking faster until she was right in front of the guards standing in the road. “Hi! I’m Linkle, the next Hero. I wish to speak with the Sage of Water.”

The Zora guard quirked his face skeptically, but he made no move to ready his spear or block Linkle’s path. “If you want to speak to the sage, she’s down in the temple,” the guard told her, sounding uninterested in her claim to heroics. “It’s not the easiest place for air-breathers to navigate, so just take the above-water paths as much as you can, and if you do go in the water, try not to swim down any corridors you can’t see the end of.”

“Noted,” Linkle replied, all smiles. “See? It’s fine,” she said to Link, sounding a little smug about being right. “Come on.”

Link shrugged his shoulders, but kept a cautious eye on the guards as he walked past them.

Regardless, the siblings were allowed to pass through the archway of the temple’s entrance without incident. The architecture of the temple resembled some of the buildings Link had seen while they were traveling through Lanayru. Smooth, sleek walls and columns carved from riverstone, ornately decorated with blue and violet jewels. Statues of sea dragons flanked the entryway, giving it the appearance of being guarded by ancient monsters.

There was not much other than that inside of the temple’s entrance. The room was small and square, and almost completely barren aside from a door on the far wall. Two Zora women in blue and silver priestess robes stood on either side of the door, although they did not appear to be guarding it.

“Greetings, Hylians,” the Zora priestess on the left said in heavily-accented Hylian. “Welcome to the Lakebed Temple. Would you care to delve deeper?”

“Yes, we would,” Link confirmed.

“Absolutely. We must speak with your sage at once,” Linkle added.

The priestesses exchanged looks. “What business do you have with Sage Tarua?”

“We were told to deliver a message from Sage Impa,” Link said, deciding that should explain things well enough without needing to get into the details.

“I see.” The priestess on the right pressed her hand against the wall. A small, rectangular section of it depressed beneath her hand. This caused the door to slide upwards, opening the way. “Please, come in. And watch your step.”

Link saw what she meant immediately. Through the doorway was a large, square platform floating atop a body of water. The water appeared to be filling a long, vertical shaft. “Um,” Link said, nervously stepping aboard the floating platform. “How does this work, exactly?”

“Ooh, neat!” Linkle commented, leaping onto the platform next to him, causing it to rock uneasily for a moment.

“No need to fear,” the priestess told them, following them inside. The second priestess waved goodbye and shut the door. “This is merely an elevator. Wait just a moment and my companion will lower the water level.”

There was silence for a brief moment, followed by a sound like a lever turning or gears creaking in the distance. Then, the water level began to lower, causing the platform they were standing on to descend slowly down the elevator shaft.

“Cool.” Linkle sounded quite impressed. “So this is how Hylians can enter the temple without being able to breathe underwater.”

“Yes, you will find a decent portion of the temple to be easily accessible to air-breathers,” the priestess explained. “We are able to raise and lower the water level of the entire temple, as well as the individual chambers, if need be.”

“Amazing!” Linkle said, looking upwards to watch the door they’d come in slowly disappear from sight as they delved deeper.

Eventually, the floating platform came to a stop. The shaft seemed to go on deeper below them, but they had arrived at another door. The priestess pressed another button on the wall, and the door opened. “Right this way,” she said, gesturing through the doorway.

The inner chamber of the temple was massive. It was as if an underwater cave system had been hollowed out, creating a wide and vertically deep pit. The elevator shaft they had stepped out of was like a gigantic tower jutting up through the center of the pit. All around them, on the outer edges of the pit, Link could see doorways, windows, and sections of Zora-made walls constructed within the natural rock formations, as if the temple were some kind of labyrinthian city.

If the central elevator was a tower, then the square platform running around the outside of it was something like a balcony. However, the water level was currently just below the platform they stood upon, meaning the rest of the tower beneath them was completely submerged. The tower seemed to become wider towards the base, and more tunnels and doorways could be seen along the outside walls beneath the water as well.

“Wow,” Link said under his breath. When he and Linkle had been brought further into the Shadow Temple the last time they spoke with Sage Impa, he had gotten the sense that the Shadow Temple was much larger than could be seen from the surface. If anything, the Water Temple seemed even larger.

“This place is huge ,” Linkle said, expressing Link’s thoughts as well.

“Indeed. The main chamber is large enough for our Patron, Lord Jabu-Jabu, to swim through comfortably. He takes the form of a whale,” the priestess explained. “He currently resides just outside of Ruta, however. Nevertheless, the sage carries out his will from here, and our temple serves many purposes for the Zora living in this part of Hyrule.” Finished with her brief explanation, their guide began walking around to the other side of the tower. “This way, please.”

With the water at its current level, there was a floating bridge, much like the platform within the elevator shaft, that connected the tower to a doorway at the far end of the main chamber. Link and Linkle followed the priestess across it. From there, they were led through a series of hallways and other chambers within the temple, most of which were significantly smaller than the main central chamber. At several places along the route, the water level within individual chambers needed to be raised or lowered for the Hylians’ benefit, and Link got the distinct impression that they were taking the long way due to their inability to breathe underwater.

However, after a confusing trek through the labyrinthian structure of the Water Temple, they eventually arrived at their destination. It was a spacious chamber with a moat of water running along the edges of three of the walls. The moat connected to several pipes that must have led to other areas of the temple, which must have been quite useful for the Zora. The walls were also decorated with elaborate carvings of Lord Jabu-Jabu, members of the Zora Royal Family, some kind of sea dragon, and the Crest of Nayru.

An altar was set up in the center of the room. Many Zora were crowded around it, including other priests, guards, and those who appeared to have some sort of serving or administrative role. Most of them were waiting patiently, holding clay tablets with writing carved into them or other items of interest. They all seemed to be waiting their turn to talk to the Zora woman in the center, who must have been the sage.

Although she was a Zora, Link found the sage to be somewhat pretty. Lovely amethyst earrings hung from the fins on the sides of her head, matching her large, violet eyes. The fins that draped downwards from her arms blended perfectly with the dress she wore, giving it the appearance of an elaborate ball gown. Her smooth scales were white, silver, and light blue, which blended together into a lovely color gradient. If not for the distinctive Zora shape of her head, she might have been mistaken for a human woman.

“Sage Tarua seems quite busy,” the priestess who had been escorting Link and Linkle told them. “Please wait here for a moment.” After dismissing herself, the priestess approached the sage and stood with the others.


“So, what exactly are we going to ask her?” Link asked his sister as they waited by the entrance.

“Easy. We’ll just ask her where Princess Ruto’s engagement present is,” Linkle replied.

“What if she doesn’t know where it is? Or even what it is? Sage Impa and all the history books we read didn’t seem to know,” Link reminded her.

Linkle shrugged. “That’s why we’re asking her .” Linkle gestured to the Sage of Water, who was currently bowing to one of her priestesses as she dismissed her. “Sage Impa knew it was in this temple, and no one would know the temple better than her. Hell, for all we know, Princess Ruto might have given it to Sage Tarua personally.”

“Didn’t the princess die, like, over a century ago?” Link squinted as he eyed the sage. She looked young, but then he remembered how long Zora were supposed to live. “Well, I guess she could’ve known her. But there was probably a different Sage of Water in those days.”

“Quit worrying so much, Brother,” Linkle said, eying the moat of water snaking around the room like she wanted to dive right into it. “Either she knows or she doesn’t. Either way, we’ll know in a minute.”

Despite Linkle’s optimism, they had to wait nearly half an hour before their escort was able to secure an audience with the sage. Link watched from a distance as the two of them talked, with the priestess presumably explaining the situation. After a moment, they were waved over to join them.

“Well, looks like she’s ready for us,” Link said, grabbing Linkle’s arm to get her attention. “Let’s head over, Elle.”

“Here they are, Sage.” The priestess who had guided gestured to Link and Linkle as they approached the altar. Link was quick to bow, and Linkle followed suit.

“Thanks, sweetie. I’ll take it from here,” Sage Tarua said, waving off the priestess. The other woman bowed and took her leave. The sage then directed her attention to the Hylian siblings. “Hey, you mind if I get off my feet for a second?” she asked, taking a seat in a smooth stone throne set up near her altar. “I’ve been standing all day over here.”

Link raised an eyebrow. The Sage of Water looked every bit as elegant as the other sages and noblewomen he had met, yet she seemed to speak as casually as his sister did. “Um. Not at all, wise sage.”

“Thanks. Oh, right. I’m Tarua, by the way,” the Zora woman added, crossing her legs and leaning to one side to get comfortable. “And you are?”

“I’m Linkle, the next Hero,” Linkle said, hopping forward. “And this is my brother, Link.”

“Linkle and Link, huh? Geez, Hylian names always sound so weird to me,” the sage said. “Anyway, I hear Ichika sent you. What’s this about?”

“Ich--? Oh, right,” Linkle replied, apparently forgetting the Sage of Shadow’s given name for a moment. She cleared her throat. “Great sage, we have been tasked with an important mission. A new demon has risen, and its minions seek to obtain objects of great power, as do the Gerudo. We know one of these items is hidden here in the Water Temple, and we must secure it for Sage Impa before the monsters or the Gerudo are able to acquire it.” Linkle had seamlessly slipped into her ‘Hero’ persona, describing their task with as much dramatic flair as she could.

“I heard about the Headless Demon that attacked the City of Hyrule,” Sage Tarua replied. “Sounds like things are pretty serious. And I guess that explains the endless monster attacks we’ve been getting.”

“Sage Lucrezia mentioned you’ve had some trouble with monsters lately,” Link said, wishing to look further into that topic.

“Yeah, we’ve had Lizalfos swimming in with all sorts of aquatic monsters for weeks and weeks now,” the sage explained. “We’re well-prepared for monster raids, of course, but they’ve been much more frequent than usual. At least now we know why. So, what are those little bastards looking for?”

“Uh, well, we don’t know exactly what it is,” Link admitted, scratching the side of his head ashamedly. “But we know it was a present given to the late Princess Ruto by her fiancé.”

“Princess Ruto?” Tarua’s face lit up and she leaned forward in her chair.

Linkle smiled. “You knew her?”

“Yeah! Of course! She and I used to feed Jabu-Jabu together when we were kids.” She chuckled a little to herself, then sighed somewhat melancholically. “Gods, I miss her. She would’ve made a better queen than her stepmother.”

Link furrowed his brow. “How old are you?” he asked, knowing she would’ve had to have been about two hundred years old to have known Princess Ruto as a child.

Linkle elbowed him in the side. “Don’t ask a woman her age, you dick.”

“Alright, sorry.”

The sage laughed, but she didn’t seem offended.

“So, do you have any idea what this present from Princess Ruto’s fiancé might have been?” Link continued.

Tarua shook her head. “Sorry, but no clue. I didn’t even know she got engaged. Plus, I only became the Sage of Water thirty years ago. Lots of artifacts from before my time are stored here, and I don’t know the history behind all of them.”

“Damn,” Linkle swore, no doubt hoping this would be just as easy as obtaining the Ocarina of Time had been. “Well, any idea where we might start looking?”

“Sure.” Sage Tarua snapped her fingers, waving over three of her attendants. “Get these two some swimming gear and a map of the temple,” she instructed.

“Yes, great sage.”

“It’s a big place, and we’ve got a few dedicated treasure holds,” the sage explained. “Feel free to look around. If anyone gives you any trouble, just tell them I sent you. And if you find what you’re looking for, just come and see me before you leave to let me know, okay?”

“Yes, of course,” Link agreed, nodding along with his sister.

“Beautiful.” Tarua stood up from her throne, stretching a little. Her attendants returned shortly. Two of them each held what appeared to be a set of scale armor and a helmet in their arms. The third attendant carried a map that was carved into a thin stone tablet rather than drawn on paper.

“Ah, perfect. Here, take a look at this.” Tarua grabbed one of the sets of armor and held it up. It looked very finely crafted. The pieces of it were blue, brown, and silver, and it was designed in a way that resembled fish scales. The boots contained webbed flippers for swimming, and the smooth helmet had a design on it resembling big fish eyes.

Before the sage even explained what it was, Linkle got excited. “Neat! What’s this for? Swimming?”

“Yeah. A lot of the temple isn’t readily accessible to air-breathers, so these suits should help,” Tarua explained. “When you dive underwater, the helmet creates an air bubble around your head. Should let you breathe for a good ten minutes or so. The flippers help you swim, and the whole thing should keep you nice and warm.”

“Impressive,” Link said as the sage handed him his gear.

“I get to breathe underwater?” Linkle looked so eager to try it out, she was practically bouncing up and down.

“Yep! Oh, and, uh, I don’t know how long you two plan to be staying here, but come back later if you need a place for the night. I can set you up with some guest quarters,” Tarua offered.

“Wow. Thank you so much for your generosity,” Link said gratefully.

Tarua shrugged. “Well, if what you’re doing will help stop a demon, it’s probably my duty as a sage to help, right? Anyway, I should probably get back to work. Hyrule’s waterways ain’t gonna direct themselves. Good luck, you two.”

“Thanks!” Linkle said cheerfully.

“Yes, thank you again.” Link bowed, and he and his sister left.

Outside of the sage’s audience chambers, Linkle was quick to pull off her gear and change into the zora armor she’d been given. “This is gonna be great!”

Link held up the map. “I don’t know about that,” he said. “This place is even bigger than I thought. It’s practically a city. And the sage seems to think it’ll take us more than a day to search all the treasure holds.”

“That just means more time to explore,” Linkle said optimistically, skipping ahead of him. “Come on, brother. This place is really cool. So let’s get started!”


Author's note (added 7/28/2023):

Today we added two more sages to the growing list.

Art Source

 

Art Source

Chapter 41: Mila IV

Notes:

The lyrics for Saria’s Song were taken from an old youtube video by the currently inactive channel Sarah LeeAnn.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMLOqenxX4I

Chapter Text

“Come quickly, follow me,

Into the Lost Woods where the leaves are green

It’s so serene…

Over here, over there,

Look around you, beauty’s growing everywhere

It’s okay to stare…”

“Stop.”

Vanova unclasped her hands and opened her eyes. “How was that, Dame Mila?” she asked, a smile on her face clearly showing she was looking for praise.

“It’s Lady Mila now. Remember that.” Mila menacingly smacked the wooden cane she was carrying against the ground, causing Vanova to flinch.

“My apologies, Lady Mila,” Vanova corrected.

Mila smirked. Ever since receiving the title of ‘Lady,’ she’d enjoyed the sound of it whenever someone addressed her properly.

The Kokiri girl and her squire stood upon the plateau outside of Akkala Citadel. A small crowd of soldiers had gathered on the battlements below. Perhaps they had heard the singing and merely wished to listen, but given that it was mostly men in the crowd, Mila knew they were likely there just to ogle her beautiful squire. Mila did not mind, however. She enjoyed flaunting her power and authority in front of the rank-and-file all the same.

“What must I improve upon?” Vanova asked.

“Your intonation of ‘ beauty’s growing everywhere ’ is off,” Mila informed her. “It must be more like this.” The Kokiri girl cleared her throat and closed her eyes.

“Over here, over there,

Look around you, beauty’s growing everywhere

It’s okay to stare…”

As she sang, she held out the wooden rod in front of her and moved it along in a wavy motion, matching when she pitched her voice up or down.

“Oohhhh…” The crowd of onlookers below sounded impressed, and began clapping once she was finished.

Mila smiled.

Perhaps these oafs are more cultured than I give them credit for.

“I see,” Vanova said, clapping along with the crowd. “May I attempt it once more, my lady?”

“Of course,” Mila replied. “Proceed.”

Vanova cleared her throat, returning to her singing pose.

“Come quickly, follow me,

Into the Lost Woods where the leaves are green

It’s so serene…

Over here, over there,

Look around you, beauty’s growing everywhere

It’s okay to stare…

Though your heart may want to wander off

Don't lose sight of me no matter what

The right path leads to a place with goods

The wrong path leads back to the beginning of the never ending Lost Woods~”

The crowd below again ooh’d and ahh’d , clapping loudly once Vanova finished. The round-eared girl smiled proudly, taking a bow to her audience.

“Better,” Mila said, giving Vanova some mild praise.

That seemed to be enough for her, however. Vanova smiled proudly. “Thank you, my lady.”

“I think that’s enough for today,” the Kokiri girl declared. “Let us return to the citadel.”

It had been a couple of days since the Blood Moon. Such nights had always been awful back in the forest. The Kokiri were a peaceful people who relied mainly on the protection of the Great Deku Tree to defend themselves from monsters. Mila had never felt safe when the dead rose in the woods. Having spent the most recent Blood Moon in the second largest castle in the world, Mila could safely say it was a preferable experience. Watching from a balcony as hordes of Stalcreatures were gunned down by the canons had been entertaining, too. Even now, the troops on the ground below were still cleaning up the bones from that night.

“You know, my lady, there is a Lost Woods in Holodrum as well,” Vanova remarked as they walked back to the citadel. “I have never been to Holodrum, but they talk about it in Labrynna.”

“Is that so?” Mila asked. “What do they say about it?”

“I’ve heard space works differently there,” the round-eared girl replied. “You could walk in one direction forever, and you may never get out.”

“Sounds just like my Lost Woods,” Mila replied. “There is some truth in the song. It can be a beautiful place. But it can also be a nightmare. You’ll be walking in one place, then suddenly appear in another, with no way to make sense of it. One may even end up in another world.” She smiled to herself, pulling out her sword and examining it. All who saw her sword knew it was valuable due to it being covered in gold leaf, but few knew its true value.

A relic from another world, carried in the sheathe on my back.

After reentering the citadel, Mila began making her way down to the barracks level. Having received her new title, she’d been able to convince Governor Vryciaro to part with some of his soldiers permanently. Lady Mila had some idea of which ones she would like to keep under her command.

However, before she reached her destination, she was stopped in the halls by a messenger.

“Lady Shadowgale,” the plain-clothed servant said, sounding relieved to have found her.

“What is it?” Mila asked irritably, somewhat perturbed by the interruption.

“Prince Percival has called a council,” the servant replied, handing her a small scroll. “There is some distressing news from the capital. Please proceed to the prince’s council chamber at once.”

Mila raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

Perhaps war has broken out in Hebra this time.

“Understood. Now get out of my way,” Mila ordered the messenger.

The man flinched, then nodded quickly and fled.

“Have you heard any news from the capital?” Mila asked Vanova.

“No, my lady.”

The Kokiri girl wished she knew something about the situation before going into this emergency meeting. If she had time to prepare beforehand, she could impress the prince with a solid plan as soon as she heard the bad news.

Perhaps my new title will allow me to hire some Sheikah spies going forward.

Nevertheless, she knew she was good at thinking on her feet. Whatever horrible events had transpired, she was confident she’d be able to make the most of it.


The prince’s council chambers had previously belonged to General Alchon, as had the entire fortress. However, as Mila had hoped, Prince Percival had been quick to claim control of Akkala Citadel as soon as his uncle had died. The Kokiri lady couldn’t help but smile as she reflected on that. The general’s murder had been a stroke of good fortune. No one but her loyal retainer had any idea she had let him die. With the easily manipulatable prince taking his place, everything she had planned would go so much more smoothly.

“Wait for me out here,” Mila commanded Vanova once they had reached her destination. “Speak with the other guards and attendants while I’m in there. I want to know what their masters are saying.”

“Yes, my lady,” Vanova said in a hushed voice, holding the door open for her liege.

Mila nodded as she passed her, stepping into the council chamber.

Those in attendance were most of the people Mila had grown used to seeing at gatherings like this lately. Prince Percival was there, sitting at the head of the table. Prince Silorn was still there, too, although Mila wasn’t exactly sure why. Her worthless previous master, Governor Vryciaro, was sitting quite close to the prince. The bishop Mayro was also in attendance. He had been quite busy since the Blood Moon, performing funeral rites for the fallen and consecration rituals on the undead. And then there was Lady Kaifa, who had previously been General Alchon’s lieutenant, but she now served Prince Percival. Mila got the distinct impression that she saw this as a downgrade. There were about a dozen others seated around the table as well, but although Mila had familiarized herself with them over the course of her time in Akkala, she did not think of them as important.

The look on Prince Percival’s face was strange. He’d never had the best attitude, but he looked kind of angry at the moment. More than that, the way he seemed to avoid meeting anyone’s gaze for too long came off as rather timid. Whatever the bad news was from the capital, it must have been upsetting to him in some way.

“You’re all here,” Percival simply stated once all the seats had been filled. “Let us begin, then.” Holding up his arm, he showed everyone at the table that he was holding a long scroll. “I have just received this message from Toren Remoth, Lord Paramount of Hyrule Ridge.” For some reason, saying the man’s name made Percival toss the message down onto the table in disgust. “My father is dead,” he declared.

Expressions of shock and disbelief echoed throughout the room.

“King Tychon is dead?”

“My word!”

“What in Hylia’s name happened?”

It took all of Mila’s willpower to keep herself from giggling with glee. Another piece had fallen into place without need of her intervention. With Prince Percival, her new patron, being third in line for the throne, she was well positioned to better her station in life even further.

This is better than I could have hoped.

Percival waited for the noise to die down before continuing his explanation. “The warding spells within the capital’s walls failed during the Blood Moon,” he said bitterly. “Unless some halfwit royally fucked up, someone must have sabotaged them. The undead spilled into the city, and then, as if by some cruel joke, a headless demon appeared in the capital and killed Laemora.”

“A demon?”

Laemora is dead?!”

“We are doomed!”

Prince Percival turned to address the bishop Mayro, who was perhaps the most shocked by this news. “Sage Aurun is dead, too. Both he and my father were killed in the chaos. My youngest sister has gone missing as well.”

Mayro’s face slowly descended into his hand, as if his entire world were falling apart.

The news of Laemora’s death intrigued Mila greatly. As a creation of the second Great Deku Tree, she was well aware of the fact that even gods may die. However, one being killed within her lifetime suddenly made her dream of killing Cyclos seem that much more plausible.

What must I do to obtain the power to kill a god?

If this new demon that had arisen had truly obtained such a power, then perhaps she could steal it.

“This is a most unfortunate tragedy, my prince,” Lady Kaifa said. “Have we received any word from your elder sister?” With the king dead, the next in line for the throne was Princess Zelda Victorique, who had left the capital for Gerudo at the same time Prince Percival had left for Akkala.

“Remoth’s letter states that she is on her way back to Hyrule,” Percival replied. He clenched his jaw, as if he were angry about what he was going to say next. “We are to take our armies southwest to Gerudo and fight in her stead.”

“My word. Has the situation in Gerudo worsened?” Prince Silorn asked with concern.

“Dreadfully so,” Lady Kaifa replied. “The Gerudo have taken Yarna. Hyrule no longer maintains any significant footholds in the province.”

“I cannot believe my sister would fail so spectacularly,” Prince Percival said bitterly. “Taafei should never have fallen to these rebels in the first place. What message does this send to the other provinces?”

“The timing of this rebellion in Gerudo and this demon incursion in the capital seems quite suspicious,” Mayro added. “Could they be related? Perhaps the Voe is following in his predecessor’s footsteps.”

“Come, now, friend,” Silorn replied. “I find it unwise to make a scapegoat of the Gerudo so easily. We have no reason to believe this calamitous event in Hyrule had anything to do with them, or their sole male champion.”

As Mila observed the higher-ups’ discussion, she was amazed by how quickly the topic had shifted. It was as if they had all immediately accepted the orders from Lord Remoth, and were now focusing on Gerudo rather than the throne.

Have you so little spine?

“My prince, if I may?” Mila asked, interrupting the current proceedings. She felt all eyes on her, so she tried to sit up to appear taller, which was rather difficult for one trapped in an eleven-year-old’s body.

“What is it?” Percival asked.

Mila was quite peeved by the fact that he did not even address her as ‘Lady Shadowgale,’ a title he himself had bestowed upon her. Nevertheless, she wasn’t about to waste time complaining. “Why is it that we are discussing Gerudo when the City of Hyrule has just been attacked? Our king was murdered. We should be returning to the capital, not talking about traveling southwest.”

Lady Kaifa furrowed her brow. “Our orders came from the queen-in-waiting,” she replied.

“Wrong. They came from Lord Remoth ,” Mila corrected.

Prince Percival narrowed his eyes at her, then grabbed the message off the table and read it again. “Remoth is relaying orders from my sister.”

“And you believe that?” Mila asked, intentionally making it sound as if he must be somewhat stupid to do so.

“What are you implying, Lady Shadowgale?” Kaifa asked.

“I am not implying anything, but the circumstances certainly are.” She gave Lady Kaifa a somewhat contemptuous gaze, then directed her attention back to her liege. “My prince, ask yourself: why would your sister relay her orders to you through Lord Remoth in the first place? Surely she would have sent the message to you directly.”

Prince Percival considered her suggestion. He was beginning to look even more disgruntled, as if angry that he had not thought of it himself. “True. My sister does share our father’s love of efficiency,” he mused. “If she had wished to order me around, she would have done so herself.”

“Perhaps she simply did not wish to take the time to transcribe so many letters,” Prince Silorn suggested. “I presume Lord Remoth is acting as regent at the moment, no? He must have informed the queen-in-waiting of the events that transpired during the Blood Moon, and she must have responded with a request for him to relay her orders throughout the kingdom while she journeyed home.”

Mila did not appreciate Silorn’s attitude. The Zora prince seemed much too trusting; always giving everyone the benefit of the doubt. It made tugging at Prince Percival’s darker impulses that much harder.

“With respect, my prince, but that is nonsense,” Mila replied. “We all know what kind of person the Lord of Spikes is. Can we truly take him at his word when it is so probable that he is lying to us?”

“I would be careful with the nicknames, Lady Shadowgale,” Mayro responded, clearly not appreciating the lack of respect she was showing in this setting. “Or shall we call you the Devil of Shadow Pass?”

Mila smirked at the Hylian’s use of her unofficial title. Clearly the bishop would not be fond of anyone who was thought to be a devil. “I earned that title, yes,” she replied smoothly, and even a little proudly. “But that’s all the more reason to recognize that the Lord of Spikes has earned his . One who impales his enemies upon oversized spikes and then displays them for all to see -- would a man like that truly be above deceit?”

Prince Percival pondered this for a moment. “Remoth sits upon my father’s throne, moments after his blood has been spilled…” he seemed to realize something. “What the hell is he doing in the capital? He was supposed to be in Hebra with my brother and Sophitia.”

Yes. Exactly. It’s all adding up.

“Perhaps he received word of the demon’s invasion and came to help,” Prince Silorn offered charitably. “It has been quite a while since we’ve received word from your siblings, but I believe Lord Remoth was tasked to wait in Midoro until he was needed, so he would have been close by.”

“That seems reasonable,” Lady Kaifa concurred.

Prince Percival begrudgingly nodded along with it as well.

No, no! You fools!

“I still don’t like it,” Mila responded. “The timing doesn’t add up. If things happened the way the Lord of Spikes claims, it would have had to have happened like this…” Mila inhaled, mentally mapping out the timeline so she could share it with the others. “The demon invades the capital during the Blood Moon. A message is sent from the capital to Midoro requesting aid. Lord Remoth travels to the capital and sends a message to Princess Zelda in Gerudo. The princess then sends her response back to the capital, and finally, Remoth sends his message to us here in Akkala. All of that happens in a few days’ time?”

Everyone else around the table took a moment to take that all in. Mila could tell it had been convincing. Even Prince Silorn seemed to find the timing suspicious now.

Check. Now, mate.

“Exactly,” Mila declared authoritatively when no one offered a rebuttal. “The way the timetables add up, it seems as though Lord Remoth sent us a message immediately upon assuming his role as regent. He saw that the king had been killed while all of his children were conveniently off in different provinces, and he made a move to take the throne for himself. Hell, for all we know, he could be the one behind the demon attack!”

“That is a bold accusation,” Mayro warned her sternly.

“Good,” Mila shot back. “ Someone here ought to be bold. Lest we take the word of a traitor and do nothing while our kingdom falls.”

Prince Percival leaned back on his throne. “You clearly think very highly of yourself, Shadowgale.”

As do you.

Mila could have said a lot in response to that, but as safe as she felt speaking her mind to most of the others in the council now that she was a lady, she still had to stay on the Prince’s good side. “Yes. Well, I like to believe that I have earned it.”

Percival smirked. “Perhaps. But, that aside, you raise many excellent points.”

Silorn did not appear happy about that. “My fellow prince, surely you do not mean what I suspect you to be meaning?”

Mila quirked an eyebrow. Something about the way Prince Silorn spoke always seemed odd to her. Hylian was not her first language either, but the Zora prince always took so many words to say nothing.

“The manner in which these orders have been delivered to us is much too suspicious,” Percival went on. “I will not sit idly by while Remoth oversteps his authority and usurps my father’s throne. He has no business delivering orders to a prince. We shall not take our armies to Gerudo where my sister has made a mess of things. No. Instead, we march for Hyrule.”

Mila steepled her hands to hide her self-satisfied smile. Of course, she fully believed Lord Remoth was up to something. Were she in his position, she would be, too. She was not convincing the prince of a lie. All she was doing was pointing him in the right direction -- the direction that was best for him at the moment, and even better for her in the long run.

No must press harder now. We’ll see what happens once we arrive back at the capital.

“I agree that this is the best course of action, my prince,” Lady Kaifa said, glancing uncertainly towards Mila. “However, I feel it is best that we consider all possibilities, and that we exercise all proper cautions and courtesies.”

“Meaning what, Kaifa?” the prince replied.

“Meaning, if your sister, the queen-in-waiting, truly is on her way back to Hyrule now, it is possible that she might arrive before we do,” Lady Kaifa explained. “We should send a message ahead to explain our intentions. Otherwise, it may appear as though we intend to defy the queen’s orders, or, worse still, steal the throne from her ourselves.”

Mila grit her teeth.

Dammit.

She cursed the Hylian woman’s lack of ambition. Sending a message to the capital would do nothing but inform Lord Remoth of their intentions, not Princess Victorique. It would ruin their element of surprise.

Prince Silorn smiled brightly. “Yes! It is only right for us to do so. Percival, imagine the look on your poor sister’s face if she were to see you taking your armies home when she wished for you to help defend Gerudo?”

Percival stared at the other prince blankly for a moment. “Victorique’s expressions are not particularly difficult to imagine,” he deadpanned. “Nevertheless,” he said, turning his attention back to the rest of the table. “I suppose it would be prudent. I will write up a message and send my best Rito to carry it on ahead of us. Anything else?”

Mila opened her mouth to object, but quickly stopped herself. As much as she tried, she was unable to think fast enough to come up with a good reason not to send a message, and a way to say it in a way that wouldn’t reveal her true intentions.

Curses. Still, it is only a minor setback.

Ultimately, she did not think this would change anything, unless Lord Remoth was bold enough to meet their armies head on upon their arrival. With the advantage of Hyrule Castle, he may have been able to succeed if he had the numbers, but surely even he had an image to keep up.

“Good,” the prince continued. “Make all necessary preparations. We must be ready to march as soon as possible. Dismissed.”

Mila stood and filed out of the room with the rest of the prince’s council. Despite a few issues, she was satisfied with the way things were progressing. As far as she was concerned, there was a perfect opportunity to leverage here, and she was going to take advantage of it to the fullest extent possible.


Having traveled from Akkala to Central Hyrule before, Mila could confidently say that this time was the most comfortable the journey had ever been for her. Despite the number of soldiers she’d suddenly ended up with under her command, she was still a bit light on servants, but she’d managed to secure a carriage for herself before they left Akkala Citadel, at least. So, while thousands of Hylians and Zora marched on foot or rode on horseback outside, she was able to sit and relax in comfort and relative safety.

However, she did not spend the whole journey relaxing. The road was long, and she had plans to make. While she was quite happy with what she’d come up with for the prince, her plans were quite risky, and she needed a contingency plan.

If only I knew more about Toren Remoth.

Having come from the south before moving to the northeast, Mila didn’t have much experience with the lords from the western part of the kingdom. She knew Lord Remoth by reputation, but she did not know him personally. How did he think? Who was loyal to him? What resources did he have at his disposal? Was his daughter a weak point for him? All of those questions would have had useful answers. Mila cursed the lack of time she had to prepare.

The Kokiri girl also had doubts about the rest of Prince Percival’s current court. Governor Vryciaro had been the only one she was confident in her ability to control, but he had elected not to come with them to the capital. She wondered if she should have continued to take things slow and let the other lords and ladies warm up to her, rather than being so bold as soon as she attained her new position.

No. This is not the time for taking things slow.

Mila didn’t expect to get another opportunity like this anytime soon. She didn’t even know for certain whether or not she was still immortal now that she’d left Kokiri Forest, even if she didn’t appear to age like the humans did. Making enemies among the nobility would certainly be an issue, but surely the benefits outweighed the costs, especially if her plan was as successful as she hoped.

The carriage slowed to a stop when the convoy arrived at the eastern gates of Hyrule. When the Kokiri lady opened the door, her round-eared retainer was there to help her down to the ground.

“Was the ride comfortable, my lady?” Vanova asked.

“Quite,” Mila replied tersely. She was not paying the other girl much attention. Striding forward, she tried to observe the city walls as best she could. It seemed as though Lord Remoth -- or perhaps the to-be-crowned Queen Victorique -- had prepared for their arrival. Mila had anticipated this, but she still cursed the prince for sending that damn letter.

Atop the wall, dozens of soldiers could be seen. They were armed as if prepared to resist an invasion. Even the catapults had been set up. Aside from the guards posted at the gate, nobody was outside the walls to greet them.

“This looks bad,” Mila mumbled aloud. “But it could be worse.”

Most of the soldiers were wearing the uniform of the City Guard, but Mila could see some of them wearing the distinctive black and red colors of House Remoth. While Mila would have preferred to accompany Prince Percival as he moved into the city unopposed, Lord Remoth would be a significantly easier obstacle to overcome than Queen Victorique.

As much as the prince might resent her, I doubt I’d be able to convince him to fight his sister. At least until he is already on the throne.

Prince Percival had not asked anyone but Sir Onnick and the rest of his personal guard to accompany him to the gate, so Mila did not approach him, although she did move closer to make sure she’d be able to hear everything. The sound of trumpets announced the prince’s arrival, and atop his white horse, he rode up to the gate.

There was a pause. The expectation was that one of two things would happen. One would be that the gates opened to allow the prince inside, at which point he would proceed to Hyrule Castle to speak with the regent. Alternatively, the regent or a representative of his would come out to meet him. However, neither event occurred. Many of the guards looked confused, but no one made a move to do anything.

“Your prince has returned!” Percival announced, putting all of his pride into projecting his voice. “Open the gates!”

“I am afraid that is not possible at the moment, my prince.” One of the black-cloaked knights stepped closer to the parapet, bearing the Orhat symbol of House Remoth upon his armor.

“And for what reason might this be the case?” the prince called back, the irritation obvious in his voice.

“We are under orders from your sister, Queen Zelda Victorique Hyrule,” the black-cloaked knight replied.

Mila was surprised to hear that. This worried her. If the queen had already ascended to the throne, then everything truly would be more difficult than Mila had planned, especially if Lord Remoth’s forces were supporting her in addition to her own.

“Why would my own sister wish to bar me entry into our home? And why would she send the likes of you to tell me this?” Prince Percival had apparently elected to skip the pleasantries at this point. He did not seem the type to like being told ‘ no ’ by anyone, let alone his elder sister.

“It is merely a temporary precaution,” the Remoth knight explained. “Given the sudden and unexpected death of her father, the queen does not wish to risk her position being unlawfully usurped by any jealous siblings before she is given her official coronation.”

Damn. Smart girl.

Whether or not it was a result of the message that had been sent to the capital ahead of them, it seemed as though the queen-in-waiting had thought things through carefully. Stealing the throne would be infinitely harder once she had already been crowned, so barring any potential threats to her reign from entering the city until that point was a reasonable move.

“This is preposterous!” Prince Percival declared. “I demand to speak with my sister at once!”

“I am afraid Queen Zelda is not present at the moment,” Remoth’s knight replied, completely unfazed by the prince’s demands.

“And where might she be, then?”

“She still holds the Coliseum, fending off the Gerudo invasion,” the knight informed him. “She is to return once the rebellion is crushed.”

Mila narrowed her eyes.

She isn’t even here?

That was rather suspicious. She accepted it may have been possible that the princess had relayed all of these orders through Rito messengers, but it all seemed too convenient.

Perhaps Zelda had nothing to do with this, and this is all Remoth’s doing.

“Send out Remoth, then,” the prince ordered. “I would speak with your master, knight.”

The dark-cloaked man shook his head. “That will not be possible either, my prince. The regent is quite busy handling affairs of state. Anything you wish to tell him, you are welcome to pass it along through me.”

Mila almost laughed at the look on Prince Percival’s face. It was as though he had never been more offended in his life. “Tell your master he will regret this insult.”

It was difficult to see from a distance, but Mila was pretty sure the dark knight upon the wall grinned. “As you wish, your highness.”


The prince turned his horse around and signaled for everyone to follow him. No one had unpacked anything to make camp yet, so it was not difficult to move the convoy back. Once they were out of range of the city wall’s archers, Percival ordered everyone to stop again.

“Get my tent sent up immediately,” he told his servants. “Councilmembers, follow me. Everyone else, make camp.” After doling out his orders, Prince Percival climbed down from his horse. Mila and the rest of his lieutenants rushed to his side, but he did not wish to discuss things in front of the whole camp. Instead, he and Sir Onnick led them a short way off of the road to the east towards the Hylia River.

“What are we to do, my prince?” Lady Kaifa asked once they had some privacy. “Shall we proceed towards Gerudo tomorrow to help your sister?”

“Certainly not,” Mila chimed in as quickly as she could. “Are we truly to believe a word of what Remoth’s lackey said? We discussed this back in Akkala already. The man is lying to us.”

“That much is clear,” Prince Percival agreed. “Remoth is not acting on orders from my sister. I doubt he is even in contact with her at all. Aside from notifying her of my father’s death, perhaps.”

“Are you certain, my prince?” Mayro asked. “If Lord Remoth and his subordinate are not telling the truth, that is one thing. But what if their orders truly did come from the queen? Disobeying them would be treason.”

“I can conjure no possible world in which my sister would bar me and the rest of my siblings from entering the city,” Prince Percival declared, sounding rather sure of himself.

“Precisely!” Prince Silorn agreed exuberantly. “I know Victorique quite well. She is an honest, caring woman. I could never believe she would turn her back on her family like that.”

“She cares too much about our family’s image to do it,” Prince Percival went on. “It would make us appear splintered and weak, rather than united and strong.”

Mila was pleasantly surprised Percival hadn’t been fooled by Remoth’s façade.

At least he’s not a complete fool.

The smarter he was, the harder he’d be to manipulate, but at the same time, it would make him a more effective tool.

“It is settled, then,” Mila said, hoping to end the conversation with everyone in favor of her preferred course of action. “Lord Remoth is a traitor to the kingdom, and he is making his bid for the throne. We must remove him from his position immediately.”

“Then how shall we proceed?” Lady Kaifa asked. “I recommended we march for Gerudo anyway. There, we can explain the situation to the queen and join our forces with hers. We can return to reclaim the city together.”

“Yes! Brilliant idea!” Silorn concurred. “We must all work together to ensure the rightful queen may take her place upon Hyrule Castle’s magnificent throne.”

Mila smiled, imagining herself on the throne.

Rightful queen, indeed.

However, she knew she shouldn’t be thinking that far ahead. She was still working towards putting Percival on the throne first. To do that, she had to get him there before Victorique returned from Gerudo, and then she had to convince him to simply claim the throne for himself. She may not have been capable of convincing him to do so at the moment, but after he put in the effort to storm the city and kick the usurper off of the throne, perhaps he would think himself deserving of the position.

“We don’t have time for that,” Mila argued, voicing her disagreement with Kaifa and Silorn. “Lord Remoth controls the entirety of Hyrule Ridge. As soon as he catches wind of what we’re doing, he’ll call for reinforcements and sure up his defenses before we even reach Gerudo. Besides, we can’t take Princess Zelda’s forces for ourselves now. If we do, who will reclaim the Gerudo province?”

“You would have us lay siege to the capital?” the bishop Mayro asked. “Such a thing should only be done if absolutely necessary. Even if Lord Remoth has betrayed the kingdom, there is no way the entirety of the Castle Guard, the City Guard, and the citizenry support him. If we return with the rightful queen, Remoth will be pressured to let her into the city, regardless of what treacherous acts he has been attempting.”

“So long as the Lord of Spikes sits on that throne, he will never give it up peacefully,” Mila stated. She didn’t actually know Lord Remoth enough to be sure of that, but as long as she said it confidently, the others would be inclined to believe her. “If the citizens revolt, he’ll just put a few hundred heads on pikes as a warning to the others, and we’ll have made no real progress.”

“Even if reclaiming the city by force is our only option, we must still retrieve Queen Zelda beforehand,” Lady Kaifa argued. “We cannot take the city with our forces alone.”

Mila had to try her hardest to resist a smirk.

Right into my trap.

“Oh? You do not believe the prince is capable of such a feat?” Mila turned to Prince Percival. “Your highness, was it not you who defeated the Earthquake Sage when your uncle could not? Was it not you who succeeded in bringing peace to the province your father assigned to you, while your siblings brought war to theirs? It is you we need, not your sister.” When she was finished, she waited, hoping for Percival to take the bait.

“Now, now, young fairy lady,” Silorn said, holding out his finned hands in a disarming manner. “Lancel and the Zelda Sisters are all quite talented as well. I do not think it is prudent to blame them for the unfortunate state of Gerudo and Hebra at the present moment.”

“I agree,” Mayro interjected. “Besides, this is the City of Hyrule we are discussing. We cannot make decisions about bringing conflict upon our capital so lightly.”

“No, she’s right,” the prince spoke up, much to Mila’s satisfaction. “Between my forces and Silorn’s, we have more than enough to take the city on our own. We’d best do so before Remoth receives his reinforcements from the Ridge.”

He gave his own justification for it, but Mila knew the deciding factor had been his ego. He was riding the high from his victory in Akkala, and he did not want to appear as if he required his big sister’s help.

This was almost too easy.

“We shall return to camp now,” the prince went on, apparently not interested in hearing any argument. “We must make preparations immediately.”

Chapter 42: Ayako I

Chapter Text

The funeral pyre was a massive, rectangular wooden platform with hay and other flammable materials placed beneath it. All across the platform, corpses lay in neatly spaced rows. Some of them were uncovered, showing they had their hands crossed in front of them, giving them the appearance of being ready to depart for the afterlife peacefully. If the bodies had any wounds, they were well-covered by the simple clothing they’d been dressed in. Many of the bodies, however, were covered by white shrouds. Some may have been damaged to the point of being unpleasant to see. Others may have been the corpses of ReDeads, likely the very same monsters that had killed some of the others upon the pyre.

This was a common sight after a Blood Moon. Every two and a half years or so, when a red moon rose in the night sky, the dead returned to walk the earth. Many would linger for years until a soldier or some traveling adventurer would encounter and slay them, but a good number of them were slain that very night. However, they always took many of the living with them.

Hylian priests walked up and down the rows of bodies, saying their prayers, giving the dead their last rites. The corpses would all be burned shortly. The burning was to ensure none of them would return as ReDeads due to lingering effects of the Blood Moon, and the last rites were to ensure none of them returned as a Poe. However, no matter how hard they tried, some of the bones would inevitably return as Stalfos during the next Blood Moon, ready to continue the cycle.

“We should return to the walls, your highness,” Ayako suggested. She did not wish for Princess Zelda to see this any longer.

“I have duties here, too, Aya,” Victorique replied solemnly. “These people were my subjects. I wish to honor them properly.”

The two of them stood near the pyre, which had been constructed under the princess’s orders just outside of the Coliseum. With the Gerudo currently invading from the south, Ayako hadn’t wanted the princess to ever leave the safety of the walls, but Victorique had insisted the entire plateau on which the Coliseum had been built was made perfectly safe by the cliffs and the lake surrounding it.

When the priests finished sending the spirits of the deceased, they walked off of the platform and joined the circle of onlookers standing around it. Many of them picked up torches and began to light them. When they did, the princess turned to Ayako and nodded. The bodyguard nodded back, and they each lifted a torch as well.

While the crowd of observers watched, Ayako, the princess, and the priests returned to the edges of the pyre. Together, they lowered their torches into the flammable materials beneath the platform, setting it alight. As the flames quickly spread, the torchbearers stepped away, watching it burn.

“It was another tragic Blood Moon,” Ayako remarked. “If only we could have saved more.”

“We saved as many as we could. Let us not forget that,” Zelda replied, somewhat optimistically. “I can only pray my sister managed to make it back to the capital in time.”

Ayako nodded. While their forces had spent the night of the Blood Moon defending the region, Princess Victorique had sent Princess Seraphina back to the capital sometime earlier. The combination of the upcoming Blood Moon and the impending Gerudo invasion had rendered the Coliseum quite unsafe for a child, as Victorique had said. Not that the Coliseum was usually a place of safety, anyway.

“Shall we return, your highness?” Ayako asked. “With the threat of the Blood Moon behind us, perhaps we’d best refocus our attention to the war effort.”

Princess Victorique gazed into the flames for a while longer. Ayako was transfixed by the princess’s eyes. They always seemed to belong to a woman much older than she truly was. At the moment, she seemed to be considering something deeply.

“There is one more thing I would like to check,” the princess replied. “But yes, let us head inside.”


The Coliseum’s entrance was through the mouth of a gigantic, horned dragon skull. The skull had belonged to the great dragon Aquamentus, for whom the surrounding lake was named. A Hero had slain the dragon on this very spot in ages past, and the Coliseum had been built upon it as a place for others to prove themselves through combat. Aside from being a place for aspiring warriors to demonstrate their skill, it served as entertainment for the people of Hyrule, being able to seat as many as 100,000 spectators.

However, the Coliseum was more than just a fighting pit with spectator seating surrounding it. The outer walls were 70 meters high, and they were outfitted with the same defenses one would find on a Hyrulean castle, including archer towers and cannons. Given the fact that dangerous monsters were housed beneath the Coliseum, security was a matter of the utmost importance so as to ensure nothing got in or out without the permission of those who controlled the premises.

The Coliseum’s structural defenses, along with its strategic location beside a mountain and surrounded by cliffs and a lake, made it the ideal location for Princess Victorique’s purposes. Many of her advisors had been confused by her decision to evacuate and abandon Yarna rather than reinforce the city and make their stand there, but she had assured them that this was the correct decision. From within the Coliseum, they would serve as Hyrule’s border guard, preventing the Gerudo from invading Hyrule proper.

Inside the walls, Ayako had been expecting Victorique to lead her to one of the upper floors in the back of the stadium. That was where honored guests would stay, and it was where all major discussions concerning the war effort had been held so far. However, Victorique led her to one of the staircases leading down into the vast subsystem beneath the arena.

“Do you intend to inspect the troops?” Ayako asked. The Coliseum’s gladiators were usually housed in simple living quarters within the subsystem, and at the moment, the princess’s forces were making use of this space to house the bulk of their troops. The whole place was dark and somewhat dingy, but it was not too unlike the barracks the soldiers were used to.

“Not the troops,” Victorique replied. Rather than elaborating further, she brought Ayako to the entrance of the dungeon. The princess was able to swing open the heavy metal door with an application of one of her magnesis spells, and the two of them stepped through, heading down the stairs.

“Here?” Ayako asked. “What business have you here?”

“I am curious about something,” she said simply.

At the bottom of the stairs, they found themselves in a small room furnished with little more than a few tables and chairs. There were several barred doors along the walls, which presumably led to the cells where prisoners and monsters were held. About a dozen guards were waiting in the room, some of whom were standing at their posts and some of whom were lounging at the tables. However, upon seeing the princess, all of them immediately stood at attention.

“Your highness!” one of them said quickly. “W-What brings you down here?”

“I wish to view the monsters,” Victorique replied.

Ayako furrowed her brow, wondering what her mistress was up to.

The guard who’d spoken seemed similarly confused, but he did not question the princess. “Um. Well, certainly. Right this way.” The man fumbled with a gigantic key ring he’d been carrying on his waist. When he found the right key, he opened one of the barred doors and gestured through it. Victorique and Ayako each gave him a curt nod as they passed by. The guard followed them in afterwards, locking the door and standing by it.

They could not see any monsters yet from where they stood, but Ayako could already hear the telltale sounds. Growling, snarling, barking, scratching; all the usual horrible noises. The Sheikah woman did not know what kinds of creatures they held in that dungeon, but she had fought various monsters all throughout Hyrule. Her charge traveled often, and traveling the roads of Hyrule invariably meant running into dangerous, untamed beasts.

The first cell they passed by held three Bokoblins. They were the big-eared ones from Necluda with somewhat bat-like heads. One of them was sitting in the corner, staring at the stone wall. The other two seemed to have been in the middle of an argument, screeching at one another in their primitive tongue. Upon spotting the two Hylians walking past their cell, one of them ran up to the bars, screeching angrily. Ayako responded by stepping between the monster and the princess and slashing her large naginata across the bars above the Bokoblin’s head. Both Bokoblins screeched in terror, leaping away from the bars.

“Mongrels,” Ayako muttered.

“Do not harm them,” Victorique instructed.

“Why not?” Ayako asked, although she was not really seeking an answer.

The next cell contained a gigantic Wolfos. The creature was vaguely humanoid, but entirely wolf-like in its features. Its large body was covered in gray and brown fur. At the moment, it was curled up on the ground, sleeping soundly, but it looked as though it would have been over two meters tall if standing upright.

“Did you hear it howling during the Blood Moon?” Victorique asked, stopping to stare down at the sleeping creature.

Ayako furrowed her brow. “I do not recall.” So much had happened that night, and a wolf’s howl would not have been unusual enough to stand out.

“Even down here, where it couldn’t see the moon, it still howled,” the princess went on, crouching down to study the monster more closely. “Somehow, it knew.”

“Don’t get too close, Princess,” her bodyguard warned. “If it bites you, you might be cursed, too.”

“I am not aware of any evidence to substantiate that myth,” Victorique replied.

The Sheikah woman was confused. “Is that why you wanted to come down here?” she asked. “Because the Wolfos was howling?”

“Not only for the Wolfos.” Princess Zelda stood, continuing down the hall. “There are many tales of monsters reacting strangely to the Blood Moon,” she explained. “Some seem to fear it as much as we do. Some seem as connected to it as the undead. As I’ve said before, in order to truly protect our people from the threat that monsters pose, we must first understand them.”

“That does not mean you need to be the one to study them, Princess,” Ayako pointed out. “You’ve already convinced your father to increase funding for the Grand Alchemist’s and Lady Fleur’s research. Let them deal with these beasts.”

However, Victorique ignored her bodyguard’s objections, continuing on to the next cell. This one contained a peculiar sight. A humanoid monster, nearly three meters tall and with the head of a doberman, stood in the center of the cell. It wore a full suit of plate armor that was very similar to a Hyrulean knight’s, although was not wearing its helmet at the moment. It stood proudly at attention, gazing down at the princess. Despite Ayako’s warnings, Princess Victorique walked right up to the bars, so Ayako readied her naginata and stood beside her.

“Can you understand me, Darknut?” Zelda asked the armored creature.

The dog-monster said something in response, but it likely did not understand her. Its words were in a language Ayako was not familiar with. The creature’s voice was deep, but its words were surprisingly less primitive and guttural than those of the Blins. Most notably, despite the rest of its words being indecipherable, the Darknut very clearly included the word ‘ Hylian ’ in its response.

“Did you hear that?” Victorique asked, glancing at her bodyguard. “Perhaps he was telling us that he did not speak Hylian.”

“Or perhaps it said ‘ Release me or I shall kill you, Hylian ,’” Ayako replied.

“Nevertheless, I would like to send for a tutor from the capital,” Victorique said. “We may be able to teach this one to speak our tongue.” The princess took a step back and bowed to the monster. To Ayako’s amazement, the Darknut repeated the gesture, bowing back to her.

“That, too, is a sign of intelligence,” Victorique noted before continuing down the corridor.

“Please,” Ayako replied skeptically. “I’ve seen your horse bow to you.”

Princess Zelda had already moved on to the next dungeon cell. This one contained both a Lizalfos and a larger, more intimidating Dinolfos. When Ayako and Victorique stopped to observe them, Ayako was expecting the encounter to be no more interesting than the last three. However, as if angered by their presence, the Dinolfos suddenly grabbed the Lizalfos and slammed it against the bars. The larger one held the smaller one in place, as if attempting to strangle it. The smaller Lizalfos squirmed and attempted to bite the Dinolfos in the neck.

“Get back, Princess,” Ayako warned, pushing her charge away from the cell with one arm while her other arm readied her weapon. “Filthy savages. Shall we summon the guards?”

“No,” Victorique replied, watching intently over her bodyguard’s shoulder. “I am curious as to why they are in conflict.”

“Why don’t you ask them?” Ayako replied sarcastically, watching as the Dinolfos pulled the smaller monster away from the bars, only to slam it against them again. With all the noise they were making, Ayako nearly missed the sound of a door swinging open. She reflexively stepped to the right, putting herself between the princess and the source of the noise. As she did, she spotted the shimmering, camouflaged figure of a Chameleofos charging at them. “ Princess !” she shouted, swinging her weapon at the monster.

However, the Chameleofos did not attack them. Instead, it leapt over them, running for the exit at the far end of the hall. The guard by the door fumbled with his weapon, clearly caught off guard and likely to be killed by the monster on its way out. Calmly, Victorique lifted her left hand. A shimmering blue crystal barrier appeared around the Chameleofos, trapping it just a meter from the guard.

Within the short period of time during which Ayako and Victorique were distracted, the Lizalfos and the Dinolfos ceased their fighting and came through the open cell door as well. Not taking any chances, Ayako thrust her naginata straight through the Dinolfos’s chest. It wailed in pain, and the Lizalfos ran right past them.

However, it did not get far. Still keeping her left arm aloft as she maintained her barrier spell, Victorique raised her right arm next. With it, she cast a magnesis spell, ripping the open cell door off of its hinges. The door flew across the room and slammed into the sprinting Lizalfos. The door then pressed the monster into the ground, pinning it in place.

Ayako pulled her weapon out of her opponent’s chest, then swiftly swung it again, decapitating the Dinolfos with one clean stroke. “Princess, are you alright?” she asked worriedly, turning her attention back to her charge as soon as the threat had been neutralized.

“I am unharmed,” the princess replied. “But I would rather not hold these two forever.” As she spoke, her captives were struggling against their respective prisons.

“Right,” Ayako replied, getting the message. “Guards!” she called.

By then, the guard at the end of the hallway was already opening the door. A whole group of his compatriots rushed in, wondering what the commotion was about.

“Get these monsters in restraints and move them to a new cell,” Ayako ordered. “Do it now. Your princess is in danger.”

“Yes, Lady Impa!” The guards were quick to obey. Soon, they were hauling the lizard monsters away in chains, leaving Victorique no longer occupied with spellwork.

“Has your curiosity been sated yet, your highness?” Ayako asked. “I would rather not stay down here in the dungeons, waiting for something like that to happen again.

“That was no accident,” Victorique mused, glancing between the cell and the monsters being dragged away.

“What?” Ayako asked. “Of course it wasn’t. They broke out and attacked us.”

“I mean all of it,” the princess explained. “Those two faked a fight to distract us from what the camouflaged one was doing. Then they dropped their act when the door was open and tried to escape together while we were occupied.”

The Sheikah bodyguard furrowed her brow. “Apologies, Princess, but I do not understand. Even if those monsters were capable of all that, what difference does it make?”

Victorique did not answer. She looked past Ayako, seeing several other cells filled with monsters that she hadn’t inspected yet. “I suppose I may return later,” she replied, finally relenting to Ayako’s suggestion of leaving. “I would also like to consider the possibility of unleashing some of these monsters on our enemies when they attack.”

“I see.” Ayako was impressed. She’d thought the princess had come down here on a mere whim, but apparently, she was also considering the practical applications of these beasts at the same time. “A marvelous idea.” The Sheikah woman had no love for the monsters or the Gerudo. Having them fight each other would be a boon for Hyrule no matter which side won.

“Let us return to the surface, then.” Victorique cupped her hands behind her back and started towards the entrance.

As they walked past the various monsters again, Ayako noted the way the creatures reacted to them. The Darknut had not moved from its spot, but it gave Ayako a nod. The gesture somehow seemed to carry the message that it was impressed with her, as if it had seen her slay the Dinolfos and it approved of her skill. Ayako furrowed her brow in confusion, but shook it off, thinking she was imagining things.

The Wolfos, despite all the loud noises and the commotion that had occurred nearby, was somehow still asleep. The Sheikah woman wondered if this was the behavior of a predator that feared no predators of its own; used to being at the top of the food chain. But then again, perhaps the monsterkeepers had simply given it some sort of tranquilizing elixir in order to make the beast easier to manage.

The two Bokoblins who had been arguing earlier had returned to whatever their feud was, but upon spotting Ayako, they again shrunk back in fear. The one sitting in the corner still had not moved.

“Such strange little things,” the Sheikah woman muttered under her breath.


It was a few days after the Blood Moon when the Gerudo moved again. Princess Victorique had sent several scouting forces to keep tabs on the path between the Coliseum and Yarna, and according to their reports, Queen Urballa had left Yarna to move most of her host north, intending to cross the Digdogg Suspension Bridge. That had been some time ago. So, Victorique had called another meeting of her council in order to prepare their next move.

The council table had been set up in a room that overlooked the arena from up high. Ordinarily, it was used by the nobles who owned and operated the Coliseum to discuss business and plan events. As such, the decor did not carry the usual atmosphere of a war room, but it suited their purposes well enough.

Crown Princess Victorique sat at the head of the table, joined by a dozen or so of her closest advisors, some of whom had been assigned to her by the late king himself. Ayako did not recognize all of them, but she was familiar with most of the important attendants. One was Lord Gotter, a rather portly, clean-shaven, middle-aged man. He did not have as much military experience as some of the others, but his wealth provided a good deal of their funding, so he had originally been brought along in hopes of appeasing the Gerudo in matters related to rupees.

In contrast, the wisened Sheikah general known as Dorian was an accomplished tactician and samurai. He had a hardened face and piercing red eyes, along with bushy white eyebrows, sideburns, and a soul patch. Ayako and several of her cousins had trained under him in the past, and she felt confident that his contributions would help lead them to victory.

The only other member of the council who Ayako considered to be of note was Narah. An auburn-haired, middle-aged Hylian woman dressed in fine robes and a wide-brimmed hat, she was one of Hyrule’s foremost court wizards. Victorique had been studying under her for longer than Ayako had known the princess, and Narah’s teachings were what had made Victorique into such an accomplished sorceress.

“It is highly unlikely that the Gerudo would choose to scale the cliffs that protect us from the south,” Dorian said, leaning against the meeting table to gesture across the map they had laid out. “Which means, should they make it past the Digdogg Suspension Bridge, their only options are to proceed north or east at the pass.”

“We shouldn’t discount the possibility entirely,” Narah disagreed. “The Gerudo have plenty of sorceresses among them, many of whom are expected to be capable of flight.” As she spoke, the court wizard moved her hand to draw attention to some of the pieces placed among the Gerudo forces on the map. The models had been made to represent different divisions within their armies, with the ones she indicated being used to represent magical troops.

“True, but the Gerudo would only send a flying force like that as a means to attack our battlements,” Princess Victorique replied. “We are prepared for such raids. The majority of their forces will still proceed on foot, regardless of what their magic divisions may do.”

“Have we obtained any further reports on the current battle?” Lord Gotter asked. “Perhaps the enemy has already been defeated. It would be a waste to stay here any longer if Queen Urballa and her army aren’t even coming.”

“Our last update stated that the Gerudo had reached the bridge. It would be premature to discuss our departure now,” Ayako informed him, narrowing her eyes. She could not tell if Gotter wanted them to leave out of fear for his safety or because he wished to resume ordinary Coliseum activities, which he no doubt had a large stake in. Either way, she did not trust that his intentions were entirely pure. “The defenses Princess Zelda has set up along the bridge will no doubt prove formidable, but the Gerudo are fierce warriors, and we still do not know the full extent of the Voe’s power.”

The Digdogg Suspension Bridge, given its status as the primary connection between the Gerudo Province and Central Hyrule, was ordinarily equipped with several defenses, including guard posts along the islands and cannons along the Great Plateau. However, after their party had departed from Yarna, the princess had dispatched a group of powerful Zora hydromancers to guard the Regencia Lake as a further precaution. If they could not defeat the Gerudo, they would at least thin their numbers and slow them down considerably.

“Impa is right,” Dorian replied. “If the enemy were routed, our next course of action would be clear, so there is little use discussing it. We must prepare for the worst, so as to avoid being caught unprepared.” Leaning over the map on the table, he waved his hand over the road to the south of their position. “If they head east, it would be a disaster for us,” he stated. “Gatepost is heavily populated, especially since many have taken refuge there due to the Blood Moon. If at all possible, we must encourage the enemy to travel north instead.”

“Agreed,” Victorique said. “North would take them to either Satori or Windvane, but both are much further than Gatepost, and they would never make it that far with our cannons on them.” Waving her hand, the princess used her magic to lift some of the pieces on the board, shifting their positions around on the map. “If we set up additional archer divisions and cannons along both cliffs, we can easily turn the road between our position and the Great Plateau into a kill zone. They would see it coming a mile away, and thus would avoid it at all costs.” With another few waves of her hand, some of the pieces representing their troops were moved into position in the nearby town. “But even so, we will need some troops stationed at the west end of Gatepost to defend it, just in case.”

“The question then becomes, how best to defend ourselves once they take the road north?” Ayako added, moving around the edge of the table to get closer to the area in question. “Would they attempt to cross the lake somehow? Or take the time to circle all the way around to the Aquame Bridge?”

“I must again remind you of the Gerudo sorceresses,” Narah replied. “We mustn’t underestimate their ability. I’m certain they will have some clever trick planned. For instance, say they climb this hill here,” she said, levitating a quill pen to point out a location on the map, just west of Aquame Lake. “The elevation is high enough. Should they be able to conjure some sort of bridge, they would easily be able to move their forces across it.” With a few small finger movements, some of the tiny model trees on the map turned sideways and flew over to the gap between the hill and the island on which the Coliseum was built, forming a makeshift bridge.

“If they were to attempt such a thing, could they not do the same across from the Great Plateau to the cliffs beside us?” Lord Gotter pointed out, gesturing to the space between the two indicated geographic features.

“A good point, my lord,” Princess Victorique replied, quickly constructing a bridge similar to Narah’s. “The distance and relative heights are roughly the same, and if they were to take our battlements on the Great Plateau, they would be able to use them against our battlements on the cliffs.”

“So then these are the two most likely points of attack,” Dorian summarized. “And we can assume the Gerudo would attempt to strike them both at once so as to lay siege to our position on two fronts.”

“Then that is what we will prepare for,” the princess declared. “We will need troops and cannons at these points of attack, plus another detachment to guard the bridge as a precaution, and an additional detachment to guard Gatepost,” she stated, moving the pieces around on the board to match the numbers she anticipated they’d need at each location. “It would also be worth sending scouts to keep an eye on the Manhala and Gleeok Bridges, just in case they attempt to cross them.”

“We should do a final sweep of the Coliseum grounds as well. You never know where there might be an unanticipated vulnerability,” Narah suggested.

Before anyone else could add anything, the door to the makeshift council chamber slammed open, drawing everyone’s attention. A very disheveled-looking young Hylian man dressed in a scout’s uniform entered, escorted by two of the princess’s royal guards.

“News from the front?” General Dorian asked.

“Yes, my lord,” the scout replied, not doing much to make it sound like good news. He pulled a scroll of paper from his carrying bag and unfurled it. “The Gerudo have crossed the Digdogg Suspension Bridge. The Zora forces and much of our own have been devastated, along with the cannon battlements along the edges of the Great Plateau.”

There was immediate murmuring throughout the room. Princess Zelda snapped her fingers and held out her hand expectantly. The messenger quickly approached her, still flanked by the guards.

“Thank you,” Zelda said, taking the report from him. “You may go.”

“Princess,” the scout replied with a short bow before being escorted out of the room.

“Is it as bad as it sounds?” Lord Gotter asked. He nervously adjusted the collar of his robes, beads of sweat falling down his forehead.

“Yes,” the princess replied, her eyes scanning quickly back and forth as she read. “Although we were not without some successes. A large portion of the Gerudo forces were thinned by the Zora mages I posted beneath the bridge, and the initial contact between Queen Urballa’s front line troops and ours was strongly in our favor, initially.”

“Then what happened?” Narah asked. “It sounds as though our strategy was quite effective.”

“The Voe happened,” Princess Zelda stated. Finished with the report, she slid the paper onto the table so that others might read it if they wished. “He was leading the second wave of the enemy forces. When he joined the battle, witnesses say he cleared the veil of mist the Zora had conjured, devastated the Zora forces with powerful electromancy, and then flew atop the Great Plateau to destroy our cannons.”

“One man did all of that?” Lord Gotter said in astonishment, sounding terrified by the prospect.

“That is what those who witnessed it claim,” Victorique confirmed. “It is possible that what we feared most has come to pass. The spirit of Ganon may have been awakened within the Voe.”

“Impossible,” Ayako said, also quite shocked by this news. “You and Sage Aurun examined the Voe back in Taafei. I thought his possession was a mere spiritual connection, not anything like this .”

“This was always a possibility, even if the connection between them was benign at first,” Victorique explained. “Ganondorf may be fully possessing his body now, or perhaps Prince Harun is siphoning the demon king’s power for himself. Either way, a powerful enemy has risen against Hyrule, and we do not have the Hero to fight him.”

“Well then what are we waiting for?” Lord Gotter replied. “We should put out requests to every adventurer in the kingdom. Get them all to head for Kokiri Forest and retrieve the Master Sword. One of them is bound to be able to do it. If we offer a substantial reward for--”

“The one who will be able to draw that sword will not be motivated by rupees,” the princess interrupted. “Besides, it would not be wise to spread this information to the citizenry. They have no means to fight it, so it would only serve to sew panic and fear. We shall defeat this enemy here, ourselves, as has always been the plan.”

Lord Gotter was clearly not satisfied with that answer, but he wiped his forehead with a handkerchief and nodded. “Very well, your highness.”

“Then what should we do?” Narah asked. “If this boy is truly as dangerous as you say, what is to be done about him? The last demon king required the Master Sword and the complete Fused Shadow to bring down. We are strong, but we may yet require reinforcements of some sort, even if it isn’t the Hero.”

Ayako studied her charge’s face closely. She was expecting the princess to have a solution in mind already, but she hesitated, likely working something out on the spot. “When last we spoke, Prince Harun wished to have his connection to Ganon severed.”

“That would not seem to be the case now,” General Dorian replied. “If he truly is using the demon’s power against our people, he must have embraced it as a weapon to wield against his enemies.”

“Perhaps,” Victorique replied, sounding unconvinced. “But he saved my sister’s life. There is good in him, which means he can be reasoned with.”

“Forgive me, Princess, but that may be exactly why he cannot be reasoned with,” Dorian said grimly. “I do not doubt that many of the Gerudo are fighting for what they believe to be a righteous cause, however misguided it may be. They will not back down any more than we will.”

“I am not convinced of that.”

Princess Zelda’s gaze was as determined as ever. Even Ayako thought she was being too naive and optimistic, but she admired her charge’s conviction, and she trusted her enough to go along with whatever she decided.

“Despite her objections to Lady Vapith’s rule, Queen Urballa has always been willing to work with us peacefully,” Victorique went on. “She has only been pushed to take these extreme measures because she believes we are responsible for her daughter’s death. Once we convince her of the truth, she and her followers will back down, her foster son included.”

Lord Gotter looked almost disgusted. “Are you suggesting we reopen negotiations with Urballa now ? After everything she’s done? She killed Lady Vapith. Pillaged Taafei and Yarna. Even now, she marches on our lands with a demon spawn on her leash.”

“She has been manipulated by her daughter’s true killer,” Victorique asserted. “I will hold her responsible for her actions, I assure you of that, but she is not our true enemy.”

“But we have no idea who killed Princess Sabah,” Narah pointed out. “And we have no way to investigate the crime anymore now that Taafei is so far behind us. Queen Urballa will not listen to us if we cannot even give her the name of the true culprit.”

Ayako did not like disagreeing with her charge, but her advisors were raising some good points. “Your highness,” she said, wishing to remain supportive while still being honest. “Perhaps we may send word to Urballa requesting a meeting to negotiate peace terms, but perhaps it would be best to prepare for battle either way. The others are right. The chances of the Gerudo queen giving up the fight now are extremely slim. We must be prepared for the worst.”

“Naturally,” the princess agreed. There was a brief moment of silence as she contemplated her next words, her lips pursed in concentration. “Very well. I will draw up the message to be delivered to Urballa, but beyond that, the Voe’s newfound power changes nothing. We shall prepare our defenses as originally planned. Any other questions?”

“No, Princess.”

“Very good,” Victorique nodded. “Ladies, gentlemen, I believe we have our plan of action. Let us make it happen.”


The cannons boomed as they fired, launching four-kilogram cast iron shots far into the distance. The Gerudo had not arrived yet, although the intel provided by the scouts had informed the princess and her lieutenants that the enemy was camped out at a lower elevation closer to the bridge, out of sight and out of range. The enemy would be launching their assault any day now, so the cannoneers were merely firing practice shots in order to be sure of their range and accuracy.

The journey from the Coliseum up to the battlements set up along the cliffs had been rather short. There was a lift constructed on the near side of the cliffs that allowed for cannons and other supplies to be transported up to the top. Ayako and her charge had been elevated by that lift, so only a short bit of walking had been required.

“Do you have any suspects for Princess Sabah’s true killer?” Ayako asked the princess. Victorique had shared her speculations previously, but that was some time ago. The bodyguard had not thought about it much since then, but she figured the princess may have.

“The witch Kobami is still the obvious choice,” Victorique replied. A cannon fired beside her, causing her hair to billow in the wind. Once the sound of the impact ceased, she continued. “But there are many among the Ganonites who would have employed such a trick in order to force the queen’s hand against us, so it is impossible to tell.”

“You do not suspect anyone from our side, then?” Ayako asked.

“Of course not,” Princess Zelda said definitively. “There are none among us who would benefit from it. No one hated Princess Sabah, no one wanted war with Gerudo, and no one would be foolish enough to think killing her daughter would bring Urballa in line.”

“True,” Ayako concurred. “I suppose if any of our people were to have murdered anyone, it would have been Prince Harun or Urballa herself.”

“Precisely.” Another cannon fired. Victorique watched how the cannonball soared through the air and crashed into the countryside. She did not seem satisfied with something, and lifted her ledger to note something down.

A few moments later, Ayako heard the flapping of large wings above them. Instinctively, she clutched her naginata and stepped closer to the princess, looking up at the source of the noise. Luckily, it was merely a messenger Rito.

“Princess Zelda,” the Rito said, lowering himself to the ground.

“Yes?” she asked the postman, looking up from her ledger.

“I’m terribly sorry, your highness, but I have an urgent message from the capital.” The postman extended his wing, clutching a sealed envelope.

The princess nodded and took the envelope into her hand. “Thank you. You may go.”

The Rito nodded and flew off.

Ayako watched as Victorique opened the letter and read it. Urgent messages from the capital were rarely good news, so Ayako did not expect the princess to be happy about whatever it was that she read. Victorique clearly tried to maintain her stoic expression, but her bodyguard saw it falter slightly. Her lips parted and her eyes opened in alarm. Ayako could even see tears forming.

“Princess?” Ayako asked.

Victorique flinched, then quickly composed herself. “There’s… been an attack,” she replied, handing the letter to her bodyguard. When the Sheikah woman took it, the princess turned back to observe the cannon tests again.

Worriedly, Ayako quickly skimmed the contents of the letter. “By the gods…”

A demon attack? Victorique’s father is dead? Her sister is missing?

“Princess…”

“Lord Remoth can handle things for now,” Zelda replied before she could say anything else. “We still have a job to do here.”

Chapter 43: Jeanne I

Chapter Text

This isn’t Hyrule Castle.

Having spent so much time in the home of the Royal Family, Jeanne felt like she knew just about every square inch of it like the back of her hand. The only exceptions were the places almost no one went to, like the Windowless Tower. However, she had no reason to believe that was where she was at the moment. All she knew was that she did not recognize the ceiling she was staring at.

Her mind was still quite hazy, but it was coming back to her. The last thing she remembered was being attacked by Hyrulean guards. She did not know why, but they had been after the princess. So, she had done her best to get Seraphina to safety, and then she had continued to fight until everything had gone black.

Before that, the Blood Moon had arisen, and the Goddess of Light had told Seraphina there was something wrong with the wards along the city wall. And then the Sheikah arrived and attacked the king.

None of that makes any sense.

Jeanne was beginning to wonder if she had dreamt the entire ordeal. Perhaps she had fallen ill during the Blood Moon, and that was why she had been placed in this bed. It was quite comfortable, and there were white cloth drapings providing her with privacy. Moving at all was still quite difficult, but she could see she was dressed in a white gown.

I hope Seraphina is not lonely.

Whenever Dame Jeanne found herself sick or injured, another member of the Royal Guard filled in for her duties. Seraphina was always happy as long as someone was paying attention to her, but she got even happier whenever Jeanne returned after an absence. It made the knight worry about Seraphina missing her.

I have to find her.

As Jeanne climbed out of bed, the curtains ruffled, and someone stepped through them. However, it wasn’t exactly a someone . It was a Bokoblin. Perhaps the creature had been expecting Jeanne to still be asleep, because upon seeing her on her feet, the Bokoblin froze in place. The knight and the monster stared at each other for a while, mutually confused.

This Bokoblin was thin and blue-skinned. Its ears were long and pointy, sticking out to the sides, and it had a single horn on its forehead. It had a small, upturned nose on its face, and two pronounced fangs poked upwards from its mouth like small tusks. Jeanne recognized this variety of Bokoblin, sometimes referred to as a Devilblin due to its penchant for smiling in a way that appeared rather sinister. Rather than ordinary monster garb, the Bokoblin wore simple orange robes. It carried no weapons, but instead held a piece of parchment in one hand.

When her surprise wore off, Jeanne leapt into a battle stance, glancing around herself in search of a weapon. She found none, but it seemed as though the Bokoblin was not looking for a fight anyway. Upon seeing the knight’s sudden movements, the little monster took off running, screeching in terror.

When the adrenaline wore off, Jeanne leaned against the bed, clutching her side. She hadn’t realized it before, but her wounds were clearly not fully healed yet. “What is going on here…?” she muttered to herself. Was she being held captive by monsters? If that were the case, why would she be unbound and sleeping in a comfortable bed? And if she were in a hospital of some sort, why would there be monsters there?

Clutching her side, Jeanne slowly made her way forward, holding onto the side of the bed for support. When she reached the curtains, she pushed them aside. She was in a larger room with other areas sectioned off like hers was. There were presumably other beds behind the other sets of curtains she could see, but if there was anyone else in the room with her, they weren’t making noise. Jeanne considered calling out, but then she thought of the Bokoblin.

If there’s one monster, there can always be more.

She didn’t make it far from her bed before she heard footsteps coming from around the corner. The knight had no weapons to fight with, but she nonetheless stood upright, willing to either bluff her way out of trouble or fight regardless of her injuries.

However, it was not a Bokoblin, or any other kind of monster. Instead, it was a Hylian woman with red hair and spectacles, wearing a violet overcoat. The woman smiled when she came around the corner and saw Jeanne.

The injured knight’s eyes opened wide as she recognized the other redhead. “ Fleur …?” she said in surprise.

Before Jeanne could say anything else, the bespectacled woman threw herself at the knight, wrapping her arms around the other woman in a tight hug. “Sister!” Fleur cried excitedly. “So good to see you!”

“Fleur, where am I?” Jeanne asked quickly, wishing to clear up her confusion as soon as possible. “ Agh…

“Ooh,” Fleur stepped back from her, but still tried to help hold her up. “Sorry. Still injured, huh? Where’s it hurt?”

“Everywhere.”

“Makes sense. Come on. Let’s get you back into bed.”

“No,” Jeanne shook herself from her sister’s grip. “There’s no time. There are monsters about.”

“Who? You mean Skrags? Don’t worry about him. He’s harmless,” Fleur said casually, as if it were completely normal.

“You named it?”

Fleur chuckled. “Come on. Just sit back down for a minute. We have so much to catch up on!”

Jeanne reluctantly allowed her sister to help her back over to the bed, but she merely leaned against it rather than lying back down. “Funny that you would say that, sister.”

“Hm? What do you mean?”

“What do I mean? Where the hell have you been! You never write. You never visit the castle. I thought you were in the Outer Continent again!”

“Oh. Well, usually I am,” Fleur replied. “I got back recently, though. Now come on, I gotta look at your wounds.” Fleur once again put her hands on Jeanne, urging her back into the bed.

Jeanne reluctantly sat on the edge of the bed, then took a moment to examine herself. It was true that she had stitches and other signs of injury all over her body, and there was pain wherever she placed her hand. “What happened to me?” she asked.

“Toren’s men found you in a pool of blood and corpses. So, hey, at least you got ‘em better than they got you!” Fleur explained. “But anyway, his men got you fairly stable with some elixirs, then he had you sent across the moat, here, to me. I patched you up. Did a damn good job, too, if I do say so myself.”

“Here?” Jeanne asked, looking around. “We’re in the Royal Laboratory? Why are we so far from the castle?”

“Well, from what I hear, the Light Temple was attacked as well, so most of the healers in the city are probably dead, and the ones who aren’t are probably busy with all the others who were injured,” Fleur stated matter-of-factly, leaning in close to examine one of Jeanne’s wounds.

What ?” Jeanne was stunned. Every new piece of information she was given just took things from bad to worse. “The castle and the cathedral were both attacked. Why? By whom?”

“How should I know?” Fleur replied, keeping her eyes on the stitches she was checking. “Apparently it was some sort of demon, I guess.”

Demon …” Jeanne muttered in disbelief. She thought for a moment, trying to take everything in. It took her a moment, but another detail of what her sister had said eventually clicked with her. “You said Toren sent me here? Toren Remoth?”

That doesn’t make any sense. How could he be in the capital?

Fleur’s lips curled into a smile. “That’s right.”

Jeanne narrowed her eyes. “You aren’t still involved with that awful man, are you?”

The bespectacled woman rolled her eyes. “Oh, come now, sister. Are we really doing this again?”

“Don’t complain to me!” Jeanne felt her face burning with rage as an old family wound was opened up again. “You’re the one who mothered a bastard with the most disreputable lord in Hyrule, and then abandoned your own daughter to be raised by him!”

“Mina isn’t a bastard anymore,” Fleur argued. “Being raised by Toren allowed her to be legitimized as a Remoth. She’s his sole heir now. She was much better off being raised in Midoro Palace than trekking through the Outer Continent with me.”

“That’s irrelevant,” Jeanne argued back, clutching her side as another stabbing pain arose in her. “You should have been there for your daughter. Rich or not, Remoth is still the Lord of Spikes, and-- Aghh…

“Ooh. Sorry,” Fleaur said, pulling her hands back. She reached into one of the pockets in her coat and pulled out a thin glass vial of red liquid. “Here. Drink this,” she said, uncorking it.

Jeanne eyed the vial suspiciously. Ordinarily, it would have been because of her instincts as a bodyguard, but she did not think her sister would ever try to poison her. However, she was worried her sister might accidentally poison her. “What is it?” she asked, taking it in her hand.

“Relax. It’s just a healing potion. Naldor made it himself,” Fleur insisted, readjusting her spectacles as she stepped back.

Jeanne nodded. Grand Alchemist Naldor was one of the most intelligent people in Hyrule, even if he was a bit of an odd fellow. “Very well,” Jeanne agreed, drinking the potion down.

“Or was that the other one?” Fleur wondered aloud, holding up another vial she’d been keeping in her other pocket.

Fleur !”

“Kidding!” The bespectacled woman laughed at her own joke.

Jeanne groaned. “This is a waste of time. I need to find Seraphina.” The knight suddenly realized something she hadn’t thought to ask. “Was she brought here with me?”

“Who? The princess? No, just you,” Fleur replied.

“Do you know where she is?”

Her sister shook her head. “I don’t. The soldiers who brought you didn’t know either. I’m sorry.”

“Damn…” Jeanne’s heart sank. Seraphina was just a little girl. She wasn’t like her siblings. If the city had truly been under attack, she wouldn’t have been able to defend herself. “I should have been there for her…”

“You were ,” Fleur offered, stepping closer to put a hand on her sister’s shoulder. “You fought until you were literally on the brink of death, sister. What more could anyone ask of you?”

Jeanne put her hand on her sister’s. “Thank you, Fleur.” After a moment, she stood up, climbing down from the bed. “I must find her.” She didn’t know for sure that Seraphina was alive, but she chose to believe she was.

It’s all I can do.

“Wait, what?” Fleur asked. “Jeanne, come on. You’re still half-dead. What are you gonna do?”

“I’ll be fine,” Jeanne insisted, moving towards the curtains. “You just gave me a healing potion, remember?”

“Yeah, but it takes time to take effect. Here, look.” Fleur jabbed Jeanne’s shoulder with her fingers, causing her to immediately recoil in pain.

“Agh! Fleur!” Jeanne complained, clutching her shoulder. “Look. I appreciate your hospitality, and I will be forever grateful to you for the help you’ve given me here. But I must go now. Protecting the princess is my sworn duty, and I cannot protect her from here.”

Fleur stared at her for a moment, then shrugged. “Alright. Let’s hope the gods don’t let you waste your second chance at life, I guess,” she said. The bespectacled girl stood next to her sister and held out her arm, inviting Jeanne to lean on her for support. “Your gear is upstairs. How ‘bout I give ya a tour along the way?”

“Fine,” Jeanne conceded. “Just make it quick.”


Jeanne’s sister led her through the rest of the empty medical ward and up a stone staircase. At the top of it, they arrived in a hallway leading through a higher level. “We don’t actually get a lot of sick or injured visitors, you see,” Fleur explained. “The medical ward is more for when our alchemists have an adverse reaction to something they consume, or when they spill an experimental concoction of some sort on themselves.”

“Do you often work on dangerous things here?” Jeanne inquired, wondering how frequently such incidents occurred.

“What? No, no, of course not… Well yeah, but it’s all in the name of science!” Fleur replied. “For instance, this wing of the first floor is mainly for alchemical experimentation.”

“Fascinating,” Jeanne said flatly, still leaning on her sister as she walked.

A little further down the hallway, the Bokoblin that Jeanne had seen earlier rounded the corner, nearly bumping into them. “Sister!” Jeanne said in alarm, straightening up and attempting to step in front of Fleur protectively. The Bokoblin shrieked in fear, holding up its hands and stepping away from them.

Fleur let out a laugh, inserting herself between them. “Relax, sister. I told you, Skrags wouldn’t hurt a fly.” The Bokoblin called Skrags was carrying a piece of paper on a tablet, so Fleur took it from him and read it. Whatever it was, she signed it and handed it back to the monster, who quickly scurried away.

“Perhaps you’d best explain that to me,” Jeanne insisted, leaning against the wall and clutching her arm.

Fleur smiled and adjusted her spectacles. “I thought you’d never ask!” She took her sister by the arm again. “Come with me,” she said with excitement in her voice.

Jeanne was led to another area of the building, then down a flight of stairs. This brought them to a large, open room that looked like a mix between a mess hall and a children’s playroom. There were tables and chairs set up throughout the room, as well as blocks, dolls, and other children’s toys scattered about the floor. Armed guards stood along the walls, many of them Sheikah, but they seemed to be mostly at ease.

The main thing that stood out about the room was the monsters . Most of them appeared juvenile, as they were smaller and less mature-looking than most of the monsters Jeanne had fought in her lifetime. Among them were Bokoblins, Miniblins, Moblins, Lizalfos, even a few less common types of monsters Jeanne couldn’t quite remember the names of. Some were eating from trays at the tables, while others were playing with the toys or with each other. Hylian and Sheikah researchers stood nearby, observing and occasionally interacting with them.

Jeanne remained at the bottom of the stairs, clutching her sister, somewhat frightened. “Fleur… what is going on here?”

“Oh, don’t be such a baby,” her sister teased. “They’re only children. Here, watch.” She stepped away from Jeanne for a moment to approach a young Miniblin. “Hey, little guy,” she said, kneeling next to him and holding out her hand.

The little monster looked at her for a moment, then leaned forward to bite her hand.

“Ouch.”

“Fleur!” Jeanne called.

The Miniblin giggled, a look of childish amusement on his face.

Fleur laughed awkwardly as well, walking backwards over to her sister. “Okay, maybe not the best example, but human kids bite, too, you know.”

“Fleur, for the love of Hylia, tell me what the hell this place is,” Jeanne insisted, speaking in an exasperated voice.

“Well, isn’t it obvious?” Fleur replied, gesturing around the room. “Here, we’re attempting to socialize them,” she explained. “Most monsters are almost as intelligent as the Children of Nayru. Some are actually about on the same level as us, and a few are even smarter. Monsters like these ones here most often live in primitive societies with very little in the way of education, and they are raised to believe we humans exist to be pillaged and raided.”

“Then why have you brought them into your home, sister?” Jeanne asked in disbelief. “This complex is only a short ferry ride from the City of Hyrule. It is dangerous to allow monsters anywhere near the capital.”

“We are merely doing for them what Nayru did for us thousands of years ago,” Fleur argued, smiling smugly. She held out her hands in a theatrical manner, raising them to the heavens. “We are but humble bringers of civilization! Monsters and Children of Nayru need not fight if we allow monsters to become Nayru’s children as well.”

Jeanne rolled her eyes. “ This is what you and the Grand Alchemist have been up to?”

“Of course,” Fleur said with a nod. “There are many in Hyrule who believe in our work. In fact, have you any idea who our largest financial backer is?”

“Princess Victorique?” Jeanne guessed. She did not expect the king to have anything to do with this, but his eldest daughter was sometimes known to take alternative approaches to conflict resolution.

“Nope!” Fleur said cheekily. “It is none other than your archenemy, Lord Paramount Toren Remoth.”

Jeanne was taken aback, then she narrowed her eyes suspiciously, looking at her sister with disgust. “Is that why you--?”

“That’s not why I sleep with him,” Fleur cut her off, still smiling teasingly. “And that’s not why he funds our research. He truly believes in our work here.”

“He truly believes you can provide his armies with potions and medicines, you mean. And now, with intelligent monster slave soldiers, apparently,” Jeanne argued, venturing a step closer to the monsters.

Fleur laughed. “Our alchemical creations aid all of Hyrule, not only Hyrule Ridge. Our monster research will aid all of the kingdom in the long run as well.”

“I’m sure you believe that, but I don’t believe Lord Remoth does,” Jeanne continued to argue. “The man uses monster slave labor to work the mines he owns in Tanagar Canyon. He probably only funds you so you can create better workers for him.”

“You don’t give him enough credit,” Fleur replied.

“If you’re actually fond of this man, why did you not marry him rather than mothering a bastard with him?” Jeanne had asked her this many times, but she was never satisfied with the answer she received.

“Oh, so you hate him, but you want me to marry him?” Fleur countered with a smirk.

“That’s not what I--” Jeanne was interrupted by a tug on her gown. She looked to her side and saw a young Bokoblin staring up at her. Lifting its arm, it held up a small tea cake from one of the tables, offering it to her. Jeanne flinched, pulling away from the little monster.

Fleur laughed. “Aw, is the big, brave knight scared of a little child?” The bespectacled woman stepped forward, took the cake from the Bokoblin’s hand, and bit off half of it. She then put the remaining half to her sister’s lips, pushing it in. Jeanne reluctantly consumed it. “Thanks, little guy,” Fleur said after swallowing, bending forward to pat the young monster on the head. “Can you say, ‘ You’re welcome ’?”

The Bokoblin smiled. “You’re… welcome,” he said, the words not coming easily to him. Without waiting for Jeanne’s response, he shuffled off to go join some of the other monster children.

Jeanne raised her eyebrows, somewhat amazed by what she’d just witnessed.

“See?” Fleur asked, elbowing her sister in the side. “Not such a little monster after all, is he?”

The knight huffed. “This changes nothing,” she said. “Even if you manage to socialize a handful of these creatures, that will do nothing to change the rest of them out in the wilds.”

“Patience, big sister,” Fleur replied. “Nayru did not have us building cities in a day.”

Jeanne considered her sister’s words for a minute, watching as a young, fat little Pigblin child rolled a ball back and forth with a Bugblin. “None of this matters right now,” she said eventually. “I need to get back to the capital and find Seraphina.”

“Okay, okay,” Fleur relented, wrapping an arm around her sister. “Just thought I’d show you a bit of my life’s work, eh? But fine. Let’s go back upstairs and get your stuff.”


Despite Fleur claiming she would take her directly to where her belongings had been stored, Jeanne’s sister continued to give her a tour along the way. They briefly stopped by several other rooms in which various experiments were taking place, much of which Jeanne walked away from with little understanding. On one of these visits, Fleur pushed a door open to reveal the Grand Alchemist. The elderly Sheikah man was hunched over a table, carefully operating some small metal instruments as he dissected a strange, unrecognizable creature. A sort of glass separator had been placed between him and the area of the room where they’d entered, but they could see him through it clearly.

“Naldor!” Fleur greeted her boss enthusiastically. “Look who has returned to the world of the living.”

“Miss Felltom, what have I told you about raising the dead without my permission?” the old man replied in a raspy voice.

Fleur chuckled. “No, no. Look! My sister, the Crimson Angel!”

“Hm?” Naldor placed his instruments on the table beside the dead thing and turned around. He was wearing some strange headgear that held a series of magnifying glasses over his spectacles. The device apparently made it harder to see them clearly, as he raised it out of the way. “Oh, yes, I see. Splendid,” he said. “Please stay on that side of the glass.”

“It is a pleasure to see you again, Grand Alchemist,” Jeanne greeted him. She did not know Naldor very well, but he often visited the castle for Grand Council meetings and the like.

“You as well,” he said, turning back to his work.

“Jeanne wants to return to the castle,” Fleur explained. “I’m gonna call one of the ferries for her.”

“Go right ahead, Miss Felltom.”

“Perfect. Bye!” Fleur put her arm around her sister and led her back out of the room.

“What was he doing in there?” Jeanne asked out of curiosity.

“Hm? Dunno. Probably one of his personal experiments,” Fleur replied. “But nevermind that. Let’s get you your gear.”

Before continuing with their task, Fleur briefly led her sister outdoors where they spoke with the harbormaster about getting a ride back to the castle.

With a ship chartered for them, Fleur next took Jeanne to a sort of storage room. It was merely a long, rectangular room loaded with chests and lockboxes, most of which looked as though they haven’t been touched in years.

“Alright, here we go,” Fleur said, kneeling down and undoing the lock on one of the larger chests. “Ta-da! Here’s everything you came here with,” she said, standing back up and gesturing into the chest.

Peering inside, Jeanne saw her armor and her clothing, as well as her carrying bags. “My weapon?” Jeanne asked.

Fleur shrugged. “Wasn’t with you when you came here.”

“Curses,” Jeanne muttered. “I hope it was not lost in the fighting.” There were always looters after a disastrous battle, and her halberd was worth a substantial amount of rupees.

At least my armor was secured.

Fleur stepped behind her sister and helped her remove her hospital gown. “You sure you’re okay to head back, sister?” she asked upon seeing the scars on Jeanne’s body once again.

“I cannot delay any longer,” the knight asserted. “I must begin searching for the princess, whether I am ready to or not.”

Fleur chuckled. “You’ve got a real one-track mind, you know.”

“If you cared at all about your daughter, you would understand,” Jeane said as she pulled on her clothing.

Fleur took a step back and crossed her arms. “Oh, so I don’t care about Mina at all now, huh? Just because I don’t hunt her down the moment she leaves my sight for more than five seconds?”

“No, but you could stand to hunt her down in less than five years .” Jeanne lifted her armor and put it on, beginning to tighten the straps.

Fleur huffed, but stepped forward to help her. “I see her way more often than that,” she asserted, tugging on one of Jeanne’s straps too hard.

“Agh!” Jeanne complained, slapping her sister’s hand away so she could fix the strap. “Let me guess -- you see her as often as she visits you , but you never visit her .”

“What difference does it make where I see her?” Fleur countered, moving on to attaching Jeanne’s arm guards.

“It makes quite a bit of difference,” Jeanne said conclusively. “She needs to know you’re looking out for her. She needs guidance. Do you even know what kind of person she is? What she chooses to spend her time doing?”

“Of course I do!” Fleur said with a laugh. “She’s a lot of fun. You could stand to learn a thing or about that, sister.”

“She spends her evenings drinking, gambling, and whoring her way through the city,” Jeanne said contemptuously.

“Like I said -- fun .” Fleur smiled a devilish grin.

Jeanne huffed, placing her helmet upon her head. Her armor felt heavier than usual. Her body was still weak and in pain, and adding the extra pounds of steel did not make things easier for her. “Forget it,” she said. “Take me back to the docks.”

“Very well.” Fleur bowed exaggeratedly, gesturing out of the room. “Right this way, dame knight.”

As they walked back through the Royal Laboratory again, Jeanne was already planning how she would begin her search for Princess Seraphina. No one in Hyrule knew Seraphina better than her. She knew where she would go to hide, who she would go to for help, and what things scared her enough for her to avoid them. But, as she thought about Seraphina, she also began to think about her niece. Had Mina gone to the capital with her father? Or was she in some sort of conflict with the Rito now? Did Fleur know where she was?

When they arrived back at the docks, the ferry they’d requested had been prepared for them. It was not as big as a sea vessel, but it was large enough for transporting people and supplies the short distance between the laboratory and the capital. By the looks of it, the crew was ready to go, and there were even a few guards standing on the docks waiting to join them.

“Well, here we are,” Fleur said, gesturing to the boat. “These guys will take you back home.”

Upon seeing them up close, Jeanne could see three of the guards were young Hylian men and one was a Sheikah. All of them looked fairly inexperienced, but they all saluted her respectfully when she approached them. “Thank you for joining me, gentlemen,” Jeanne told them. “Our journey will be short and safe, but I appreciate your assistance all the same. Please climb aboard the ship. I will join you shortly.”

“Yes, dame.”

Jeanne nodded as they walked up the gangplank onto the ferry.

“So. I guess this is goodbye,” Fleur said with a smile. “Good luck on your search, sister.”

The knight stood where she was for a moment, trying to think of what to say. It had been some time since she’d last seen her sister, and she did not know when she might see her again. In their short time there together, she had said some awful things, even after Fleur had healed her wounds.

I cannot leave her on a sour note like this.

“Fleur… Thank you for taking care of me,” she said. “And I’m sorry for the things I said about you. I think what you’re doing here is very noble work, and I wish you the best of luck with it.”

Her sister looked taken aback, but happy to hear those words. “Well, look at you coming around like that!” she said, tapping the back of her hand against Jeanne’s shoulder guard. “That’s mighty kind of you to say, thanks.”

“You’re welcome,” Jeanne said, smiling weakly. “And, you know, before you go off into the Outer Continent again or something, why don’t you come visit the castle with Mina sometime? Seraphina would love to get to know you both. And I think Mina could really use someone like you in her life more.”

Fleur chuckled and ran a hand through her hair bashfully. “Someone like me, huh?” she said with a smirk.

“Yes, believe it or not.”

Fleur laughed. “Okay, you win. I’ll tell Mina to come by the lab sometime, and we’ll visit you, too. After you get things sorted out with Seraphina, of course.”

Jeanne nodded. “Good. I look forward to seeing you again soon.” She held out her hand for a handshake, but Fleur stepped forward and embraced her instead.

“Love ya, sister,” Fleur said.

Jeanne hugged her back. “I love you too, little sister. Goodbye for now.”


The journey back to Hyrule Castle was thankfully fairly short. After crossing the larger part of the Regencia River, from there it was only a matter of sailing around the moat to the docks on the north end of the island on which the castle was built. Jeanne spent most of the journey sleeping below deck, still recovering from her injuries. When she woke up, she was feeling refreshed. The Grand Alchemist’s healing elixir seemed to have worked its magic. She would likely still have several new scars, but the wounds had closed up long ago, and much of the pain had receded.

Upon disembarking from the ship, the very first thing Jeanne did was head straight for the Grand Protector’s office. She was certain much had happened in her short absence, and the leader of the Royal Guard would be one of the best people she could talk to in order to learn more about their current situation, assuming Grand Protector Brigo was even still alive.

When she arrived outside of his office, she was greeted by two familiar faces. A couple of her fellow knights from the Royal Guard were on watch duty by the door, wearing gold-plated armor and holding similarly decorated spears.

At least some of us made it.

“Dame Jeanne?”

“Jeanne! You’re okay!”

The red-haired knight smiled at their greetings. “Yes. I’m fine. I was in the care of my sister at the Royal Laboratory,” she explained. However, as much as she wished she could get caught up with them, she had an important mission to focus on. “Is the Grand Protector available?”

“He’s busy, but go in anyway,” one of the royal guards told her. “He’ll want to see you.”

“Splendid. Thank you.” Opening the door, she stepped inside.

Brigo glanced up from his desk with a look of irritation on his face upon being disturbed. However, his expression quickly turned to one of surprise and relief. “Dame Jeanne. Welcome back.”

“Grand Protector,” Jeanne replied, standing at attention.

Brigo gestured to the chair on the opposite side of his desk.

“I will not keep you long,” she replied, taking a seat. “I have come to you with two pressing matters. Number one, we have traitors in our midst. I myself was attacked by Hyrulean soldiers who attempted to harm the princess, and before that, the king was attacked by some Sheikah who shadowstepped into the room. Number two, I must locate Princess Seraphina as soon as possible. Have you any idea of her whereabouts?”

Brigo nodded, not appearing at all surprised by this news. “Others have reported similar events that occurred on the night of the Blood Moon. There were many deaths at the hands of humans rather than monsters. A number of the guards and watchers are not accounted for, and a whole mess of other things are not adding up. This was a coordinated action of high treason.”

“Have you any idea who was behind it all?” Jeanne asked, relieved to hear she would not have to fight in otder to get others to believe her.

“I have my suspicions, but in the absence of evidence, I would rather not share them until the Crown Princess returns,” Brigo explained. “We will continue to investigate in the meantime.”

“Princess Victorique is not back yet?” This was a bit surprising. After everything that had happened, Jeanne would’ve expected the eldest princess to return to the capital immediately. “Who is acting in her stead? Grand Minister Malkori?”

“Lord Remoth.”

Jeanne tried not to let her displeasure show. “So he has not returned to the Ridgelands yet,” she stated aloud before sighing under her breath. “I suppose I must speak with him next. But before I do, is there any news about Princess Seraphina?”

Brigo looked at her sympathetically. “I’m afraid not, dame. She was last seen in the cathedral, and it appears as though everyone inside was killed. However, she was not among the bodies we recovered, so we are operating under the assumption that she fled the city in fear.”

Jeanne nodded. “I see. Then I will search for her myself. I trust that is agreeable, sir?” she asked, knowing her commanding officer would not stand in the way of her duty.

“Of course. Go and find your charge. I can spare a couple extra soldiers if you need them,” Brigo agreed.

“That won’t be necessary,” Jeanne said, standing up. “I must speak with Lord Remoth before I go, so I will take my leave now. Good day, sir.”

“Good day, Dame Jeanne. Unless he is in court, you will find Lord Remoth in the king’s study,” Brigo directed.

The king’s study…

Jeanne was already disgusted by the situation, but realizing Lord Remoth was acting like he was king made it even worse. Nevertheless, she had questions for him, so she made her way through the castle up to one of the highest floors.

Rather than members of the Royal Guard, Lord Remoth appeared to be using his own knights as guards. Standing outside of the king’s office were four men in gray armor and black cloaks bearing the sigil of House Remoth, all of whom had their faces concealed by their helmets. When she approached, two of them stepped in her way, crossing their spears.

“Halt. What business have you with the regent?”

“The regent…” Jeanne muttered. “I have urgent questions for Lord Remoth regarding my sister and his presence here.”

“Sister?” one of the guards asked.

“This is Miss Felltom’s sister,” another guard informed the first, speaking in a hushed voice.

Jeanne wasn’t sure if she should be relieved or unnerved that they were familiar with Fleur, but she hoped it would make them more likely to let her in.

The guards gestured to each other, silently arguing about what to do. “Wait here. I will ask the regent,” one of them finally said.

“Thank you, sir knight,” Jeanne replied, her tone voicing her displeasure. She waited silently with the other three guards. While she was waiting, she considered what she might do if she was told she could not see Lord Remoth at the moment. She could try going into the room anyway, but the guards would certainly stop her. She didn’t have a weapon with her, and the matter was not worth fighting over anyway.

Perhaps it would do no harm to let the Grand Protector investigate Lord Remoth on his own…

However, the door to the king’s study soon opened again, and the guard returned. “You may enter, dame knight.”

“Splendid. Thank you,” Jeanne said, relieved. Stepping past the guards, she went inside.

When she entered the room, Lord Remoth was sitting at the king’s desk. Upon seeing her, he stood up. Something about the incredibly tall man standing to his full height caused Jeanne to instinctively take a step back, momentarily frightened. However, she quickly recovered and stepped forward again, clearing her throat. “Lord Remoth.”

“Dame Jeanne. How nice to see you.” He gestured to one of the guest chairs, and they both sat down. “How is Fleur?

“She is fine, but I am not here about my sister,” Jeanne said, hoping to end that conversation before it made her angry.

Lord Remoth raised an eyebrow, but that was his only reaction that suggested he might not like Jeanne’s tone. “I see. Then why are you here?”

“Firstly, I need to find Princess Seraphina,” Jeanne explained. “The Royal Guard has not made any progress while I’ve been away. Have you any knowledge of her whereabouts?”

“None, I’m afraid,” Lord Remoth replied. “Nothing more than what the Grand Protector and the Grand Watcher have informed me, at least. She was seen being led into the cathedral just before the massacre in which the Sage of Light was murdered, but her body was never found. I’ve had men searching the city for her nonstop.”

Jeanne was a bit surprised to hear that. She would have expected Lord Remoth to assume the princess was killed in the massacre and leave it at that. “I appreciate your commitment to the Royal Family’s well being.”

“Of course. My first loyalty is always to the kingdom,” Remoth said modestly, bowing his head slightly.

Jeanne narrowed her eyes. “Yes. Well, I suppose that brings me to my next question,” she went on. “Why is it that you are here rather than in Hebra with Prince Lancel and Princess Sophitia?”

“Why am I here?” Lord Remoth repeated. “Is it not self-explanatory? The events of the Blood Moon were a disaster. The king is dead, our patron goddess and her sage are dead, the city is in ruin, and there are traitors hiding in our midst. With the other surviving members of the Royal Family off in different provinces, the City of Hyrule was in desperate need of leadership.”

“Yes, but I am told you and your troops arrived to help during the disaster,” Jeanne explained, pushing further. “You were the one who requested I be sent to the Royal Laboratory to be treated by my sister, were you not?”

“Of course.” Lord Remoth did not seem at all bothered by the questions. “I had been bolstering our forces in Midoro until they were needed, as I was instructed by Prince Lancel and Princess Sophitia. I received orders to take my troops to Snowpeak, but on our way, we were made aware of the situation here in the city. I made a judgment call to prioritize the capital over Hebra. I’m certain the prince and princess will understand.”

Jeanne furrowed her brow, thinking. She found it suspicious that Lord Remoth had happened to find himself in the position to take control of the castle like this, but with his expanded explanation, she was having trouble finding a concrete discrepancy in his timeline of events or a flaw in his reasoning. “I understand. Have you any idea when Princess Victorique will return for her coronation?”

“I’m afraid not,” was his reply. “I have been in correspondence with her, but she does not wish to leave the southern front until the Gerudo rebellion has been quelled.” As he spoke, he dug through some papers on his desk and held up a letter with Victorique’s seal on it, which demonstrated clearly enough that he was indeed in contact with the queen-in-waiting.

“Very well,” Jeanne said, standing up. “I must be going now.” She considered leaving it at that, but she thought better of it. Even if she did not like this man, he was still a lord, and she was a knight. “I will leave the city in your capable hands, my lord,” she said, bowing reluctantly.

Lord Remoth nodded. “Thank you for your kind words, dame knight. I wish you luck with finding Princess Seraphina alive and well.”

When Jeanne opened the door to leave, the guards were still there, along with two other people. It appeared she had walked in on the middle of their conversation.

“There. See? I told you. You just needed to be patient,” one of the guards said.

The two who had apparently been waiting their turn were Grand Minister Malkori and Grand Watcher Socicila. Malkori looked somewhat indignant, while Socicila stood silently beside him, most of his body covered by his robes and face wrappings.

“Well, I should hope Regent Remoth will avoid scheduling two meetings at the same time in the future,” the Grand Minister said, adjusting his spectacles as he turned to Jeanne. “Good day to you, dame.” He stepped aside, making a path for her to leave.

“Yes. Good day to you as well.” Jeanne gave each of them a nod as she walked past them and headed back down the hall.

At least Remoth is taking his job seriously.

The late king had also met with his Grand Council members quite frequently, and due to their expert advice, he had been able to make well-informed decisions. Jeanne had been worried that Remoth would simply use his military might to rule with an iron fist while he sat upon the throne, but it appeared as though that weren’t the case.

Perhaps Fleur had a point about him…

Jeanne shook her head. Lord Remoth was not relevant. All that mattered now was finding Seraphina.


After obtaining a new halberd from the armory, Dame Jeanne left the castle and crossed the bridge over the moat. The city was in worse shape than Jeanne had been expecting. As she walked to the cathedral, she saw collapsed buildings and ruined streets everywhere she went. The restoration effort was already underway, and everybody seemed hard at work making repairs. Nonetheless, the mood was dour. Every person Jeanne passed could have been mourning a friend or loved one they’d lost during the Blood Moon. It was enough to make her consider sticking around and helping out in the city instead, but the thought of Seraphina wandering around out there, alone and afraid, strengthened her resolve.

The Light Temple had seen better days, but at least it was still standing. Jeanne had been told a massacre had occurred there, with monsters slaughtering everyone inside after the demon had killed Laemora. The bodies had been removed, but the place was still a mess, and no service was being held. She had never seen the temple so empty.

With no one else around to interrupt her, Jeanne began her search, carefully examining every place she thought Seraphina may have hidden. However, after checking underneath every pew, behind the altar, and in the side rooms, she found no trace of the princess.

“Dammit,” Jeanne muttered under her breath. Standing by the altar, she closed her eyes, trying to think. She’d played hide and seek with Seraphina many times when the princess was younger.

Where did she like to hide…

“The corner.” Opening her eyes, Jeanne glanced around the room. There were statues placed at the near corners. “Perfect.” She moved quickly, checking behind the one by the north wall.

Nothing.

Doubling back, Jeanne moved past the altar again to check the south side. When she looked behind the statue, she gasped. There was something shiny on the ground. She bent to pick it up, then held it up to examine it. What she’d found was a thin strip of gold. Most people would not be able to recognize what it was, but Jeanne had seen it many times. It was one of the pieces of jewelry that dangled from the top of Seraphina’s dress.

“It’s hers,” she said aloud. “She was right here.” Jeanne felt a sense of relief, but she reminded herself this was not yet proof that the princess was alive.

Okay. She was hiding right here. Where would she go next?

Jeanne stepped away from the statue and turned to the wall. Almost all of the stained glass windows that stretched nearly from floor to ceiling were shattered.

It would have been a short walk from here…

If Seraphina had been looking to escape the building from her hiding spot, going through the nearest broken window would have worked. So, Jeanne climbed out the window, stepping outside.

Okay. What next?

There were many places in the city that the princess loved to go to -- the zoo, the big fountain, the garment district. There were also many safe and well-defended places aside from Hyrule Castle. With so many places to look, Jeanne wasn’t sure where to start.

However, when she turned to the east, she realized something. She was very close to the city walls.

If the whole city was scary, she’d try to leave the city.

There were many pieces of the wall missing, likely having been destroyed by the demon or its monsters during the attack. Most of the holes were blocked by wooden barricades while the repairs were underway, but the young princess could have easily made it out beforehand. So, Jeanne made her way to the city’s eastern gate and exited through it.

Jeanne was no ranger, and searching for the footprints of one person through a heavily trafficked area days after the fact was not easy. She would not be able to find the path Seraphina had taken so easily, so she just had to think like her again.

If she were fleeing from the city, she would not have a destination in mind. She would just run straight across the field.

Jeanne took a step forward, then sighed. She had no idea how far she would need to travel before she found her next clue, so before she left, she walked to the nearest stable and obtained a horse. Keeping an eye out for any signs of the princess, she rode straight east.

All I can do now is pray.

She knew she would have to get lucky. She had no real leads, and this was the only way she could think to look for Seraphina. Maybe she would find the princess hiding in the closest village in the direction she was going, or even just hiding beneath a bridge somewhere. If she found nothing this way, then she would be lost.

Jeanne rode for quite a long time. She eventually came to the bank of the Hylia River, and she’d still found no sign of the princess. Stopping for a moment, she stared down into the running water, trying to think. “Where would she go from here?” Jeanne asked aloud, still operating on the assumption that Seraphina had truly come this way at all.

The way she saw it, there were four possibilities. The princess could have turned back around, but if she’d done that, they would have found her already. She could have swam across the river, but that would bring her to the foot of the Crenel Hills, and Seraphina would know enough to stay away from monster territory, or at least Jeanne hoped that was the case. She could have traveled north and crossed Boneyard Bridge to Hyrule Forest Park, but that would have brought her closer to Hyrule Castle. The only option that made sense was to continue south along the bank of the river. So, that’s what Jeanne did. She did not know what came next, but she would deal with that when she came to it.

As she rode her horse along the water’s edge, Jeanne kept an eye on the riverbank, praying to find her lying there, just waiting for Jeanne to come rescue her. This continued for a while, and by the time Orsedd Bridge came into view, Jeanne was beginning to feel discouraged. However, the feeling did not last long.

Jeanne pulled on the reins of her horse when she spotted something on the bank of the river close to the bridge. She couldn’t quite tell what it was, but anything out of the ordinary was to be taken as a clue as far as Jeanne was concerned. Dismounting from her horse, she climbed down the hill and approached what appeared to be a strange mass of brightly colored debris. Kneeling down, Jeanne picked up some of the debris in her gauntleted hand.

“Hair?” she said aloud in confusion. It was a big pile of hair on the ground, as if someone with long hair had cut it all off. As she had that thought, her eyes opened wide. “Seraphina!” She realized that the color of the discarded hair perfectly matched the young princess’s lovely blonde hair.

This cannot be a coincidence.

Jeanne breathed a sigh of relief. Cutting her hair like this had to have been done intentionally. If her hair had been ripped out in a monster attack or something, the scene would have looked very differently. “She’s alive. Thank you, Hylia.” Jeanne made a Triforce symbol with her hands, giving a short prayer.

Standing up, Jeanne next asked herself where the princess could have gone from there. She glanced up at Orsedd Bridge. If she were to follow it, it would take her to a fork in the road, from which she could go north to Eldin or south to Lanayru.

Where would she go…

If the princess had gone towards Eldin, she could have continued on towards Akkala Citadel, where her brother and uncle were located. She could be safe there. However, that path took her through some dangerous territory. On the other hand, heading towards Lanayru could take her to Old Kakariko. The Sheikah capital was safe as well, but more importantly, she could continue from there to Hateno, where her aunt was located.

“Her aunt!” Jeanne said aloud. Celessa Kochi was Seraphina’s aunt on her mother’s side, and also Jeanne’s previous liege. The last time they had spoken had been during the summit. Governor Kochi had told all of her nieces that they could always come to Hateno to be safe with her if war broke out. “That’s where she must have gone.” She was sure of it. The journey would be long, but perhaps the princess had stopped or gotten help along the way. All Jeanne had to do was follow the path from there to Hateno, and she would find her eventually.

Returning to her horse, Jeanne mounted up once more. “Fear not, little angel,” Jeanne declared. “I will find you.”


Author's note (added 7/28/2023):

Now you know where Mina gets it from.

Art Source

Chapter 44: Seraphina II

Chapter Text

“Why are you going that way?” Seraphina asked. She stood at the crossroads and pointed at the sign. “We have to go north, right?”

“We’re not going north,” the cloaked Sheikah answered, already walking away from her.

“But if we go north, we can go to my brother,” she insisted. However, she followed the man south regardless, not wanting to lose him. “Percy will keep us safe.”

“Your brother is probably dead by now,” Sheik told her bluntly.

Seraphina gasped, stopping in her path for a moment. “He is not!” she insisted, running to catch up with him. “Percy is strong. And he has a magic sword. He’s famous throughout the land.”

“Really? I didn’t even know we had two princes.”

“Why are you so mean?” Seraphina whined, already close to tears again.

“Shut up .”

That seemed to be Sheik’s favorite two-word phrase. Seraphina had heard him say it another dozen times since they’d crossed Orsedd Bridge. Even though he’d saved her life, he didn’t seem to like her very much. However, despite being grateful to him, she did not find his company particularly pleasant either.

“If we’re not going to my brother, then where are we going?” Seraphina asked innocently, trying to ask him in a way that wouldn’t make him angry.

“This way,” Sheik said simply.

“Hmf.” Seraphina pouted, toying with her newly-shortened hair in frustration. “Why did you have to cut my hair?” she asked. “Isn’t it enough that it’s white now?”

“I could cut it even shorter,” Sheik suggested, pulling his cloak back to flash his knife. “You’ll look even less like yourself if you look like a boy.”

The disguised princess made another noise of disapproval, kicking a rock out of her way as she walked. She stayed quiet for a minute, but could not stop herself from talking. “What’s your name?”

“Sheik,” the man repeated.

“What’s your real name?” Seraphina restated, annoyed that he was dodging the question.

“Eryck,” Sheik replied.

The princess was surprised that he answered so easily. “Eryck?”

Sheik ran his hand over his face and through his hair. In an instant, he was a blond Hylian man with a long face. “Eryck,” he repeated, his voice having changed suddenly. However, he soon changed his face again, becoming a middle-aged man with brown hair. “Or how about Quince?”

“What?” Seraphina was confused. She never felt like she understood anything when she talked to him.

“I could be Ozunda,” he said, changing into a round-eared man with a mustache. “I was Ozunda for longer than usual last time. Or how about--”

“Stop!” Seraphina shouted. Seeing him change into different people like that was extremely unsettling for some reason. “Who are you?”

The round-eared man changed back into his earlier Sheikah guise. “We’re nobody. That’s the point of us. We are Sheik.”

“But you must be someone ,” Seraphina insisted. “You must have a real name. What do your parents call you?”

“Same thing yours do now.”

Seraphina stopped walking. She knew enough to understand what Sheik had meant by that. Remembering her father’s face, and the portraits of her mother that she liked to stare at in the castle, her eyes began to water and her lips trembled. Moments like this had always been when she could count on Jeanne to give her a hug and tell her everything was going to be okay, but Jeanne wasn’t there either.

As if to make a point, Sheik just kept walking, leaving her standing there on the verge of tears. She kept expecting him to stop and turn around, but he didn’t. She considered turning around herself and going the other way, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. Eventually, she gave in, chasing after Sheik until she’d caught back up with him.

They walked in silence for a while after that. Sheik had shown time and time again that he had no interest in speaking with her, and Seraphina was scared that anything she’d say would make him say something cruel again. However, as their journey progressed, she began to feel the fatigue setting in, and her feet were as sore as they’d ever been.

“Can we stop to rest soon?” Seraphina inquired. “We walked all night. I need to sleep.”

Sheik did not respond for a moment. “Sleeping during the day will be a good idea. At least until we get out of the wilds. There is always more undead at night after the Blood Moon, and we don’t want to get caught off guard.”

Seraphina gave him a weary smile, somewhat surprised and somewhat relieved he’d given her a real answer without yelling at her. “So, yes? We can stop?”

“Not yet,” Sheik replied. “We need to put some more ground between us and the capital.”

Seraphina still had trouble wrapping her head around the idea that her home was no longer safe for her. Sheik had told her that her friends were the ones who wanted to harm her, and that she could trust no one.

But how? Why? Why are they doing this?

In the distance, Seraphina spotted three people on horseback coming over the hill further down the road. Having seen nobody else except a number of undead monsters since crossing the Hylia River, the princess was happy to see anyone at all. “Look!” she said aloud. However, before she could ask if they could talk to them, she felt herself being grabbed and lifted off of the ground. With Seraphina in his grip, Sheik dove into the nearest bush off to the side of the road.

The princess felt her heart racing, already frightened after being suddenly manhandled like that. She wanted to ask why they were hiding, but Sheik’s hand was firmly clamped over her mouth.

Is it more of the traitors? Are they looking for me?

The three riders had been far away when Seraphina spotted them, so she and Sheik ended up hiding in the bush for several minutes. Seraphina’s heart rate increased again when she heard the sound of horse hooves walking along the road, passing close by them. She did not hear any talking, so she had no way of knowing who they were or what they were doing.

Eventually, the riders passed without incident. Sheik still held Seraphina within the bush for several more minutes, waiting until they were further away before standing back up. “Who was that?” Seraphina asked nervously, still whispering in case someone might hear them.

“I don’t know,” Sheik replied, stepping closer to the road as he glanced about cautiously.

“You don’t know?” the princess repeated. “Then why did we hide from them?”

Sheik looked at her like she was an idiot, which caused her to shrink under his gaze. “I was hoping there would be no one on the roads the day after the Blood Moon,” he stated, ignoring her question. He looked around again, as if searching for something, eventually settling his gaze on the trees to the southeast. The treeline was flanked on either side by rocky cliffs, as if it was the entrance to a hidden, forested alcove. “We’ll cut through there,” he declared, pointing in the direction of the woods.

“Through there?” Seraphina asked. “But there are monsters in there.” Jeanne had always told her to avoid certain places. Forests were one of them. Anywhere that had not been settled by Children of Nayru could have easily been the den of a monster just waiting to eat her.

“Monsters are safer than people right now.” Sheik spoke with a kind of defeated indifference. Despite their dire circumstances, it was as if he were more irritated and tired than afraid. “Let’s hurry. We should find a place to sleep for a few hours, then get moving again before sundown.”

Although she was afraid of running into monsters in the woods, Seraphina was relieved to hear that. “Good idea,” she said happily. “I need a nap.”


The two of them continued down the road for a while longer before veering off of the road, heading for the treeline. The woods were at the foot of Mount Crenel, which Seraphina did not know much about. She’d heard there was some sort of temple up there, and that monsters lived all over the mountain, but that was about it. She was glad she didn’t have to climb it, since they seemed to be going south still.

As they entered the forest, Seraphina was startled by a sudden rustling in a nearby bush, just before a small creature ran out of it. “Eek!” the princess shrieked, latching onto Sheik. However, a moment later, she realized the small creature was merely a squirrel. Sheik growled in annoyance, but Seraphina didn’t notice. “Squirrel!” she shouted happily, letting go of the Sheikah and moving closer to observe. The squirrel was nibbling on something, which made Seraphina want to feed it. “Have we any food?”

Sheik ignored her and walked further into the woods.

“Hey! Wait!” The princess quickly followed after him, waving goodbye to the squirrel as she left.

“I never get to play with animals in the wild,” Seraphina explained. “We keep dogs and horses in the castle. And there is a zoo in the city I like to go to. But Jeanne rarely let me play in the woods.”

“Because she knew the monsters would eat you?”

Seraphina shivered, suddenly remembering they were someplace that was supposed to be scary. “But there aren’t any monsters here,” she said. “Just cute squirrels. And birds! Look!” The princess spotted a pair of colorful birds sitting on the branch of a tree. Excitedly, she skipped over to the tree and attempted to make a sound like a bird chirping. The birds tilted their heads, and after a pause, chirped back. Seraphina gasped. “Did you hear that, Sheik?” Looking behind her, she did not see him. “Sheik?” For a split second, she felt panicked, but she soon spotted him further into the woods, walking away from her. “Hey! Wait!”

The princess had to climb over a fallen log to chase him. She ended up tearing her clothing a little and getting it even dirtier than it already was, but she soon caught up with Sheik. “Why do you keep doing that?” she asked in frustration.

“Doing what?” Sheik asked without breaking his stride.

“Leaving me behind.”

“You’re still here, aren’t you?”

Seraphina groaned in annoyance, but didn’t have anything to say in response. She began to miss Jeanne even more. Jeanne hardly ever let the princess out of her sight. Seraphina always knew she could stop to watch a squirrel or sing to a bird for a moment if she wanted to, and Jeanne would stand behind her patiently, always watching her back. The idea of Jeanne abandoning her or walking away never entered her mind.

Why can’t he be more like her?

“Can we stop walking now?” Seraphina asked. “I’m so tired.”

“We need to find a good place to hide,” Sheik explained. “A hunting lodge, a cave, a giant hollowed-out tree; anything like that.”

“Okay,” Seraphina nodded, looking around. “What about that tree?” she asked, pointing to her left.

Sheik looked. “What about it?”

“We could climb up in the branches,” the princess explained. “There’s so many leaves, no one would ever see us.”

“That might work for you, but you’re small,” Sheik replied. “I’m not.”

“Can’t you make yourself smaller?”

Sheik stopped and turned around, a look of confusion on his face. “What?”

“You know. With your face-changing magic.” Seraphina waved her hand over her face to demonstrate what she was talking about. “Couldn’t you just turn yourself into a kid like me?”

“Oh.” Sheik sighed, realizing what her mistake was. “No. I can’t. I could make myself look like a kid, but the illusion would be broken the second anyone interacted with me and realized my body proportions don’t add up with what I’m doing.”

Seraphina stared at him blankly, not quite understanding what he meant.

He sighed again. “It doesn’t matter. It wouldn’t work here either way. Even if I looked small, I’d still be heavy. The tree branches would break.”

“Oh.” Seraphina smiled and nodded. “I get it.”

I think.

They continued through the wooded alcove for some time after that, sticking close to the rocky wall along the west end of it to keep an eye out for caves. Seraphina had the thought that a cave might be a bad idea since that was where monsters liked to hide, but she was too tired to think about it much or voice a complaint.

“There,” Sheik said eventually, pointing at the cliff face.

Seraphina squinted until she spotted what he was referring to. There was a small opening in the rock, partially covered by the bushes growing outside of it. “Great!” the princess said, excitedly stepping forward to head inside.

“Wait, you idiot,” Sheik said, grabbing her by the collar to stop her. “Wait here. I’ll check inside first. As if preparing for battle, Sheik pulled his face covering up over his mouth and nose, then pulled out one of his daggers.

“Be careful,” Seraphina said worriedly as she watched him creep towards the cave. Making absolutely no noise as he stalked towards his target, Sheik slipped into the mouth of the cave, disappearing from sight. Realizing she was standing out in the open, Seraphina went to hide behind a tree while she waited, hoping it would make her harder to spot in case a monster came along while she and Sheik were separated.

This situation was not exactly new to Seraphina. On several occasions, Jeanne would insist on going ahead of the princess for a brief period of time to make sure the area was safe. She understood why it had to happen, but it still scared her sometimes. Seraphina was very rarely left alone, but Jeanne had always come back.

Will she come back this time?

“Awooooo!”

Seraphina flinched and ducked further behind the tree, startled by the sudden sound of a wolf howling. It had come from within the cave.

“...Sheik?” the princess called out cautiously.

She flinched again when the sounds of a struggle spilled out of the cave. There was growling and snarling, and grunts of pain from Sheik. Seraphina began to panic, and images of Jeanne battling against the soldiers in Hyrule Castle flashed before her eyes.

No! Not again!

The princess fell to her knees and curled up in a ball, covering her ears until it was over.

After a minute, she cautiously lifted her hands from her ears and noticed the sounds had stopped. Still shaking, Seraphina peeked out from behind the tree once more.

“...Sheik?” she whispered weakly, much too quietly for him to ever hear. She felt tense as she waited, unsure if the Sheikah man would ever come back out.

The princess yelped when she saw a figure emerge from the cave. She thought it was a monster at first, but then she realized it was Sheik carrying the corpse of the monster. Apparently, there had been a Wolfos in the cave. Sheik had killed it, and he was now hauling it out of the cave, carrying its top half over his shoulders while the bottom half dragged across the ground.

“Ugh…” the Sheikah man grunted. “Damn… beast…”

“Sheik!” Seraphina ran to him, relieved he was alive.

“Make yourself useful!” he commanded. “We need to dump this thing further into the woods so it doesn’t attract scavengers.”

“R-Right.” Seraphina hurried to obey, although she wouldn’t be much help. She grabbed hold of the dead monster from the back, but with her frail body, she was barely able to lift it at all.

Nonetheless, the two of them dragged it a fair distance from the cave where Sheik dropped it onto the ground. Seraphina got a good look at the Sheikah for the first time since he’d come back out. “Oh, Hylia,” the princess said with concern. “You’re hurt.”

Sheik was covered in blood, although a good deal of it may have been the monster’s. There were claw marks all across his arms and torso, however, and his clothing was well torn. “Yes, I am,” he said dryly, as if annoyed at her for stating the obvious.

“Let me heal you,” Seraphina insisted. She placed her hand on his wounded chest, emitting a brilliant light as she called upon the spell.

“Stop that.” Sheik slapped her hand away.

Seraphina flinched, surprised by his reaction. “What?” she asked in confusion. However, Sheik provided no response. Unsure what else to do, she put her hand on him once more. “I need to heal you,” she insisted.

Sheik did not refuse her help the second time. Almost begrudgingly, he stood still while Seraphina closed her eyes and prayed, enveloping the affected areas in a healing light. When his torso was no longer bleeding, the princess moved on to Sheik’s arms, closing his wounds one by one.

“There,” Seraphina said, smiling contentedly. “I’m glad you’re okay.”

Sheik’s reaction was difficult to read. Seraphina had healed many people of their injuries in her short life. No matter how minor or severe their wounds, they were always grateful. And yet, Sheik had the same reaction he seemed to have with everything else. It was as if having Seraphina heal him were in some way bothersome.

“We’re going back to the cave,” he said, walking past her without commenting on the magic she’d just performed.

“...Okay.” She hurried after him, wiping the blood off of her hands along the way.


Seraphina thought she would have trouble sleeping in a cave. She was used to traveling with a retinue whenever she journeyed elsewhere from the castle. At night, she would get to sleep in a warm bed in a nice tent in the middle of a well-defended camp. She would even get to take a nice relaxing rose bath after a long day of traveling. Sleeping on the cold, hard ground in a dark woodland cave was a completely new experience for her. And yet, she was so tired, she managed to fall asleep in minutes.

She’d been a bit worried about more monsters coming into the cave while they slept, but Sheik assured her they would be fine since it was daytime. He also took the precaution of covering the cave entrance with some foliage, and according to him, those in his ‘profession’ were trained to be light sleepers, so he would wake up at the slightest hint of a threat.

Her dreams were quite pleasant somehow. She dreamt she was in the gardens of Hyrule Castle, playing with Sabah. The Gerudo princess had never actually been there, but Seraphina had wished to show her around the castle one day. Jeanne was there, too, watching them play together. At one point, while the two princesses were wrestling on the ground, Jeanne walked over and put her hand on Seraphina, shaking her.

“Wake up.”

The princess opened her eyes to find Sheik’s face in front of hers. “Hmm. What?” Seraphina asked groggily.

“Time to keep moving.”

The princess shook her head, shutting her eyes again. “I’m still tired,” she whined, rolling over onto her side. “Can’t we go later?”

“It will be dark soon,” Sheik insisted. “You wanna be here when all the monsters come out?”

Seraphina sat up, suddenly worried. “Wait. There are monsters here?”

Sheik rolled his eyes. “Just get up.” He grabbed the princess by the arm and yanked her to her feet, pulling her along.

Seraphina rubbed her eyes when they stepped out of the cave. The sun was well past its highest point in the sky, but it was still brighter than in the cave. She groaned in discomfort, wishing she were still asleep.

“We need to get out of these woods before sundown,” Sheik reiterated. “And we want the sun to set by the time we get over the hill.”

“Why?” the princess asked, her hand still clasped in Sheik’s as he led her through the forest.

“The route we’re gonna take cuts pretty close to Moor Garrison. We don’t want to get spotted by any patrols.”

Most of that went over Seraphina’s head. She knew a garrison was a place where soldiers lived, but she didn’t know there was one nearby, nor was she certain avoiding it was the correct thing to do. Nonetheless, she had to trust Sheik, and she was too tired to think for herself at the moment anyway.

After walking for some time, Seraphina and Sheik came across a pond on the edge of the forest. The water looked refreshing, and the flowers growing around it were so pretty. “Can I go for a swim?” the princess asked. “I could really use a bath.”

“We don’t have time for that,” Sheik insisted. “Just splash some water in your face. That will wake you up.” As if to demonstrate, Sheik knelt down by the water’s edge, put his hands in the water, and purposefully splashed it upwards into his face.

Seraphina knelt down next to him, intending to do the same. When she saw her reflection, she gasped in surprise, not recognizing the strange, short-haired Sheikah girl staring back at her. “Oh,” she said after a second, remembering the illusion spell Sheik had placed on her.

“You get used to it,” Sheik told her. Without waiting for a response, he reached over and splashed some water into her face.

“Ah! Hey!” Seraphina complained, stumbling backwards as she raised her hands to protect herself. “That was mean,” she said, pouting.

“But you’re awake now.” Sheik grabbed her by the shoulder and yanked her back to her feet. “Now come on. We need to keep moving.”

Seraphina obediently followed him, but the face of the Sheikah girl in the water still bothered her. “How can you stand it? Not being you?” she asked, looking at her hands as if she expected them to look different as well. “Isn’t it kind of… scary?”

Sheik scoffed. “I’m sure not being you anymore is terrifying, princess ,” he said, his voice dripping with bitterness. “But some of us were born nobody, so it’s not like we’re throwing away much.”

The princess had no idea how to respond to something like that. Her cheeks burned with shame. She didn’t fully understand it, but she could tell Sheik was mad at her for something. “I’m sorry,” she said after a moment.

Sheik kept his eyes forward. He grunted in acknowledgement. “It doesn’t matter.” It was hard to tell, but from his tone, he seemed a bit ashamed of himself, too.

Why don’t I understand anything he says?

Upon exiting the forest, Seraphina and Sheik next had to climb over a large hill. It was quite steep, and at certain points, they had to climb rocky cliff faces. The young princess, frail as she was, struggled with this part of the journey, which seemed to get on Sheik’s nerves. Regardless, her constant apologies also seemed to get on his nerves, so she learned to stay silent until they reached the top.

By the time they’d made it over the hill and were on their way down the other side, the sun had set. The slope was a lot gentler on the way down, so it was not as strenuous, but they had to keep an eye out for monsters.

“So, where are we going?” Seraphina asked, trying to watch her step as she climbed down the hill, the path illuminated only by the light of the moon. “You said we weren’t going to my brother, but you didn’t say where we were going.”

“Keep your voice down,” Sheik said in a hushed growl.

“Okay,” she whispered back. “But where are we going?”

“You don’t think there’s a reason I’m not telling you?” Sheik asked. As he spoke, he stepped closer to her. His head darted around, as if searching for some unseen foe.

Seraphina started to feel worried. “Are we…” she began before stopping to lower her voice. “Is someone following us?”

“No,” Sheik said, shaking his head. “Not yet, anyway. But the second anyone sees us, we may be in danger.”

“But why would--?” Before Seraphina could finish her sentence, she felt something grabbing onto her ankle, which caused her to trip and fall, landing face down in the grass. “Ow! What--?” Turning over, she saw a skeletal arm popping out of the ground, still gripping her tightly. Immediately terrified, she let out a high-pitched shriek.

Sheik quickly stomped his boot down on the skeleton’s wrist, snapping it like a twig. Now free, Seraphina scooted backwards to get away from it. However, the skeletal hand remained firmly on her ankle, so she kept screaming.

“Shut up!” Sheik shouted, stomping on the arm again.

“It’s got me!” Seraphina shouted, wanting Sheik to pull it off of her. However, Sheik was busy with the Stalfos. Another arm burst out of the ground, sending clumps of dirt flying. Clawing at the grass with its one remaining arm, the monster soon managed to pull its head up above the ground as well. The skull turned towards the princess, its empty eye sockets lighting up with an eerie red light. Seraphia screamed again.

Sheik raised his foot, then swiftly brought it down in an axe kick motion, crushing the Stalfos’s skull. Pieces of bone splattered across the ground. Its arms stopped moving, and the hand on Seraphina’s leg finally released its grip on her.

It was all over in a few seconds. Seraphina was left panting, still terrified. “Thank you,” she told Sheik, grateful that he had once again saved her.

“Quiet,” the Sheikah man insisted, grabbing her by the arm to pull her to her feet. “Next time, keep your--”

“Is there somebody out there?”

Seraphina jumped at the sound of someone else’s voice calling out to them. Through the darkness, she could see the light of a torch growing brighter as it came up the hill. “Someone’s coming,” she stated.

“Stay close to me,” Sheik ordered. “Your name is Sheik. Don’t speak unless I tell you to.”

Seraphina grew frightened at how serious he sounded. She wrapped her arms around him and pulled herself closer to him. To her surprise, he let his cloak drape over her, covering her slightly. When the torch got close enough, the princess could see there were four men dressed like soldiers. Sheik had mentioned a garrison being nearby, so they had probably come from there.

“Are you folks alright?” the soldier at the front of the group asked. “We heard screaming.”

“We’re alright now,” Sheik replied. He turned and gestured to the shattered bones of the undead creature he’d just killed. “We were startled by that Stalfos when it climbed up out of the ground, but I took care of it.”

The soldier with the torch came closer for a better look. “Ooh. Nasty thing, that one,” he said. “Good on you for ridding us of it.”

“Definitely not safe being out here after dark so soon after the Blood Moon,” another guard commented. “What were you thinking?”

“We were meant to be in Goponga before nightfall,” Sheik explained matter-of-factly. “We just got a little lost.”

“Wow. Boy did you pick the wrong time to get lost,” the guard with the torch commented, laughing.

“Goponga’s still quite a walk from here, and you’d have to cross the sandbar,” one of the other guards said. “Why don’t you come back to the garrison with us? We can spare you a room for the night.”

“The offer is appreciated, but that won’t be necessary,” Sheik replied. “We really need to get there soon. We’ll just keep an eye out for monsters along the way.”

“Now hold on just a minute.” The man who appeared to be in charge held out his hand before they could go anywhere. He looked down at Seraphina, which made her grip Sheik tighter. “Are you alright, little miss?” he asked.

Remembering Sheik’s orders, the princess simply nodded.

“The Stalfos grabbed her leg,” Sheik told him. “It only scared her. She was not harmed.”

“This your brother?” the guard captain asked her.

Without thinking, Seraphina nodded again.

“Why don’t you step away from him for a minute?” he suggested. “I wanna ask you a couple questions.”

Seraphina looked to Sheik, hoping he would tell her what to do. She noticed his hand reaching for his knife. Thinking quickly, she grabbed his hand, holding it tightly. He shot her an annoyed look, so she pleaded with him silently.

Please don’t hurt them.

The princess nodded to the guard captain. Hoping she’d got her message across to Sheik, she let go of his hand and stepped away from him.

“What do you want?” Sheik asked.

The guard captain gestured for one of his men to step between him and Sheik. “I do apologize if this offends you, stranger, but when I see a man sneaking around at night and bringing a little girl with him, I get a little suspicious about his intentions. I just wanna make sure there’s nothing going on here.”

Excuse me ?” Sheik said, shooting the man a death glare. One of the guards drew his sword.

“No!” Seraphina said loudly, drawing everyone’s attention to her. “He’s my brother,” she insisted.

“It’s alright,” the guard captain said, putting a hand on her shoulder. “What’s your name, little miss?” he asked.

Seraphina opened her mouth, then hesitated. “Sheik,” she replied. Every part of her felt sick as she lied about something as simple as her name, but she wanted to do what Sheik had told her.

The man nodded understandingly. “Alright. You don’t need to tell me. But if he has done anything bad to you, I need to know so we can help you. Okay?”

“He hasn’t,” Seraphina said. “My brother helped me.”

The guards all exchanged looks. Seraphina got the sense that they could tell she was lying in some way, but they weren’t sure how or why.

“Satisfied?” Sheik asked, still glaring at the guards.

There was another moment of hesitation, but the captain relented. He nodded to his men, who sheathed their swords and stepped out of the way. Seraphina immediately ran back to Sheik, clamping her arms around him.

The guard with the torch laughed. “He’s her brother, alright. My kid sister’s the same way.”

“My apologies, travelers,” the captain said. “But still, I must insist you return with us to Moor. It’s too dangerous for folks like you to travel alone at night like this.”

“Thank you, sir,” Seraphina said, taking her hands off of Sheik. “We would be honored to accept your hospitality.” Even as she said it, she could feel Sheik’s glare on the back of her head. But, as far as she could tell, these people were just going to keep insisting until either she accepted or Sheik harmed them.

I don’t want that.

“Splendid,” the guard captain said. “Let’s be on our way, then.”


The wind howled as they walked along the road. The guard carrying the torch led the way, taking them closer to the garrison. The other guards walked alongside them, attentively searching for monsters or other people. Seraphina was glad she and Sheik had run into them. They seemed like kind folk who were genuinely concerned for their safety, like the guards who had helped her get from Hyrule Castle to the Light Temple on the night of the Blood Moon.

However, Sheik seemed unconvinced. He was still paranoid that everyone they bumped into could be a part of the conspiracy that was trying to kill her. He knew way more about it than Seraphina did, so she had no idea how justified his suspicions were. Still, it seemed rude to be so suspicious of these friendly people.

“Are you still getting a lot of monster attacks in the area?” Sheik asked, sounding almost casual about it.

“You bet,” one of the guards replied. “It’s always this bad right after the Blood Moon. We’ll probably hit at least six or seven clusters of Stalfos every night for the next month or so.”

Seraphina shuddered and moved closer to Sheik. “Are we almost there?” she asked nervously.

“Don’t worry, little one,” the captain assured her. “We’re not far now. If any more monsters appear, we will protect the two of you. That’s our job.”

Seraphina smiled. “Thank you.” She looked up at Sheik, wondering what his plan would be if there was a monster attack. Would he join them in the fight, or attempt to conceal that he knew how? However, he did not seem to have any hints to give her. At the moment, he was staring intently at the guard with the torch.

I hope he’s not thinking of hurting him or something.

“So, why are you headed to Goponga?” a guard asked.

“That’s our business,” Sheik said defensively.

The guard looked insulted, then shot a questioning look towards Seraphina. She did not wish to have the question directed at her now that Sheik had refused to answer. She’d never been good at lying, and she did not wish to upset Sheik by giving a different answer than he did anyway. So, she quickly clung to Sheik’s side, hiding her face from the guard in the hope that he would drop the subject.

Sheik did not seem to notice or care. He was still eying the guards suspiciously, although Seraphina could not tell if it was because he was still wary of them or because he was planning something.

“What are you doing?” Seraphina whispered to him.

However, he said nothing.

For a short while, their walk proceeded without incident. The guards gave up on trying to ask Seraphina and Sheik any questions, so they began casually chatting amongst themselves instead. The atmosphere became less tense, and Seraphina was able to relax a little, despite Sheik’s suspicious behavior.

“You think we can pop over to Mercay tomorrow?” one of the guards asked, stretching his arms over his head. “Maybe go to that game house for a bit. We could use a break.”

“Don’t even think about it,” the captain replied. “This is not the time for days off.”

“I don’t mean all day,” the other guard tried to bargain. “I just mean for--”

Duck !”

Seraphina jumped at the sound of the guard behind her yelling all of a sudden. Before she could react, Sheik had shoved her to the ground, falling on top of her. It was difficult to see from her position, but the sound was unmistakable. Hundreds upon hundreds of leathery wings flapped noisily as a swarm of Keese passed over them. Seraphina poked her head out to see, only to duck back down when she saw the shadow of something larger within the swarm.

A few moments later, the six of them stood back up. The dark cloud of tiny bat monsters flew higher into the sky, then began to change direction.

“They didn’t attack us,” one of the guards commented.

“They’re coming back around,” the captain pointed out. “Everyone, torches and swords. Now!” He and two of his men were quick to obey. Each of them that wasn’t holding a torch took one out and quickly lit it.

“What’s the big deal?” the first guard asked. “It’s just Keese.”

“It’s not just Keese,” Sheik corrected.

“Huh?”

The Keese swarm had fully changed course now, coming straight towards them once again. As the bat monsters shifted position, Seraphina could make out something in the middle of the cloud of wings. It was as large as a person and had arms and legs, but it had bat wings extending from its back, and the rest of its bloated body’s features were distinctly bat-like as well.

“A Vire?” the guard at the front of the group said, sounding frightened. “What the hell’s a Vire doing outdoors ?”

“The Blood Moon was last night,” another guard reminded him, finally getting his torch to light. “It fucks with monsters in all kinds of ways.”

“Should we run?”

“No chance. They’re too fast, and we’ve got nowhere to hide.”

“Stay behind us, civilians,” the captain ordered, facing Sheik and Seraphina. “With any luck, our torches will scare them off.”

Seraphina was shaking now, clutching onto Sheik tightly. She looked up at him, pleading for him to help. She’d been in the room when he fought monsters before. She knew he could help. However, he just stood there, staring into the approaching cloud of bat monsters. “Sheik…” she said, nearly in tears.

The flapping of the leathery wings got louder and louder. The swarm would be upon them in seconds. “For Hyrule!” the captain shouted, with his men joining in on the cheer.

Seraphina shut her eyes. She felt Sheik wrap his arms around her. Suddenly, she felt a familiar, odd sensation.

A moment later, the princess could feel water around her ankles. The sounds that had been all around them moments ago had ceased. Opening her eyes, she found herself in a completely different environment. All around her were wetlands. Her feet sank into a bed of sand covered by a layer of shallow water. Trees and bushes sprung up from little islands sticking out of the water, and behind Sheik, she could see the ‘shoreline’ of the mainland.

“What?” Seraphina asked in confusion.

Sheik fell to one knee, clutching his side.

“Sheik! What happened? Where are the others? The monsters? Where are we?”

“I shadowstepped us away, you idiot,” he said, climbing back to his feet with a look of exertion on his face. “It still hurts to do it with another person right now, so be grateful for once, will ya?”

“What?” the princess repeated. Then, it clicked. “Like you did in the Light Temple,” she said aloud. “Wait, but, the others!”

“What about them?” Sheik asked, already beginning his march through the sandbar away from the mainland.

“They helped us,” Seraphina argued. “We need to go back for them.”

“Helped us? No, they didn’t,” Sheik replied. “They showed up after I saved you. All they did was waste our time.”

“They wanted to help us,” the princess said with some conviction. “They’re good people. The monsters, they might…”

“Kill them?” Sheik locked eyes with her as he finished her sentence. “Good. That means they won’t tell anyone they saw us. It’s better this way. Now shut up and follow me. We need to keep moving.”

Seraphina didn’t know what to do. She felt like crying again. So many people had died already, and now it looked like four more were going to die as well, and there was nothing she could do about it. She fell to her knees in the sand, splashing the water as she did.

Sheik kept walking for a moment, but he stopped when he looked back and saw her. Seraphina did not make a sound, but she stared at him pleadingly, wishing he would go back and save those kind men who’d only tried to help them. Sheik changed direction and walked back to her, which made her perk up with hope.

Is he going to help them?

“I couldn’t help them even if I wanted to,” Sheik explained. “I’m in no condition to shadowstep with one of them, let alone all four. And without the proper tools, I can’t fight off a Vire with a Keese swarm that big.”

This was not what Seraphina wanted to hear. “Can’t you try ?” she begged. “It’s what the Hero would do.”

Sheik gave an exasperated sigh. “You chose to follow me because you wanted my help. I just saved your life yet again. You want the Hero to help you? Go find him. Me? I’m going this way. Come with me or don’t.” With that, he turned around and walked away again.

It took the princess a few moments to decide what to do.

If I run back there myself, maybe they’ll have defeated the monsters. If they’re injured, I can heal them.

However, if they hadn’t defeated the monsters, then she’d be running straight into them. The thought of those scary, leathery-winged creatures swarming around her again made her shiver.

In the end, Sheik’s words got through to her.

I need him.

Standing up out of the water, she planted a foot in front of her, navigating through the sinking sand in an attempt to catch up with Sheik.

“Hey! Wait for me!”

Chapter 45: Mila V

Chapter Text

“What in Din’s name is taking Silorn so long?” Prince Percival asked, tapping his gauntleted hand against the wooden table impatiently.

Mila glanced about the tent, spotting no Zora present. The only people sitting around the prince’s council table were Hylians and Sheikah, aside from her.

“Then perhaps we should begin without him, your highness,” Lady Kaifa suggested.

Percival grunted. “Very well. This shan’t take long as it is,” he decided. “First order of business is to establish our blockade. As soon as we have that, we can begin our assault. We’ll need to divide our forces into three units -- one for the city’s east gate, one for the south, and one for the west.”

“What of the rivers, my lord?” Mila pointed out, hoping to contribute before anyone else. “Especially the Regencia. If Lord Remoth calls for reinforcements, they will be coming from his holdings to the west.”

“True, if obvious,” the prince replied, adding an unnecessary layer of contempt to his answer. “Silorn’s forces can handle the rivers. We, unfortunately, do not have time for him to send for more Hydrophants, but he and his hydromancers should be more than enough to stop any ship that would come up the Regencia. A small portion of his troops can block the Hylia on the other side, as a precaution.”

“If the Zora forces are handling the moat, that does not leave a great number of troops if we plan to assault three gates at once,” Lady Kaifa interjected, shuffling pieces around on the map she’d set up on the table.

“Perhaps we might attempt a more gradual sort of siege,” Mila suggested. “Block the gates and the river. No one in or out, and no food entering the city either.”

“My lady,” the bishop called Mayro said, sounding a little appalled. “We only mean to remove Lord Remoth from the throne. Starving the entire city would harm the citizenry as well. We should avoid such unnecessary collateral damage.”

“It would not need to last for long,” Mila argued.

I’m not trying to kill them all, you fool.

“The populace shall be informed of why we are here. As soon as they begin to feel the effects of the famine, we will see the people, the City Guard, and even Remoth’s own men turn on him,” Mila explained. “They will be as eager to give the throne to Prince Percival as we are.”

“The throne is not for Prince Percival,” Lady Kaifa corrected her. “It is for Queen Victorique.”

“Certainly,” Mila said, smiling sweetly. “But surely we prefer to have the prince hold it for her until she arrives, as opposed to the traitorous Lord Remoth.”

“Agreed,” Mayro said. “But, I would still prefer a method that harms less civilians.”

“The bishop is right,” Prince Percival said.

Mila frowned.

Don’t contradict me. My way will work and you all know it.

“All we need to do is take the gates,” the prince went on. “Afterwards, Remoth’s men will fall back to the castle. We can then proceed through the city with minimal fighting and minimal chance for civilian harm.”

“That strikes me as rather wishful thinking,” Mila countered.

Prince Percival shot her a dirty look, which shook her confidence for a moment.

“With all due respect, of course, your highness,” she added quickly.

“What do you mean?” Percival asked accusatorily.

“What I mean is that Lord Remoth does not seem like the type to be above making use of human shields,” Mila explained, shifting her statement from a criticism of the prince’s intelligence to a criticism of Lord Remoth’s morality. “He will attack us in the city with the hope that the presence of commonfolk will make us hesitant to fight. We would be fools to expect him to allow us to walk right up to the gates of Hyrule Castle without any resistance.”

“That may be, but the man is also a seasoned general.” Prince Percival walked around the rim of the table to get closer to the map, then began picking up pieces and moving them back into the castle. “Once he loses his defensible outer perimeter against an overwhelming force, he’ll know his best chance at victory is to pull back into the castle where he can try to outlast us.”

He wins one battle, and now he thinks he’s an expert.

Mila groaned internally.

And now I sound like Alchon.

The Kokiri girl wished to continue arguing her point, but she knew she’d already pushed her luck pretty far. The prince was nothing if not stubborn. She may have impressed him somewhat by her boldness, but continuing to undermine his authority by questioning him in front of everyone was bound to bruise his ego, which would spell bad news for her. So, she decided to concede.

If only to make this spoiled brat shut up.

“I see the wisdom in your words, your highness,” Mila said, adding as much fake authenticity as she could to her speech. “Perhaps I am thinking too pessimistically.”

“No matter,” Prince Percival replied with an infuriating little self-satisfied nod. “Now, next order of business is to decide how to divide our forces amongst the city gates,” he went on. “I shall be coordinating things from the center, so I shall take charge of the south gate. Ordinarily, I would trust Silorn to take one of the other gates, but since he will be--”

“Your highness!”

With Percival’s words interrupted, everyone turned to stare at the newcomer. A messenger had barged into the tent, flanked by royal guards on either side.

“Prince Silorn -- he’s gone!” the messenger declared in a voice of panic.

“What?”

“What do you mean?”

“Gone where?”

As everyone around the table began speaking at once, Prince Percival held up his hand for silence. When his council listened, he gave the messenger a glare. “What do you mean he’s gone?” the prince asked calmly, but clearly he was quite angry with this news.

“The Zora camp is completely deserted,” the messenger explained. “Prince Silorn has taken his forces and gone southeast, back towards Lanayru.”

Prince Percival growled. “That damn fish.”

“He did say he was against attacking the City of Hyrule,” Mayro commented, leaning away from Percival.

“He is a coward and a deserter,” Percival insisted. “My father would’ve hanged him for this.”

“Let’s not be hasty,” Lady Kaifa interjected. “It would be unwise to bring harm to King Ralis’s son. Besides, chasing after him would be a waste of time and resources when we should be focusing on reclaiming the city.”

“She is right,” Mila agreed, hoping to turn this course of events in her favor somehow. “If we get caught up fighting with the Zora, all that will do is weaken our forces and give Lord Remoth more time to further cement his unlawful position upon the throne.”

“With our aquatic forces gone, we will be unable to limit our opponent’s ability to receive reinforcements from across the river,” Kaifa pointed out. “That pushes up our timetable significantly, too.”

“Fine, then,” the prince replied, slamming a palm down onto the table. “The south gate is mine. Kaifa, you take the east gate. Shadowgale, the west.”

Mila perked up at the prince’s address, referring to her by her House name.

He’s letting me lead one of the battalions? Just like that?

She’d thought she would need to worm the idea into his head or demand the position herself, but perhaps he had learned to trust her judgment.

Or perhaps he just picked the last two people who said anything.

“I am honored, my prince,” Mila said with false sincerity.

“As am I, your highness,” Lady Kaifa concurred.

“Good,” the prince said, fixing his cape as he left the table. “Get your troops and head out. We attack on my command.”


From their original camp by the east gate, Prince Percival and Mila led their troops around the city’s outer walls, leaving slightly less than a third of their forces behind with Lady Kaifa. By the south gate, Prince Percival stopped to set up his own camp with the bulk of their forces. Mila continued from there to the west gate, bringing with her the remaining Hylian troops.

The plan was simple. The prince had given Mila and Kaifa a signal to be on the lookout for as well as a time when they should expect to see it. They would hit all three of the city’s main gates simultaneously, hopefully taking Lord Remoth and the City Guard by surprise and forcing a retreat to Hyrule Castle. Beyond that, Mila had complete freedom with how to approach her task of taking the west gate.

Outside the western walls of the city was a stone quarry. With the damage done to the city during the night of the Blood Moon, Mila suspected the quarry would be getting worked overtime in order to obtain building materials with which to repair the city. That meant many people coming and going between the quarry and the city, likely through a seldom-used gate that would be less closely guarded than the main west gate. Working off of these theories, Mila devised a plan.

Thus, that night, under cover of darkness, the Kokiri found herself leading a group of a dozen cloaked figures, sneaking into the quarry. The rest of her troops would be waiting outside the main gate, keeping the enemy’s attention and awaiting her signal to commence the attack as soon as she had the gate open.

Mila’s short arms and legs were not the best suited for climbing over rocks and cliffs, but as she’d done with the earthquake sage’s Talus Titan, she was able to use her wind magic to aid her. Upon reaching the top of the ridge, the quarry came into view. Signaling to her squad to follow her, she knelt by the ledge, peering down to see what the area looked like.

“By the gods.”

“What are they doing here?”

“What the hell is this?”

What could be seen down in the quarry was quite surprising. The sound of hammers and pickaxes beating against stone had been heard as they’d scaled the cliffs, so they’d known people would be there working, even this late into the night. However, it was the workers who were surprising. The quarry was being mined by monsters, many of which wore iron collars around their necks. They appeared to be mostly different breeds of Moblin, but there were also a few Bigblins hauling carts or carrying boulders. Aside from them, there were armed human guards keeping watch around the pits, but they seemed more focused on keeping the monsters in than keeping intruders out.

“Interesting,” Mila mused. “I’d heard Lord Remoth’s wealth came from his mining operations in Tanagar Canyon, and that he made use of monster slaves.”

“It’s awfully bold of him to bring them so close to the City of Hyrule, though. Isn’t it, my lady?” Vanova asked, kneeling beside her tiny charge.

“This has to be illegal,” one of Mila’s soldiers commented.

“Yeah, you can’t just bring monsters right up to the wall of the capital like this.”

“And right after the Blood Moon? How distasteful .”

“Keep your voices down, men,” Mila ordered. “Any of you get us caught, I’ll throw you down into one of those pits with the damn Moblins.”

“Yes, milady.”

“Apologies, ma’am.”

“So, what’s the plan now, Lady Mila?” Vanova asked in a gentle whisper. “We were going to try to blend in with the workers. How are we supposed to do that now?”

“Yes, this development certainly puts a damper on our plans,” Mila admitted. Gazing at the city wall in the distance, she saw there was indeed another gate there, but it was still guarded, even if the security was a tenth that of the main gate. They would be spotted going through it. They could fight their way through, but that would put the main gate on high alert as a result.

“We’ll have to go over the wall,” Mila stated. “Once we’re in the city, we proceed as planned -- blend in as civilians, take the main gate from the inside, and open it for the rest of our forces.”

“Go over the wall? How?” the soldier on her right asked. “We didn’t bring any scaling equipment.”

“Look down there,” Mila instructed, pointing down into the quarry. “Ropes, ladders, picks -- everything we’ll ever need to climb a wall.”

“And the monsters can provide the perfect distraction!” Vanova said excitedly as the idea came to her.

“Shh!” Mila hushed her, ducking back behind the cliff’s edge. “But yes, that is a good idea, Vanova,” she conceded. “Monsters are a stupid and volatile lot. It will not take much to get them to attack their captors, or each other.”

“How do we plan to do that?” a soldier behind her asked.

Mila thought for a moment, then smiled. “Leave that to me and Luft.”

Even before the fairy appeared, Mila heard the angry chiming. “Hey!” her fairy cried beside her ear. “Don’t go bringing me into this. I don’t want anything to do with those damn pigheads down there.”

“This is not the time to be picky with your pranks,” Mila told her, speaking in the fairy tongue.

“Well, what do you want the rest of us to do, then?” another of Mila’s soldiers asked.

Mila took another moment to consider what actions needed to be taken to proceed from there. “Baddek, Steen, Pitar, Anly,” the Kokiri commander said, directing her orders at four of her men. “Those two ladders over there, down in the closest pit. Get those and take them over there.” Mila pointed to the part of the wall which she desired to climb over. “Wait until I’ve created the distraction. Avoid being seen, and kill any who spot you.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Vanova, Dai, Ames.”

“Yes, my lady?”

“Secure our point of entry,” she ordered. “Take note of what guards pass by atop the wall. If any pass by at ground level, kill them silently and hide the body.”

“Yes, my lady,” Vanova replied with no hesitation.

“Very good.” Mila nodded. “Kish, Yolero, Robsten, Calip -- we’ll need something to bind and secure the ladders. Rope will do, and perhaps a couple pickaxes if we need to hook onto the top of the wall.”

“Whatever you say, Lady Mila.”

“Alright. Everyone has their roles. Go.”

The soldiers under her command scattered as she gave the order, climbing down over the stone ridge from various points to head into the quarry or to the wall. Mila did the same, climbing down until she was low enough to jump and cushion her fall with the wind.

One of the very few advantages of being trapped in a perpetually child-like body was it made sneaking around much easier. Mila’s short stature and light foot made it simple for her to hide and move silently, allowing for her to remain undetected as she snuck past the guards and got closer to the monsters. Hopping down to the first level of the closest pit, the Kokiri girl ducked into a nearby opening in the rock wall.

“Well, genius, what exactly is your plan now?” Luft asked, jangling lightly beside her head.

“Simple. See those Pigblins down there?” Mila asked, gesturing to the boar-headed moblins chipping away at the rock on a lower level.

“Yeah. Hard to miss something that ugly.”

“And see that Bigblin over there?” A very large Blin creature was dragging a wagon full of boxes and stone up a ramp out of the pit, moving quite slowly.

Luft sighed, which sounded oddly musical coming from a fairy. “You wanna get the Bigblin to drop the stuff it’s carrying and piss off the Moblins they hit with it.”

“Exactly. The commotion will draw the attention of the guards and workers alike,” the Kokiri explained. “Why do you sound so disappointed?”

“I expected something more clever from someone who thinks as highly of herself as you,” Luft replied scathingly.

“Well, excuse me, but this isn’t the time for some masterfully crafted scheme. We’re just looking to piss off a bunch of mindless brutes. We could accomplish the same effect by stomping on one’s foot if we didn’t have to worry about stealth,” Mila replied. “Now, why don’t you quit complaining and do your job, old friend?”

Luft jingled in annoyance. “Ugh. Fine! I’ll go mess with the Bigblin’s cart. But don’t come crying to me when you find yourself fighting off a horde of enraged knuckle draggers.”

“Thank you. That’s better.” Mila smiled mockingly. Luft flew away. The Kokiri girl watched as the little ball of light weaved through the pit, flying past several oblivious monsters and slipping through the cracks in the many pieces of stone between her and the target.

By the time Luft reached the Bigblin’s cart, Mila couldn’t see the fairy anymore. However, the lock on the gate suddenly opened, and one of the wheels on the cart began to wobble as if something had been loosened. Sure enough, the wheel soon popped off completely. The cart slumped to the side, and with the gate on the back of it unlocked, its contents spilled out in a tidal wave of wood and stone.

Since the cart was being pulled near the edge of the pit, everything that fell out plummeted to the levels below, raining on top of several other slave monsters. Their screams of surprise, pain, and panic echoed throughout the quarry. One or two of them were crushed, likely killed. A few others took a heavy stone to the shoulder or the foot, which would effectively put them out of commission.

Of the Moblins who had not been injured, many of them roared when they looked up and spotted the Bigblin, who they must have assumed was responsible. The Bigblin himself looked mortified, but upon receiving the dirty looks from the other monsters, he quickly grabbed a slab of stone to use as a club and roared back, accepting their challenge. Half a dozen Moblins charged up the ramps leading up to the Bigblin, and the brawl began.

Mila giggled as she watched it all happen. Almost immediately, one of the Moblins got smacked in the head by the stone slab and fell back down into the pit. She thought the fight might be a little too one-sided, but the Bigblin seemed more than a match for the others, despite being outnumbered.

Soon after the commotion had started, Mila could hear voices shouting from up out of the pit.

“Hey! What’s going on over there?”

“Break it up, you animals!”

“Grab the thunderspears.”

Mila grinned. She decided it was time to move on to the next work pit, but she had to wait for Luft. A moment later, she heard the fairy jingling.

“There,” Luft sang, hovering in front of the entrance of the little cave Mila was hiding in. “Satisfied?”

“Good work, old friend,” Mila complimented. “We’ll go visit the nearest fairy fountain later as a reward.”

“Hurray!” Luft cried, flipping backwards in the air.

Over on the other side of the pit, the fight was still going on, but now the human guards were trying to stop it. Several of them had gathered around and were shouting at the monsters to stop. A few arrived carrying long, two-pronged spears that crackled with lightning magic. One of them thrust his thunderspear forward, touching it against the Bigblin’s thick hide. He roared in pain as the electricity coursed through him, but as soon as the guard pulled the spear back, the Bigblin spun to the side and backhanded him, knocking him down into the pit. The guards began shouting more loudly, all of them pointing their spears at the monsters.

“I believe it’s time for us to leave,” Mila said to Luft.

“Are you sure?” her fairy asked. “Now that I’m here, this is actually kinda fun to watch. Who do you think will win? My rupees are on that big one.”

“Truly? I’ve got a shiny purple one on the humans, then,” Mila replied. “But no time to stay and watch, unfortunately. We need to draw more guards away from the walls. Let’s go start another riot or two, and then meet back with my troops.”


“You owe me,” Mila said, smiling smugly as she walked towards the wall.

“I owe you nothing!” Luft replied, jangling angrily. “It was never a fair bet.”

“Then you shouldn’t have made it.”

The Kokiri girl and her fairy’s tricks had worked as planned. They’d managed to cause such a commotion in the quarry that the gate to the city had opened up to send reinforcements from the City Watch. Some of the guards had been called down from atop the walls, giving them a good chance of slipping over to the other side.

When she arrived at the section of the wall she had specified earlier, she found the soldiers under her command waiting for her. All of them still wore their cloaks, although some had a bit of blood splattered on them.

“Lady Mila,” Vanova said happily upon seeing her. “We’ve all done as you commanded, my lady.” The young soldier gestured to the ladder they had placed against the wall. Two of the soldiers were standing on the ladder and just finishing up their work, binding and securing everything in place.

“Excellent work, soldiers,” Mila told them with a curt nod. Then she turned to the two up on the ladder. “All finished, Pitar?”

“Just about, ma’am,” the young man replied, pulling a knot tight.

“Splendid. The guards give you any trouble?” Mila gestured to the bloodstain on Dai’s cloak.

“Only a bit, but we took care of ‘em,” Dai replied. “And yourself, my lady?”

“None for me, but I’m sure those monsters are having a rough night.” Mila pointed her thumb over her shoulder and smiled wryly. “They won’t remain distracted forever, though. Let’s get a move on. Up and over, now.”

“Yes, Lady Mila.”

One by one, the dozen of them climbed onto the ladder and took it all the way up to the top of the wall.

“That everyone?” Mila asked, looking down over the edge.

Vanova quickly counted. “Yes, Ma’am.”

“Right. Get the ladder up, then,” the Kokiri ordered. The four soldiers closest to the ladder began pulling it upwards. “Hurry, now. Before the guards spot us.” Luckily, the guards patrolling the position of the wall they were on had still not returned to their post, likely still busy with the monsters fighting in the quarry.

As soon as the ladder had been pulled atop the wall, the soldiers swung it around to the other side, ready to climb down into the city. “Perfect,” Mila said. “Down we go.”

Down on the ground level, Mila surveyed the area. There was no one around, and it was rather difficult to see anything in the dark. “Disassemble the ladder,” Mila ordered. “Place it by those barrels over there,” she said, pointing. With any luck, no one would notice anything suspicious.

“What now, my lady?” Vanova asked.

“We don’t have much time before the prince planned to attack, right?” Robsten asked. “Which means our troops should already be in position near the gate.”

“That’s correct,” Mila nodded. “We’ll have to move quickly. Let’s get close to the gate and see what we’re dealing with. We’ll get it open in time. Move out.”

The wall between the City of Hyrule and the quarry was a short walk from the city proper, through a wooded hollow. When they stepped out onto the street, there were people walking around outside, despite it being dark out. However, it was no longer that difficult to see, as the city had plenty of torchlight.

“Something wrong, my lady?” Vanova asked.

“The city is on the verge of siege, and people are going about their business,” Mila said quietly. “Has Lord Remoth not issued a warning?”

“Perhaps he doesn’t think Prince Percival has the balls to do it,” Ames speculated, chuckling lightly.

“This is good for us, though, isn’t it?” Kish asked. “With more civilians around, the guards won’t see us as suspicious.”

“Good point,” Mila said. “Alright, stay together. Don’t talk to anyone. And try to wipe that blood off your damn cloak.”

“Sorry, ma’am.”

As the group made their way south through the city, no one seemed to pay them much notice. Mila speculated that her presence may have been a large part of that. The guards may have been expecting a group of enemy soldiers to sneak into the city, but she doubted any of them expected a child to be among such a group, and thus did not spare them a second glance.

Another boon granted by this accursed body.

The city was still partially in ruins. The demon that had descended upon the city had done serious damage to some of the buildings, and many of them were still under repair. Scaffolding and piles of stone and lumber were common sights. Any bodies of those killed in the attack had long since been cleared out, and the city’s sanitation workers had done a decent job cleaning up the blood, but they still came across a few odd red stains that had apparently been missed.

Perhaps this part of the city is just a dump, anyway.

“Wait,” Mila ordered, forcing the cloaked soldiers surrounding her to halt. They had reached the southwestern corner of the city, and the west gate was in sight. While not as grand as the south or east gates, the west gate was nonetheless quite impressive. And, as expected, it was well guarded. Mila could see soldiers wearing the uniform of the City Watch as well as black-cloaked knights of House Remoth. Some stood on the ground level, others atop the walls, and there were no doubt more within the towers on either side of the gate.

“What do we do, my lady?” Vanova asked. “There are too many for us to fight head on.”

“That is true, but we don’t need to fight them all,” Mila replied, trying to formulate the plan of attack in her head. “Our only goal is to get the gate open. Once our troops rush in, we will outnumber them.”

“But how do we do that?” Calip asked, nervously rubbing his hand over his sword through the cloak that concealed it.

“Same way we snuck over the wall,” Mila said. “We just need a distraction that will hold their attention long enough to get the gate open.” As she spoke, she knew that was easier said than done. Back when they had climbed over the wall, they were not at much risk of drawing attention to themselves simply by climbing a ladder. However, with the city gate, it would be immediately noticeable the moment they began to open it. Thus, the distraction would need to allow them to get to the gate winch, and then keep the guards away long enough to finish opening the gate.

“Should we start another fight?” Anly asked. “There are no monster slaves out here, though.”

“No, a simple fight would not be enough,” Mila said, putting her hand to her chin. “We need something bigger.”

“How about that?” Vanova suggested, pointing upwards.

Mila tilted her head back. Vanova had pointed to a tall building that was under heavy reconstruction. It looked like it was leaning to the side, as though ready to fall over at any moment. “Perfect,” Mila said, smiling. “Who’s got a tinderbox?”


Everything fell into place surprisingly smoothly from there. Mila split her team into three groups. One group would set fire to the weakened building and do what they could to make it collapse. Another group, led by Vanova, would raid the tower to the right of the gate. Meanwhile, Mila would lead the last group into the tower to the left of the gate. So, while the others prepared, Mila found herself milling about outside the tower with three of her soldiers, pretending to be having a casual conversation with them while they waited for the chaos to ensue.

Something Mila noticed about the guards was that the members of the City Watch were not treating the evening as anything out of the ordinary. They went about their routines and their patrols with little alertness, as if they’d been at it for weeks without trouble and had no reason to expect trouble now. The Remoth knights, on the other hand, seemed very tense. When they stopped at the key points on their patrol routes, they looked around as if expecting to find an enemy hiding behind every corner, and all of them gripped their weapons like they might use them at any second.

“Keep an eye on the black-cloaks,” Mila warned her soldiers in a low voice. “They’ll likely suspect foul play as soon as the fire starts.”

As she said the words, she noticed the smoke coming from the leaning tower.

Speak of the devil.

The Kokiri girl grinned to herself, realizing she’d accidentally referenced her own nickname. She heard some muttering from among the guards closest to her, probably arguing about whose job it was to check out the smoke to make sure it was nothing serious. However, a moment later, flames spouted up at several points, both from within the tower and from the scaffolding around it. Soon, the quiet arguing turned to panic.

“Shit, fire!”

“Sound the alarm!”

“Fetch the water buckets!”

“Perfect,” Mila said, pleased with how things were progressing. “Now we need to--”

“My lady!” Ames interrupted her, pointing up into the sky to the southeast.

Mila turned and spotted what he was talking about. Beyond the wall, a flare had been launched into the sky. Prince Percival was signaling the three armies to move in and attack the gates now. “Shit,” Mila swore, realizing they were actually behind schedule. “We’ve gotta get that gate open. Now .”

“Yes, ma’am!”

As soldiers began pouring out of the nearest guardhouse, Mila and her followers were easily able to slip through the opening in the gate during the commotion. As expected, it was mostly the City Watch responding to the fire, while the black-cloaks remained at their posts. One of them stood by the entrance to the gate tower.

“Halt!” the Remoth knight called as they approached. He readied his spear, stepping into a fighting stance. “Civilians are not allowed past that point.”

Behind her, Mila heard a loud crashing sound along with several screams. The burning tower must have fallen over. Mila had been expecting it, so she was prepared for the moment when the guard and her soldiers were distracted. She drew her sword and sprinted forward, propelling herself with her wind magic for an extra boost of speed. Just as the guard turned his attention back to her, Mila thrust her sword forward, stabbing him through the opening between his helmet and his breastplate.

Her soldiers were surprised when they managed to tear their eyes away from the falling building, but Mila did not give them time to think about it. “Keep going!” she insisted, ramming through the door into the tower.

Inside, she found two more guards. They sat at a table wearing their armor, but they did not have their weapons.

“Go!” Mila ordered simply, pointing to the men.

The enemy guards clambered to their feet, but Mila’s soldiers were on them before they had their bearings, cutting them down before they managed to arm themselves.

“Hurry, up the stairs,” Mila continued. “Our armies will be at the gate any second, and we don’t want them to be sitting ducks for the enemy archers and burning oil.”

The charge up the stairs was claustrophobic enough as it was, given how cramped the curving stone stairwell was. With the four of them rushing upwards all at once, it was enough to make Mila take a few steps back and let her soldiers take the lead. However, her soldiers soon collided head on with three black-cloaks heading down the stairs.

“Oof!”

“Hey! Who are you people?”

“Get the fuck out of our way!”

“You dirty rats.”

“Kill them all!”

“Die, mongrels!”

With little room to swing a weapon, Mila’s soldiers and the guards haphazardly stabbed forwards with their swords. The brawl only lasted a few seconds, but soon there was blood splattered across the walls and spilling down the steps. The three knights of House Remoth slumped over dead, as did Calip and Kish.

“Fuck!” Ames shouted, clutching his bloodied sword to his chest and pressing his back up against the wall. “Kish! Calip! Get up!”

“Leave them,” Mila ordered. “There’s no telling how many enemies are left. We must get this gate open immediately.”

Ames looked to be on the verge of vomiting, but he nodded unsteadily and proceeded up the stairs, with Mila’s little legs carrying her a short way behind him.

They opened a few doors along the way, finding the wrong room each time, before eventually coming to a room near the top of the tower. There was a large window through which one could see everyone coming and going through the gate. Beside the wall was a massive gate winch with chains attached, leading through openings that connected it to the city gate. There was only one guard present. He appeared to be a member of the City Watch rather than a black-cloak.

“What’s going on?” the young man asked.

Mila decided she did not have time to consider whether or not to spare him. She simply walked forward and sliced her long golden sword through the air, cutting the man’s throat. He fell over, clutching his wound, and Mila stepped over him.

“Ames. Help me with the winch,” she ordered.

“Yes, ma’am.”

Working in tandem, the two of them turned the mechanism to pull open the gate. Through the window, Mila could see her armies marching on the city.

Just in time.

The screams outside grew louder, and the alarm bells went off throughout the city. It sounded as though the prince and Lady Kaifa’s armies had begun their attacks as well.

Good. This will be over before we know it, then.

Once the gate was fully opened, Mila wiped the sweat from her brow, then stepped over to the window. She enjoyed the sight of an army -- her army -- crossing the threshold into the city. “Marvelous,” she said aloud.

“Ma’am?” her subordinate asked from behind her.

“Nothing,” she said, smiling wickedly. “Let us return downstairs and finish this.”


The actual battle did not last long. With the west gate open, Mila’s portion of their forces were able to swarm in, completely outnumbering the City Watch and the Remoth knights that had been stationed in the area. A veritable slaughter had ensued. Many members of the City Watch surrendered quickly, which Mila had accepted. Fewer black-cloaks surrendered, but Mila decided to extend the same generosity to them. As far as she was concerned, the message was clear -- Remoth and his followers are the enemy. Everyone else would be spared, so long as they didn’t get in her way.

With the southwest section of the city under her control, Mila triumphantly marched east towards the southern gate. She had not yet been notified of the results of Prince Percival’s battle, but as she grew nearer, she spotted members of the prince’s forces setting up checkpoints throughout the city streets.

“Looks like it was a total victory on our part,” Mila mused to her retinue. “The castle shall be next.”

“I hope it goes as smoothly as this,” Vanova said in agreement. “I don’t think Remoth has as many troops as he appeared to.”

“True. I suspect he amassed them by the east gate earlier as a bluff for the prince’s benefit,” Mila speculated. “Perhaps the rest of his forces are busy in the Ridgelands or Hebra, and he was merely attempting to hold the city with his personal guard.”

“That would be very fortunate for us.” Vanova did not seem very alert at the moment, as if the victory of the last battle had put her at ease.

“Stay vigilant, young lady,” Mila ordered her. “The enemy is not defeated yet, and you never know when we might walk into an ambush.”

“Yes, my lady.”

However, no such ambush occurred. Instead, the next person to come up and talk to Mila was a man dressed in the gilded armor of the Royal Guard.

“Lady Mila,” the man said, standing in her path.

“Yes?” Mila raised a hand to halt her retinue while she spoke.

“Prince Percival has summoned you,” the guard informed her. “Please proceed to the southern gatehouse.”

“Very well.” Mila nodded.

The guard bowed and dismissed himself.

The Kokiri girl smiled with self-satisfaction as she proceeded through the city as directed. The prince had put her in charge of an important task, and she had met his expectations, at the very least. “Perhaps he’ll promote me again,” she mused aloud.

“What title might he give you this time?” Vanova asked.

“Who knows? Perhaps I am to be his general now that Alchon is dead.” She exchanged a knowing glance with her squire, holding back a laugh at the mention of that man.

When they arrived at the gatehouse, the area had already been fully secured by the prince’s forces. Royal guards stood watch at all key points, including atop the wall. Many held banners displaying the Wingcrest symbol of the Hyrulean Royal Family, as if to say that a real Hyrule had taken command once again.

It will be so easy to get him on the throne from here…

“Wait out here,” Mila ordered her retinue. “I shall retrieve you after my meeting with the prince.”

“Yes, Lady Mila.”

Two royal guards stood outside the door, but one of them moved to open it as Mila approached. She nodded gratefully to him as she stepped inside.

“Dammit,” was the first thing she heard.

When Mila rounded the corner, she found the prince with his gauntleted fist against the wall. The Kokiri girl reflexively flinched at the sight of Sir Onnick standing ever vigilant beside him, his faceless gaze seemingly fixed upon her. However, she recovered and took stock of who else was present in the room. A few of the prince’s advisors had been gathered. The bishop Mayro was there, but there was no sign of Lady Kaifa, and no Prince Silorn, of course.

“I am very sorry, your highness,” a bearded advisor told the prince.

“Lord Remoth will hang for this,” the prince stated firmly. “Lady Kaifa was one of my uncle’s most loyal lieutenants. Our armies will suffer this loss greatly.”

Mila was surprised to hear this.

Kaifa is dead?

The prince noticed Mila and uninterestedly waved her inside. “Kokiri,” he said. “What news of the west gate?”

“It is ours, your highness,” Mila stated proudly. “Much of the western portion of the city is under our control as well.”

The prince sighed. “At least there’s that.” He snapped his fingers and walked over to the nearest table. “Map. Quill,” he ordered. One of his servants quickly produced a map of the city and laid it out on the table, while another produced a quill and inkwell. The prince lifted the pen and drew a line hastily across the map. “With the west side in our grasp, we have roughly half the city,” he said, tapping his finger against the paper. “Remoth’s troops still gather in the central square, and they control the east side as well. The rest is ours.”

“Then what are we to do, my prince?” Mila inquired. “Proceed to the castle to remove the usurper, or finish liberating the city first?”

“The city,” came the prince’s reply. “The siege of the castle will take some time, and we cannot afford to keep it up while fighting off attacks from the east.”

“And we must recover the Light Temple,” Mayro added. “If we are to obtain the favor of the next God of Light, we cannot leave the cathedral unattended.”

“True,” the prince agreed. “Now, let’s hurry this up. Everyone, gather around.”

Mila was a bit disappointed with the prince’s reaction to her success, or rather his lack of reaction. When she had succeeded on her previous campaign, she’d been granted a ladyship. Here, she’d been given nothing.

Well, perhaps no reward shall come until the fight is truly over and Remoth is removed from the throne.

Mila hid her smile. Once Remoth was gone and she managed to put Percival on the throne instead, she would certainly receive a better reward.

Soon, this city will be mine.

Chapter 46: Sophitia XIII

Chapter Text

“Would that be an acceptable compromise?” Sophitia asked, sitting up straight in her throne, trying to appear more authoritative.

The noble from Snowpeak seemed skeptical, and he glanced around the audience chamber in search of assurance from anyone else. “I… I’m not sure that will be enough in the long run, but perhaps it will keep the populace satisfied until a more permanent solution can be found.”

“Splendid,” Sophitia declared with feigned confidence. “Then the matter is settled for now, to be reopened later, if need be. Thank you for taking the time to speak with me, my lord.”

The nobleman bowed, put his hat back on, and left the audience chamber.

Liliana stepped closer to the princess and leaned in to speak to her quietly. “How are you feeling?” she asked.

“I’m fine, dear,” Sophitia replied, attempting to give her a reassuring smile.

“Are you sure? Because if you’re not up for this--”

“I’m fine,” she repeated. Sophitia looked her retainer in the eyes. “I appreciate your concern, but please let me work.”

Liliana nodded and stepped away, returning to her stance with her hands cupped behind her back.

The princess knew what Liliana was concerned about. It had only been a few days since Sophitia had received word of her father’s death and the disappearance of her sister. However, as far as the princess was concerned, she had already spent quite enough time mourning. She needed to show she could lead, even under these circumstances.

It is my royal duty.

Next in line was a couple, who appeared to be another pair of Snowpeak nobles. Sophitia waved them closer to her invitingly. However, before they could approach Sophitia’s throne, the doors at the end of the room were thrown open. A messenger marched into the room, flanked by four guards escorting him.

Sophitia knew what it was immediately, but she still had to say something as an apology of sorts to the nobles who’d been interrupted. “What is the meaning of this?” she asked.

“Apologies, your highness. A Rito messenger delivered this a moment ago,” the newly arrived guest informed her, holding up a scroll as he stepped closer to the throne. “He said it was from High Chieftain Revalco himself.”

“High Chieftain?” Sophitia repeated.

Many throughout the audience chamber muttered at this news.

Then it is as we feared.

Sophitia waved Liliana forward. The round-eared girl stepped down off of the dais to receive the scroll the messenger was delivering. “Thank you,” Sophitia said, allowing the messenger to leave with a bow. Liliana returned to Sophitia’s side and handed her the message.

The princess took a few moments to read the letter while her audience waited in anticipation, many of them wildly speculating about the letter’s contents. However, with the knowledge that Revalco was now the Rito high chieftain, Sophitia had already correctly predicted everything it said.

“Revalco has become the high chieftain, with a simple majority of the other chieftains supporting him,” Sophitia announced, summarizing Revalco’s message. “He has declared Hebra’s independence and issued an ultimatum. The Kingdom of Hyrule is to relinquish control of Hebra, or there will be war.”

Those in the audience reacted about as well as she’d expected. There were horrified gasps, lamentations of unfairness, and expressions of contempt for the Rito. Sophitia raised her hand for silence, and her guests soon listened.

“In light of these developments, we must end here for today. Lord Nobiro, Arbiter Ponthos, Sister Varke -- please join me in the council chambers. We have need to discuss this in great detail. Everyone else, you are dismissed,” the princess declared with a wave of her hand.

Those seated stood up and began filing out of the room. Some of them muttered in irritation, likely having traveled up the mountain just for an opportunity to speak to the princess acting as their governor.

“I apologize for the inconvenience. I will hear more grievances tomorrow, you have my word.”

Hopefully that will tide them over.

Liliana offered her hand, so Sophitia took it. Her retainer helped her stand up out of the throne. Without further announcement, the princess proceeded to Snowpeak’s council room along with Liliana and her advisors.


“I dare say, things are looking rather grim,” Arbiter Ponthos stated as everyone took their seats.

“Hylia have mercy,” the bishop Varke added. “I thought we would have more time before such a danger would befall Hebra once again.”

“Settle down, everyone,” Sophitia said, holding out her hands disarmingly. “First things first, I will send word to my siblings requesting reinforcements,” she explained. “My brother Lancel is already working to retake the City in the Sky, but my brother Percival’s campaign is already over. He will have troops to spare. I will also send word to my sister Victorique. I am uncertain if she is in Gerudo or Central Hyrule at the moment, but wherever she is, I’m sure we can count on her.”

“What of Lord Remoth?” Lord Nobiro asked. “You said his troops would be here days ago.”

Sophitia thought about that. It was true Lord Remoth was exceedingly late, and the princess had received no word from him.

Did his forces suffer an attack while trying to travel during the Blood Moon? Or perhaps it was the Rito who attacked him?

“I will, of course, send another message to Lord Remoth,” Sophitia said, attempting to appear unconcerned. “Perhaps he is already working to protect our kingdom elsewhere, but nonetheless, I am sure he will come if I summon him. Regardless, shoring up our numbers is merely a precaution. Revalco did not send us a declaration of war; it was merely a warning. He will arrive to hear my answer in a few days’ time. We still have the opportunity to resolve this matter diplomatically.”

I hope.

“Then what exactly shall we do?” the arbiter asked, already taking notes with a quill feather. “Failure to resolve matters diplomatically is what has pushed us into this position in the first place.”

“There is always more we can do,” Sophitia replied. “I have already spent some time drawing up a proposal that would grant governorship of Hebra to the new Rito high chieftain. I can put the finishing touches on it this evening and we can finalize it together tomorrow.” Sophitia was certain her elder sister would have some objections to the idea, but as acting governor of the Hebra Province, Sophitia believed she was well within her power to pass the title on to another.

“The governorship?” Lord Nobiro replied, taken aback. “But, your highness, there’s a reason Governor Koridai never passed his title to the previous high chieftain. Even when the Rito court was in favor of Hyrulean rule by majority, the risk of total secession was too great. If we do this now when the majority opposes Hyrule, we will lose the province completely.”

“Believe me, my lord, I am well aware of the risk.” Princess Sophitia took a moment to gauge the reactions of the others. All of her advisors seemed quite hesitant, but she pressed on. “This is merely a matter of electing the lesser of two evils. The offer of the governorship and a much higher degree of autonomy may not be enough to satisfy Revalco and his supporters, but when the alternative is open war, it is still the best choice.”

Lord Nobiro slowly nodded, as did the other advisors. “I suppose there is wisdom in what you say. Attempt diplomacy first, and save violence for a last resort.”

“Precisely.” Sophitia smiled, glad to see they were coming around. “Well then, if we are all in agreement, I believe I shall retire to my quarters to finish drawing up my proposal,” the princess announced, standing up. “We shall reconvene tomorrow. I bid you all a good night.”


On the day Revalco was expected to arrive, Princess Sophitia sat outside on a balcony overlooking the city below. She wore her finest, warmest winter garments, for while it was not snowing, it was certainly still cold. Placed upon the table was a kettle of hot tea, which she sipped while she waited.

All around her were guards, servants, and advisors, but they had all been placed at a distance. Sophitia would be meeting with Revalco one-on-one. The only person standing near Sophitia was Liliana, who poured her another cup of tea as she finished off her last one.

“You look quite relaxed, Princess,” her retainer remarked.

“Do I?” Sophitia replied, smiling serenely. “Good. I suppose that means my façade is working, then.” While she was putting all of her effort into not showing it, Sophitia could not remember a time when she’d been more nervous. She had been involved in the kingdom’s politics before, but never like this.

I cannot afford a single mistake.

The princess took another sip of tea, then slowly placed the cup on its saucer, reminding herself not to allow her hand to tremble. Spilling even a single drop could mean letting her illusion of confidence slip.

“You have no reason to be nervous,” Liliana told her. “Remember back at the academy, how you would always obsess over the material before every examination? You’ve been reminding me of those days quite a lot as of late.”

“Preparation is key, Liliana,” the princess told her, with more than a hint of pride in her voice.

“And your new advisors hardly disagreed with anything in your proposal,” her retainer went on. “If such experienced men and women approve, it sounds as though you’ve done well for a girl your age.”

“Why, thank you.” Sophitia smiled. “You’ve done well for a girl your age, too.”

“Plenty of girls younger than me can pour tea.” Liliana placed the teapot back down on the table, then rubbed her gloved hands together in the cold.

“You know what I mean.”

“I’m often one of the few who does.”

Sophitia chuckled. “Is that to say I am clever, or mad?”

“Doesn’t matter; they both pay the same.”

The princess sighed, but continued to smile. She could tell Liliana was attempting to diffuse some of the tension in the air, and it was working.

Perhaps this will go well after all.

“Rito spotted!” a guard up in one of the nearby towers shouted down to everyone, pointing outwards to the horizon across the city below.

Sophitia stood, wishing to get a better look. She could definitely see something coming towards them, flying well above the ground. It instantly reminded her of a flock of birds, which she supposed it was.

“They’ve arrived,” the princess said aloud. She instantly felt her heart rate increase. Trying to mentally prepare herself, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

Be like Victorique.

“By the gods.”

“There’s so many of ‘em!”

“Archers!”

“What?” Sophitia opened her eyes in a panic. Over the horizon, she could see that the flock of Rito was not only getting closer, it was also getting larger. There were more Rito coming than she had anticipated, and her soldiers were beginning to suspect an attack. Several more guards were already climbing the walls, wielding bows.

“No!” Sophitia shouted. “Everyone, return to your posts. Follow the plan. Do nothing to project hostility.”

“But, Princess, what if they attack?” Lord Nobiro asked, waiting by the door leading into the fortress.

“If they attack, we fight back. But they will not,” Sophitia stated confidently. “Revalco is prideful. He believes himself more honorable than us. He would not deceive us, and he said he was coming to speak with me.” Her reasoning was sound, and she hoped she was right.

“You’ve been wrong about Rito honor before,” Liliana reminded her, referring to the events that occurred in Skyloft.

“I won’t be this time,” Sophitia replied, forcing herself to believe it. If she was wrong and the Rito were allowed to make the first strike, she would only be able to use her magic to protect herself and Liliana from the initial volley.

Please be the man I think you are, Revalco.

The Hylians in the vicinity seemed extremely reluctant, but they followed Sophitia’s orders. Bows were lowered, and most of the guards went back inside the fortress. Sophitia remained standing, feeling less calm and relaxed than ever.

“Good luck, Sophitia,” Liliana told her, standing beside her charge with her arms crossed behind her back. “Shall I leave you alone with Revalco?”

“No,” the princess replied, shaking her head. “He knows you. And he has some respect for you, if I recall. Besides, I feel better with you around.”

Liliana nodded, ever blank faced, but lightly blushing.

Sophitia watched with anticipation as the swarm of feathery wings grew ever closer, passing over the city and making their way up the mountainside. Eventually, the Rito appeared overhead, nearly blotting out the sun. Sophitia held her breath, and every other Hylian in the area glanced about nervously.

However it did not begin raining arrows. Instead, music blared from the sky as a group of Rito minstrels with woodwind instruments announced the high chieftain’s arrival.

Seven Rito descended from the center of the swarm, landing on the large balcony. They had arranged themselves in a circle, with one of them in the middle of the other six. The six on the outside held spears or bows. Revalco was in the middle, with his greatbow slung over his back.

It is time.

“High Chieftain Revalco,” Sophitia said, stepping forward to receive him. “It is good to see you again.”

Two of the Rito braves parted to allow Revalco to come forward. He surveyed the area, then removed the bow from his back. Sophitia tensed for a moment, but he merely handed it off to one of his guards along with his quiver. “Princess Zelda Sophitia Hyrule,” he said, speaking her full name with mock respect. “Or are you called ‘governor’ now?”

Sophitia smiled warily. “‘Princess’ will do fine. But please, call me ‘Sophitia.’” Noticing how difficult it was to hear, the princess looked skyward, noting the constant flapping of a hundred pairs of wings. “If I might make a request, would you mind having your retinue wait elsewhere? The noise level may hinder our conversation.”

“Hmph.” Revalco crossed his wings, seemingly annoyed. However, he relented after a moment, raising his wings into the air and signaling to his followers. The flock quickly responded, flying back over the side of the mountain, disappearing from sight. Only Revalco and his six braves remained. “Is that more to your liking?” he asked.

Well, at least he trusts me, somewhat.

“Indeed. You have my gratitude. Now, shall we sit?” Sophitia asked, gesturing to the table with two chairs set up beside it. Revalco grunted and took a seat, and Sophitia joined him. “Would you care for some tea?” the princess offered.

“I’d rather not waste time with what passes for pleasantries in Hyrule,” Revalco replied, clicking his beak. “Just get to the point.”

Sophitia smiled uneasily. She needed to be careful with her words. This Rito had already tried to kill her once before. She doubted he would do so at a peace talk like this, but one can never know for sure. “Very well. I believe it would be wise to begin by addressing the events which transpired in Skyloft.”

“Ah, yes,” Revalco replied. “You mean when High Chief Kanelo was murdered by this mysterious, unidentified assailant, about which you know nothing.”

While she had hoped to approach this with the utmost delicacy, Sophitia could tell she would get nowhere if she tried to remain entirely polite.

Perhaps I shall take a page out of Liliana’s book.

“Allow me to ask you something, high chieftain,” the princess began. “If, for some reason, the Kingdom of Hyrule had decided to use our expedition to the City in the Sky as a setup for an assassination, would it not have been you we wanted to assassinate?”

Revalco quirked his head. Sophitia could tell she was already getting through to him, somewhat.

“Even if you believe us to be untrustworthy, surely you do not believe we would choose to murder our strongest supporter amongst the Rito over our strongest opponent .”

Revalco glared at her with his falcon eyes. “Very well. I suppose it’s true you can’t be that stupid,” he said. “But if it wasn’t you, then who was it?”

“We would very much have liked to investigate that, but it became rather difficult to do so after you executed our Grand Archivist, attacked our camp, and drove us out of the city,” Sophitia countered.

The Rito chieftain crossed his wings and leaned back in his chair. “I believed my people to be under attack. Our actions in Skyloft were taken solely to defend ourselves.”

“I understand that.” Sophitia kept on the offensive, but she smiled inwardly. She was clearly making progress. Revalco was now closer to accepting her innocence, as well as acknowledging his own fault in the matter. With any luck, she could leverage this towards more favorable negotiations.

“You were manipulated into taking action. We all were. This is why my brother and I do not seek your punishment, nor do we wish to remove you from your new position as high chieftain. In fact, I wish to promote you further.” Sophitia put her hand on a stack of papers and slid them across the table towards Revalco. “I believe I have a proposal that both your people and mine will be happy with.”

Revalco stared at her curiously, then snatched up the papers. His body language clearly conveyed his desire to get this over with. The bird man’s eyes darted back and forth as he quickly read through the first few pages of her proposal.

Sophitia sipped her tea as she watched with anticipation. 

“Did you come here merely to insult me?” Revalco asked after a moment, tossing the papers back down onto the table.

Sophitia blinked. She had not been expecting that response. “I assure you, that is not the case. What makes you ask such a question?”

“Your proposal is more of the same,” Revalco replied with disdain. “What difference would it make if you called me ‘governor’ instead of ‘high chieftain’? Our tribes would still be subservient to yours .”

“You will have near-total control over the entirety of the Hebra Province,” the princess promised, reaching across the table to rearrange the papers. “You would answer only to my sister, the queen. This is merely to ensure that our kingdom remains peacefully united toward a common cause.”

“No deal,” Revalco repeated.

Sophitia felt her eyebrow twitch. “My apologies, high chieftain,” she began. “But I do not understand. What I am suggesting is the exact same treaty my people have had with the Gorons and the Zora for centuries. Together, the kingdom has prospered. Why would you ever wish to separate yourself from such a mutually beneficial arrangement?”

“The Rito are not the Gorons, nor are we the Zora,” Revalco replied. “Let me ask you this, Princess . If I were to offer you a counter proposal in which I replace your sister as the new king of Hyrule, would you accept?”

Sophitia opened her mouth to respond, but she hesitated, furrowing her brow in confusion. The notion was quite absurd, and she wasn’t sure how to approach it. “That… is not how it works, I’m afraid.”

“Exactly.” Revalco crossed his wings smugly. “You do not wish to be ruled by us; we do not wish to be ruled by you. It’s that simple.”

“But the throne has been passed down through my family line since the Kingdom of Hyrule was established millenia ago,” Sophitia argued. “It cannot simply be given away.”

“And what good is inherited power anyway?” Revalco replied. “Do you know how I became the chief of my tribe? How I became the high chief of all our tribes? Because I was the best . Not because I happened to be born to the right parents .”

“I assure you, my sister is wise and just. I cannot imagine a more suitable ruler for our fair kingdom.” It hurt to say it, but Sophitia knew it was true. She still desired to be queen more than anything, but it was hard to deny Victorique’s abilities.

“Perhaps,” Revalco replied. “But will her children be? What about their children? Can you honestly say that in two thousand years of your family’s rule, you haven’t had a single idiot for a ruler? What about an unjust ruler? Or a weak one? A lazy one?”

“Perhaps not all of my ancestors have been as wise and fair as my sister, but guiding this kingdom is, and always has been, my family’s sacred duty,” the princess asserted. “It wouldn’t be right to foist that responsibility on anyone else.”

Revalco scoffed and stood from his chair. “I knew this was a waste of time,” he said. “You may call yourself a governor, but you still have the naivety of a child. So, I will be merciful. I shall grant you three more days to get your affairs in order. When I return, you will agree to recognize our independence, or there will be war. Good day.” Revalco stepped back over to his braves. His subordinates handed him his bow and quiver, and the seven of them took to the skies.


Despite Liliana consoling her, and her advisors insisting the fault rested solely on Revalco’s stubbornness and lack of loyalty, Sophitia considered her meeting with the high chieftain to be a colossal failure on her part. For the next two days after the event, she found herself constantly thinking of what else she could have said, what other strategies she could have implemented, and what other aspects of Revalco’s background she could have taken into consideration. Worse still, she thought of what Lancel and Victorique would have said.

Had one of them been at that table instead of me, this war would have been averted.

With the threat of war looming over her, Sophitia was desperately hoping for someone to come and save her, whether it be her sister, her brothers, or even Lord Remoth. However, the only response she had received so far from the messages she’d sent out was from Victorique. Her elder sister had sent her sympathies, but informed her that her armies were preoccupied with the Gerudo rebellion, which had also grown much worse over the recent weeks. The only advice she’d given was to act with wisdom as befits the family name, and to do what she thought was best for the kingdom.

If I knew what that was, I wouldn’t be asking you, sister!

However, her sister’s letter had been filled with words of encouragement. Despite the direness of the situation, Victorique seemed certain that Sophitia would be able to handle it.

Not that that puts any pressure on me, of course.

And so, with less than twenty-four hours left until Revalco was slated to return, Princess Sophitia found herself back in her audience chambers, speaking with all her advisors and dozens of Hebran nobles, all of them desperate for a solution to their current predicament.

“Perhaps Snowpeak should be evacuated,” Lord Nobiro suggested. “It might be a long journey from here to the Ridgelands, but as long as they are out of the city by the time Revalco returns, they would be safe.”

“Revalco’s scouts are keeping a watch on the city,” Arbiter Ponthos pointed out. “Would they allow such a thing?”

“I don’t see why not,” Nobiro replied. “He wants the Hylians out of Hebra. Surely he would be overjoyed to see such an exodus. He need not know it is intended to be temporary.”

As her advisors spoke, a messenger handed something to one of Sophitia’s guards. The guard handed it to Sophitia, who in turn handed it to the princess. “It’s for you. It’s from the capital.”

Sophitia nodded, taking the letter into her hand.

Perhaps it will be good news this time.

She was still waiting on word from everyone but Victorique in regards to potential reinforcements. Hebra’s armies were fairly barebones at the moment, but if anyone were to help them increase their numbers, it would likely be enough to turn the tide in their favor.

It’s not good news.

What she read was quite shocking. There were any number of things she could have expected to read in that letter, but this was not one of them.

“My apologies for interrupting, my lords,” Sophitia said, holding up the letter to draw attention to it. “But I have just received word of some very pertinent information regarding current events in the capital, and why we have not yet seen Lord Remoth or my brother Percival’s forces.”

“What is it, your highness?”

Sophitia let out a quiet sigh before continuing. “It would appear that, rather than bringing his troops to Snowpeak as I requested, Lord Remoth instead opted to take them to the capital during the Blood Moon. Following the events that ensued, he has taken control of the city. He appears to be acting as the de facto king in my sister’s absence. My brother Percival has taken it upon himself to remove Lord Remoth from the throne, and is currently laying siege to the city.”

“What?”

“This is preposterous!”

“What in Din’s name is Remoth thinking?”

“That’s treason!”

Sophitia put her fingertips to her forehead, feeling a headache coming on. She waited a few moments for the outbursts from the audience to die down. “No help from my sister. No help from Percival. No help from Lord Remoth. And still not a word from Lancel; gods know what he is up to now.”

“It appears our list of allies is running thin,” Lord Nobiro said grimly. “With our numbers, do we stand a chance against the Rito?”

“Even if the flock he showed us the other day was his full force, surely not,” Varke replied. “We should forget about fighting at this point, and focus instead on preserving the lives of the citizenry.”

“I agree,” Sophitia declared. “We shall continue to search for solutions for the coming war, but for the time being, let us attempt to evacuate Snowpeak to the northeast side of the mountain. That should at least keep them safe when Revalco returns. Lord Nobiro, I am placing you in charge of coordinating that effort.”

“Of course, your highness,” Nobiro said with a bow.

Sophitia stood, suddenly feeling very tired. “Let us end here for now. We will reconvene later this evening. Dismissed.” The princess tried to channel her father as she spoke. He’d always had the charisma to sound definitive and correct whenever he gave any order. She hoped no one would suspect she was ending the meeting early just so she could go lie down.

“Are you alright, Sophitia?” Liliana asked quietly on the way back to her quarters, probably seeing right through her.

“Just give me a moment,” the princess replied, not wishing to say anything until they were out of everyone else’s earshot.


“What on earth am I to do?” Sophitia complained, falling backwards onto her bed. “Nothing’s gone right. I’ve done everything that I could to prevent war, and look how it all turned out!”

The princess heard Liliana’s footsteps as she approached the side of the bed.

“This all started because of Kanelo’s assassination, and we still don’t even know who did it, or why!” Sophitia continued, hands pressed against her face. “It’s as if the gods themselves have been conspiring against me, Liliana. I’ve managed to fail at every turn.”

“It isn’t your fault, Sophitia,” Liliana told her. “It is as you’ve said. So many factors have been outside of your control. You mustn’t blame yourself.”

“Perhaps,” Sophitia said, sitting up. “But regardless, I am responsible for what happens here. I used to think I could handle anything my father wanted me to do. I just needed wit, guile, and a little bit of time to plan. But I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t prevent this war. If Lancel or Victorique had been in charge--”

“Lancel is partially in charge,” Liliana reminded her. “You two are partners in this endeavor, remember? Do not think he would handle it any better than you did, because he has not succeeded either. He isn’t even here , whereas you are. And your sister? Last I heard, her job was to prevent a war in Gerudo. And guess what is happening right now? There is a war in Gerudo . So don’t go telling yourself you’re the failure of your family.”

“Because we’re all failures, then?” Sophitia laughed bitterly. “Well, aside from Percival, I suppose. And I guess Seraphina has no failures to speak of. Perhaps one of them belongs on Father’s throne.”

“Princess…” Liliana sat down on the bed beside her. “It isn’t over yet.”

“No, not yet. It won’t be over until Revalco kills me. Or someone kills him, I suppose,” Sophitia replied, hanging her head.

“That isn’t what I mean,” Liliana went on. “There doesn’t have to be a war at all. There is still one solution you have not considered.”

“What?” Sophitia’s mind went a mile a minute, thinking of every possible solution the other girl might have been trying to suggest.

Is there another ally I haven’t considered? Do I have a bargaining chip I haven’t played yet? Will Lancel swoop in with the City in the Sky and force Revalco to surrender?

“What else can I do?” she asked.

“You can give Revalco what he wants.”

Sophitia waited for a moment, expecting Liliana to explain further. She figured there would be some clarification or extra step, or some way to satisfy Revalco without having to actually lose Hebra. However, Liliana said nothing further.

“...Are you out of your mind ?” Sophitia stood up abruptly, giving her retainer an incredulous look. “Do you have any idea what you’re suggesting?”

“Yes, I do,” Liliana said simply.

Sophitia’s eyebrow twitched. “Liliana, have I not failed enough for one campaign?” the princess asked, raising her voice. “Already I have been unsuccessful in quelling unrest in the province. Now you wish me to give up the province itself?”

Liliana got up as well, standing face-to-face with her charge. “You would not simply be giving it up. This would give you a chance to end the conflict on peaceful terms.”

“I will not be remembered as the princess who lost Hebra!” Sophitia shouted, gesturing angrily with her hands. “I wanted to be the queen , Liliana. I wanted to be the best of us. What kind of Zelda would I be if I lost the province my ancestors fought so hard to bring into the fold? I would go down in history as the most colossally incompetent princess who ever lived!”

“You fear for your reputation,” Liliana said flatly.

“Of course I do! I’m a fucking princess !” Sophitia replied. “But it’s not just me. This continent would be filled with conflict and destruction without the Kingdom of Hyrule. If Hebra secedes, Gerudo will be next, then perhaps Lanayru, and before you know it, we’re back to the goddamn Era of Chaos! Do you not realize this, Liliana? I thought you were loyal to this kingdom. I thought you loved this kingdom as much as I do!”

“I am, and I do,” Liliana replied. “But that is the difference, Sophitia. I serve this kingdom -- I serve you -- because I want to. Revalco does not. A great deal of Hebrans do not. Something you once said about your father was that he preferred willing subjects. Do you not feel the same?”

“Of course I do.” Sophitia clenched her fists in frustration. Not wanting to look at Liliana right now, she walked over to the window and stared outside. “But… why? Why does it have to be so damn difficult? I want them to love me, sure, but I don’t even need that. Just cooperation is all I ask. The entire Inner Continent working together for the common good -- that’s all it’s ever been about. Why can’t they see that?”

Sophitia heard the footsteps as Liliana approached her from behind. “I do not know, Sophitia,” she said. “But maybe that can happen with time. Maybe it’s something you can help happen, as queen or otherwise. But until that time comes, is it worth forcing the Rito to submit to you? Is it worth fighting and dying for?”

“I can’t!” Sophitia wheeled around, facing her retainer with tears in her eyes. “Maybe you’re right, but I can’t be the one. I can’t be remembered as the princess who failed.”

Liliana stepped forward and embraced her. “You will not be. You’ll be remembered as the princess who chose peace -- who chose freedom.”

Sophitia breathed deeply, resting her tired head against Liliana. “I hope you’re right. Gods, I do.”

Chapter 47: Link XIII

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

“This place is the worst .”

While Linkle had initially been excited, in the days she and her brother had spent exploring the Water Temple complex, Linkle’s attitude had shifted considerably. At first, she’d found it fun to raise and lower the water level, or to dive into the water and swim from one area to another. However, over time, it had become tedious. It was made worse by the fact that they had visited three of the treasure holds already, and none of them had housed anything that could’ve been the late Princess Ruto’s engagement gift.

“I know, I know,” Link agreed, feeling just as jaded as his sister did, if not more so. “Look, there’s only two more places where Ruto’s gift might be. Let’s just check those out, and if we still can’t find it, we’ll give up.”

“Yeah, alright.” Linkle reached into her bag and pulled out the Ocarina of Time. “I wish this thing worked,” she said, blowing into it a couple of times. “Maybe we’d be able to go back in time and talk to Princess Ruto ourselves.” Linkle paused, then gasped as an idea came to her. “What if we did go back in time to get it from Princess Ruto, and that’s why it’s not here now?”

“What? That doesn’t make any sense.”

“Of course it does!” Linkle insisted. “We just haven’t done it yet, but we will.” Raising the ocarina to her lips, she gently blew into it, carefully covering random holes with her fingers as if she had any idea how to play it. Sound came out, but Link still couldn’t see anything magical happening.

“Yeah, sure. You keep trying that.” Link came to a stop, looking down at the stone tablet he carried that served as a map. “Alright. One treasure hold is this way, and the other is that way,” he said. “Neither are very far from here, but how about we split up just to get it done faster?”

“Mhmm.” Linkle nodded in agreement, still attempting to play the instrument.

“Alright. If you finish first, come and meet me over here,” Link said. Heading down the corridor, he parted ways with his sister.

As he’d seen on the map, the next treasure hold was relatively close by. Link only had to dive underwater and swim through one submerged chamber in order to reach the corridor that connected to the treasure hold. However, despite spending considerable time searching the hold, he once again came up with nothing. The room had plenty of treasure, of course, and the guards were even willing to explain what many of them were – tridents and swords of ancient Zora heroes and royals, the skull of a gigantic sea dragon, fossils from long-extinct sea creatures – but none of them had any apparent connection to Princess Ruto.

“Well, here’s hoping Linkle had more luck than I did. She usually does,” Link muttered to himself as he exited the treasure hold. Taking out his map, he studied it for a moment to see if he could get to Linkle’s destination without having to backtrack. But, as he looked over his surroundings to get a sense of what door led where, he noticed something strange. According to the tablet, the corridor he was in should’ve been a dead end, and yet there was a door at the end of it.

“What the…?” Link scrutinized the map more closely, thinking he must be mistaken. He counted the doors to make sure, but it didn’t add up. There seemed to be a door that led to nowhere at the end of the hall. It didn’t look like some unimportant storage shed or anything, either. The door was flanked by two of those sea dragon statues he kept seeing around the temple, although there was something off about them. Whereas the other statues were practically lifelink, the eyes of these statues were almost blank. They looked dead. The image was a little off-putting, but Link’s curiosity got the better of him, so he walked down the corridor and entered the mysterious door.


What Link found on the other side of the door made no sense.

First of all, he knew he was many meters underground, but it looked like he had stepped outside somewhere above ground. The ceiling, if there even was one, was high enough that he couldn’t even see it. The same was true for the far walls. It seemed like the area was blanketed by a fog, but Link didn’t know if that was possible indoors.

Second of all, Link stood upon a small, sandy island, with what looked like a lake of water extending into the fog. Several meters in front of him lay another tiny island with a single, leafless tree growing from it. Beyond that was a third island, but this one had what looked like a building on it; almost like a small, two-story tower.

“This place just keeps getting weirder…”

Stepping closer to the water, he looked down into it. He realized immediately that the water was not an actual lake. The water was only a few centimeters deep, and the ground was some sort of tiled surface that he could see his reflection in.

“Alright. That makes a bit more sense, I guess.”

He began to suspect this room was intentionally made to resemble the outdoors, perhaps as some sort of therapeutic area for those who spent great lengths of time within the underground temple complex without returning to the surface often enough.

“Interesting.”

Wishing to know what was stored in the small building on the other side of the ‘lake,’ Link continued forward. As he’d observed, the water was not deep at all, and with his new Zora boots, wading through it was no issue. When he arrived at the small, central island, he reached out with his hand to touch the tree. It felt like real wood, which made him wonder if it had actually been growing so far down beneath the surface. He didn’t linger long, however, and soon continued on towards the next island.

To Link’s disappointment, the door to the tower was barred. He scanned the face of the building for any sort of mechanism that might open it, but he found nothing.

“Darn,” he said aloud. “Oh, well. Maybe I can ask the sage about it after–”

When he turned around, Link realized he wasn’t alone in the ‘room.’ Someone else was standing on the island with the tree on it, facing Link.

“Whoa.” Link flinched.

His reaction seemed to surprise the other person, as they flinched as well.

“Sorry, you startled me,” Link called out to the other person.

There was an awkward pause. The figure standing in front of the tree did not say anything or move from their position. Link wasn’t sure if it was because of the fog, but he couldn’t make out too many of the stranger’s features. From their silhouette, they were definitely a human and not a Zora, but beyond that, it was hard to tell much about them. It was as if the stranger were standing in a shadow, obscuring them considerably.

“Um. Sorry, am I not supposed to be in here?” Link asked somewhat nervously. He realized the presence of a locked tower and the fact that the room wasn’t on the map could have meant this was some sort of high-security area.

Cautiously, Link walked forward, hoping to get close enough to at least see the newcomer clearly. The figure in front of the tree seemed to have the same idea. They made no hostile movements, which Link took as a good sign, and they simply waded forward through the shallow water, coming towards Link.

However, as Link and the figure closed the distance between one another, the figure did not become any easier to see, as if the dark shadow obscuring their form was following them. Soon there was less than a meter between them. Link paused, and the stranger did as well.

Link wasn’t quite sure how to process what he was seeing. Up close, he could see the stranger a bit more clearly, but it made no sense. Aside from the reddish eyes and the dark coloration of his skin and clothing, this man was Link’s exact double – same height, same build, same face, same hair, same clothing, same weapons. It was as if he were staring at his own shadow come to life.

“What–?” Link began to speak, attempting to communicate his confusion. However, he was interrupted when his doppelganger suddenly pulled out his sword and slashed at Link.

“Whoa!” Link shouted, leaping backwards out of reflex. Acting quickly, he drew his own sword and shield, getting into a defensive stance. “What the hell is wrong with you?” he shouted angrily at the stranger.

“Good question.” The shadowy man smiled wryly, taking out his shield before mimicking Link’s stance.

Link furrowed his brow. The stranger’s voice had an odd quality to it that Link couldn’t quite place, but he sounded somewhat similar to Link himself. “What the–?”

His shadowy double attacked him again. The doppelganger stepped forward and slashed with his sword, which Link managed to block with his shield. The stranger took a few more strikes at him, but Link was able to block them all, recognizing the other man’s fighting style as his own.

Believing he saw an opening, Link went on the offensive, attempting to slash at his mysterious attacker. However, the stranger blocked him just as easily, and Link was too bewildered to see the counterattack coming until the last second.

“Ahh!” Link cried in pain as he leapt back. He put a hand to his cheek, noting the stinging sensation, but there was only a small drop of blood.

Just a scratch.

“Listen, I don’t want to fight you,” Link said, hoping to reason with the strange-looking Hylian man. “I didn’t know I wasn’t supposed to be in here. I was just looking for something. You can ask Sage Tarua. I swear I haven’t done anything.”

“Of course you haven’t.” Link’s shadowy double hit him with a series of fast attacks. Link blocked the first few, then took a shield bash to the face, which knocked him down into the water.

“Agh!” Link cried in pain, hearing a ringing in his ears for a moment.

You have never done anything,” the man continued mockingly in Link’s own distorted voice. Standing next to Link’s body on the ground, the man knelt to speak to him. “Your sister is the only one who ever does anything.”

Link quickly rolled away, then hopped to his feet. “How do you know my sister?” he demanded. “And what the hell are you talking about?” 

The doppelganger responded with another series of quick attacks. Link blocked them all, then began his counterattack. The stranger blocked them just as skillfully, but ended by sweeping Link’s leg, sending him tumbling back down into the shallow water.

“You’ve never wanted to do anything,” the doppelganger said. “If it were up to you , both you and your sister would be wiling away your pathetic lives, doing the same thing day in and day out, until you finally dropped dead.”

Shut up ,” Link growled, ungracefully climbing back to his feet again.

“Why are you even here ?” the stranger asked, crossing swords with Link before leaning in closer. “Go back home. You’re not needed. Your sister is better off without you holding her back.”

Link shoved the stranger away from him and attacked. All of his slashes glanced off of the other man’s shield, but he managed to avoid giving his opponent an opening. “I’m here to keep her safe ,” Link insisted, for some reason feeling the need to justify himself.

“What does it matter if you keep her safe? That won’t bring your other siblings back.”

Link was so stunned, he stopped fighting completely, lowering his weapons. His opponent took advantage of this momentary lapse in judgment, effortlessly slashing Link across the chest.

“Ahhh- AGH !” Link reared back in pain, clutching at his wound. His scaly armor had provided some obstacle for his opponent’s blade, so the cut did not end up too deep, but it was a long cut, and deep enough to spill blood. “What the hell is wrong with you?!”

The shadowy man lunged forward again, hitting Link with a flurry of attacks. Link managed to keep blocking, but he was forced to walk backwards in retreat.

“It doesn’t even matter how long you manage to keep your beloved sibling alive,” the stranger told him. “You already let the other four die. You’ll always be a failure.”

Fuck you !” In his anger, Link surged forward, swinging his sword at his hated opponent with all his might. His sword cut across his doppelganger’s chest, much the same way he’d been slashed a moment ago. The shadowy man grunted in pain, then fell. However, the strange man did not fall in the way Link had expected. His doppelganger simply fell downwards, through the water and through the floor, completely disappearing from view.

Link looked down, but saw nothing. Not even his own reflection. Panting, he put a hand to his chest to put pressure on his wound. “What–?”

A sudden stabbing pain shot through him. Link looked down to find a darkened sword sticking out of his chest, before it was quickly pulled out of his back. “Ughhh…” Link could only moan, collapsing to his knees, his blood spilling into the water.

“You’ll always be a failure,” his own voice repeated from behind him.

Link heard a few watery footsteps, and then nothing. He did not bother to turn his head to see where his assailant had gone. He was too busy trying to keep himself from blacking out. Ahead of him, he could see the door he’d come through. With all his might, he crawled through the shallow water, desperately hoping he’d make it.

“Elle…” he said quietly. He tried to yell her name, wishing she would help him, but he could not force himself to speak any louder.

It felt like it took him an eternity to reach the door. When he did, he somehow managed to push it open and crawl through the opening, slumping down onto the ground on the other side of the door.

“Link?” he heard his sister’s voice say.

“Elle…”

“Link!”

The sound of her boots rapidly clamoring across the tiled floor filled him with a sense of relief, and it was the last thing he heard before he blacked out.


When Link awoke, the first thing he saw was his sister’s worried face looking down at him. Still a little out of it, he didn’t quite comprehend the situation, but just his eyes opening was a relief to Linkle.

“Oh, thank the gods!” his sister cried, hugging his head tightly.

“...What?” Link realized he was lying with his head in her lap, and moved to sit up. Taking in his surroundings, he recognized where he was – that corridor in the Water Temple. Linkle was sitting with her back up against one of the water dragon statues.

“Oh, sh–.” As his memory came flooding back to him, Link’s hands shot to his torso, feeling for his wounds. His clothing was torn and he’d clearly received some serious cuts, but his wounds appeared to be mostly healed. “What happened?”

“You tell me. You almost died!” Linkle complained. “I found you crawling around out here. It looked like you’d been stabbed. I had to use most of our healing potions to fix you up.” She knelt beside him and hugged him again.

“Thank you, sister,” Link said gratefully. “Was I out long?”

Linkle shook her head, rubbing her forehead against his shoulder for a moment.

“Okay. And did you see my attacker? Did he come through the door?”

Linkle pulled back and stood up, glancing towards the door. “No. I poked my head inside, but I didn’t see anyone in there, and nobody’s come out either. Did you see who attacked you?”

“Yeah,” Link said, climbing to his feet. His sister grabbed his arm to help steady him. “It looked like me . But, like, some sort of shadowy demon-me, or something.”

Linkle raised an eyebrow. “What’s something like that doing in the Water Temple?”

“I don’t get it either, Elle,” he replied, brushing himself off.

His sister regarded him for another moment, then smiled excitedly. “That sounds awesome .”

“Elle.”

“Well, I mean, not the ‘ you almost dying ’ part. Just…” She looked embarrassed and apologetic for getting excited under the circumstances.

“It’s alright,” Link told her, still grateful that she’d saved him. “Look, this room wasn’t on the map. And for whatever reason, there’s some evil shadow thing guarding it.”

Linkle seemed to get what he was saying. “You think Princess Ruto’s engagement gift might be hidden in there? Guarded by the shadow thing?”

“Maybe.” It made sense, in a way, but Link didn’t like it. He wasn’t exactly eager to go back into that room.

“We should check it out together, then,” Linkle suggested, drawing her sword. “It got you off guard the first time, but it’ll be two against one now. We’ve totally got this.”

Link hesitated. He heard his doppelganger’s voice inside his head.

You’ll always be a failure.

Gritting his teeth, Link picked up his sword. “Fine.”

We’ll see who’s the failure.

Linkle nodded eagerly. “Let’s go,” she said, leading the way.


The room looked exactly as it had before – impossibly large, filled with ankle-deep water, and with a strange, out-of-place island in the center. It was also eerily quiet, with so sound to be heard aside from the sound of their boots wading through the water.

“This place is a lot bigger on the inside,” Linkle remarked, looking up at the endless expanse where the ceiling should’ve been.

“Keep your guard up,” Link reminded her, walking as close beside her as he could with his shield raised. “It might come back.”

Linkle placed her hand on the tree when they reached it, rubbing it up and down lightly. “Trees can grow down here?”

“I don’t know,” Link said. “Nothing about this room makes any sense.”

“Hmm.” Linkle took her hand off of the tree and looked ahead. “Is that where the shadow thing came from?” she asked, pointing her sword towards the structure with the barred door.

“No,” Link shook his head. “I couldn’t find a way to open it.”

Linkle gasped excitedly. “That must be where the treasure is held!” Leaping back into the water, Linkle took off running towards the tower.

“Linkle, wait!” Even without her Pegasus Boots on, keeping up with her was difficult. She reached the locked structure before he did, but luckily, there was still no sign of the shadow monster.

“Urgh. Aghh!” Linkle grunted as she pushed against the metal bars. After a few failed attempts, she gave up and stepped back. “Damn. How do you open this thing?” she asked, scanning the walls of the structure.

“I already told you. I couldn’t open it,” Link reminded her. However, as he watched her scan the tower, he suddenly remembered what had happened the last time he was there. Raising his sword and shield, he whirled around, facing towards the island with the tree on it. Sure enough, his shadowy double was there again. However, it was not alone this time. His shadowy duplicate was facing him with its sword and shield drawn, but there was a second shadowy figure that had its back turned at the moment.

Elle ,” Link said forcefully, reaching behind himself to tap her with his shield. “It’s back.”

“The shadow thing?”

Linkle turned around, and as she did, so did the second shadow.

“Whoa!” Linkle said in surprise, stomping her foot as she stepped into a battle stance.

The second shadow copied her movements again.

“Wait, there’s two of them,” Linkle noted.

“Yes,” Link said. “There was only one before.”

“Hey, that one looks like me!” Linkle sounded more happy than worried about that. “Wow. I look good in black.”

“Elle.”

“What? I didn’t say you didn’t.”

Link sighed, then cleared his throat. “Hey. You. I’m back,” he said, raising his voice to call out to his doppelganger.

“Yes, I am,” the other him agreed. “And, oh, look. We’ve brought our darling little sibling so she can die like all the others.”

Linkle’s expression immediately changed from amused to infuriated. “Hey! What the hell did you just say?”

Link held out his arm to stop her from charging forward on her own.

“No, by all means, let the stupid little mutt go.” Linkle’s distorted voice traveled to them from across the room, coming from her own doppelganger. “She’s bound to get herself killed eventually. Why not let it be today?”

“You shut up!” Link stepped in front of Linkle, training his sword on her counterpart.

“Aw, look at him defending her,” the Dark Link said mockingly. Unlink the real Link, the shadow stepped behind his companion, holding his sword to her throat. “Honestly, she’ll be dead before the day is out. Why not just finish her off yourself and be done with it?”

Dark Linkle giggled, putting her hand to Dark Link’s blade and pushing it closer to her own throat.

You get the hell away from her !” Seeing a threat made to a figure who looked so much like his sister – it was enough to set Link off. Without thinking, he trudged forward, wanting more than anything to stab his evil counterpart through the heart. In his rage, he didn’t notice when the shadowy Linkle suddenly raised her crossbow.

Brother !” Linkle shouted.

Link felt himself getting tackled from behind just as Dark Linkle loosed her bolt. He crashed down into the water with his sister on his back while the bolt sailed overhead.

“Wow,” Dark Linkle said, leisurely holding her crossbow against her shoulder with her other hand on her hip. “Look at you. That must be the first time you’ve ever actually been useful to him in your whole damn life.”

Linkle hopped up to her feet, looking appalled. “Hey!”

Link climbed back to his feet as well, soaking wet. He stared daggers at his dark double, but he stayed beside Linkle for the moment.

“Ooh, this’ll be fun,” Linkle’s double said, walking forward with her dark brother. She locked eyes with the real Linkle. “Let’s see. You pull him away from his life, force him to leave behind a lucrative apprenticeship, drag him all across this godforsaken kingdom, constantly put him in danger, constantly fuck up and force him to save your sorry ass, and what do you have to show for it?” Dark Linkle held out her hands like she was expecting an answer. “Did you defeat the dragon? Have you slain that evil demon that attacked the capital yet? Where’s your goddamn Master Sword, Hero ?”

Linkle narrowed her eyes. “I am the Hero,” she insisted. Her voice was filled with anger, but it was clearly very shaky. “I am .”

“Elle…” Link said softly, suddenly very worried for her.

Dark Linkle laughed. “Of course. You’re the Hero , Little Miss Fake Lefty.” As she spoke, she held up her blackened sword in her left hand, shaking it with mock unsteadiness.

“That’s it, you bitch !” Linkle charged forward, slashing at her counterpart. The darker her parried it easily, then quickly slashed back.

“Linkle!” Link attempted to step in to defend her, but he ended up blindsided by his own counterpart who rammed him with his shield, knocking him back.

“Still think you can protect her, huh?” Dark Link asked mockingly.

“Yeah. I can,” Link replied, taking a moment to right himself and get over the pain.

“Your track record suggests otherwise.” His evil counterpart smiled smugly.

Link was through with trying to argue with him. Letting out a battlecry, he lunged forward to attack. He kept up a string of blows, but his dark self managed to block them all perfectly, moving as if perfectly in sync with him.

Nearby, Linkle and her own duplicate were locked in a similar fruitless struggle, their swords crossing back and forth. After a flurry of attacks from Linkle, her shadow managed to find an opening and kick her in the stomach.

Oof .” Linkle stepped back, clutching her arms to torso.

“Linkle!” When Link saw what happened, he was forced to tear his eyes away from his opponent, giving his shadow just enough of an opportunity to stab him in the shoulder. “Agh!” he cried in pain, pulling back and raising his shield.

“See that?” Dark Linkle asked, gesturing towards Link. “Your brother just got stabbed because he was too busy worrying about you . As always. You just can’t stop yourself from fucking up his life, can you?”

“Don’t talk about her like that!” Link demanded, blocking attacks from his doppelganger as he shouted. He wanted to fight back more, but he was too distracted by the shadow Linkle’s words.

“Look at her,” Link’s doppelganger said, stopping for a moment to gesture to Linkle. She and her shadow had reengaged in combat, trading blows as equally matched opponents. “You want to go over and help her, don’t you? But you can’t, because you can’t get through me. She’ll be dead shortly, and there’s not a thing you can do to stop it.”

“Like hell there isn’t,” Link muttered through gritted teeth. He went on the offensive again, trying to force his counterpart back so he could get closer to his sister’s fight, but the shadow seemed to know exactly what he was doing. He blocked every blow, then turned the tables on him, forcing Link to back away from Linkle even further. As he did, he saw his sister get slashed in the arm, causing her to yelp in pain.

“Linkle!” Link shouted.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” his doppelganger said mockingly. “Is this not how you were hoping this would go? Well, I suppose you never wanted your other brothers and sisters to die either, right? You weren’t much more successful with them, were you?”

“Hey!” At the mention of their other siblings, Linkle quickly crossed swords with her counterpart and shoved her away, wheeling around to face Dark Link. Before her shadow had a chance to recover, Linkle charged, heading straight for her brother’s shadow with her sword held out.

Dark Link glanced over his shoulder at the sound of boots rapidly splashing through the water, but as he was preoccupied with fighting the real Link, he didn’t have time to get out of the way. Linkle’s sword stabbed right through him. When her body collided with his, he was knocked to the ground. However, just like when Link had managed to land a hit on him last time, the shadowy doppelganger simply fell through the floor, as if he were falling into a whole other world in the reflection on the water’s surface. Remembering what had happened before, Link whirled around before his counterpart reappeared, allowing him to block the attempted surprise attack this time.

Linkle looked confused as hell, but before she could react, her own doppelganger caught up with her. Linkle dodged to the side, then turned her attention to Dark Link again when her shadow ran past her. “Hey! You! Don’t you ever fucking talk about my brother like that again!”

“Oh, how cute,” Linkle’s double said, advancing on her with her sword at the ready. “Even now, she tries to play Hero.”

“You shut up, too!” Linkle shouted.

“Come on, now,” her doppelganger went on. “We both know you don’t care about helping people. All you really care about is people praising you. You want big statues of you up there next to the greats, as if you could ever compare to the Hero of Twilight. What vanity!”

“Alright, that’s it.” As soon as Link saw the opportunity, he shoved his opponent back, buying himself enough time to disengage and turn his attention to the other shadow. As the evil Linkle approached his sister, he walked right up to her and smacked her in the face with his shield.

Ahh !” Dark Linkle was startled, apparently having been so preoccupied with the real Linkle that she hadn’t even noticed Link. As was the case with Link’s shadow, Linkle’s double likewise fell through the floor.

“Nice one, Brother,” Linkle praised him, smiling for the first time since the fight had started.

“Elle, behind you!” Link warned, knowing what came next.

“Huh?”

Link was actually able to witness the shadow’s return this time. Dark Linkle simply rose out of the water behind her counterpart, dead silent. The shadowy figure lifted her sword and swung it with killing intent.

“Ahh!” Linkle jumped back, taking a position next to her brother.

The doppelgangers approached the siblings together, eyes glowing red, each moving towards their respective counterpart. However, Link did not care to fight his own shadow at the moment. He still had a thing or two to say to the evil Linkle.

“She is a hero,” Link asserted, advancing on Dark Linkle. He slashed his sword outwards, which again seemed to surprise her. She managed to block the blow with her shield, but she stumbled backwards. “Sure, she’s got an ego the size of Death Mountain, but don’t you dare –” Link swung again, “say she doesn’t give a shit about anyone.” He punctuated his remarks with several more slashes, eventually getting another one through, cutting deep into her chest. Just as before, she screamed and fell down through the water.

Dark Link laughed. “Oh, look. You’re killing another of your sisters. What’s one more, right?”

“I said enough !” Linkle charged at him again, hitting him with a flurry of strikes that he only just managed to block. “It. Wasn’t. His. Fault !”

Link stared for a moment, but he wasn’t given much time to process what his sister had just said. Soon after, he was snapped out of his daze as Linkle’s double resurfaced from the reflection in the water. Not wanting to give her a chance to stab Linkle in the back, he quickly moved to attack the shadow. This time, she seemed to expect it, turning to block his swing with her shield.

“Don’t even bother,” Dark Linkle said as she attempted her counterattack. “Why should you help her, anyway? She’d never do the same for you.”

“You don’t know what the fuck you’re talkin’ about…” Link muttered under his breath.

“He’s just trying to justify his existence,” Dark Link added, still engaged in a fight with Linkle. “Pretending he can keep this last one safe is about all he can do to help himself sleep at night.”

“Shut up!” Linkle responded amidst an angry slash.

As the fight wore on, Link and Linkle found themselves back-to-back, having been driven into each other by their respective counterparts. Both shadows took a step back and began circling them, like animals stalking their prey.

“Have you figured out how to beat them yet?” Link asked, realizing for the first time that he’d been too angry to think of a strategy throughout the entire fight.

From behind him, Link could hear his sister shake her head. “No.”

“Of course you wouldn’t know,” her shadow taunted her. “You were always the dumb one, weren’t you?”

“I’ll show you–” Linkle moved to engage her tormentor, but Link grabbed her by the arm.

“Wait,” her brother told her, starting to realize something.

“Oh, boy. Here he goes again,” Link’s shadow complained, rolling his eyes. “Just let her go. Stop kidding yourself.”

Link did his best to ignore him.

They’re doing this on purpose. It’s not only to throw us off.

“It’s a test,” Link said aloud.

Linkle perked up. “Like a trial the Hero must complete.”

“Ooh, the Hero ,” her double taunted. “You think it’s a test for you ? As if Farore even knows who the fuck you are?”

Linkle glared at her, but Link stopped her before she could do anything. “That’s got to be part of it,” he said. “The things they’re saying to us.”

Dark Link sighed. “This is getting tiresome. Let’s just skip to the end where both of you die so you can join the rest of your family.” Without giving Link a chance to respond, the shadow charged at his original. Linkle’s double took that as her cue and attacked as well.

Link thought his double was right about one thing – this was getting tiresome. He continued to keep up with his counterpart, blocking every attack and having every one of his attacks blocked in return. In an attempt to avoid getting separated again or getting attacked from behind, Link did his best to stay close to Linkle. She was keeping up with her clone, too, but he could tell the fight was beginning to wear on her as well.

We’re gonna need to try something soon.

“Elle,” Link called out to his sister while locking blades with his darker self. “Maybe we should try–”

“I know what to do!” Linkle interrupted. “We need to hit them at the same time.”

“What?” Link knocked his opponent back long enough to shoot her a look over his shoulder, raising an eyebrow.

Does she think they’re reviving each other? But her double wasn’t here when I fought mine the first time, and he still came back.

“I don’t think that’ll work,” Link told her.

“I know,” Linkle replied. “But it’ll buy us some time. That’s what we need. Just trust me.”

Link wasn’t sure where she was going with this, but it was better than nothing. Going on the offensive, Link pressed forward, doing his best to keep his opponent off balance and to create as many openings as he could. “Say when,” he called to his sister.

“Just gimme a– oof ,” Linkle replied.

Link was too busy focusing on his own opponent to see what had happened, but he kept going, slashing at his double, but intentionally avoiding the openings until his sister was ready. “Any time now, Elle!”

“Now!” Linkle shouted back.

What followed was the sound of a young woman being stabbed. Link prayed it was the evil one.

“Okay!” Following Linkle’s plan, Link took his shot as soon as he thought Dark Linkle had been injured, stabbing his opponent through the chest. Predictably, the shadow grunted in pain, slid off of his sword, and fell through the water

 “Now what?” Link asked, spinning around to face his sister, hoping there was more to her plan.

Standing in front of him, Linkle reached up and placed a hand on his shoulder, giving him a serious, sympathetic look.

What?

“Link, it wasn’t your fault,” she said with sincerity. “Mother, Father, Aron, Aryll, Marlon, Meryl… we were just kids. Neither of us could have done anything. I never blamed you.”

Link was taken aback. She’d said this earlier in the fight, but it was different to hear her say it so earnestly like this. He felt a wave of relief wash over him, like a burden he’d been carrying for a long time was suddenly lifted.

Wait. That’s it.

He realized what she was doing. She was taking the poison out of his dark reflection’s words, and he needed to do the same for her. So, Link mimicked his sister’s actions, placing his hand on her shoulder.

“I’m glad you brought me along with you,” he told her. “You’re not messing up my life, you’re the best thing in it. And no matter what happens when we reach the Master Sword, you are a hero.”

Linkle smiled at him, appearing more grateful than he’d ever seen her before.

Unfortunately, they were not given much time to enjoy the moment.

“Behind you!” they shouted in unison. Linkle’s double had risen from the water once again, and Link spun around to find his own double had risen as well.

However, Link no longer looked upon his counterpart with anger. The vile things the creature had said no longer weighed on him. Before the darker Link had a chance to raise his weapon, Link plunged his sword through his doppelganger’s chest once again.

Something was different this time. Dark Link did not fall through the reflection in the water. Instead, his glowing red eyes flared up brightly, and he let out an echoey, inhuman scream. His shadowy body shimmered, like a reflection on the water’s surface disturbed by a skipping stone. After a moment, the doppelganger exploded in a puff of black smoke.

A high-pitched, but similarly unholy scream reverberated behind Link. Turning around, he saw only his sister, which told him her doppelganger had suffered a similar fate. She turned back to him as well. They locked eyes, both of them breathing heavily and dripping wet. Linkle gave him that grateful smile again, and he returned it.

Thank you, sister.


As the siblings stood there, Link noticed something in his peripherals, taking his attention away from Linkle. All around them, the room was changing. Walls and a ceiling appeared within the seemingly endless room. The tower with the barred door was suddenly just another part of the wall. The water that covered the floor remained, but the strange island with the tree growing from it had disappeared. It was as if the room they’d been in had faded away entirely, leaving a completely different, smaller, more ordinary room in its place.

“What the…?” Link muttered, astounded.

“Whoa…” Linkle smiled in amazement, gazing around the new room. “Such amazing sorcery!”

A sound drew the attention of them both. The bars covering the door to the ‘tower’ suddenly rose up out of the way.

Linkle gasped. “Brother! Our reward for passing the trial must be beyond that door.”

Link hesitated. She was probably right. It couldn’t have been a coincidence that the way was opened to them just after they defeated their shadowy doubles. However, that did not necessarily mean there was anything pleasant on the other side of that door.

“Be cautious,” Link warned.

“Aren’t I always?” Linkle chuckled, skipping forward through the ankle-deep water. Link followed her.

On the other side of the door was a small, square room. Like much of the Water Temple, it was constructed with light blue bricks and decorated with wavy patterns and Zora symbols. The room itself was almost empty. In the center was a raised dais with a single chest placed upon it. There was also a tablet on a pedestal in front of the dais. Other than that, the room was bare.

“There it is!” Linkle said excitedly, pointing to the chest.

“Hold on,” Link said, placing a hand on his sister’s shoulder. “It might be another trick. What’s that thing say?”

“Hmm? I dunno, I can’t read Zora.” Linkle stepped over to it, looking down at the tablet. “Oh!” she said, perking up. “It’s written in Hylian.”

“Is that so surprising?” Link asked, joining her beside the pedestal. “Well, I guess everything else we’ve seen here has been in Zora. Does that mean this was intended for Hylians?” He was merely thinking aloud, and decided to read the message before speculating further.

Here you go, dummy.

I kept it safe, just like you asked.

Maybe now you’ll actually come back and marry me?

Unless someone else is reading this,

In which case, enjoy the stupid thing.

Dummy.

- Princess Ruto de Bon -

“Huh…?” Link furrowed his brow.

“It really was Princess Ruto!” Linkle cheered. “She wrote this message for her fiancé.”

“And it looks like they never actually got married,” Link pointed out.

“Oh, yeah,” Linkle said. “Aw, wait. That’s actually really sad.” Linkle placed her hand on the stone tablet, gently feeling its smooth texture. “What do you think happened? Was he the Hero? Was he off saving the world and didn’t have time for his beloved Zora princess?”

“Maybe he just didn’t want to marry her.”

Linkle scoffed. “Who wouldn’t want to marry a princess ?”

Link shrugged. “Well, I guess she would come with money.” Linkle rolled her eyes, but Link laughed. “So, what’s in the box, anyway?”

“Ooh!” Linkle clapped her hands together excitedly, as if suddenly remembering their supposed prize was in the room. “Let’s see.” Climbing onto the dais, Linkle placed her hands on the chest. It did not appear to be locked, as she was able to simply lift the lid open. Link heard her gasp as she gazed down into the chest.

“What is it?” Link asked curiously.

Smiling, Linkle reached into the chest. “Da-da-da- daa !” she cried, thrusting her hand into the air to lift up her newfound prize.

Link squinted, unclear what he was looking at. The object Linkle had found in the chest was golden in color, and it looked like some kind of weird lamp at first. It was somewhat cylindrical in shape and it had a handle on one end of it. However, some sort of spike was sticking out of the other end.

“What the hell is that thing?”

“It’s a hookshot,” his sister declared proudly. Hopping down off of the dais, she held it up to give Link a closer look. “See? It’s a real fancy one, too. I’ve never seen one like this before.”

“Oh, right. I’ve heard of these before,” Link said, placing a hand on the object to feel the material. “Didn’t the Hero of Twilight use one of these?”

Linkle shook her head. “He had a pair of clawshots, just like the Hero of the Sky did. Hookshots are very similar, though.”

Likely eager to try out her new toy, Linkle turned back around and pointed the hookshot at the chest. Pulling the trigger, the hook-like spike shot out of the machine, pulling a metal chain along with it as it sailed through the air. The hook stuck into the side of the wooden chest. Pulling the trigger again, the chain began to retract back into the hookshot. The wooden chest was pulled across the floor along with it, finally dislodging just before the hook was pulled back into its chamber.

Linkle squealed. “So. Cool!”

Link chuckled, shaking his head at her childish antics. “So, this is one of those ‘keys,’ then?” he said, deciding it was time to discuss their actual objective.

“Definitely,” Linkle said with confidence. “We just had to fight, like, shadow clones of ourselves that drew strength from our self-doubt, or something. Only an artifact as important as this would be guarded by a trial like that.”

“Wasn’t the key supposed to be a gift from Princess Ruto’s fiancé, though?”

“Duh. Read the tablet,” Linkle replied, pointing to the inscription left behind by the Zora princess.

Link stared at the hookshot. “Bit of an odd engagement present, wouldn’t you say?”

“You clearly don’t know much about girls, brother. I would love to get a present like this from my beloved.” Linkle pointed the hookshot at the far wall and fired it again, but it bounced harmlessly off of the stone without penetrating it.

Link scoffed. “Yes. You are clearly a portrait of the average woman. But I guess you’re right; the hookshot must be the key, which means we got what we came here for. Let’s inform the sage and get going.”

“And then it’s off to the Lost Woods!” Linkle agreed excitedly. “Ooh, I can’t wait! The Impa family will make our names known throughout the land when we return with both the keys they sent us out for.”

“Well, we only have one key,” Link pointed out as they stepped back outside into the water-filled room. “Just because this one was here doesn’t mean the one that’s supposed to be in the Forest Temple will be. Although I guess this is still good enough for a reward.”

“Don’t be so pessimistic, Brother,” Linkle said, skipping through the water and firing her new hookshot randomly into the distance. “Besides, even if the other key isn’t there, at least I’ll still be able to pull the Master Sword from the stone!”

Notes:

Since I work about 15 chapters ahead of what I post, I started writing the initial draft of this chapter way back in April 2022. However, when this story was still in its planning stages several years ago, an encounter with Dark Link was one of the very first things I knew I wanted to include. To make it even more significant, I ended up combining it with the first real insight into Link and Linkle’s family history, which I felt was an important development. To me, getting here is kind of a big moment, so I hope this chapter turned out well. I’ve also gotten a few more comments and follows recently, so I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who’s still reading this story!

Chapter 48: Mila VI

Chapter Text

The siege of Hyrule had come to a bit of a standstill. While most of the city was firmly under Prince Percival’s control, they were not yet prepared to take the castle. As a result, most of the city was under lockdown. During this time, Mila had been given command of the barracks on the west side of the city that usually housed members of the City Watch. Having spent far too much of her time sleeping in tents recently, Mila was relieved to have a well-furnished officer’s quarters with a very comfortable bed.

However, her pleasant dreams that night were unfortunately cut short. Luckily, when she awoke, she realized there was an intruder in her room before she moved and gave herself away. Keeping her eyes closed, she listened carefully. She could hear breathing. Someone was standing close to her bed.

What is going on here? My door was locked and I was supposed to have a guard posted out front at all times…

She heard another sound, like someone fiddling with something metal. Mila guessed someone was trying to get into the chest in which she had stored her armor.

At least two intruders. Common thieves, perhaps?

Mila couldn’t be sure, but going straight for the locked chest in an officer’s room could easily mean the intruders were just after money. If they’d been enemy assassins, she might have been dead already.

She listened closely for another few seconds. She did not hear the intruders speak to each other, and she did not hear anything that would suggest there were more than two of them.

I can handle two. Might as well make my move while I can.

Still pretending to be asleep, Mila inhaled deeply. Then, as suddenly as she could, she sat up in her bed, waved her arms, and unleashed a gust of wind, making a wide arc in an attempt to hit both intruders wherever they stood in the room. It was difficult to see in the dark, but from the hints of movement and the grunting sounds she heard, she was pretty sure she’d managed to knock them both over.

Guards !” Mila shouted, hoping the troops she had posted nearby were awake and alive enough to hear her. Moving quickly, she hopped out of her bed and grabbed some matches off of her nightstand. However, before she got a chance to light one of the braziers, someone slammed her into the wall.

The hand that gripped her neck was not human. It was too big, and she could feel the claws digging into her. The monster’s eyes glowed red in the dark as it glared at her. “Where is the sword, fairyling?” the intruder growled.

Mila choked for a second until the intruder eased his grip on her throat enough to let her speak. “You want my sword? Take it .” With another rapid hand gesture, Mila summoned another gust of wind. This time, her intention was to fling her sword out from under her bed and impale her intruder with it. However, she only managed to fling the sword high enough to slash the intruder’s leg.

Aghh !” the monster growled in pain, releasing his grip entirely.

Mila fell to the ground, hastily gripped the hilt of her gilded sword, then thrust it through the monster’s chest.

The monster grunted in pain and smacked Mila away with the back of his claw.

During the struggle, Mila heard her door slamming open, but since no one said anything, it must have been the second intruder fleeing rather than her reinforcements arriving. It was not the best development she could have hoped for, but it meant she only had to deal with the one intruder.

Aiming high, Mila cut through the darkness, slicing the monster’s chest. By this point, she had spilled so much of its blood that she must have nearly killed it. Taking the opportunity, she finally managed to light a match and drop it into the brazier, lighting up the room enough so she could see.

The monster she had been fighting looked like some sort of humanoid bat, wearing a darkened cloak. He was slumped onto his knees, clutching the wounds on his chest as blood continued to spill forth. Upon seeing the light from the brazier, the monster turned his head away from it, growling weakly.

Still training her sword on the monster, Mila pulled on her night robes. “Who are you and what do you want with my sword?” Mila asked.

“Go to hell, fairyling,” the monster said, slightly slurring his words. He coughed, clutching his wounds more tightly as he grimaced in pain.

“I can have those wounds of yours healed,” Mila offered. She had sent Luft to keep an eye on Prince Percival, but she could try to summon her back, or get a healer to tend to him. “Or,” she went on, stepping closer to the beast. She placed the tip of her gilded sword to the monster’s neck. “I can open them further. Your choice.”

The monster panted silently for a minute. “There is nothing you can do to me… that will be worse… than what my master would do to me… if I returned… after giving that information to you.”

“You’re rather articulate for a monster,” Mila commented, right before lifting her sword and dragging it across the intruder’s cheek.

Aghhh !” The monster screamed in pain, struggling to slide across the floor away from her.

“You came into my quarters,” Mila said sternly, stepping towards the monster again. “You woke me from my pleasant dreams. You tried to steal from me . The least you can do is tell me why .” She lifted her sword in front of him, running her hand along the flat of its bloodied blade. “Do you know what this is? Do you know about Termina?”

“I don’t even know what that means ,” the monster replied. “But it doesn’t matter. Because I’m not telling you anything .”

Mila was taken aback by how suddenly the monster attempted to lunge at her, baring his fangs and his claws. However, with how wounded he was, Mila was quicker. She thrust her sword straight through the miserable creature’s neck. He choked and sputtered for another few seconds before the light from his eyes finally gave out.

“Disgusting,” Mila said, kicking the monster’s corpse down onto the floor. “It got its blood all over my nice new night clothes.” She sighed. “Oh well. Now, where the hell are my guards?”

Panting from overexertion and from a few claw wounds of her own, Mila used her sword like a walking stick and slinked through the open door out into the hall. Immediately, she saw one guard slumped against the wall with a trail of blood leading down it, making it clear how he’d died. “Oh, for the love of…”

Mila was beginning to regret staying in a room so isolated from the rest of the barracks. Limping slowly, she climbed the spiraling staircase down to the next floor, only to find two more bodies left on the ground in much the same state. “I need more competent guards…”

For a moment, Mila wondered if her entire barracks had been slaughtered in the night. However, given the attempt at stealth that had been made by her two intruders, she figured that must not have been the case. Inhaling deeply, she cried out again, “ Guards !”

This time, there was actually a response. Mila heard several doors slamming open and the sound of boots clambering down the halls.

“Lady Mila?”

“What is it?”

“Did something happen?”

When soldiers began to fill the room, Mila gestured to the two corpses. “Take a look,” she said, falling to one knee. She put her hand to her neck, realizing she was bleeding more than she’d thought. “Shit…”

“Lady Mila!” Vanova pushed her way to the front of the crowd while the others went to check on the two dead guards. The round-eared girl knelt in front of Mila and put her hands on the Kokiri’s shoulders. “Oh dear, you poor thing. Let me see…” Gently, she moved Mila’s hand out of the way, examining the wounds she’d received from the monster strangling her.

Mila slapped her hand away and stood up. “There’s no time for that.” She appreciated having a subordinate who cared for her health, but allowing Vanova to treat her like a little sister with a scraped knee would not send a good image to her troops. “We were attacked. Two monsters. Either Achemen or Vires, I don’t really know what the difference is. One of them escaped. Secure the area. There may be more.”

“Yes, my lady.”

Mila allowed her soldiers to scatter without informing them of the monsters’ objective. She still did not know why they had been after her sword, and whatever the reason, her troops did not need to know about it.

The monster did not seem to know about Termina, but perhaps they know about Saria’s brother. Surely it can’t be just because the sword is gilded.

“We must get you to a healer,” Vanova insisted, still looking at her with concern.

Mila nodded. “Fine. But keep me informed. I want to know if any monsters of any kind are found on the premises.”


“Hyrule Castle’s defenses are nearly impenetrable,” Prince Percival explained, gesturing towards the fortress as he paced back and forth. Sir Onnick, as always, stood by him, looking menacing.

The prince had gathered his lieutenants on the roof of the tallest building currently under the control of his forces. Certain key points in and around the city still eluded their capture, including the Light Temple, the quarry, and the prison. However, the prince no longer wished to focus on capturing the entire city. It was time to move on the castle itself.

“The last time it was taken by force was during the Twilight War, and many improvements have been made since then. There are no angles of approach that will allow us to conceal a large force. Crossing the bridge will funnel our forces into one place, and trying to cross the moat will be a costly delay,” the prince went on. “If we are to retake my sister’s throne from the usurper, we must explore less conventional solutions.”

Mila felt Luft poking her in the neck. “Quit it,” the Kokiri whispered in the Fairy tongue. “I must appear interested.” She stood as straight as she could, attempting to appear the model lady, although her short stature still made her stick out amongst the prince’s other lieutenants.

“Kind of important,” Luft replied, jangling urgently.

“What?” Mila turned her head. Luft flew into the sky, and Mila’s gaze followed her. After a moment of wondering what Luft was on about, something in the distance caught Mila’s eye. Squinting, the Kokiri took a few steps towards it, trying to make out what it was.

“Lady Mila,” Prince Percival said. “Has something more important than the reclamation of our kingdom’s ancestral seat of power caught your attention?”

“...Is that the City in the Sky?” Mila asked aloud.

“What?”

“Skyloft?”

“Where?”

The others present upon the roof craned their necks to see around each other and get a closer look. Sure enough, off in the distance, a very large and decidedly unnatural structure was moving through the sky, coming towards them.

“Impossible,” Prince Percival stated. “By my brother’s own projections, the City in the Sky should be nowhere near here at this time.”

“But it’s right there, your highness.”

Percival stared in the floating city’s direction for a moment. “Someone fetch me a spyglass.”

“Yes, my prince.”

“It’s getting closer,” someone pointed out. “Quickly.”

“It’s not moving that fast.”

“It’s moving a hell of a lot faster than it normally does.”

“What does this mean, your highness?”

A guard handed Percival the spyglass he’d requested, and the prince lifted it to his eye, peering through it. After getting a better look at the city, he sighed, lowering the spyglass. “What in Hylia’s name are you up to, brother?” he muttered.

“Your highness,” Mila said, stepping closer to the prince. “The last messages we received from your brother and sister in Hebra informed us that a group of Rito separatists had taken control of the City in the Sky,” she pointed out. “If they are piloting the floating city and coming towards us, we may be facing yet another invasion.”

“Perhaps,” Percival agreed. “But my brother had every intention of retaking Skyloft. If I were a betting man like he is, my rupees would be on him over the birdfolk.”

“But what does this mean, your highness?” another of his lieutenants asked. “If your brother is the one controlling Skyloft, has he come to help us?”

“That I would doubt even further,” Percival replied. “Nevertheless, once he arrives, he may find it in his best interest to help anyway.”

“So what shall we do? Prepare for invasion or prepare for reinforcements?”

“Both. Fill every rooftop you can with every archer you can muster,” he ordered. “If a flock of Rito descends upon my city, we shall litter the streets with their dead.”

“And if it is indeed your brother?” Mila asked.

Percival sighed dejectedly. “Let us pray he does not have anything too crazy planned. Now, everyone, take your troops and get in position. We will put the siege of Hyrule Castle on hold until we know what we’re dealing with here.”

“Yes, your highness!”

Mila filed down the stairs back into the building with everyone else. Some of her troops were waiting for her on one of the lower floors. “All of you, come with me. We’re returning to the barracks,” she ordered.

“What’s going on, my lady?” Vanova asked as Mila led them to the bottom floor. “Are the plans in place for the siege of the castle?”

“No. Our priorities have changed,” Mila replied. “You’ll see when we get outside.”

Once they were out in the street, Mila could see swarms of townspeople on rooftops and leaning out of windows, staring up at the sky. However, the floating city could not yet be seen from the ground level.

“What is everyone looking at, my lady?”

“The City in the Sky is coming towards us,” Mila explained, not wanting to wait until they were in a better position to see it.

“Skyloft is coming here?”

“Truly?”

“How?”

“Why?”

“Who controls it?”

“Silence!” Mila barked. Hearing so many of them chattering at once was beginning to annoy her. “We don’t know yet. We’ve only just spotted its approach. We are to prepare as many bows as we can in case it’s the Rito, but it could be the other prince.”

“Would the Rito have allied themselves with Lord Remoth?” Vanova asked.

“Doubtful. He is a brutal man, and he shares a border with Hebra. They likely fear him more than they fear the Royal Family,” Mila replied.

By the time they arrived back at the barracks, alarm bells were going off within the city, both on the side the prince controlled and on the side Lord Remoth still controlled. “Everyone who can, grab a bow and get on the walls. Now! Move it !” Mila announced, raising her voice to make it clear things were serious. Every available soldier dropped what they were doing and ran to comply.


The atmosphere was tense as the entire city watched the skies. The great, floating city of Skyloft inched towards them, with nobody knowing what would happen when it arrived.

Mila had heard stories of the City in the Sky. The Oocca who had controlled it were nearly wiped out during the Twilight War, and then they had abandoned the city entirely, leaving it unattended. Mila had no idea whether or not the city was weaponized, but even if it wasn’t that didn’t mean it wasn’t dangerous. It could be carrying an army of Rito, ready to descend upon the City of Hyrule. Or, whoever was up there could simply drop ruined buildings or parts of the floating islands down onto the city, crushing everything they landed on.

However, before Skyloft reached the city, the floating landmass slowed down, eventually coming to a full stop. Mila heard a few relieved sighs around her after it went a few minutes without moving, but she knew it wasn’t over yet. Whoever was flying that thing had taken it there for a reason. They were not simply going to hover there and do nothing.

After a few more minutes of stillness, Mila noticed one of the floating islands that made up Skyloft had broken off from the others. However, it was not falling. It was flying on its own, continuing to move towards the capital.

“Shit.”

“It’s still coming.”

“What’s going on?”

“Quiet!” Mila shouted. “Hold your positions.” Even as she said that, she was considering possible escape routes. If those who controlled Skyloft at the moment were planning to drop that entire chunk of the city on their heads, she was not going to stick around to see whether or not it landed on her.

The piece of Skyloft was not very large, although it was large enough to carry a few buildings. As it got closer, it also got lower, but it remained what must have been several hundred meters in the air. Soon, it passed over the island to the west of the castle that housed the prison, then proceeded to hover over the castle’s moat, where it came to a stop.

The atmosphere became thick with tension once again. Mila tried to guess what would happen next. Would another piece of the floating island break off and fly lower? Would it fly right into the castle? Would a swarm of Rito descend from it?

However, Mila nor anyone else could have been prepared for what happened next. Some mechanism on the underside of the floating island began to glow a light blue color. Even from as far back as Mila’s position in the city, the sound it made could be heard. It sounded like a mix of something mechanical and something magical charging up. The sound stopped for a brief moment, but then it got much louder.

A column of blue light shot downward from the floating island. The water of the moat splashed outward as if a giant boulder had been dropped into it, enveloping the nearby shores in a tidal wave. The ground shook, radiating outwards from the point of impact until even Mila and her troops could feel it.

All over the city, more alarm bells rang, and people began screaming in panic. Even though the giant, magical beam was nowhere near them, some of Mila’s troops abandoned their posts.

Stay where you are !” Mila ordered, but some still did not listen, even more frightened of the floating weapon than they were of her.

However, the beam never changed its trajectory towards the castle or towards the city, nor did the island move from its position. After firing downward into the water for a short period of time, the beam shrank, and the weapon ceased firing.

What the hell is going on? Was that some sort of warning shot?

Whoever was operating the floating weapon must not have had any intention to use it on people -- at least not right away. They just wanted everyone to know that they could .

Then, there was another, smaller piece of the island that broke off from the main landmass. This one appeared to be a piece of a building rather than a floating rock of some sort. There was another brief panic as it moved towards the city square, as many people likely assumed it would fire a weapon like the one that had fired into the moat. However, once it reached the city square, the floating building descended, landing peacefully on the ground.

“What is going on?” Mila asked out loud, as she was too far away to see anything. “Has anyone heard anything? Do we know who or what was on that thing?”

“No, my lady,” a soldier replied.

“Then send some scouts. I want to know what we’re dealing with. Now. Go!” the Kokiri ordered.

“Yes, Lady Shadowgale.”

Mila kept her eyes on the island floating above the castle’s moat for almost the entire time she waited. She had spent so long planning everything, but with this completely unpredictable development, she would likely have to throw every remaining part of her plan out the window.

Who is doing this? What are they doing? Why are they doing it? Are they friend, or foe? Can I befriend them? Can I kill them?

She had thought Lord Remoth would be her last big obstacle. After taking him down, she could have easily convinced Prince Percival to take the throne for himself. Being the right hand of the king would have set her up for life. Hell, the option of taking the throne from him afterwards wasn’t even off the table.

I could have been the queen…

But with the arrival of this new enemy, the gods only knew how far she had been set back.

“Lady Shadowgale.”

The Kokiri turned around. One of the scouts she’d sent out several minutes ago had returned. He was out of breath and carried no paper, so he must have merely had a verbal report to give.

“What is it?” Mila asked.

“Prince Lancel is in the city square.”

Many of the soldiers surrounding them sighed with relief, but Mila knew this was not necessarily good news.

“So it is the other prince who controls the City in the Sky,” she said aloud. “Has he said why he’s come here?”

“No, my lady,” the soldier replied. “But he requested both Prince Percival and Lord Remoth to meet him in the square.”

“Hmm. Sounds like he wishes to discuss a treaty to end the hostilities.” Mila put a hand to her chin. This was far from the worst case scenario, but there were still so many gaps in her knowledge.

What does he plan to do after the fighting ends? Does he intend to execute Lord Remoth for treason? Will he return the throne to his elder sister? Or will he take it for himself? And what of his brother?

“Has Prince Percival responded to his brother’s summons?” Mila asked.

“I don’t believe the message had reached him by the time I arrived there, my lady.”

“Then I may still have time to get there in order to witness the proceedings,” Mila said. “You, you, you, and you -- come with me. The rest of you, hold your positions and await further orders.”

A chorus of “Yes, my lady,” followed.

“Good. Let us go.”


When Mila and her guards arrived at the boundary of the city square, they found it blocked off by a number of Hyrulean guards. Most of them wore light blue cloaks and a variation of the Hyrulean Wingcrest that Mila recognized as being Prince Lancel’s personal sigil.

Time to see if they’re friend or foe.

Trying to act as though she was supposed to be there, Mila strolled confidently forward, hoping the guards would part to let her through, or at least let her pass after briefly questioning her.

“Halt.” A man in a blue cloak and golden armor with a plumed helmet held up his hand. “This area is off limits at the moment,” he informed Mila.

“I’m with the prince,” she explained.

“No, you are not.”

“The other prince.”

“I do not see Prince Percival with you, Dame Shadowgale.”

“It’s Lady Shadowgale now, sir,” Mila informed him.

“My apologies, my lady, but that changes nothing. Now, please, step away from the perimeter.”

Mila screamed internally, but maintained an icy glare. “Very well,” she declared. Turning away, she gestured to her own guards. “Come along, now.”

“What are we going to do, my lady?” Vanova asked.

“We’ll wait for the prince,” Mila replied. She chose to remain within eyeshot of the entrance to the city square, waiting patiently.

She did not have to wait long, but when Prince Percival arrived, he did not appear to be in a good mood. Two columns of royal guards walked on either side of him, marching their way through the streets. The prince had a look of irritation and grim determination on his face. Between his expression and his guards, Mila did not think it was safe to approach him.

“Will you join him, Lady Shadowgale?” Vanova asked.

“He’s brought no other advisors with him,” Mila pointed out. “He likely wishes to speak with his brother alone.” Mila glanced around her, looking for some way up to a vantage point where she might be able to watch. “There,” she said, pointing to a stairway through an alley. “We shall watch from atop this building instead.”

The rooftop hardly provided the best view, but at least they would be close enough to hear everything, or at least Mila hoped they would be. Prince Lancel stood in the center of the square, near the giant statue of one of his ancestors. He was dressed rather elegantly in royal mage robes. He even wore his crown. Most of his guards were either blocking the perimeter or standing by the strange machine they had landed in. Only Sir Anselm stood close by, holding his axe.

After a brief discussion with the perimeter guards, Prince Percival was permitted entry, with only Sir Onnick and two other guards joining him. However, after walking a few paces, Percival halted for a moment. When he began walking again, his guards remained where they were, allowing the prince to proceed alone.

“Brother!” Prince Lancel said happily, holding his arms out. “It is wonderful to see you again. How long has it been?” Lancel embraced his brother in a hug, which Prince Percival did not return, opting to stand stiffly until Lancel was finished.

“Lancel,” Prince Percival growled, speaking so softly it was difficult to hear him from Mila’s rooftop vantage point. “What the hell are you doing here?”

The elder prince laughed. “Now, now, little brother. Surely even you can manage a more hospitable welcome than that .”

“I’m serious , Lancel. We are at war , here,” Percival insisted, gesturing towards the castle behind his brother. “Lord Remoth betrayed us in the wake of the Blood Moon. Father is dead. Seraphina is missing. And now Remoth sits upon Victorique’s throne as if it were his own.”

“Yes, yes, I have kept myself well-informed of all that,” Lancel said dismissively. “But that is why I am here! To end this silly conflict you have found yourself in.” Glancing behind him, Lancel noticed something and gestured towards the north entrance to the square. “Ah! Here comes your dastardly foe now.”

Mila directed her attention to the north entrance. Sure enough, Lord Remoth approached the square, flanked by a number of black-cloaked knights. He wore a black cloak as well, but his height made him immediately noticeable amongst his similarly-dressed guards. The Lord of Spikes strolled confidently forward, as if he expected the line of Lancel’s guards to part for him. At first, all but one guard did so, but the last one quickly followed suit, allowing Remoth and a handful of his guards to enter the square.

“Ah! Toren Remoth, Lord of Midoro and Lord Paramount of Hyrule Ridge,” Percival said, greeting him as if he were announcing his presence to everybody. “I’m delighted you could join my brother and I on this fine day.”

“Prince Lancel Leif Hyrule,” Lord Remoth responded, as if to subtly mock the prince by using his full name as well. “I was honored to accept your invitation. How could I not, given your structure that rains fire from the sky?”

“Indeed,” Lancel replied proudly, giving the Lord of Spikes a deep bow. “But it would be unbecoming of men of our station to focus so deeply on the negatives. Let us look at the positives of this grand meeting of great minds.”

Percival sighed. “And what would that be, brother?”

You two can cease your petty squabbling now,” Lancel declared, raising his hands in celebration. “Whatever nonsense you were fighting about, that’s all in the past now.”

“I was merely attempting to hold the throne for your sister,” Lord Remoth informed him. “I have a letter from Queen Victorique, marked by her personal seal, instructing me to do so. Your brother, here, was the one attempting to usurp her.”

“That is a lie ,” Percival said forcefully, taking a step forward. “This traitor desired the throne for himself!”

“Gentlemen, gentlemen .” Lancel stepped between the two of them, holding out his arms to keep them separated. “As I’ve said, it doesn’t matter whether you were to be king, or you were to be king, or our sweet sister was to be queen. Your true king is here now.” The elder prince grinned at the confusion that appeared on his brother’s face, and at the unamused look that appeared on Lord Remoth’s.

Mila was surprised by this development as well.

Interesting. Although, I suppose it is not that surprising.

“You must be joking,” Percival said.

“Come now, brother. I’m a very serious man. You know that,” Lancel insisted cheekily. “Remember what Father told us before he sent you, me, and our precious little sister off to do his bidding? The throne was not promised to Victorique . It was promised to his most capable progeny. From what I hear, Victorique has made quite a mess of things down south, whereas I achieved my objective and secured the City in the Sky.”

I achieved my objective as well, brother,” Percival informed him. “The false sage is dead, and her cult has been dismantled. Akkala is at peace once again because of me .”

Mila rolled her eyes.

You mean because of me.

“True. You control a citadel of your own. But, only one of us has our fortress floating above the city, ready to obliterate our enemies at a moment’s notice.” Prince Lancel directed everyone’s attention back to the piece of Skyloft that floated above the castle’s moat.

Percival looked up, then back down at his brother. “You wouldn’t.”

“Maybe I would, maybe I wouldn’t,” Lancel replied with a playful grin. “I’m a gambling man myself, brother. Are you?” Percival had no reply, so Lancel turned to Lord Remoth. “And what of you, Lord Paramount? Do you intend to continue, ahem, ‘ holding the throne for my sister ’? Or will you accept me as your king?”

Lord Remoth gazed at the floating weapon. “For a long time, people have said my methods of keeping the peace are brutal and unnecessary,” he said, turning his icy gaze back to the elder prince. “Even your father cautioned me on several occasions.” He paused, allowing everyone to wait for his answer for a moment. “I am glad to see at least one of King Tychon’s children is more enlightened.” Lord Remoth got down on one knee and bowed his head. All of the knights standing behind him followed suit. “I recognize and accept your authority, my king.”

Lancel clapped his hands together. “Splendid!” He then turned to Percival. “And what say you, dear brother?”

“I will not stand for this. You should not be king any more than he should,” the younger prince declared, gesturing to Lord Remoth.

“Ah. So you would give the throne to Victorique, then?” Lancel replied smoothly.

Mila could not help but chuckle when she heard that. It was obvious to her what the elder prince was doing, but based on the younger prince’s face, it seemed Percival was not smart enough to realize it. Prince Lancel had all but said nobody would accept Percival as king, not even Percival himself.

The younger prince’s glare darkened. He straightened his posture, taking on a prideful stance. “No. I should be king. I’m the only one who succeeded in the missions Father appointed us. I’m the one who rushed to save the city when this tyrant tried to claim it for his own. You and Victorique failed . And now you’ve come here with your flying fortress to subjugate the people, not free them.

Mila smirked. All it took was a little taunting from his brother for Prince Percival to flip on his morals.

What happened to reclaiming the throne for your sister’s sake, your highness?

Lancel chuckled, seemingly unmoved by his brother’s speech. “Alright, alright. I can see I will not convince you here and now,” he conceded. “I am confident I can persuade you and our dear sisters to see things my way in time, but for now, why don’t the three of us retire to the castle for a celebratory feast?” he suggested.

Lord Remoth said nothing, apparently waiting impatiently for the princes to finish their brotherly posturing.

“In celebration of what , precisely?” Percival asked.

“Why, the end of this useless conflict, of course,” Lancel replied. “The throne may not belong to me yet , but at least you and the Lord of Spikes shall no longer be wreaking havoc in our fine city streets anymore. Isn’t that right?”

Mila was amazed to hear the prince refer to Lord Remoth by his nickname right to his face like that. While many still called her the Devil of Shadow Pass, few were brave enough to do so while knowing she was within earshot.

Percival hung his head and sighed deeply. “Very well. Remoth, order your troops to stand down and allow us into the castle. I shall tell mine the fight is over.”

“It will be done, my prince,” Lord Remoth replied. He did not seem to be taking his loss poorly, but Mila was not ready to write him off just yet. He had wisely positioned himself so that he would likely receive no real punishment for his attempted coup. He would surely have another trick or two up his sleeve.


The celebratory feast Prince Lancel had insisted upon having that night went about as poorly as Mila had expected. She had been invited to join, as had many of the lords and ladies currently residing in the capital. However, she had received a seat so far from the princes and Lord Remoth that she could not hear a single word they said.

“Luft,” Mila whispered. “Get out here.” She spoke in the Fairy tongue, just in case anyone nearby might have overheard her.

“Eh?” Mila’s fairy appeared beside her, jangling lightly. “Ooh! Can I have some?” she asked, eying Mila’s plate of food.

“What? No, not now. I need you to go to the other end of the table. Listen in on what the princes are discussing with the lord paramount,” Mila ordered.

“Ugh, why do I always gotta do all the spy work?” the fairy complained.

“I’ll start doing it the day you start to handle the fighting,” Mila countered.

Luft jangled in annoyance. “Alright, fine. But you better save some food for me!” The floating ball of fairy light disappeared beneath the table.

Mila sighed and continued her meal, half-heartedly pretending to pay attention to whatever story the lord across from him was telling. With the new developments that had transpired that day, her mind was still in overdrive trying to reshape her strategy.

The fighting is over for now, but those three still can’t stand each other, and they all clearly wish to be on the throne.

Mila’s plan had always been to attach herself to the one most likely to be crowned, and then use that position to leverage a better life for herself. She had thought she was in a good position to put Prince Percival on the throne, but of these three, the younger prince seemed like the least likely candidate now.

Prince Lancel controls that floating fortress. He is at his strongest. However, he is clearly not the idiot his brother is. If I were to get close to him, would he see right through me?

There was also Lord Remoth. He may not be as clever as Prince Lancel, but if his reputation was even half true, then he was far more fiendish than either prince.

What does he have planned for the princes? With them both in one place, he can easily take them both out, unless they get to him first. But would he take the risk? He could not claim to be doing it in Victorique’s name if he got caught, and all would clearly know he was responsible.

Something else was bothering Mila, too. No matter how much she looked at the situation, she felt like she was still missing huge pieces of the puzzle.

Lord Remoth was able to seize the throne much too easily. He must be working with someone. The same must be true with Prince Lancel, actually. How did he even know such weapons existed in Skyloft?

On top of all of that, there was still the mystery of the monsters who had attacked her and attempted to steal her sword.

How does that fit into all of this? Coincidence? Who else even knows about my sword, and what do they want with it?

Mila lifted her wine glass to her lips and drank deeply. She had a lot of work to do, and given how frequently the situation had been changing recently, she was going to have to work fast.

Chapter 49: Ayako II

Chapter Text

“Fire.” Queen Zelda spoke the order plainly to one of her commanders.

Fire !” the commander repeated, shouting down the line of cannons.

A series of booms rang out as the cannons unleashed another volley. Impa stood beside Zelda, both of them watching through an opening in their command tower. They were dressed for battle, even if they did not expect to be directly involved in the fighting. Zelda wore her full suit of royal armor, elegantly decorated with gold and violet Hyrulean designs. The design of her armor was much sleeker and less bulky than what her knights wore in order to enable her preferred fighting style. Her helmet, which sat on a nearby table, was crafted to give it the appearance of both a helmet and a crown. She wore a cape as well, although she would slip it off immediately if she would need to enter combat at any point. Impa Ayako wore somewhat less gaudy but equally conspicuous Sheikah samurai armor, which was designed to be as intimidating as it was protective. Her masked helmet sat next to the queen’s while they talked.

A large portion of the Gerudo forces had gathered in the fields below them. This would be the enemy’s second attempt at attacking the Hyruleans’ position. Their previous attempt had gone poorly, as the Gerudo had not been aware of all of their defenses.

“Do you expect them to reach us this time, my queen?” Ayako asked. Technically speaking, Zelda was not the queen yet, and she wouldn’t be until she returned to the City of Hyrule for her official coronation ceremony. However, after news of the king’s death had spread throughout the Coliseum, almost everyone had taken to addressing her as if she were the queen already.

“I was surprised they did not reach us last time,” Victorique replied, lowering her spyglass. “Given the reports of the Voe’s exploits during the battle of the bridge, I was expecting to have to face him personally.”

“Surely they would not risk losing their most powerful asset,” Ayako speculated. “As strong as he may or may not be, the Gerudo must know he would be no match for Hylia’s heir.”

“I would not be so sure of that, Aya.” The queen-in-waiting turned to her commander once more. The armored man stood just outside of the doorway, allowing him to receive Zelda’s commands and relay them to the troops. “Fire,” Victorique repeated.

Fire !”

“Of course, Your Grace,” Ayako said, continuing the conversation. “As your protector, I approve of your caution. That being said, it would not do well for the morale of our troops should they see you shying away from a fight.”

“Why do you think I’ve chosen to remain here?” the queen replied.

“A fair point.”

One of the tower’s other doors opened. Reflexively, Ayako turned to face the newcomer, her hand gripping her naginata tightly, but it was only a footsoldier. He quickly saluted, then held up a scroll. “A report for Queen Zelda, Lady Impa.”

“Thank you, soldier,” Ayako replied, retrieving the scroll. “Wait here a moment.” While Victorique relayed another order to her commander in the other doorway, Ayako quickly scanned the letter.

“What news?” Victorique asked once she was free.

“This attack appears to be a diversion,” Impa said, summarizing the note.

“As our generals predicted. Where is their other force?”

“The west shore of Aquame Lake, Your Grace. Perhaps they crossed the mountain to avoid going through the pass covered by our cannons.” Ayako pointed out the window at the cliffs on the other side of the pass.

“That would make sense. I suppose that route is preferable to the alternative,” the queen said. “Inform the Zora. Make sure nothing crosses that lake.”

“Shall I relocate some of our troops from the eastern side?” Ayako asked, already jotting down Victorique’s orders.

“No.” Zelda shook her head. “We must not lower our defenses of Gatepost under any circumstances. The last thing we need is this fight spilling over into civilian areas. Divert some troops from the battalion guarding the bridge instead.”

Ayako finished writing, then handed off the message to the soldier.

“At once, Queen Zelda.” The messenger saluted before he left.

Zelda returned to observing the bombardment of the Gerudo troops in the fields below them, occasionally giving further orders to her commander.

“How long do you expect the Gerudo to keep this up?” Ayako asked. Someone who did not know Victorique as well as she did might have seen her at the moment and judged her quite harshly. Presently, the queen stared out over the battlefield, observing her enemies being crushed beneath her, without any emotion showing on her face. Others may have seen this as callous and uncaring, but Ayako knew better. There was no way the queen wished for this bloodshed to continue.

“With any luck, this will be the last battle of this uprising,” Zelda stated simply.

Impa raised an eyebrow. “Why do you say that? They have been quite persistent thus far.”

“They began this campaign out of grief for their lost princess and out of overconfidence from their first victory.” Zelda stepped closer to the window, idly dragging a gloved finger over her crowned helmet on a nearby table. “They have had time to process their grief, and they will be humbled by their losses here. Once they are ready to see reason again, I will send a messenger to inform them it is time to reopen negotiations.”

Impa was skeptical. The Gerudo had a long history of disobedience and an unwillingness to accept Hyrulean authority. She was surprised it had taken them this long to rebel like this again. “And what if they are still not ready to see reason?”

“Then we shall remain here and repeat this process for as long as it takes,” the queen replied. “They will not make it past the Coliseum. Sooner or later, they will heed my warnings, retreat back to Yarna, or perish fighting in vain.”

Impa could not help but smile with admiration. “Your father would be proud to see you right now.”

“Thank you, Aya.” Victorique reached for her helmet and slipped it onto her head. “Come with me. We should return to observe the other front.”


The battle was over in a matter of hours. Zelda’s forces managed to fend off the enemy on both fronts, and the Gerudo eventually retreated. However, the siege was not over yet. The Gerudo now had a second base camp near the Manhala Bridge, and they showed no signs of surrender. They would simply regroup and try again soon.

That evening, Queen Zelda debriefed with her generals and sent an emissary to request the Gerudo surrender. Afterwards, she invited Ayako to join her for a walk.

“We should not be up on the wall alone like this,” Ayako warned.

Victorique had taken her onto the wall near the Coliseum’s main entrance on its north side. “I like the view from up here.” Even with the sun having set, much of Hyrule Field was visible to them. “My kingdom is so beautiful at night.”

Ayako observed the view as well, but she could tell Victorique was really looking in the direction of the capital. “Do you wish to return home after all, Your Grace?” Ayako asked. “I know you believe Lord Remoth can handle things there, but Dorian-sama could handle things here, too. Especially after our victory today.”

“If Queen Urballa accepts my proposal, I shall be returning home soon,” Zelda replied. “But if she does not, then I must remain here a while longer.”

“You must return to the capital immediately,” came a voice from behind them.

Ayako and Victorique spun around, with Ayako raising her weapon. A woman stood upon the parapet, wearing a white mask with a great yellow eye and a big red smile painted on it. Ayako immediately recognized the mask, and put it together with the voice she’d heard. “ Onee-sama ,” the bodyguard said with some annoyance. “What makes you think you may sneak up on the queen like that?”

“It’s alright, Aya,” Victorique replied, holding up a hand to signal that Ayako should lower her weapon. “It is good to see you again, Shiho. What brings you to the Coliseum?”

“It is as I’ve said,” Ayako’s sister replied, stepping down onto their level. “I am here to deliver a message of dire importance. You must return to the City of Hyrule immediately,” she repeated.

“The queen has made her decision.” Ayako took another step forward, hoping to assert herself against her elder sister. “This Gerudo uprising cannot be allowed to continue unchecked. Her Majesty will return to the capital for her coronation as soon as peace has been returned to the province.”

“While I am certain the recent demon incursion weighs heavily on the capital, my correspondence with Lord Remoth leads me to believe the reconstruction is well underway,” Victorique added. “In the meantime, the Grand Watcher and your mother can coordinate the search for the Headless Demon. I would gladly aid you, but I am needed here, and the demon could be anywhere.”

“There is no need to search.” Shiho shook her head. “The demon is in the capital.”

Ayako was confused. “How do you know this, Onee-sama?”

“Yes, please elaborate,” Zelda added, narrowing her eyes.

“Mother and I have been coordinating with the Grand Watcher. I have it on good authority that the demon never left the capital. He’s been hiding under our noses, wearing the disguise of a man,” Shiho explained. Placing a gloved hand to her mask, she turned it to the side of the head to reveal her face. She looked deathly serious. “I do not know if the demon has been hiding amongst our ranks since before the Blood Moon, or if he merely took advantage of the situation in order to assume another’s identity afterwards, but the fact remains. The demon who invaded the City of Hyrule on the night of the Blood Moon now works to subvert your Great House from within.”

Ayako studied the queen’s face. Victorique seemed skeptical, but perhaps she was just overwhelmed by this revelation.

“The attack being perpetrated by a turncloak would explain why the warding of the city’s walls failed at such an inopportune time,” Ayako pointed out.

“True,” Zelda agreed. “Under whose identity does the demon hide within our ranks, Shiho?”

“That remains unclear,” the ninja woman replied. “Grand Watcher Socicila has witnessed the demon’s shapechanging firsthand, but the demon wore a mask and hooded cloak while in human form to conceal his face at the time.”

That made enough sense to Ayako. Nothing in the capital, let alone the castle, escaped Socicila’s watch. “What shall we do, my queen?” Ayako asked.

“While I trust the intel provided by the Grand Watcher, I still do not see why the situation necessitates my presence in the capital,” Zelda replied. “As I’ve said, I have a duty to finish matters here. In the meantime, Lord Remoth rules as regent with my blessing. He can deal with the demon once Socicila has determined his identity.”

“Lord Remoth very well might be the demon himself,” Shiho stated bluntly.

“What? What makes you say this?” Ayako asked. “I admit the man is a savage tyrant, and it sounds like the demon could be just about anybody, but has Lord Remoth done anything to warrant our suspicions in particular?”

Shiho nodded, turning to face Zelda. “Your brother Percival attempted to return to the capital recently, and Lord Remoth shut the city’s gates to him. He claimed it was by your orders.”

“I gave no such order,” Victorique stated, setting the record straight immediately.

“This is an outrage.” Ayako had never heard such a blatant insult to her charge’s authority. “How dare he give orders in the queen’s name? Your Grace, this treason must not go unpunished.”

“Agreed.” Victorique nodded. “If all this is true, it would appear as though Lord Remoth has betrayed us. Or, at the very least, Lord Remoth has been misled by another who has betrayed us.” The queen put a hand to her chin, pondering the matter. “What of my brother? How has Percival decided to handle the situation?”

“Prince Percival has launched a full-scale invasion of the capital.”

“By the gods,” Ayako muttered. “Your Grace, do you realize what this means?”

“Yes, I do.” Zelda rubbed her temple, clearly bothered by this development. “Well, I suppose I cannot fault him. Such a course of action may very well be necessary if the situation is as dire as we believe it to be.”

“It is,” Shiho affirmed. “The prince has a great number of troops under his command, having assumed control of Akkala Citadel following General Alchon’s demise. However, Lord Remoth has his own troops, as well as those stationed in the capital. Even if Prince Percival manages to make it to Hyrule Castle, I do not know if he has the power to slay the demon who is responsible for all of this.”

“Perhaps we require the aid of the Hero,” Ayako suggested. “If we declare a state of emergency, it could serve as the catalyst necessary for Farore’s new champion to awaken and take up the Master Sword.”

“An excellent suggestion, Ayako,” her sister agreed. “This demon has already slain a god, need I remind you. The Hero may be the best chance we have against a being of such dark power.”

Queen Zelda held up her hand. “Let us not be hasty,” she told them. “It would not be wise to cause a panic amongst the populace by declaring such an emergency. Additionally, I have the Bow of Light in my possession. One of my predecessors was able to harm Demon King Ganon with it. While it is not as potent a weapon as the Master Sword, we are not without meaningful countermeasures at our disposal.”

Shiho shook her head. “I must disagree, Your Grace. We can take no chances with this demon. The fate of Hyrule hangs in the balance. We must have the Hero.”

“You would be wise to be careful when questioning the queen,” Ayako warned her sister, gripping her spear tightly.

“Aya,” Zelda said simply, raising a hand to calm her. “My apologies, Shiho, but I must insist. The capital -- and my brother -- are in immediate danger. We do not have time to summon the Hero when they have not yet been revealed to the world.”

Shiho slid her mask back over her face. “Very well, Your Grace. As a daughter of the Impa Clan, I am bound to your will. Tell me what needs doing.” She put her fist over her heart and bowed.

Ayako, not one to let her sister upstage her, mimicked her actions.

“Thank you,” Victorique said to them both. “Let us gather my advisors so we might explain the situation. We must move with all haste.”


While she received some pushback from her generals who considered the conflict with the Gerudo to be of the utmost importance, most of Zelda’s advisors were quick to agree that the capital was where she was needed most at the moment. Zelda had hoped the conflict would be resolved by Queen Urballa accepting Zelda’s request for the Gerudo to surrender, but unfortunately, the emissary she’d sent returned with Urballa’s refusal. As such, the war would continue in Zelda’s absence. She was to leave General Dorian in charge. Most of her advisors would stay with him, but she would be taking a number of their troops. Since the enemy had not yet managed to breach the Coliseum’s outer defenses, many of their soldiers had been simply lying in wait as it was.

And so, at the dawn of the next day, Queen Zelda left from the Coliseum’s main entrance and crossed Aquame Bridge, heading north. A small army poured forth from the Coliseum alongside her, including the Impa sisters. Ayako wondered what the Gerudo scouts who were no doubt watching them might think. Perhaps they would return to their base camp with news that the enemy army had fled and it was time to press the attack again. Or, given Urballa’s recent refusal to surrender, perhaps the Gerudo would interpret the Hyrulean army’s actions as a sign that they were going on the offensive now, sending forth an army to wipe them out more quickly. However, Ayako knew they had to put that behind them for now. The issue with the Gerudo had been left in Dorian’s capable hands, and they had a new objective to focus on.

When they came to the first fork in the road, Shiho rode her horse up next to Ayako’s in order to speak with Victorique. “Queen Zelda, with your permission, I would like to briefly depart in order to speak with my contacts at the Windvane Exchange.”

Victorique nodded. “Very well, but please return to us with haste.”

“Thank you, Your Grace,” Shiho replied. “I shall cut through the meadow and catch up with you at the garrison.” Pulling her horse’s reins, she turned off of the road and headed east towards the nearby market town.

Ayako watched as her sister rode off. This would be the first time she would be certain she was alone with Victorique since Shiho had arrived, so she wanted to take the opportunity to discuss matters she did not wish for her sister to overhear.

“Queen Zelda,” the bodyguard said, speaking in a hushed voice. “I am not certain my sister is being entirely truthful with us.”

Victorique kept her eyes forward. “I agree. Although, I confess I am unable to determine what aspect of her story is not completely true. We have been kept surprisingly in the dark ever since we left on our campaign. We will not be able to confirm much until we arrive back in the capital and investigate the current state of affairs.”

Ayako was relieved. “I’m glad you believe me.”

“I trust you completely, Aya,” the queen replied. “And you know your sister better than I do.”

The Sheikah woman sighed. “One would think.”

Zelda did not respond.

“My apologies, Your Grace,” Ayako said after a moment. “I do not wish to burden you with my family affairs.”

“You are free to do so if you wish, old friend. The gods know you have had to put up with my familial dysfunctions.”

Ayako was surprised to see Victorique smile as she made that comment. There was a sadness behind it, perhaps, but the bodyguard was not used to seeing her charge make a jest of any kind. “Truly, my queen?”

“Of course. Speak freely. Think of it as granting me insight into your sister’s mind. Perhaps you and I can figure out what she is planning.”

Ayako glanced around her, knowing that her sister may have spies among them even if she was not present herself. The Sheikah’s gaze eventually landed on Zelda’s personal carriage, which was being pulled along with the rest of their convoy. “Perhaps it would be best to speak somewhere more private,” she suggested. “You never know who is listening.”

“A fair suggestion.” Victorique whistled and held up her hand. She instantly got the attention of the carriage driver, who flicked the reins and took the carriage over to them. The entire convoy stopped as Queen Zelda and her bodyguard dismounted. Two more knights in service to the queen arrived to take possession of their horses while they climbed into the carriage. With another whistle, the carriage jostled into motion as the whole convoy started moving again.

“You do not often speak of your family,” Zelda said to Ayako, now seated across from her in luxurious, cushioned seats.

Ayako nodded. “I suppose so. But that is the Sheikah way. We are taught that any amount of sharing is oversharing.”

“Yes, I have met many ‘Sheiks’ in my lifetime. Privacy is valued quite highly amongst your people, as is quite evident,” the queen stated. “Your sister has even taken to wearing a mask.”

“I do not yet understand the significance of that mask,” Ayako admitted, realizing for the first time how strange it was that an illusionist like her sister would bother with a physical mask. “It has the appearance of a mask one might wear at a Sheikah folk festival of some kind. But I suppose that isn’t important. Can I ask what it was that made you skeptical of her?”

The queen brushed her hair out of her face, her appearance having been only minorly scuffed from her horseback riding. She gazed upwards for a moment, likely recalling the previous night’s conversation with Shiho. “I have spent my life speaking with politicians, nobles, clergymen, and sycophants. I can tell the difference between someone who serves the realm and someone who serves their own interests. There is a difference in the way they speak -- their choice of words, their sense of urgency, the order in which they present information to you. Some or all of what Shiho said may have been the truth, but I received the distinct impression that she had her own agenda. I simply do not know what it is”

Ayako sighed. “That is one thing I do not miss about home,” she said. “Everyone has their own schemes, and everyone else is merely their pawn.”

“Sounds like Lancel,” Victorique remarked.

“Hmm.” Ayako grunted in agreement. She had never liked the elder of Victorique’s two brothers. As the queen had pointed out, he was a schemer, just like the rest of Ayako’s family. Not only that, but he had such little care for proper decorum, never acting in a manner befitting a member of the Royal Family. “Shiho may not return, you know,” Ayako pointed out. “She claimed to be meeting with her contacts, which, again, may be true. But who’s to say she doesn’t return to Kakariko next, or wherever she must go for the next step of her plans?”

“If that is the case, then I would say that makes things simpler,” the queen replied. “My primary concern is with the welfare of the kingdom. We can return to the capital and investigate your sister’s claims as planned. Whether or not she is there is irrelevant. And, if she is as manipulative as she seems, we will not need to worry about her manipulating us further if she is not there to speak with us. Not directly, at least.”

Ayako nodded in acceptance, then let out a frustrated sigh. “If only we had more information. Our hands are certainly tied by how in the dark we’ve been since we left the capital.”

“Information wins wars,” the queen pointed out. “That has been one of the ideological pillars of the Sheikah Cadre since before the founding of Hyrule, has it not?”


The journey from the Coliseum to the Hyrulean military garrison north of Windvane Meadow took longer than anticipated. During that time, Ayako discussed a number of things with her charge. However, whenever they attempted to plan for the immediate future, they kept running into the same road block -- they simply did not know enough about the current situation. They would have to wait until they reached the capital, at which point they could speak with Victorique’s brother and determine what was truly going on.

When they arrived at the garrison, the queen ordered the convoy to stop. When she and her bodyguard stepped outside of the carriage, the soldiers standing guard at the garrion’s entrance were surprised to see her. Victorique had not had time to send a message ahead of them.

“Princess,” one of the guards said, stepping forward and getting down on one knee.

“It is ‘queen’ now,” Ayako corrected.

“Y-Yes, of course,” the young man said nervously. One of his comrades had already signaled to the guards on the other side of the wall to open the gate.

“Rise,” Victorique told the guard. “Fetch the senior officer on duty, if you would be so kind.”

“Yes, Prin-- Yes, my queen.” The guard stood and ran inside.

Queen Zelda signaled for their convoy to enter through the gates. She and Ayako walked inside ahead of them.

“How many soldiers are we to conscript from this garrison?” Ayako inquired while they waited for the commander to come meet with them.

“As many as they can spare,” Victorique replied. “Unfortunately, we have already taken most of them.”

“True.”

Back when Zelda had made the decision to set up their defenses at the Coliseum, they had sent out requests for reinforcements to all nearby Hyrulean military outposts. Many of the troops they had called in to bolster their forces must have come from this garrison, given its close proximity.

Before long, the guards returned alongside a knight wearing a plumed helmet. “Your Grace,” the knight said, bowing stiffly. “My name is Trott. I command this garrison.”

“Sir Trott,” the queen replied, returning the bow. “Please forgive me for cutting to the heart of the matter, but I have a few questions and a request for you.”

“Very well, your majesty. What would you ask of me?”

“What can you tell me about the current state of the capital?” Zelda asked. “Have you received any news lately?”

Sir Trott looked somewhat confused. “Are you speaking of the events of the Blood Moon?”

“No, sir. That news reached us long ago,” the queen replied. “I speak of more present matters. Has my brother returned to the capital? Has there been conflict between him and Lord Remoth?”

The garrison commander appeared even more confused. “I beg your pardon, my queen, but I am afraid I have heard nothing of this matter,” he said earnestly. “All I have heard of Lord Remoth’s regency is that he is working on the restoration effort. And as far as I’m aware, both of the princes are still visiting the other provinces, as is Princess Sophitia.”

Ayako shared a side-eyed look with Victorique.

“I see,” the queen said. “Have you had any contact from the Sheikah Cadre? Perhaps messages from the Grand Watcher, or from the Shogun?”

“We have received our usual intelligence reports, but to my knowledge, we have not received any messages from those two specifically.”

Zelda nodded. “Very well. Thank you for answering my questions, commander. Now, as for my request, I’m afraid I require as many able-bodied soldiers as you can spare.”

The knight seemed surprised to hear this. “But, your majesty, our reserves are quite thin as it stands. We’ve already sent most of our troops to the Coliseum, as you requested. If we spare any more, we won’t have the manpower to conduct our nightly post-Blood Moon patrols.”

Of all the places in the kingdom, Hyrule Field was one of the most cursed when it came to the dead rising in the nights following the Blood Moon. Even with this much time having passed since the last one, it would still be several more months before such patrols were no longer required in the area.

“Understood, commander,” Victorique told him. “I requested any you can spare, and if you cannot spare any, then so be it. However, if you can spare any supplies, I would request that instead.”

Sir Trott breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you, my queen. I will have my subordinates check our inventory and bring out everything we are able to part with.”

“Excellent. I appreciate your cooperation. You are dismissed, commander.”

The knight bowed and excused himself, taking his guards with him.

“Are you sure it is wise not to take any extra troops, Your Grace?” Ayako asked once she and Victorique were alone. “You wished to gather as many as possible, did you not?”

“It is as I told the garrison commander, Aya.” The queen crossed her hands behind her and began walking back to the rest of her retinue. “I am more concerned for the welfare of the people living out here where the Blood Moon’s curse is so prevalent. Whatever awaits back in the capital, we shall just have to hope that our current forces combined with my brother’s shall be enough to see us through. Truthfully, I now have doubts that the capital is in danger at all.”

“It is quite strange that no one has heard anything about this alleged conflict,” Ayako agreed. “We are some distance from the city, sure, but we are still in Central Hyrule. How could word not have traveled here yet?”

“A valid question,” the queen agreed with a nod of her head. “Although, if my brother is truly laying siege to the city, his blockade may be preventing the movement of the usual merchants and travelers from whom word would spread.”

“Perhaps.” Ayako furrowed her brow as she thought of something. “Sir Trott mentioned this garrison was still receiving their regular intelligence reports, correct?”

“He did indeed.”

“Have we a reason to believe that news of the conflict in the capital might have been suppressed?”

“By Lord Remoth? Of course,” Victorique responded, waiting patiently while Ayako opened the door to her carriage. “If he is truly attempting a coup, and if he is truly engaging my brother in battle, I suppose it would be in his best interest to ensure that Percival’s allies do not hear of it.”

“True.” Ayako climbed into the carriage behind her charge, shut the door, and took her seat across from Victorique. “I’m not sure he would have the power to do so, however.”

“What do you mean, Aya?” Victorique drew a ledger from one of her bags and began idly jotting things down, likely notes of recent events or her plans for the immediate future.

“My sister brought us this information,” Ayako explained. “And she received it from the Grand Watcher. The two of them practically run the kingdom’s entire intelligence network, along with my mother. If they wanted to spread this news, who could stop them?”

Victorique lightly scratched her forehead contemplatively. “Well, your sister mentioned our opponent allegedly has shapechanging capabilities,” she pointed out. “If Lord Remoth has truly been replaced by a demon, there is no telling who else may have been compromised.”

Ayako opened her eyes wide in terror at the idea. “By the gods,” she said aloud.

“You are certain that truly was your sister, correct?” Victorique asked.

“Of course it was.” Ayako often went long stretches of time without seeing her family, but even so, she knew her sister well enough to tell the difference between her and an imitator. “No one else could infuriate me so.”

Zelda’s lips curled into the slightest of smiles. “Yes. I suppose I would always recognize my siblings as well,” she said. “However, I doubt anyone is close enough to the Grand Watcher to be able to tell if he is an imposter.”

“You suspect my sister may have been fed inaccurate information?” Ayako asked, not entirely sure what her charge was getting at. “To what end? Just to sow discord?”

“I am not entirely sure what to suspect at the moment. As I have said, we still know frighteningly little, Aya,” the queen said calmly. “We must be on our guard.”


After loading up the supplies the garrison was able to spare for them, Victorique’s retinue waited around for a short while longer, expecting Impa Shiho to return as she said she would. However, whether because she was delayed or because she had never intended to return in the first place, she did not appear at the garrison. Having waited long enough, the queen eventually gave the order to continue towards the capital.

Victorique had opted to take the road heading north past Mount Daphnes. While that route was generally more dangerous as it passed close to areas known to have more monsters, it was short enough to save them some time, and time appeared to be of the essence. However, at the pace they were going, and due to a few small run-ins with monsters, Ayako was beginning to wonder if they should have taken the route through Mabe instead.

“May I ask you a question, my queen?” Ayako asked in the middle of their journey.

“Of course, Aya,” Victorique replied. “What is on your mind?”

“At what point would you put out the call to action? By which I mean, at what point would you make it known that the Hero is needed?” It was something she had been contemplating ever since she had suggested it back at the Coliseum. “I understand your concerns about raising a panic, and I understand we did not have time to wait for the Hero to awaken, but surely it is an option worth considering, correct?”

Queen Zelda took a moment to consider her answer before she responded. There were times when Ayako thought she looked a lot like her father, at least in demeanor. Both father and daughter were decisive with their actions, but they still took the time to consider what the correct answer must be.

“My family has always had a close relationship with the Hero,” Zelda stated. “The Royal Family and the Hero’s reincarnations have worked side by side to save the kingdom countless times throughout the millennia. The blood of many Heroes runs through my veins as well, as many of them have joined their Houses with mine in the past.”

Ayako raised an eyebrow, unsure how this answered her question.

“I am not at all opposed to the Hero, whoever they may be. However, the Hero also has a special relationship with the enemies of the kingdom,” Zelda went on.

“What do you mean?” Ayako asked, shifting forward in her seat. “Have there been traitor Heroes in the past?”

“That is not what I am saying,” Victorique corrected. “Whenever there is great turmoil in the kingdom, the Hero rises to the challenge. And, whenever the Hero awakens, great evils arise to challenge the Hero.”

“Ah.” Ayako thought she understood. “You believe it works both ways.”

“The gods seem to have a way of balancing such things, yes.” Victorique made a sign of the Triforce with her hands. “There is a reason why my family does not simply solve all the world’s problems by wishing upon the Triforce. All great power comes at a great cost.”

“Then you are saving the Hero as a last resort.” That seemed perfectly reasonable, and as Victorique had mentioned, they had the Bow of Light in their possession. With it, they had a way to harm even the most powerful of demons. “Well, if that is the case, perhaps we should--”

Ayako was interrupted by the sound of a warhorn outside. It was not a horn that announced their arrival at their destination, but rather one that indicated danger. As she had been trained, Ayako reacted immediately.

“Wait here, Your Grace.” Ayako climbed to her feet and opened the carriage door, stepping out onto the stair to see what was going on. Already, she could see the queen’s knights pulling their horses this way and that in response to the horn, but more importantly, she could see why.

They had entered Giant’s Forest, a wooded area known to be populated with Hinoxes. The road only barely passed through the edge of the forest, so encounters with the cyclopic giants were not a guarantee. However, through the trees, Ayako could see two gigantic Hinoxes, one red-skinned and one blue-skinned. The gigantic monsters shook the ground with their footsteps, and they seemed to be sprinting in their direction, or at least as much as Hinoxes were capable of sprinting. However, despite their obese frames, the Hinoxes were still moving rather quickly, owing to the fact that every step moved them a great distance.

Increase speed !” Ayako shouted. “ Forward! As fast as you can! In the name of your queen !”

“What is it, Aya?” Zelda asked. Her voice did not betray worry, but it was clear that she wanted answers.

“Monsters, your majesty,” Ayako replied, leaning back into the carriage to speak with her. “Hold onto something,” she instructed as the carriage began to increase its speed.

“What variety?” the queen inquired, gripping her seat with one hand and a handle on the wall with the other.

“Hinoxes. Two of them.” Ayako leaned back out of the doorway, watching as the monsters continued to run towards them. Even as the carriage sped up, the Hinoxes still appeared to be gaining on them. “Your orders, Queen Zelda?”

“Send our archers to engage the enemy and aim for the eye. All other knights are to wait until the monsters get closer and strike at their ankles.”

“Yes, my queen.” Ayako turned to the knights riding alongside them and repeated Zelda’s orders in as loud a voice as she could. It was difficult to hear over the clambering of horse hooves, but the knights seemed to get the message. A number of their guards broke off from the convoy, turning to engage the Hinoxes with their bows drawn. When they were close enough, they began releasing arrow after arrow.

However, the Hinoxes were unbothered. Each of them held a hand in front of its face, and the arrows that pierced their palms and fingers did not appear any more painful than toothpicks.

What was more alarming was that the Hinoxes did not stop to fight those who attacked them. Instead, they barreled right through the mounted knights, crushing or kicking those in their way without sparing a glance at the others they passed.

What is this? Do these monsters have a target in mind? Could they know the queen is here?

“Archers, fall back! Lancers, attack now!” Ayako ordered.

“For Hyrule!”

“For the queen!”

“Die, monster!”

Heeding her orders, the knights charged in, going for the ankles of the gigantic cyclopes. The red one stumbled a bit after a few too many spears pierced its leg, but the blue one remained undeterred, crushing half a dozen royal guards as if they were ants. When it reached the convoy, it reached down and scooped up the carriage in the back of the retinue, then crushed the vehicle between its hands. There were screams from those inside of it, but they were quickly silenced. The Hinox then threw the broken carriage back onto the ground and stomped on it for good measure, roaring with rage.

“By the gods,” Ayako muttered. “Your majesty, we must abandon the carriage before that monster catches up to us.”

Queen Zelda stood, put her fingers to her lips, and whistled. Within seconds, a pair of riderless horses appeared, running alongside their carriage. However, before climbing aboard her mount, Zelda knelt down and pulled out a trunk from beneath her seat. She opened it, revealing an elegant golden longbow. Taking it into her hands, she turned to Ayako and nodded. Ayako nodded back, then jumped onto one of the horses. Victorique followed after her, jumping onto the other horse.

Just as they rode away from the carriage, the red Hinox managed to catch up with them. Running across the road, it swiped up the queen’s carriage in its hands. However, instead of crushing it like the other one had, this Hinox looked right at them, aimed, and tossed the carriage.

Zelda !” Ayako called in a panic.

The queen did not respond. Instead, she held out her hand, and a protective blue barrier shimmered into place around them. The carriage smashed against the barrier, shattering into shards of wood and iron.

The Hinox roared in frustration.

Ayako had no doubt now. These monsters were specifically targeting the queen. Somehow, they knew who she was and where to find her, and they wanted her dead. Perhaps the beasts were under the thrall of Lord Remoth or whatever demon sought to destroy their kingdom. But, whatever the case may be, Ayako did not have time to ponder the reason for their predicament.

“Can your bow slay them?” Ayako called out to the queen, continuing to ride alongside her as they fled from their giant pursuers.

Zelda responded by raising the Bow of Light, taking aim, and loosing an arrow. It pierced through the air like a ray of golden sunlight. However, whether it was due to the Hinox’s erratic movements as it ran or due to Zelda being unable to aim properly while shooting behind her on horseback, her arrow missed, passing by the red Hinox’s head.

“I’ll slow them down,” Ayako called to Zelda, hoping she could aid the queen by giving her an easier target. Turning her horse off to the side, she slowed down, letting the charging Hinoxes catch up with her. She hated leaving the queen’s side in the middle of battle, even for a second, but with any luck, this would help protect her in the long run.

Just as the queen’s knights had done before, Ayako used her naginata to attack the red Hinox’s ankle. With the monster’s focus being squarely on the queen, it did not see the attack coming. The Hinox stumbled. Looking down to its side, it recognized Ayako as its attacker, but it ignored her, continuing to limp forward in pursuit of the queen.

“You dumb beast!” Ayako shouted, slicing at the monster’s ankle once again.

That was enough. The Hinox tripped, falling to one knee. Perhaps realizing it would not be able to pursue its target without dealing with the little annoyance first, the giant monster roared in anger and swung at Ayako. She didn’t have time to react before she and her horse were smacked by a gigantic, three-fingered hand.

Ayako was sent flying. She hit the earth with a thud and rolled several meters before coming to a stop. Groaning in pain, she tried to pull herself up off of the ground as fast as she could. Luckily, her attacker was having similar difficulties standing now that its ankle had been sliced up. Just when it looked like the Hinox was ready to come after her and finish the job, another beam of light shot forth from Zelda’s bow. It pierced the monster straight through the head. For a few brief moments, light exploded from the creature’s eye and mouth, as if its head were a lit lantern on a dark night. The gigantic beast then fell forward, causing the earth to shake when it landed.

Thank the gods.

With one giant down, only one remained. Ayako had hoped Zelda would be able to escape it on her horse, but rather than continuing down the road, the queen pulled on her mount’s reins and turned off of the road, rounding back towards Ayako.

“No, Victorique!” Ayako screamed.

When the queen’s horse made its turn, it came within the Hinox’s range. It attempted to swipe at her the way the other one had swiped at Ayako a moment ago. Luckily, the queen was able to deflect the monster’s hand with a well-timed magical barrier. Safe for a brief moment, Victorique came charging towards Ayako. The bodyguard managed to stand up, feeling aches and pains all over.

Fight through it. The queen needs me.

As she approached, Victorique held out her hand. Ayako grabbed it, allowing her to swing up onto the horse behind her charge.

“I’m supposed to be protecting you , my queen,” the Sheikah warrior scolded.

“Then continue to do so,” Zelda ordered.

“Right.” Ayako nodded. Behind her, the charging Hinox was still fast approaching. “May I ask for your bow, Your Grace?”

As they were now going in the opposite direction, Zelda was busy maneuvering the horse through a field of dead bodies and destroyed carriages. Without looking back, she passed the Bow of Light to her bodyguard. “May your aim be true.”

Horseback archery was a skill that Sheikah samurai received a good deal of training with, but it was by no means Ayako’s preferred method of combat. She’d always been a close-ranged fighter. Nevertheless, the Hinox was a big target, and Zelda was doing a decent job keeping the horse steady. And so, Ayako held her breath as she lined up her shot, choosing to aim for the monster’s large chest rather than its vulnerable eye. Drawing the bowstring, she felt the divine weapon’s magic flowing through her, gathering into the glowing golden arrow. Not giving the Hinox a chance to get close enough to swipe at them, Ayako released the arrow.

Hrrrngg !” The monster roared in pain as the beam of light pierced through its chest. Ayako had to shield her eyes for a moment due to how bright of a light was emitted upon impact. Clutching its stomach, the Hinox halted its advance, collapsing to its knees before falling forward onto the ground.

“It is done, my queen,” Ayako declared.

Zelda responded by pulling on the horse’s reins, bringing it to a stop and turning around. “Well done, Aya.”

“You honor me.” Ayako handed the bow back to her charge. Remaining atop the horse, the two of them trotted back towards the fallen giant.

“Stop. Wait. It’s still breathing,” the Sheikah woman noticed, a slight panic in her voice.

“Yes, it is.”

Ayako and Victorique were both surprised by the sound of another voice beside them. Inexplicably, Ayako’s sister had appeared, wearing that odd mask again.

Onee-sama ? What the hell are you doing here?” Ayako asked in annoyance, hopping down off of the horse to confront her sister.

“Apparently, I am finishing the job for you.” Shiho confidently strode forward, approaching the wounded giant. When she got closer, the Hinox lifted its head, staring at the ninja with its one big eye. It looked almost pitiful, but it had killed too many of their allies for Ayako to feel any kind of sympathy for it.

“Don’t…”

Ayako furrowed her brow, wondering if she’d just heard a coherent Hylian word come from the wounded monster’s mouth. However, if taking the monster alive for questioning was an option, she did not have much time to consider it.

Shiho raised her arm, producing a kodachi from within her sleeve, then thrust it forward, piercing the monster’s eye. It roared in pain once again, blood spilling forth from the wound. It soon slumped to the ground, dead. Shiho took a moment to wipe her blade clean before disappearing it back beneath her clothing.

Ayako and Victorique approached Shiho, looking over the monster’s corpse. “I’ve never seen a Hinox move that fast,” Ayako commented.

“These are strange times,” Shiho replied, her voice somewhat muffled by the mask covering her face. “I suspect these monsters were sent by Lord Remoth to kill the queen.”

“They did appear to be targeting her,” Ayako agreed. After a moment, she remembered to be upset with her sister. “Where have you been, Onee-sama? You were supposed to meet us at the garrison.”

“My tasks took longer to complete than I had anticipated,” her sister replied, turning to Zelda. “I apologize for my absence, Your Grace,” she said with a bow. “Perhaps if I had returned to you sooner, this tragedy may not have occurred.” Shiho gestured to the trail of bodies and destruction the Hinoxes had left in their pursuit of the queen.

Zelda shook her head. “It was not your fault, Shiho. None of us could have anticipated this, and there was little you could have done against such monsters.”

The sound of a great many boots stomping across the ground caught Ayako’s attention. In the heat of the chase, they had been separated from the main bulk of their forces. Many of the queen’s guards had been killed by the attacking monsters, but they still had a small army behind them, and it seemed as though their soldiers had finally caught up.

“Zelda! Queen Zelda!”

“Thank the gods you’re safe.”

“What are your orders, Your Grace?”

The troops lined up and stood at attention as they arrived, while dozens more were still behind them. Taking a few steps away from the giant’s corpse, Zelda surveyed the area. “There are bound to be survivors,” she said, speaking loudly so all her troops could hear her. “We must get them on horseback or in the remaining wagons and get them moving as soon as possible.”

“No, my queen,” Ayako disagreed. “We must prioritize your safety. If those monsters came for you, there are bound to be more. We cannot allow ourselves to be delayed any more than we already have.”

“My sister is right, Your Grace,” Shiho joined in. “Your brother requires reinforcements in the capital, I remind you. Every minute we delay is another minute we must endure a demon sitting upon the throne.”

Zelda narrowed her eyes as she mulled things over. “I trust my brother is capable of handling himself a while longer,” she said. “I do not intend to leave behind those who fight to protect me.”


After their long journey, Ayako feared they would find the capital a battleground when they arrived. However, when the city came into view, there were no armies laying siege to the walls, no smoke billowing forth from torched buildings, and no sounds of clashing steel. It came as a welcome relief. If there had been fighting at some point, it appeared to be over.

However, that did not mean there was nothing out of the ordinary. Floating over Hyrule Castle’s moat was what appeared to be a piece of Skyloft, while the rest of the City in the Sky remained hovering at a much higher altitude some distance northwest of the capital.

“What in the world…” Ayako exclaimed. “Onee-sama, what is happening here? I thought you said Prince Percival and Lord Remoth were at war? What is the City in the Sky doing here?”

Ayako’s sister rode next to her, the two of them leading the way for the queen on horseback. “I merely delivered the intelligence I was given, Ayako. The situation must have changed since I was last updated.”

“Hmm…” Ayako stared at the floating structure near the castle. It was her job to be wary of anything out of place, and few things were as out of place as that . “I don’t like this. Onee-sama, take a battalion of troops to the gate. Inquiry about the situation and report back to us.”

A small smile curled upon her sister’s lips. “Are you giving me orders, little sister?”

“Do as she says,” Victorique stepped in. “I wish to know the situation as well.”

“Of course, Your Grace. It was merely a jest.” Shiho pulled her mask back over her face and rode on ahead of them, flanked by several of the queen’s knights.

“Is this your other brother’s doing?” Ayako asked Victorique while they waited.

The queen sighed. “That would be my best guess, yes. Securing the City in the Sky was one of the objectives of Lancel’s mission to Hebra.”

“What does this mean?” Ayako knew little of Skyloft. Victorique had a little of what she knew about it after the summit, but they had been too focused on their mission to Gerudo to think too much about what the other royal siblings were up to.

“We’ll just have to wait and see,” Victorique replied, displaying remarkable patience given the circumstances. “I pray it means Lancel and Sophitia have returned as well.”

Ayako nodded. She’d never held her charge’s siblings in high regard. As far as she had judged, all of them paled in comparison to her mistress. However, she often held her tongue on the matter out of respect for Victorique, as she cared deeply for her siblings.

Unlike a certain sister I know.

When her own sister finally returned, Ayako immediately requested an update on the situation. “What news?”

Shiho still wore her mask, so she appeared as if staring at them with one big red-and-yellow eye. Ayako did not care for it. Something about the colors and the design made her head hurt.

“Prince Lancel, Prince Percival, and Lord Remoth all currently reside in the castle,” the ninja reported.

“Safely?” Victorique inquired simply.

“That would appear to be the case,” Shiho replied. “Prince Percival and Lord Remoth had been fighting up until recently, but Prince Lancel returned with the floating weapon and put a stop to it.”

“Weapon?” Ayako repeated, turning her gaze to the structure floating above the moat once more. “That thing is a weapon ?”

“That is what I was told.” Her sister nodded. “Nevertheless, the fighting has ceased.”

“Then it is safe to enter the city and return to the castle?” Victorique asked.

“Indeed. Word of your arrival has already been sent on ahead. Your brothers will be expecting you, my queen.” Shiho leaned forward, bowing atop her horse.

“Splendid.” Queen Zelda’s expression barely changed, but Ayako could tell she was overjoyed at the news of her brothers’ safety. “Let us proceed, then.”


“Your queen has returned!” Ayako announced, stepping into the castle entrance hall ahead of her charge.

The large gathering of nobles, guards, and servants that had assembled on short notice applauded and cheered as Zelda Victorique Hyrule stepped into the hall. Prince Lancel and Prince Percival stood at the front of the crowd, with the aged Sir Anselm and the towering Sir Onnick backing them.

“Well, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. My sister has returned.” Prince Lancel smirked, being the first to step forward to greet Victorique. The two of them embraced, exchanging kisses on the cheek. “Welcome home, sweet sister.”

“I am glad to be home, Lancel,” Victorique replied.

Prince Percival, never having been one to show affection, did not do the same. With his hands clasped behind his cape-clad back, he stood beside his brother and gave Victorique a bow. “I am pleased to see you’ve returned safely.”

“Likewise, Percival.” Victorique returned the bow. “I am told you fought to reclaim the castle on our behalf,” she said to him, clearly wishing to praise him for his efforts. Then she turned to Lancel. “And I am told you managed to put an end to the fighting.”

“Right on both counts,” Lancel informed her with a smile, clapping his hands together. “Oh, we have so much to talk about. Come, you must be exhausted. Let us retire somewhere comfortable and compare notes.”

Victorique nodded. “Lead the way.”

After giving orders to her guards and servants to begin unpacking their supplies from the journey and report to their new posts, Victorique followed her brothers further into the castle. Only Ayako, Sir Anselm, and Sir Onnick were allowed to join them, so Shiho dismissed herself, saying she wished to meet with the Grand Watcher immediately.

The six of them came to one of the castle’s many sitting rooms. The royal siblings took their seats upon the finely cushioned chairs surrounding a small wooden table. Ayako and each of the other bodyguards simply stood near the walls, behind their charges.

“Now, at the risk of insensitively getting to the heart of the matter much too quickly, let us discuss Father’s throne,” Lancel said almost immediately after they sat down.

Victorique blinked. “What of it?”

Lancel chuckled, holding up his hands disarmingly. “Now I know what you’re thinking. You were Father’s heir, Father is dead, ergo, the throne is yours. Am I right?”

Victorique and Ayako both narrowed their eyes.

“What are you talking about, brother?” Victorique asked. She still maintained an air of patience, but it was clear to everyone that she did not like where he was going with this.

“Ah.” Lancel held up a finger. “Well, you were not present at the time, but before the five of us dispersed across Hyrule to solve the various problems plaguing the provinces, Father offered me, Percival, and Sophitia a deal. While you may have been his official heir at the time , Father said any one of us could become his heir, so long as we proved we were the most well suited for the job. And, our missions to the provinces were to be our first big test.”

Victorique did not reply immediately. She seemed stunned. “Is this true?” she asked, turning to Percival.

“It is, sister,” the younger prince replied.

“I see.” She turned back to Lancel. “Did Father declare one of you to be his heir before he died?”

“Well, no,” Lancel answered. “Although, to be fair, he did not have much chance to. But, I think we can safely infer who he would have chosen to be his heir, had he seen the magnificent boon I delivered right to our very doorstep!”

“You speak of Skyloft,” Victorique stated for clarification.

“Indeed. With the City in the Sky under my control, our kingdom’s future as the world’s sole superpower is secure,” Lancel said proudly.

Victorique took a deep breath. “You wish to be king, then?”

“Indeed.” Her brother nodded, a shameless look of self-satisfaction upon his face.

“And you, Percival?” she asked her other brother.

Percival nodded as well. “I succeeded in the mission Father assigned to me by bringing peace to the Akkala Province. I have shown time and again that I am the one who is best suited to lead our great kingdom. I will not let something as meaningless as the order of our birth determine who gets the honor to sit upon Father’s throne.”

“This is blatant treason .” Ayako could hold her tongue no longer. She’d been practically shaking with barely-concealed rage for the duration of the conversation. “Zelda Victorique Hyrule is the rightful queen. You two jealous little snipes are merely attempting to usurp her throne for yourselves. You should be ashamed!”

Percival turned to give Ayako a very unamused look. His bodyguard’s helmeted head swiveled as well, his intimidating gaze causing Ayako’s heart to skip a beat.

Lancel initially looked surprised by her outburst, but his shock soon gave way to amusement and hearty laughter.

“Sister,” Percival said to Victorique. “Please remind your help not to speak out of turn.”

“I should remind you not to speak that way of our loyal retainers,” Victorique warned.

“Why not? I speak of him that way all the time,” Lancel said, gesturing over his shoulder to indicate his own bodyguard.

Sir Anselm sighed, but gave no comment.

“And I’m not convinced there’s even a person under that walking suit of armor over there,” Lancel went on, pointing to his brother’s bodyguard next.

Sir Onnick’s horned helmet rotated again, setting his lifeless gaze upon the elder prince this time.

“Enough.” Victorique raised her hand. She was clearly in no mood for Lancel’s jokes or Percival’s attitude. “We will speak no more of successions today. That is a matter we can sort out once the crises currently afflicting our kingdom have been resolved.”

“Agreed,” Percival said with a nod.

“Fair enough, but anything else will seem boring to discuss by comparison,” Lancel added. “So, which crisis are we to miraculously resolve first, then?”

“Tell me about Lord Remoth,” Victorique said. “I was told he attempted a coup, and that he or another in our ranks may be the demon that attacked the city in disguise.”

“Ooh, that’s actually much more interesting than I expected,” Lancel said happily.

“I do not know if he has any connection to the Headless Demon, but Lord Remoth assuredly attempted to steal the throne,” Percival told her. “He tried to send me to help you in Gerudo, and when I came here instead, he refused me entry to the city. He claimed it was all by your orders.”

“That is untrue, brother. I gave no such orders,” Victorique informed him, confirming what her brothers had likely suspected already.

“I thought as much,” Percival said. “He should be hanged for this.”

“Unfortunately, he did manage to produce this in his defense.” Lancel reached into his carrying bag and pulled out a letter. “Have a look, sister.”

Victorique took it from him and examined it. “What is this?”

“It’s as I said,” Lancel replied. “Lord Remoth claims to have received that letter, and that he was only acting on what he believed to be your commands. He is quite obviously lying, of course, but damn if it isn’t a good forgery.”

Victorique reached behind herself, holding out the letter towards Ayako. Figuring her charge wished for her to read it, Ayako took it from her.

“My word,” Ayako said in surprise. “This is an exact replication of my lady’s handwriting. If I hadn’t been told she did not write it, I would never have known.”

“It had your official seal as well,” Lancel added. “So, we’ve forgone the hanging as of yet, at least until we can prove he was not manipulated by another.”

Victorique was silent for a moment, no doubt mulling over the torrent of information she’d received since returning to the castle. “The situation is as bad as Impa Shiho informed me,” she said. “Brothers, we must be united in fighting this evil. We will not succeed if we are squabbling amongst ourselves over Father’s throne. Can I count on you to work with me?”

“You can,” Percival confirmed.

“Of course!” Lancel replied. “I’ll simply win the throne after we’ve rid the world of this latest demonic threat.”

Victorique nodded, apparently deciding that was good enough for her. “Good. In the name of our great ancestor, let us save our kingdom.”

Chapter 50: Link XIV

Chapter Text

After departing from the Water Temple, Link and Linkle spent the next few days traveling. The road continued south from the Bridge of Hylia, crossing the border into the Faron Province. The siblings enjoyed a brief journey through the plains before entering Faron Woods, the first of many forests they were to travel through on their way to their destination. With nearly half the province covered in dense woods, this was not unexpected.

Upon coming to a crossroads where the road south would take them to Faron’s capital of Fural and the road east would take them to Pagos Woods, the siblings continued east.

For Linkle, the presence of so many gigantic trees gave her the perfect opportunity to test out her new hookshot. They would turn it in to the Impa family for the reward later, but for the time being, Linkle was going to have her fun.

Wee !” the young girl cried out, swinging from a branch among the leafy canopy that grew overhead. She’d found that, after shooting the hook into something immobile, she could retract the chain in order to pull herself towards the object she’d hooked into. At first, she would simply end up pulling herself directly into the trees when she tried this. However, with practice, she soon became rather adept at dislodging the hook at the right time, allowing her to swing herself fluidly through the air.

Link was feeling sick to his stomach just watching her. Between her Pegasus Boots and this new device of hers, Linkle had no shortage of options for high mobility. Link, meanwhile, did not even have a horse to ride. They’d decided to leave Arion behind back in Gatepost, since neither the Water Temple nor the Lost Woods would be a great place to bring a mount.

While his sister played with her new toy, Link examined his own recent acquisitions. He hadn’t gotten much use out of his magic boomerang yet, but he knew it would come in handy someday once he got better with it. He also carried the apparently unenchanted Ocarina of Time, which certainly did not provide much utility. Taking it out of his pocket, Link tried to play a few notes, but he had no talent with it.

Who comes up with instruments like these?

“Slow down, Elle,” Link called out, noticing she was trying out another ill-advised stunt.

“Never!” Linkle called back, attempting an unnecessary backflip on her next swing. She managed it, but didn’t quite stick the landing, losing her balance and falling flat on her rear. “Ow,” she complained.

Link let out a chuckle. “Serves you right.”

Linkle stood back up, dusting herself off. She laughed lightly, but it sounded a little forced, like she was more upset about something than she wanted to let on.

“You’re doing fine, Elle,” Link told her when he caught up with her. “I’m impressed you can use that thing so well already. Just be careful with it.”

Linkle nodded. “Thanks,” she said before continuing down the road.

Link sighed inwardly. Ever since their duel with their dark doubles, they hadn’t exactly addressed the things they’d said, or the things their doppelgangers had said. Of course, Link had been uncomfortable discussing those sorts of things before. He might’ve expected that having them out in the open would’ve made it easier, but it didn’t.

Well, might as well…

“Elle,” Link said, trying to keep his voice serious, but not in a way that would come across as concerning. “About all that stuff back in the temple… I’m sorry if I made you feel that way.”

Linkle idly examined her hookshot as she walked, avoiding eye contact, suddenly very bashful. “It’s not you,” she said after a moment.

“I complain all the time about being out in the wilds like this,” Link reminded her. “And I… I guess I’m pretty hard on you sometimes. But, like I said. I am happy to be here. As long as I’m with you. And I really do think you might be the Hero.”

Linkle stopped. She examined her left hand, likely checking to see if the Triforce of Courage had magically appeared on it. Failing that, she finally looked Link in the eye. Link was surprised to see tears in her eyes, but she was grinning. “You are so annoying,” she said playfully.

“Look who’s talking.”

Linkle chuckled and they continued forward, but Linkle’s face soon got serious again. “Why didn’t you tell me you blamed yourself for everything?” Her question was somewhat vague, but it was very clear what she was talking about.

Link scratched the back of his head nervously. “I don’t know,” he said. “Why would I? It’s not like it’s something that just comes up in conversation.”

“Yeah, but…” Linkle made a strained expression and rubbed her forehead, like she was struggling to find the right words. “You can’t, though,” she said eventually. “Like… each and every one of them was just… sickness, accident, animal, jumping… I… I wish I could’ve saved them, too, but… what could you have done ?”

“I know, I know,” Link insisted. “It’s not like I think it all the time or anything. I just… feel that way sometimes.”

Linkle stared at him for a short while, which made Link try to avoid eye contact. “Well,” she said. “That dark-you was fucking wrong . You’ve kept me safe for years , and I know you’ll keep doing it forever.”

Link stopped walking, temporarily frozen by what his sister had said. Linkle didn’t notice for a moment, but stopped and turned around when she did. Both of them had basically already shared these sentiments with each other a few days prior, but saying it in the heat of battle in order to pass a magical trial was one thing. This was different .

“What?” Linkle asked after a noticeable pause.

“I will,” Link said in agreement.

There was another pause. Linkle smiled lightly, and the two of them nodded to each other. Without another word, they continued onward.


“This is it, brother. The creepiest place in Hyrule.” Linkle stood at the edge of the road, facing the woods to the north. They had just crossed the bridge over the Floria River, and according to the map, only the Lost Woods remained between them and Kokiri Forest.

Link raised an eyebrow, casting his gaze upward. “Maybe it’s scarier at night,” he remarked. It was early in the morning, and the sun shone brightly in the sky.

Linkle wagged a finger at him, smiling smugly. “Don’t be fooled by how it looks from here, brother. Once we delve into the Lost Woods, we’ll be in a nightmarish land filled with monsters.” Reaching into her tunic, she pulled out the compass she wore on her necklace. Opening it up, she revealed that the needle was rotating erratically. “See this? We’re not even past the treeline yet, and already my compass has stopped working. It’s so difficult to navigate; so easy to get turned around and lost. Sometimes a thick fog rolls in, making it even harder to see. I hear you might even walk through a portal to another realm without even knowing it. And all who die wandering the Lost Woods are doomed to spend eternity searching for an exit as a lifeless Stalfos!”

Link chuckled. Linkle’s description of the place sounded hellish, but she looked so excited as she described it to him. It reminded him of when he used to see her telling stories to the younger kids back in Hateno. She almost always told tales of heroes and monsters, but spooky ghost stories were some of her favorites, too.

“Very well, dear sister,” Link said dramatically. “Shall we venture forth in search of glory?”

“We shall!” Linkle pounded her fist against her hand, stepping forward in a pose.

“Alright. Sounds good.” Heading in first, Link stepped off of the road and walked past the treeline. Linkle rushed to catch up to him.

Like many in Hyrule, Link had grown up hearing stories of the Lost Woods, so Linkle’s words were not all that new to him. He suspected much of the forest’s reputation was exaggerated, but having seen Linkle’s compass for himself, he knew the stories weren’t all fake.

“So, we need to find a fairy or listen for the music of the Kokiri, right?” Link asked, thinking back to other tales he’d heard about how to get through the Lost Woods alive.

“Yep!” Linkle said cheerfully, skipping through a pile of fallen leaves beside him. “Fairies are very good at navigating here. Something about their connection with nature, I think. And the Kokiri often play music near the edge of their forest to help lost travelers find a way out.”

“I hope they play loudly, then.”

Given the reputation of the forest, the first few hours of their journey were relatively uneventful. Like most places in Hyrule, Link suspected the worst of the monsters residing there wouldn’t come out until nightfall, so traveling during the day like this was probably quite favorable to them. Nevertheless, the siblings remained alert, knowing plenty of monsters were diurnal.

“I wonder if playing music ourselves will help us find a fairy,” Linkle said, thinking aloud.

“What? How would that help?” Link asked, pulling the ocarina out of his pocket and wondering why it would be relevant.

“You know. Fairies like music and stuff,” Linkle replied. “And then-- Wait! Shush .”

Link flinched when the back of his sister’s hand hit his chest, stopping him from moving forward. He was a bit annoyed at being shushed when Linkle was the one who’d been talking, but he stopped to listen regardless.

“You hear that?” Linkle asked.

Somewhere in the distance, there was a heavy boom , like the footsteps of a giant.

“Yes,” Link whispered back.

Both of them remained still. Every few moments, they would hear it again.

“It’s getting closer,” Link realized. “What is it?”

Linkle drew her weapon. “Could be anything,” Linkle said excitedly. “Maybe a titanic Orhat beetle, or a massive amalgamation of Chus.”

Suddenly, in addition to the giant footsteps in the distance, Link could hear rustling coming from the trees and bushes ahead of them. “Elle, we should hide,” he said hurriedly.

Linkle glanced around, still holding her sword and shield at the ready. “But we--”

However, it was too late. The next second, a horde of Bokoblins poured into the clearing. They were marching together, holding spears and swords. One of them pushed another in the shoulder, causing the little monster to stumble into the others. Many of them laughed playfully, although the one that got shoved growled in anger. After a moment, they took notice of the two Hylians in the clearing, stopping in their tracks and looking at the two of them in surprise.

When about eight Bokoblins had lined up, two much taller bulldog-faced Moblins appeared behind them, one carrying a club and the other carrying a spear. They stopped in their tracks as well upon spotting the Hylians.

Link stepped between the monsters and his sister. “Elle,” he said, speaking very slowly and not taking his eyes off the Blins. “Sheathe your weapon. Let’s back away slowly.”

Linkle did not have time to comply. One of the Moblins lifted an arm, pointed to the siblings, and roared. All his little minions joined in, raised their weapons, and charged forward, moving quickly to surround them.

“Fuck,” Link swore, pulling out his own sword and shield in a panic.

Wait .”

A single command spoken by a booming voice from behind the Blins caused them all to freeze in their path, except for one. While the others remained in place with their weapons held up, one of the Bokoblins carrying a spear continued forward, rapidly stabbing at the Hylian siblings. Between the two of them, Link and Linkle were easily able to block the little one’s attacks. Link was more concerned about what had made the others stop.

The booming footsteps had not only gotten louder, but now the trees behind the Blins shook with every giant, unseen footstep. This continued until the source of the footsteps came into view.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the forest giant was a Hinox. Link estimated it to be over forty feet tall, which was larger than any other Hinox he’d seen. The monster had bluish skin and a pot belly, yet its arms and legs were somewhat spindly.

Who was it that spoke?

While fending off the single Bokoblin attacker, Link looked over the Hinox, expecting to find it was carrying someone or letting someone ride on its back, but he found no one. He was beginning to think that he had simply misinterpreted some random monster growl as the Hylian word ‘wait .’

When the Hinox got close enough, the monsters who were standing in the way moved to the side. The giant monster then knelt down, reaching towards the Hylians.

“Elle, get out of the way!”

“Brother, look out!”

Link and Linkle crashed into each other, each attempting to push the other out of the Hinox’s reach. However, as they untangled themselves and got their bearings again, they saw that the Hinox had not been reaching for them . Instead, it took their Bokoblin attacker in its grip. The larger monster then slowly lifted the smaller one a few feet into the air before tossing it to the side, almost casually. The little Bokoblin screamed as it was flung into the trees, disappearing from sight.

“My apologies,” the Hinox spoke again, remaining in a kneeling position as he turned his attention back to the Hylians. His voice was deep and his speech was accented, but he was unmistakably speaking in the Hylian tongue.

Link stood there, mouth agape. His instincts to run had been blocked off by his shock and curiosity.

It can talk ?!

Link knew Hinoxes as some of the dumbest monsters out there, and yet, here one was, talking.

“Hmm.” The Hinox muttered a contemplative noise, tilting his head curiously and bringing his hand to his chin. “Were you entering the forest, or leaving it?” he asked.

Link could not answer. As his initial shock began to wear off, he realized he was still within grabbing distance of a giant cyclopean monster. He checked on Linkle out of the corner of his eye. She did not answer the monster’s question either. She merely smiled in wonder at the sight before her.

The Hinox may have furrowed his brow, although it was hard to tell. “...Hmm. Perhaps you are not from around here?”

Link figured the monster was trying to understand why they were not responding, and the creature had apparently decided that they did not speak Hylian.

“I see. No matter. I just need to see your swords.” As the Hinox spoke, he once again reached out with his long, spindly arm.

“Ahh!” Link cried out in terror, falling backwards onto the ground, but he managed to thrust his sword outwards, as if to ward off the giant monster with it.

However, the Hinox did not seem the least bit deterred. Instead, he pinched Link’s sword between his thumb and forefinger, pried it from Link’s grip with little effort, then lifted it up in front of his great big eye, examining it.

“Hmm. No, this isn’t it,” he decided after a moment. Done with the sword, he reached out again and handed it back to Link. The young Hylian was too scared to take it, so it merely fell to the ground at his feet.

The Hinox then moved his hand over to Linkle. Holding out her hands with her palms up, she presented her sword to the Hinox on her own, as if offering it to him. The giant repeated his actions, taking Linkle’s sword and bringing it up to his eye for examination. “This isn’t it, either,” he concluded before handing it right back to Linkle.

“Are you looking for the Master Sword?” Linkle asked.

What the hell are you doing?

Link was furious at his sister’s lack of caution. Speaking to this surprisingly coherent monster, and perhaps even revealing their intentions, could only make the already unfavorable situation even worse.

“Ah! So you can speak!” the Hinox declared.

“So can you,” Linkle replied. “That’s amazing !” She turned to the Hinox’s Blin minions, who stood on either side of him with their weapons raised. “Can they ?”

“They all have some experience, but none are that fluent. Except, perhaps, Odiun,” the Hinox said. “Say hello,” he continued, encouraging one of the Moblins to speak.

“Fuck off,” the creature replied.

“Although he is rather uncivilized,” the Hinox added.

“Wow,” Linkle said. “So, are you looking for the Master Sword?” she went on, repeating her previous question.

Sister .” Link stepped closer and placed a hand firmly on her shoulder, trying to signal her to stop talking.

“Hmm? No, that is not my objective,” the Hinox answered, tapping his finger against his chin. “Although, if you were carrying the Master Sword, I would want to know that, too.”

“We’re not,” Link assured him.

“But we will be!” Linkle interjected, thrusting her fist into the air enthusiastically.

Sister .”

“What?” She did not seem to find it dangerous to reveal any information to this monster. “Oh, by the way!” she went on, turning back to the Hinox. “Can you tell us how to get to Kokiri Forest?”

Link sighed.

“Sure, we just came from there,” the Hinox replied. For the first time, Linkle gave the monster a suspicious look, but the Hinox merely chuckled. “Rest assured, tiny one. I did not hurt any of the fairy children. Here, let me lift you up above the trees so you can see their town.”

“Elle, don’t!” Link insisted.

“It’s fine, brother.” Linkle leaned in close and whispered into his ear. “If he tries anything, I’ll shoot him in that big eye of his.”

Link didn’t like it, but he figured that if the Hinox intended to harm them, he wouldn’t need to trick them into climbing into his hand to do so. “Alright.”

The Hinox lowered his hands to the ground, placing them together side by side. Link and Linkle stepped onto his palms, and he slowly raised them into the air. The siblings stumbled a bit from the movement, but they held onto each other until they were above the treeline.

“Wow!” Linkle proclaimed. “This place is messed up .”

Link agreed. Mixed in with the beautiful foliage, he could see many gigantic, old, decaying trees that had no business standing upright anymore. In addition to those, he could see swamps filled with murky water, massive overgrown vines with thorns that wrapped around trees as if to strangle them, and mysterious mist billowing forth from certain areas as if being exhaled by some unseen monster. The only reason the forest did not look impassibly terrifying was because it was still day time, but the sun appeared further along in the sky than Link thought it would be. He wondered if his sense of time had been thrown off by the forest’s mysterious properties.

However, far to the north, the woods looked far more inviting. The trees were greener, except for those that bloomed with gorgeous cherry blossoms, and open fields of grass could be seen in some clearings.

“There!” Linkle pointed. “That’s Kokiri Forest!”

Link took a moment to scan the area, trying to find the best path. It wasn’t easy, since there really wasn’t a good path. However, there were less densely forested areas, and paths that avoided the swamps and mysterious mists. “I think I see where we should go,” Link said, pulling a map from his bag and drawing out his intended path.

“I see it, too,” Linkle said. “We can keep going until we reach that spot, then head west for a bit, turn north again…”

“Are you almost done up there?” the booming voice of the Hinox below them asked. “My arms are getting tired, you know.”

“Just a moment!” Link called back, finishing up his map. “Alright, you can bring us down.”

The Hinox lowered his hands back down to the ground, and the Hylian siblings stepped off of his palms. “That was amazing!” Linkle told him. “Thank you so much. We might even be able to get through without a fairy now.”

“Yes,” Link said. It felt extremely odd to be speaking with a monster, let alone thanking one for a favor. However, he had to admit, the Hinox may have saved them a great deal of grief, or even their lives. “Thank you for your assistance.”

“You’re welcome,” the Hinox replied. “Good luck with your quest for the Master Sword. My companions and I will be off now.” The booming footsteps resumed as he departed, shaking the ground around him.

The Moblins and Bokoblins waited for a few moments, still glaring angrily at the Hylians, as if upset that their boss wouldn’t let them kill the humans they’d stumbled across. However, the Moblins eventually grunted and lowered their weapons, signaling for the Bokoblins to follow them. They all left in the direction the Hinox had gone.

Link stood between Linkle and the group of monsters until they’d disappeared into the trees, then finally lowered his guard. “That was… strange,” Link said.

“I know!” Linkle leapt into the air with excitement. “A Hinox that talks ? I’ve never heard of that before. The other adventurers are gonna be amazed! Ugh, if only we could’ve fought with it!”

Link still wasn’t sure what to make of everything that had just happened, but nevertheless, they had their path forward now. Also, they apparently did not have much time to get to their destination before nightfall. “Let’s go, Elle,” Link said, taking the map back out. “This way.”


“We’ve gotta be near the exit now,” Link said, frantically poring over the map. “Hold the torch steady, Elle.”

“I am, I am!” Elle replied, her arms shaking from the cold despite the fire at the end of the stick she was holding.

“Okay. Okay. So, after that tree with the thorn bushes wrapped all over it, we turned right, so we were going north.” Link moved his finger over the map as he retraced their steps.

“No, we went right, then right, so we were going east,” Linkle insisted.

“No, that was the fallen tower that looked like a big gravestone,” Link corrected her.

“No it wasn’t.”

“Yes it was.”

“No it wasn’t!”

“Okay, stop!” Link rubbed his hands against his face. The sun had set hours ago, although telling time was difficult in the Lost Woods. They’d already run into many different monsters as they wandered through the forest, and none of them had been as friendly as the Hinox. With the number of Stalfos they’d seen, one would think the Blood Moon had occurred just last night. “Is your compass still not working?”

Linkle reached down the front of her tunic and pulled out her golden necklace, opening up the compass. “Still not working,” she confirmed, holding it out to show how the needle spun around randomly. “What should we do, brother?”

Both of them paused as they heard a howl in the distance. Whether it was a wolf or a Wolfos, they had no way to know.

“Okay, okay, so…” Link thought hard. If they’d managed to find a fairy fountain anywhere along the way, it would’ve been so much easier. They’d inspected every suspicious tree or cave they’d come across, but none had led to a fairy’s home. The only other thing he could think of was the Kokiri music that would guide them the rest of the way. He was fairly certain they were close, and yet he heard no music. “Okay. Maybe if I just…” Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the supposed Ocarina of Time.

“You think the Kokiri will hear it?” Linkle asked, guessing his intentions.

“Worth a shot, right?” he replied. “Unless the Wolfos hear it and come for us first.” He laughed bitterly at the thought, then pressed the strange instrument to his lips and began to play. The sound came out shoddy, as it always did when Link tried to play it, but he moved his fingers onto different holes in an attempt to produce some sort of tune.

There was a pause as the siblings listened for any sort of response. The Lost Woods had been eerily quiet at times, and full of horrifying sounds at others. Aside from the wolf howls, it had been somewhat quiet a moment ago. However, as soon as Link finished playing, a strong wind suddenly blew threw the forest. The rustling of the trees was noisy, but Link was pretty sure there was no distant music to be heard either way.

“You gotta do it louder,” Linkle insisted, swiping the ocarina out of Link’s hand. Before Link could complain, she put the ocarina to her lips and blew.

Agh .” Link covered his ears. The piercing sound was certainly louder. That may have helped the Kokiri hear them, but it would mean nothing if the sound was indistinguishable from some sort of monster’s shriek. “Give me that,” Link demanded, taking the ocarina back.

Another gust of wind had picked up, so Link waited a moment before giving it another try. This time, he tried to play it a little louder as Linkle had suggested, but not as loud as she’d played it. Additionally, even though he didn’t know how to play any real songs, he chose a couple of notes that seemed somewhat melodic when strung together, repeating them several times.

“Wait,” Linkle said, holding up her hand.

“What?” Link lowered the instrument.

“Hear that?”

“No.”

“Listen.”

Link perked his head up, listening for something other than the rustling of trees. After a moment, he heard it. From somewhere in the distance, he could hear the faint sounds of other instruments, repeating the tune he’d just played. “Oh, thank the gods,” he said with relief.

“You did it, brother!” Linkle turned in place, pointing towards the music, which seemed to be the last direction Link would’ve expected to be the correct way. “It’s coming from over there.”

“Then let’s get the hell out of this place.”

Both siblings took off in a sprint. Linkle used her Pegasus Boots to speed ahead of Link, but she periodically stopped in order to avoid running into a tree or to allow her brother to catch up. For some reason, Link felt like everything in the woods was chasing them, and he dared not look behind him for fear of what he might see. However, the music got louder and louder as they ran towards it, and the tune gave him hope.

Eventually, the siblings came to the entrance of a tunnel, which was actually a hollowed out, overturned log. Without hesitation, they ran straight into it. Had Link been less stressed, he might have taken a moment to think before doing so, but he did not care to weigh the risks at the moment. It was dark inside the tunnel, but they could see a light at the end of it. The light got brighter as the music got louder.

“Freedom!” Linkle cried as she made it to the end. Whether because she tripped or because she was exhausted, she plummeted to the ground and rolled forward. Link arrived a moment after she did, collapsing to his knees beside her.

The music abruptly stopped. Link was frightened for a moment, wondering if perhaps they’d been tricked by a monster or some sort of illusion. However, looking up, he saw four young children standing around them, all of them wearing green clothing similar to Linkle’s. They each held an instrument as well -- a flute, a harp, a tambourine, and a hand drum. Four tiny glowing fairies hovered above the Kokiri musicians, lighting the evening air like fireflies.

“Greetings, travelers!” the Kokiri with the flute said, holding out his arms. “I’m glad to see you made it through the Lost Woods in one piece.”

Link breathed heavily for a moment before responding. “So am I.”

“It’s awfully late, though,” the girl with the tambourine said. “Would you like us to take you somewhere you can rest?”

Linkle hesitated, catching her breath. “Can we see your sage?”


Kokiri Forest was an odd place. There were no ordinary buildings; at least none that resembled those built by Hylians. Many of the Kokiri buildings were built high up in the trees, looking more like a child’s tree fort than a real house. The larger buildings, however, were carved directly from gigantic, hollowed-out trees.

As it was night time, it was quite dark, but a number of fairies and bioluminescent insects fluttered gently through the air, and glass jars filled with lightning bugs had been hung on various trees to function as something like street lamps. Despite how late into the evening it was, a number of Kokiri were still out and about. Some sat on their porches and waved at Link and his party as they passed, while others played instruments or danced around a fire.

Once they got a little further into the village, three of the Kokiri who’d met Link and Linkle at the edge of the forest split off from the group to head home for the night, while one of them volunteered to take the siblings the rest of the way.

Linkle squealed in excitement. She was starry-eyed, taking in her surroundings with childlike wonder. “This is so amazing,” she said, waving back at a Kokiri who’d leaned out of his treehouse to wave at her.

“Thanks! That’s kind of you,” their Kokiri guide said, apparently appreciative of Linkle paying compliments to his hometown.

“We appreciate the help,” Link told him, intending to thank the Kokiri for both leading them out of the Lost Woods and for volunteering to guide them through the town to the sage’s temple. “I’m Link, by the way. And this is my sister, Linkle.”

“Nice to meet you. I’m Remi,” the Kokiri boy replied. He spoke as if he were a very well-mannered child, and he appeared to be no more than nine or ten years of age. However, Link knew that was about the age when the Kokiri ceased aging, so Remi could very well have been much older than them. “The ones you met just now were my sisters and my brother, too,” Remi went on.

“Neat,” Linkle said. Remi’s words had confirmed something she’d read in that book back in the capital. The Kokiri indeed had a concept of siblings. That would make it easier to ask the Sage of Forest about her brother, who was supposedly the owner of one of the keys they were looking for.

After a few minutes of walking through the trees, the three of them stepped into a clearing. It was a wide area with trees surrounding it, and it became a bit easier to see under the light of the moon. The clearing may have been a field, but much of the space was taken up by what appeared to be an expansive hedge maze, with several wooden Kokiri buildings sticking up above the hedges in various places.

“Oooh,” Linkle said, clearly impressed by what she saw.

“Um. What’s this?” Link asked.

Remi laughed, rubbing the back of his head in slight embarrassment. “Uh, yeah. Welcome to Kasuto. The maze was already like this when we moved here from the other forest,” he explained. “The Great Fairy made it, actually. She lives in the very center. It may seem confusing at first, but you get used to it. It’s actually really helpful for hiding from monsters. That just came in handy recently, actually.”

“I see,” Link replied. “So, where’s the Forest Temple?”

Remi pointed towards the maze. “It’s on the other side of the maze.”

Linkle squealed. “Can we go see the Great Fairy on the way?”

Link rolled his eyes. “Elle, I’m exhausted. And we still have to see the sage.”

“It’s not like we’re in a rush,” Linkle argued. “The sage might be asleep right now anyway.”

“So might the Great Fairy,” Link countered.

“If you’re feeling tired, the Great Fairy may be able to help you with that,” Remi suggested.

The little fairy hovering over Remi’s shoulder shook in a way that resembled a nod. “It’s true,” the fairy spoke. “The Great Fairy can make anyone feel good as new!”

“Aww,” Linkle swooned, clamping her hands together near her cheek, evidently finding the fairy adorable. “See, brother? We should see her. Maybe she’ll even be willing to enchant us or our equipment, too. Great Fairies do that stuff for heroes all the time.”

Link sighed. “Alright, fine.” He turned to the Kokiri boy. “Remi, would you kindly lead us to the Great Fairy?”

“No, don’t lead us,” Linkle said excitedly. “It’s a maze. I wanna figure it out.” With that, she took off for the maze’s entrance, apparently nowhere near as tired as Link was.

Link winced, mildly embarrassed by his sister’s behavior. “It’s not dangerous in there, is it? Is she gonna get lost?”

Remi laughed. “Don’t worry. There’s usually very little danger within our borders. And the fairies can see everything from above, so we can always find her if she gets lost.”

His fairy companion nodded in agreement.

“Okay, good. Well, I’ll let you lead the way, then.” Link gestured towards the maze’s entrance.

The maze was not as bad as Link had expected it to be. It somewhat reminded him of certain parts of the capital, where the buildings were all pretty close together and the roads were quite narrow. It had a very different feel to it, though. It was as though they were simultaneously in a civilized town and in a forest in the middle of the wilds. Everything around them was wood and greenery, and leaves crinkled beneath their feet with every step.

“So, do you get a lot of visitors here?” Link asked, trying to make conversation with the fairy child guiding him.

“More than you might think, actually,” Remi replied. “The Lost Woods are not safe or easy to navigate, but we get a lot of adventurers like you. They come here to try to pull the Master Sword out of the stone. Is that what you’re here for?”

“Sort of,” Link answered. “My sister really wants to try it. But we’re here to see the sage, mostly.”

“People come here for that sometimes, too. Many in Faron and Ordona still worship the forest gods. We also hold festivals that many humans and Gorons attend,” the Kokiri boy went on.

As they walked through the hedge maze together, Link and Remi passed by several other Kokiri, many of whom greeted them kindly the same way the ones outside the maze had. Eventually, as they neared the center, they happened across Linkle. She was in an open, grassy area, surrounded by Kokiri. The fairy children appeared to be captivated by her weapons and her boots, which she was in the middle of proudly showing off to them.

“Ooooohhhh…”

“How fast can you run in those?”

“Faster than a horse!” Linkle replied, running in place for a second as if to demonstrate. Her smile showed she was enjoying the attention immensely.

“Look at you,” Link said as he and Remi approached her. “You’re finally the biggest kid around.”

Linkle stuck her tongue out at him and put her crossbow back in its holster.

“The Great Fairy is just through here,” Remi told them, gesturing towards an opening in the hedge maze. “Why don’t you run along now, kids,” he said to Linkle’s admirers. The children surrounding her heeded his words, giggling to themselves as they ran off.

Those were kids?

They didn’t look too different from Remi, but after a moment, Link realized none of the children had fairies with them like Remi did.

Oh, right. I think that’s supposed to be a sign of adulthood.

“This maze was so fun,” Linkle said as they continued the way Remi had indicated. “We need to explore more places like this. I bet the Fire Temple would’ve been great.”

Link thought back to the incomprehensible maze that was the Water Temple. He most certainly did not share her feelings on the matter.

I hope we don’t have to deal with anything like that ever again…

The path Remi took them down led to a shrine in the middle of a small, circular grove. The shrine was very noticeable because it was the first thing Link had seen in the village that was made out of stone rather than wood. However, it wasn’t much more than a small platform with a semicircle of columns behind it supporting a half-dome room. In the middle of the stone platform was a square hole carved into it, with the tip of a wooden ladder sticking out.

“It’s down there?” Link asked.

“Yep.” Remi nodded in confirmation. “Elmtera’s fairy fountain is just down that ladder.”

“Sweet. Thanks!” Linkle immediately climbed down onto the ladder and disappeared into the hole.

“Yes, thanks for the help,” Link told him.

“I’ll be in the area for a bit longer this evening, so you can come find me after you speak with the Great Fairy if you need anything. Enjoy your stay.” Remi waved goodbye as Link climbed into the hole to join his sister.


At the bottom of the ladder, Link found himself in a hallway. The architecture of the place reminded him of a temple. He was expecting it to be dark, but there were so many fairies floating around, it was actually quite brightly lit. The hallway was not very long, and he could see it opened up into a larger room further in, where Linkle was standing. Before he could take a step forward, several of the fairies flew by to greet him.

“Hello.”

“Hello.”

“Hi there.”

Link smiled nervously. “Um. Hello.” He walked forward slowly, trying to avoid walking into any of the tiny creatures as they fluttered around him.

Linkle turned around when he got close. “Brother, look!”

The room at the end of the hall was spacious and had a high ceiling, but most of the space was taken up by a large fountain. The fountain had a few stone steps leading up to it, being raised up like an altar. The walls behind and around the sides of the fountain were gently curved, allowing water to continuously flow down into the fountain. Link could see slits near the ceiling where the water was flowing in from, although he did not understand what the source of the water could have been.

“So this is a fairy fountain,” Link said aloud, watching more of the fairies hover by.

“Mhmm.” Linkle nodded. “But where’s the Great Fairy?”

As she spoke, there was a splash near the back of the fountain, and a woman emerged from the water. She floated straight up into the air, where she continued to hover despite lacking wings. The woman appeared quite tall, perhaps a full four meters. She wore a dress woven from leaves, vines, and white and yellow flowers. Her hair was a pinkish-purple, styled into three long braids that hung down past her waist. One look was all it took for Link to realize the Great Fairy was exceptionally beautiful, and the alluring look in her eyes was especially striking. Oddly enough, she looked a lot like that Great Fairy mask Linkle had tried on in that strange mask shop back in the capital.

Perhaps it was based on her likeness.

Linkle gasped when the Great Fairy appeared, looking up at her in awe.

“Greetings, Hylians.” When she spoke, the Great Fairy’s voice had a pleasant, melodic quality to it, and it echoed slightly within the underground temple. “I am Elmtera. Welcome to my fountain.”

“Greetings, Great Fairy,” Linkle said excitedly. “We are traveling adventurers on a quest from the Sage of Shadow. Any aid you might be able to provide to us would be most appreciated.”

“The Sage of Shadow?” As Elmtera spoke, she came closer and rotated her position in the air, now appearing as if she were lying on her stomach while she floated above the water. “I do not know this sage.”

“Do you know anything about a sword owned by the Sage of Forest’s brother?” Link asked, hoping she would be more likely to help them if she knew what kind of help they were looking for.

Elmtera laughed in a rather pleasant manner. “Saria has a great many brothers,” the Great Fairy said, rotating in the air until she was floating upside down. “But, if you’re looking for the same sword the Hinox was after, I know which one you mean.”

“You do?” Linkle asked, appearing surprised and happy to hear this.

Link was not as surprised. The Hinox had mentioned he’d been looking for a sword other than the Master Sword. It stood to reason that he was after the same one they were. “Is it here?” Link asked.

“I’m afraid not, child,” Elmtera replied, rolling over onto her stomach again. “Saria can tell you more about it. For now, why don’t you take a moment to relax for a bit? You both appear to have been under considerable stress lately. Am I wrong?”

Link couldn’t deny that. Between the Lost Woods and the Water Temple, their travels had been even more dangerous than usual recently.

“Why don’t you come bathe in my fountain? I believe you’ll find it quite relaxing,” Elmtera offered.

“Okay!” Linkle readily accepted the offer, kicking off her Pegasus Boots and pulling her tunic over her head. She then climbed the steps and dipped her foot into the water.

Link rolled his eyes.

Leave it to Elle to disrobe so quickly in front of a deity in her own temple…

“Ooh!” Linkle looked over her shoulder at her brother. “It’s nice and warm. Like a Goron hot spring.”

Link raised an eyebrow. The water did not have steam rising from it like the hot springs in Eldin had, but perhaps she was merely exaggerating. Either way, Link took off his boots and began to disrobe as well. “We’re grateful for your hospitality,” he said to Elmtera, hoping to demonstrate a little more politeness than his sister had.

When Link put his foot in the water, Linkle was already sitting down with the water up to her neck, relaxing against the side of the fountain. The water was certainly pleasant, and Link allowed himself to sink down into it beside his sister.

“Rest, weary travelers,” Elmtera said in her beautiful melodic voice. She lowered herself down behind the siblings, lightly draping an arm over each of them. “You’ve surely traveled far, and done so much. You deserve a moment of respite.”

Link’s eyelids nearly fell shut. His drowsiness was quickly catching up to him. The Great Fairy’s touch was so comforting for some reason. The closest thing he could compare it to was how his mother used to hug him.

Linkle had her eyes closed and was smiling pleasantly, appearing as if she felt the same way.

“Rest…” came Elmtera’s soothing voice once more.

That was all it took before Link allowed himself to slip into unconsciousness.


Link did not recognize his surroundings. He was clearly still somewhere in the woods, but he was inside of a temple. The building was in disrepair and it was almost completely overgrown with vegetation, but much of it still stood. It reminded Link of the Temple of Time, as well as the Light Temple, only in much worse condition.

Link also did not know why he was so low to the ground. As he stepped forward, he realized he was on all fours. Not only that, his hands were not hands. He had paws of some sort, covered in white and black fur. An iron cuff was clamped around his left wrist, with a few links of a broken chain hanging off of it.

However, Link still moved forward. Looking up, he saw he was approaching a large stone door, bearing the mark of the Triforce and the Royal Family’s wingcrest symbol. The door was flanked by two giant statues, both of which wielded stone weapons and were covered in glowing blue designs. As Link crawled forward, the statues groaned, lifting their weapons and banging them against the floor. Link feared they meant to attack him, but they did not move from their spot. Instead, the door before him opened, sliding upwards to reveal a stone staircase.

“Go now to the sacred place, beast…” the statues said in unison, their words emitting from mouthless, motionless faces. “We yield passage to the Sacred Grove…” With that, the statues flashed with a brilliant blue light. Shortly after, the lights coming from the statues faded completely, returning them to an inert state.

Link proceeded forward in a dreamlike fashion without being in control of his own body. He crawled across the floor, passing through the doorway that had just opened. As he stepped onto the stairs, Link heard the sound of a girl yawning.

Linkle?

He suddenly realized there was someone riding on his back, as if he were a horse. However, unable to do anything about it for some reason, he proceeded up the staircase. At the top, there was an archway that led outside, and Link crawled through it.

He had arrived in a small grove, surrounded on all sides by trees and broken temple columns. A thin layer of fog hovered over the ground, and the only light came from a few faint rays of sunlight breaking through the tree branches above him. On the far end of the grove, Link could see a small, square dais, upon which sat a sword lodged in a stone.

The Master Sword?!

Wordlessly, the beast-Link continued forward, crawling right up to the sacred sword. When he stepped onto the dais to examine the weapon, it began to glow with a brilliant white light. Link watched it curiously for a moment, but suddenly, it flashed with an angry bright light. Link felt a weight lifted from his back as whoever was riding him was knocked backward. Link’s whole body tensed up and he glared at the sword, growling at it like an animal sensing hostility. Then, he felt the light enter him. The feeling was indescribable, and he was soon blinded by the light.

A moment later, the light died down. Link found himself standing on two feet now. Not only that, but he had human hands as well, which were both resting on the hilt of the sword. He felt the blade calling to him. For some reason, he knew that if he tried to pull it out, he’d be able to. And so, he did. With barely any effort, he pulled the sword upward, and it slid out of the stone as if it hadn’t even been stuck to begin with.

Link raised the sword into the air with his left hand, staring at it in awe. The sword glowed faintly, and as it did, the fog covering the sacred grove began to part, blown away by an audible wind. The grove was soon bathed in warm sunlight, as if the clouds or the trees above them had parted.

“The sword accepted you as its master…” came the voice of the girl who’d been riding on his back earlier.

Link took a few practice swings with the Master Sword. It felt perfect, as if the sword had been crafted specially for him and he’d been training with it for his entire life.

He heard movement from behind him, and suddenly, an odd gremlin creature popped up in front of him. Short in stature, the gremlin girl hovered a few feet above the ground. She had flaming orange hair and her body appeared to be covered in black and white fur, although her arms and a few other places on her body were streaked with runic tattoos that glowed cyan. The gremlin girl wore an oversized, ornate helmet of some sort, although it was cracked and broken, revealing only one of her large, red and yellow, cat-like eyes.

The impish girl looked at Link with a devilish grin and held out her hand. An odd object hovered above her palm. The object looked like some sort of strange arrowhead, colored black with orange markings. “This thing is the embodiment of the evil magic that Zant cast on you,” she said.

Zant?

Link recognized the name. Of course he would have. Anyone in Hyrule would’ve known the name of Zant, the Usurper King. He had invaded the kingdom a hundred years prior with an army from the Twilight Realm.

Why would Zant have cast evil magic on me?

However, as he thought about the question, the world suddenly shifted. The floating imp girl in front of him was replaced by his sister, sporting an equally smug grin. No longer in a sacred grove, he was back in the Great Fairy’s fountain, lying in the water while his sister stood above him, still dripping wet.

“Morning, brother,” Linkle said. “Gods, I feel refreshed! This fountain is amazing, isn’t it?”

Link stood up, trying to get his bearings after having been snapped back to reality so suddenly. “Morning?” he asked, looking at his hands. He expected his fingers to have pruned, but they hadn’t. “Were we really in the water all night?”

“You were,” Elmtera replied. She was further in the fountain, half-submerged in the water with her back to them, washing her hair. “I hope you were not in any hurry. You both seemed like you needed some real rest.”

Link couldn’t deny that he felt well-rested, probably more so than he’d felt ever since they’d left home. “Huh. Yeah, I feel great, actually. You have our thanks, Great Fairy,” he said to Elmtera as he climbed out of the water.

“Yeah, thanks!” Linkle repeated, following behind him. “But we have to go speak with the Sage of Forest now.”

“By all means.” Elmtera turned to face them. “You are both welcome back any time. And give my best to Saria.”

“We will,” Linkle agreed as she and her brother redressed and gathered their gear. “Bye!”

“Good day, Great Fairy,” Link added, saying his goodbyes as well.

Together, the siblings headed down the hall and climbed back up the ladder.

Chapter 51: Harun XIII

Chapter Text

“The cliffs are too well defended to scale.”

“What of the bridge to the north?”

“It would be a long march, and that side of the island is lined with cannons.”

“Perhaps the lake, then?”

“Same issue as the cliffs. Not to mention the enemy’s Zora allies are still guarding it from below.”

Harun sat in the corner of the war council’s tent, listening as Queen Urballa’s generals argued back and forth about the same things they’d been discussing for days. The Gerudo forces had managed to cross the Digdogg Suspension Bridge and establish a small foothold at the north end of it, but they had made little progress beyond that point. Princess Zelda’s chosen stronghold had proven too great an obstacle to overcome thus far. However, while the Hyrulean forces defended their position, they did not push back in an attempt to expel the Gerudo. They had instead sent an emissary to request Queen Urballa’s surrender, which had been met with outright refusal. And so, the battle had seemingly reached a stalemate.

“We could easily overcome any of these obstacles.”

Harun felt his blood boil at the sound of Elder Kobami’s raspy voice. After the battle of the bridge, he had been surprised to find she had survived, while the majority of her forces hadn’t. Recently, there were times when Harun had wished she had perished in battle with her troops.

“Prince Harun single-handedly dispatched the cannons on the Great Plateau before,” the elder witch continued. “If he were to do the same to any of the Hyruleans’ other battlements…”

“I said no , elder one,” Harun asserted, speaking up for himself. “The power I wielded in that battle is dangerous and unstable. I will not use it so flippantly.”

Elder Kobami sighed. Tapping her cane against the ground in frustration, she turned to Queen Urballa expectantly.

The queen seemed to understand, and nodded lightly. “Thank you, ladies,” she said to her generals. “Give us a moment, if you will.”

The generals bowed and filed out of the room, leaving the queen alone with Elder Kobami and Harun.

“Why do you refuse to fight, Great One?” Kobami asked Harun, hobbling forward with her cane.

“I have just given you the reason,” Harun replied sternly.

“You have just given me an excuse ,” the elderly woman countered. “More of our soldiers perish by the hour. You could end all of that if only you had the courage to wield the power that has been gifted to you.”

“The power you speak of comes at a price that you do not understand.” Harun glared at her, completely fed up with her manipulative and exploitative behavior.

Queen Urballa inserted herself between the two of them, holding out her hands disarmingly. “Let us not fight amongst ourselves,” she suggested. “These last few days have weighed heavily on us all. We must remain composed if we wish to proceed productively.”

Harun crossed his arms and turned away from her.

“We must make him understand,” Elder Kobami insisted.

Queen Urballa hesitated for a moment. “Leave us, elder one,” she ordered Kobami softly. “I would speak with him alone.”

“But I--”

“I have given you an order.”

Kobami growled in annoyance, then shuffled out of the tent, muttering under her breath.

Harun closed his eyes for a moment, feeling a small sense of relief from being rid of Kobami’s presence.

Urballa pulled one of the other chairs closer to Harun and sat down across from him. “How are you feeling, Harun?”

Harun made eye contact with her. “Awful.”

“Why awful?”

“Do you have any idea how many people I’ve killed?” Harun asked scathingly.

That seemed to take Urballa by surprise, but she quickly recovered. “I’m afraid I do not.”

“Neither do I. Not anymore.” Before the last battle, Harun had always tried to remember the faces of those whose lives he had ended. He felt he owed them that much at least. Perhaps he’d had no choice with some of them, and perhaps some of them had even deserved it, but he had not enjoyed killing any of them. However, in the last battle, he’d killed far too many. They’d become faceless drones, dying as meaninglessly as ants crushed underfoot.

Urballa nodded grimly, seeming to understand what he meant. “I have been in many battles, Harun,” she told him, speaking softly. “And as queen, I have handed out many death sentences. It is never easy, even in the most deserving of cases.”

“It was easy,” Harun corrected. “That’s the problem. No one around here sees that. They’re eager to scale the cliff or cross the bridge so they can kill more Hyruleans. They want to do it.”

“Our people are not remorseless killers, Harun.” Urballa spoke more firmly now, but did not raise her voice. “We do not take pleasure in killing the Children of Hylia. We are fighting for our freedom.”

“We have our freedom.” Harun’s frustration was returning. Even his closest surviving mother figure still was not listening to him. “We had our freedom when we took Taafei. We had our freedom when we took Yarna. Now the witch says we’ll have our freedom when we take this damn Coliseum. How many times must we ‘ claim our freedom ’ before we can stop fighting for it?”

Urballa took a moment to respond, giving Harun a chance to calm himself.

“You are right, Harun,” she said gently. “We have our freedom now. Gerudo is ours once again. What we are doing here, now, is simply securing that freedom. Once we control the Hyrulean Coliseum, we will convert it into a fortress that will protect our borders for generations to come. Our fight will be done. We will be able to return home.”

“Until the witch tells you we need to claim another fortress to protect the Highlands, or we need to take Taobab to secure a food supply for our people,” Harun argued. “Every time, it’s just ‘ one last battle .’ How can you be so sure there will ever truly be an end to all this?”

“I understand your concern.” Urballa breathed deeply, leaning back in her chair. “Harun, I would like to send you back to Taafei.”

Harun flinched in surprise. “Excuse me?”

“I do not wish to subject you to this any further. You are clearly suffering here,” she told him calmly. “With any luck, my campaign here will not last much longer anyway. In the meantime, you may rule Gerudo in my stead. It will be a good learning experience for you.”

“I do not wish to abandon my sisters while they fight and die here,” Harun argued. “And you need someone around you who is willing to disagree with Kobami.”

“If you are not to fight while you are here, then your abilities will serve your sisters better back in Taafei.” Urballa rose to her feet, a signal that her word was final and she was ready to end the conversation. “And do not worry about Elder Kobami. I have plenty of other advisors, and I am perfectly capable of thinking for myself.”

Harun wanted to argue further, but he could not think of anything to say. He slouched in his seat and nodded reluctantly.

“Very good. Inform your retinue. You shall depart in the morning.” Queen Urballa exited the tent, leaving Harun alone with his thoughts.


“Did you hear that?” Laine asked, standing up from the log she’d been sitting on. “A signal horn. Are we under attack?”

Kyra ripped a piece of meat off of the stick she was holding. “That was the ‘monsters spotted’ signal, yeah?” she asked as she chewed. “The camp guards can handle it. The monsters will be dead by the time we get there.”

“You mustn’t shirk your duty simply because you’re hungry,” Laine chided. “And don’t talk with your mouth full.”

Kyra leaned towards Laine and began chewing loudly with her mouth open, smiling smugly as she did. Laine narrowed her eyes. Emri looked to Harun, silently asking him what they should do.

Harun sighed as he held his stick over the fire. “Kyra is right,” he said. “Let the guards handle it. But, Kyra, please stop eating like that.”

Kyra swallowed, letting out a laugh.

Emri scooted closer to Harun. “So, we’re really going home?” she asked meekly, as if she were afraid that saying it out loud would jinx it.

“Not home ,” Harun corrected, shaking his head. “We’re going back to Taafei. The queen does not want me here anymore, and I don’t want to be here, either.”

“Tis a shame,” Kyra remarked, already talking with her mouth full again. “There’s still so much fighting to do here.”

“Did you not just turn down a fight?” Laine asked.

“I’m eating , Laine. Can’t fight on an empty stomach.”

Laine grunted. “Regardless, we go where our duty dictates, whether that’s on the frontline or on the homefront.”

Emri nodded in agreement, looking much more excited about the news than the others.

The four of them continued eating for the next few minutes. Harun had been worried about how the three of them, as well as the rest of his retinue, might have reacted to his relocation. While some were disappointed to be getting sent away, others were glad to be going back to where they would be safer. Either way, all of them seemed to respect the queen’s authority enough to agree without much questioning.

As Harun finished his meal, he was approached by a guard carrying a spear. “Prince Harun,” the guard said, getting his attention.

Laine immediately stepped between Harun and the guard. He was used to her doing this, so he simply waved her off. “Yes? What is it?” he asked.

“I understand this may sound strange, but there is a Hinox asking for you at the east entrance to the camp.”

Harun furrowed his brow, figuring he must have misheard her. “A what?”

“A Hinox,” the woman repeated. “He spoke to us in Hylian. He requested you by name.”

That did not make the situation any easier for Harun to comprehend.

“What the hell?” Kyra asked. “Harun, there something you wanna tell us here?”

“By what circumstance would I be acquainted with a Hinox?” Harun asked. “I’ve never even seen one before.”

“They don’t come to the desert,” Laine added. “I’ve heard they’re formidable monsters of great size, though.”

“Does the queen know about this?” Harun asked the messenger woman. He was unsure how to respond to this summons, so he wanted to know Urballa’s opinion.

“We’ve sent for her as well,” the guard replied. “The Hinox did not ask for her, but we figured she should know.”

“Good decision,” Harun said, giving her a nod as he stood up. “Laine, Emri, Kyra. Let’s go.”

“Yes, sir, fearless leader!” Kyra enthusiastically agreed, hopping to her feet and grabbing her spear. “I hope I get to slay this Hinox. Or maybe we can take it back home with us. I’m sure the arena would love to have it in their stables.”

“Let us not get ahead of ourselves,” Harun said, leading the others as he followed the messenger. “This monster can speak, and it requested an audience with me. Perhaps it is friendly.”

“A friendly monster?” Emri tilted her head in confusion. “Like a sand seal?”

“Sand seals can’t talk, idiot,” Kyra said. “It’d be more like those monsters that served the Great Ganondorf.”

Laine made a noise like she was realizing something. “Perhaps that is why this Hinox is requesting an audience with the prince,” she suggested. “It wishes to pay fealty to Ganon’s successor.”

“Please do not refer to me in this way,” Harun told her. “I am not Ganon’s successor. I am to be Urballa’s successor.”

“Apologies,  my prince.” Laine lowered her head respectfully.

Harun nodded his appreciation.

One day, perhaps I will not be seen merely as someone else’s successor.


The east end of the Gerudo encampment was actually atop the Great Plateau. After Harun had destroyed the enemy battlements, Urballa’s troops had taken control of the walls along the plateau’s cliffs and a small bit of territory atop the plateau itself. To get up there, they had to take a lift.

When Harun and his party arrived atop the plateau, Queen Urballa and Elder Kobami were already there waiting for them.

“Harun,” Urballa said as soon as he stepped off of the lift. “What is this about?”

“I’m afraid I’m as confused as you, my queen,” Harun replied. “I do not know why a Hinox would want to speak with me. I didn’t even know such creatures could speak.”

“A Hinox would be a most useful asset,” Elder Kobami commented. “Let us hope we are able to persuade this beast to join our cause. Monsters have no love for the Hyruleans either.”

Harun narrowed his eyes. “I believe it was I who was called here,” he pointed out. “Please allow me to speak to our visitor.”

“We shall both speak to them,” Urballa said. “But I shall permit you to take the lead.”

“Very well.” Harun nodded, turning back to the guard who was escorting them. “Take us to the Hinox.”

“Yes, my prince.”

After climbing down from the wall, there was a short walk along the cliff before coming to another decline that led down to a grassy field. There was a forest a bit further to the east, and even before entering the field, Harun could see the giant one-eyed monster standing at the treeline.

“By the gods,” Harun said aloud. “It’s huge .”

“Damn, you’re right!” Kyra seemed excited, but Emri nervously gripped the other girl’s arm.

“Do not get too close to it, Harun,” Laine warned.

Harun grunted in acknowledgement as they continued.

As they got closer, Harun noticed there were several Blins accompanying the Hinox. All of them were armed, but only a few of them brandished their weapons like they expected to use them. The Gerudo who were standing guard, on the other hand, all looked exceedingly nervous, likely terrified to be standing near a monster that could so easily crush them underfoot.

When Harun and the queen approached those standing at the treeline, the Hinox squatted down, which brought its face closer to the guards on the ground. The Gerudo warriors shifted position nervously, forming a defensive line in front of the royals.

“Prince Harun,” the Hinox spoke, his booming voice echoing across the Great Plateau. “It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

“You know my name,” Harun pointed out, speaking in the Hylian tongue as the monster had. “But I do not seem to know you at all.”

“Ah, of course,” the giant said, scratching the side of his face with a long finger. “How rude of me. My name is Raeger.”

“And how are you aware of me, Raeger?” Harun pushed, wishing to get to the bottom of this quickly.

Raeger blinked his one great eye. “I was told you were in possession of an item I have been searching for.”

“An item…?” Harun’s eyes opened wide when he realized what the creature must have been referring to. Reaching behind his back, he brandished the mirror shield he’d been holding onto ever since they left the Spirit Temple.

The Hinox smiled. “Ah! So you have it after all.”

“Indeed.” Harun put the shield on his back again, out of sight. “This shield once belonged to a Gerudo queen. Some Bulblins attempted to steal it from my people.”

“Is that so?” The Hinox put his hand to his chin, appearing contemplative. “Hmm. Well, what can I do to convince you to part with it?”

Harun furrowed his brow. His mind had been busy with other things recently, but the mystery of the mirror shield was something that had rattled his curiosity ever since he obtained it. As strange as the situation was, he was beginning to think he might finally get some answers. “And why is it that this shield is so desirable to you, Raeger?”

One of the Moblins in Raeger’s party stepped forward and bared his teeth, as if upset by the way Harun was demanding answers from him. However, the one-eyed giant put his hand in the way of his subordinate, preventing him from starting a fight.

“It is not the shield itself that interests me,” Raeger replied without acknowledging his aggressive companion. “The shield is merely a key. What I seek is behind the door the keys unlock.”

“And I suppose you’ll make me ask what that is, too?” Harun asked dryly, mildly annoyed by the Hinox’s nonspecific answer.

“The Triforce.”

Harun was stunned into silence for a moment, as was everyone else in the Gerudo party.

“The Triforce?” Elder Kobami repeated, sounding amazed and hopeful.

“That’s impossible,” Queen Urballa asserted, stepping up next to Harun. “No one but the Royal Family of Hyrule knows where the Triforce is, and they’ve kept it hidden for a hundred years.”

“It is not only the Royal Family who knows,” Raeger corrected, wagging one giant finger. “There are others in their employ who know, and we have been given its location by a reliable source.”

Harun and Urballa shared a look, both of them likely having the same thoughts.

Could this be true? But if it is, why tell us?

“I would like to believe you, Raeger,” Harun said, looking up at the giant. “But if you truly know where the Triforce is and you are hoping to obtain it, why would you share this information with us?”

“We have a common enemy, tiny human,” Raeger replied. “The Hyruleans hoard their treasure from us both. Perhaps the two of us could join forces. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, after all. This way, we can each get a wish from the Triforce, and we’ll both get what we want.”

Harun had to admit he was impressed by how straightforward the monster’s offer was. He was intrigued, too.

Were I to lay my hands on the Triforce, I would be able to wish myself free of my curse.

“Then what is it you are proposing?” Harun asked, trying not to show that he was already considering the monster’s offer. “We give you the shield, and then we wait around hoping you’ll come back with the Triforce?”

“If you do not wish to trust us, you need not part with the shield,” the Hinox offered. “Allow me to propose this as an alternative: you hold onto the shield, and both of our forces travel to the Triforce’s location together. Would that be acceptable?”

With the new proposal given, Harun turned to Urballa. He was unsure if they should request any further information before they left to discuss it amongst themselves. The queen seemed to understand, and gave him a nod.

“We provide the key, you provide the Triforce’s location. We work together to obtain it, and we each get a wish. Do I have that correct?” Harun asked for clarification.

“As many of our people as we desire may have a wish,” Raeger replied. “But yes, that is the deal I am offering.”

“I see. If that is the case, I would require some time to discuss it with my people,” Harun said, glancing at Urballa once more just to make sure he was making the right move at the moment.

“I find that acceptable.” Putting his hands on his knees, the Hinox pushed himself back up to full height, towering over them at several stories tall. “We shall meet you back here tomorrow morning to hear your answer, then.” Raeger then gestured with his gigantic arm, telling his subordinate Blins to come with him back into the forest. Both the Blins and the Gerudo guards lowered their weapons as they departed.

“Now this this is interesting,” Elder Kobami said, smiling wickedly.

“Come with me,” Queen Urballa said to her and Harun. “We should return to my tent and discuss this immediately.”


“Can it possibly be true?” Harun asked, likely failing to mask his excitement. “Could these monsters truly have discovered the location of the Triforce and the method of obtaining it?”

“We must remain skeptical,” Queen Urballa warned him. “When someone offers you something that seems too good to be true, quite often, that’s because it is.”

“Monsters lie. This is true,” Elder Kobami agreed. “However, we must consider the possibility. Think of what we could accomplish with that power. And, even if the Triforce is not what they seek, they are clearly seeking something valuable. Anything protected by a series of secret keys hidden throughout the land is bound to hold great power.”

“Still, we must remain wary,” Urballa advised. “The Hinox made it clear: they do not need us . They only need the shield. Even if we accept their proposal, there is nothing stopping them from killing us and taking it.”

We are what is stopping that,” Harun insisted. “We have fought with more powerful enemies before and lived. I defeated a Molduga. And you fought on equal footing with Crown Princess Zelda.”

Urballa regarded him for a moment. “You know, Harun, Ganondorf once sought the Triforce, too,” she reminded him. “That was the crime for which the Six Sages attempted to execute him.”

Harun immediately felt the presence of the demon king attempting to push its way into his mind, but he closed his eyes and focused, forcing the demon back down into his subconscious for the time being. “I am well aware of that,” Harun stated with some venom in his voice. “But I assure you, my intentions are purer than the old king’s. I merely wish to break the curse that afflicts me. I have no desire to conquer Hyrule, or any such grand designs.”

“I understand,” Urballa assured him. “Nevertheless, a wish is not something to be taken lightly. If we are truly to obtain the Triforce, we must very carefully consider what we shall wish for, otherwise we may bring forth unforeseen consequences.”

“Which is why we must not allow these monsters to get their hands one it,” Elder Kobami added. “They are destructive creatures by nature. Anything they wish for will only bring strife and chaos to our world.”

“Then do you suggest we refuse the Hinox’s offer?” Harun asked. “How do you intend to find the Triforce’s location?”

“I didn’t say we should refuse,” Kobami corrected. “We can use them to lead us to the Triforce. Then we can dispose of them afterwards.”

Harun was shocked, but not surprised. “My queen, I am against this,” he told Urballa. “Either we accept the deal in good faith, or we reject it outright. I do not wish to have our word mean nothing, even to monsters.”

Urballa was silent for a moment, her hand pressed against her chin and her earrings dangling as she tilted her head to the side now and then. “The possibility that this endeavor may lead us to the Triforce -- or to some other prize of great importance -- is too great to overlook. Without the knowledge of the Hinox and his allies, we are unlikely to find it on our own. Therefore, we shall agree to forge an alliance with them. However, I want to make one thing perfectly clear. Trusting these creatures is dangerous. We must remain on guard in case they seek to betray us and take Harun’s shield for themselves. Whether or not we allow them to make a wish on the Triforce will depend on whether or not they prove themselves worthy along the way.”

Harun nodded, relieved. “I agree, Your Grace. That is the wiser and more honorable approach.”

Kobami grumbled in defeat, but was nevertheless in agreement. “Very well. We shall depart alongside our new minions just as soon as they help us take the Coliseum.”

Harun furrowed his brow. “What?” He looked between Urballa and Kobami, searching for an explanation. “My queen, elder one, with all due respect -- why does this Coliseum even matter at this point? With the power of the Triforce, we can wish for our people’s safety and freedom for all eternity!”

Elder Kobami cackled. “Let us not be naive, young one,” she told him. “We shall still require this strategic position with which we can defend our borders in the time between now and whatever day in the future we may acquire the Triforce.”

“And we must still be prepared for the possibility that the Hinox is lying, or that he is operating on incorrect information,” Urballa added. “We shall endeavor to achieve the Triforce, surely, but we cannot ignore our other duties in the meantime.”

“Fine,” Harun said impatiently, a strained expression on his face. “Then I shall depart with the Hinox in the morning and begin the search immediately. You can stay here and continue this campaign.”

“No, no.” Elder Kobami raised a finger and wagged it disapprovingly. “The monsters are our new ace in the hole, particularly that one-eyed giant. We were struggling to take the Coliseum on our own, but with the might of our army reinforced by the destructive power of these monsters, our victory is all but assured.”

“That is insane,” Harun complained. “The Hinox would never agree to it. He did not offer to fight our battles for us. And besides, what if he is killed in the battle? Who will show us the way to the Triforce then?”

“He will agree to it,” Elder Kobami said confidently. “We still have the key he requires. That gives us leverage. Besides, when one seeks the ultimate treasure, one does not shy away from an obstacle as minor as one tiny battle. He’ll be willing to do whatever it takes to obtain his prize at this point. As for the knowledge of the Triforce’s location, all we must do is ensure at least one of his subordinates is aware of it, and keep that subordinate safe within our camp until the battle is over.”

“Elder Kobami is right,” Queen Urballa said. “Using the monsters to help us end the battle quickly is better than allowing it to be drawn out further.” She could probably tell by Harun’s expression that he wasn’t satisfied with that answer. “You are more than welcome to continue to abstain from combat, Prince Harun,” she said gently. “You can stand guard for Raeger’s subordinate.”

Harun let out one more frustrated sigh. “Fine.”

At least it will be over soon.


Negotiations with the Hinox went surprisingly well the following day. As Harun had expected, Raeger had initially been resistant to the idea of participating in their battle against the Hyruleans, not believing it to be their fight. However, Kobami had threatened to withhold the mirror shield, and Urballa managed to convince him that working together in all things from here on out would be mutually beneficial.

And so, after Raeger gathered his forces, a horde of several dozen Moblins and Bokoblins were added to the ranks of the Gerudo, and a new plan of attack had been established. Harun, alongside a Moblin and two Bokoblins that were being left behind, watched from a distance as Raeger approached the southern cliff face protecting the Coliseum. From the alarm bells going off atop the Hyrulean battlements, it was clear that the approaching Hinox was seen as a large-scale threat, and the enemy was likely not prepared for it.

“Among my kind, we often prefer to keep things simple,” Raeger remarked, speaking aloud to the Gerudo watching him. Bending down, he scooped up a large slab of stone that had fallen from the nearby Great Plateau, lifting it in his long arms. “The Hyruleans have their cannons. But us? We have this .” Raeger held the boulder back, winding up for a throw. He let out a mighty roar; one that sounded much more feral than his usual, surprisingly sophisticated speaking voice. His minions joined in with him, and as their battlecry filled the air, Raeger tossed the boulder at the enemy battlements.

The Hylians on the wall screamed. Several of them dove to the sides to try to get out of the way, but many of them were killed when the stone slab crashed into the wall. A few of the enemy’s cannons were taken out of commission. The others began firing.

“Stand back,” Harun reminded the Blins who were with him. One of the Bokoblins hissed at him, but none of them moved.

Raeger was a large target, but there were a small enough number of cannons firing that he was able to move out of the way of each cannonball in time. Before they could begin firing again, the Hinox grabbed another large boulder and tossed it just as he’d done before. Having gotten a better feel for where he was aiming, this boulder ended up being even more devastating than the last one. It hit the side of one of the battlement’s towers, causing it to collapse along with a portion of the wall. Dozens of Hyrulean soldiers could be seen falling over the cliffs.

“Ladders! Forward!” Raeger ordered, reaching out with his hand and pointing towards the enemy battlements. His horde of Blin minions roared once again. Groups of them lifted large ladders over their heads and quickly marched forward.

“Warriors, follow!” Queen Urballa ordered. The Gerudo forces followed behind the monster forces, ready to raid the weakened Hyrulean battlements alongside them.

Raeger chuckled to himself before turning around. With a few giant footsteps, he made his way over to Harun and squatted down. “It seems this will not take long, tiny human,” he stated. “Now you hang onto that shield, now. We cannot risk it falling into the hands of the Hylians.”

“The shield never leaves my possession,” Harun affirmed. “You would do well to remember that. As would your… soldiers,” he said, giving a side-eye to the snarling Bokoblin standing next to him.

The Hinox chuckled once more. “A deal is a deal. We are allies now, after all. Let us hope this is the first of many shared victories.” Turning his head, he focused his one giant eye on the Moblin standing behind Harun. “Stand by, Odiun. No fighting with the prince.”

The Moblin grunted in response, crossing his arms. The snarling Bokoblin didn’t seem any happier. It let out a yelping sound that was almost like a bark.

“Same for you.” Raeger reached outwards and flicked the Bokoblin with one of his giant fingers. The little monster was sent flying onto its back, screaming in surprise. “Well, I’d better return to the battle,” Raeger declared. “Play nice, now.” The ground rumbled with each footstep as he walked off in the direction of the cliffs.

By then, the ladders were already in place. The Blins and the Gerudo were scaling the cliffs and taking what was left of the enemy battlements. In no time, they would be climbing down the other side and invading the Coliseum directly.

Urballa was able to stand against Zelda until she was forced to flee last time. Let’s hope the Hyrulean princess simply surrenders this time.

Kyra appeared on Harun’s right, watching along with him as the Hinox ignored the ladders and climbed the cliff as easily as one would climb a low stone fence. “What a charming fellow,” Kyra said, somewhat sardonically. “Shame I won’t get to slay him.”

The closest Bokoblin hissed at her. The monster likely did not speak Gerudo, so it probably could not understand her, but Kyra seemed to think it could at least sense her intention.

“What?” she asked, taking a step back and holding up her hands disarmingly. “I said I won’t get to slay him.”

Emri peeked her head out from behind Kyra. “Um, Harun? Are you sure they won’t hurt us?”

“We made a deal with their leader,” Harun assured her, taking care not to speak Hylian in front of the monsters while they discussed them. “Something I’ve read several times about monsters is that they follow the strongest among them. As long as we keep to our agreement with the Hinox, his Blin minions will do us no harm.”

“I still do not think it is a good idea to send the queen into battle with them.” Laine stepped up next to Kyra, her hand gripped tightly around her spear. “The monsters could turn on her during the battle.”

“If the monsters were interested in killing us, they would have tried to do so already,” Harun pointed out. “I do not trust them either, but that Hinox somehow appears to be intelligent. He would not act so irrationally.”

“You know you’re talking about monsters , right?” Kyra reminded him.

“Yes. Even still,” Harun affirmed. “Regardless, let’s just hope this is over soon. The queen thought we could end it after one wave of reinforcements, and she will likely signal for them soon.”


While Harun had been hoping Urballa would end up being correct, he was pessimistic enough to expect the battle to last longer than it should have. Perhaps Princess Zelda had some trick up her sleeve that would force a retreat, and they would need to try again the next day. Or perhaps the battle would be a constant back-and-forth struggle with wave after wave of reinforcements being sent in from both sides. So, given Harun’s attitude towards the situation, he was very surprised to see Raeger climb back over the other side of the mountain shortly after, raising the Gerudo banner and roaring victoriously. Harun was stunned, but all throughout the camp, the other Gerudo cheered, as did the monsters.

“So soon?” Harun wondered aloud. “Did Princess Zelda surrender?”

“Perhaps we should go and see, my prince,” Laine suggested. “The queen will want us to join her in the Coliseum if we have truly claimed it for our own.”

Harun hesitated. The Hinox made it seem as though the battle was over, but walking forwards still felt like entering into a warzone.

“Wait!” Emri said. When Harun and the others turned to her, she shrunk back a little. “Um. What if it’s a trick?”

“A trick?” Harun turned back towards the Hinox, standing atop the ruins of the Hyrulean battlements, waving their banner. Hundreds more Gerudo were flocking towards the siege ladders, intending to join their sisters on the other side. “I see your point,” Harun said. “But unless this monster was secretly conspiring with the Hylians, I can’t imagine a scenario where this is an ambush.”

“I… I guess so,” Emri agreed.

Kyra grabbed Emri by the upper arm. “Relax. It’ll be fine. Let’s go take part in the victory celebration!” Pulling Emri along, she headed for the cliffs with the others.

Harun turned to Laine, then to the monsters in his company. “The battle appears to be over,” he said to the Blins, speaking in Hylian so they might understand him. “Let us rejoin your master.”

The Blins variously grunted or growled in return, but complied and moved forward.

Harun gave a nod to Laine, and the two of them followed as well.


The Coliseum had been secured completely. Gerudo guards were posted all over the place. Hylian and Sheikah prisoners were gathered in large numbers down in the fighting pit, kneeling on the ground with their hands shackled or tied with rope. Lines of them were led down into the dungeons beneath the stadium. The bodies of fallen Gerudo, Hyruleans, and monsters were gathered in the fighting pit as well, but there were far fewer bodies than Harun had expected to find. It was as if the Coliseum had been largely abandoned by the Hyruleans, leaving only a skeleton crew behind.

Harun followed Raeger down to the ground floor. The giant monster left crushed walls and seating within the stadium everywhere he stepped. There, they found Queen Urballa and Elder Kobami, overseeing the beginning of their occupation.

“Queen Urballa,” Harun spoke as he approached. “What happened?”

“We won. That’s what happened,” Kobami responded in Urballa’s place, cackling wickedly. “It was just as I expected. One look at this monster horde, particularly this one-eyed beast, and they couldn’t surrender fast enough.”

“That wasn’t all,” Urballa added, a look of concern on her face.

“What is it, my queen?”

“Princess Zelda is not here,” she said.

“What?” Harun glanced around, as if expecting to see her standing somewhere nearby. “She was here earlier, though, was she not? Why would she leave?”

“Perhaps she is using the same strategy she used in Yarna,” the queen speculated. “I do not see how that would be the case, however. She let us take Yarna so she could fortify her position here , where they would have better odds. I am unsure if there is any other fortress nearby to which she could retreat.”

“Perhaps the princess was more of a coward than we thought,” Kobami said. Turning to Raeger, the old woman tilted her head back to look upwards. “Now, giant,” she said in Hylian. “Tell us the location of the Triforce.”

The Hinox lowered his one eyelid, as if unamused. “No. That was not the deal. We helped you conquer this Coliseum. Now we shall lead the one with the key to our destination.”

“Hmm. Very well,” Kobami said bitterly. “Then at least tell us what direction we shall be traveling. I would like to make a battle plan for the important Hyrulean bases we must take along the way.”

That immediately set off alarm bells in Harun’s head. “I beg your pardon, elder one?”

“You heard me,” Kobami told him, beginning to sound annoyed. “We cannot very well waltz through enemy territory with our own army plus a horde of monsters. We will face resistance, and we must be prepared to crush it.”

Harun could not believe what he was hearing, but he was not surprised, yet again. He should have known she would use absolutely any excuse to push their luck further and conquer more Hyrulean territory. But, while Urballa had always made excuses for her, Harun did not want to accept it anymore.

Do it.

He heard Ganondorf’s voice in his head, plain as day. Strangely, Ganondorf had always sided with Kobami, yet now he seemed to be encouraging Harun to go against her. Regardless, Harun had already made his decision, or at least he did not wish to believe Ganon was influencing him. Stepping forward, he drew his trident and pointed it at the witch.

“Harun, what are you doing?” Urballa asked.

“No more,” Harun declared. “No more of this. We took this fortress to defend our borders -- fine. But we will take nothing else. Nothing but the Triforce. We don’t need anything else.”

Kobami narrowed her eyes, her elderly visage expressing pure contempt. “Do not point that thing at me, young one.”

“Harun, please.” Urballa raised a hand to signal him to stop.

“No!” Harun shouted. “You are our queen . Stop letting her think for you!”

“The situation is not ideal, but there is wisdom in her words,” Urballa insisted.

She will not listen. Do it.

Harun ignored the queen, remaining focused on Kobami. “Leave. Return to Naboris. Now.”

“My place is here,” the witch declared. “I will not leave.”

Do it.

The voe felt the anger flow through him. That anger turned into electricity. Lightning traveled down his trident and surged forth, striking Kobami. There was screaming as guards shuffled around. Urballa’s guards rushed forward to form a line in front of the queen and Kobami, while Harun’s guards moved in front of him. Raeger took a step back and knelt down, seemingly watching the show with interest.

“Harun, stand down,” the queen demanded.

The prince opened his mouth to respond, but then he noticed something odd. Kobami had faded into a shadowy figure, quickly losing form and dissipating into the air. “Only a phantom…” Harun muttered, realizing she must have been using such a double for the battle earlier. “Where are you, witch?” he asked, his eyes scanning his surroundings.

“Up here.”

Harun turned around, finding Kobami to be standing several floors up in the arena’s seating area. “Either leave, or come down here and fight me,” Harun demanded, pointing his trident up at her. “I challenge you.”

“Harun, stop ,” the queen urged him once again.

“Warriors, stand down,” Commander Bularis ordered Harun’s guards.

“Never,” Laine replied.

“Do not fight them,” Harun told his guards. “Not unless you have to. This is between me and Kobami.”

“Harun, I’m serious--” Urballa warned.

“No, my queen,” Elder Kobami interrupted, speaking loudly as if to make an announcement to all present. “My student simply needs a little discipline. He will learn. Please, allow me.”

That condescension was the last straw. Tapping into just the tiniest portion of Ganon’s power, Harun jumped off of the ground and summoned the winds, allowing him to rise into the air. As soon as he was level with Kobami, he thrust his trident forward, once again attempting to launch a bolt of lightning at her.

The witch lazily brushed it aside with her hand, causing the bolt to branch off in multiple directions, harmlessly hitting several places within the arena seating. A few nearby bystanders screamed and fled the scene, leaving Kobami alone. “You and I both know you have more power in you than that , young one,” the old witch said. “Perhaps it’s time you learn to use it .” Kobami held up her hand. A ball of violet flame formed in front of it, before quickly shooting off towards Harun.

Thinking quickly, the prince pulled out the mirror shield, blocking the fireball just in time. However, not only did the shield block the fire, it reflected it. The flame was sent back into the stands. Kobami watched as the redirected fireball flew through the air and landed ten yards away from her, again causing more bystanders to flee.

“It will take more than an artifact of your predecessor’s,” Kobami remarked.

Harun thought for a moment. Kobami was perhaps the strongest sorcerer in all of Gerudo. But, physically, she was merely a frail old lady. So, raising his trident again, Harun forewent another magic attack and instead flew directly at her, letting loose a battle cry.

Once again, Kobami lazily waved her arm. A great, shadowy hand reached out of the floor, catching the prince in its grip. The witch then mimicked the action of tossing something onto the ground, and the shadow hand did the same, throwing Harun straight down into the sandy fighting pit.

“Agh!” Harun cried in pain when he landed.

“Harun!” Emri left the defensive line and ran to his side, kneeling down to help him to his feet.

The prince was too focused on the fight to thank her. He wiped the blood off of the side of his mouth and glared up at the witch.

She is right, you know. You cannot defeat her with that meager sliver of power.

Harun growled, reluctantly agreeing. Emri gasped and stepped back when his eyes flashed red for a second before he took to the air once again. Kobami cackled as he floated in the air across from her, but he did not wish to give her time to speak. Harun raised his arms. The area around the witch darkened as a shadow fell over the stands. Taking a page out of Kobami’s book, Harun summoned not one, but six shadowy hands, all of them reaching up out of the ground in a circle around her. Harun brought his hands down together in front of him, and all at once, the shadow hands came down on Kobami.

“Harun, stop!” Queen Urballa yelled, but he ignored her.

Harun continued to hold the spell, hoping to crush the witch beneath the weight of the shadowbound hands, but he could feel her fighting against him. The shadows began to condense, forming a black sphere where Kobami once stood. Then, the sphere burst, spreading out in a line. When the darkness faded, five Kobamis stood in the stands, each of them glaring at Harun.

“Fine,” one of the witches spoke.

“I applaud your willingness to go this far,” another said.

“But now it is time for you to direct your talents toward our cause.”

“Hyrule must fall.”

“Surrender now, young one.”

Harun looked back and forth between the Kobamis, trying to determine which one was the real one. Her phantoms were perfectly made. There were no obvious defects to give them away.

Just strike them all.

Harun raised his arms, conjuring a ball of violet flame. “ Hrah !” he grunted as he launched it, spreading the flame to cover a wide area. It would have worked, but Kobami and her copies quickly rose into the air, dodging out of the way just before the ground they’d been standing on burst into flames. The witches did not laugh as they flew over to Harun. All five of them glared at him with a cold fury.

“Cease this childish tantrum at once, young one,” Kobami demanded.

“You are meant for a higher purpose.”

“I do not wish to harm the Great Ganondorf’s successor.”

Kobami and her phantoms circled around Harun. He held up his trident and the mirror shield, unsure which one to look at. “You have been a traitor from the start, elder one,” Harun declared. “You care more about destroying Hyrule than saving Gerudo. You have been steering our people down a dark path since before I was born. And I know it was you who had Sabah killed!”

The look on Kobami’s face was one of genuine surprise and disgust. Whether it was because she wasn’t aware anyone suspected her or because she was innocent, Harun could not tell. However, there was something even more subtle and more important about her reaction. Harun noticed one of the Kobamis reacted just the tiniest bit before the others, as if she had reacted too quickly to allow her phantoms to mimic her properly. At that moment, Harun knew which was the real one.

“That is outrageous!” The five Kobamis declared all at once.

Harun did not wish to give her time to recover from her shock. While she was still off her guard, Harun flew forward, stabbing his trident straight through the old woman’s stomach. She screamed in pain, and hundreds of onlookers gasped and screamed. Kobami’s phantoms evaporated, and she fell to the ground, landing in a heap in front of Raeger, who still watched with great interest.

Kobami was unable to pull herself to her feet. As Harun landed beside her, she attempted to crawl away towards the giant. “Help me!” she cried desperately. “We had a deal, Hinox. Protect me!”

Raeger tilted his head curiously, his one eye glancing between Kobami and the approaching Harun. “Hmm. You know, among monsterkind, there is a simple, but common saying. ‘ Follow the strongest side .’”

Kobami stared up at the Hinox with rage and horror. Harun did not give her time to beg any further. Planting his foot beside her, he stabbed downwards with his trident once again, finally finishing her.

Harun !” Queen Urballa pushed her way through the crowd. Everyone else moved back, giving her and Harun space. “That was completely out of line. You have committed murder in my presence.”

“It needed to be done,” Harun insisted, hearing Ganondorf’s voice speaking in tandem with his own. He closed his eyes and exhaled, attempting to sever his ties to the power inside him for the moment.

The queen shook her head. “No. This is unacceptable. I cannot have a protégé who kills my other majordomos. I must--”

“If you wish to put me on trial, you may do so after I have obtained the Triforce for you,” Harun declared. “If you do not wish to have me in your presence, fine. I shall take my guard and go with the monsters. You may stay here and bury the witch. Keep watch over our borders, or whatever it was Kobami convinced you this Coliseum was good for.”

The queen and the prince locked eyes for a moment. Harun waited to hear her object, but she did not. The anger in her eyes remained, but a sadness filled them soon after.

Harun turned to Laine and the rest of his guard. “Gather my warriors and some supplies for our journey,” he commanded.

“Yes, my prince.”

He turned to Raeger next. “Gather your forces as well, Hinox. We are leaving.”

Chapter 52: Sophitia XIV

Chapter Text

Princess Zelda Sophitia paced back and forth inside her audience chambers, her hands nervously closing and unclosing. She had already spent a great deal of time arguing with herself over what she was about to do, but at long last, she had made her decision. However, that did not mean sharing her decision would be pleasant.

“They’re going to hate it,” the princess said aloud, her eyes cast downward. “Varke especially. She may even call it sinful. What if she does? Will my soul be damned?”

“I doubt the bishop of Snowpeak has such power, Princess,” Liliana told her, standing off to the side with her usual expressionless look on her face. Her eyes followed Sophitia back and forth, watching her pace.

“Arbiter Ponthos will side with me,” Sophitia said, allowing herself a smile at her optimistic thought. “I have the authority to do this, do I not? It is within the law, is it not? I do not have the king or queen’s permission, though. But we don’t have one right now, do we? Surely Victorique has not yet been coronated. But should I not defer to her anyway, as she is the queen-in-waiting?”

“It’s almost time, Sophitia,” Liliana pointed out. “The others will be here soon.”

The princess jumped, jolting back to reality at her bodyguard’s words. “Yes. Yes! I cannot be seen like this, can I? I must be composed. Like Victorique. Or Percival. Or Father. I must--” She stopped, closing her eyes and holding her hands together in a sign of the Triforce. Breathing deeply, Sophitia attempted to clear her mind.

Opening her eyes, Sophitia turned to her retainer and smiled cooly. “Care to join me at the table, my dear?” she asked, gesturing daintily with as much poise as she could muster.

Liliana bowed respectfully, then approached the table and pulled out the chair at the head of it. “Please have a seat, Princess Zelda.” The bodyguard held out her hand, and the princess took it.

“I am most grateful,” Sophitia said.

As she stepped in front of the chair to take her seat, Liliana bent forward and gently kissed the back of the princess’s hand.

“A-Ah, yes.” Sophitia sat down. “Thank you.” After having just calmed down, her heart was now racing again, so she took another deep breath to try to refocus.

“You will do fine, Sophitia,” Liliana told her. “These people all respect you. Your work here in Snowpeak has been admirable, especially considering your circumstances. All you must do is explain your reasoning, and they are certain to agree with you.”

Sophitia nodded as Liliana brought her some tea. “I pray you are right.”

“And if they do not, I can always kill them for you.”

The princess nearly choked on her tea.

After their conversation, Sophitia allowed herself another few minutes to compose herself while she waited for her Hebran advisors to arrive. By the time the door opened and Arbiter Ponthos entered the room, Sophitia was feeling much more confident.

“Thank you for coming, Your Honor. I appreciate your punctuality,” Sophitia told him, deciding to open with a compliment.

“Of course, Princess,” the older Hylian man said simply. He took his seat at the table while two of his assistants sat in the chairs along the wall.

Lord Nobiro arrived next, along with a small entourage of assistants. He was the most important of Sophitia’s guests. Her plans relied heavily on his cooperation, so she hoped dearly to get him on her side then and there. “Lord Nobiro, so glad you could join us. Would either of you care for some tea?”

“No, thank you,” Arbiter Ponthos declined.

“Yes, that would be lovely, thank you.” The Hebran lord nodded and sat down. Liliana quickly poured him some tea.

While there were other Hebran nobles currently staying in Snowpeak Palace for various reasons, Sophitia had only invited Nobiro, Ponthos, and Varke to this briefing. They had been advising her since her arrival in the palace, and they were the most powerful and influential among the Hylians who controlled the Hebra Province. As long as she had their support, that would be enough.

After a few minutes of small talk, Varke finally arrived with four other priests escorting her. “I was honored to receive your invitation, Daughter of Hylia,” the bishop said, making the sign of the Triforce with her hands.

Sophitia returned the gesture with a modest smile. “The honor is mine, Your Holiness.”

“We are here to discuss your next meeting with Chief Revalco?” Arbiter Ponthos asked as soon as the bishop sat down, confirming the agenda right away.

“Yes, that is correct,” the princess replied, noticing several of the lords’ subordinates jotting down notes already. “I have given quite a bit of thought to the matter, of course, and I believe I have arrived at a proposal that shall finally bring peace to the province.” She turned to Lord Nobiro. “Also, I thought it best to inform you all that I intend to return to the capital once the matter is settled with Chief Revalco. If Lord Remoth has indeed committed treason, I would like to aid my brother in reclaiming the throne for my sister’s sake. Therefore, I wish for us all to be on the same page so that my replacement is not surprised or overwhelmed by the responsibilities I will be shouldering them with upon my departure.”

In addition to her plan for how to respond to the Rito, the announcement of her intention to depart from Hebra was something Sophitia had been dreading. She waited for one of the nobles to respond, hoping none of them would accuse her of abandoning them now that things were getting tough.

Varke was the first to speak up. “You are most thoughtful, princess. After this is over, I shall pray for your safe journey home. I am certain Queen Zelda Victorique will be able to accomplish even more with you by her side.”

Sophitia smiled gratefully.

I hope the others feel the same way.

“Yes, that makes sense. Your presence in Hebra has been a boon for the morale of the citizens, but we must all keep the best interests of the kingdom as a whole in mind,” Lord Nobiro commented.

“What proposal do you intend to bring to Chief Revalco?” Arbiter Ponthos asked, clearly more focused on the pressing matter of the Rito than anything else.

The princess nodded, ready to continue.

So far, so good. Perhaps that was the easy part.

Sophitia held out her hand. Liliana, already prepared, handed her a small stack of papers. “Chief Revalco-- or, rather, High Chief Revalco--” Sophitia began, passing a copy of her proposal across the table to each of her advisors. “He is requesting independence from the Kingdom of Hyrule, with the threat of war should we refuse,” she reiterated. “His tribe and many others want the same thing. Other tribes, however, do not. Regardless, every Rito tribe would be better off without war. The Kingdom of Hyrule, whether we would win the war or not, would be better off without it as well.”

“Of course,” Lord Nobiro agreed.

Sophitia had decided to start off with a simple summary, essentially stating the obvious. By the nods and murmurs of agreement from the others, it was clear they were beginning on the same page already.

“Naturally, the situation necessitates a compromise that can never fully satisfy both parties,” the princess went on. “However, I believe we should prioritize peace, and with that in mind, I have a simple yet difficult compromise that should, at the very least, allow the Rito Tribes and the Kingdom of Hyrule to reach some level of common ground.”


Waiting for Revalco’s second visit felt much the same as waiting for the first. Sophitia once again found herself out on the balcony overlooking the city of Snowpeak down below, dressed in her white furs and drinking hot tea to combat the cold. All of her guards and subordinates had been placed at a distance once more. She had insisted on there being fewer visible guards this time around, despite her advisors telling her otherwise. Only Liliana remained at her side.

Her meeting with Nobiro, Ponthos, and Varke had been difficult, but successful. She’d met with varying degrees of resistance from them over what she planned to do next, but she’d convinced them in the end. All that remained was to convince Revalco of the same compromise.

“The falcon-headed one will accept, you know,” Liliana assured the princess, pouring her another cup of tea. “Convincing your own advisors was the hard part, and you managed it well enough.”

“Your confidence in me is appreciated, Liliana,” the princess replied. “And, of course, I pray you are correct. But we both know how stubborn the High Chieftain can be. Accepting any less than what he demanded might be too big a wound to his pride.”

“And you know a thing or two about pride.”

Sophitia smiled. “Your tongue remains as sharp as ever.”

“You allow it much practice.”

“Hush.” The princess sipped her tea, gazing out over the horizon. “I don’t mind the view,” she said aloud. “My incumbency as governor of this province has provided me with a wealth of experience, brief though it may have been.”

“Do you intend to return?” Liliana asked.

Sophitia thought about it. “Not as governor,” she decided. “But, if things go according to plan here today, I would like to return to check on things every now and then.”

“Perhaps you could try being governor of Ordona next,” Liliana said. “It would give you an excuse to visit my home.”

Sophitia laughed haughtily. “I’d like that.” The princess thought about which other provinces she might like to be governor of someday, but the thought was not as pleasant as she’d hoped.

I could have been queen instead.

She shook her head, not wishing to dwell on those thoughts again. For now, she wished to remain focused on the task in front of her. “With any luck, I will be returning home soon. I hope my brother will be happy to see me.”

“Prince Percival is never happy to see anybody.”

The princess chuckled once more. “Be nice.” Tilting her head up to the sky, Sophitia thought of her other brother. “I hope Lancel does not do anything to interfere with my negotiations,” she said aloud, realizing that he may be battling with the Rito in Skyloft at that very moment.

“Prince Lancel interfering? I couldn’t imagine.”

Sophitia put her hand over her mouth, stifling another laugh. “I shudder to imagine what you say about me behind my back.”

“You don’t give me enough days off to have the chance to talk about you behind your back.”

“Smart move on my part, then.” Sophitia sipped her tea.

The princess was grateful to Liliana for once again helping her to calm her nerves. After a few more minutes of smalltalk, they heard the sentries signaling the arrival of the Rito.

Just like last time, the birdfolk arose from the mountainside, filling the skies above them. Having experienced this already, Sophitia trusted the guards not to do anything aggressive. They had many archers at the ready, but they would only release their arrows if defenses were necessary.

The princess adjusted her sitting position as soon as she saw Ravalco descend with his honor guard. Trying to remain calm, she smiled pleasantly at him as he approached the meeting table, handing his greatbow to one of his braves.

“Here we are, back for more,” the Rito high chieftain declared, taking a seat across from Sophitia. “Let’s make this quick. If we’re going to be killing each other today, I’d rather get to it sooner than later.”

“Don’t be so hasty, High Chieftain.” The princess attempted to take his aggressive attitude with aplomb, pouring him a cup of tea. “There shall be no violence today. Only words, and perhaps the sound of a quill scratching across parchment.”

“You’ve come to surrender, then?” The falcon-headed man’s smug aura only seemed to increase. “Excellent. That makes things much easier.”

Sophitia kept up her polite smile as best she could. “I have not come here to surrender, I’m afraid,” she corrected him.

“Is that so?” Revalco leaned forward. “Odd. I thought I’d made myself clear last time. You claim there will be no violence today, yet you refuse to surrender. How might that be?”

“Simple. There is an easy compromise that has been staring us in the face this whole time,” the princess replied, handing a few sheets of parchment to her counterparty.

Revalco snatched the papers out of Sophitia’s hand with annoyance. He flipped through them quickly, then went back to the page with the map. It displayed a territorial map Hebra, split up into several sections of varying size, shape, and color.

“What is this?” the Rito high chieftain asked. His tone implied that he understood what she was suggesting, but he was somewhat put off by it.

“It is as I’ve said. An easy compromise.” Sophitia continued smiling politely, but she did not take Revalco’s reaction as a good sign.

“You wish to chop up our lands into little pieces and keep what you want most for yourselves,” Revalco declared, smacking the parchment with the back of his wing.

“Not true. That map is merely an estimated projection,” the princess explained. “The territories I’ve marked to remain a part of the Kingdom of Hyrule are the territories belonging to tribes that I believe shall elect to remain united with us. The others, including your own tribe’s territory, are those which have petitioned for independence repeatedly in the past. However, the decision to remain or secede from the kingdom will lie with each tribe individually.”

“This is not what my people and I have fought for,” Revalco insisted, clearly still very resistant to the idea. “I will not accept a half-measure like this. Either all of my people shall be free, or I shall die fighting.”

Perfect.

The best case scenario would have been Revalco accepting her proposal outright, but this was the reaction Sophitia had expected to be the most probable. She was well prepared for it.

“And in what way does my proposal fail to grant freedom, High Chieftain?” Sophitia inquired, keeping her tone devoid of hostility. “If an individual tribe is not allowed to make its own choice to remain a part of the Kingdom of Hyrule, can that truly be called freedom?”

Revalco clicked his beak. “Do not try to play word games with me, Hylian. I suppose it’s awfully convenient that what you consider to be freedom is others doing what you want them to.”

“Can I not say the same of you, in that case?” Sophitia smoothly replied. She briefly wondered if she was pressing too hard, but she did not allow herself to stumble. Revalco did not seem like the kind of person who could be convinced in any other way. She needed to maintain the offensive. “ You want all the Rito tribes to secede. It does not sound like you care very much about what they want. You would think me a tyrant if I forced them to stay, yet you are their savior for forcing them to leave?”

Revalco slammed his balled up wing onto the table. The sudden aggressive sound caused Sophitia to jump in her chair. Liliana stepped forward with her hand on the hilt of her sword. One of Revalco’s braves took a step towards them as well, brandishing a spear. However, both Sophitia and Revalco raised an arm, signaling for their guards to stand down.

“You really should have some tea,” Sophitia offered once more. “It calms the nerves.” Even as she said it, her heart was racing.

“Hilarious,” Revalco replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “Look, Hylian. I am the high chieftain now. The other chieftains elected me to replace Kanelo. The other tribes have already realized I was right all along.”

“If they all wish to leave as you do, then what are you worried about?” Sophitia asked. “Besides, need I remind you that the position of high chieftain only exists within the power structure put in place by the Kingdom of Hyrule? I, as governor of Hebra, no longer lay claim to the entirety of the Hebra province or to the Rito tribes within it. Thus, your position is defunct. You may be the chief of your own tribe, but you have no say over the others unless they decide you do.”

“Don’t think for a second I don’t see what you’re doing here, Princess.” Revalco narrowed his eyes, staring daggers at her. “You wish to paint me as a hypocrite. I’ve spent years fighting against Hylian rule, criticizing you and your family for forcing the Rito to follow you, so now you wish to claim I am forcing the Rito to follow me . Well, it won’t work. Ever since Kanelo’s assassination, my people have begun to see through you.”

Sophitia cursed internally. Her inability to solve High Chief Kanelo’s murder was one of her greatest setbacks in her campaign to make peace with the Rito. Everything would have been so much easier if she had a culprit to point to. At the very least, it would have made it easier to convince the Rito that she and her brother had not been the ones responsible.

“The Rito have my deepest sympathies for High Chief Kanelo’s death. Nothing so tragic should ever have occurred on our peaceful joint expedition to Skyloft,” Sophitia said, trying to make it as clear as possible that her regrets and condolences were genuine. “But we have been through this matter before. My brother and I had no hand in that event. There are many Rito, including Sage Balla, who see this as true.”

“Balla is a child,” Revalco reminded her. “Sage or not, her wisdom is limited. As is yours.”

Sophitia stopped herself from taking the bait. Revalco was leading her into an argument that would take them down an unproductive path.

“I understand that you and I do not see eye to eye on many things, high chieftain,” Sophitia told him, hoping to get things back on track. “However, in the end, this is the situation we find ourselves in: You have come to me in search of freedom for the Rito, and that is what I am offering. You, of course, are free to try to persuade the other tribes into making the same choice as your tribe, but ultimately, if we wish to stay true to our word, we must both respect each tribe’s right to choose for themselves. Don’t you agree?”

Revalco was silent for a few moments. Sophitia took a prolonged sip of tea to keep herself occupied while she tried to imagine what he was thinking.

He is not getting everything he wanted. He has two choices now: Take what he can get, or go to war. Is he considering whether or not it is worth the sacrifice? But perhaps that’s not what he’s thinking at all. Maybe he’s trying to decide if I’m right. Maybe he thinks he’s been a hypocrite, and that doesn’t sit well with him.

“You said before that the position of high chieftain is to be dissolved,” Revalco reiterated.

Sophitia put her teacup down. “That’s correct. The tribes are to be independent again, unless they choose to reunite.”

“Indeed. The position your people created will disappear, but the fact remains that the other chieftains chose me to lead them,” the falcon-headed Rito went on. “I am Chief Among Chiefs, which makes the wellbeing of all Rito my responsibility. I do not intend to shirk that duty just because a Hylian told me to.”

Sophitia paused. She’d realized something.

He wants to lead his people. Just like…

The princess cupped her hands in front of her, letting her calm and collected smile drop for the first time since the high chieftain had arrived. “May I share something with you, High Chief Revalco?”

“If you insist,” he replied, clearly uninterested.

“My father died recently,” Sophitia said plainly. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Liliana turn her head slightly in reaction to the princess’s words, but if the round-eared girl was going to do anything, she stopped herself.

Revalco paused. “So I’ve heard…” He did not extend condolences or any of the usual courtesies, but Sophitia noticed his voice lacked much of its usual venom.

“I wanted to succeed him, you know,” the princess went on. “I might have had a chance to do so, but now the throne shall go to my elder sister.”

Revalco said nothing. He clearly did not see the point of what Sophitia was saying, but he seemed too bewildered to interrupt.

“It’s a disappointing feeling. There’s so much I wish to do for my people. I keep thinking to myself, if I were in charge of everything, I could just fix it all. But in the end, it isn’t my role to do so, and it would be wrong of me to seize that kind of power out of some sense of self-righteousness. So, instead, I will do whatever I can for my kingdom. I want the Rito to remain united with the rest of Hyrule because I believe I can help them, too. But there are some who will not want my help, and I need to accept that I cannot help everyone. Do you see what I mean?”

Out of the corner of her eye, Sophitia could see Liliana staring at her intently. Something in the little speech she’d just given had strongly captured her attention.

Revalco sighed. “Is this your way of telling me we’re the same?”

“No,” Sophitia denied, shaking her head. “It’s my way of telling you I understand your position.”

The falcon-headed Rito went silent again. The princess waited patiently for his answer, worrying that she’d made a bad move. She’d spoken without thinking, simply saying how she really felt. If she’d been wrong and Revalco couldn’t actually relate to anything she was going through, then everything she’d said might’ve come off as pathetic.

“I have fought with Hyrule for many years,” Revalco said finally. “The self-righteous attitude and the unearned sense of entitlement and superiority of Hylians has constantly infuriated me. When Kanelo was killed, I was not at all surprised, because I’d been expecting worse to happen for years. I finally had the reason I needed to kick all of you apes off of my land for good.”

Sophitia hoped the shock did not show plainly on her face.

This is not good.

Revalco clicked his beak. “I do so wish the other tribes had the same ambitions for independence that I do, but truth be told, my people are no less stupid than yours. And, as you’ve so annoyingly pointed out, I cannot force them to do what is best for them without becoming what I hate.” The high chieftain picked up Sophitia’s proposal again, flipping through a few pages. “I suppose this is the best I can hope for given the circumstances. I don’t like it, and I don’t like you , but you’re giving me what I wanted, so I guess I can’t complain too much.”

Sophitia blinked.

Was that him saying yes?

Revalco was rude, belligerent, and crass. He was vastly different from the Hylian nobles Sophitia was used to dealing with. However, despite all his pride, it sounded as if the falcon-headed Rito was reluctantly accepting her proposal.

“I am sorry I could not meet your expectations today,” Sophitia said, once again putting on her calm and polite façade. “But I appreciate your willingness to compromise. Satisfied or not, this will benefit both our peoples in the end.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Revalco was clearly over his quota on swallowing his pride for the day. “Just tell me where to sign the damn thing,” he said, dropping the papers down onto the table.

Sophitia smiled, relief washing over her.

It’s over.

Of course, there was still so much more work to be done, but the possibility of war seemed to have evaporated. If even Revalco can be convinced, then surely the rest of the Rito could be.

“Your signature here would be marvelous, thank you. As well as here, here, and here,” she instructed him, flipping through the correct pages. “Please bring my proposal back to the Chieftains’ Council and discuss it thoroughly with them. Each tribe may use any method they wish to decide whether to secede or to remain a part of the Kingdom of Hyrule.”

“I’m sure they’ll be pleased,” Revalco said with some level of sarcasm, although his words were likely correct. Lifting a quill off of the table, he put it to the page and signed his name.

“I must return to the City of Hyrule soon to aid my siblings, so I will be leaving the late Governor Koridai’s majordomo, Lord Nobiro, to handle things in my absence,” Sophitia explained. “I still intend to oversee the process as well as I can, so please send me a message if you require my input at any point.”

Sophitia feared that Revalco would belittle her for shouldering her subordinate with her responsibilities, but something she’d said seemed to have piqued his interest. “Are the stories coming from Hyrule true?” he asked. “I hear talk of a headless demon appearing under the Blood Moon.”

“As far as I’m aware, that is the case,” Sophitia confirmed. “I’m not sure whether or not the Headless Demon has been spotted since, so it is unclear if or when it will return.”

Revalco nodded. “If it appears in Hebra, leave it to me,” he said. “But if it appears in Hyrule again, it is your problem.”

Sophitia furrowed her brow, unsure why he’d felt the need to say this. “Demons and monsters are the common enemy of all Children of Nayru,” she told him. “Hyrule intends to fight them wherever they are found, even in Hebra.”

Revalco was silent for a moment, then he crossed his wings. “Hm. Fine. I suppose I can’t have you stealing all the glory. If this demon is truly a threat to the Inner Continent, then the Rito will stand against it as well.”

The princess tilted her head slightly in curiosity.

That was him saying he would fight alongside me, was it not?

She smiled, nodding graciously. “Splendid. I would be happy to call you an ally, much more so than an enemy.”

“Ally is a stretch, Hylian,” Revalco replied, finishing his signatures and putting the pen and paper down.

“Then I suppose I shall settle for ‘enemy of your enemy.’” Despite Revalco’s refusal to act friendly, Sophitia was in good spirits, and she could not help but find some humor in the situation. “Here. These are yours to take to the council.” The princess held out a few of the signed pages, handing them back to Revalco.

The Rito chieftain snatched them from her as he climbed to his feet. “Glad that’s over with,” he declared, taking his greatbow back from his subordinate.

“Farewell, High Chieftain.” Sophitia stood from the table, attempting to speak graciously. She hoped their final interaction would allow them to part on relatively good terms. “You have my thanks for choosing peace. Your people are lucky to have a leader like you.”

“And yours have you,” Revalco said, although Sophitia was unclear if it was meant to be a compliment or an insult. “Farewell, Princess.” With that, he and his guards took to the sky.

Sophitia was a bit surprised, and she wondered if that was the first time Revalco had ever addressed her by her proper title.

Surely that is a good sign.

The princess remained on her feet until the last Rito disappeared from view. But, as soon as they were gone, she collapsed back into her chair, feeling the stress and exhaustion catch up to her all at once.

Without saying anything, Liliana turned in place and waved to the other Hylians who had been watching from a distance, letting them know they were dismissed. Most of the guards and servants went back into the palace, but Lord Nobiro and some of the other advisors waited.

“Shall I take these to Nobiro?” Liliana asked, lifting Sophitia’s signed treaty off of the table.

The princess nodded, sending her on her way.

For a very brief period, Sophitia was left all by herself. Others in the distance might have still been able to see her, so she did not break her composure too much, but she allowed herself to lie back into her chair and rest.

It’s over.

She could not bring herself to see this outcome as a complete success. After all, she had still allowed some portion of the Hebra Province to secede, and she wouldn’t even know how much of the province she’d lost until sometime later. She dreaded how her sister, the new queen, would react to this news.

However, she’d avoided war. After the brief conflict atop Skyloft, there had been no further fighting amongst the Children of Nayru under her watch. This was the outcome she’d been aiming for in her discussion with Revalco, so at least she could call her negotiations a success. Regardless, the important thing was that it was over .

“You look like you’ve run a marathon,” Liliana said upon her return.

Sophitia weakly gestured to the chair Revalco had sat in, imploring her retainer to sit with her. “If this is what a queen has to deal with every day, then perhaps I should thank my sister for claiming the throne before I could.”

“Technically speaking, she has not claimed it yet,” Liliana reminded her.

“Don’t give me any more ideas, Lili.”

The round-eared girl sat down and poured some tea for herself. “Lord Nobiro went with his subordinates to discuss their plans for the future of Hebra under his governorship,” she informed the princess. “Would you like him to make a public announcement, or do you want to take that responsibility?”

“A good question,” Sophitia admitted, opening her eyes and sitting upright. “I avoided war, but may have lost a significant portion of Hebra in the process. How might the people react to that?”

“A good question,” Liliana said, repeating Sophitia’s words back to her.

The princess chuckled weakly, realizing she was probably asking the wrong person. “Well. I guess it should be me who makes the announcement. It was my decision, so I must own it, for better or for worse. I suppose I can step down as governor and hand the position over to Lord Nobiro during that announcement as well.”

Liliana sipped her tea, nodding along with the princess’s words. “For what it’s worth, Sophitia, I think you did the right thing.”

Sophitia’s lips curled into a smile upon hearing that, and her cheeks reddened slightly. “Thank you. That means more than you know.”


“You’re quite certain you must go?” Varke the bishop asked. “The presence of a descendant of Hylia has been a true blessing for the Hebra Province. We would be honored to have you reside here longer.”

The princess shook her head. “Your hospitality is appreciated, Your Holiness, but it is as I’ve said. My brother Percival requires my aid, and no doubt my sister, the new queen, will require it as well.”

“That is agreeable,” Arbiter Ponthos said with a nod. “Hebra shall continue to run smoothly in your absence. You are correct to prioritize your duty to the throne.”

Sophitia bowed to the elderly gentleman. “You have served your duty as well, arbiter. I am grateful for the assistance you provided during my time here.” She turned to Lord Nobiro next. “Governor, I leave Hebra in your capable hands. I have faith that our people, as well as the Rito, will remain safe and cared for under your watchful eye.”

“You honor me.” Governor Nobiro bowed to her.

The princess smiled, slinging one of her traveling bags over her shoulder. “I shall be off, then. Farewell.” She and Liliana turned and left. A pair of guards opened the double doors before them, allowing them to exit the throne room.

“Everything is prepared for the journey back to the capital,” Liliana informed her.

“Good. Have we heard from Lancel yet?” Sophitia was still curious what her elder brother was doing in Skyloft. The last thing she needed was for him to cause trouble after she had finally settled things with the Rito.

Liliana shook her head. “No, your highness.”

“What about Percival? Or Victorique?”

“No, and no,” her retainer responded with the same less-than-interested tone.

“Hmm. Curses,” Sophitia muttered. “Oh well. I suppose we’ll be able to take stock of the situation in the capital once we arrive, at least.”

As they made their way through the rest of Snowpeak Palace, Sophitia felt a tinge of sadness. Their visit had been a relatively short one, and much of it had been anxiety-inducing, but she’d felt oddly at home there.

I had the chance to be governor.

It had been nowhere near as prestigious as being queen, but for the duration of her stay, she’d had the chance to live out a portion of her dream. She’d gotten to be a leader.

I just hope I was a good one.

A detachment of her guards were waiting for her in the entrance hall. They bowed respectfully and opened the grand doors that led outside. It wasn’t snowing, but the weather was cold, as it always was in Snowpeak. Sophitia could see her own breath, but the white fur traveling clothes she wore kept her warm. Liliana was similarly dressed in a dark gray fur traveling cloak that hid the sword on her side. The princess’s carriage was waiting for her across the bridge, along with her entire retinue of horse-mounted knights.

Sophitia took one last look back at the palace. “I suppose I’ll be back relatively soon,” she said aloud, knowing there was more work to be done with the Rito.

“Think of it this way, Princess,” Liliana said as she helped her climb into the back of the carriage. “At least you’re going home.”

The princess smiled to herself as she took her seat. “I suppose so. Let us hope for a warm welcome.”

Chapter 53: Seraphina III

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

The village on Goponga Island was lively during the day. The fish market was crowded with hundreds of villagers, including Hylians, Zora, and round-eared humans. Seraphina wondered if she and Sheik would stick out, since there did not appear to be many Sheikah around. However, they kept their hoods covering their faces anyway, and Sheik insisted that the crowded marketplace was ideal for them to travel through.

“Can we stop to eat?” Seraphina asked, walking past a stand selling what looked like very tasty shellfish, advertised as fresh from Lanayru Bay.

“No,” Sheik said, tugging her along by the hand.

“But I’m starving!” the princess complained. “And we were walking all night. Can’t we rest for a little bit?”

Sheik stopped and glared down at her, but Seraphina kept up her puppy dog eyes. The young Sheikah man sighed angrily. “Fine,” he said, glancing around. “Come over here.” Sheik tugged her over to a bench near the shore and let her sit down. “Wait here. If anyone even looks at you funny, you come back over to me. Got it?”

“Got it.” Seraphina nodded, smiling gratefully. As Sheik walked away, she sighed contentedly, leaning back against the bench and stretching. This was not her first time traveling long distances away from the castle, but she was so much more used to riding in the back of a cozy carriage. Having to walk everywhere was exhausting.

As she waited for Sheik to return, the princess casually toyed with her newly shortened hair. She still wasn’t quite used to it, and after going so long without bathing, she thought she must look like a mess. Curious, she stood up from the bench and made her way over to the water’s edge. She then pulled her hood down and leaned over to peer at her reflection.

“Hmm…” Seraphina groaned disapprovingly. She did not like the total stranger she saw in the water. Just as she was about to stand up straight, she felt something jump on her from behind. “Whoa!” she said, losing her balance. She managed to avoid falling into the water, but she fell onto her side, only to find a Hylian retriever licking her face. She gasped in delight. “Hi!” she said, putting her hands on the dog to pet it.

Seraphina heard laughter. “Sorry. Watch you don’t fall in.”

Looking up, the princess found two Hylian boys about her age staring down at her, one wearing a red tunic and the other wearing blue. “Is this your dog?” she asked, still petting it enthusiastically.

“Yeah, he is,” the boy in red replied.

“He’s so cute .” Seraphina stood up, but did not take her hands off of the dog. “What’s his name?”

“Satty,” the boy in red told her. “I’m Quince, by the way.”

“And I’m Cambo,” the boy in blue joined in.

“Nice to meet you,” Seraphina said politely. “I’m--” She stopped herself from saying her name at the last second. Her heart started racing, but she quickly remembered what she was supposed to say. “Sheik.”

Quince and Cambo exchanged a confused look. Cambo shrugged. “Uh, okay. Well, don’t think I’ve seen you around here before, Sheik. Where’re ya from?”

Seraphina’s heart began beating faster. She couldn’t remember what she was supposed to say.

Did Sheik tell me where I’m supposed to be from? I can’t be from Hyrule. I should be from a Sheikah place, right?

“Kakariko,” she said quickly.

“Ah. Haven’t traveled far, then,” Cambo remarked.

“Unless she’s from New Kakariko,” Quince pointed out.

“Oh, yeah. Good point,” his friend agreed. “Which Kakariko?”

“Um…” Seraphina smiled awkwardly and ran her hand through her short hair.

Quince furrowed his brow, looking confused but concerned. “You okay?”

Seraphina jumped as she suddenly felt a hand grabbing her by the upper arm. Sheik had appeared beside her. “ Come on ,” he said forcefully under his breath, pulling her along with him.

The princess yelped. “O-Okay.” She turned to the two boys, who now looked a bit worried. She smiled in an attempt to alleviate their concern. “Bye, Quince! Bye, Cambo!” She waved, and they hesitantly waved back. Their dog barked as Sheik led her away. “Bye, Satty!”

“Shut up,” Sheik whispered as they re-entered the crowd. “And put your damn hood back up.”

“S-Sorry…” the princess replied, complying with his demand.

Sheik didn’t say another word to her until they reached the bridge at the northeast end of the island, and Seraphina was too afraid to speak either. She felt like she had made a big mistake somehow, and Sheik would be mad at her for it.

“I told them my name was Sheik,” Seraphina said quietly, guiltily avoiding eye contact as they made their way across the bridge.

“You shouldn’t have told them anything ,” Sheik replied, sounding incredibly irritated that he had to explain this.

“I just wanted to pet their dog…” the princess muttered.

“Their dog ?” Sheik repeated, stopping on the bridge to glare down at her. “Their dog ?”

“Why does it even matter?” Seraphina shouted. “They were just kids, like me!”

“Exactly. They’re just stupid kids, like you,” Sheik replied. “You know how easy it is to get information out of kids? You know how many times I’ve gotten intel on a target just by bribing the local kids with some sweets?”

Sheik took a step forward, which caused Seraphina to shrink back in fear. In doing so, she backed into the railing, realizing she’d nearly fallen into the water. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry, I didn’t know!” she cried, almost in tears.

Sheik growled, then glanced around him. There was no one else in sight. He lowered his hood and ran a hand over his face and through his hair, suddenly becoming a brown-haired man with round ears. “Pick a name,” he said.

Seraphina blinked. “What?”

Sheik shoved his hand in her face, and she knew he was changing her appearance as well. “We’re Lynnaeans now. So what’s your name?”

“Um. Um.” Seraphina tried to think of something quickly. “Blossom?”

“Fine. You’re Blossom. I’m Troy. Let’s go.”


“So why are we going to Ruta?” Seraphina asked as they walked along the Zora River. She and Sheik had managed to pass through a few other small wetland villages without incident, and now the disguised Sheikah seemed to be taking her deeper into the Lanayru Province, heading towards the Zora capital. “Can Miphela or Silorn help us? Or King Ralis?”

“Who said we’re going to Ruta?” Sheik replied, picking up the pace.

Seraphina jogged for a few seconds to catch up to him. “Then where are we going?”

“You wanted me to take you someplace safe, didn’t you?” Sheik asked. “That’s what I’m doing. So just let me take you there, and shut up.”

“Please tell me?” Seraphina begged. “I don’t like this. I just wanna go home. I wanna know if we’ll be there soon.”

Sheik growled. “Your aunt, okay? I’m taking you to your aunt.”

Seraphina’s disguised face lit up. “Aunt Celessa?” she said excitedly. “Yay!”

“Shh!” Sheik insisted, turning around to shush her. “And you fucking wonder why I don’t tell you things.”

“Is Aunt Celessa in danger, too?” Seraphina asked in a low voice. “I thought you said the bad guys were after my whole family.”

“Your aunt is a Kochi, not a Hyrule,” Sheik replied. “I don’t think they care about her.”

“Oh,” Seraphina said, not really understanding. “Why?”

“I don’t know, kusogaki . Some people have to die. Kochi’s not one of ‘em, as far as I know.”

“What do you mean, ‘have to die?’” Seraphina asked, still shocked to hear him say that despite everything else she’d heard from him.

“I don’t know .”

Seraphina flinched as Sheik turned to glare at her again. She shrunk back in fear, realizing she’d made him angry again. She still didn’t quite understand what sorts of things set him off like this. Perhaps  he was just fed up with how persistent she’d been, but she could tell it was time for her to be quiet again.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered while staring at the ground.

Sheik muttered something in his language, but said nothing else to her.

For a while, the two of them walked in silence, eventually entering Tabahl Woods. Seraphina still wasn’t sure how this route would take them to her aunt. She didn’t have the greatest understanding of geography, but she knew Necluda was south of Lanayru, and they were heading east.

Maybe we’re heading to the sea. Then we can sail the rest of the way.

Unexpectedly, Sheik put his hand over Seraphina’s mouth and pulled her into some nearby bushes. He had done this a few times at this point, so despite being taken by surprise, the princess knew what to do. She and Sheik stayed low and stayed quiet, and she tried to see what Sheik wanted to hide from.

Monsters? Travelers? Bad people?

After a short period, the princess heard footsteps. Three people were walking down the road. All of them wore cloaks, and the clothing they wore underneath was nearly identical to the garb Sheik had been wearing back when he’d first saved her in the Light Temple.

More Sheikah. Are they friends of his? Or former friends, rather?

Sheik’s grip over her mouth became almost painfully tight as the three Sheikah walked past their position. The travelers continued down the road for several paces, then suddenly stopped. The one in the front turned to look off into the woods, and the other two followed their leader’s gaze. However, they weren’t looking directly at Seraphina and Sheik’s position. Nevertheless, the princess felt uncomfortable, as if those three Sheikah could sense their presence.

Are they looking for us? Do they know we’re here? Are they gonna find us?

However, the three Sheikah looked forward again and continued down the road. Soon they were out of sight and their footsteps could no longer be heard. Sheik kept his hand over Seraphina’s mouth for another few minutes before he hesitantly raised himself into a crouched position. Without a word, he tugged Seraphina’s hand. Together, they crouch-walked deeper into the forest.

“Who were they?” Seraphina asked once Sheik allowed them to stand properly and walk normally again.

“More Sheiks,” he replied unhelpfully.

“How did they find us?” Seraphina was worried that she had made a mistake somehow, and that Sheik might be angry with her for putting them in danger.

“I don’t know. Could be any number of ways, but that doesn’t matter right now. We just need to get away from them,” Sheik insisted, pushing some branches out of his way.

Seraphina ducked under the branches to follow him. “We’ll be safe even if they find us, though, won’t we?” she asked warily. “They’re either looking for me or for Sheikah-me, not for round-eared-me, right?”

“My illusions might not be enough,” Sheik replied. “I don’t know who has the lens right now.”

“The what?”

Sheik did not answer. He was distracted by the fact that they had wandered into a cliff face, blocking their path. He looked upwards. “Up there should be the Zodobon Highlands,” he said, turning his attention to Seraphina. “I’m going to need to shadowstep with you a few times.”

Seraphina furrowed her brow with concern. “Are you sure?” she asked, knowing he’d had trouble bringing her along with him when he shadowstepped in the past. “I don’t want you getting hurt.”

“I should be fine,” he told her. “I wanted to save my magic for when we make the big jump across Rutala River, but since we can’t go near the road anymore, we have to do it here.”

The princess nodded. “Okay,” she said, not fully understanding, but taking him at his word. Stepping forward, she wrapped her arms around Sheik’s torso, holding on tightly. She closed her eyes just as the black smoke enveloped them.

A moment later, Seraphina felt that odd sensation she always felt whenever Sheik teleported her. However, that sensation was soon replaced by a more common one. She opened her eyes and realized she was falling. “ Ahh -- ugh!” She only had a brief second to let out a loud shriek before they hit the ground. They both landed on their feet, but Seraphina was certain she would have fallen if Sheik hadn’t been holding onto her.

As soon as they landed, Sheik put his hand over her mouth. “Shh,” he insisted, glancing around to take stock of their new surroundings. “Sorry, I overshot the height a bit.”

The princess nodded, and he took his hand off of her mouth. She could see they were still in a forest, but now they were at the top of the cliff they’d come to before.

“We need to keep moving. I think we’ll only need to do that one more time before we get to the river.” Sheik continued further into the woods, so Seraphina followed him.


During their walk through Zodobon Highlands, Seraphina attempted to ask Sheik a few more questions, but she did not get much more out of him. She went silent for a while, but not because she wasn’t still curious. After walking for so long, she was tired. Her legs and feet were killing her. She wished they could stop and rest, but she was too afraid to ask.

“What’s on the other side of the Rutala River?” the princess asked, wondering where they would be going next on their way to her aunt’s palace.

“More walking,” Sheik replied, not looking back at her.

Seraphina grit her teeth, speed walking to catch up to him. “Is this really the fastest way to get to Hateno?”

“No, but it’s a lot safer than the fastest way,” the young Sheikah man insisted. “If we tried to go through Kakariko, we’d be dead.”

Seraphina flinched at that. “Oh.” She hung her head for a moment, trying to think of something else to say. “Um, in a bit, maybe we could--?”

Very abruptly, Sheik spun around and charged at her. Before she realized what was happening, he had tackled her to the ground, just in time to see a knife fly overhead. Seraphina screamed, and then they were enveloped in smoke as Sheik shadowstepped them again.

When the smoke cleared, they were still in the forest, near the edge of another cliff face. “What was that?” Seraphina asked as Sheik stood up.

“What the fuck do you think it was?” Sheik grabbed her by the hand and yanked her to her feet. Before the princess had a chance to ask anything else, they were shadowstepping again. This time, they appeared at the top of the cliff. “We’re almost there,” he said, looking into the woods in the opposite direction of the cliff’s edge. “If we can get to the river--”

A burst of smoke appeared beside them. Seraphina shrieked, and a man dressed in that same Sheikah ninja garb they’d seen earlier emerged, swinging a knife downward. Sheik reacted immediately, catching the other Sheikah’s arm in his hand and attempting to stab him with his own dagger. As soon as he did, the other ninja caught his arm, locking the two of them in a stalemate.

Eee-yah !” Sheik grunted in exertion as he swung the assassin to the side, attempting to throw him off the cliff. However, as soon as the ninja went over the edge, he shadowstepped away in another puff of black smoke.

Seraphina was practically hyperventilating with panic. “What do we do?” she asked.

“Stay close to me at all times,” Sheik ordered. “If you see one I don’t see, shout.”

“Okay.” The princess nodded and fell in line behind him. Sheik held a dagger in each hand and moved quickly, keeping himself alert.

Soon after, another smoke cloud appeared to Sheik’s right. He immediately swung at it with one of his daggers, but he made no contact with anything. Perhaps it had been a distraction, because immediately afterwards, another smoke cloud burst forth behind him.

“Sheik!” Seraphina shouted.

Her protector spun around just as another ninja stepped forward, this one a little taller and thinner than the previous one. Sheik stabbed at him, but the thin man nimbly stepped to the side and slashed at Sheik with his own blade.

Aghh !” Sheik yelped in pain as the dagger cut across the left side of his torso. Before his opponent had a chance to strike again, Sheik reached into his pocket and threw something small into the other ninja’s face. It exploded in a flash of bright light that made the ninja cover his eyes and stumble back. Sheik moved in to stab him, but the ninja shadowstepped away at the last second. “Dammit!” Sheik shouted.

“You’re bleeding,” Seraphina pointed out nervously. “Let me heal you,” she said, putting her hand on his wound. Her hand glowed white as she called forth her magic.

“Fine, but we keep moving,” Sheik insisted.

It was tough to heal him while running, but Seraphina did her best to keep her hand on his side and focus on her spellwork. She had never had to heal anyone in a situation like this before, and the stress was making it much more difficult than it would have been otherwise.

The two of them were able to make it a bit deeper into the woods, but the river still wasn’t in sight. When the Sheikah assassins appeared next, there were two of them, both appearing at once and blocking their path. One of them was the shorter ninja that had been the first to attack them. The other was new, and Seraphina could tell from the form-fitting ninja garb that this one was a woman. As the two ninjas lunged forward to strike, Sheik simply wrapped his arms around Seraphina and shadowstepped away.

The suddenness of the teleportation left the princess feeling disoriented. Once they’d re-emerged from the smoke somewhere further into the woods, Seraphina felt like her head was spinning, and she would’ve fallen to the ground if she hadn’t grabbed onto Sheik’s cloak.

“Get a hold of yourself,” Sheik told her. “We can’t stop now.”

However, his attempt to shadowstep away had not accomplished much. A moment later, the two ninjas reappeared. Sheik growled in annoyance and immediately went on the offensive, slashing at his opponents as soon as they stepped out of the smoke. The shorter man was cut on the arm, but the woman avoided his attack. After dodging to the side, she attempted to run past him, going straight for Seraphina.

“Sheik!” the princess shouted.

Sheik spun around and threw his dagger at the woman from behind, but her companion shouted something in another language at the same time. With reflexes Seraphina had only ever seen from Sheik before, the woman spun around and caught his knife out of the air, then quickly threw it back at him. However, Sheik simply caught it again, and since he was now charging at her, he attempted to slash at her once more.

Although the other ninja had been injured by Sheik, he was not out of the fight yet, and he came for Seraphina next, blade drawn.

“No!” the princess shouted, backing away towards Sheik.

“You can’t… make this… easy … can you?!” Sheik and the female ninja were still engaged in a knife duel, with both being too nimble to get hit by the other. For a moment, Seraphina was worried he would be too busy fighting to protect her, but as soon as the short ninja got too close, Sheik leaped backwards. Disengaging himself from his battle, he put his arm behind him and wrapped it around Seraphina’s neck before quickly shadowstepping away.

However, almost nothing was accomplished this time. As soon as the smoke cleared, their pursuers were there as well, having somehow followed them.

“Oh, fuck off,” Sheik groaned, rolling his eyes and sighing deeply. With his right hand, he sheathed one of his daggers. When he pulled his hand back out, he tossed three large, needle-like spikes at the female ninja. She was forced to shadowstep away to dodge them, which gave Sheik a chance to spin around to the other side of Seraphina in an attempt to slash his other opponent. However, the woman returned a second later, and he was forced to try to fight them both at once.

“Stay behind me,” Sheik reminded the princess, backing away in an attempt to keep both his enemies in front of him. He exchanged attacks with his opponents for a few seconds, both he and them dodging and countering at every turn. Eventually, Sheik landed another hit on the short ninja, stabbing him through the wrist. The ninja gave only the slightest grunt of pain, but before Sheik even had a chance to pull his knife out, the female ninja stabbed Sheik in the shoulder.

Seraphina yelped in surprise. Sheik pulled back from his attackers, grabbing Seraphina as he went. However, both of them had been so distracted that they didn’t see the taller ninja return. Sheik noticed him behind them at the last second, spinning to pull Seraphina out of the path of the man’s knife, which landed squarely in Sheik’s back. He screamed in pain as he fell to the ground on top of the princess. Immediately after they hit the ground, Sheik shadowstepped them away once more.

Fuck ,” Sheik complained as he tried to sit up. He was bleeding from the wounds on his back and shoulder, and the wound in his side had not been fully healed either.

“Here, let me,” Seraphina offered, her voice and hands shaking as she moved to heal him.

“Enough of this,” a woman’s voice said.

Seraphina jumped behind Sheik, but continued to heal him as he stood up with his daggers drawn. Their three attackers stood before them, with the woman in front. None of their faces were visible through their headwraps, but all of them had blood red eyes, staring pointedly at Sheik.

“Back off,” Sheik told them. “Unless you feel like dying today.”

“Oh, please,” the short one said. “There’s three of us, and you’re half-dead as it is.”

“So? Even this fucked up, I could still take you all on,” Sheik countered.

The tall ninja sighed. “Why are we wasting our time? Let’s just finish them both off and be done with it.”

The woman held up a hand to her companion and shook her head. “Step aside. Let us eliminate the target, and I will do my best to convince Impa- sama to be merciful.”

Seraphina’s blood ran cold as she heard those words, but she continued healing Sheik. She had faith he wouldn’t give her up after coming this far.

No ,” Sheik said firmly, spitting blood out of his mouth as he spoke. “You’re not killing me, and you’re sure as hell not killing her . Now fuck off .”

“Oh, for Hylia’s sake. What difference does it make to you anyway?” the tall ninja asked, clearly not having much patience remaining. “We know what you’ve done. We’ve all done it, too. You think sparing this one child is gonna change a damn thing at this point?”

“Not at all,” Sheik replied, shaking his head. “I know we’re monsters, and keeping this brat alive isn’t gonna change that. But what the hell’s that got to do with her? Just because we deserve to die doesn’t mean she does!”

“It’s not about what anyone deserves ,” the female ninja insisted. “We’re trying to change the world. If we are to accomplish this, the Royal Family must die.”

“And how the hell do you know that ?” Sheik shouted. “Because Impa said so? We don’t even know why their deaths are required!”

“We don’t ask why . We just do our duty,” the short ninja replied. “You should know that.”

“Your actions have already dishonored the Sheikah Clan enough. Must you continue to do so by questioning the Impa Family?” the female ninja asked.

Sheik growled in frustration under his breath. He had no words left for them.

The short ninja took a step forward. “Forget it. He’s a lost cause. Let’s just--”

Without warning, Sheik shielded his eyes and threw something onto the ground. Seraphina’s reflexes weren’t anywhere near good enough to shield her own eyes, so in an instant, she was blinded by a flash of bright light. The princess yelped in pain, stumbling backwards and falling down as she moved her arms up to cover her face.

While her eyes were closed, Seraphina could hear the unfortunately familiar sounds of violence. It scared her to not know whether Sheik was winning or losing, and it scared her even more to know she was helpless if one of the ninjas decided to attack her while she was in this state.

A few seconds later, Seraphina lowered her arms and slowly tried to open her eyes. Her vision was still blurry, as if she’d been staring into the sun. However, she could see the female ninja lying on the ground, dead and covered in blood. The shorter ninja was nowhere to be seen. At the moment, the last of their attackers was fighting Sheik by himself.

The two of them fought very similarly. Both relied on agility and quick, sudden strikes, even more so than Seraphina’s sisters did. However, right now, Sheik was clearly angry. There was fury behind every strike, and his opponent was on the defensive, dodging more than he was attacking.

The princess didn’t know what to do as she watched. She couldn’t get close enough to heal Sheik, but she didn’t want to run and risk separating herself from him. As she tried to think, a puff of black smoke appeared beside her, and she immediately screamed. “Sheik!” she shouted, seeing the other ninja had returned, knife drawn.

In the middle of his fight, Sheik turned and tossed one of his diggers. It impaled the ninja who was attacking Seraphina through the hand. He cried in pain, dropping his weapon and stepping back to clutch his wounded hand. However, in the moment Sheik was distracted, his opponent took the opportunity to stab him in the side once again. Sheik growled with rage, spinning back around to the taller ninja and stabbing him in the stomach. His opponent fell to his knees, still alive, but unable to move.

Still bleeding from several places, Sheik stumbled back over to Seraphina. The shorter ninja, still with a knife through his hand, attempted to punch Sheik with his other fist. However, Sheik sidestepped the attack and stabbed him through the arm, then kicked him, sending him to the ground.

“Let’s go,” Sheik said weakly, reaching for Seraphina. A moment later, he screamed in pain. The taller ninja had tossed a knife at him, hitting him in the ankle.

“Sheik!” Seraphina shouted. “Let me--” Before she could heal him, he grabbed her and shadowstepped away.

They reappeared out of the woods, close to the edge of a cliff. Seraphina could hear the river running far beneath them. Across the river was another cliff, atop which sat Rabia Plain.

“We need to get over there,” Sheik said, pointing across to the other side. He limped closer to the edge, a knife still sticking out of his ankle.

“Stop!” Seraphina shouted, stepping in his way to prevent him from moving further. “I need to heal you.”

“Those two are still after us,” he insisted. “If we can get over there, maybe they won’t follow us.”

“But you’re hurt,” the princess argued. “Can you even get us that far?”

“Let’s hope so.” Grabbing Seraphina, Sheik pulled her closer to the edge of the cliff, then shadowstepped once more.


Being teleported by shadow magic was already disorienting, but coming out of the smoke in free fall over the Rutala River was terrifying. Sheik had gotten them almost all the way across, but it wasn’t quite far enough. Seraphina screamed, gripping Sheik tightly. She had no idea if it would help or not, but she began casting her healing magic, hoping it would in some way shield them when they landed in the water.

With her eyes closed, the princess was not prepared when they finally landed in the river. She heard the sound of them splashing against the surface for a split second, before all sound was muffled by her being underwater. Unable to breathe, she let go of Sheik and frantically swam upwards, praying to the gods for help.

When she breached the surface, she took a much needed gulp of air. She tried to tread water for a moment, then realized she was moving with the current. “Sheik?” she called out, glancing about in search of him. “Sheik!” Just as further panic was setting in, she spotted him. He was floating face down further upriver. He’d gotten caught on a log jutting out from the shore, but he was slowly moving along it.

No!

Seraphina was not the greatest swimmer, but she moved as fast as she could, praying to Hylia every second along the way. When she reached Sheik, she grabbed the log and lifted his head out of the water. “Sheik, wake up!” She didn’t think he was dead, but he wasn’t responding at all.

Oh, Hylia. Please.

Groaning with effort, she pulled herself along the log towards the shore with one hand while gripping Sheik with her other hand. Upon reaching dry land, she dragged Sheik a few meters away from the water’s edge and knelt beside him. He was wounded all over, and the fall into the river could not have helped. Closing her eyes, the princess prayed once again, holding her hands over the Sheikah’s body.

For a few minutes, a bright light covered Sheik as Seraphina worked her healing spells. Every time she opened her eyes, she kept hoping to see him move, and every time he didn’t, she tried harder.

Please, oh please, oh please… Hylia, help…

When she heard the sound of coughing, Seraphina’s eyes shot open wide and she gasped in relief. “Sheik!” she shouted, leaning over to hug him.

Sheik continued to cough, turning onto his side and spitting up river water. He eventually calmed down and noticed the princess on top of him. “Dammit…” he muttered.

“They’re not here,” Seraphina told him. “But you’re still hurt. I need to finish healing you. Properly, this time.” She raised her hands again, intending to return to work. However, Sheik slapped her hands away.

“No,” he said weakly. “Can’t you just… let me…” He trailed off, gritting his teeth.

Seraphina somehow knew what he was trying to say. She remembered the words he’d exchanged with his fellow Sheikah assassins earlier. “You’re not a monster,” she assured him, going back to healing his wounds. “You saved me, didn’t you? You saved a princess . Isn’t that what heroes do?” She smiled weakly as she said it, hoping he would appreciate the compliment.

“I killed Princess Sabah.”

The light from Seraphina’s magic faded as she stopped casting her spell. She stared at Sheik, processing what she’d just heard. She’d been told of Sabah’s death after she and her sister had fled from Taafei. The Gerudo had blamed them for it, but no one amongst her sister’s retinue had known who was truly responsible.

“It was you?” Seraphina asked.

“Yes,” Sheik confirmed. “I killed her.”

Even after hearing the words, Seraphina was still confused, and she could feel herself tearing up. “But… why?”

Sheik breathed heavily, placing his hand on one of his wounds. “To make the Gerudo angry. They were supposed to kill you and your sister.”

The princess furrowed her brow and sniffled. That didn’t make anything clearer. “But why? Why ? Why do the Sheikah want to hurt me and my family?” she asked. “The Sheikah are supposed to be our friends! We’ve been together since the kingdom was built, haven’t we?” The tears were beginning to flow now, and she stuttered as she spoke.

Sheik laid his head back. “It’s like my comrades said. We were trying to change the world. That's all we were told. We don’t get to ask questions. We just do our duty.”

The princess was not satisfied with that answer.

Someone told you to kill my friend, and you didn’t even ask why?

Seraphina wiped her arm across her face, but the tears continued to flow. Even as she cried, she raised her hands and began healing Sheik again.

Sheik raised his head when he saw the light returning. “What the hell are you doing?” he asked, somehow angry with her.

“I-I need to finish h-healing you,” Seraphina stuttered out.

Why ?” Sheik demanded. “Did you hear nothing I said? I killed her. I killed the child. Why won’t you just let me die?”

Nothing made sense. Seraphina’s friend had to die, her family had to die, and she didn’t get to know why. She was trying to save Sheik, but he wanted her to let him die. Everything that had happened since the day Sabah died had been complete madness. She didn’t know what else to do, so she just kept healing him.

“I-I need… I need to heal you,” she stated. “Just… just let me heal you.”

Sheik glared at her, then leaned his head back with a look of angry, reluctant acceptance, muttering something in the Sheikah tongue.

Notes:

Hey, look at that! We finally got our title drop. Twice!

I know some of you have been hoping to get some answers to all the mysteries, so I hope finally learning the identity of Princess Sabah’s killer was somewhat satisfying at least. We also learned a bit more about the Sheikah Cadre’s involvement in the whole conspiracy, although there’s still so much left to be revealed. I hope all of you who are still reading this are looking forward to more, and I hope you’re just as excited for Tears of the Kingdom as I am!

Chapter 54: Harun XIV

Chapter Text

After leaving the Coliseum, Harun and his party headed west. Per his agreement with Raeger, he was not to be told the precise location of the Triforce until they were closer to their destination, and in exchange, the mirror shield would be left in his possession. This was meant to ensure that both the Gerudo party and the monster party were indispensable, and thus neither would attempt to betray the other. All Harun knew at the moment was they were headed west.

Could the Hyrulean Royal Family have hidden the Triforce somewhere in the Gerudo Highlands?

It would have been very risky, but no one would have expected them to hide their greatest treasure right under the noses of one of their oldest enemies. That alone would help prevent it from being discovered. On top of that, the Highlands were made up of several snowy mountains. Much of the region was uninhabited due to the harsh weather conditions and the large presence of monsters. A good deal of it wasn’t even properly mapped yet.

Anything could be hiding out there.

However, Harun was merely speculating. Their path could easily deviate from a straight course, taking them in any other direction. Alternatively, perhaps the Triforce was hidden somewhere past the Gerudo Highlands entirely -- somewhere in the Outer Continent.

Harun shook his head, tired of wasting his energy on trying to figure out their destination. He would be told the answer soon enough, assuming Raeger was telling the truth at all.

As they crossed the Manhala Bridge over the Regencia River, the prince looked back at the Coliseum one last time. He did not regret killing Kobami the way he hated himself for killing Averla. The witch had deserved it. He’d convinced himself of that. Abandoning Urballa -- his queen, his mentor, his surrogate mother -- that was harder for him to feel proud of.

You were always meant to surpass her eventually , the voice of Ganon said within his head.

Harun scowled. He’d been successfully suppressing the Demon King’s soul ever since the Battle of the Bridge. After everything that had happened, Ganondorf was the last person he wanted to speak to.

I am not trying to surpass Queen Urballa , Harun argued. I will ascend to the throne one day, but I do not plan to steal it from her. Even if he was angry at Urballa at the moment, he still did not see her as his enemy, nor did he think she needed to be removed from power. She will thank me when I return with the Triforce.

Ganon’s laughter echoed within Harun’s skull. The Triforce is the ultimate power in this world. Do you truly believe yourself capable of returning to a life in service to someone other than yourself once you’ve held it?

Yes. Not everyone is like you, demon , Harun responded. Unlike the previous king, he did not have grand designs for conquering Hyrule. As far as he was concerned, Urballa had reclaimed their people’s lands already. All they needed to do was hold it, which would be easily accomplished with the use of the Triforce. In addition to that, he could finally wish himself free of the Curse of Demise.

We shall see, came Ganon’s reply before he went silent once again.

“Hey. Harun.”

The prince jumped at the sudden feeling of being tapped on the shoulder.

“Whoa. Excuse me, Prince,” Kyra said, leaning away from him. “Are you alright? Emri noticed you had that thousand-yard stare again.”

“Kyra….” Emri muttered indignantly, riding alongside her.

The Gerudo party, made up of Harun and the guards and servants who remained loyal to him, were riding on horseback, following behind the monster party up ahead. Raeger was at the head of the pack. Most of the Blins he led were walking on foot, although a few rode Bullbos.

“My apologies,” Harun said. “I was conversing with Ganondorf’s spirit.” It was not a topic he had much desire to discuss. However, his condition was well-known at this point, and he did not wish to hide things from those who would be closest to him.

“Truly?” Laine rode up along his other side. “What does the old king tell you?”

“It matters not,” the prince replied firmly. “I do not intend to allow him to sway my opinion.”

“Hmm? Why not?” Kyra asked. “He’s helped us quite a bit lately. You used his power to win the Battle of the Bridge for us. He saved us when we were surrounded by Hylians in the canyon. And he helped you get revenge on the Molduga that ate--”

Kyra !” Emri grabbed the other girl by the shoulder and shook her abruptly. Kyra seemed to get the message, looking mortified.

Harun looked ahead for a moment, thinking back to their journey to and from the Spirit Temple. Katta’s death had been the result of an uncontrollable act of nature -- just a monster wanting food. He could not blame Ganondorf for that. He was even somewhat grateful that Ganon’s power had allowed him to help kill the beast. However, with all the examples Kyra had brought up, she’d failed to mention when Ganondorf had gone mad, possessed his body, and forced him to kill their mentor, Lady Averla.

“Much of what Elder Kobami taught us about Ganondorf was false, or at least not the whole truth,” Harun told his guards. He had rarely shared his disagreements with the witch so candidly in the past, but after having just killed her, there was not much point in attempting to hide his true opinion any longer. “We should not strive to achieve the old king’s goals. We must focus on our own.”

“But, my prince, we are attempting to obtain the Triforce,” Laine pointed out. “Was that not King Ganondorf’s goal?”

“Obtaining the Triforce was the means by which he would achieve his goal, not the goal itself,” Harun corrected. “If the legends about the Triforce are true, then it can be used to accomplish anything one wishes. It is not merely a tool for conquest and revenge.”

“Well, let’s just hope these monsters really know what they’re talking about,” Kyra remarked. “This little journey of ours will end up being a huge waste of time if they’re wrong. And if we come back empty-handed after all of this, the queen will probably have us executed.”

Emri flinched at her words, but Laine glared at Kyra.

“Do not speak ill of the queen,” Laine told the other girl. “We -- and the prince -- are not her enemies, even if they had a disagreement.”

“Ladies, please.” Harun raised his hands. “Let’s not discuss this any further right now.” He recognized Kyra had a point, however. He’d always known that trusting the Hinox was a big risk. If the monster was lying or incorrect about the location of the Triforce and the method of obtaining it, then this journey being a waste of time would be the least of their concerns.

Urballa would not execute me, would she?

He had killed her closest advisor right in front of her, and he had acted completely of his own free will this time. He was the prince, but still. Would she disown and disinherit him? Exile him? Throw him in the dungeon?

“You’re right, my prince,” Laine said. “I apologize if we have caused you any distress.”

“Mm.” Emri nodded her agreement, as if apologizing on Kyra’s behalf.

“Alright, alright,” Kyra agreed. “What should we do instead, then?”

Harun thought for a moment, but had nothing concrete in mind. “Let’s just focus on the mission.”


After traveling up a slope for a while, Harun noticed Raeger and his minions had stopped up ahead. It was probably nothing, but Harun kept his guard up anyway. He doubted they would bother luring them this far only to ambush them on the road, but it paid to be cautious.

“What is it?” Harun asked the Hinox once his section of the party had caught up with the monster’s.

A Devilblin was the first to respond. The monster held a map and sat alongside a Bulblin on the back of a Bullbo. However, he only spoke in a series of monster sounds that Harun could not decipher.

“We are to go that way now,” Raeger translated, pointing north.

Harun noticed they had come to a fork in the road. One path curved north around the hill, and the other continued further west into a forest.

Harun hopped down off of his horse and walked over to the Devilblin. “May I see the map?” he asked, reaching for it.

The monster yanked the map away from him, yelling at Harun in a scratchy monster voice.

Raeger squatted down, pushing his giant eye right up to the Devilblin. He spoke a few words in a monster dialect. The Devilblin apparently found his words menacing, as he quickly shoved the map into Harun’s hand with a frightened look on his face.

“Thank you,” Harun said to neither of them in particular. He eyed the map for a moment, seeing where the chosen path would take them. “There’s a Hyrulean town along this road,” he pointed out, placing a finger on the map. “Sanidin. Are we going there?”

“No,” Raeger answered, shaking his head as he stood back up. “We are going further than that.”

“I see.” Harun supposed it made sense. He doubted the Triforce would’ve been in such a place. “We should take the other path then,” Harun declared, pointing into the woods. “It will take us through Dalite Forest, and then we can cross Nima Plain from there.”

“Hm?” The Hinox scratched his giant head, looking down at him in confusion. “Why would we do that, little human?”

“If we get too close to Sanidin, we may be attacked by the Hyruleans,” the prince explained. “They will not stop to ask questions when they see a Hinox and a band of Blins. And if my warriors and I attack a Hyrulean settlement, it will be seen as a further act of war.”

“Hmm. A fine point,” Raeger replied. He turned his head and looked towards the northern path, no doubt able to see much farther than the rest of them could due to his great height. “Well, how about this compromise, then?” he said, pointing up the north path. “I see no Hylians on this side of the hill. We can continue up this path until we reach Nima Plain, and then go off the road from there. We will still keep our distance from the Hylians, but we won’t waste time going through the woods.”

Harun thought about it for a minute. “Fine,” he said in agreement. “Lead the way. But, if we run into any Hylians along the road, do not attack them unless they attack you first.”

“I find that agreeable,” Raeger said, bowing slightly in a way that almost came off as faint mockery. “Come along now,” he said to his Blin followers, before giving orders in what sounded like a couple different dialects.

Harun stayed back with the other Gerudo for a few moments, allowing the monsters to take the lead once more.

That went rather well.

Harun had been worried about many things concerning his alliance with these monsters. For one, he’d been uncertain Raeger and his followers would respect him as a leader. Given how much larger and stronger the Hinox was, it would’ve been natural to assume the monsters would follow only Raeger. However, after having a cordial discussion with the giant about how to move forward, it would appear as though Raeger was prepared to view Harun as an equal.

Perhaps they were impressed by my fight with Kobami. At least some good came out of that.

Additionally, monsters were not known to care much for the lives of the Children of Nayru. Harun had been worried their plan would be to smash and pillage their way through every obstacle they came across, including villages of innocent Hylian civilians. But, it appeared as though this was not the case either.

Why is it that these monsters are so much more civilized than the Bulbins and the Lizalfos I’ve run into? Or perhaps only the Hinox is. Good thing he’s in charge, at least.

As Harun considered the status of his alliance with the monsters, he continued leading his Gerudo forces along the road, curving around the hill. Things were quiet for a time, but, as he’d feared, there were soon signs of trouble.

From up ahead, the sound of several Blins screeching could be heard, followed by the booming voice of Raeger. The Hinox was not speaking Hylian, so Harun could not understand him, but he sounded angry about something.

“What the hell’s going on over there?” Kyra asked with mild amusement.

Harun flicked his horse’s reins. “With me! Now!” he ordered his guards.

“Yes, my prince!” Laine shouted as she and the rest of the Gerudo warriors followed him.

In the short amount of time it took to close the distance between his party and Raeger’s, Harun prayed the monsters were merely infighting. Such a thing was common among monsters, and even if they all respected Raeger’s authority, Harun had seen the Blins screeching at each other several times since he’d met them.

By the time they rounded the hill, the shouting had died down. The Blins were clustered together along the road, blocking the path of the horses.

“Make way!” Harun commanded. Several of the Blins seemed to get the message, even if most of them were not great with the Hylian tongue. This allowed the prince to ride up to Raeger’s side. “Raeger, what has happened?” Harun asked.

“Look,” the cyclops replied, pointing down the road up ahead.

Harun could see about half a dozen Hylians riding away from them on horseback, heading towards a town in the distance. Close by, there were a few tents and the remains of a campfire set up by the side of the road. With many of their belongings left behind, the Hylians had clearly left in a hurry once they’d spotted the monsters coming down the road.

However, in addition to the tents and the discarded gear, the body of a Hylian lay on the ground. There were two arrows lodged in him, one in the head and one in the back. He had probably been running for his horse, which had either been spooked or taken by his companions when they fled.

Harun climbed down from his horse and approached the body. The Blins blocking his path shrank back at the sight of him, clearly intimidated by the anger in his eyes. When he reached the body, the prince knelt down and checked for a pulse, but did not find one, as he’d expected.

“Who is responsible for this?” Harun asked, standing straight and turning back to the group.

A number of the Blins responded by pointing a finger at one another. While there appeared to be much confusion, the majority of them pointed to just two of the Blins. One was a Bulblin sitting atop a Bullbo, while the other was a muscular Dogblin standing with his gigantic, spiked longbow digging into the dirt by his side.

“You two,” Harun said, pointing to them both. “Explain yourselves.” He was hoping at least one of them spoke Hylian, but if they didn’t, he could at least rely on Raeger to translate.

The Dogblin, an imposing breed of Moblin with a jowled face like a guard dog, grunted in response. “He have weapon.” The monster’s manner of speaking showed an unfamiliarity with the Hylian tongue, but it was better than nothing. “I kill first.”

“Me, also,” the Bulblin added.

Harun eyed the body again. There was indeed a Hylian-made sword by the body, but that wouldn’t be unexpected of a person traveling in the wilds.

“It is not important,” the Bulblin went on. “Other humans run. We are not hurt.”

“It is important,” Harun disagreed. “Now, the other Hylians will ride to Sanidin, inform the guards that an army of monsters is on its way, and it just killed one of their friends. They’ll be waiting for us now. Looking for us. Getting past them without further incident will be close to impossible.”

In addition to the murder.

The Dogblin growled. “They not stop us. We go.”

Harun sighed in frustration, then turned to the Hinox, tilting his head back to speak to him. “Raeger, this is unacceptable conduct. If we cannot trust your troops to restrain themselves, we cannot continue to travel through populated civilian territory.” In some way, Harun felt responsible, too. Had he insisted they travel through the forest as he’d initially suggested, they might not have run into anyone along the way.

“I agree,” the Hinox replied. Without another word, the Hinox bent down and reached for the offending Blins. Both the Bulblin and the Dogblin looked terrified for a brief moment before Raeger took them into his hands, followed by brief shrieks of pain as they were both crushed within the larger monster’s grip. Harun was shocked as well, taking a step backward as he witnessed the abrupt act of brutality.

With both Blins dead, Raeger lifted his arms and tossed their bodies over the hill, out of sight. He turned his one-eyed gaze upon the rest of the monsters gathered beneath him and gave them what must have been a strongly-worded warning.

“My apologies,” the Hinox said calmly, turning back to Harun once he was finished. “I expect they will be more cooperative moving forward.”

Harun was unsure how to respond. Perhaps the death sentence had been warranted for their crime, but executing soldiers on the spot for insubordination was not the way the prince wished to lead.

I must speak with Raeger about this later. But, for now, I mustn’t undermine his authority or give the impression that we are in conflict with one another.

“I suppose that will have to do for now,” Harun replied. He looked out over the crowd, which caused monsters and Gerudo alike to lower their heads, clearly intimidated by the giant’s actions, and perhaps by the prince’s response to them. “Please allow me and my troops to lead for the time being,” he requested. “The Hylians will be more willing to negotiate with other humans. I assume we are heading for Jeddo Bridge?”

“That is correct. We intend to cross there,” the Hinox confirmed, not giving away anything further about their eventual destination. “Please, by all means.” Raeger gestured forward towards the hill leading down to the plains.

Harun nodded. “Excellent.” Returning to his horse, Harun allowed the monsters to remain somewhat scared of him. “Onwards. With me,” he ordered in the Gerudo tongue, setting out ahead of the rest. His warriors followed him while the monsters waited, watching them pass.

Once there was enough distance between the Gerudo and the monsters, Kyra let out a laugh, sounding as though she’d been holding it in for a long time. “Wow, that fucking cyclops has no mercy, huh? The way he crushed those monsters’ bones and just chucked them over the hill -- by the gods!”

Emri looked uncomfortable, but did not say anything.

“I suppose we should not be surprised by the savagery of these monsters,” Laine stated. “Although, one might call it strong leadership to execute murderers. It sends a message to the rest of them, at least.”

“I will discuss the matter with Raeger privately,” Harun told them. “Let me worry about that. We should stay focused on the path before us.”


Nima Plain was a wide, flat stretch of grasslands between Satori Mountain and the hills that ran alongside the Regencia River. Harun considered himself lucky that they would be able to see any potential threats coming from miles away. However, that also meant they had no way to conceal themselves. If any adventurers or soldiers from Hyrule were looking for them after the previous incident, they would surely see the small army of Gerudo and monsters making their way across the plains.

Harun decided to continue north until they had nearly reached the foot of Satori Mountain. At that point, he turned northeast towards Jeddo Bridge. This way, it would put some distance between them and Sanidin. At the very least, it would make it clear they had no intention of attacking the town, and perhaps the distance would dissuade any Hylians from coming after them.

The town of Sanidin was visible for much of the journey, although it was too far away to see much of what was going on. The only hint of trouble was the alarm bells that sounded a few times. Nevertheless, Harun and his Gerudo followers passed by the town without incident, and he was beginning to think the trouble had passed.

“Do you think the Hylians will attack us?” Laine asked a few hours after the incident.

“It does not appear so,” Harun replied. “If the adventurers notified the town of what transpired, they would know the safest thing to do would be to assemble the town guard and wait it out within the walls where they might more easily defend against further attacks.”

“That is true,” Laine agreed.

“That’ll keep the guards busy, sure. But there’s gotta be a bounty on the monsters now, right?” Kyra pointed out. “Raeger’s eye alone has gotta be worth a hefty sack of rupees. We’ll be getting some adventurers tailing behind us, I bet.”

Kyra had a point. Adventuring was a legitimate profession in Gerudo as well as in Hyrule. Since a town guard’s job was to protect the town, they were not often sent to actively hunt monsters. Mercenary monster slayers were often paid to do so instead.

Harun looked over his shoulder. The monsters were still following them, with Raeger at the front. The Hinox’s horde must have been easily visible from the town at that point. If anyone were to come after them, they would be in sight soon.

“Be on the lookout. Someone may come from the town soon,” Harun reminded everyone before turning his attention to his personal guards. “If any Hylians, be they soldiers or adventurers, come this way, I would like Kyra and Emri to accompany me when I ride out to parley with them. Laine, you will take the rest of our forces and form a perimeter around the monsters. Try to keep yourselves between them and the Hylians in case negotiations don’t go well.”

“Yes, my prince,” Laine agreed with a dutiful nod. “What are we going to do once we reach Jeddo Bridge?”

Harun had not given that too much thought yet. They had been able to cross Manhala Bridge without incident because the Hylian troops in the area had already surrendered when they took the Coliseum. However, the bridge to West Hyrule Plains would more than likely still be guarded.

“With any luck, we will be able to negotiate our safe passage,” Harun stated. “Perhaps they will be too afraid to fight a Hinox.”

“And when that fails?” Kyra asked, as though it was already decided that it would.

Harun sighed. “Tamio River is not too wide. Perhaps we can simply cross it.”

“Prince Harun,” a voice from behind them called.

Harun looked over his shoulder. “Yes?”

“Look.” The young woman pointed towards Sanidin. Just as they’d predicted, a small group of Hylians riding atop horses had appeared outside of the town, and they were headed for Raeger’s group.

“Dammit,” Harun swore under his breath. He gave a sigh before doling out orders. “Very well. Ladies, just like we planned. Kyra, Emri, come with me. Laine, take the others over to Raeger’s party.”

“Yes, my prince.” Laine turned to give the command to the other riders.

“Let’s move,” Harun said to the other two, pulling his horse’s reins and setting it in motion towards the oncoming Hylians.

“You got it!” Kyra agreed enthusiastically.

“Okay, Harun,” Emri agreed as well.

The Hylian riders did not appear to be knights or soldiers, as they did not wear the distinctive armor Harun had seen quite often in his battles against the Hyrulean army. It was difficult to identify them from a distance, but he could see there were six of them.

They must be the companions of the man who was killed.

In some ways, Harun would’ve preferred to deal with the town guards. They would have had no personal stake in the matter, and he would’ve been able to talk sense into them more easily. However, if the man who was killed by those Blins had been a friend to these people, they might simply be out for blood.

Revenge is a desire you understand quite well, is it not? Ganondorf’s voice came from within Harun’s head.

The prince ignored him, hoping to force the demon’s voice back down into his subconscious for the time being.

There were many possibilities for how the encounter with the approaching adventurers might have gone. Harun considered the Hylians might attack them on sight. The adventurers might also simply evade them and head straight for the monsters. If things did not go well, Harun knew he may have to fight and possibly kill the Hylians, which may trigger further reaction from the town guards.

Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.

Harun and his two companions managed to place themselves directly in the adventurers’ path, stopping to wait for them. He and his guards did not draw their weapons, hoping to show they wished to talk rather than fight. Luckily, the Hylians did not change their path to go around the Gerudo, and they slowed down upon their approach.

“Greetings, adventurers,” Harun said once the Hylians had stopped, forming a line across from them. “My name is Harun.”

“We know who you are.” The man in the center of the group spoke up. Harun assumed he was their leader. He wore studded leather armor and carried a large claymore on his back, although the weapon would not seem so large if wielded by a Gerudo. “We heard you people had invaded, but I didn’t expect to find you consorting with monsters.” His tone made it clear he found the actions of the Gerudo to be abhorrent.

That is how they view all of us , Ganondorf told him.

Harun let out a low groan, knowing this was off to a bad start and would not be easy. “The situation south of here is regrettable,” Harun admitted. “And I understand how this must look, but I assure you, my companions and I are not here to lay claim to any Hyrulean territory.”

“Is that right?” The Hylian woman beside the man in the center spoke up next. She was dressed similarly to him, but she had a round wooden shield on her back and a smaller sword by her side. “Then what are you doing here, might I ask?” Her tone was no better than her companion’s, and she was clearly skeptical of Harun’s claims.

The prince hesitated for a moment. He couldn’t simply tell the truth; that they were attempting to obtain the Triforce. They would immediately suspect him of being the same as Ganon. “I have temporarily left Queen Urballa’s service,” Harun began, figuring that statement to be true enough. “I believe that Hinox over there has a way to end our conflicts peacefully.”

Peacefully ?” The Hylian man in white priest’s robes sounded baffled. “You’ve just murdered Konba, and you speak of peace ?”

Konba must have been their friend who had been killed. “I apologize for what happened to your companion. The Blins responsible for that man’s death acted without orders from their superiors,” Harun explained. “They have already been executed for their crimes. We left their bodies in the hills near where it happened. You may go and confirm this if you doubt me.”

“Even if that’s true, it changes nothing,” the party’s leader said. “Look at that horde of monsters behind you. You think that’s safe ? How many more people are they going to kill while you traipse your way through our lands?”

“These monsters are different,” Harun assured them. “They are not simply bloodthirsty. They have a goal. They are intelligent. Some of them even speak your tongue.”

“Since when does the ability to speak make one intelligent?” a young man wearing a mage’s cap said.

Harun sighed deeply.

This will never work, Ganondorf told him. Not your way.

The prince closed his eyes, considering things for a moment. When he opened them again, he gave the Hylians a dark glare. “I am trying to be reasonable,” he told them. “You do not trust me? You think us to be your enemy? Fine. Let me give you another reason to leave us alone. There are only six of you. That might be a match for me and my companions here,” he said, gesturing to Kyra and Emri. “But I’ve got a dozen more Gerudo back there, along with two dozen Blins and a Hinox . You wish to fight us? Go ahead.”

Emri looked extremely nervous about what he’d just said, but Kyra raised her weapon, as if to say she was ready to fight when they were.

The man and the woman at the front of the adventurers’ party looked determined, but the other four appeared hesitant.

“Um. Hoz? Maybe he has a point,” a woman with a bow and quiver on her back said to their leader, her voice shaking a little.

The man called Hoz grunted. “And we are to let Konba’s death go unpunished?”

“They said his death was already punished, though,” a man in a dark cloak pointed out. “We should at least go back and check if he was telling the truth.”

Hoz hesitated, but soon gave a reluctant sigh. “Fine. We shall see.”

The woman with the shield walked her horse forward a few steps. “Do not think we’ll forget about you, Gerudo prince,” she said threateningly. “If we find out you’ve lied to us, we will pursue you and your monstrous minions to the ends of the Earth.”

“We’ll hold you to that,” Kyra said smugly, now resting her spear across her shoulders.

Harun gave his companion a sideward glance to tell her to stop talking. “I have not lied,” Harun insisted. “You will see this.”

“Mhmm.” The Hylian woman still looked angry with him, but all six adventurers turned their horses around and headed southeast towards the road.

Harun remained seated atop his horse as he watched them leave. Once they were far enough away, he let out a heaving sigh.

It’s about time something goes right for us.

In the end, he had needed to threaten them to get them to back off, but it was only a threat of  retaliation, and the matter had been resolved without any true violence either way.

“Did you see the looks on their faces?” Kyra asked, chuckling slightly. “Those little people are gonna be seeing you in their nightmares, Harun.”

“I thought you were very noble,” Emri said quietly.

Harun was pleasantly surprised to hear her voice an opinion unprompted, but he appreciated her compliment more than Kyra’s. “Thank you, Emri. I was glad to have both of you backing me up.”

Both of them seemed to appreciate that. “Thanks, Prince!” Kyra said cheerfully.

Harun looked back towards the rest of their party. Many of them were watching him intently, most noticeably Raeger. “Let’s return to the others,” Harun said. “We’ll let them know it is safe to continue.”

“Yes, my prince.”

When they took the horses back to the group, Laine was the first to ride out to meet them. “Is everything alright, Prince Harun?” she asked. “I saw the Hylians leave. Do they intend to return?”

“It’s alright, Laine,” the prince told her, continuing towards Raeger. “I believe we’ve settled things. They will not return.”

When Harun got close, the Hinox squatted down to speak with him. “May we continue now?” the giant asked. “My horde is getting restless standing around like this.”

“We may continue,” Harun confirmed.

“Good. Allow me to take the lead again,” Raeger requested.

Harun narrowed his eyes. “Perhaps it would be best for me to remain in front for the time being,” he suggested. “I know our destination, or at least our next one.”

“True, but the people at the bridge do not know you,” the Hinox replied. “Trust me. It will be better if they see me first.”

Given the monster’s size, Harun did not believe it would be possible for anyone at the bridge to miss Raeger, even if Harun was leading the party. However, the prince was confused. “Are you saying the bridge guards are familiar with you already?” Harun asked, furrowing his brow.

“Correct,” the Hinox confirmed. “They should be waiting for us. We are actually a little late, so I would like to get moving soon, if possible.”

Harun found it strange, but if this monster had been willing to ally himself with a group of Gerudo, perhaps he had done so with a group of Hylians at some point. “I see,” Harun said. “Very well. You may lead the way. But remember, keep your Blins in line.”


Jeddo Bridge was nowhere near the size of Hyrule’s great bridges, like the Bridge of Hylia or the Digdogg Suspension Bridge. However, it led into Hyrule Ridge, an important subprovince of Central Hyrule, and it was well guarded. A pair of stone towers watched over it from either side, which no doubt housed Hyrulean soldiers keeping track of border crossing.

Harun became worried as he watched Raeger approach the bridge with his horde in tow. The Hinox had claimed it would be safe for him to cross the bridge, but Harun had his doubts. Even if Raeger indeed had allies within the Hyrulean military in these parts, a simple unexpected shift change might have been enough to foil his plans. The prince was fairly confident they would be able to fight their way through a blockade, especially with Raeger on their side, but he wished to avoid a battle regardless.

Raeger stopped when he reached the two towers guarding their side of Jeddo Bridge. The fact that he had made it that far without receiving a dozen arrows to the eye was already a good sign, but Harun still waited nervously. He was too far away to hear anything, but the giant seemed to be talking to someone in the tower.

After a moment, Raeger turned around and waved his hand, beckoning Harun and the Gerudo to come to him. He then took his Blin horde and crossed the bridge.

“Huh. Guess he was telling the truth,” Kyra remarked.

“I suppose he was,” Laine agreed. “Shall we, my prince?”

“Yes. Follow me.” Harun led the way, taking his horse up the road to the bridge. There were only two Hylian guards on the ground, but they remained near the towers. Many more watched him from the windows of the towers, but none said a word to him nor made any attempt to stop him. It was eerie. Even though the guards had just let the monsters pass, there was no guarantee that they wouldn’t take this opportunity to kill the prince of the Gerudo, who they may have considered to be a threat.

Nonetheless, Harun and his party crossed the bridge without incident. Raeger and the Blins were waiting for them on the other side.

“Is something wrong?” Harun asked, looking up at the giant, unsure why he had stopped.

“We’re waiting for someone,” the Hinox replied. “She should be down in a moment.”

Harun furrowed his brow. “Who--?”

“Oi!”

The prince turned his attention to one of the towers beside the bridge. There was a young woman with red hair standing out on a balcony, waving down at them. Before anyone could respond, she hopped up onto the railing, holding her arms out for balance, then allowed herself to fall forward. Harun gasped as he watched her fall, but when she was halfway to the ground, a pair of leathery wings extended from beneath the violet overcoat she wore. The winged girl giggled as she gently descended, gliding in small circles on the way down.

The girl landed between Harun and Raeger, casually holding her hands in her pockets as her leather boots hit the road. Her wings disappeared beneath her coat, leaving her with the appearance of an ordinary Hylian once again, save for her cat-like yellow eyes and the oddly pronounced fangs she bore as she grinned at Harun’s surprise.

“Hey there. You’re that prince guy, right?” the red-haired girl asked.

Harun tilted his head curiously, still confused by the situation.

The girl giggled once more and turned to look up at Raeger. “You didn’t tell me you were bringing Gerudo with you.”

“We met him on our way back from the Lost Woods,” the Hinox told her. “The sage’s brother’s sword was not there, and the Master Sword had not yet been claimed. However, Harun here has the mirror shield.”

“Really? Hm. Guess that explains what happened to Karg.” The girl spun back around to face Harun. “Can I see it?”

“Excuse me, but I fear I am a bit behind,” Harun said. “Who might you be?” he asked the girl.

“Ah,” Raeger said from behind her. “How rude of me. Harun, this is Mina Remoth. And Miss Remoth, this is Harun, Prince of the Gerudo.”

“Hey,” Mina said with a wave of her hand.

Harun was still puzzled. He knew her name, but not much else, even her species. “It is nice to meet you, Miss Remoth.”

“Call me Mina,” she told him. “So, you got the shield, or what?”

The prince reached behind his back and took out the mirror shield, displaying it for her to see.

“Ooooohhhhh…” Mina leaned forward and back, watching her reflection in the shield. “Nice! That’s four down, two to go.”

Harun was glad to hear the Triforce was already two-thirds of the way in their grasp, but he still had questions. “Mina, if I may ask, what is your role in all of this? Have you been searching for these keys just as Raeger has?”

The impish girl shook her head. “Nah. I don’t have the patience for that. I’m just running things here while my dad’s out playing regent in the capital.”

This drew Harun’s curiosity further. “Regent? Is the king indisposed?” The prince also wished to know who her father was, since he was apparently important enough to serve as regent.

Mina bared her impish fangs, giggling. “Well, ‘ indisposed ’ is one way to put it. King Tychon’s dead.”

“Dead?” Harun repeated. “How?”

“Our partners took care of that,” Raeger told him. “Don’t worry, I’ll introduce you later. Probably. They should be waiting for us.”

Harun grunted, unsatisfied with the minimal detail he was being given. However, with the news of the king’s death, Princess Zelda’s sudden departure from the Coliseum made more sense to him.

She must have returned to the capital in the wake of her father’s death…

“You said your father is currently serving as the regent of this kingdom?” Harun asked Mina. “Who might your father be?”

Mina tilted her head curiously, seemingly surprised that he did not know. “Ah. Well, I guess you’re a foreigner, after all. My dad’s Toren Remoth. He’s in charge of the Ridge.”

“And he is the founder of our alliance,” Raeger explained further.

Those two pieces of information explained a lot to the prince. Their leader was a high-ranking noble in Hyrule, which must have been why they had resources and the ability to operate without interference from the kingdom. The fact that Mina was their leader’s daughter also explained why Raeger seemed to view her as his superior, and why a girl about his age held any sort of power within their ranks.

She is like me, in that sense.

“So,” Mina began. “We’re taking him to--”

“The Triforce,” Raeger interrupted with his booming voice, completing her sentence. “My apologies, Miss Remoth. I thought it wise not to speak of our objective’s location quite yet.”

“Ugh. We really gotta bother with that?” Mina rolled her eyes dramatically. “This crap is so exhausting. Why didn’t Dad just put you or the Halftusk in charge?”

“I did not think to question the Master’s decision,” Raeger replied.

“Course you didn’t. You got an eye bigger than your brain,” Mina replied, giggling good-naturedly. “Now, we gonna get a move on, or what? I’m sick of waiting around in this dump.” Turning to the tower she’d come from, Mina cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted. “Oi! We’re leaving!”

Some of the guards who were already on the ground level simply walked over to join her, but others spread wings and flew down from the tower in much the same fashion Mina had earlier. Harun was curious what manner of monster they were, but he was uncertain if such a thing would be considered rude to ask.

One of the soldiers brought Mina a horse, and she quickly climbed atop it. “Perfect. Alright, one-eye. Lead the way.”

Chapter 55: Link XV

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Link emerged from the underground fairy fountain chamber to see clear, sunny skies above him. This confirmed that it was indeed daytime now, and it reminded him that this part of the Kokiri village was in a large clearing, as there were no tree branches blocking the view above him.

“The Forest Temple’s supposed to be at the far end of the maze, right?” Linkle asked, walking down the path made by two long hedges. “I think it’s this way.”

Link followed her, but he did not trust her sense of direction. “We should ask one of the Kokiri which way to go.”

“Nonsense! What fun is a maze if you have directions?” Linkle countered. “Besides, I found my way here alright, didn’t I?”

Link tilted his head in reluctant agreement, although he hoped he would not have to rely on his sister’s luck. Nevertheless, it was better for them to get lost in a friendly fairy town than in some sort of labyrinthian dungeon.

As expected, the Kokiri village of Kasuto was much more active during the day than it had been the night before. Scores of fairy children were out and about. Some tended to shops, others crowded around vendor stalls, and groups of what were probably actual children played games in the streets. Music drifted through the air from a dozen different directions, and playful fairies flew overhead, leaving sparkling streaks through the air.

For much of the journey, Linkle danced and skipped her way through the crowds, apparently spurred on by the music and the festive atmosphere. With her short stature and green tunic, she almost blended in with the Kokiri. Fairy children didn’t continue aging past age twelve or so, which meant Linkle only looked about three years older than the oldest-looking Kokiri.

Link moved slower through the market crowd, but kept a watchful eye on his sister. He watched as she bumped into somebody who appeared upset with her, until another Kokiri came over and calmed them down. It took Link a moment to recognize the helpful Kokiri, but Linkle waved her brother over excitedly.

“Link! Look, it’s Remi!” she said as he got closer.

“Oh. Hello again,” Link greeted him. “Thanks again for your help the other day.”

“No problem. Glad to see you both,” Remi replied. “You were both down in the fairy fountain for a long time. Did you spend the night down there?”

“We did,” Linkle confirmed. “Elmtera was really sweet. She let us bathe in her fountain.”

“Ah, the magical healing waters,” Remi mused. “Must have been nice. So, have you met with Saria yet?”

“No, we were on our way there now,” Link explained. “Would you mind showing us the way?”

“Sure, come with me.” Remi waved them along and headed in the direction Linkle had been going.

“Aw, that’s no fun,” Linkle complained.

“Just deal with it,” Link told her.

They had apparently been on the north end of the forest maze already, because it did not take them long to find the exit. When they emerged, they found themselves at the foot of a long staircase that had been carved into the side of a large hill.

“It’s up this way?” Link asked for confirmation, not looking forward to all the stairs he was going to have to climb.

“That’s right,” Remi said with a nod, climbing the first step.

“Ugh. What is it with sages and stairs?” Link complained as he followed.

“Race ya to the top!” Linkle called as she blew past them, her Pegasus Boots allowing her to climb at an incredible rate.

“Elle, watch you don’t--”

“Ow!”

“--trip.” Link watched as his sister fell face first into the steps just before she reached the top.

“Oh, my. We should hurry and check on her,” Remi suggested with concern in his voice.

“She’ll be fine. She’s had much worse.”

Sure enough, Linkle soon jumped back to her feet and finished climbing the stairs, disappearing from view.

When Link finally caught up with her, he walked out into a narrow, grassy clearing. The area was boxed in on the left and right by two earthen walls, atop which sat much larger stone walls, apparently part of the temple. At the end of the clearing was much the same, except there was an open doorway in the stone wall that must have led inside the temple. Another staircase led up to the opening. A tree stump sat on the right side of the staircase, while an intact tree rose up from the left side. The tree was slanted and had no leaves to speak of, and there was only one branch extending from it, hanging over the top of the staircase as if to welcome them.

Linkle sat atop that tree branch, waving down at Link and Remi as they arrived.

“Your sister must be quite the climber,” Remi commented.

“Nah. Well, she is, but she got a new hookshot recently, so she’s been using it every chance she gets,” Link replied. As he said it, Linkle stood up and walked across the branch to the trunk of the tree. She then fired her hookshot into the tree and jumped off of it, lowering herself by the hookshot’s chain. When she reached the ground, she sprinted over to her brother.

“Took you long enough,” Linkle declared with a smug smile.

“Your nose is bleeding,” Link pointed out.

“Oh, fuck.” Linkle put her hand to her nose to confirm and saw the blood. “Guess I ate it worse than I thought on my way up the stairs.”

“Let me get that for you.” Remi’s fairy flew into Linkle’s face and began to glow.

Linkle giggled. “Hey! That tickles.”

A moment later, the fairy flew back over to Remi’s side. “There. Good as new.”

Linkle wiped her hand across her nose again, finding it clean this time. “Wow! Thanks!” Moving right along, the adventurer girl turned to face the stairs leading up to the temple’s entrance. “Alright, brother. You ready for our fifth sage temple?”

Link thought back to what they’d encountered back at the Water Temple. “Let’s just hope this one goes better,” he declared, climbing the first step.


The first room of the temple had stone walls and a roof, but the ground was still grassy soil. There was even a pair of leafless trees inside, similar to the one just outside the temple. The walls were also covered in vines, giving the place the appearance of being overgrown. It sort of reminded Link of the temple he’d seen in his dream, but it wasn’t quite the same.

“If we’re inside, why are there still plants everywhere?” Linkle asked, gazing curiously at the vine-covered walls. “Oh, right. Forest Temple. Nevermind.”

Remi nodded his head, as if to agree with what Linkle had taken a moment to figure out. “This temple is a place where nature and civilization are allowed to meet,” the Kokiri explained as he led them through the next door. This brought them to a narrow hallway with columns along the walls. Still, there was vegetation growing everywhere it could, despite the ground no longer being unpaved.

“The architecture is different from everything else in town,” Link commented. “It’s closer to the fairy fountain than any of the other buildings we saw.”

“Oh, yeah. This temple was actually built by your people, not mine,” Remi explained.

“Mhmm!” Linkle nodded, apparently knowing this part of the temple’s history. “It’s one of the original sage temples, and all six of the Ancient Sages were Hylian.”

Link had some familiarity with the history of the sages, too. In ancient times, the original sages had transcended their mortal forms, then continued their work as spirits for centuries. The kingdom had only begun to have mortal sages again shortly after the Twilight War.

“So this forest must have been inhabited by Hylians at some point before your people moved here,” Link said, also remembering a bit of Kokiri history.

“That’s right,” Remi confirmed. “We used to live further south, but when the first Great Deku Tree passed away, those forests were no longer safe for our kind. Luckily, we were able to plant a new one here.”

Linkle giggled. “Who knew you could plant a god?”

The next room they entered was quite large. It was octagonal in shape, with a number of staircases, balconies, and doors going off in different directions. The dome-shaped ceiling high above them had numerous open slits spanning from the center to the edge, allowing sunlight into the room, likely for the sake of the vegetation inside.

“Ooh, ooh, ahh!”

Strange sounds from above them drew Link and Linkle’s gaze upward. The sounds were coming from a pair of hairy creatures, swinging across the vines that hung from the ceiling.

“What the? What are those doing in here?” Link asked.

“Hm? The monkeys?” Remi looked up. “Nothing, really. Lots of animals live in here.”

Linkle gasped. “I’ve never seen a monkey!” she cried, her voice high-pitched in excitement. Reaching to her side, she pulled out her hookshot.

“Elle, careful with that. Don’t go chasing after--” Link tried to warn his sister, but she ignored him, firing off her hookshot and flying across the room in pursuit of the pair of animals.

“Is she going to be alright?” Remi asked.

“I’d be more worried about the monkeys,” Link told him. “Let’s just keep going. She’ll catch up with us.”

“Okay, then.” Remi and his fairy continued to the center of the room. There sat a stone altar with four torches forming a square around it, surrounded on all sides by a fine red carpet. However, Remi passed by the altar, leading Link towards one of the doors on the ground level.

“We’re going this way, Elle!” Link called, looking over his shoulder and up at the ceiling.

“Okay!” Linkle replied, swinging between her hookshot and a vine.

Before they went through the door, Link noticed a well-made painting on the wall above it. “Who are they?” Link asked, pointing. The painting depicted four young women posing as if for a family portrait. Each of them wore a fancy-looking, uniquely-colored dress; one violet, one red, one blue, and one green.

“Previous caretakers of the temple,” Remi explained. “They were Hylians who served the first forest sage.”

“I see.”

The door took Remi and Link down a short hallway that opened up into some sort of courtyard. The ground was once again green with grass, and the high walls had no ceiling atop them. There were a few other Kokiri in the area, most of whom appeared to be tending to the plants or feeding the animals.

“Which one of them is the Sage of Forest?” Link asked.

Remi glanced at each of the Kokiri in his field of view. “She’s not here,” he replied, stepping over to one of the caretakers. “Excuse me, we’re looking for Saria.”

“Hm?” The blonde-haired Kokiri girl had been kneeling down to feed a deer. “Oh, I think she’s with the Great Deku Tree right now.”

“May we see her?” Link requested.

“Sure,” the girl told him. “It’s just through there.” She turned to point towards another door that led back into the temple.

“Great, thank you.” Just as Link excused himself, there was a loud noise as Linkle burst through the door they’d entered the courtyard from. The sudden noise caused the deer and several other animals in the area to flee, and most of the Kokiri jumped in surprise.

Oddly, Linkle was carrying a monkey on her back. Given how fast she was running, and with her balance impeded by what she was carrying, she had trouble slowing down. So, she slid across the grass, kicking up dirt as she did. “Whoa.” She nearly lost her balance, but only stumbled a bit once she stopped. The monkey made a noise that sounded like a complaint.

Link winced. “Sorry about that,” he said to no one in particular, apologizing for his sister’s rudeness. “Linkle, what are you doing?”

“Look! It’s a monkey!” Linkle said, taking the animal in her arms and showing it off to her brother. The monkey put a hand in her hair like it was searching for something.

Link watched the animal for a moment. “...That’s nice, Elle. But we were about to go see the sage,” he informed her, pointing towards the door the Kokiri girl had indicated.

“Great! Let’s go.” Linkle held onto the monkey tightly and sprinted for the door, propelled by her boots.

Link gave Remi a shrug and followed her.


The door led them back into the temple, and they passed through only a few short hallways and small rooms before they found themselves outdoors once again. However, they were not in a courtyard this time. They had exited out the back of the temple and entered into a beautiful green grove. Just like the meadow in which the Kokiri had built their village, this grove was surrounded on all sides by a dense covering of trees. Flowers bloomed in the grass that covered the ground. The part of the grove where they stood was flat, but further in, the ground sloped downwards, coming to another flat plain at the bottom. The sounds of woodwind music could be heard floating through the air.

“There they are,” Remi indicated, pointing down the hill. In the distance, Link could see a single small tree, and there appeared to be a person sitting at the foot of it.

The monkey on Linkle’s back grunted and screeched lightly, also pointing down the hill.

“Alrighty, then,” Linkle said, as if agreeing with something the monkey had said. Then she turned to Link. “Race ya to the bottom!” With that, she took off.

Link watched her for a moment.

Those boots are way more useful than my boomerang,

He did not bother to run, and instead walked down the hill together with his short Kokiri guide. As they got closer to the bottom, Link could see the tree growing in the grass was actually larger than he’d thought. It only looked small because all the other trees surrounding them were positively colossal.

The figure resting at the foot of the tree became clearer, too. She was a Kokiri girl with bright green hair. Her outfit was a darker shade of green, consisting of a shirt with long sleeves, a pair of short trousers, and a pair of boots. The music they’d been hearing had been coming from her, but it had stopped. She held her instrument in her hand as she chatted with Linkle.

The monkey on Linkle’s back jumped down and ran to climb the tree. When it did, Linkle turned and noticed Link and Remi approaching. “Oh! And this is my brother, Link,” she said, introducing him.

The Kokiri girl stood and took a step away from the tree, waving at them. “Hello, there,” she said to Link. “And hello, Remi. What brings you here?” As she spoke, her fairy and Remi’s fairy both flew higher into the air and closer to each other, appearing to have a conversation through odd musical tones.

“I was just showing these two travelers around,” the Kokiri boy explained. “They showed up last night. Nearly got lost in the woods.”

“I see. That’s nice of you,” the girl said before turning her attention back to the Hylian siblings. “My name’s Saria.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” Link said.

Very nice to meet you,” Linkle added. “You’re the fifth sage we’ve met so far!”

Saria tilted her head curiously. “Really? Wow, you two must be well-traveled, then.” The Kokiri sage gestured with her hands toward the tree. “And this is our guardian, the Great Deku Tree.”

“Greetings, Hylian children.”

Link flinched. Even though he’d expected it, somehow it still surprised him when the tree started talking. He hadn’t noticed it before, but there were indentations in the trunk of the tree that gave it the appearance of having a face. It even appeared to have eyebrows and a mustache made up of the lush greenery that decorated it.

“Wow, that’s amazing,” Linkle said in awe. “Fifth sage, but first god !” She stepped closer, looking the tree god up and down. “I thought you’d be bigger.”

“Elle…”

“What?”

The tree let out a deep, slow, hearty laugh. “Give me time to grow, children. I am only in my hundred and nineties.”

Saria smiled gently, and Link got the impression she was even older than her god. After all, this was the second Great Deku Tree. Many of the Kokiri in this forest had likely been created by the first one, and it would make sense for the role of the sage to fall to one of the oldest and wisest among them.

“So, did you wish to speak with the Great Deku Tree?” Saria asked.

“We wanted to speak with you, actually,” Link replied.

“Yeah. The Sage of Shadow wanted us to retrieve your brother’s sword,” Linkle explained. “Can we see it?”

“Oh. You’re here about that, too, huh?” Saria said, probably thinking back to the monsters who had come looking for it previously.

“Don’t worry. We’re not with the Hinox,” Linkle told her. “The Sage of Shadow needs your brother’s sword. It’s supposed to be the key to something.”

“I’ve met Impa Ichika several times over the last century,” Saria told them. “I have not seen her in quite a while, however. And I’m afraid I don’t know anything about my brother’s sword being a key.”

“We don’t know all the details ourselves,” Link told her. “We were just sent to retrieve the sword, if possible. Does your brother not wish to part with it?”

Saria winced at that. “He is no longer with us.”

“Oh. I’m sorry.” Link had taken it as a given that her brother would still be around. The Kokiri lived long lives, after all.

“It’s alright,” Saria said. “But, regardless, my brother’s sword is not here anymore. It was taken years ago.”

“Wait, what?” Linkle looked bewildered. “How did somebody beat us by years ? And how did the Sage of Shadow not know?”

Saria shrugged. “I don’t know. Like I said, I don’t even know why Impa would want it.”

“Who took it?” Linkle asked.

“Mila,” the Great Deku Tree answered for her.

“Mila?” Link and Linkle said at the same time, sharing a confused glance.

“One of my daughters,” the tree god elaborated, still speaking slowly and deliberately. “She took it with her when she left the forest.”

“We know of her,” Link told them. “She’s a knight in the Hyrulean army now. She was the one who gave out the quest to help the Gorons deal with the dragon.”

“Yeah. And she got Link out of trouble after he stabbed an annoying guy in the shoulder,” Linkle said, grinning wickedly.

“Elle…”

“What? It’s true!”

Saria laughed good-naturedly at their exchange. Then she cleared her throat. “Well, I’m sorry I can’t be of more help, but if you want my brother’s sword, you’ll have to ask Mila.”

“That’s alright. Thanks for the information.” Link was disappointed that they’d only be getting paid for one of the keys, but it was better than nothing. He didn’t want to chase down a knight for her sword, especially if it meant trekking all the way across the kingdom again.

Let’s just hope that isn’t Linkle’s plan.

“Yeah. Besides, the more important sword is still here, right? Let’s go try for the Master Sword now,” Linkle suggested.

Saria smiled. “Of course. All are welcome to try to claim the Master Sword. Several others came by looking for it not too long ago, actually. It’s not kept in this temple, though. It’s in the old temple of time, east of here.” As she spoke, she reached to her side and took her instrument back into her hand, likely planning to resume playing once they left.

“Oh! You’ve got one of those, too,” Linkle said, pointing to her instrument. Link hadn’t noticed before, but she had an ocarina. It was smaller and a different color than the one Link carried, but it appeared to be the same type of instrument.

“Hm?” Saria tilted her head questioningly, holding up her ocarina.

“Yeah. Sage Lucrezia gave us the Ocarina of Time for safekeeping,” Linkle explained.

Saria’s eyes went wide for a moment. “Wait, really?”

“Mhmm.” Linkle nodded. “Show her, brother.”

Link reached into one of his carrying bags and pulled out the ocarina, holding it up for the Kokiri girl to see. “The Sage of Time said it didn’t work anymore, but here it is.”

Saria eyed the ocarina intensely for a moment, scrunching her face in confusion. She looked back up at the siblings questioningly. “That’s not the Ocarina of Time,” she said.

Link and Linkle shared a look, also confused. “No, it is,” Linkle asserted. “We got it from the Temple of Time. The sage gave it to us herself,” she repeated.

The Sage of Forest shook her head. “It looks extremely similar, but my brother carried the Ocarina of Time with him for quite a while, so I can tell the difference. In fact, that looks more like the Ocarina of Wind, if anything.”

“The Ocarina of Wind?” Link repeated.

“Yeah. Could you lend it to Remi for a moment? He knows some wind magic,” Saria requested.

“Sure.” Link held the ocarina out to the Kokiri boy. “Could you help us confirm?”

Remi shrugged. “I mean, I’m no expert, so we might need to ask one of the wind druids. But I’ll give it a try.” The Kokiri boy took the instrument into his hands, held it to his mouth, and blew into it, covering some of the holes with his fingers.

For a few moments, nothing happened. But, as Remi continued to play, Link soon felt the wind picking up. Remi looked to Saria, and she nodded for him to keep going. Soon, the wind was not simply strong, but it was swirling around them, as if forming a tornado. However, before it got too turbulent, Remi pulled the instrument from his lips and quit playing. The wind died down immediately, and the Kokiri boy handed the ocarina back to Link.

“Wow. I guess it really is the wrong magic ocarina,” Link said. “Elle, wasn’t this one of the artifacts that was missing from the Hero of the Minish’s shrine?”

“It was!” Linkle nodded furiously, appearing excited as she started piecing things together. “Wait, wait, I’ve got it!” Linkle snatched the ocarina out of Link’s hands, looking at it closely. “The Sage of Time said her temple was raided by monsters once, and they didn’t attempt to raid it again after that, right?”

“Yeah,” Link agreed, already seeing where she was going with this.

“She also said some of the monsters went down into the catacombs and came back up without touching the ocarina. Well, maybe they were the same monsters who stole the Ocarina of Wind, and they replaced the Ocarina of Time with this one, so the Sage of Time only thought they never touched it!” Linkle beamed with pride after finishing her deduction.

“I guess the monsters must’ve figured out this ocarina was one of the fake keys, but the Ocarina of Time was one of the real ones, somehow,” Link added, hefting the instrument in his hand as he spoke. “And that’s why Sage Lucrezia thought the Ocarina of Time didn’t work anymore. She must’ve tested it after the monsters left, but her magic isn’t compatible with wind magic. Does that make sense?” Some of it was clicking in Link’s head, but he still wasn’t sure whether or not it all added up. “But how could the Sage of Time not be able to tell the difference between the two ocarinas? Surely she’d know it was different just from looking at it.”

Linkle shrugged. “She said they look extremely similar,” she said, gesturing to Saria. “And maybe she didn’t go down into the catacombs often enough to see it all that much.”

“This all sounds very odd,” Saria concluded. “I think I’ll send an owl to Impa, Lucrezia, and Balla about this. Perhaps the other sages, as well. I’m unsure why Impa has been keeping us in the dark, although I guess that’s just how she is. But if monsters are raiding our temples for artifacts of some sort, then we really should convene to figure out what’s going on.”

Linkle gasped, slipping the ocarina into one of her carrying bags. “A meeting of the Nine Sages? That’s so cool .” The adventurous girl clapped her hands together rapidly in excitement. “We want to help, too. I’ll go get the Master Sword. Once I’m recognized as the Hero, maybe we can work together with the other sages to stop these monsters and their demon master before they obtain all the keys.”

“Sure. Like I said, all are welcome to try to pull the sword from the stone,” Saria repeated. “Remi, could you show them the way?”

“You don’t need to come with us,” Link said quickly, already feeling like they’d taken up enough of the Kokiri boy’s time. “If you could just point us in the right direction, that would be more than enough.”

“Of course,” Remi agreed. “I’ll show you where to find the right path.”

“Great!” Linkle cheered. “Thanks for everything, Sage Saria. And you as well, Great Deku Tree.”

“Good luck, children,” the tree said slowly.

“I hope your path is free of danger,” Saria said, wishing them luck. “Goodbye, for now.”


After leaving the Forest Temple, Link and Linkle took some time to purchase a few much-needed supplies. Link was glad to see the fairy children used rupees for currency as well. Afterwards, Remi did as promised, taking them to the east edge of Kokiri Forest. The siblings thanked him, and he sent them on their way.

According to Remi, the path they were on should lead them directly to the temple of time where the Master Sword was kept. Many adventurers went through this way, so the path was clearly marked and kept free of shrubbery. The section of woods they were traveling through was not a part of any Kokiri settlement, nor was it a part of the Lost Woods. However, that did not mean it was free of monsters, so Link remained on alert.

Linkle did not seem to share Link’s fears. She was practically skipping, barely resisting the urge to sprint on ahead of him using her Pegasus Boots. “I wonder how powerful the Master Sword’s enchantments are. Like, compared to the ones that priest put on our swords back at the Light Temple,” Linkle wondered aloud. “You think Stalfos will, like, explode into a pile of dust the second I draw it from its scabbard?”

As much as he usually liked to see his sister this excited, Link had trouble feeling good about this. Sure, she was happy now , but how would she feel when she tried to pull the Master Sword from the stone and failed , the way everyone else had for the last seventy years?

I don’t know if she can handle that kind of disappointment.

“You know, there are many other magic swords in the world,” Link pointed out, hoping he could present an alternative that he could use to cheer her up later. “Perhaps we can ask the Forest Sage, the Great Deku Tree, or the Great Fairy to help us make one before we leave.”

“Hey, yeah!” Linkle beamed, appearing to like the idea. “I guess you deserve a new sword, too. Maybe they can give you a forest magic sword that can, like, summon roots from the ground to ensnare your enemies. Ooh, or maybe, once we give the keys to the Sage of Shadow, she’ll give you some sort of cool shadow sword. Then we could be known as the Heroes of Light and Shadow! That’s such a perfect name for our legend!”

Link tilted his head in acknowledgement.

Not quite what I was hoping for, but it’s something.

Linkle gasped, noticing a structure coming into view through the trees. “We’re here!” she cried, sprinting ahead. Link jogged in a half-hearted attempt to catch up.

The temple of time was in ruins, apparently not having been maintained by either the Kokiri or any adventurers’ guild. It may have looked similar to the Sage of Time’s temple on the Great Plateau, but so much of it was overgrown and in disrepair that it was difficult to see the resemblance.

Link found Linkle standing outside what would have been the temple’s main entrance, but it was completely blocked off by rubble.

“So, what? Do we climb over?” Link suggested.

“Hmm.” Linkle looked above the rubble, probably searching for a place she could use her hookshot to get over it. When she didn’t find any openings, she started walking towards the side of the temple. “There must be another entrance.”

“Good point.” If adventurers came here regularly, surely someone would’ve dug out the main entrance if there was no other way in.

Sure enough, right around the corner, they found a small entryway. It led them up a short staircase that took them into the heart of the temple ruins.

As soon as they reached the top of the stairs, Link had a feeling of déjà vu. “Whoa,” he said aloud, stopping to look around.

The temple was exactly the same as the one he’d seen in his dream, except it was even more dilapidated and overgrown. It must’ve had a high ceiling in its prime, but the ceiling had completely caved in long ago. What remained of the walls housed several windows, although no glass remained. The walls were also covered with ornate carvings of robed Hylians moving in a processession. Link got the sense they were intended to be related to the Ancient Sages, or perhaps whatever time priests had constructed the temple. The floor was mostly covered with moss, but there was a circle of vegetation-less stone in the center of the room with the symbol of the Triforce on it. The two statues Link had seen in his dream were still at the end of the room as well, although one of them had crumbled to pieces.

“What is it?” his sister asked, noticing Link’s strange reaction.

“I dreamed about this place last night,” he said, realizing he hadn’t had a chance to tell her about it yet.

This seemed to excite her. “Wow, really? What happened?”

Link thought for a second. “I think I was dreaming about the Hero of Twilight,” he explained. “He was in the form of a wolf, like he was in the story. But when he approached the Master Sword, he turned back into a human and pulled the sword from the stone. And then this imp girl appeared.”

Linkle had been listening intently to his recollection of the dream, but she giggled at that. “Imp girl, huh? Good to know what you dream about, brother.”

Link furrowed his brow. “I meant--”

“Sure you weren’t dreaming about Gaile? Or Sage Lucrezia? Or maybe the Great Fairy?” Linkle went on, jabbing him in the stomach.

Link responded by flicking her forehead.

“Ouch,” she said, taking a step back.

“I think it was Princess Midna. You know, from the story? How she was transformed into an imp?” Link finished.

Linkle giggled once more. “I know, brother. I’ve read that story more than you have. I was just messing with you.”

Link sighed. “Let’s just get on with it,” he said, moving forward.

“I dreamed about the Master Sword last night, too,” Linkle told him, sounding proud of herself for some reason.

“Really? You saw this place, too?”

“Nuh-uh.” Linkle shook her head. “I was in the Light Temple, but back when it was used as the Temple of Time,” she explained. “I put three magic stones on the altar, and the giant door opened up, revealing the Master Sword’s chamber. Then I went inside and pulled it right from the stone!”

“Huh.” Link thought that was odd. It was a bit of a coincidence that they’d had similar dreams, but he supposed the Master Sword had been on both of their minds the previous night.

Although, it’s even more odd that the appearance of the temple matches the one in my dream. Perhaps the Great Fairy put the image into my head somehow?

“So, I dreamed I was the Hero of Twilight. Which Hero were you?” Link asked his sister.

Linkle hesitated for a moment, thinking it over. “I wasn’t any of the previous Heroes, I don’t think,” she replied. “No Hero ever claimed the Master Sword while it was kept in that temple.” Linkle gasped. “Do you think it was a sign from Farore?” she asked. “If I wasn’t being shown another Hero’s memories, then my dream must’ve been a premonition about how I’m going to claim the Master Sword myself!”

That didn’t sound right to Link. If she was meant to claim the sword from this temple, it would’ve been odd for the gods to show her a vision of herself claiming the sword from a different temple entirely. However, before Link could say anything, he heard the sound of voices.

“Wait. Stop,” he said, grabbing his sister by the arm.

“What?”

“You hear that?”

Link noticed the door in front of the staircase that led up to the Master Sword’s grove was already open. The voices he heard were coming from up there.

“Must be some other adventurers,” Linkle said happily. “Let’s go meet them.” She must have been eager to pull the sword from the stone in front of an audience. Link followed her, but he drew his sword, just in case.


When they emerged from the temple, Link and Linkle found themselves in the same sacred grove Link had seen in his dream, surrounded on all sides by trees and ruined temple columns. A thin layer of fog covered the ground, and little sunlight broke through the trees.

As they’d been able to tell by the sound of voices, the siblings were not alone. Five Hylians stood at the far end of the grove, crowded around something. The other Hylians had their backs to the entrance, so Link could not see much of them, but they all carried weapons and adventuring gear on their backs. Someone in the crowd was making strenuous noises, and some of the others were laughing.

“Sorry, mate. Guess you’re just not Hero material after all.”

“I coulda told ya that.”

“You oughta stop now, before it starts to suck the life outta ya.”

“No, keep going! It’s almost loose, I know it!”

Whoever was pulling on the sword yelped and stumbled back, his hands apparently slipping free. The others caught him, clapping him on the back and laughing.

“I nearly had it,” the man who’d been trying to pull the sword free claimed. “One more try.” The others sounded skeptical, but he nonetheless went right back to it. The adventurer once again made strenuous noises as he pulled, but the sword did not budge.

“I’m next!” Linkle called out, raising her hand and announcing her presence.

Ahh !” The man with his hands on the sword slipped once again, apparently shocked by Linkle’s sudden appearance. His companions were surprised as well, and all five of them turned to see the newcomers.

Linkle kept his sword ready and put his free hand on his sister’s shoulder, halting her advance. These people seemed friendly enough, but he didn’t want to let his guard down around five armed strangers in the woods.

The apparent oldest member of the other adventuring party stepped forward with her arms crossed. She appeared to be a Hylian woman in her mid-thirties wearing leather armor, and she had a claymore slung across her back. “Sure thing, kid,” she said. “We’ve all had our turn already, anyway.”

“Yeah, go right ahead,” one of her companions concurred. He was probably in his early twenties, and he carried two daggers on a belt around his waist.

The one who’d been tugging at the sword pushed his way to the front of the group. “Hey, it’s Link! And Linkle!”

Link lowered his weapon at the sound of the familiar voice. He and his sister shared a look, both recognizing the young man at the same time. “Ugh, this fucker again…” they muttered together.

Dayto laughed and strolled right up to them. “Say what you wish, just as long as you don’t stab me again.”

“No promises,” Link and Linkle said, again speaking in unison.

Dayto ignored the comment and threw his arms around them in a hug.

“Dayto, you know these folk?” A very short girl who looked even younger than Linkle had asked the question. She carried a wooden staff and wore a cape and an oversized hat.

“Of course I do,” Dayto replied, turning back to his companions. “I told you about them. They were with me in Eldin. Link here is the one who matched wits with the dragon!”

“Allegedly,” Link said half-jokingly, raising a hand.

Dayto laughed heartily. “So modest.” He gestured to Linkle next. “And this is his lovely sister, Linkle.”

“Link and Linkle?” The last member of Dayto’s group was a man who carried a bow on his back. He appeared to be covered in dirt from the forest. He raised an eyebrow and smiled wryly, as if he found the pair of names silly.

“Here, come and meet my new party,” Dayto said to the siblings, gesturing excitedly. “This strong, stalwart lady is the beautiful Nat,” he began, indicating the woman with the claymore slung over her back.

“I told you to stop calling me beautiful, Dayto,” the older woman responded. She smiled at the siblings. “Nice to meet you, though.”

“Ah, so modest,” Dayto replied, undeterred. He cleared his throat before continuing. “This here is Endai. Don’t let his scary eyes fool you. He’s quite friendly.”

The man with the daggers pursed his lips, but raised his hand in greeting.

“The little firecracker here is Chabi, our wizard,” Dayto went on.

The little girl in the oversized hat raised her staff and waved it. “Hi, there. Anyone who’s stabbed Dayto is okay in my book.”

Dayto laughed. “A bit rude, child, but nevermind that. Anyway, lastly, we have Nazbi, who is usually about as filthy as he is now.”

“Hey,” the man with the bow said indignantly. He then waved to Link and Linkle. “Hi, there.”

Link didn’t feel like he’d remember any of their names, but he waved back. “Nice to meet you all.”

“Yeah, glad to meetcha!” Linkle was always excited to meet new adventurers.

Finished with introductions, Dayto gestured to the Master Sword. “Well, then. Would the man who matched wits with the dragon care to prove his worth once more?” he asked with a wry smile.

Link looked to his sister. “You want to go first?” he offered, knowing she cared about this much more than he did.

“Hmm…” Linkle put her hand to her chin in an exaggerated, pondering manner. “You know what? You go right ahead, brother,” she replied, giving him a mock bow of graciousness. She looked smug, as if she knew he’d fail and she would claim it afterward.

Link didn’t feel right about setting her up for failure, but he decided that perhaps it would sting less if everyone were to see him fail, too. “Alright, then.” Walking past Dayto and his companions, Link stepped up to the sword and put his hands on the hilt.

It was a surreal feeling. He’d lived through this exact moment in his dream, through the eyes of the Hero of Twilight. He still did not believe the dream had been a message from the gods, however. Or, if it had been, they’d shown it to him for some other reason, not because he was the new Hero.

I guess this is one way to find out.

He exhaled, as if to focus, tightening his grip. He felt the eyes of the others on him, but he tried to ignore them. Even if he knew he’d fail, he still felt like he should give it an honest try. After hesitating a moment longer, Link pulled upwards.

Hnngggg… ” Immediately, he felt just how stuck the sword was. How one could stab a sword so deep into solid stone, he would never know. Regardless, as much as he pulled, the sword would not budge. “Whew,” Link sighed, wiping his brow. “Damn, it’s really in there,” he proclaimed.

Dayto and his companions laughed good-naturedly.

“Yeah, I figured.”

“Guess you don’t have to be the Hero to fight a dragon, eh?”

“Now, now. Don’t give up yet,” Dayto said, speaking words of encouragement. “Give it another try, old boy. Who ever said it would be easy?”

“Well, according to the stories, it should be easy if you’re actually the Hero,” the tiny girl in the big hat pointed out.

“Nonsense!” Dayto replied. “Again, again!”

Link looked to his sister once more. She smiled encouragingly and gestured for him to go on. He shrugged, turning back to the sword.

Ehhh… ” As he’d done before, Link pulled with all his strength, and yet it seemed hopeless. It was as if the sword were simply a part of the stone, and he were trying to lift the ground.

“Agh!” After a minute of pulling, Link’s hands slid off of the hilt of the sword. The act threw off his balance, and he stumbled backwards. He’d hurt his hand, too, as if he’d scraped it on the hilt as it slid off. “Ouch,” he said, waving his hand in slight pain.

“Did you see that?” Dayto said in amazement. “The sword moved!”

Link raised an eyebrow. “What?”

“No it didn’t. Stop lying,” the short girl said.

“No, I saw it, too,” the older woman chimed in. “Like, it tilted to the side a bit. I think.”

“What? No. No way,” the archer disagreed.

Link was confused. It certainly hadn’t felt like he’d made even the slightest bit of progress. Turning to his sister to get her opinion, he found her to have a very serious look on her face. She was staring straight at the sword, brow furrowed.

“Elle?” Link asked cautiously.

His sister flinched, then quickly threw him a wry smile. “Sorry, brother. But I guess there’s only room for one Hero, after all.” Ignoring the heated discussion amongst Dayto and his adventuring group, the young girl strode confidently up to the sword to take her turn.

Standing in front of the sword in the stone, Linkle raised her arms, laced her fingers together, and cracked her knuckles. Then she put her hands on the hilt. “Farore, guide me,” she said aloud in prayer. After a dramatic pause, she pulled.

Unfortunately, the sword did not come free. Linkle froze for a moment, probably in disbelief. Then, with great frustration, she began to tug on the sword with tremendous effort. “ Ugh. Hnnggg… Come on!” Just as Link had, Linkle slipped off of the sword, stumbling backwards into her brother’s arms.

“Wait!” the little wizard shouted. “It moved this time!”

Linkle’s eyes lit up. “What? It did?” she asked excitedly.

“She’s right, it moved,” said the man with the daggers.

“No it fucking didn’t,” the archer responded, disagreeing just as he had when the others claimed Link had made the sword move.

“Yeah, I don’t think it moved this time,” the woman with the claymore said. “It moved for the brother, though,” she reiterated.

“Indeed!” Dayto exuberantly agreed. “Come, Link. Give it another try.”

Link shook his head. “Guys, it didn’t move at all for me,” he insisted. He hadn’t seen it move for Linkle, either, but he could not bring himself to say it. Dayto and his companions must have been seeing things at this point.

“No, seriously, boy,” the older woman said. “Try it one more time.”

“No! The girl should try again!” the little girl argued. “She must be the one.”

“She went last time. It’s his turn again,” the woman replied.

“Yes! Again, Link! Again!” Dayto clapped Link on the back, shoving him forward into the sword.

Link was annoyed, but he hoped that trying one last time would shut them up. “Fine,” he said, grabbing the sword again. With no hesitation this time, he pulled on the hilt once more. And, just as before, absolutely nothing happened.

“See? It’s not him,” the man with the daggers said.

“Told ya,” the little wizard agreed smugly.

“Let me try again.” Linkle did not even wait for Link to take his hands off of the hilt. As he pulled on the sword, she came around to the other side of it and put her hands on the hilt as well, just below her brother’s hands. With both of them gripping the sword, they pulled upwards together. Suddenly, the sword came loose. It slid right out of the stone, and Link and Linkle held it aloft between them.

Everyone froze. All the chatter and the arguments from Dayto’s party ceased. The siblings and their audience simply stared, all of them too stunned to speak. As the siblings held the sword between them, the grove grew lighter as more sunlight broke through the trees, and a refreshing breeze blew through the air, parting the thin layer of fog beneath their feet.

What in Farore’s name…

Link slowly took his hands off of the hilt of the sword and lowered his arms, leaving Linkle holding the Master Sword by herself. The stunned look on her face slowly turned into a beaming smile as she turned the sword upright and raised it skyward, posing as the Hero was often depicted.

“Holy shit,” the man with the bow said in disbelief.

“See! I told you!” the girl in the wizard hat bragged once more.

“It really was her,” the man with the daggers agreed.

“Now, hang on,” the older woman interrupted. “The boy had his hands on that sword, too.”

“Yes, of course!” Dayto agreed. “Clearly Link must be the--”

Link shot Dayto a dirty look, gesturing with his hand across his neck. For once, the annoying adventurer got the hint and stopped talking. His sister had been dreaming of this moment for her entire life, and Link wasn’t going to let anyone ruin it. Besides, he did not care that his hands were on the sword as well.

If one of us is the Hero, it’s got to be her.

Linkle soon lowered the sword, then she squealed with glee, bouncing up and down in excitement. Unable to contain herself, she lunged at her brother, pulling him into a tight hug.

“Elle! The sword. Watch the sword,” he warned her, not wishing to be accidentally killed in a hug by the Blade of Evil’s Bane.

“It’s me! It’s me !” Linkle shouted. “I’m the Hero! I knew it, I knew it! I really am the Hero!” As she expressed her excitement, she began stuttering. Link realized she was crying tears of joy.

Link gently rubbed his sister’s head. “You are the Hero,” he affirmed. “I’m so proud of you, little sister.”


Author's note (added 9/17/2023):

Here is the source of the lovely fanart drawn for this chapter by Mesokari.

 

Author's note (added 7/28/2023):

Saria is one of my favorite characters in the series, so I'm glad I was able to include her in this story. For those wondering, the Great Deku Tree who appears here is the Great Deku Tree Sprout who appeared in Ocarina of Time, grown up into a new Great Deku Tree. The remains of the original one is currently serving as another forest temple in the southern part of the province, as it appeared in Twilight Princess. In the comments, I've also provided an explanation of my timeline as it pertains to the sages.

Art Source

 

Art Source

Notes:

This big moment marks the end of what I’ve been calling the “Blood Moon Aftermath” arc. The next arc will be about 20 chapters long, and I’m currently writing its 13th chapter. My plans for the next arc, which I’m calling the “Return to Hyrule” arc, have been substantially rewritten compared to my initial plans, and I think it’s been turning out well so far. I’ve got a lot of stuff coming up that I’m really excited for you all to read, so stay tuned!

Also, to celebrate this milestone, I’ve put together a drive folder to show you some of the artwork I used as references for the characters in my story. This story has loads of characters, so obviously I don’t have reference art for all of them, but I managed to find decent fan art to represent most of the characters who are important to the story or the world building. Most of it is just Legend of Zelda fan art of my characters’ canon counterparts, but some of it comes from other sources. Feel free to have a look if you’re interested, and please let me know if there are any issues with the folder.

Update 7/28/2023: Since posting the link to my character gallery here, I have since gone back and added character images to other chapters, so you may have seen most of the pictures in the gallery already.

Chapter 56: Sophitia XV

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

The journey back to Central Hyrule had gone well so far, all things considered. The last time Sophitia had traveled through Tabantha Snowfield, it had been on the night of the Blood Moon. There were still some Stalfos roaming the frozen plains during the night, but not nearly as many as there had been the night they were raised, and the princess’s guards had been able to handle them with little issue. Navigating the treacherous path around the northeastern tip of Tanagar Canyon had gone better the second time around as well, now that much of the snow had been cleared away. Finally, the journey through Rowan Plain had gone about as well as the journey through Tabantha Snowfield, with only a few Stalfos to bother them at night.

When the princess’s retinue arrived at the tradepost town of Maritta, they stopped for some much-needed supplies, having run low on food, torches, and the like. Sophitia had hoped to walk through the market and make a public appearance amongst the people, but with everything that had been going on lately, Liliana and the princess’s other guards had insisted she remain safely out of the public eye for the time being. And so, while some of her servants retrieved the supplies, the princess waited outside of the town, sitting at the picnic table that had been set up for her.

“I hope Percival is okay,” Sophitia said aloud, gazing into the side of Salari Hill, which blocked her view of the castle in the distance. She felt guilty sitting around while her brother was apparently risking his life fighting to reclaim their sister’s throne. Sophitia just wanted to get back to the capital as soon as she could. She wasn’t sure how she might help exactly, but she’d think of something once she understood the situation better.

“I imagine he is,” Liliana said encouragingly. “He managed to lead his army against some sort of rogue sage and win, right? And he always wears all that fancy armor. Not to mention that giant of a bodyguard he always has with him. Harming the prince would be rather difficult. Believe me, I’ve thought about it.”

Sophitia laughed haughtily. “I see. You raise some good points. Thank you.” She thought about Sir Onnick, who was quite possibly the strongest knight of their era. She’d heard stories of his custom-made armor that was so heavy, no other Hylian was likely to be able to wear it and move around as easily as he did.

To get to my brother, one would have to go through him first.

As her mind wandered, Sophitia’s gaze turned skyward. As always, the weather was nicer on this side of Tanagar Canyon. It was a bit cloudy, but the sky was a lot less gray than it had been in northern Hebra. However, as she watched the clouds, she noticed something up in the sky.

“What is it?” Liliana asked curiously, noticing her charge squinting as she looked upwards.

Sophitia pointed. “There’s a Rito coming towards us,” the princess replied. It had taken her a moment to tell what the flying creature was, as it appeared quite small from this distance. However, it was unmistakably one of the birdfolk.

Liliana stood, her hand finding the hilt of her sword. “Are we to be on alert?” she asked.

“No, I don’t think that will be necessary,” the princess said confidently, waving for her retainer to return to her seat. “If our deal with the Rito were already broken somehow, we might see a flock of braves coming to attack us. If it’s only one Rito, it’s probably just a messenger.”

“Sensible,” Liliana agreed, sitting back down.

When the Rito man landed, it was indeed a messenger, and apparently one who was well-versed in proper protocol. He first landed some distance from the princess, requesting access from the captain of the guard.

“Let him pass,” Sophitia called to them. “I wish to hear what he has to say.”

Upon being granted permission, the Rito messenger approached and bowed. “Princess Zelda Sophitia, I come bearing a message from Prince Lancel.”

Sophitia was surprised. She and Liliana had been discussing her other brother, but this was still rather fortuitous. She had not heard from Lancel in quite some time, and she was beginning to wonder what he was up to. “Splendid,” the princess said politely, trying to conceal the mixture of eagerness and anxiety she felt. “If you please,” she requested, holding out her hand.

The Rito messenger retrieved a letter from his carrying bag and handed it to her, bowing as he backed away while she read it.

“What does it say?” Liliana asked after a minute.

“It’s… possibly good, and possibly very, very bad,” the princess replied. She cleared her throat, then chose to read a few select parts of the letter in an imitation of her elder brother’s cadence. “Greetings, sweet sister! I hope you are well. It is with great triumph that I write to you from atop the City in the Sky! Skyloft, which has eluded my grasp throughout this campaign, is finally mine. I am bringing her back with me to the capital. I hope to see you soon for my coronation! With love, Lancel Leif Hyrule.”

Liliana remained stone-faced. “He’s taking Skyloft… to the capital? For his coronation?”

“Now do you see why I said it was possibly very, very bad?” Sophitia remarked. She glanced at the date written on the letter. “He has probably already arrived in Hyrule. Excuse me, sir.” She spoke up to address the messenger.

“Yes, Princess?”

“Why am I only receiving this now?” she asked, wondering why she had not been kept properly up to date.

“Reaching Snowpeak was difficult given the conditions,” the Rito man replied. “And when I arrived, I was told you had left. The situation necessitated that I track you down, and I found you here.”

“I see. Thank you.” Sophitia sighed. “Liliana, be a dear and fetch my writing set.”

As soon as her retainer returned with her requested tools, the princess quickly transcribed a response to her brother. “Here. Please take this to Prince Lancel, if you please,” she requested, handing the letter to the Rito messenger.

“By your will, Princess.” The messenger bowed once more, then spread his wings and took flight.

Despite having already sent her response, Sophitia’s mind was still racing on the subject. “If he controls Skyloft now, what did he do to the Rito who were holding it for Revalco? Will Revalco see that as a break in our treaty? Will he fight back now? And what in Din’s name is he planning to do with that city?” The princess remembered what Lancel had said before they’d left for Hebra. To him, Skyloft was the greatest weapon on the planet. If he was right, there was no telling what he might do with it.

Liliana stood. “I’ll send for someone to retrieve the party in town.”

“Thank you.”

This is not good. We need to get home immediately.


Unfortunately, without access to enough ships to ferry them all across the water, the best way to reach the capital from Maritta was to go back through the Breach of Demise. It had been some time since she’d traveled through the Breach, but Sophitia had nearly been killed last time, and the demonic magic lingering in the area had an unpleasant effect on those of her bloodline. Even if they didn’t end up getting attacked by monsters again, it would still be dangerous.

“We’re approaching the Breach now, Princess,” Liliana warned her, leaning back inside of the carriage. “Are you prepared?”

The princess nodded warily. “I shall manage,” she assured the round-eared girl.

“Shall I fetch one of the healers?” Liliana offered.

The princess thought about it. She briefly wondered if anyone would think of her as weak for doing so, but decided that was unrealistic. “Yes. I suppose such a precaution is called for.”

“Very good.” Liliana opened the carriage door once again, leaning out towards the closest knight riding alongside them. “The princess requests a healer.”

“At once, dame.” The knight pulled away from the carriage, heading to the back of the line to find the priestesses who were traveling with them.

A few moments later, the knight returned with the priestess riding beside him. “Slow down!” Liliana called to the coachman. The carriage slowed, allowing the priestess to climb down from her horse and enter the carriage. Liliana took her by the hand and helped her along. “Proceed!” Liliana shouted again, telling the coachman to return to normal speed.

“Greetings, Princess Zelda.” The priestess was a young woman, probably only a few years older than Sophitia and Liliana. She was a pretty girl with long blonde hair, wearing white robes, and holding a wooden staff. She bowed before the princess, although it was difficult to do so within the relatively cramped carriage.

Sophitia smiled, recognizing the girl from among her retinue. “Greetings, Meghyn. Please, have a seat.”

Meghyn was obviously quite nervous to be in the presence of royalty, but when Sophitia revealed that she knew her name already, it seemed to put the priestess somewhat at ease. “Thank you, your highness. Are you or Dame Liliana harmed?” the older girl asked, thinking she’d been called to attend to an injury.

“No, nothing like that,” Sophitia said, shaking her head.

“And it’s just ‘Liliana.’ I’m not a knight yet,” her retainer corrected.

“I see.” Meghyn looked between them. “Then may I be of assistance with anything else?”

“Perhaps. You see, we are entering the Breach of Demise, which may have adverse effects on my health, temporarily,” Sophitia explained. “So, if I start to fall ill, I was hoping you might be able to help me recuperate.”

“Of course. I will do what I can,” Meghyn offered.

“Splendid. You have my thanks.” The princess smiled and braced herself. They had passed the boundary into the Breach already. She wasn’t feeling anything quite yet, but she knew it was only a matter of time. She was also worried about the possibility of another monster attack, but there was nothing more she could do about that after having instructed her guards to travel in a defensive formation.

The three passengers sat in silence for a short while. Liliana was the first to speak again. “You nervous?” The question was directed at the priestess sitting beside her.

Meghyn sat with her staff clutched tightly against her chest. It took her a moment to realize she had been spoken to. “Yes,” she affirmed with a nod, smiling apologetically.

“What ever is the matter, dear?” Sophitia asked, attempting to be as friendly as possible.

“It’s this… place,” Meghyn replied. “It is unholy ground.”

Sophitia nodded understandingly. To a woman in service of the goddesses, entering the land from which the god slayer sprang forth must have been quite burdensome. The princess hoped Meghyn would not suffer the same sickness she did.

It may also be hard for her to heal me if she is in need of healing herself.

The princess wished to change the subject. She opened her mouth to ask Liliana a question about Lord Remoth, hoping they could use their traveling time to plan their next moves. However, while she didn’t mistrust their new guest, Sophitia thought better of discussing such important matters in front of her.

I hope Liliana can restrain herself from making her off-color jokes, too.

“Would you care for anything to eat?” the princess offered. “We picked up the most lovely little tea cakes in Maritta.”

Meghyn smiled. “That would be nice, thank you.”

Liliana wordlessly retrieved a covered dish from a crate beneath her seat. She then let down a folding table from the side wall, placing the dish on top of it. “Dig in,” she offered, lifting the dish cover.

“My thanks, dame. Er, miss.” Meghyn nodded gratefully and took a bite. The princess and her retainer joined in as well.

For the next leg of their journey, the three of them made small talk, attempting to pass the time and take their mind off of the potential danger they might have been in. Sophitia, having steeled herself for the worst, managed to hold off any sickness for some time. However, she could not hold it off forever. After a while, she began to feel lightheaded.

“Are you alright, Princess?” Liliana asked, noticing Sophitia placing her elbow on the table and rubbing her temple.

Sophitia smiled weakly. “Meghyn, dear? Perhaps you could come sit beside me now?” she requested.

The priestess nodded. “Of course, your highness.” The older girl stood from her seat and moved to sit back down next to Sophitia. She then placed a hand on the princess’s back. Her hand lit up, as did the staff she clutched in her other hand, as she began to work a healing spell on Sophitia. “How is that, Princess?”

Sophitia felt a calmness washing over her, as if all her worries were melting away. Her lightheadedness began to fade, too. “Perfect, dear. Thank you. Please keep it up.”

Although the princess had hoped to avoid it, the priestess casting a healing spell reminded Sophitia of Seraphina. Her younger sister had always been extremely gifted with this kind of magic. As far as she’d been made aware by her last communications with the capital, her younger sister was still missing, and possibly worse. She missed her dearly, and continued to pray that she would turn up unharmed.

The gods have always smiled upon her. They would never be so cruel as to let something bad happen to her…

“Do you need anything else, Sophitia?” Liliana offered. “More tea? A blanket?”

The princess raised a gloved hand to wave her off. “No, that won’t be necessary. Thank you.” The healing was working, so she only needed to wait it out.

I’ll be home soon…


As time went on, the princess and her retinue traveled further and further into the heart of the Breach. Sophitia fought it at first, but her symptoms quickly began to get worse.

“Meghyn,” Sophitia said through half-lidded eyes, her head lolling back against the headrest. “Could you… perhaps… um… More , please?”

“Y-Yes!” the priestess agreed nervously. The glowing white light produced by her healing spell brightened as she attempted to increase its intensity.

“Sophitia?” Liliana asked, her voice as level as always, but still clearly concerned. “Are you awake? Stay with us.”

“I’m here,” Sophitia assured her, although the room was spinning and she felt as though she needed to vomit.

Liliana stood and opened the carriage door, leaning outside to look at the road up ahead. “We’re almost past the worst of it,” she informed the others when she leaned back in. “We’ll reach the center of the Breach in a moment, and then we’ll turn east. It will be over soon.”

However, a moment after Liliana had spoken those words, the carriage came to a halt.

“What?” Sophitia asked. “What is happening?”

“Don’t worry, Princess. Let me--” Liliana stood and moved for the door again, but she stopped. They all heard a distant booming sound, and the ground shook beneath them. It was nothing as serious as an earthquake, but large enough to be noticeable. The three of them waited, listening, until the sound came again. It sounded like gigantic footsteps.

Fear crept through Sophitia. “Liliana…”

“Meghyn, continue healing her,” the round-eared girl ordered. “I’m going outside to check.”

“R-Right,” the priestess replied.

As the princess waited for her retainer to return, the sound of the giant footsteps ceased, but it was quickly replaced by several voices. Sophitia could not make out what any of them were saying, and in her increasingly delirious state, she wasn’t even sure whether or not the voices were real.

When the carriage door reopened and Liliana returned, she climbed inside, clutching her sword tightly.

“What is going on?” Sophitia asked, forcing herself to sit upright and remain attentive.

It took Liliana a moment to respond. “Princess, I think we should turn around.”

“Why? What manner of monster is blocking us?” As relieved as she was that no one appeared to have been harmed yet, she was confused as to why there was so little panic. If a giant monster had appeared in the Breach of Demise, surely they would’ve been in more danger than this.

“There are many of them,” the round-eared girl replied. “Blins, mostly. Several Achemen, too. And they have a Hinox. A really big one. And it talks. Odder still, there are Gerudo with them, including the Gerudo prince.”

“Gerudo?” The situation was quickly getting stranger. “What are they doing here? And what are they doing with a horde of monsters?”

“I don’t know, Princess. But he wants to speak with you.”

“What? The Gerudo prince does? How did he know I was here?” Sophitia was getting more worried. She was already considering heeding Liliana’s advice, but she needed to get home to help her brother.

“I do not know, but it can only be a bad sign. That’s why I think we should just turn around and leave,” Liliana reasoned.

Sophitia took a moment to consider the situation. The monsters and the Gerudo could have been dangerous, surely. However, they seemed to be trying to negotiate with her, and they hadn’t attacked yet.

“He might know something about my elder sister,” Sophitia said aloud as the thought occurred to her. “I need to know if Victorique is okay, and I need to get back to my brother. Let me talk to him and the monsters. Maybe I can--” Sophitia attempted to stand, but she immediately lost her balance and collapsed against the priestess.

“Oh! Princess! You must be careful,” Meghyn warned her.

“My apologies,” Sophitia said, embarrassed. “Meghyn, Liliana, would you kindly help me out of the carriage?”

Liliana shook her head. “Princess, I cannot allow this. You are in no condition. If the enemy sees you like this, they would see it as a perfect opportunity to kill you.”

“I will not get anywhere near them,” Sophitia promised. “I’ll have a dozen knights, and you , between me and them.”

The round-eared girl did not seem happy with that answer, but after a pause, she relented. “Very well. But please, be careful.”

“Always.” Sophitia smiled weakly as her retainer and her healer helped her up and brought her outside. She immediately hated the stale air and the haze of dust that seemed to fill the canyon. Up ahead, past the rest of the convoy, she could see the Hinox towering over everyone else.

He looks… odd.

“Guards,” Liliana called in a low voice, getting the attention of the other soldiers in the vicinity. “Form up in front of us. Do not let the monsters or the Gerudo come too close.”

“Yes, of course.”

“At once.”

The soldiers dutifully obeyed. With her safety reasonably secured, Sophitia allowed herself to be escorted to the front of the convoy.

“Meghyn, please keep up your spell,” Sophitia requested, not wishing her sickness to overtake her in front of possible hostiles.

“Yes, your highness.”

Up close, Sophitia was able to see all of the monsters Liliana had described. There were several types of Bokoblins and Moblins among them, dressed in tattered clothing or ill-made armor and holding spears and clubs. There were also the Achemen, who had red skin, leathery wings, and elongated limbs. Most of them seemed to be equipped with Hylian armor and weapons, which gave Sophitia the horrible feeling that they had killed some Hylian soldiers and stolen their belongings. The largest monster, of course, was the Hinox. It must have been over forty feet tall, and it stared down at her with curiosity in its one big eye. Strangely, there was also an Acheman sitting on the Hinox’s shoulder, grinning fiendishly.

The Gerudo mentioned were present as well. Sophitia could see a dozen of them from where she stood. Some sat on horseback, while others had dismounted. Most of the women wore armor and violet clothing, including veils that covered the lower halves of their faces. The prince stood beside the Hinox. While he was absolutely dwarfed by the forest giant, he was still over seven feet tall, and he appeared quite imposing wearing black armor and wielding a trident.

“Oi! Princess!” The Acheman that sat upon the giant’s shoulders called down to Sophitia. The monster’s voice was scratchy, but it sounded feminine, and the words were in Hylian. Sophitia was still a bit confused about the whole situation, so she merely stared up at the fiendish red bat creature without responding.

“Greetings, Princess,” the giant Hinox joined in, also speaking Hylian, his voice deep and echoing grandly throughout the canyon. Carefully, he lowered himself down into a seated position and leaned forward, bringing him a little closer to Sophitia’s level. Despite not moving forward, the Hinox’s movement caused Sophitia’s guards to raise their shields and pull the formation in more tightly. “Do not be alarmed,” the Hinox said. “Allow me to introduce myself. I am Raeger, warchief of this horde.”

The giant then turned his head to the Gerudo prince expectantly. However, the prince said nothing. He merely stood there, glaring in the princess’s direction.

“Little prince?” Raeger said.

The Gerudo man blinked. “And I am Harun, Prince of the Gerudo,” he said, finally introducing himself.

Sophitia cleared her throat, attempting to stand as straight as she could without help from her retainer or the priestess. “You appear to know me, but in the interest of formalities, I am Princess Zelda Sophitia Hyrule, sister to Queen Zelda Victorique Hyrule.” She knew Victorique had likely not been crowned yet, but she figured it would be best to refer to her as queen regardless. “May I ask why it is you have requested to speak with me?”

“We’re trying to pass through,” the Acheman girl on Raeger’s shoulder replied. “Figured we’d ask if we could. So, you know, we wouldn’t have to kill each other,” she said with a wicked giggle.

Sophitia still thought this whole exchange was odd. She had never negotiated with monsters before, but it was a welcome change. However, just because these monsters did not intend to harm them, it didn’t mean they were completely harmless. “What do you intend to do on the other side of the Breach?” the princess asked.

“That’s our business,” the Acheman girl said.

“But rest assured, we are of no danger to anyone who is not a danger to us,” Raeger clarified.

Sophitia nodded, reasonably satisfied with the Hinox’s surprisingly articulate response. She turned her attention to Prince Harun, whom she noticed was still looking at her strangely. “And you, your highness?” She chose to address him as fellow royalty, recognizing his title.

The prince shook his head. “Yes, your highness?” he said, returning the courtesy.

“What are you doing with these… others?” she asked, gesturing to Raeger and the Acheman girl.

Prince Harun regarded his monster companions for a moment, considering his answer. “We share a mutual goal. One of peace and freedom for our peoples.”

Sophitia looked out across the horde, seeing dozens of monsters with horns, fangs, and weapons. She had trouble picturing them on a mission of peace. She would have to do more to deduce their true motives. However, she had other questions for the Gerudo.

“Did you come here from the Coliseum?” the princess asked.

The Gerudo prince furrowed his brow. “Yes, I did. Why do you ask?”

“What happened there?” Sophitia had been in Hebra for some time, and communication was not always quick and reliable between the provinces, even with Rito messengers.

Prince Harun hesitated. “It fell,” he answered. He did not say it triumphantly or proudly. If anything, he sounded almost regretful. “Queen Urballa holds it now.”

Sophitia felt her heart drop, fearing the worst. “And what of my sister?” she asked, fighting back her bad thoughts. “What has become of Victorique?”

“She fled before the Coliseum fell,” Harun informed her.

The princess nearly collapsed with relief.

She’s alive, then.

“I see,” Sophitia said. Just then, she felt a dizziness come over her. Liliana caught her arm as she almost fell over.

“Princess, we should go,” her retainer suggested.

“No. Not yet.”

“Oi, you two alright?” the Acheman girl lounging atop the Hinox called out. “You don’t look so good, you know.”

“It is nothing,” Sophitia insisted, but she was already starting to feel flustered.

I’ve made a mistake. We need to end this discussion and get out of here.

As the princess straightened herself out and attempted to stand without Liliana’s help, she noticed Prince Harun was in a similar position. Two of his guards were helping him stand, and he had his hand pressed firmly against his own face.

Is he affected by this place, too, somehow?

Regardless of the prince’s state, it was time for both their parties to move on. “Well, you have stated you have no plans to harm us, and so long as that is true, I see no reason we cannot simply…” She trailed off, distracted once again by Prince Harun. He gazed in her direction like there was something terrifying behind her. But, more importantly than that, her own vision grew distorted. The world around them seemed to darken. Red light seeped out of the ground, as if the great cracks in the earth that had opened for Demise were reopening. Harun’s image flickered, although Sophitia wasn’t clear what else she was seeing.

“Princess?” Liliana asked, but her voice was so muffled that Sophitia barely heard it.

Then, it happened. Harun disappeared, replaced by a horrific, eyeless monstrosity. The creature expanded in size, shooting up into the air to a colossal height, letting out a terrifying roar from its massive, thousand-toothed maw.

Sophitia shrieked, covering her eyes and falling backwards. Liliana and Meghyn caught her.

“Horse! Bring me a horse, now! We’re leaving!” Liliana shouted to the other guards.

“It’s here! He’s here! Demise is here!” Sophitia cried. Delirious, she felt the need to warn everyone of the Demon King’s presence, fearing what terrors he might bring to Hyrule once again.

“Oi. What’s wrong with her?” The Acheman girl sitting on Raeger’s shoulder spread her wings and flew to the ground, setting down near the princess. A dozen guards raised their weapons to her, warning her to back away. “She’s freaking out, you idiots,” the Acheman girl told them. “Aren’t any of ya gonna help her?”

“Get her out of here!” Behind the Acheman, Prince Harun was down on his knees with his guards circling around him, offering help. “It isn’t safe. Go!”

One of Sophitia’s guards finally came back with a horse, handing the reins to Liliana. She did not even take the time to thank him, immediately grabbing her charge and lifting her up onto the horse’s back before climbing on with her. “Go!”

The other mounted guards circled around them, and they took off down the eastern path.

“Liliana…” Sophitia whined, unsure what was happening anymore.

“Don’t worry, Princess,” she told her. “We’re going home. Everything will be over soon.”


The effects of the Breach did not wear off on Sophitia until they were somewhere traveling along the road beside Mount Gustaf. When she came to, she was sitting atop a horse with Liliana’s arms wrapped around her from behind. The last thing she remembered was Demise emerging from the Earth, but she’d regained enough sense to realize it had all been a hallucination.

“Liliana,” Sophitia spoke up, her voice hoarse from screaming.

“Sophie? Sophie, are you alright?” Liliana asked, one hand clutching her tighter.

“I’m awake,” the princess replied, although she could not say for sure if she was alright. “Is everyone else okay? Was anyone hurt?”

“No, Sophitia. The monsters and the Gerudo let us pass unharmed.”

Sophitia let out a sigh. “Good. They kept their word, then. That’s a relief.”

Let’s hope they were being honest about everything else.

“You’re nearly home,” Liliana told her.

Sophitia looked to her left. Past the cliffs, she could see the walls of the quarry that lay outside of the City of Hyrule. “Yes. We are.” She had never been more grateful for that fact. “May we return to my carriage for the rest of the way? I would like to lie down.”

“Of course, Princess.”

Liliana waved down the carriage and stopped the convoy long enough for them to climb into the back of it. Sophitia was quick to lie down on the seat cushions, and soon she fell asleep.


When Liliana next woke her up, they were near the city gates, but the convoy had stopped. However, this had been by Sophitia’s earlier orders. The last news she’d received regarding the state of the capital was that her brother and Lord Remoth were fighting for control of the city, and she’d wanted to make sure it was safe to approach.

“Shall we wait outside, Princess?” Liliana asked.

“No. It would be best to remain out of sight for now,” Sophitia replied. “If we do not yet know whether or not it is safe in the city, then we should assume it is not safe out here either until we know for sure.”

However, the princess did not need to wait long. Soon, there was a knock on the carriage door. Liliana opened it.

“Yes?”

Three of Sophitia’s guards stood outside, and all of them wore smiling faces. “We bring good news, Princess,” the one in front spoke. “The fighting in the city is long over. Prince Percival, Prince Lancel, and Queen Zelda are presently in the castle. The City Watch has already sent word of your arrival, and we are welcome to enter immediately.”

Sophitia’s face lit up. Three of her siblings had made it home safely, and they were waiting for her. “Excellent,” she said, trying to maintain an air of dignity about her when all she wanted to do was jump for joy. “Send word to the front, then. Let us get this convoy moving again. Our destination is Hyrule Castle.”

“Yes, your highness.” The guards bowed and were on their way.

Liliana shut the door. “Well, that’s good n--”

Sophitia could not help herself. As soon as they had some privacy, she threw herself at her companion, hugging her tightly. “They’re alive,” she said happily. “Percival did not perish in battle against Lord Remoth. Lancel did not fall out of the sky. Victorique made it home safely from the Gerudo front. I’m going to see them again.” In the back of her mind, she thought of her younger sister, who was still missing. However, her fear of what may have happened to Seraphina did not get in the way of the tremendous relief she felt in regard to her other siblings.

Liliana returned the hug. “I know, Sophie. I am happy to hear it as well.”

As they traveled through the city streets on the way to the castle, Sophitia slid the window of her carriage open to take a look out at the city. There were surprisingly few citizens going about their business outside, which was quite unusual. The capital was usually always crowded and abuzz with activity.

Perhaps recent events have left the populace scared.

That came as no surprise. Many buildings still lay in ruin, and it was unclear how much of the destruction had been the result of the Blood Moon and how much had been the result of Percival and Lord Remoth’s conflict.

However, the biggest surprise came when Sophitia got a better view of the skies above the castle moat. There, hovering far above the water, was Skyloft. The small city atop floating chunks of earth sat motionless in the sky, close enough that the citizens of the capital would be able to see it whenever they cast their gaze to the north.

Of course, Sophitia had known her brother had taken control of Skyloft. His letter had informed her of as much. Nevertheless, it was quite a jarring sight to see a piece of ancient history floating in the sky outside of her home. And, if it were truly weaponized the way her brother imagined, then it was actually quite a menacing threat to hold over the city.

I need to have a very serious conversation with my brother as soon as we arrive…


After crossing the bridge over the moat and passing through the front gate, Sophitia felt a renewed joy at having finally returned home. Her carriage, escorted by her retinue of guards, made their way through the castle grounds, finally coming to a stop outside of the castle itself.

Liliana was quick to step outside, offering a hand to help the princess climb down to the ground. Sophitia gladly took it.

A number of castle guards were awaiting them, standing on either side of the pathway, with a few forming a line in front of the doors. Grand Protector Brigo was among them, and he stepped forward to give Sophitia a welcoming bow.

“Princess, I am happy to see you’ve returned safely. Welcome home.”

The princess lowered her head respectfully in return. “I am glad to be home, Grand Protector. If I may, I would very much like to see my siblings.”

“Of course, your highness,” Brigo said, gesturing to the doors as a pair of guards opened them. “Right this way.”

Sophitia, Liliana, and a number of her guards proceeded to enter the castle keep. Inside, they found a rather large welcoming party waiting for them in the entrance hall.

Victorique stood front and center, as always, dressed in an elegant dress, but not wearing the queen’s crown. Behind her, she was flanked by what at first appeared to be two Impa Ayakos, but then Sophitia remembered Ayako’s sister. She did not know why both Impa sisters were present, but they seemed to both be in Victorique’s service now. To Victorique’s right stood Percival, wearing his golden armor and his cape. Sir Onnick, the giant man who looked like a walking suit of armor, stood behind him with his arms crossed and his greatsword strapped to his back. Oddly enough, Lord Remoth was there as well, standing apart from most of the others with a pair of black-cloaked knights on either side of him. Also present were Grand Minister Malkori, Grand Watcher Socicila, Grand Arbiter Pelletier, and Grand Treasurer Loho, along with several more servants and guards, one of whom Sophitia recognized as that Kokiri knight who had been with Governor Vryciaro at the summit.

“Greetings, sister.” Percival was the first to speak. “I hope you bring good news.”

Sophitia grimaced, but that was about as good of a greeting as she could’ve hoped to receive from Percival. “Hello, brother. I am glad to see you are well.”

She turned to Victorique next. Sophitia had not thought of it before, but she wondered which Victorique she would be now. Growing up, she’d grown used to her elder sister’s two faces -- the kind, mentoring Victorique who could be a little overbearing with her expectations of perfection, and the stern, coldhearted Victorique who appeared whenever their father was present. Now that she was to take their father’s place, Sophitia worried she was to be their father’s Victorique at all times now.

The eldest of the royal siblings walked forward, towards Sophitia. Her face was unreadable. Sophitia began to dread what her sister’s greeting would be. Would she demand a status update on Hebra, as Percival had? Would she scold her for giving up part of the province?

Please, sister, be merciful…

Victorique bent down and put her arms around Sophitia, pulling her into a warm, loving embrace. Sophitia’s fears melted away. She returned the hug, feeling glad to be home all over again.

“Welcome back, sister. I’m glad you’re safe,” Victorique said into Sophitia’s ear. Her tone was gentler and less formal than the younger princess was used to hearing.

“I’m glad you’re safe as well, sister,” Sophitia replied. When Victorique stepped back, the younger princess scanned the room. “Where is Lancel?”

Percival sighed disapprovingly. “We had to send for him,” the prince replied. “Victorique and I were in a meeting with the Grand Council when we heard you had arrived in the city. A meeting our brother could not have been bothered to join.”

“Those meetings are always so boring , though.”

Everyone turned their heads upward, finding Lancel leaning against the banister on the upper level of the entry hall. Sir Anselm stood beside him, arms crossed behind his back patiently.

Percival groaned quietly. “If you wish to join us now , then at least come down here with the rest of us, Lancel.”

“Don’t mind if I do.” Lancel put his hands on the banister and leapt over it. He fell about halfway down before a small blue shimmering platform appeared beneath his feet, at which point he hopped down the rest of the way, landing safely on the ground floor. Without pausing, he continued over to where his sisters stood, then wrapped his arms around Sophitia tightly, lifting her up and spinning her around.

“Oh! Lancel. Lancel! I--”

“Ah ha! Delightful to see you again, sweet sister,” the elder prince declared, holding her in the hug a moment longer before setting her down. “Welcome home.”

Sophitia smiled earnestly. “It is good to be home, Lancel.” She still planned to interrogate him about his designs for Skyloft, but for now, she was just glad to see him.

Percival cleared his throat. “Now that the four of us are here, perhaps we should retire someplace more private to discuss the matter of Father’s throne.”

“I think you mean my throne,” Lancel declared teasingly, putting a hand to his chest.

Sophitia raised an eyebrow.

What?

Victorique regarded her brothers for a moment before turning back to Sophitia. “Sister, do you require rest? You must have had a long journey.”

The younger princess shook her head. “I am fine. I can have my things sent to my tower. We have much to discuss, so it would be better not to delay.”

Victorique nodded. “Ladies and gentlemen,” she said, addressing the Grand Councilmembers still waiting in the entrance hall. “I’m afraid we shall have to finish our discussion at a later time. My siblings and I have other urgent matters to attend to.”


The royal siblings were escorted to their private council chambers by their retainers, as well as the other Impa sister. So, while the five bodyguards waited outside, Sophitia and her siblings entered the chambers for their discussion. Victorique sat down at the head of the table. Percival, as if challenging her, took his seat at the other end of the table. Sophitia was content with sitting in a chair near her sister, while Lancel grabbed a bottle of wine from a cabinet on the other side of the room and poured himself a glass before taking a seat in the middle.

Sophitia had many questions, but there was one thing on her mind before everything else. “Has there been any news about Seraphina?” she asked, trying to conceal her nervousness in asking the question.

“I’m afraid not,” Victorique replied gently. “But the Grand Protector has informed me that Dame Jeanne survived the attack on the night of the Blood Moon, and she has left the city in search of her.”

Sophitia nodded. That was not the best news she could have hoped for, but it was far from the worst. Before she could ask her next question, Percival asked one of his own.

“What is the state of Hebra? Since this one abandoned his duties,” the younger prince began, cocking his head towards his brother. “I hope you took yours more seriously.”

Lancel set his goblet on the table. “I did not abandon Hebra. Hebra was never my objective in the first place, brother.”

Sophitia wished to ask him more about the City in the Sky, but she decided she needed to answer Percival’s question first. She cautiously eyed Victorique out of the corner of her eye, fearful that her elder sister would be disappointed in her when she heard what had happened.

The younger princess cleared her throat. “After the incident in Skyloft, I requested to meet with the Rito’s new High Chieftain, who turned out to be Revalco. He came and spoke with me in Snowpeak. He demanded that the Kingdom of Hyrule renounce all claims to the Hebra Province, and if we refused, his people would retaliate.”

Sophitia hoped to soften the blow by making it clear to her siblings that her actions had helped prevent a war, although she doubted that would matter. Their father had always been results-oriented, and the loss of what was likely to be a large portion of the province could only be seen as a decidedly poor result.

“However, I offered a compromise,” Sophitia went on. “Since there were many among the Rito tribes who did not wish to part from the kingdom, I allowed each individual tribe to choose whether to secede or to remain. High Chief Revalco accepted my offer, and took it back to the Chieftains’ Council. I have not yet been notified of which tribes shall be leaving, but I have appointed Lord Nobiro as governor of Hebra in my absence, and he shall be overseeing the process until I return.”

Percival glared at her as she finished her brief summary of the events that transpired. Lancel seemed unperturbed, casually sipping his wine. Victorique’s face was not easy to read, but she did not look as disappointed as Percival.

“This is preposterous,” Percival said after taking a moment to absorb the information. “You let them choose ? Why on earth would it be up to them ? You may have cost us the entire province!”

“It would not be the entire province,” Sophitia argued. “Many of the tribes do not wish to leave. And even so, the Rito tribes do not control the entire province. All Hylian settlements shall remain as they are.”

“Until the Rito, emboldened by their victory over the crown, decide to drive out the remaining Hylian population by force. They may very well wish to drive out any Rito who still side with us, too,” Percival argued back.

“I--” Sophitia’s heart rate rose.

Have I made a colossal mistake?

“I needed to prevent a war,” she asserted. “Allowing secession among those who wished it was better than the alternative. The leader of the detractors agreed to my terms. If he wanted to fight instead, he would have done so then and there.”

Sophitia felt herself on the verge of tears as Percival opened his mouth to scold her further, but Victorique spoke first.

“She made the correct decision,” their elder sister stated.

The younger princess opened her eyes wide in surprise, not expecting to be defended.

“How could you possibly say that?” Percival asked.

“Our ancestors united these lands to make peace,” Victorique replied. “If we are to hold these lands through war, it would ultimately defeat the purpose. If we want the rest of the Rito to return to the fold, we must convince them our kingdom is worth being a part of.” Turning away from Percival, she set her gaze on Sophitia. “I am proud of you for choosing the path of peace, sister.”

Sophitia could not help but smile broadly. “Thank you, sister.”

Percival scoffed. “Of course you would say that. You failed to retain control over the province Father assigned to you as well. I’m the only one here who succeeded. Me .”

“You mean Uncle succeeded,” Lancel replied mockingly.

Percival shot him a death glare.

“Besides, who cares if we lost Gerudo and part of Hebra?” the elder prince went on, shrugging his shoulders. “Now that we control Skyloft, we’ll be able to take it all back in no time. We’ll be able to extend our reach beyond the sea, even! Think of it, my dear siblings. Labrynna and Holodrum, united with us at last!”

Sophitia opened her mouth to question him about this at last, but Victorique was quicker.

“I must ask you to put aside your delusions of grandeur for the time being, Lancel,” the elder princess requested pointedly. “Our kingdom faces a serious threat, both from within and from without.”

“You speak of the Headless Demon and the traitors within our ranks who killed Father,” Percival surmised.

“Yes,” Victorique confirmed with a nod, turning to Sophitia. “The Cadre has been investigating the matter ever since the Blood Moon. Impa Shiho has informed me that the Headless Demon is a shapeshifter, and it has been hiding among us. We have reason to believe it is still here in the city. Other traitors are likely to be hiding as well.”

“If that is true, then almost anybody could be a threat,” Sophitia pointed out. “Have we had the Castle Guard thoroughly vetted?”

“Lancel and I have been purging the Guard and the Watchers ever since we reclaimed control of the castle. We’ve been replacing them with veteran knights and trusted allies from the outlying cities,” Percival explained. “But the small fish are of no concern to us. I suspect Lord Remoth has been behind all of this from the start.”

“Most probably,” Lancel concurred. “I would very much like to prove it before we have him executed, though.”

Sophitia was confused. “If Lord Remoth is thought to be responsible for everything that has occurred, what is he still doing here?” She had seen him in the entrance hall with everyone else. She would have expected him to have been sent back to Midoro by now, if not imprisoned.

“It is better we keep him here while we investigate him,” Lancel explained. “We’ve appointed him interim Grand Artisan for now. Rodan has not yet returned from the Wind Temple, and Remoth’s monster laborers have been mining the stone that’s being used to repair the city. After he and Percy decided to trash it, that is.”

“Most of the damage was done by the Headless Demon,” Percival argued. “Who is probably Remoth anyway, need I remind you again.”

“Yes. And which of us was the one who successfully kicked him off of Father’s throne?” Lancel asked with a smug expression on his face. He held out his hands and pointed them both at himself. “That’s right. The man with the two-thousand-year-old floating death fortress, that’s who.”

“You told me before you left that you planned to use Skyloft to expand the kingdom, brother,” Sophitia interrupted. “Why exactly is it floating above us at the moment?”

“He is holding the city hostage until he is made king,” Percival replied.

Sophitia was mortified. “ What ?”

“Oh, come on. It’s an empty threat,” Lancel argued, waving his hand dismissively. “Besides, the throne should go to me anyway. Father said that succeeding in our missions was the first step towards deciding his successor, and I don’t believe any of you have brought home anything as impressive as our people’s floating ancestral homeland.”

“Skyloft was not your mission. Hebra was. You all failed , but I succeeded.”

Lancel held up a finger, as if remembering something. He turned to Victorique. “Ah! Speaking of Father’s throne -- Sister, with Sophitia’s return, perhaps now would be the right time to reopen our discussion regarding which of us is to be Father’s successor?”

Sophitia regarded the look of mild contempt on Victorique’s face. “You told her?” the younger princess asked her brother.

“But of course! Why would we ever keep our deal with Father a secret from our dear elder sister?” Lancel replied, raising his goblet as if to make a toast.

Victorique directed her attention to Sophitia. “Did you wish to be queen as well?”

Sophitia opened her mouth to speak, but did not have a response. She felt embarrassed, and even ashamed. Recently, she’d accepted that she’d missed her opportunity to be queen, and she’d grown more comfortable with the idea of serving her sister instead. However, it appeared as though the throne remained unclaimed after all.

Is this the gods mocking me? Tempting me? Testing me?

“I, I, well -- yes . I wanted to be queen,” the younger princess finally replied. She brushed her hair out of her face nervously. “I mean, well, I thought I did a good job as Governor of Hebra, so, not that it’s the same thing, of course, but, um…” Sophitia began breathing faster as she watched the look of disappointment creep over her elder sister’s face.

“There is no sense putting it off further,” Percival joined in. “I still maintain that I should be king. Need I make my case to the Grand Council?”

Victorique turned to him next. “This is not a matter which should be dealt with hastily. Regardless, we still have larger priorities.”

“Nonsense! This is the first time Percival has ever been right about anything in his life!” Lancel argued, laughing as he spoke. “I’ve already won the bet, but perhaps we need to play another game to decide -- one that our sweet elder sister can participate in, too!”

“What is the matter with all of you?”

Sophitia flinched, shocked by Victorique’s outburst. She had raised her voice quite suddenly, sounding extremely shocked and irritated. The eldest royal sibling was not ordinarily prone to such behavior.

“S-Sister?” Sophitia asked feebly.

“Why in Hylia’s name would any of you even want to take Father’s place?” Victorique went on.

All of her siblings were confused by that question.

“Don’t give me that,” Percival replied with some exasperation. “How many years have we endured your two-faced, sycophantic behavior? You’ve always tried your hardest to be Father’s favorite. You expect us to believe you weren’t trying to secure Father’s throne?”

“Of course I was,” Victorique concurred. “One of us had to be ready to succeed Father when he passed. Why should that burden fall to any of you?”

Lancel laughed heartily. “Ah, I see. You wanted to be Father’s heir so the rest of us wouldn’t have to . Of course! How could I not have seen your generosity, sweet sister?”

Sophitia was baffled by this as well. However, if her sister did not want to be queen, perhaps the gods were giving her another chance. “Victorique, leading this kingdom would be a great honor for any of us. We do not see it as a burden -- we see it as an aspiration. Why would you feel the need to shield us from it? If you truly do not wish to be queen, then why not let one of us take Father’s place instead?”

Her sister looked at her with what could only have been pity, and Sophitia felt her sudden burst of confidence crumble.

“Perhaps you are too young to remember what Father used to be like,” Victorique said before turning to their brothers. “But you two should know better. You saw the way the throne changed him; the way it drained the joy out of him. He spent years with the weight of the kingdom on his shoulders, dedicating his life to keeping things running, barely sparing a single second for us . Is that truly what you want for yourselves? A life of constant pressure, misery, and paranoia until you’re eventually murdered?”

There was a moment of silence after Victorique finished speaking. Percival remained stone-faced, and perhaps a little skeptical. Sophitia did not know what to make of all this, either. It was true that she could not remember a time when their father hadn’t been the way that he was in his final days. But, at the same time, it wasn’t as if she’d never considered the drawbacks of being queen of the entire kingdom.

Hard work and stress are part of the job. I gleaned that easily enough from Father.

Lancel was the first to speak again. “Well, then. I believe I can summarize the situation, if I may.”

“Does it matter if we say you may not?” Percival asked.

“It does not,” Lancel replied with a smirk. He cleared his throat. “Dear elder sister, you feel you must be queen in order to protect the rest of us, and it is no secret that you have been cultivating the skills necessary to lead this kingdom from a young age.”

Victorique nodded, watching him cautiously.

“Dear younger sister, you feel you should be queen because of your devotion to the path of peace, just as Hylia intended, and because of your ability to outthink and outmaneuver others, despite your young age,” Lancel continued.

Sophitia nodded, mimicking her sister. She was not sure if she would have summarized her bid for the throne in this fashion, but it was quite a compliment, so she accepted it.

“Dear younger brother, your claim to the throne is your astounding display of tactical brilliance and strong leadership that has led you to be successful in warfare, as well as your ability to keep your promises to Father and to carry out whatever mission you set out for, demonstrating great loyalty to the kingdom.”

Percival simply stared at him, but he did not speak up to disagree.

Lastly, Lancel brought his hands to his chest, gesturing to himself. “And as for me, I believe I should find myself sitting upon Father’s throne because I have returned home with the largest chip out of any of us,” he declared. He pointed upward towards the ceiling, but it was clear he was referring to the City in the Sky.

“All true,” Victorique admitted, still regarding her brother cautiously. “I suspect you are about to make a proposal, brother. Would you kindly share it with the rest of us?”

“Certainly!” he replied cheerfully. “All four of us have a claim to the throne, and without Father here to decide which of us is most worthy, we must find another method we can use to decide.”

“Please don’t make this into another one of your games, Lancel,” Percival said exasperatedly.

“I refuse!” Lancel declared. “We shall decide via the greatest game of all -- an election!”

Sophitia raised a brow. “An election? As in, let the people decide?” She glanced at Victorique uncertainly. Surely it would be their elder sister who won. Few people were as well-known or well-liked throughout the kingdom.

And of the four of us, I am likely the least well-known by a wide margin…

Lancel clapped his hands together. “Precisely! See? I knew you’d love it.”

Victorique let out a sigh. “Very well. I suppose that is one of the most fair and unbiased ways we could decide this. We can have the Grand Minister make an announcement to the people, and we can work with him to get everything assembled.”

“Fine,” Percival agreed. “After my success in Akkala, the people are sure to choose me anyway.”

Lancel seemed pleased with their agreement. He turned to Sophitia with an expectant look on his face.

Sophitia, knowing she would be going into an election with the worst odds of winning, wished she could refuse. However, she could not reveal that she didn’t think she could win. “Very well,” she relented.

Lancel clapped his hands together once more. “Fantastic! Brother, sisters, may the best Hyrule win!”

Notes:

I am posting this chapter the day before the release of Tears of the Kingdom. I intend to play it all weekend. I can’t wait!

Chapter 57: Harun XV

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

As if traveling with a talking Hinox and a band of Blins wasn’t strange enough, Harun’s party had picked up some new odd fellows after crossing the bridge into Hyrule Ridge. Many of the newcomers wore a human guise, but since they were traveling among monsters anyway, some of them began to realize there was no point to it and opted to reveal their true selves. These monsters were Achemen, which were beings of which Harun knew very little. In their natural form, they were red and black, lanky, bat-like beings with large, leathery wings and pronounced canine teeth.

Their leader, Mina Remoth, continued to take human form, although she occasionally spread her wings and took flight when the mood struck her. She did not act like a monster, nor did she act like a noble’s daughter. Her attitude was laid-back, her words dripped with playful sarcasm, and that impish smirk of hers almost never left her face. Harun was much more used to interacting with proper nobles, so it was a bit jarring to see someone like her in a position of power that seemed to rival his. She reminded him of Katta and Kyra.

Frustratingly, despite not seeming to care too much about the monsters’ ultimate goal of obtaining the Triforce, she still remained careful not to reveal any more information to him. Harun had learned her father was in charge of their operation, and that the monsters had a partnership with another group who had assassinated the Hyrulean King, but that did not interest him at the moment. Harun wanted to know more about the Triforce.

Where is it being held? What precisely do they intend to use it for? How are we to decide who gets to make a wish? Will we have infinite wishes? Is a divine object such as the Triforce even safe for them to use? How did they discover its location in the first place?

After traveling for some time, the odd party of humans and monsters came to a crossroads. A sign informed them that the Tabantha Great Bridge was to the west, Midoro to the north, and the City of Hyrule to the east.

“Are we going west?” Harun guessed, thinking perhaps the Triforce was hidden in a distant corner of the kingdom, such as Hebra.

“Nope!” Mina Remoth declared cheerily. Snapping her fingers, she pointed purposefully to the east, towards some kind of mountain pass. “We’re heading that way, through the Breach of Demise.”

Harun suddenly felt dizzy at the mention of Demise. “We’re going where ?” he asked, greatly displeased.

Mina raised an eyebrow. “The Breach. We gotta go through there to get to--”

“Our destination,” Raeger interrupted, still being careful to keep that important piece of information hidden.

“I was gonna say ‘my mom,’ but that works too,” Mina said with a giggle.

“Is there no other path?” Harun asked. He did not know what to expect from the Breach of Demise, but given the curse that afflicted him, he knew it could not be good for him.

The one-eyed giant tilted his head curiously, looking down at the Gerudo prince. “Is there a problem?”

The prince knew it would be unwise to reveal too much about his curse. He was surrounded by monsters, so perhaps they would worship him as some sort of new demon king. However, that may also mean they would turn on him if he revealed his intention to exorcise the demon using the Triforce.

I shall allow this to remain my problem alone.

“This path sounds dangerous,” Harun replied simply.

“Nah, don’t worry about it,” Mina said, casually rocking back and forth atop her horse with her hands in the pockets of her overcoat. “The Halftusk and his horde are the only ones who hang out around there. They’ll probably be gone at this point, but they won’t bother us if they’re still here.”

Harun hesitated. Obviously, attacks from other monsters were not what he feared, but he couldn’t explain his actual concerns. He could have tried to force the issue, but he had no concrete reason to believe it was necessary. Reluctantly, he gave in. “Very well. Let us proceed.”

“Excellent.” Raeger nodded and led the way, taking large strides forward down the road leading east.

“Who is this ‘Halftusk?’” Harun asked. This was the second time he had heard the red-haired girl mention that name, which he assumed must have been some sort of monster title.

“He is a Moblin warchief. His horde controls much of the monsterlands between here and the Deplian Badlands,” Raeger explained.

“You’ll know him when you see him,” Mina added. “He’s the one with half a tusk.” She giggled at that, as if it was hilarious.

“I see.” Harun realized there was much he did not know about the world of monsters. On some level, he knew they had their own groups, clans, hierarchies, and territories, but he had never thought of all that in the same way he thought of the Children of Nayru. “Raeger, you mentioned Mina’s father is the founder of your alliance.”

“Hm? Yes. Toren Remoth, the Acheman Master,” the Hinox concurred.

“Has this alliance united all of the monsters throughout the land?” The prince had experienced numerous encounters with monsters so far, including various kinds of Blins and Lizalfos. He’d suspected from early on that they’d been connected somehow.

They were my enemy for some time, as well. How strange these circumstances are.

Mina laughed about as hard as Harun had heard anyone laugh. “All the monsters? All of them?” she asked incredulously. “Not even the Children of Nayru can stand each other enough to stay united. How the hell do you expect monsters to do it?”

Harun raised an eyebrow. From her statement, it seemed as though she saw monsters as below the Children of Nayru. However, perhaps she merely recognized that many of them have been historically prone to violence.

“No, little human,” Raeger answered. “Master Remoth reached out to many other powerful monsters when he first began to form our alliance, including those in the Outer Continent, and Holodrum and Labrynna. Most rejected him.”

“Rejected? Most of them said they’d rather kill him. Hell, a few actually tried ! I’ve still got one of their heads mounted on my wall,” Mina added. “What about you?” she asked. “I heard one of your kind decapitated Governor Vapith. Did she make a nice decoration somewhere?”

Harun scowled in disgust. Being reminded of that senseless act of violence was not pleasant, nor did he appreciate how much the red-haired girl seemed to revel in it. “I do not know what became of her,” Harun said. “And death is nothing to be celebrated.”

The prince’s firm tone caused Mina to hold up her hands in mock surrender. “It was a joke . Sort of.” The disguised Acheman girl smirked, baring her impish fangs again.

“By necessity, our kind are not squeamish about violence,” Raeger explained, still speaking in his oddly elegant cadence. “But fear not, little human. The time for violence will be over as soon as we claim the Triforce.”

Harun narrowed his eyes. His mind immediately went to Elder Kobami when he heard those words.

Am I truly fulfilling her wishes after all?


The Breach of Demise only became more ominous as Harun and his party approached it. The prince couldn’t quite tell how, but everything about the canyon seemed to shift subtly the more he looked at it. The blank, rocky cliffs now appeared criss-crossed by cracks that seemed ready to spew hellish flames at any moment. The light from the sun seemed to dim, as if it had trouble even getting close to this land. Although he could see nothing down the path in front of him, his view obscured by fog and dust, he got the distinct feeling that there was something waiting for him in there, just waiting to emerge.

“Do Hylians travel this road often?” Harun inquired. The Gerudo were accustomed to braving the harsh desert, but they always tried to find or create the safest pathways they could.

Mina shrugged. “Nowhere’s completely safe in Hyrule. But like I said, it’s really not as dangerous as it looks, so long as you don’t run into any monsters. Like them.” She turned and gestured to the horde of Blins following behind them, marching with weapons in hand and scowls on their faces. “Some people avoid it by using the river, but that’s pretty inconvenient, especially if you’re traveling upstream or with large groups.”

Harun nodded. “I see.” Mina was right. Whether in Gerudo or in Hyrule, travelers tried to stick to the roads as much as possible, but the chance of a monster attack was never completely depleted, whether the monsters were mere animals or more intelligent beings like the ones in their party. From the way Mina and Raeger often spoke of other monsters, it seemed as though monsters were no less at risk of being attacked as any Child of Nayru.

Perhaps it truly is best for us to work together.

Despite Mina’s insistence that the Breach of Demise was relatively safe, Harun knew she only meant it was relatively safe for the average person. For someone like him who had a connection to Demise, the risks could have been significantly greater. As he got closer to the canyon’s entrance, more and more he felt like that was the case.

It is awake . The voice of Ganondorf echoed in Harun’s head. The curse. It stirs.

Harun could feel it, too. A burning within his core, like red-hot rage that needed to be unleashed.

Keep it at bay , Harun told his predecessor. That is your duty.

I will. On one condition , the old king replied.

Harun furrowed his brow. This was not the time to be arguing with the demon spirit residing within him. He did not wish to reveal to the monsters his condition, nor did he wish for them to mistake him for a madman.

What is it? Harun asked.

When you obtain the Triforce, I shall receive a wish as well.

“What?” Harun said aloud.

“Hm?” Raeger looked down at him questioningly.

“Nothing,” the prince said quickly.

Harun thought about it. Ganondorf had helped him several times throughout his journey, but the old king always made his ultimate goal very clear. He wanted Gerudo to conquer Hyrule. If Ganon were allowed a wish, he might wish all Hylians out of existence. Or, even if he did not go that far, he may simply wish himself back to life. Harun could not allow that to happen.

This matter is not up for discussion , Harun thought sternly. It is in both of our best interests to resist the Curse of Demise. Do not forget that.

I disagree, little voe , Ganondorf’s voice replied. I have kept the curse from consuming you thus far, as promised. I am entitled to compensation for my efforts.

Harun took some deep breaths, attempting to calm his mind and take spiritual control of himself, just as Sage Nashorla had taught him. However, he did not do so in order to commune with this spirit. Instead, he did his best to block him out, pushing Ganondorf’s voice away into the deepest recesses of his mind.

Let us hope I can handle both Ganondorf and Demise until we clear this canyon.


When the prince first entered the Breach of Demise, nothing of note occurred. He was half-expecting the crack in the Earth to open once more, or for another vision of the Imprisoned to fill his mind’s eye. However, aside from his own nervous breathing and heightened paranoia, everything seemed normal. As normal as it could be given the oddly grim atmosphere, at least.

As they continued forward, Laine and Kyra rode their horses up along either side of him. Both gave him searching looks.

“You will let us know if you require our aid, correct, my prince?” Laine inquired. Her choice of words were not likely to alert the monsters that anything was amiss, but her tone made it clear that she was asking about the curse.

“I will,” Harun said simply, nodding with gratitude.

“You were right about this place,” Kyra commented, her gaze scanning all over the environment around them. “It’s creepy as hell. You’d think, like, three thousand years would be enough time for the land to recover, you know?”

“Such is the power of Demise’s corruption,” Harun replied bleakly.

For the next portion of their journey through the Breach, Harun kept up the conversation with his guards, as well as Mina and Raeger. However, as much as it helped to have his mind occupied by other things, he had a feeling that he couldn’t ignore forever. While nothing cataclysmic had occurred when he’d crossed the threshold into the Breach, there was a pounding in his head and a burning heat in the pit of his stomach, slowly growing in intensity the further they delved into the canyon. He knew Ganondorf and Demise were fighting to get out.

I will not let you.

“Wait.” At the front of the party, the great Hinox halted, holding out his arms to signal the rest of them to stop as well.

“Eh? Why? This place sucks. We should just hurry up and get out of here,” Mina replied, swaying impatiently atop her horse.

“More humans,” Raeger said, gazing off into the distance, likely able to see much further than any of them due to his height.

“Really?” Mina perked up, excited. “Aw, wait. I gotta do it like this.” Before Harun’s eyes, the red-haired girl began to change in appearance. Her face and limbs elongated, taking on a more feral quality, and the leathery wings she’d often shown off returned. She looked a lot like the other Achemen in their party who had cast off their human disguises, although she was noticeably smaller than the others.

“Whoa. Cool,” Kyra said, even as Emri cowered beside her.

“Who are they?” Mina asked, her voice having changed considerably. Taking flight, she rose into the air before settling down atop the Hinox’s shoulder.

“Hyrulean military,” Raeger explained.

“Whoa. And a lot of them,” Mina added, holding a long-fingered hand above her eyes as she gazed into the distance.

“A Hyrulean army?” Harun questioned, riding up alongside the Hinox and his Acheman passenger. “I do not wish to engage them. Which way are they heading?”

“This way, currently. But they may intend to turn east where the roads converge over there,” Raeger answered, pointing to an intersection a few meters ahead of them.

The Hyruleans in question came into Harun’s view. There was still some distance between the two parties, but the prince was unsure if turning back was a viable option.

If they head down this path as well, how far back must we go? They have horses, too. What if they give chase? If we run, surely we will appear to be an enemy of theirs in some way.

“Doesn’t look good. Think we can take ‘em?” Mina asked casually, as if asking whether or not a river obstructing their path was shallow enough to wade through.

“Let us avoid jumping to conclusions,” Harun warned, knowing what could happen if violence were seen as a forgone conclusion. As he spoke the words, he felt the pounding in his head once more. Ganondorf may not have been happy with his approach, but he pressed on. “Let me talk to them,” Harun offered, thinking back to the successful interaction he’d had with the Hylian adventurers near Sanidin.

Mina shrugged. “Alright. I don’t wanna hurt ‘em either, y’know. Doesn’t mean we won’t have to.”

Harun nodded his understanding. “Thank you.” Taking his guards with him, Harun rode a short distance in front of the horde and dismounted, waiting for the Hylians to come to him.

He did not need to wait for long. Soon, half a dozen well-armored Hyrulean knights rode forward while the rest of the Hylian convoy slowed to a halt.

“Greetings, knights of Hyrule,” Harun said, attempting to be cordial. However, he was already beginning to feel as though he’d made a mistake. The pounding in his head was making him dizzy, and he was not confident in his ability to keep his wits about him for the duration of a potentially hostile negotiation.

“Come no further, Gerudo,” the head knight replied sternly. “You will explain your presence here in our lands, as well as why you consort with this filth.” The knight gestured with a gauntleted hand, indicating the giant cyclops standing not too far behind the prince.

Mina cackled, her laughter sounding quite different in her Acheman form. “You do stink, one-eye.”

Kill him . Ganondorf’s voice broke through, directing Harun to kill the knight who’d spoken down to him. Do not let this insolence stand.

Harun clenched his jaw. He felt an anger well up inside him, although he was unsure who it was directed at. “Please, let us be civil,” he said, both to the knight and to Ganondorf. “We do not wish to fight. We merely wish to pass through.”

“Why? Have you run out of villages to plunder down south?” one of the other knights replied. “Or is traveling through the Breach of Demise just a way for you to pay homage to your demon masters?”

As the knight spoke those words, Harun saw a flash of red in his mind’s eye. For a split second, amongst the red haze, there was a dark silhouette standing behind the knight who had spoken, reaching for the man’s neck with a claw-like hand.

Harun inhaled sharply. It had been some time since he’d experienced that kind of vision. Ganon, for better or worse, had been keeping the hallucinations at bay. However, in this place, it seemed as though even Ganon could not contain Demise entirely.

Behind the knights, several individuals in the crowd of Hylians moved to the sides, making way for someone. Harun hoped it would be their leader, seeing as though these knights were not in a very diplomatic mood. However, the newcomer did not come to the front of their lines, opting instead to stay behind the front row of knights.

Harun could make out her appearance, however. She was a young woman who was likely around Harun’s age. While she wore little armor, her blue and black uniform appeared finely made, and a sword hung from an ornate scabbard on her belt. Her hair was long and dark as the night, which seemed fitting for the emotionless expression on her face. Most notable, however, was her rounded ears. This girl was not a Hylian.

For some reason, the appearance of the round-eared newcomer seemed to excite Mina. Perking up, she stood tall on Raeger’s shoulder with a cheery expression on her monstrous face. “Oi!” she called out. “Is Princess Sophitia here?”

Murmurs of confusion spread amongst the Hylians, with many of them nervously readying their weapons.

Harun had not considered it, but the possibility of these Hylians being part of a royal escort made sense. They were clearly well-armed and well-trained, and Harun had seen many of the same uniforms worn by those who had accompanied Princess Victorique and Princess Seraphina in Gerudo.

“What business is that of yours, she-bat?” one of the knights called up to Mina.

The Acheman girl shrugged, offering only a cackle in response.

Harun, knowing Mina’s actions would come off as hostile, attempted to step in. “If the princess is indeed with you, we wish to speak with her,” Harun requested.

The prince’s vision flashed red again, with shadows of the Imprisoned stretching across the ground and the faces of the cliffs.

The Hyrulean Royal Family are no friends of ours, Ganondorf insisted. They are not to be trusted.

Three of the knights in the center of the front line huddled together with the round-eared girl for a moment, speaking in hushed whispers. After a moment, they exchanged nods of agreement, and the round-eared girl disappeared back into the crowd.

“Has she gone to retrieve Princess Sophitia?” Harun inquired.

“Silence,” a knight replied. “We will inform you of our superior’s decision momentarily.”

Harun glanced about the battalion of soldiers, most of whom had settled into battle-ready positions. The prince felt his heart beating more heavily. He had been in many situations like this already, and they usually ended in bloodshed.

“Neat,” Mina replied. “Sounds like she’s here.”

Raeger turned his head to look at the Acheman girl perched upon his shoulder. From the questioning look he gave her, he appeared to be less familiar with the princess than Mina was. Harun supposed that made sense, given Mina had an alternate identity as a Hylian noble girl.

Does Mina know the middle princess personally? What does she want with her?

Sure enough, the Remoth girl was correct. Before long, an excessive number of extra soldiers pushed their way through the crowd of Hylians. Harun was worried they were moving into position for a battle, but then he spotted the three young women the soldiers were escorting. One was the round-eared girl who had been sent to fetch their leader. One was a blonde Hylian girl in a fine white fur traveling coat. She must have been Princess Sophitia. She looked an awful lot like Princess Seraphina, albeit five or six years older. The last girl was dressed in the garb of a traveling priestess, and she seemed to be glowing faintly as if she were channeling a spell already. That made Harun slightly nervous, but he hoped it was merely a protective spell of some kind.

Upon spotting the princess, Harun only had a few seconds to process her appearance before he felt an enormous pressure within himself. Ganon and Demise were fighting to escape, wishing harm to the princess with all of their being. Harun clenched his fists, keeping an eye on the princess.

Silence, demons. You shall harm no one this day.

“Oi! Princess!” Mina shouted down at the Hylian royal, waving to her from atop Raeger’s shoulder.

Princess Sophitia’s only response was to turn her gaze up to the Remoth girl and furrow her brow in confusion. Harun wondered if she had never seen an Acheman before today either, or if she were merely taken aback by a monster speaking to her so casually.

“Greetings, Princess,” Raeger said, speaking more politely than his passenger. Perhaps in a futile attempt to make himself more level with the one he was addressing, the giant cyclops lowered himself down into a seated position and leaned forward. However, the Hylians did not seem to take it as a friendly gesture, and many of them cowered behind their shields in terror. “Do not be alarmed,” the Hinox said, keeping his voice calm and level, despite the way it echoed impressively throughout the canyon. “Allow me to introduce myself. I am Raeger, warchief of this horde.”

See how they ready themselves for attack? Ganondorf argued. You are not safe. You must strike first. Kill the princess. Kill her! Now!

I am not one of your pawns, demon! Harun replied. No one dies unless I decide it!

“Little prince?”

Harun blinked, realizing Raeger was staring down at him, clearly waiting for him to introduce himself the way the Hinox had.

“And I am Harun, Prince of the Gerudo,” he said quickly, addressing the Hyrulean princess. He tried to act naturally, but he could feel his body shaking. He didn’t know how much longer he could hold out. He needed to end this conversation as quickly as possible so that he may separate himself from the Hylians.

The Hylian princess cleared her throat. “You appear to know me, but in the interest of formalities, I am Princess Zelda Sophitia Hyrule, sister to Queen Zelda Victorique Hyrule. May I ask why it is you have requested to speak with me?”

“We’re trying to pass through,” Mina replied, still standing upon Raeger’s shoulder. “Figured we’d ask if we could. So, you know, we wouldn’t have to kill each other.” She giggled after she spoke.

Harun was appalled by her lack of decorum, especially given they were addressing royalty.

Has she not been living as a highborn girl?

However, worse than her lack of manners, Mina was making light of the very real possibility that their proceedings would end in bloodshed. For all they knew, the Hylians would interpret that as some sort of veiled threat.

Princess Sophitia eyed Harun and the monsters suspiciously. “What do you intend to do on the other side of the Breach?” she asked.

Harun was getting worried. The princess was a member of the family charged by the gods with the task of maintaining possession of the Triforce. Surely they could not tell her they intended to steal it. If anything, she would already be suspicious of them for heading in the direction of its supposed hiding place. However, not answering her would get them nowhere, and Harun hadn’t taken the time to invent a reasonable lie that would explain their presence.

“That’s our business,” the Remoth girl replied, opting to give no answer rather than to lie.

“But rest assured, we are of no danger to anyone who is not a danger to us.” Raeger must have realized Mina was coming off as too defensive or suspicious, so he wisely stepped in to state they had no ill-intent.

Nothing we say will change their opinion of us , Ganondorf’s voice echoed in Harun’s head.

Harun kept a watchful eye on the princess. She carried herself well, perhaps with a slightly haughty attitude. She had not been overtly hostile, and she was reasonable enough to speak with them rather than attacking them straight away. However, she was clearly on guard around them, and very suspicious of their presence in this part of Hyrule.

She is right to be cautious , Harun argued. In her situation, I would be as well.

Despite the rational side of his mind recognizing this, Harun could still feel Demise’s rage burning within him, and staring at the Hyrulean princess only seemed to make it worse.

“And you, your highness?” Princess Sophitia asked.

She was looking right at him, but it still took Harun a moment to process that she was speaking to him. He shook his head, trying to clear away Demise and Ganon’s hateful thoughts. “Yes, your highness?” he asked, unsure of what the question was.

“What are you doing with these… others?” Sophitia inquired, gesturing to the Hinox and the Acheman. She seemed uncertain whether or not she should refer to them as monsters.

The prince took a moment to conjure an appropriate answer that would not give away their designs to obtain the Triforce. “We share a mutual goal. One of peace and freedom for our peoples.” That was a true statement, assuming Raeger had not lied to him, and surely it did not make them sound as though they were up to anything nefarious.

Sophitia glanced over the crowd of monsters once more. She did not seem satisfied with Harun’s answer.

She doesn’t trust you , Ganondorf warned Harun. Will you let her attack first?

Silence, demon.

“Did you come here from the Coliseum?” Princess Sophitia asked unexpectedly.

Harun was unsure why she would ask about that. He’d been expecting her to continue the line of questioning regarding their true motives. However, perhaps this was some way for her to discern that information.

“Yes, I did. Why do you ask?” Harun replied.

“What happened there?” Sophitia went on.

The prince realized why she was asking. The Gerudo had only conquered the Coliseum very recently. Sophitia had clearly been someplace far away during the battle, so she likely had not received an update on the situation yet. She was probably worried about what had happened to her people if the Gerudo had already made it this far north.

“It fell,” Harun said after some hesitation, unable to think of a good way to break it to her gently. “Queen Urballa holds it now.”

Princess Sophitia did not hide her emotions well. Her face only changed subtly, but she was visibly shaking. “And what of my sister?” she asked. “What has become of Victorique?”

Harun had not thought to mention Zelda Victorique. Sophitia had referred to her as the queen a moment ago, so the prince had figured Sophitia already knew her sister was still alive.

“She fled before the Coliseum fell,” Harun informed her, glad to be able to give her some good news.

The princess’s reaction was immediate. She was visibly relieved to hear this. “I see,” she said. However, not a moment later, she fell to the side, as if fainting. Her round-eared attendant managed to catch her, preventing the princess from collapsing to the ground.

She is weak , came a voice from inside Harun’s head. Strike now. Kill the daughter of Hylia. Kill her! Now! The voice sounded like Ganondorf’s at first, but as it continued to make its desires known to Harun, the voice shifted. It became deeper and more bestial, until Harun was no longer certain if the one speaking to him was Ganon, Demise, or both.

I will not harm her , Harun asserted. However, as soon as he did, he felt a throbbing pain in his head that soon shot through his entire body.

“Aghh!” Harun winced, falling to one knee and pressing a hand to his temple.

“Harun!” Emri dropped her spear and knelt beside him. “What’s wrong?”

Kyra also put her hands on him, trying to help him stand.

“Oi, you two alright?” Mina called down from atop Raeger. “You don’t look so good, you know.”

“It is nothing,” Princess Sophitia replied.

Harun looked up to see the Hyrulean princess was in a similar state. The round-eared girl was helping her stand, and the priestess with them was clearly casting a healing spell. However, amongst the princess and her attendants, Harun saw another figure. It was the same one he had seen appear behind the knights who had rudely addressed him earlier, but it did not flicker as it had before. Harun could see it standing there plain as day. It was no more than a living shadow, as if it were one of his or Kobami’s phantoms, but its eyes glowed with a fiery red, glaring with hatred down at the princess.

Sophitia did not appear to see the figure, nor did anyone else. Instead, the princess looked in Harun’s direction. He had only a moment to process the look of horror on her face before she shrieked in terror. She covered her eyes and fell backwards, being caught by the young women attending her.

“Horse! Bring me a horse, now! We’re leaving!” the round-eared girl shouted, urging the guards around her into action.

Leave her alone! Harun shouted inside his head, realizing one of the demons possessing him must have been causing her harm in some way.

“It’s here! He’s here! Demise is here!” Sophitia cried, seemingly confirming Harun’s suspicions.

She can see him, too?

The figure behind her had not moved. It had merely grown larger, and angrier.

“Oi. What’s wrong with her?” For some reason, Mina stood, spread her wings, and glided down to the ground, landing close to the enemy’s front line. “She’s freaking out, you idiots. Aren’t any of ya gonna help her?”

The Hylian guards did not take kindly to the monster girl’s presence. They raised their weapons defensively, blocking access to the princess.

However, the real threat was behind Sophitia. The shadowy figure finally moved, raising its hands into the air. A shadowy sword appeared in its grip, large and jagged with spikes.

“Get her out of here!” Harun shouted, still in too much pain to climb back onto his feet. “It isn’t safe. Go!”

The princess’s guards brought her a horse, and the round-eared woman practically threw Sophitia on the back of it. In doing so, she luckily managed to pull Sophitia out of harm’s way at the last moment. The shadowy figure brought down its sword, barely missing its target. A metallic clang thundered through the canyon as the sword hit the ground, and the world around Harun suddenly changed.


The Gerudo prince found himself still in the canyon, but it was different. Much of the dirt and rock around him had lost its color, replaced by a dull gray. The only color in the darkness of this new world was found in the glowing, angry red cracks that streaked across the ground and along the canyon walls, like bolts of lightning or the veins of a gigantic beast. The sky was red as well, reminding Harun of the recent Blood Moon.

More importantly than the change in the environment -- everyone around him had disappeared. His guards, the monsters he was traveling with, and the Hyruleans had all vanished. However, there was one exception. The shadowy figure that had stabbed its sword down into the ground was still there, but it was no longer a shadow, and it was looking right at him.

“You…” Ganondorf, the former Gerudo king, pulled his sword from the ground, glaring down at Harun with a cold fury. “You mean to let our great enemy escape? Again ?”

Harun took a step back as the blade-wielding demon lord approached him, a primal fear suddenly welling up inside of him.

“Have you learned nothing ? What did rescuing Princess Seraphina accomplish back in Taafei? Was the war prevented? Did the Hyruleans see you as a friend to them? Do you truly believe this ends without us killing them, or them killing us?” Ganondorf readied his blade.

“Stay back!” Harun shouted, raising his trident. He was glad he still had his weapon, but he was surprised to find he no longer had the mirror shield. He knew so little about the Spirit Realm. Some items could come with him when he entered, but others apparently could not for some reason.

“You are a disgrace to our people. To our legacy. To our dream ,” Ganondorf said forcefully, his voice filled with frustration and disgust.

The demon king swung his sword. Harun had no confidence that his trident would be able to block it, although he questioned if ordinary physics applied in this realm, so he simply dodged to the side.

“Have you gone mad?” Harun asked. “There is no point in killing the princess. Once I have the Triforce, I can end our conflict forever, and no one has to die!”

“The breadth of your naivety is unfathomable,” Ganon replied. “If such a simple solution were possible, the Hyruleans who hold the Triforce would have wished for eternal peace long ago.” The demon king shook his head, lowering his weapon for a moment. “You cannot be trusted to wield the power of the Triforce. I shall be the one to use it to save our people.”

“I will never let you decide our wish,” Harun declared.

“That is out of your control, little prince,” Ganon replied menacingly. “I don’t need you . I just need your body.”

Harun’s eyes opened wide in fear and shock when he realized what the old king meant. There had been multiple times in the past when Harun had feared that Ganondorf would usurp his body completely, either expelling Harun’s spirit or keeping him trapped as an inactive passenger in his own body. He was so surprised, he barely had the chance to dodge out of the way when Ganon swung his sword again.

“You traitor !” Harun shouted as he backed away from the advancing demon. “This was always your plan, wasn’t it? You never cared about the task Alkawbra assigned to you. You never wanted to help me. I was always a means to an end, wasn’t I?”

“I do not recall ever claiming otherwise.”

Harun knew he had to think fast. He’d fought larger opponents before, but he was in the Spirit Realm now. Ganondorf had been dead for a century. He knew how this plane of existence operated, and Harun did not. The prince was hopelessly outmatched.

Gods, please let my magic still work.

Raising his trident as he stepped backwards, Harun called upon a lightning spell, discharging as large a surge as he could in Ganon’s direction.

“Hm.” The demon king grunted in disdain, lazily raising his free hand. Harun’s lightning arced directly into Ganon’s palm, gathering together into a glowing ball of electricity. “Pathetic,” Ganon said, idly tossing the ball of lightning back at Harun.

The prince barely had any time to react. The ball of lightning hit him in the chest. He was able to redirect some of it, expelling a portion of the electricity through his trident once more, but the rest of it coursed through his body, causing him significant pain.

“You have no command over your own power,” Ganondorf said derisively. “You have survived this long by borrowing mine . And you think you can handle the power of the Golden Goddesses? You would be vaporized if you so much as laid a finger on a small fragment of the Triforce!”

Harun regained his bearings and raised his trident defensively. However, before he could decide what to do next, the ground beneath them rumbled. The whole canyon shook, as if an earthquake had just hit. A distant roar could be heard -- one Harun had heard in his dreams many times.

Ganondorf looked down, trailing his eyes over the glowing red cracks in the rock. “He is strong here,” the old king stated. “Without me, the curse will surely consume you. Unleash me one more time. Grant me control of your vessel. I will return it once I have made use of the Triforce.”

“Never.” Harun shook his head firmly. “I’d rather take my chances with the curse than with you .”

“So be it.” Ganondorf rose into the air, his cloak billowing as he took flight. However, he quickly brought himself back down, launching himself downward towards Harun. The prince leapt out of the way, but when Ganon’s sword pierced the earth, it sent a tremor outwards from the point of impact, launching rocks into the air.

Harun swung his trident, crushing a rock to pieces before it could hit him, but he was not quick enough to block the next one. It hit him in the chest, knocking him to the ground. He groaned in pain as he listened to the footsteps of Ganondorf coming nearer. The earth trembled again as Demise roared, throwing Ganon off balance for a moment.

The prince racked his brain looking for a solution. There was no way he could fight Ganondorf and win, and even if he could, there was still the Curse of Demise to deal with.

What can I do? Find a way back to my body?

He didn’t know how he’d left his body in the first place. Perhaps some form of meditation would work. That sounded like something the Sage of Spirit would have suggested. But how could he find time to meditate given the situation?

My guards knew the Breach of Demise was affecting me. They must be moving my body at this very moment. Ganon and Demise will be weaker once we escape the canyon. Perhaps I can fend off the demon until then.

That was a possibility, but it was not a certainty. He decided he would try it, but there must have been something else he could try in the meantime. Just as Harun moved to climb back to his feet, another idea came to him.

Alkawbra! Please, heed my request. Ganondorf is no longer fit to perform the task you have assigned to him. Please, exorcise him from my body. Send him back to his prison in the afterlife. I beg of you!

The Goddess of Spirit had apparently answered his prayers in the past by sending Ganondorf’s spirit to help him battle the Curse of Demise. Perhaps now she would answer his prayers once again, but to remove the spirit this time.

“You think I am weak,” Harun said, hoping he could keep Ganondorf talking until his guards or the goddess rescued him. “Yet here I stand.”

“Here you stand,” Ganondorf agreed. “Amidst what accomplishment? You failed to save your lover, your mentor, and your foster sister, and you failed to prevent the war you so desperately wished to avoid.” The demon king moved forward to engage once more, swinging his sword at Harun.

The prince dodged out of the way. He attempted to counter attack with his trident, but Ganondorf blocked it easily, kicking him back.

“I have endured many battles,” Harun stated, barely managing to keep his balance. “I have saved many of my people, and many Hylians, too. I slew the witch who started this war. And, once I have the Triforce, I shall rid the world of you once and for all!”

After feinting to the side, Harun baited Ganondorf into making an attack, leaving an opening in his chest. Harun was quick to exploit it, driving his trident into Ganon’s torso. However, Ganondorf had no reaction. Either the weapon had failed to pierce his armor effectively, or the pain was nothing to him. Regardless, Ganondorf grabbed the end of Harun’s trident, then swung his sword down in front of himself, slicing the trident into two pieces.

Harun fell backwards, holding a useless metal pole in his hands. Ganon removed the head of the trident from his chest, then casually tossed it over his shoulder. The metal object made a noise when it landed, which was immediately followed by another tremor. The earthquake that followed was more severe this time, with both Harun and Ganondorf losing their balance, although only Ganon managed to remain on his feet.

Behind the demon king, something burst through the ground. Dirt and rock flew in every direction, and jets of fire spewed forth from the earth. Amidst the fire and dust, Harun could see the maw of a colossal, dark-scaled beast, struggling to rise up further. Harun was terrified by the sight, but Ganon looked over his shoulder as if he were only vaguely interested.

“Perhaps I should simply let it break through this time,” the demon king said, turning his dark gaze upon the prince. “If you embrace the curse’s power, perhaps you will see things the way I do.”

Harun was infuriated by Ganon’s reasoning. The demon king was willing to forsake his duty and let the Curse of Demise consume Harun to get his way. “I would say you have lost your honor, but from all the stories I hear, I doubt you ever had any,” Harun said scathingly.

Ganondorf narrowed his eyes. “You may want to reconsider how much faith you put in those stories, young one. From what I’ve seen, people will be telling very interesting stories about you for some time as well.”

Harun’s fist tightened. He knew there was some truth to Ganondorf’s words. For his entire life, rumors had circulated about Harun. Many of his own people, as well as the Hyruleans, believed him to be the second coming of Ganon, or a demon in his own right. After having killed Lady Averla and Elder Kobami, Harun had little doubt many would feel vindicated in their beliefs about him.

“If you truly are not the murderous fiend that history says you are, then why don’t you do your duty and help me?” Harun asked, watching in fear as the monster behind Ganondorf continued to struggle its way out of the ground.

Ganon glanced behind him once more. The crack in the earth had widened, and more of the Imprisoned had made its way above the surface. “I am no longer interested in being your protector,” Ganondorf refused, shaking his head. “I have tried to rule from behind a puppet before, and I was not satisfied with the result.”

“But it’s your curse, too!” Harun pleaded. “It is a blight on this world. A threat to all the land. The cause of so much suffering.”

“It is not my curse. It is my weapon .” Ganon turned to his side, reaching one arm out towards the monster breaking through the earth. A shimmering red glow enveloped the Imprisoned. Tendrils of glowing red light extended outwards, bending towards Ganon. The magical glow enveloped him as well. Harun could tell he was drawing power from it somehow.

“It is the power that allowed me to conquer the Realm of Twilight,” Ganon said, his voice echoing throughout the Breach. “It is the power that allowed me to conquer Hyrule. And it is the power that will allow me to do so again.”

“Incorrect.”

Another voice echoed throughout the canyon. However, in an instant, they were no longer in the canyon.


Harun found himself standing with Ganondorf at the bottom of a giant pit. It was not a dark and rocky pit like one would expect to see in a place like the Breach of Demise. Instead, the ground was covered with rich soil and green grass, as was the path spiraling upward along the walls, leading up to a lush green forest that could barely be seen from their position. The sky above them was blue and sunny, with only a few white clouds drifting by.

“What is this?” Ganondorf asked angrily, but he was not speaking to Harun.

“It was not solely the Curse of Demise that made you so formidable in life.” The same voice that had spoken earlier came from above them. Harun recognized the voice now. Just before he could react, he saw her.

A great cobra lay upon the spiraling path above them. It was Alkawbra, the Goddess of Spirit. Harun had been in her presence once before, back at the Spirit Temple. To his great surprise, his prayers had actually been answered.

“Your greatest source of power, dark one, was your piece of the Triforce.” Alkawbra remained on the ledge above them, but she lowered her head downwards to be closer to them. Her tongue darted out in front of Ganondorf’s face. “The power you stole from the gods.”

“I stole nothing ,” Ganondorf asserted, not even flinching in the presence of the giant cobra goddess. “The Triforce piece spontaneously appeared in my possession the moment the sages tried to execute me. Din provided me with no explanation.”

“Irrelevant. You had planned to steal the entire Triforce anyway, demon,” Alkawbra correctly pointed out.

Ganondorf glared with malice at the snake goddess. “‘Demon,’” he repeated disdainfully. “That is what they call anyone who aspires to attain the power of the gods. Why should that kind of power belong to the gods alone?”

“Look what happened to the realms of mortals when you attained only a fraction of our power,” Alkawbra replied. She slithered her elongated body down to the ground level, encircling Harun and Ganondorf. “You are children, all of you. It is natural that we gods do not let you use our weapons as your playthingssss .”

Harun had gotten over his initial disorientation, and he was not interested in watching an argument between the demon who plagued him and the goddess who had saddled him with that demon in the first place. “Alkawbra,” he spoke, not letting Ganondorf respond to her latest insult. “Have you come because I prayed for it?”

“It wouldn’t be the first time your whining forced me to cut in,” the cobra goddess replied, still winding her body around the circumference of the pit. “But I am more disappointed in thissss one’s performance.” Flapping her hood, the cobra nodded her head in Ganon’s direction to indicate she was referring to him.

“You will get no apology from me,” Ganon asserted. He did not move from his position, but he slowly turned his head to keep an eye on Alkawbra as she slithered around him. “I did what I did to achieve my goals. I will do whatever is necessary to save my people. Something you appear to have forgotten about, Patron.”

“I offered you a deal, demon,” Alkawbra reminded him. “You help this tiresome rat with his little problem, and I let you out of that box the Hero stuffed you in. That was our agreement.” With incredible speed, the cobra goddess suddenly snapped at Ganon, bringing her reptilian face right up to his.

Ganondorf still did not flinch. “You traded me one box for another. I do not intend to go back, nor shall I remain in this one. You have no power over me.”

“That is where you’re wrong, demon,” Alkawbra said, rearing back and baring her fangs. “You no longer possess the Triforce of Power. You lost your immortality long ago. You’re just another dead mortal now. It is my job to have power over you.”

Ganondorf did not reply. He continued to fix his gaze upon the cobra goddess, his hand resting on the hilt of his weapon.

“Now, then.” Alkawbra raised her head higher above the ground, looking over Ganondorf’s head to address Harun. “You, mortal, have managed to bother me enough to appear before you a second time. I’d rather there not be a third. So, this time, I shall leave it up to you. This is your final decision. You may choose to keep the demon here with you -- perhaps you may tame him enough to get him to do his job and keep the Curse of Demise at bay. Alternatively, you may ask me to cleanse your soul of him, I shall agree to it this time. You will no longer be able to draw upon his power, and you will have to face the curse on your own. But, you will once again be the sole operator of your flesh-self. Those are your options. Choose wisely. Or don’t. I’d rather you merely choose quickly .”

As far as Harun was concerned, it wasn’t even a choice. While there had been times when he had begrudgingly tolerated Ganon’s presence, Harun had wanted the demon’s spirit removed from the very beginning. He had resented Alkawbra for cursing him in this way, but at least now she was willing to take it back. “Banish him and be done with it, then,” the prince declared. “You shall torment me no longer, demon.”

“Very well.” Accepting Harun’s choice, Alkawbra reared up and bared her fangs once again. She lunged forward, as if intending to swallow Ganondorf whole.

“I refuse .” Before Alkawbra could snatch him into her jaws, Ganondorf thrust his sword upwards, piercing the cobra goddess through the roof of her mouth. With an angry hiss, Alkawbra reared back, the sword still stuck in her jaw.

“No!” Harun shouted. Reacting in an instant, Harun surged forward, jabbing Ganondorf in the back with what remained of his trident.

Ganondorf spun around. Weaponless, he slammed the back of his gauntleted fist into Harun’s face.

The prince was knocked to the ground, feeling as though a boulder had just cracked his skull. The world around him shimmered. Harun was again reminded he was in a Spirit Realm. He didn’t know what would happen to him if he died there, or if he even could die in this state, but the pain felt real all the same.

“I am finished with you. You are not worthy of being my successor,” Ganondorf stated with a cold fury. A dark shadow spread outwards over the ground beneath the demon king’s feet, and his body sank down into it. “When I obtain the Triforce, I will not bother to wish for your return,” he said, just before he disappeared from sight.

The earth trembled as Harun climbed back onto his feet. He moved backwards to avoid the growing pit of darkness forming on the ground. The sky above him darkened. Then, a monster emerged from the pit of shadow. It reminded him of the Imprisoned at first, but it was different. This creature had the appearance of a dark green-skinned boar mixed with that of a red-maned lion. It roared as it showed itself.

Gripped with fear and panic, Harun ran. He found the path that spiraled upwards along the walls and moved as fast as he could, wishing to flee from the horrific monstrosity.

He managed to make it one full revolution around the outside of the pit before the dark beast finished pulling itself out of the ground. Ganon approached the wall and reached upwards with his claws, grabbing the ledge in front of Harun as if he intended to climb it. Harun jumped over the demon’s claws and continued running.

However, his path was blocked as the cobra goddess slithered in front of him. “And just where do you think you’re going, mortal?” Alkawbra hissed. Her mouth did not move. It remained half-open with Ganondorf’s sword pierced upwards through her lower jaw, but her voice emanated from her head all the same.

“I cannot beat him!” Harun shouted angrily at the goddess. “I could never beat him. He’s too powerful, even for you . You have doomed us both by bringing him here. You have doomed the world !”

“Is whining all you ever do?” Alkawbra asked. “It is not over yet. I’ve always hated working with mortals, but I’ll grudgingly admit I need your help, just this once.” The giant cobra lowered her head. “Take up the demon king’s sword, champion of the Gerudo. We shall seal him away once again, together.”

Harun looked over his shoulder. Ganon had climbed onto their level, and was currently working to pull his way up to the next one. For some reason, Harun knew that if Ganon escaped the pit, he would escape back into the mortal realm.

I must stop him.

“Fine,” the prince agreed, placing his hands on the hilt of the sword. “I shall help you correct your mistake. But you shall owe me a favor in return.”

“Agreed,” Alkawbra replied. “Now, get on with it.”

Pulling outwards, the Gerudo prince slid the sword free from Alkawbra’s jaws. She hissed, but made no complaint. She then lowered her head to the ground and allowed Harun to step on top of her.

“I am ready,” Harun told the goddess.

“Let us hope so.” Alkawbra lifted her head, raising Harun into the air. With him riding on top of her, she slithered her way up the next few levels, letting the prince down atop the ledge Ganon was currently attempting to climb.

“Halt, demon,” the prince ordered, standing in Ganon’s way.

The dark beast gripped the ledge with his claws, lifting his pig-like head up to Harun’s level. “You,” the monster growled, his voice no longer resembling that of a human. “I will not let you lead our people to ruin.”

Ganon lunged forward, opening his jaws. Harun struck quickly, doing to Ganon what Ganon had done to Alkawbra. He stabbed the demon’s own sword upward through his jaw, causing the beast to roar in pain. However, that was not enough to stop him. Ganon swiped his claw across the ledge. Harun was knocked to the side, but he avoided the demon’s grip.

“I will destroy you,” Ganon rumbled, pulling his massive body further up the cliffside. However, he suddenly stopped, roaring in pain. Alkawbra had coiled herself around the demon’s body, squeezing him tightly and sinking her massive fangs into his side.

Taking the opportunity the goddess presented to him, Harun took the demon’s sword in hand once more and ran back over to where Ganon hung from the ledge. Leaping over the edge, Harun screamed, driving the sword downwards into Ganon’s forehead as he landed on top of him. The demon roared once more. He lost his grip and fell, plummeting back down to the bottom of the pit along with Alkawbra and Harun.

Harun jumped off of Ganon’s head and rolled when he landed. Alkawbra remained coiled around the dark beast, and Ganon struggled to break free of her.

As the beast lay across the ground, Harun spotted a great white scar across Ganon’s belly. The prince had heard the stories, so he knew what that meant -- it was where the Sage of Water had originally stabbed him, and it was where the Hero of Twilight had stabbed him again to kill him.

This must be the way.

Raising his weapon, Harun ran forward and plunged the sword into the demon’s scar. Ganon let loose a roar of pain, and light spilled from the wound. Harun shielded his eyes, but held firm.

Alkawbra uncoiled herself from around Ganon’s body and slid away. The demon’s form began to dissipate, sinking into a shadow upon the ground.

“No! Not again!” Ganon bellowed in his demonic voice. “I cannot fail again !”

And then he was gone. The shadow on the ground faded, and the sky brightened once again. Harun stabbed the sword into the ground, as if to seal Ganon there once and for all. Alkawbra watched him, and for a moment, they stared at one another.

“You got your wish, mortal,” the cobra goddess told him. “He will plague you no longer, but now you have no one to keep the Curse of Demise at bay.”

I will keep the curse at bay,” Harun declared. “And remember, you owe me.”

Alkawbra hissed. “I do not like being indebted to mortals, so you better claim your reward soon. Now, begone.” She lunged forward as if to bite him, and then she was gone.


Harun suddenly awoke in a field with his guards kneeling over him.

“Harun!”

“You’re awake.”

“You’re alive!”

The prince raised his hand to stop them from touching him. He scanned his surroundings, realizing they had made it out of the Breach of Demise. The curse’s presence felt substantially weaker, but he knew it was still there. Only Ganon’s soul was gone.

I am nearly free. Soon this will all be over.

In the air in front of him, a shadow formed, then began to solidify and take shape. After a moment, it became Ganondorf’s sword, which then dropped to the ground in front of Harun.

“What is that?” Laine asked.

Harun took the weapon in hand and stood up. “I’ll explain later,” he told his guards, although he didn’t quite understand it himself. “Tell me what happened after I passed out.

Notes:

I apologize for the delay on this chapter’s release. I’ve been very busy lately, and I really wasn’t happy with my first draft of this chapter, so I had to rewrite a good portion of it.

I’ve also been playing Tears of the Kingdom pretty much nonstop for the last month. I’m loving it! There are so many cool new things I’d love to incorporate. I actually cut a few references to the Zonai earlier in this story. I definitely would’ve kept those references in if I’d known how significant the Zonai would end up being in Tears of the Kingdom. I knew a little about them from Breath of the Wild and the accompanying art book Creating a Champion, but there was very little canon information available about them before now. Just like Breath of the Wild, I don’t think all the new lore introduced in Tears of the Kingdom is compatible with either the rest of the Zelda timeline or with my story’s worldbuilding, but I plan to adapt parts of it here and there when I can.

I saw a complaint recently saying that some of my characters are assholes who are hard to root for, especially Mila. To any readers who feel this way, I genuinely appreciate that you’re invested enough in my story to be bothered by how some of the characters act, but I would like to point out that several of my characters are fully intended to be viewed as bad people. If I may steal a quote from author Lemony Snicket: I’m at a loss for how to construct a villain who isn’t doing villainous things. If Mila were only doing things that no one would object to, then she really wouldn’t be much of a villain.

Chapter 58: Mila VII

Chapter Text

Mila’s new guest accommodations in Hyrule Castle were much better than the quarters she’d been given the last time she’d visited. When she’d accompanied Governor Vryciaro to the capital for the summit, she had been a knight, so she had not been forced to sleep in the barracks with the ordinary soldiers. However, her room had been smaller, her bed hadn’t been nearly as comfortable, and she hadn’t been afforded access to the castle’s servants. Her new quarters even had a fireplace, next to which she sat, sipping a glass of wine as she contemplated the recent new developments.

The princesses had returned to the capital; all but Princess Seraphina, who was still missing and presumed dead. The child was of little note, however. The arrival of Princess Victorique and Princess Sophitia, on the other hand, had shaken things up significantly.

When Victorique had arrived, many had assumed she would be crowned immediately. She was technically the late King Tychon’s legal heir, after all. However, her brothers had gotten in her way, and Mila suspected Lord Remoth intended to make another bid for the throne at some point. The outward fighting had ceased when Prince Lancel arrived and demonstrated the power of his flying fortress, but a new kind of battle had taken its place.

Unfortunately, it was more a battle of arbiters than a battle of spies. Mila had sent Luft to secretly observe some of the Royal Family’s meetings, and while it could be said that they plotted against one another, they all seemed more preoccupied with researching legal precedent that would seal their place as the rightful ruler of the kingdom. Mila found it all dreadfully tedious and boring.

Why are you all so bad at killing each other?

Then, Princess Sophitia had arrived. With what appeared to be the entirety of the remaining Royal Family in the capital once again, Mila thought that perhaps things would get more interesting.

There are five of them competing now, including Remoth. How can I figure out which one will come out on top?

Princess Victorique was the obvious choice, since the law was likely on her side. Mila was currently backing Prince Percival, who seemed the easiest to manipulate, although Mila knew little about Princess Sophitia. She could be the dark horse in all of this.

Mila also had to consider how she could increase her station further. She was already a lady, although it was basically in name only. She needed land and money and vassals of her own. And, if the gods didn’t get in her way, perhaps she could even become queen someday. It was a stretch, for sure, but one she still wished to consider.

The easiest way would be to marry the king, provided Remoth or one of the princes ascended to the throne. However, there was next to no chance of that ever happening. Mila wasn’t even human, let alone Hylian, and she had the appearance of an eleven-year-old girl. Surely that would not be good for a king’s image.

If only that damn tree had let me grow up…

Regardless, there were many other more powerful positions she could attain.

Perhaps I could replace that simpleton Vryciaro as governor…

That was certainly possible. Even if she couldn’t be the one to kill him, somebody would sooner or later. And if no one did, she could outlast him anyway. Even outside of the forest’s borders, she believed herself to still be immortal. If she wasn’t, she was still much younger than he was.

As the Kokiri girl contemplated all of this, she heard a jingle from her window. Her fairy flew into the room, dropping fairy dust as she moved.

“Ah. Welcome back,” Mila said with a smile, raising her glass as if in celebration.

“Yes, yes, ‘ Welcome back ,’ she says…” Luft muttered in annoyance. “How come you get to sit around drinking yourself into a coma while I have to do all the work?”

“Here we go. Always complaining.” Mila rolled her eyes, smirking. “Now, come on. Out with it. What have we learned?”

“That these royal pricks have family issues,” Luft replied, fluttering over to Mila and setting herself down on the table. “Apparently they’d made a bet with the king about who would get to replace him, behind Princess Victorique’s back.”

Mila laughed. “Truly? That’s rather priceless. Who won this bet?”

“They all think they won.” Luft grabbed the rim of Mila’s wine glass, which was about the same size as she was, and carefully tilted it over, drinking from its contents.

“So they still intend to fight over the throne?” Mila asked for clarification.”

Luft jangled in irritation, taking a moment to drink deeply. “I guess? They said they’re gonna have an election to decide.”

“An election?” Mila furrowed her brow. “Among who? The Grand Council? The royal court? The nobility?”

“They said they were gonna ‘let the people decide.’”

Mila scoffed. “Why let the people decide? Is there anyone stupider than the people ?”

“Beats me.” Luft flittered her wings, rising back into the air. “But it sounds like you’re backing the losing horse on this one, Mila. I don’t think the commonfolk like Prince Percival all that much.”

“Perhaps. Although, if he manages to receive credit for my defeat of the Earthquake Sage, he may earn some favor in the eyes of the people,” Mila mused, putting her hand to her chin ponderously. “Princess Victorique is by far the most well-known and beloved. She should be the favorite. But then again, is she not responsible for losing the Gerudo Province?”

“Princess Sophitia lost most of the Hebra Province, too,” Luft pointed out, jingling humorously.

“What?” Mila was somewhat shocked. “We lost Hebra too ?”

“Not all of it,” Luft clarified. “But the younger princess said she’s letting the Rito decide whether or not to stay.”

“Unbelievable.” Mila shook her head. “The king only just died, and already the kingdom is falling apart. And now the king’s idiot children are going to waste time with an election ?”

“If Lord Remoth doesn’t have them all killed in their sleep first,” Luft speculated, lazily flipping through the air.

Mila leaned back in her chair. Lord Remoth was another factor to consider. If he did intend to try to steal the throne again, all four of his largest competitors had conveniently returned to the same place now. If the princes and princesses were all eliminated, the closest thing to an obstacle after them would be their aunt, Governor Kochi. He would be practically unopposed.

“Did the royal siblings mention Lord Remoth in their meeting?” Mila inquired.

“Hmm?” Luft fluttered about for a moment. “Uhhh… Oh! Yeah. They think he was behind the attack during the Blood Moon. He might even be the Headless Demon in disguise.”

Mila nearly spit out a mouthful of wine. “Truly? I could see him being behind the Blood Moon attack, but a demon in disguise?”

The Kokiri girl thought about it for a moment. She supposed Lord Remoth shared a few similarities with the last great demon lords. Ganondorf had been a king who was unsatisfied with serving beneath another king. Vaati had been a sage’s apprentice who wanted to be the master. Both had been powerful, but that had not been enough for them. They wanted to be the most powerful. Given Lord Remoth’s position as one of the most powerful lords in Hyrule, it was easy to see how he might covet the Royal Family’s throne.

“Hmm. Perhaps it’s not that absurd after all,” Mila said aloud. “So, what do they plan to do with him? A simple execution? Or are they to banish him to another realm of some sort?”

“Ugh, what’s with all the questions?” Luft asked, stealing another few sips of Mila’s wine. “They don’t know what to do with him, alright? They’re keeping him in the capital until they’ve confirmed he’s the demon. That’s all they said.”

“How could they possibly not have a way to confirm such a thing?” Mila asked. “The Royal Family are supposed to be godlings. Can they not sense it?”

“What’re you asking me for?” Luft jangled in irritation.

Mila tapped her fingers against her armrest.

If I can positively identify the demon, the Royal Family will surely be grateful.

Her first thought was to use the Sage of Light. Sorcerers who practiced light magic were often talented at sensing malicious intent. As far as Mila was aware, a demon was simply a being who had obtained immense magical power through immoral means or for malevolent purposes. However, the damn sage had gone and gotten himself killed, along with his Patron, so they would be of no help.

Nevermind that. I’ll just try it the old fashioned way.

The Royal Family suspected Lord Remoth of being the Headless Demon, and Mila considered it possible as well. If she could catch him doing anything suspicious, she might be able to prove it, or at least find evidence of him working for the same group that served the demon.

“Luft, I have another job for you,” Mila said.

“Ah, fuck,” Luft complained. “Why can’t you be the one to fly around spying on people for once?”

“If I sprout wings, I’ll let you know,” the Kokiri girl replied. “We need to investigate Lord Remoth. If he is the Headless Demon, or one of the conspirators, and I manage to bring him in, I’ll be a hero in the Royal Family’s eyes.”

“Do we have to do it now ?” Luft whined.

“Sometime before he kills the rest of the Royal Family would be preferable, yes,” Mila said with mild irritation.

“If he can really kill the entire Royal Family, why don’t you just join him instead?”

Mila raised an eyebrow. “What?”

Luft jingled in laughter. “I like that look on your face. It was only a joke, Mila.”

“Maybe, but you make a good point,” Mila decided. “It’s possible this demon truly is stronger than the remainder of the Royal Family. Depending on what it wants, perhaps it can be useful to us.”

“Hmm, I don’t know about that.” Luft flipped herself through the air beside her companion’s head. “Demons are powerful, but they always get killed by the Hero in the end, don’t they? The guy who used to own your sword killed at least one demon, ya know.”

“My sword.” Mila stood up and walked the length of the room. The scabbard holding her sword was leaning against the wall, and she snatched it up, drawing the blade. “Those Achemen attempted to steal it,” she said, turning to Luft. “They almost certainly were acting on orders from the demon.”

“You told me about that.” Luft fluttered across the room, illuminating Mila’s gilded sword with her light. “What do you think they wanted with it?”

“This was the sword Saria’s brother used to slay the demon of Termina, was it not?” Mila asked. “Perhaps this sword is similar to the Master Sword. It could have some special properties that make it harmful to demons.”

“So the Headless Demon sent some monsters to steal your sword because they’re scared of it?” Luft delicately landed on the flat of the blade, dancing across it as Mila held it aloft. “I guess that makes sense. So what do you plan to do? Go around threatening everyone with your sword and seeing who gets scared?”

“Not everybody,” Mila replied, smirking at her fairy companion’s jest. “But if Lord Remoth is connected to the Achemen, then he should still want my sword. That may be just enough leverage to force him out into the open.”


Despite Lord Remoth’s current role as interim Grand Artisan during Rodan’s absence, he did not often spend time in the mines or the workshops below Hyrule Castle. Instead, he spent much of his time in his new office, from which he sent out orders to the Goron and Hylian artisans under his command. Additionally, the monster slaves he’d brought to the capital were still mining the quarry for material with which to rebuild the city, and he regularly communicated with his overseers regarding the process.

Lord Remoth was clearly a man who valued his privacy. His new office had no windows, and Mila suspected this was an intentional choice on his part. He was a man who was already suspected of keeping secrets, and this was just another reason to believe he was up to something behind the scenes. Luckily, the lack of windows would be no issue for Luft, as fairies had interesting ways of getting into places they otherwise weren’t supposed to be.

So, Mila went about her daily business, allowing herself to be seen in public interacting with various nobles, including Prince Percival, to whom she still currently reported. Meanwhile, Luft was tasked with keeping an eye on Lord Remoth. If he spoke with anyone, if he discussed anything treasonous, or if he turned into a demon within the privacy of his office, Mila wanted to be the first to know about it.

The Kokiri girl was having tea with Vanova in the courtyard when she next saw her fairy.

“Do you ever intend to return to Labrynna?” Mila asked the foreign girl, raising her teacup to her lips.

“Perhaps to visit one day, just to see it,” Vanova replied, tilting her head upward as if daydreaming about something. “I do not remember it much. I was quite young when Mother brought me to Hyrule.”

“I would like to see it too, someday,” Mila said. “There are many round-eared humans here in the capital, and quite a few of them are not from Ordona. I am interested to know what the land beyond the sea is like.”

Vanova nodded her head as she stopped daydreaming, then took another sip of her tea. “What about you, my lady?” she asked Mila. “Whenever you mention your home, you do not sound like you were fond of it. Do you ever intend to return to the forest?”

Mila lowered her eyelids.

Maybe to kill that damn tree.

“One day,” she said. “Once I’ve made something more of myself.”

“Pfft. Like you’ll ever be satisfied with what you’ve made of yourself,” came a voice from above Mila.

Mila and Vanova turned their heads skyward. Luft fluttered down from overhead, lowering herself down onto the table between them.

“Luft!” Vanova said excitedly, putting her arms on the table and leaning her face in closer to the fairy. “It’s good to see you!”

Luft jingled appreciatively. “Hey there, round-ears.” She turned to Mila. “You could stand to greet me like that sometime, too, ya know.”

Mila sighed. “It’s good to see you, old friend,” she said.

“There ya go.” Luft peered into Mila’s teacup, but decided she didn’t want any of the drink. “Anyway, I got something to report. Is it safe to talk here?”

Mila lifted her eyes to Vanova, then glanced about the courtyard. There was no one nearby, and she could see no good places to eavesdrop.

“Here is fine,” she told her fairy.

“Shall I take my leave, my lady?” Vanova offered.

“No, you may stay,” Mila replied.  “What do you have for me, Luft?”

“Remoth just got done meeting with the Grand Minister and the Grand Watcher,” Luft told her.

“Two other members of the Grand Council,” Mila remarked. It wasn’t too strange for them to be meeting, but the topic of their discussion would shed more light on that. “Did Remoth meet with them both at once?”

“No. Socicila showed up right after Malkori left.”

“I see. What did he and Malkori discuss?”

“A lot of things,” Luft began. “But it was mostly about the election the Royal Family intends to hold. He’s in charge of setting that up.”

“Why did he need to talk to Lord Remoth about that?” Mila asked.

“I dunno. The minister said he needed some help. Remoth said he could spare a few people, but the election didn’t really matter anyway,” Luft explained.

“Didn’t matter, or didn’t matter to him ?” Mila asked, finding this to be an important clarification.

“Didn’t matter.” Luft rose up into the air, fluttering her wings. “Why? You suddenly care about Prince Percival winning or something?”

Mila shook her head. “If Remoth were merely indifferent to the outcome of the election, that would simply mean he didn’t care which of the royal siblings won,” she explained. “But, if he believes the election itself doesn’t matter at all, it means he believes the outcome has already been decided.”

“What do you mean, my lady?” Vanova asked, lazily watching the fairy hovering in front of her. “Does Lord Remoth think Princess Victorique is sure to win?”

While the election had not been officially announced to the public yet, the royal siblings had shared their plans with many of the nobles working in the castle. A popular sentiment was that Princess Victorique was the favorite to win. She was well-known and well-liked throughout much of the kingdom, and she was the late king’s eldest child. To many, she was the obvious choice.

“That may be the case,” Mila said, steepling her hands in front of her. “However, it could also mean he intends to rig the election in his favor.”

“Huh? Is Lord Remoth a candidate, too?” Luft asked in confusion.

“No, but he may have his own favorite amongst the royal siblings.”

“Who do you think it is?” Vanova asked.

Mila thought about it. Lord Remoth clearly did not like Prince Percival, and Percival would probably have Remoth executed were he to become king. He probably did not like Prince Lancel very much either, seeing as though Lancel had been the one to kick Remoth off of the throne while he’d been playing ‘regent’ of the kingdom. That left the royal sisters.

“Princess Sophitia has spent some time in the Ridgelands recently,” Mila pointed out. “It is possible they’ve become acquainted. They may even be working together. Remoth may consider a sixteen-year-old queen to be easier to influence and control.” The Kokiri girl eyed her seventeen-year-old retainer who sat in front of her; a girl who regularly obeyed her orders without question.

He wouldn’t be wrong.

“Hmm… maybe,” Vanova said, tapping her fingers on the table. “But aren’t you assuming things, my lady? I mean, Lord Remoth still could have meant the election didn’t matter to him , even if he didn’t say it like that.”

Mila nodded her head to the side, acknowledging the round-eared girl’s point. “I suppose that is true. It warrants further investigation,” she said, then turned back to her fairy. “Alright, so what did the Grand Watcher want?”

“He seemed pretty angry at Remoth, actually,” Luft replied, descending down onto Mila’s saucer and sitting with her back against the teacup. “I couldn’t really see his face, but the way he talked sounded like he was chewing him out.”

“Angry?” Mila rubbed her chin. “Interesting. What was he angry about?”

“Something about taking too long to do his part,” Luft said. “I don’t know what ‘ his part ’ is, though.”

“Hmm. That certainly sounds quite incriminating, but then again, Socicila could just be yelling at Remoth for being too slow in getting the city repaired,” Mila pointed out, knowing that Remoth had taken up that task.

“Did Remoth say anything in his defense?” Vanova asked.

“Yeah. He complained that he’s been forced to work with one arm tied behind his back, and that because Socicila is providing him with so little help, he’s basically operating blind,” the fairy explained, standing up and stretching.

Mila considered those words. “It is said that Sheikah agents within the Watchers organization were responsible for the king’s death,” she said aloud. “Have the traitors been identified yet?”

“Dunno. I haven’t heard anything about that,” Luft replied. “But the royal siblings did say they’ve been purging members of both the Watchers and the Royal Guard in an attempt to replace them with people they trust more.”

“That could be why Remoth feels blind,” Vanova pointed out. “The Watchers are supposed to be giving him information, but if their numbers have been thinned by the purge, they may still be short-handed.”

Mila tapped her hand against the table in annoyance. “That is likely the case. Unfortunately, that doesn’t prove Socicila or Remoth were involved with the traitors.” Mila sighed, standing up. “It appears Remoth is smart enough to be careful with his words. Even when he appears to be alone, he knows the walls have ears. I doubt he’ll incriminate himself on his own.”

“What do you plan to do, my lady?” Vanova asked.

“Simple,” Mila said, slinging her sword over her back. “I’m going to speak to him myself.”


“So, what are the odds you end up impaled on a spike for this?” Luft asked on the way to Lord Remoth’s quarters.

“Is that what we’re gambling on now?” Mila asked, turning a corner down the castle corridors. “Because I’d say odds are equally good you end up crammed in a bottle to be kept as an expendable revival charm.”

“Hey! Don’t even joke about that!” Luft flapped her wings, jingling in irritation.

“Relax, my friend.” Mila smirked. “I know better than to expect you to give your life for mine any time soon.”

“Yeah, well, not like you’d do the same for me, either.”

When they reached the door to Lord Remoth’s quarters, they found it guarded by four armored guards wearing black cloaks and face-obscuring helmets. The guards stepped in Mila’s path when she approached.

“I am here to see Lord Remoth,” Mila announced. “Tell him Lady Shadowgale wishes to discuss some matters of importance.”

The guards exchanged glances, seeming confused.

Shadowgale ,” Mila repeated, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. Remoth and his people were from the western side of the kingdom, where she was not as well-known. They probably thought she was a mere child.

Damn that tree.

“Lord Remoth is not taking visitors at the moment,” one of the guards said, speaking in an impatient voice.

“Go inside and ask him,” Mila ordered. Deciding to test the waters, she reached behind her back and shifted the position of her sword, making its hilt more visible to the guards. “I have something he wants, and he’ll want to hear what I have to say.”

The guards again exchanged looks, only this time, one of them nodded his head towards the door, telling one of the others to head inside. The chosen guard grumbled, then knocked twice on the door with his gauntleted hand, bringing his head in close to listen for a response. Upon hearing a faint noise from the other side, he flinched. The hesitation he showed before entering painted him as plainly scared to speak to his lord, but he opened the door and stepped into the room regardless.

Mila did not like the way the other three guards stood there while they waited, staring at her silently. She’d encountered many unsavory types in her time in Hyrule, especially before she’d joined the military. The knight’s armor she wore gave her some level of presence nowadays, but it had previously been much easier to mistake her for a mere child, and there were many who had seen her as easy prey.

If these three wish to try anything, they shall meet the same fate as all the others.

However, a few moments passed with nothing happening. When the fourth guard returned, he grunted in annoyance. “Enter,” he said simply, as if he were unhappy with these results.

Mila smiled smugly. “Thank you, sir,” she said, putting some light mockery in the way she said ‘ sir .’ Stepping past the black-cloaked guards, she entered Remoth’s quarters.

Walking a short distance through the entrance of his chambers, Mila found the Lord of Spikes sitting in a sofa chair beside a crackling fireplace. He was holding an open book, and he continued to stare down at it as Mila entered.

“You wished to speak with me?” Lord Remoth asked. He spoke slowly and politely, but he still gave off the impression he would rather be doing anything else rather than speaking with her at the moment.

“Yes,” the Kokiri girl replied, standing just past the doorway. “I am Mila of House Shadowgale, Lieutenant to Prince Percival.”

“I know who you are,” Remoth replied, sounding unimpressed. He turned the page in his book. “What is it that you wished to discuss?”

“I know who you are, too,” Mila replied. “More importantly than that, I know what you are.”

“You mean besides irritated?” The Lord of the Ridgelands shut the book he was reading and set it aside on a nearby table, turning to look at her.

Mila raised an eyebrow. His cold gaze had slightly startled her. “I know quite a lot about you, actually,” she said, not backing down. “The clandestine meetings with the other Grand Council members. The election rigging. The spying. The treason. The Blood Moon. Many, many things.”

“Is that so?” Remoth asked. He said no more after that, letting his indifference hang in the air, continuing to coldly stare at Mila.

“Do not attempt to play dumb with me, Remoth.” She had taken the lord’s response as something of a challenge. If she was to confirm anything about him, she was going to have to force a more meaningful response out of him. “I have half a mind to report your activities directly to Prince Percival himself right now.”

“And yet you haven’t,” Lord Remoth pointed out. “I was told you had something I wanted. Did you come here merely to waste my time?”

“How about we skip over the bullshit?” Mila stepped forward another few steps. “There’s something big going on here, and I want in. So either tell me everything I want to know, or we’ll see if the prince is more interested than you are.”

Lord Remoth sighed, moving slowly to climb to his feet.

Mila cast her gaze upward, taken aback for a moment. She’d forgotten how large this man was. The height difference between herself and the humans was always fairly substantial, but it was even more pronounced with a man like him.

“I know quite a bit about you as well, little fairy child,” Remoth said, approaching her. “A young, ambitious, up-and-coming, freshly-minted noble. Clawed your way there from the bottom, stepping on everyone who got in your way. Yes, I know your type. You think you know better than everyone else because you weren’t dealt the easy hand they were, and you think speaking your mind and belittling those who would be your superiors somehow sets you above them.”

Mila took a step back, her eyes opening wide as the man who towered above her got closer. His words were dripping with contempt, and there was a certain cold fury present in him that seemed to be slowly rising to the surface.

“You think yourself so important, so clever, so dangerous ,” Lord Remoth went on. “You’ll never let anyone look down on you for having the appearance of a little girl. You’ve won a few battles, and you think that makes you untouchable. You’ve forgotten how to keep your head down. You cannot help yourself. You’ve lost that fear that keeps rational creatures alive, because you’ve forgotten what it is to face something that could truly kill you.”

Mila felt something bump into her from behind, then realized she had allowed herself to be backed up against the wall. There was some truth to Remoth’s words. She almost had forgotten what it was like to be afraid. Even the four fully armored knights who’d guarded these chambers had failed to raise even a single hair on her head. But there was something different about Lord Remoth. There was something dark inside of him.

Is he truly the demon?

“Now. Tell me.” Lord Remoth bent forward, bringing his face down closer to hers. “Why should you matter to me in the slightest ?”

A thousand thoughts shot through Mila’s head. Ordinarily, she would respond to an insult or a threat with one of her own, often one that was much worse than the one given to her. However, she was certain Lord Remoth meant to kill her if she said the wrong thing, and for once, she wasn’t confident in her ability to win the fight should it come to that.

If he actually is a demon strong enough to kill a god, what can I do in this state?

Instead of challenging him, Mila attempted to calm her mind, letting the fear drain from her face, replaced instead by a blank look of cold indifference. “Two reasons, I suppose,” she said, meeting Remoth’s gaze as he towered over her. “One, my fairy is watching, and if anything happens to me, she’ll fly straight to Prince Percival, and everyone will know what you did and what you really are.” Mila pointed upwards.

Lord Remoth tilted his head toward the ceiling. Luft hovered above them, flying in lazy circles. Upon the attention being drawn to her, she jingled humorously. “Hello, there!”

Somewhat satisfied in her safety so far, Mila continued. “And two, I still have something you need.” Reaching behind her back, she pulled her scabbard over her head, then held it up for Remoth to see. Grabbing the hilt, she pulled it a few inches out of its sheath, exposing a plain iron sword; the kind often used by the castle guards. “I’m not foolish enough to bring the real one right to you, you see. And if you kill me, you’ll never find where it’s hidden.”

Lord Remoth raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. He leaned away from her, standing up straight again. “What would I want with your sword?”

“You sent two Achemen to steal it from me,” Mila asserted. “One of them escaped, which I’m sure you know. The other I killed, but he was very talkative before he died, with a little persuasion.” While it was true she had killed the monster she spoke of, she lied about how cooperative the creature had been. She recalled the Achemen had been more afraid of its master than it was of her. It was not a stretch to believe Lord Remoth was the one it feared so horrendously.

“Not all of the monsters in this city belong to me, I’m afraid,” Lord Remoth said, not sounding at all threatened by Mila’s bluff.

“And yet my sword matters enough for us to be having this conversation at all.” Mila continued to hold his gaze, taking the chance to call his bluff in return.

Lord Remoth was silent for a moment. Ordinarily, Mila would take this as a victory, assuming her verbal opponent had been stumped. However, with Remoth, she got the distinct feeling he was merely calculating whether she was worth more to him alive or dead.

“Do you even know what your sword is ?” the Lord of Spikes asked after a minute.

“Of course,” she replied. “It was forged by a master blacksmith from the realm of Termina. There is nothing else like it on this plane of existence.”

“Then you really don’t know what it is.” Remoth turned and walked back over to his chair by the fire, leaving Mila confused.

Has Saria lied to me?

“You are wrong,” Mila asserted, stepping away from the wall. “I know the whole story. The Sage of Forest told me. My sword once belonged to her brother.”

“I’m sure it did. But that is not why it interests me.” Lord Remoth replied, taking a seat. He gestured to the free chair across from him.

Mila hesitated. She wasn’t sure why this man was being so accommodating to her now, after he had just threatened to kill her.

He must desire my sword even more strongly than I suspected.

The Kokiri girl cautiously took a seat. “Fine. I’ll bite. Why did you attempt to steal my sword?”

“I will tell you,” Remoth said. “But first, I would like to know. What is Prince Percival to you?”

“The prince?” Mila repeated, almost sounding disgusted. She considered for a moment whether to answer truthfully.

I have already accused him of treason. Perhaps he is attempting to bring me into the fold.

That was intriguing. If his plans held promise, she might have been willing to join. If they did not, at least she might get him to admit to something damning.

“He is a means to an end,” the Kokiri girl admitted.

“I see.” Lord Remoth steepled his fingers. “Then I suppose you could say, for me, your sword is a means to an end as well.”

Mila was still somewhat confused, and she did not like the feeling of being the one in the dark. “And what end is that? Do you wish to travel to Termina? Is there something you wish to obtain from that realm?”

“No, fairy child.” Remoth shook his head. “I have no knowledge of -- or interest in -- other realms. My interests lie solely in this one.”

“What, then?” Mila pressed on, not appreciating the lord’s nonanswers. “What other uses does my sword have apart from killing?”

“It is a key,” Lord Remoth finally explained. “The sword itself does not matter to me; I merely need it to open a door. You may repossess it once the door has been opened and I have obtained my treasure.”

“A key?” Mila furrowed her brow. She knew nothing about that. The sword had been around for almost two centuries, and it had spent most of that time on display in Saria’s shrine to her dead brother.

What sort of door is opened by a sword?

“Fine, then. What is behind this door that you so desperately wish to obtain?” Mila asked, hoping Remoth’s answer to this question would finally explain everything.

“Is it not obvious?” Lord Remoth replied, sounding almost condescending. “What is the one treasure for which its holder would go to any lengths to secure, and for which all others would go to any lengths to obtain?”

Mila instantly knew the answer, although the possibility surprised her. “The Triforce?”

“Yes.” Remoth nodded.

“Why would my sword open the door to the Triforce?”

“Its original owner had close ties to the Royal Family,” the lord explained. “He possessed a number of powerful artifacts. When the Triforce was sealed away after the Twilight War, an impenetrable chamber was constructed to house it. The door to this chamber was designed not to open without these artifacts, which were scattered to all corners of Hyrule.”

Mila leaned forward in her seat, eying Lord Remoth with some skepticism. “And the Royal Family has told you all of this?”

“No.” Lord Remoth shook his head. “I cannot reveal my sources, but I assure you, their intelligence is quite reliable.”

The Kokiri girl did not like that answer. As far as she was aware, the secret of the Triforce’s location was the most closely-guarded secret in the entire kingdom. Only true members of the Royal Family were supposed to know anything about it. If Remoth did not learn of it from them, then how reliable could this information truly be? Nevertheless, Lord Remoth did not appear to be lying, and Mila did not see the value in telling a lie as grand as this. The lord probably believed every word of what he was saying, even if he had been misled.

“You have been oddly forthcoming with me at this point in time, Lord Remoth,” Mila commented. “How am I to interpret this sudden change of heart?”

“I think you’re smart enough to figure that out, fairy child,” her host answered.

“Then I am right to assume this is a ‘ join or die ’ situation?”

“Quite right.”

“Even if my fairy were to inform the Royal Family of my death?”

“I think you’ll find the Royal Family’s reign to be quite near its end.”

Mila’s eyes opened wide at that bold declaration. This man did not only intend to steal the Triforce -- he planned to murder the remaining members of the Royal Family.

Is that why he thinks the election does not matter at all?

Lord Remoth did not react to Mila’s surprise. He continued to stare at her with cold indifference, apparently ready to accept having to kill her or not having to, depending on her answer.

“Is my life all you have to offer me, were I to join you?” Mila asked. “I imagine the Royal Family would bestow upon me a much greater reward if I were to reveal your traitorous scheme to them.”

Lord Remoth leaned forward slightly. “In exchange for your sword, and for your assistance in dealing with the Royal Family, I offer you one wish upon the Triforce.”

Mila felt her spine tingle at that idea.

A wish upon the Triforce…

There could be no greater payment than that. She could have anything she wanted, with no restrictions or limitations.

I could finally be the god I was always meant to be…

“Lord Remoth,” Mila said, smiling broadly. “It appears I have greatly misjudged you.”

Remoth’s head tilted very slightly, betraying some curiosity. “Do we have a deal, Lady Shadowgale?”

“Yes. Yes, we do.”

Chapter 59: Link XVI

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

“Hm, hm-hm. Hm, hm-hm. Hm, hm-hm, hm-hmm…” Linkle hummed happily to herself, strutting at the front of the party as they walked through the forest. The Master Sword, lacking a scabbard, was strapped to her back, alongside her other sword. She’d been in the best of spirits ever since she’d pulled the sword from the stone.

Dayto and the four others in his party, apparently eager to spend time with the Hero, had offered to escort them back to Kasuto.

“Are you going to kill the Headless Demon?” Dayto asked Linkle, excitedly following beside her.

“Absolutely!” Linkle declared.

“Wow!” Chabi, the tiny wizard, replied in amazement. “Hey, do you know any magic?”

“I can talk to animals,” Linkle said.

“No, she can’t,” Link interjected, following behind her.

“Quiet. Yes, I can.”

“What’s the biggest thing you’ve hunted?” asked Nazbi, the man with the bow.

“Hmm.” Linkle thought about it. “I’ve faced two Hinoxes.”

Link let out a short laugh at that. The first time they fought a Hinox, they ended up fleeing. The second time they met one, it ended up being friendly, so they hadn’t even fought it.

“I killed a pretty big Igneo Talus on the way to Rudania, too,” Linkle added.

“That’s pretty impressive,” commented Nat, the woman with the claymore. “What else have you fought? Those were the big things, but have you ever had a particularly skilled opponent?”

“Oh, yeah! Many,” Linkle replied. “Just before we came to Faron, my brother and I were in the Water Temple. We came across this secret treasure vault. It was guarded by some sort of spell that created dark reflections of ourselves, so we basically had to defeat our own evil twins in order to claim the treasure. They knew all our moves. It was quite a challenge.”

Link nodded his head in agreement. That much was actually true. Fighting their darker selves had been one of their more difficult battles. They were used to fighting only monsters, who were not usually as intelligent.

Good thing we didn’t have to fight the talking Hinox.

Endai, the man with the daggers, seemed to be the only one who wasn’t interested in asking Linkle a million questions. He followed in the back of the party, constantly glancing about the forest cautiously.

“That sounds rather exciting!” Dayto declared. “And what secret treasure were these malicious doppelgangers protecting, might I ask?”

Linkle reached down to her side and took out her hookshot. “This,” she said, holding it up.

“Hmm?” Chabi took the object into her hand, examining it. “What, this? A hookshot?” she asked. “Why’s this so special?”

“It once belonged to a Zora Princess named Ruto,” Linkle explained. “Her fiancé gave it to her.”

“My, oh, my. How romantic!” Dayto said, snatching the hookshot out of the young girl’s hands.

“Hey!” Chabi complained, fixing her oversized hat as it fell over her eyes.

“That’s a rather odd gift,” Nat pointed out. “Rather peculiar that it would have that kind of security, too. Does it do anything special?”

“Well--” Linkle began.

“Elle,” Link interrupted. “Let’s, perhaps, not bore them with the details, eh?” There was still a lot of uncertainty with their mission. They had shared the details with others so far, but only with people who may have been able to help directly, like the sages. He thought it best not to involve these other adventurers if it wasn’t completely necessary.

“Alright, alright, fine,” Linkle said, shooting him a significant look that seemed to say she understood what he meant.

“So, what are you all doing in these parts?” Link asked Dayto’s party, hoping to change the subject before anyone thought he was acting weird. “Did you just come here for the Master Sword, or were you on another quest?”

“Well, Endai, Chabi, and I all met in Fural. We’d each come to Faron to help with the Lynel horde that had formed outside the city,” Nat explained. “After that situation died down, we took some smaller quests hunting monsters in the forest, which is where we met Nazbi. Then Dayto showed up. He’s the one who suggested we try to pull the sword from the stone.”

“And what a wise decision it was!” Dayto declared proudly. “Because of our curiosity, we were blessed with the privilege of being the only other people present when the new Hero awakened! Truly this was Farore’s will.”

“It was pretty lucky,” Nazbi agreed.

“Where are you headed after this?” Nat asked Link. “You going straight to the capital to speak with the queen?”

“The queen?” Link asked, realizing he hadn’t yet thought about who would be replacing the late King Tychon.

“Yeah. Princess Zelda has probably been crowned queen by now, right?” Nat replied. “She’ll want to meet your sister if she’s the Hero.”

“That’s right!” Linkle declared proudly. “And that’s a good idea. Now I’ll finally get to go inside the castle!”

Link considered it. He was happy that his sister’s lifelong dream had actually come true, but it now dawned on him that a lot of responsibility had suddenly been thrust upon her. Would the Royal Family expect her to slay this new demon on her own? She was only fifteen. Even the Hero of Twilight didn’t have to begin his journey until he was seventeen.

Although, I’m sure Elle will remind me the Hero of the Minish was only twelve or thirteen when he began his journey.

Nevertheless, they had partially succeeded in the quest they’d been sent on by Sage Impa. They’d managed to collect the key from the Water Temple, and they knew who was in possession of the other key that had been in the Forest Temple previously. They’d also collected the Ocarina of Wind, which had been switched out for the Ocarina of Time, so that would surely be of some interest to the sages as well. Link and his sister were likely to be rewarded handsomely for the work they’d done, regardless of what would happen now that Linkle had become the Hero.

“If you are returning to the City of Hyrule, would you allow us to accompany you?” Dayto inquired. “As fellow adventurers, it would be nothing short of an honor to aid the new legendary Hero who has been sent to save these lands.”

“Quit being so fucking dramatic, Dayto,” Nazbi told him.

Chabi laughed, but caught herself. “Not that we wouldn’t love to accompany you, of course!” she quickly added, giving Linkle a look of pure admiration.

“Sure, you can come with us,” Linkle agreed, clearly enjoying her newfound popularity. “That’s okay, right, brother?” she asked, requesting Link’s approval.

Link considered it. Getting through the Lost Woods had been tough enough on the way in, and they’d luckily received help from a friendly giant and a group of Kokiri musicians. It would certainly be helpful to have an escort on the way out, not to mention on the way back to the capital. After all, the Hero always ran into trouble wherever they went, according to the stories.

That explains our miserable luck, at least.

“Couldn’t hurt,” Link agreed.

“Splendid!” Dayto clapped Link on the back, or rather on his shield.

“Do you have any other business in these forests?” Nat asked. “We finished everything we had to do. Checking out the Master Sword was our last stop.”

“We’re all set, too,” Link replied. “We should stock up on supplies and spend the night in Kasuto, then head out at first light.”

“We should go see the sage again before we leave,” Linkle suggested.

“You guys met the sage, too?” Chabi asked.

“Yep. She’s great!” Linkle replied. “It’s funny that she looks your age, Chabi, but she’s actually, like, hundreds of years old,” she said with a giggle.

“Definitely one of the friendlier sages we’ve met,” Link added.

“Sages?” Nazbi asked, emphasizing the plurality. “How many have you met?”

“Five.” Linkle smiled proudly.

“Five?” several members of Dayto’s party said at once, sounding surprised.

“Yeah. If you count the Sage of Light, who we only met very briefly on the road,” Link confirmed.

“Shadow, Light, Time, Water, and Forest,” Linkle elaborated, as if anticipating what their next question would have been.

“Ah. The Sage of Light. I heard he was killed by the Headless Demon during the Blood Moon,” Dayto commented.

“May he rest in peace,” Nat added.

“I wonder who the next Sage of Light will be,” Chabi said, perhaps inappropriately.

“We’ll find out soon,” Linkle speculated. “If there’s a living potential light sage, they may have awoken already by now.”

“That’s fast. What the hell took you so long to awaken?” Link joked.

“Yeah. The Hero of Twilight’s been dead for seventy years. Where’ve you been?” Nazbi joined in.

“Well, there hasn’t been a demon in Hyrule since Ganon was slain,” Dayto pointed out. “It is only natural that Farore would wait until it was needed before revealing her new champion.”

“Yeah, yeah. We were just playing around,” Nazbi said, waving his hand dismissively.

“Hey, look!” Chabi pointed up ahead of them. There was a break in the trees that looked like it led to a more open area. “I think we’re back.”

“Great!” Linkle said. “Let’s head back to the Forest Temple.”


The sun was low in the sky when Link, Linkle, and Dayto’s party returned to the forest maze town of Kasuto. Kokiri and fairies were out and about, some working, some playing, and some making music. Link wondered if the settlement had any defenses aside from hiding. The talking Hinox and his horde of Blins had apparently come and gone peacefully, but if they hadn’t, would the Kokiri have been prepared to fight?

They have a god, a sage, and a great fairy. Perhaps that is enough.

Link also hoped to avoid spreading the news that Linkle had obtained the Master Sword. She carried it openly on her back, but Link was unsure if the average Kokiri was familiar enough with the weapon to recognize it. However, Link’s hopes were short-lived.

“People of Kasuto!” Dayto announced, climbing atop a stump in the middle of the town center. “I am proud to announce the awakening of the new Hero!”

Link’s eyes opened wide. “No, no!”

“The Master Sword has been claimed by none other than the beautiful and proud Linkle of Hateno!” Dayto finished his introduction, then stepped off of the stump, gesturing to it as a signal for Linkle to take his place.

This fucking guy…

“Wait, really?”

“The Hero has returned?”

“Someone pulled the sword from the stone?”

Immediately, a crowd began to gather. Dozens of Kokiri assembled in front of the stump. Other curious fairy children stuck their heads out from their treehouses. A swarm of fairies gathered overhead as well.

Linkle looked almost nervous at first, but a look of unbelievable pride and joy soon overtook her. She climbed on top of the stump and pulled out the Master Sword, raising it skyward.

“Ooooohhhhh…” came the collective response of the crowd.

“Amazing!”

“She did it!”

“We’re saved!”

Many more of them spoke words in a language Link did not understand.

Link was happy for his sister, and the Kokiri townsfolk certainly weren’t very threatening, but he knew having this kind of attention drawn to themselves was rarely a good thing. Hoping to end this before even more Kokiri showed up to block their way, he stood next to the stump and held out his hand to Linkle.

“Elle, come on. We should go.”

Linkle nodded. She gave one last pose to her adoring crowd, then took her brother’s hand and let him help her climb down from the stump.

Nat, Endai, and Nazbi seemed to get the idea. The three of them formed up in front of the siblings, moving forward and waving their arms before the crowd, clearing the way. Dayto and Chabi followed behind them. The crowd of Kokiri clapped and cheered as they left.

As a group, they made their way north through the maze, heading for the temple.

“That was great,” Linkle said after they exited the maze. “Imagine how famous I’m gonna be after I slay the Headless Demon.”

Nat chuckled. “Rather vain for a Hero, eh?”

“Right?” Link agreed. Then he turned to Dayto. “Hey. Next time, don’t do that. Understand?” he told him.

Dayto looked surprised. “Oh, come off it. What did I do this time?”

“High-value targets are supposed to keep a low profile,” Endai explained.

“Low profile? Nobody draws more attention to themselves than nobles and royals!” Dayto argued.

“Only when they have dozens of trained knights escorting them,” Nat argued.

“Yeah, Dayto. Are you really that thick?” Chabi added.

“Okay, okay! Lady Linkle, I apologize,” Dayto said sincerely.

“It’s alright!” she replied. “But you should listen to my brother. He’ll probably stab you again next time you do it,” she added with a giggle.

Dayto laughed, but he nervously put a hand over his shoulder.

Their party didn’t run into many other people on their way up the hill to the Forest Temple. The next Kokiri they saw were a few of the temple’s druids tending to the plants growing outside the entrance.

“Excuse me,” Link spoke up, hoping to do the talking before anyone else mentioned his sister had become the Hero. “We were here earlier. Is it alright if we speak with Saria again?”

The druid closest to the staircase nodded. “Sure thing, travelers. The sage is inside. You can go on in.”

“Thank you.”

After climbing the staircase, their party passed through the entrance room with the trees in it and through the first hallway. When they entered the great octagonal chamber inside the temple, Link immediately spotted Saria. She was in the center of the room, tending to some potted plants atop the altar surrounded by the four torches.

“Ah, she’s right here,” Nat pointed out as they descended the stairs.

“Hello, Sage Saria!” Linkle called out, waving. Link and a few others shushed her, but she ignored them and pulled out her hookshot. She aimed it at the vines growing over the domed ceiling and fired it, using the chain to swing towards Saria.

“She’s an… interesting choice for the Hero, I’d say,” Nazbi commented.

Dayto chuckled. “Oh, yes. She’s certainly something,” he said admiringly.

Link put a hand on Dayto’s shoulder, stopping him in his tracks. He didn’t say anything, however. He merely pushed himself past Dayto, continuing down the stairs to hurry after his sister.

“Saria! Guess what,” Linkle said after landing on the floor and making her way across the red carpet leading to the altar.

The sage looked at her strangely. “Where did you get that?” Saria asked. However, she was not looking at the Master Sword. Instead, she was eying the hookshot in Linkle’s hand.

“What, this?” the Hero responded, lifting the gadget in front of her. “I got it in the Water Temple. It was the other item Sage Impa sent us to get, along with your brother’s sword. Why?”

Saria looked confused. “ That belonged to my brother, too.”

“Wait, what?” Link asked, catching up to his sister. “That exact hookshot? Are you certain?”

“Absolutely,” Saria said, nodding in confirmation. “It’s from Termina. They don’t make hookshots like that anywhere in Hyrule.”

Link tilted his head curiously, wondering if Termina was somewhere in Holodrum or Labrynna.

“So both of the keys we were sent to get belonged to your brother?” Linkle asked.

“Keys? You mean like the Hero of Twilight’s bow?” Dayto asked, joining the conversation as he and his party caught up. “How fascinating! I have been curious about this matter since our fateful encounter with the dragon. Link, Linkle, wise sage -- you must tell me more!”

The rest of his party had questioning looks on their faces, clearly wondering what everyone was talking about.

Link sighed. “I’ll explain later. We don’t really know much more than you do, honestly.”

Linkle seemed to suddenly remember why she was there. “Oh! Sage Saria, look!” she said, pulling the Master Sword out from behind her back. She held it flat in both hands, lowering it down to eye level with Saria above the altar.

The sage looked more surprised to see the sword than she was to see her brother’s hookshot. “Oh. You’re the Hero, then?” She gave Linkle an encouraging smile, but Link could see some pain hiding behind it. “I hope the gods bring you good fortune.”

“Thanks!” Linkle replied, apparently not noticing anything amiss.

“We just thought we’d inform you before we left the forest tomorrow morning,” Link explained.

“I see. Well, you may stay here for the night if you wish,” the sage offered. “We have plenty of spare beds.”

“That would be great, thank you,” Nat agreed.

“Also, if you’ll be heading through the Lost Woods again tomorrow, you’ll be better off with a guide.” Saria pulled out her own ocarina and played a tune with it. After a few moments, fairies began to swarm into the room, hovering above her, twirling through the air as though dancing to her song.

When Saria took her lips off of her instrument, she turned her head upwards and spoke to the fairies in a language the Hylians couldn’t understand. Raising her hand, she pointed to a few of them, who spoke back. She nodded her head in apparent agreement, then turned back to her Hylian guests.

“These fairies will show you the safest way through the woods tomorrow morning,” the sage said, indicating the fairies who were now dancing by her head.

Linkle smiled brightly, amused by the pretty lights given off by the dancing fairies. “Thank you, sage. Your generosity is appreciated.”

Saria gave her another pained smile. “You’re welcome. And good luck to you. I’ll have the fairies show you to your rooms.”


“This way, humans!”

“Come along, now. Don’t get lost!”

“Try to keep up!”

Saria had granted Link and his party seven fairies to help them navigate the Lost Woods. While the fairies seemed honest in their desire to help, they had a sort of playfulness about them that caused them to fly ahead of the party and pretend to almost lose them every now and then. Link found it tiresome more than anything.

Just as Link had experienced on his first trip through the Lost Woods, it wasn’t all that scary during the day. It had only become a terrifying forest of nightmares once the sun had gone down. So long as they stuck with the fairies, they would avoid getting lost this time. It may have even been possible to make it out of the Lost Woods before the sun even set, assuming they made good enough time.

“Did you two run into anything strange the last time you were here?” Nazbi asked.

“Hmm. Well…” Link thought.

“We met a talking Hinox!” Linkle said excitedly.

“The Kokiri told us about that thing,” Nat replied. “Did it really speak Hylian?”

“Yeah, it did,” Link told her.

“Did you slay it?” Chabi asked, clutching her staff and looking up at Linkle excitedly.

“Well, no. It actually helped us,” Link explained.

“Helped you?” Dayto questioned.

“Yep! It lifted us up above the trees so we could see which way to go,” Linkle told them.

“I say! A talking Hinox is odd enough, but a friendly one? Now I’ve heard everything.” Dayto threw his hand into the air, acting as though it were the craziest thing he’d ever heard.

“What about you lot?” Linkle asked. “What was the weirdest thing you saw in here?”

“We saw a Skull Kid,” Nat replied.

“Really? Wow! What happened?” Linkle inquired, sounding excited.

“Well, at first, we just thought it was a Kokiri. A living one, that is,” Dayto explained. “Then it turned around, and we saw its face.”

“He was a creepy little bastard,” Chabi said. “He tried to lure us somewhere, and when we refused to follow him, he got angry.”

“It attacked us with some sort of magic instrument,” Nazbi said.

“Then Nazbi loosed an arrow into its chest,” Chabi went on. “It whined like a little kid and ran away.”

“This way, humans!” two of the fairies said at the same time. All seven of them hovered in front of a pathway that seemed to curve north.

“What? That way will make us double back, won’t it?” Link asked in confusion.

“Oh, humans.”

“They always think they understand everything.”

“Why don’t we just walk in a straight line? Surely that’ll get us there!”

The fairies let out a chorus of condescending laughter, fluttering away down the path.

Link and the others shared a look, shrugged, and followed after them.

They continued following the fairies for quite some time after that, trusting the wisdom of their guides as they twisted and turned their way through the woods. Eventually, Link noticed Endai whispering in Dayto’s ear. Link realized he’d barely heard a word out of Endai the whole trip. Whatever he said to Dayto, it made the young man nod.

“Say, did I ever tell you all about the time I fought a hydra?” Dayto asked loudly.

The others turned back to look at him, but he continued before anyone had time to respond.

“Well, let’s see. It was a few years ago, a bit after the last Blood Moon…”

“Just let him talk.” Endai positioned himself in the middle of the group, speaking quietly. “Act natural. We’re being followed.”

“What?” Linkle asked in surprise.

“Shh!” Link shushed her. He waited for a moment to make sure Dayto was still speaking loud enough to conceal their voices. “What do you mean? Who’s following us?”

“No idea, but they’re good,” Endai replied. “They’re following a good distance behind us and making no noise. I only barely spotted them. There are at least two of them.”

“Could it be monsters?” Linkle asked.

“There aren’t too many monsters that would bother to be so stealthy,” Nazbi pointed out. “It could be some Chameleofos, but they tend to lie in wait for an ambush. They don’t usually stalk their prey like this.”

“It’s probably Children of Nayru, then,” Nat said. “Anyone got any enemies we should know about?”

“What if they’re after Linkle?” Chabi speculated. “There’s a demon on the loose, right? Its followers might have been keeping watch on the Master Sword in case the Hero awakened.”

Linkle tried to look over her shoulder, but Link put a hand on her back, trying to simultaneously reassure her and remind her not to act like they suspected anything. “Forget who it is, for now. Let’s focus on getting away from them.”

“Well, luckily we’re in the Lost Woods. This should be the easiest place in the world to lose a tail,” Nat pointed out.

“Yeah, if we wanna get lost ourselves,” Nazbi replied.

“We could just make a run for it,” Link suggested. “Tell the fairies to hurry up, and we run after them.”

“Our pursuers may attack us if we run,” Endai pointed out.

“Good. Sounds like we outnumber them. We’re probably better off fighting,” Nat said. “Everyone in?”

Link, Linkle, and the rest of Dayto’s party raised no objections.

“Alright, then.” Picking up her pace to a quick jog, Nat ran ahead to catch up with the fairies. As they fluttered over her head, she spoke quietly to them, explaining the situation and their plan.

“So, anyway, back to the hydra. Let’s see, how many heads did it have? I think it began with three…” Dayto was still rambling to cover for the others, but Link fell back to put a hand on his shoulder.

“We’re going to make a run for it,” Link whispered to the other adventurer. “They might attack us, but only fight if you need to. Understand?”

Dayto laughed, clapping Link on the back. “Yes, old friend. I recall my antics with the Martelfos back in the Goron mines. I have no intention of repeating my past mistakes.”

Link nodded, grateful that Dayto seemed to have actually learned something.

Without warning, the fairies leading them suddenly zipped away, curving around the bend and out of sight. Link and the others took that as their cue and ran after them without looking back.

With any luck, our pursuers will be caught off guard, and we’ll lose them immediately.

Link knew it was an optimistic thought. He and his sister were rarely so lucky as to avoid conflict completely.

Perhaps if Farore is guiding Linkle, she’ll want to look out for her Hero… or, perhaps she’ll do the opposite, as some sort of ‘trial.’

It was not at all easy to keep up with a group of fairies who were flying quickly through a forest that was cursed to be unnavigable. Having been at the back of the group with Dayto when they started running, Link nearly lost sight of the others several times, but he always managed to spot his sister or one of Dayto’s party members at the last second.

Their path took them through giant hollowed out logs, thick bushes filled with thorns, running streams with sharp rocks lining the riverbed, and numerous other obstacles. It was painful and exhausting, but at least the likelihood of losing their pursuers seemed somewhat decent.

After their initial sprint, the party’s pace slowed, but they continued moving relatively quickly for some time. They didn’t come to a stop until Nat suggested it.

“Wait!” Nat called out to the fairies. The fairies obliged, hovering in midair as the adventurer removed the claymore from her back, letting the end of it drop to the ground.

“What’s going on?” Endai asked when he and the others caught up to her.

“Nothing,” she said, panting. “Just needed a breather. I think we lost ‘em, anyway.”

Endai checked behind them just as Link and Dayto arrived. “Did either of you see anyone?” Endai asked.

Link and Dayto shook their heads.

“I didn’t either,” Nazbi joined in.

“Yeah, I didn’t see anything,” Chabi said. “You sure we were really being followed?”

“Of course I am,” Endai answered, as if the question had been ridiculous.

Nat nodded her head, evidently trusting her companion. “Well, like I said. I think we lost ‘em.”

“We should still keep moving, humans,” one of the fairies insisted. “You wouldn’t want to get caught out here when the sun goes down, would you?”

“Good point,” Link said. “Just give us a moment to rest.”


Despite their fear of being followed and a few odd encounters with diurnal forest monsters, Link and his traveling companions still managed to make it out of the Lost Woods before sunset. With the fairies to guide them, they had avoided getting lost even once, despite the arcane, unintuitive path the fairies had taken them on.

“Freedom at last!” Chabi raised her staff skyward in victory as the party arrived at Harker Lake. The area around them was still wooded, but the trees were far less dense, indicating they had made it to a different section of Faron Woods.

“Congratulations.”

“We’re glad you’re safe.”

“And glad our job is done.”

The fairies flittered teasingly, dancing in the air above the lake.

“Thank you for your guidance, kind forest fairies,” Dayto said, placing the tip of his sword to the ground and giving the fairies a bow.

The other Hylians echoed his sentiments, thanking the fairies for their help.

“You’re welcome.”

“You’re on your own now.”

“Don’t get lost without us.”

Their job complete, the fairies flew back into the Lost Woods, sprinkling fairy dust behind them as they flew.

“So, what is next for our daring Hero?” Dayto asked, turning to Linkle. “Shall we continue on to the capital and inform the Royal Family of your awakening?”

“That was the plan,” Link agreed.

“Indeed!” Linkle said proudly, pulling out the Master Sword for good measure. “Maybe we can visit Sage Tarua and Sage Lucrezia again on the way back.”

“Alright, then. We’ll head south ‘til we hit the road, then take the bridge west,” Nat said.

“Better be quick. We’re gonna want to find a good place to make camp for the night soon,” Nazbi pointed out.”


“None of that story was true, by the way,” Dayto told everyone as they walked along the road. “I’ve never even seen a hydra.”

“Well, obviously,” Linkle replied. “Stal-hydras pop up now and then after the Blood Moon, but nobody’s seen a living one in forever. They’re probably extinct. Gleeoks are still around, though.”

“The Hero is well learned, I see,” Nazbi said, sounding impressed.

Link chuckled. “Elle is well learned in one extremely specific field, namely heroes and monsters.”

“Isn’t that two fields?” Nat pointed out.

“Whatever.”

Linkle punched him half-heartedly in the shoulder, but she smiled. “That’s two more things than you know.” Noticing something in the distance, she raised her hand to point. “Hey, look! The bridge!”

“Ah, good,” Link replied.

The Floria River flowed through much of Greater Faron Woods. It was one of the clearest geographical features that separated different sections of the gigantic forest. According to Link’s map, they would be back in Pagos woods after crossing this bridge.

“Wait. Everyone stop,” Endai ordered, to which the party came to a halt. “Who is that?”

Several figures were standing on the bridge. From their garb and their snowy white hair, it was clear they were Sheikah. One wore violet and white robes, while the other two had thin swords hanging from their belts. One held a map, and they appeared to be discussing something related to it.

“They’re probably lost,” Nat suggested.

Very lost. I’ve barely seen any Sheikah since I’ve been in Faron,” Chabi commented. “Should we go see what they’re doing?”

“I suppose,” Link decided. He knew to be cautious, but his party had theirs outnumbered.

The seven of them approached the bridge together. As they did, the Sheikah took notice of them. The two with swords on their belts moved to stand in front of the third one.

“Link. Linkle.” Before any of the adventurers had spoken, the woman in the robes addressed the siblings by name.

Link stopped, as did the others. “Who are you and how do you know our names?” Link asked, surprised and very suspicious.

“I am a disciple of Sage Impa,” the robed woman replied in accented Hylian, giving a slight bow. “I understand you and your sister have retrieved one of the items the sage wished for you to procure.”

Before Linkle could respond, Link put a hand on her shoulder. “Where did you hear that?”

“Why, Sage Tarua informed us, of course,” the Sheikah priestess explained. “We were told you would be traveling here next, so we have come to collect the item.”

Linkle turned to Link. “Brother?” she asked quietly.

Link tried to think. Nothing about the woman’s story didn’t add up, but it still felt much too strange to encounter these people in the middle of the woods like this. “I see. Do you have our payment?”

The woman nodded, then turned to one of her guards. “ Kare ni misetekudasai .”

The guard reached into his pocket and pulled out a rupee wallet, holding it up for Link to see.

Link still hesitated. The Sheikah did not appear to be trying to scam them, unless the bag wasn’t actually filled with rupees.

“Is everything alright, friends?” Dayto asked Link and Linkle.

The other guard took a few steps forward, his hand on the hilt of his weapon. Link, Endai, and Nat all pulled out their weapons in response. Linkle and Dayto were quick to join them, while Nazbi notched an arrow and Chabi gripped her staff.

“Halt!” the priestess shouted. “What is the meaning of this?”

“We’d appreciate it if your men with the swords would stay back,” Nat told the Sheikah.

The robed woman nodded. “My apologies. We did not mean to frighten any of you.” She put a hand on her companion’s shoulder and spoke quietly to him.

The guard nodded and stepped back, removing his hand from his weapon. The adventurers cautiously lowered their weapons as well.

“Is that the Master Sword I see?” the robed woman asked.

Linkle glanced at her sword, then smiled warily. “Yes,” she replied.

“Then the new Hero has awakened in the kingdom’s hour of need.” The priestess spoke very politely, but her tone of voice was completely devoid of emotion. She did not seem surprised to be in the presence of the newly-awakened Hero, nor did she sound particularly invested in the state of the kingdom when she spoke of its hour of need.

“In that case, we would be honored to escort you to the City of Hyrule,” the robed woman told Linkle.

“That will not be necessary,” Link said quickly. “The six of us will serve as her escort.”

“Indeed!” Dayto agreed.

“Then we shall accompany you,” the priestess decided. “An escort of nine would surely be better than an escort of six.”

“I’m afraid we must decline,” Link said defensively. He didn’t like how insistent she seemed.

The face of the priestess remained mostly expressionless, but Link caught a hint of annoyance. “Very well,” she said, her voice failing to completely conceal her disdain. “I suppose we will give you your reward in exchange for the item of interest, and then we shall be on our way.”

Her guard held up the sack of rupees once more.

Linkle gave Link a look, and he could tell she was thinking the same thing he was. “If you don’t mind, I would rather deliver the hookshot to Sage Impa in person,” Linkle explained, declining the woman’s offer.

“I can assure you, we shall deliver the item safely and promptly,” the priestess replied.

Linkle shook her head. “It is my duty as the Hero to return this hookshot. I wish to do it properly.”

The Sheikah woman stared at her for a moment, then exhaled dejectedly. She spoke a few words in the Sheikah tongue. Her guards nodded in response, then suddenly disappeared. Before Link had a chance to process what was happening, the priestess held her arm out as if she was gripping something.

Linkle made a choking sound as a shadowy hand appeared around her throat. It yanked her forward, pulling her towards the priestess. Her guards reappeared in a puff of smoke, blocking Linkle and the priestess from view.

“Hey!”

“What the fuck?”

“What are you doing?!”

The members of Dayto’s party reacted with shock and confusion, drawing their weapons once more.

Elle !” Link pulled out his sword. Without thinking, he charged past the two Sheikah men, shoving them out of his way.

Once he got past the smoke, he could see Linkle again. She was still a few feet away from the priestess. The young Hero managed to pull the Master Sword from her back, slashing in front of her as if trying to sever the invisible arm of the shadowy hand.

Evidently, it worked. The priestess shrieked in pain, pulling her arm back, causing the shadowy hand around Linkle’s neck to disappear. Linkle fell to her knees, coughing as she rubbed her neck.

Link drew his boomerang as he caught up to his sister, throwing it with all his might at the Sheikah woman who’d attacked her. It curved off to the side, but quickly curved back inward, slicing the woman across the face just before she readied herself to cast another spell. The Sheikah priestess screamed in pain once more, pressing her hand over her bloodied eye. Before she had a chance to do anything else, Linkle pulled out her crossbow and loosed a bolt just as Link’s boomerang returned to his hand. The crossbow bolt pierced the woman’s heart. She looked down at it with her remaining good eye, but she did not react. She simply slumped over against the bridge’s railing.

Link and Linkle shared a look, both of them horrified by the quick series of events that had just transpired. Looking behind them, they saw the fight with the other two Sheikah had finished as well. The woman’s guards lay dead on the ground, as did Nazbi.

“Holy shit.” Linkle ran back across the bridge, and Link followed her.

“What the hell happened?”

“Why did they attack us?”

“Who were those people?”

Even with the fight concluded, the panic and confusion had still not left them.

“Link, Linkle, Dayto.” Endai took a step back from the group. His knives were sheathed now, but he kept a hand on one of them cautiously. “You said you would explain about these keys of yours,” he said. “Explain.”

“You already know basically everything we know,” Link replied. “The Sheikah are looking for some keys to something, and so are some monsters who probably serve the Headless Demon. We don’t know what they’re for. The Sage of Shadow just hired us to get some of them for her. One of them is Linkle’s hookshot. The other is Saria’s brother’s sword. There’s also a bow that got stolen by the dragon in Eldin.”

“So why did these Sheikah attack us?” Nat asked, kicking the corpse of one of the dead Sheikah for emphasis.

“We don’t know!” Linkle shouted. “They attacked us, too, you know. That crazy lady tried to strangle me!”

“Now, hold on, everybody.” Dayto stepped into the middle of the group, holding his hand up disarmingly. “I think it is quite clear that the Hero and her brother have done no wrong. For all we know, these Sheikah were lying about working for the Sage of Shadow. They may be demon worshippers sent to steal the keys before the other Sheikah get their hands on them.”

“That’s a good point,” Link agreed, somewhat surprised.

“Well, how did they know you were here?” Endai asked.

“They already told us that,” Chabi interrupted. “One of the other sages told them.”

“Hmm. It’s possible they were the ones following us in the Lost Woods, or they were working together, at least,” Endai speculated. “They could’ve been spying on us this whole time, keeping an eye on the Master Sword, just waiting for someone to draw it.” The Hylian man removed his hand from his dagger, putting it to his chin in thought. “They knew where you were, and what you had on you. They know where you’re going next.”

Link realized he was probably right. “Then there could be more of them between here and the capital.”

“Only if we go the route they expect us to,” Nat pointed out. “Going back this way would be the fastest, but you can get to the capital from any direction.”

Linkle looked deep in thought. “What if we got to Akkala first?” she suggested. “We still need to get Saria’s brother’s sword from that Kokiri knight, Mila.”

“That might work,” Chabi agreed. “We could get the sword before the demon worshippers do, and we’d be going really far off the trail they’re expecting us to take.”

“What are we supposed to do? Fucking climb over Mount Floria?” Endai asked, apparently not liking the sound of the idea.

“No. We can head east to the coast and take a boat from Lurelin,” Linkle suggested.

“Splendid!” Dayto said, clapping his hands together. “It’s decided then.”

“Now, hold on,” Link said, raising a hand. “Look, we appreciate the help you’ve given us so far, but we barely know any of you. And that includes you, Dayto. You’ve all seen how dangerous it is to be around us. It isn’t safe for you to come with us.”

“We’re not interested in being safe,” Dayto replied with a proud smile. “We’re adventurers, same as you.”

“Yeah. It would be an honor to help the Hero,” Chabi excitedly agreed.

“I still don’t know much about what’s going on, but I’ll help, too, if you’ll have me,” Nat joined in.

“Well, not me,” Endai said, shaking his head. “Nothing against any of you, but adventuring is just my job. I only came this far because I was curious to see the Master Sword. I’m not getting any further involved in a quest I wasn’t hired for.” Endai stepped over to one of the Sheikah corpses, took what he could from the man’s pockets, then grabbed the body by the arm and dragged it towards the river.

“What the hell are you doing?” Nat asked.

“Getting rid of the evidence,” Endai replied. “You think their friends are just gonna let this go if they find them like this? Last thing I need is a bunch of demon worshippers or the fucking Sheikah Cadre hunting me for revenge.” Reaching the river’s edge, he dumped the body into the water. It quickly disappeared in the rushing current.

Link couldn’t fault the man for not wanting to get involved. As Endai went to work disposing of the other Sheikah bodies, Link turned to the others who had volunteered to help. “Well, thank you for sticking with us, then.”

“Yeah, you’re all heroes in my book!” Linkle said gratefully.

Nat nodded, then turned to Nazbi’s body. “What should we do about him?” she asked solemnly.

“Did he have any family?” Linkle asked.

“I don’t know,” Dayto replied. “We only met him recently.”

“He was a ranger. He spent a lot of time in the woods,” Chabi pointed out. “Maybe we should bury him here.”

“I suppose,” Link agreed. “Then we should get moving as soon as we’re finished. We still don’t know how many others are out here looking for us.”


After burying Nazbi and saying their parting words to Endai, the remaining party of Link, Linkle, Dayto, Nat, and Chabi turned back east and began their trek through the woods. They made the decision to stay off of the road in case they were being followed or there were others waiting to ambush them. On the one hand, this allowed them to cut through the forest, which served as a shortcut at times. On the other hand, sometimes the forest was dense and difficult to pass through, which slowed them down. And then there were the monsters, which were plentiful in the region.

It took the party two days to make it to Lake Floria, which served as the border between Faron and Ordona. They had to spend their nights making camp in the woods, which the others were more keen on than Link was. However, despite what may have been dire circumstances for them, Linkle was in high spirits. She still hadn’t gotten over the fact that she was the Hero, which she seemed to realize all over again every few hours. Their quest to collect the keys and defeat the demon lord excited her to no end.

“See anyone?” Nat asked, standing at the treeline next to Link as he scouted out Floria Bridge from a safe distance.

“No. It looks clear. But there might be someone waiting on the other side, or up on those cliffs by the waterfalls,” Link replied.

The last bridge they’d been ambushed on had been a small wooden bridge made to pass over a relatively narrow portion of the river. The bridge across Lake Floria was also made of wood, but it was nearly the size of the great bridge that spanned Lake Hylia. Even if there was no one on it at the moment, they had seen how some Sheikah have the ability to instantly change location using shadow magic, and simple archers could easily be lying in wait somewhere as well.

“We might as well cross,” Linkle suggested. “I don’t know if we’d be able to scale these cliffs and cross the lake. Besides, if anyone attacks us, we’ll be ready.”

“Ah, such bravery. Very fitting for our gracious Hero,” Dayto said, paying Linkle another compliment.

“Quit talking like that,” Chabi told him. She stepped out from the treeline, heading for the bridge. “Come on, everyone. Let’s get going.”

Link reluctantly followed with everyone else. They’d managed to stay safe so far, aside from a few monster encounters, but he still felt paranoid.

However, as they crossed the bridge together, Link encountered a different feeling. It was like he was remembering something, but he wasn’t sure what. Furrowing his brow, he glanced around the area, trying to place the feeling.

“Brother?” Linkle asked when she noticed he’d stopped. “What’s wrong? Do you see something?”

“No.” Link shook his head. “Elle, have we ever… been here before?” he asked.

“What? To Faron, or Ordona?” his sister asked, sounding confused.

“Well, either,” Link replied. He looked back the way they’d come from. The vague recollection of a figure being dragged across the bridge came to him in his mind’s eye. “This bridge just feels… familiar.”

Linkle shrugged. “I remember Father and Aron traveled to Ordona a couple times when we were little. I don’t recall them ever bringing you , though.”

“Me neither,” Link said. “Huh. Strange.”

“Hey! What’s taking you so long?” Chabi called from the far end of the bridge.

Linkle gave Link a look, silently asking if he was fine to move on.

Link shrugged. “Eh. It’s probably nothing.” Together, he and Linkle crossed the bridge to the other side.

“Ta da!” Linkle hopped across the threshold when she reached the end of the bridge. “We have now officially been to six of Hyrule’s nine provinces,” she declared.

Link quickly counted in his head. “Yeah, I guess. We didn’t really do anything in Lanayru, though,” he pointed out.

“Well then maybe we should stop by and meet the Zora Royal Family on the way to Akkala,” Linkle suggested. “They’d probably want to meet the Hero, too. And maybe they can tell us more about Princess Ruto. She’s supposed to be King Ralis’s half-sister, right?”

“Great idea!” Dayto agreed.

“That sounds like it would take a while, though,” Nat said. “Shouldn’t we be trying to defeat the Headless Demon as soon as we can?”

“And someone might steal that Kokiri’s sword before we get it if we take too long,” Chabi added.

“Yeah, I think going straight to Akkala would be best. Especially since it would put more distance between us and anyone who’s following us,” Link agreed.

“Alright, alright, fine,” Linkle relented. “But, if we go anywhere near the Earth Temple when we’re in Akkala, we are absolutely making time to meet the Sage of Earth.”

Notes:

The next chapter will be another Link chapter. I normally don’t do two chapters in a row with the same POV character, but my Link chapters often end up way too long, and I had to split this one up. When I split a chapter like this, I usually try to move the second half to another slot, but that’s harder to do at this point in the story since I’m a little more constrained by the chronology of the events. So, I hope you’ll look forward to seeing what happens with Link and Linkle in the next chapter!

Chapter 60: Link XVII

Chapter Text

After making it out of the woods, the siblings and their party proceeded through Atun Valley without much incident, eventually arriving in the City of Lurelin. The city was located on a bay, nestled between Tuft Mountain and Mount Dunsel, making the location fairly defensible. However, the city itself wasn’t as impressive as Link had pictured. After having seen the City of Hyrule, he supposed just about any city would look plain by comparison, but even his home city of Hateno was larger and more impressive than Lurelin. The city was quite small, relatively speaking. When the party descended the hill towards Lurelin, they were able to see the entire city, and there were almost no notable landmarks to speak of, save for the harbor on the bay. Many large sailing vessels were visible out on the water, which was good news for the party, considering their plans.

However, despite its small size, the city wasn’t all that different from any other city Link had been to, other than its populace. The streets were filled with Ordonians going about their daily business, and Link took notice of the fact that almost every single one of them had rounded ears. He had been to a Goron city before, but other than that, he was used to seeing the usual pointed ears on just about everyone, even among the Sheikah and the Kokiri.

“Try to keep your ears covered,” Link suggested to the party. “We stick out around here.”

“Shouldn’t we want to?” Linkle asked. “I mean, not to brag, but I am the Hero, after all. If people knew we were on a quest to protect the safety of the realm, they would want to help us.”

“She makes a good point, Link, old friend,” Dayto said.

Link pursed his lips in response to the young man addressing him that way.

“I don’t know. Secrecy might not be a bad option,” Nat weighed in. “Perhaps we should keep a low profile and only reveal Linkle’s identity to the shipmasters in the harbor. It might sway them to help us, but there’s no reason to risk anyone else knowing.”

“What? No way! The Hero is here. We should be proclaiming it to the heavens!” Chabi argued.

“Hear, hear!” Dayto concurred.

“Shh,” Link shushed them.

“Come on, brother,” Linkle said. “It’s been days, and we haven’t seen anyone following us since those Sheikah back in Faron. You sure we need to be so cautious? Besides, this is the Hero of Twilight’s home province! There are probably shrines and museums dedicated to him here. I want to see them!”

“We agreed we didn’t have all the time in the world,” Link reminded her.

“Well, maybe not enough time for a side quest through the Zora Dominion,” Linkle replied. “But as long as we’re already here, it’s not like it’ll take much time.”

“The Hero of Twilight wasn’t even from here ,” Link pointed out. “Wasn’t he from a small village in the woods?”

“I know that, brother. That doesn’t mean he wouldn’t have a shrine here.”

“He probably is the world’s most famous Ordonian,” Dayto pointed out. “Although he was Hylian by blood.”

Nat patted Link on the shoulder. “Good on you for keeping your sister’s best interests in mind, kid. But, we are about to depart on a long, possibly dangerous voyage. Perhaps it would be worth it to take the time to do something of our choosing for a brief moment, especially if it means paying respects to your sister’s predecessor. Perhaps Farore will even grant us good fortune for doing so.”

Link considered it for a moment, then reluctantly nodded. “Alright. I suppose we can spare a little time.”


“Wow!” Linkle said in awe.

They’d found the Hero of Twilight’s shrine near the city square. It was a small stone temple, similar in architecture to the Temple of Time. In front of the entrance, a large stone statue stood proudly upon a pedestal. It depicted a man in elegant armor, holding a shield in one hand and raising the Master Sword to the sky in the other.

“Ah, truly the most magnificent of Heroes,” Dayto said reverently, making the sign of the Triforce with his hands.

Linkle stood in front of the statue, took out her shield and the real Master Sword, and posed with them, mimicking the Hero of Twilight’s stance. She had the stupidest grin on her face, which Link couldn’t help but chuckle at.

“Don’t I look like him?” Linkle asked.

“You really do!” Chabi said. The young girl approached Linkle and stood beside her, posing similarly while holding up her staff.

“Shall we go inside?” Nat suggested, heading for the entrance.

“Yeah!” Linkle replied enthusiastically, rushing ahead of her. The rest of the party followed.

While several other people had walked by the shrine while they were in front of it, the shrine itself was deserted on the inside. Most of the interior was filled with more statues, while a series of elaborate tapestries had been hung on the walls encircling the room.

“Look, it tells the Hero’s story!” Linkle exclaimed, leading the party to the first tapestry.

The artwork seemed to depict the City of Hyrule as dark clouds descended upon it. A somewhat conical helmet resembling a chameleon’s head was shown in the center of the dark clouds.

“Zant, the Usurper King of the Twilight Realm, led his armies in an invasion of Hyrule, casting a curtain of darkness across the land,” Linkle narrated, speaking in a dramatic, story-telling voice.

The next tapestry showed a young man and a small, floating imp creature departing a village and heading towards a forest covered in the same black clouds.

“And so, the Hero, a simple goat rancher from the smallest village in the smallest province, took up his mentor’s sword and set out on a quest to save the realm from the forces of darkness,” Linkle went on, posing beside the tapestry to mimic the Hero once more. “He was aided by Midna, the Twilight Princess and true heir to the throne of Twilight, who had been cursed to take the form of an imp and cast aside by the wicked Usurper King.”

Linkle moved on to the next wall. This one was covered by a wide tapestry depicting three different scenes of the Hero doing battle with giant monsters. One resembled a giant Deku Baba with three heads, one was a giant flaming Goron, and one was something like an eel with tentacles sprouting from around its head. Each of the monsters had a broken piece of a helmet hovering above it.

“In order to defeat Zant, Link helped the Twilight Princess recover the three missing pieces of the Fused Shadow,” Linkle explained. “They battled monsters within the first Great Deku Tree’s remains, a complex of Goron mines, and the Water Temple.” She turned to Link and smiled at him. “We’ve done the same at most of those places, too! See? This is destiny .” Excitedly, she moved on to the next wall.

This wall had another wide tapestry, depicting four more battle scenes between the Hero and another series of giant monsters. One appeared to be a Stal-dragon, one was a yeti atop a floating ice structure, one was a spider-like Gohma, and the last was a living dragon. Again, each monster was depicted with something floating above it. This time, the floating items were shards of a broken mirror.

“Unfortunately, the Usurper King managed to steal the pieces of the Fused Shadow from the Hero and the Twilight Princess. And so, they decided to take the fight to him. Together, they gathered the four shattered pieces of the Mirror of Twilight. They then reassembled it, creating a portal between our realm and the Twilight Realm.” Linkle glanced over at the tapestries and clapped her hands together. Excitedly, she ran to the next wall.

Three tapestries remained, with the first two depicting more battle scenes. The first showed the Hero and Midna fighting against Zant. The next depicted them fighting Ganon, showing him in both his Gerudo form and his demon form. The Hero and Midna were both there, and they were also aided by a woman wearing a crown and holding a golden bow. The figure must have been intended to be the Princess Zelda of that era. The final tapestry showed the Hero victorious, posing alongside Princess Zelda and another beautiful woman, although the second woman was clearly not human.

“After facing trials all throughout Hyrule, the Hero and Midna arrived in the Palace of Twilight, where they had a long and grueling battle against the Usurper King Zant. After defeating him, Midna donned the reassembled Fused Shadow and finally killed him, reclaiming her throne.” Stepping over to the second tapestry, Linkle continued. “But! That was not the end of our Hero’s journey, for Zant had only been so powerful due to the aid of his demonic patron. Ganondorf, the Gerudo King who had been banished for attempted treason one hundred years prior, had orchestrated the entire Twilight Invasion from the shadows. And so, the Hero and the Twilight Princess returned to Hyrule Castle, where they helped Princess Zelda defeat Demon King Ganon.” Smiling triumphantly, Linkle continued to the last tapestry. “Midna regained her true form, and our three heroes had finally succeeded in bringing peace to both realms once again. Midna returned to her home realm, Zelda became Queen of Hyrule, and the Hero continued to protect the kingdom until the day he died.”

“And now, he has passed his sword on to you.” Dayto stepped forward, getting down on one knee to bow before her. “The Hero of Twilight would be proud to know you are his successor.”

Linkle laughed, but she pulled out the Master Sword and delicately tapped it atop Dayto’s shoulders, as if she were knighting him. “He would be proud to see so many brave adventurers following in his footsteps in this day and age.”

“That’s surprisingly generous of you to say,” Link said.

“Why surprising? I’m very generous,” Linkle replied.

“Yes, of course.” Link stared up at the last tapestry for a moment. For some reason, he had an odd feeling. He’d sort of felt it earlier when looking at the Hero’s statue, and it was similar to how he’d felt back on the bridge between Faron and Ordona. He couldn’t quite place it. Shaking his head, he turned back to his sister. “Shall we go now?” he asked.

“One moment.” In the center of the shrine, there was another statue of the Hero of Twilight, this one wearing a real suit of red and gold armor. The display was accompanied by a placard that explained the armor had belonged to the Hero. Linkle took a knee and knelt before the statue, putting her hands together in prayer. Link and the others waited, letting her have a moment.

After a few seconds, Linkle stood back up, smiling reverently up at the statue. “Okay,” she said, turning to her brother. “Let’s go.”


As they’d been able to see before even entering the city, Lurelin’s harbor was its largest and most notable feature. It encircled much of the bay the city was built around. Smaller ships were docked close to shore, while larger ships were anchored further out in deeper water. Most of the ships were either merchant vessels or fishing ships, as far as Link could tell. However, there were also a few larger ships present that looked to be part of the Hyrulean navy.

Link and his party would not be picky. All they needed was safe transport up the coast to Akkala. While any ship would do, they decided a merchant vessel that was going that way already would be their best bet. All they needed was to find one willing to take them, preferably one that would be leaving port soon.

“We would like to speak with the harbormaster, if we can.” Link stood by the docks with his companions, speaking to one of the guards. The round-eared man did not come off as very intimidating compared to many of the Hyrulean soldiers Link had met, but he wore sturdy leather armor and had a sword at his belt.

The dockside guard eyed Link and the party suspiciously. “Adventurers?” he asked, noting how heavily armed the five of them were.

“That’s right,” Chabi replied, nodding her head. “We’re trying to get to Akkala.”

“Need to go slay some monster there?” the man asked, perhaps mildly amused.

“We’re on an important quest for the safety of Hyrule,” Linkle told him.

The man did not look impressed. “You don’t need the harbormaster,” he told them, pointing over their shoulders. “Those three ships down there are all from Akkala. Try speaking to the crews manning ‘em.”

“Ah, what good fortune!” Dayto declared. “Thank you, my good man. We’ll be on our way, then.”

Link and his party excused themselves and headed down the pier.

“Let’s see if we can do this a little quicker,” Link suggested. “Elle and I will try that merchant ship. Nat and Chabi, try that one. Dayto, you can take the frigate.”

“Sounds good,” Nat agreed, taking Chabi and heading for the nearest Akkalan merchant vessel.

“Ah, entrusting this task to me and me alone. I am honored by your confidence in me, good Link.” Dayto walked away with his head held high.

Linkle chuckled. “You think he can handle it on his own?”

“No, but I don’t think you can, either,” Link replied.

“Hey!” Linkle lightly smacked her brother on the shoulder.

“Not very heroic of you, Elle,” Link replied with a smirk.

Linkle rolled her eyes. “Yeah, yeah. Let’s go.”

When the siblings approached the merchant ship that apparently had come from Akkala, there were luckily a few dockhands moving cargo between the ship and the dock. Linkle decided to try asking them first.

“Oi,” she called out to them.

The two closest dock workers looked up from what they were doing. Both were Hylian, which was a good sign they were not from Ordona.

“Yeah?”

“What is it, girl?”

Link stood nearby his sister and let her speak.

“Me and my party are trying to get to Akkala. You sailing back north anytime soon?” she asked, getting right to the point.

One of the dockhands put down a barrel and stood up straight. “Soon, yeah. Not sure how much room we got for extra passengers, though.”

“Please. It’s very important.” Linkle drew the Master Sword, laid it down in her hands, and presented it to them. “I’m the Hero, and I need to get to Akkala to stop the Headless Demon.”

Both of the workers perked up at that. Stepping over some of the supplies sitting on the dock, they came up closer to Linkle to peer at the sword.

“That looks really good,” one of them said. “Did you make it?”

Linkle furrowed her brow. “What? No, it was made centuries ago. By the Hero of the Sky.”

The two dock workers exchanged a concerned look. “Kid, you didn’t buy this off of someone, did you? Because if you did, you got scammed hard .”

Linkle looked mortified. “What? No! I didn’t buy it from anyone. I pulled it from the stone. It’s the real Master Sword.”

Both of the men seemed confused. Link got the impression that they were trying to decide if Linkle was incredibly stupid or if she thought they were incredibly stupid.

“Uh, anyway, like I said, I don’t think we can spare the room for extra passengers,” one of them told her. “Sorry.” With that, they went back to work.

Linkle was stunned for a moment. She turned to her brother, looking at him imploringly. All he could do was shrug.

“Why didn’t they believe me?” Linkle asked, still holding the Master Sword in front of her as they walked back down the dock. “Is it really so easy to fake the Master Sword?”

“I don’t know, Elle,” Link said, trying to speak comfortingly. “I guess it’s only natural they’d be skeptical. Nobody’s held that sword since decades before we were born.”

“Yeah, but a demon just arrived in Hyrule. This is exactly when Farore would awaken her new champion.” Irritated, Linkle slung her sword over her back again. “Maybe if I had the Triforce of Courage,” she pondered, turning her hands over in front of her to look at the backs of her hands. “It appeared on the Hero of Twilight when he picked up the Master Sword, but it doesn’t always do that.”

“Why not?” Link asked curiously.

“I think it has to do with where the Triforce is being kept,” Linkle replied. “The Royal Family must be keeping it somewhere extraordinarily safe.”

“Like where?”

Before Linkle could answer his question, Nat and Chabi appeared in their path, having come back down one of the other piers.

“Any luck?” Nat asked.

“No, not with that ship.” Link pointed over his shoulder with his thumb, indicating the ship they’d just come from.

“They didn’t believe I was the Hero,” Linkle said, as if it were the most ridiculous thing she’d ever heard.”

“And they said they weren’t taking passengers,” Link added for clarification.

“Darn,” Nat said. “No luck on our end, either.”

“We didn’t tell them we were traveling with the Hero, though,” Chabi pointed out. “Think maybe we should try?”

“Hm. Maybe.” Link was still a little hesitant about spreading that information around. Linkle had chosen to do so in an attempt to sway those sailors, and it hadn’t worked out.

What if they tell someone? Or what if someone overheard us?

The idea of their location getting back to the Sheikah who were hunting them made Link wary.

“Tally ho, lads!”

The four of them turned to see Dayto approaching, smiling triumphantly.

“It appears Farore is indeed smiling upon us still,” the young man declared.

Link and the others all looked surprised. “They agreed to take us to Akkala?” Link asked in confusion. “The sailors of that frigate?”

“The very same.” Dayto continued to look proud of himself, posing dramatically as he gestured to the large naval ship. “I spoke to the captain personally. He is very eager to meet the Hero, and more than willing to aid us in our quest by providing us with safe passage up north.”

“Wow,” Linkle replied, smiling gratefully. “They really want to meet me ?”

“Of course! What self-respecting Hyrulean wouldn’t want to meet the Hero?” Dayto questioned.

“Them, apparently.” Linkle nodded her head in the vague direction of the dock workers she’d just spoken to. However, she no longer seemed to care about that. She just seemed excited to have her position as the Hero recognized by more people.

“Well, let’s get going, then,” Link suggested, hoping to move things along. “Well done, Dayto. Why don’t you introduce us to this ship’s captain?”

“You are most welcome, good Link. And an excellent suggestion; let us go and introduce the Hero.” Dayto turned and led the way.

The Akkalan frigate was larger than most of the merchant ships in the harbor, but it wasn’t so large that it had to be anchored further out in the bay. It was docked in the harbor like the smaller ships, although it was at the end of a much longer pier. As Link and his party made their way down the dock, several Hylian naval men took notice of them. Word must have already spread to the crew that the supposed Hero would be coming. Some of them looked rather excited to see the girl with the Master Sword on her back, while many others appeared as skeptical as the other sailors Linkle had met.

“Permission to board again, sir?” Dayto asked the guards standing by the gangplank that led up to the ship.

The two of them eyed the party. “Is this her?” one of them asked, pointing to Nat.

“Who, me? No.” Nat shook her head. “ She’s the Hero,” she said, indicating Linkle.

“That’s right!” Linkle declared, drawing the Master Sword with a flourish.

“Whoa.”

“Bloody hell, is that real?”

“It is indeed!” Linkle held the sword proudly in front of her, letting the guards have a better look. “So, can I meet your captain?”

The guards exchanged a look. “Are we going to let them all board with this many weapons?”

“Why not? They’re with the Hero.”

“It’s not exactly protocol.”

“The Hero isn’t exactly protocol.”

“How about me and Chabi wait on the dock?” Nat suggested, placing a hand on her young companion’s shoulder. “You can take these three to meet your captain.

One of the guards looked over Dayto, Linkle, and Link. “Why him?” he asked, pointing to Link.

Linkle furrowed her brow. “He’s my brother,” she stated, as if it should be obvious.

“Oh,” the guard replied. “Well, alright, then,” he decided. “You three, come with me.”

After climbing the gangplank and boarding the ship, Linkle was met with more stares from curious sailors. Some of them nearly tripped over themselves trying to get a better look. However, the guard leading the way did not stop to let anyone else try to talk to them. He simply led them straight to the captain’s quarters and knocked on the door.

“Enter,” came a voice from behind the door.

The guard turned the knob and pushed the door open. He then gestured for them to go inside.

“Captain Chork.” Dayto stepped into the room and bowed with a hand to his heart. “I’ve returned with the Hero, as I said I would.”

The captain was a Hylian man with graying hair and a beard. He stood up from his desk when the guests entered, revealing the Hyrulean naval captain’s uniform he wore. There was also a plumed helmet sitting on his desk and a pair of decorative swords on the wall behind him.

“That didn’t take long,” the captain remarked. He turned to Link and Linkle, looking them up and down. “Was this man telling me the truth?” he asked, directing the question to Linkle. “Are you truly the new Hero?”

Linkle nodded, wearing a proud smile. “Yes, I am.” As she’d done for others when asked for proof, Linkle took the Master Sword from her back and presented it to him.

Captain Chork came around the side of his desk for a closer look, leaning in to examine the sword. “By Farore,” he said in amazement. “I thought this man was attempting some sort of odd confidence trick, but that’s the real Master Sword.”

Link wasn’t sure how the man could tell, but he did not question it for fear of causing doubt. “That’s right,” Link confirmed. “We’re trying to get to Akkala.”

“Are you looking for the demon that attacked the capital?” the captain asked. “We’ve heard what happened on the night of the Blood Moon. Has the demon reappeared in Akkala somewhere?”

“No, not that we know of,” Linkle replied. “But we are on an important quest to stop the demon, and we must obtain an item belonging to a knight in Akkala before the demon’s followers steal it.”

“I see.” Captain Chork nodded. “Well, we’ve just been recalled to Akkala. Prince Percival has taken a host of troops from Akkala Citadel and laid siege to the City of Hyrule.”

“What?” Dayto asked. “Why would the prince do something like that?”

“Lord Remoth turned traitor and tried to usurp Princess Zelda’s throne,” the captain explained.

“Did the Kokiri knight go to the capital with the prince?” Link asked.

Captain Chork looked surprised. “Are you referring to Dame Shadowgale? Why do you ask about her?”

“She has the item we must recover,” Linkle replied.

“Oh. Well, I’m afraid I don’t know of her whereabouts,” the captain went on. “Nevertheless, we’ll be departing for Akkala before the day is out. Do you and your companions intend to join us?”

Linkle smiled gratefully. “Yes, if you would allow it.”

Captain Chork nodded. “It would be an honor to aid the Hero.”


The first part of the voyage was uneventful. The ship sailed around Cape Cresia, staying relatively close to shore the whole time. However, they did not need to make any stops. So, they kept sailing past Soka Point, entering into the Necluda Sea.

The plan was to head northeast towards Mapla Point. Crossing through the Necluda Sea would be the only part of their voyage spent significantly far from shore. After that, they would be able to continue north along the eastern coast of the kingdom, passing Necluda and Lanayru all the way to Akkala. The captain said they had no plans to make port along the way because they were in a hurry and they had plenty of supplies to last the whole voyage, but there would be plenty of places to make landfall along the way if they needed to for whatever reason.

“We’ve never been this far from shore before,” Linkle pointed out, standing at the stern of the ship, watching Ordona disappear from view behind them.

Link leaned on the railing beside his sister. This was the only part of the voyage he was worried about, and he wouldn’t feel safe until they were near the coast again. Linkle had told him too many stories she’d read about sea monsters.

“Aryll loved the sea,” Link remembered. Back when their parents would take them fishing along the coast, it had been Aryll who’d always been the most eager to dive in and swim.

Linkle laughed softly at the memory. “The seagulls wouldn’t leave her alone, either. I think she could talk to them, like I talk to Arion.”

“Sure you do.” Link knew his sister was good with farm animals, but he still wasn’t convinced the horse they’d named for their brother, Aron, could understand a word she said.

“Meryl liked the sea, too,” Linkle pointed out. “She used to sing those songs about the ocean. The whales even sang with her sometimes.”

Link raised an eyebrow. “I guess all my sisters have been good with animals.”

“Just like all my brothers have been good at hitting things against other things.” Linkle grinned, then turned her head to the sky as she saw three seagulls fly past them overhead.

“I didn’t know seagulls flew this far from shore,” Link commented.

“They can drink seawater, so they can go as far as they like,” Linkle explained. “Maybe they’re going to Holodrum or Labrynna. Ooh, maybe we should go to Holodrum and Labrynna. After we slay the Headless Demon, of course.”

Link was about to comment on his sister’s endless wanderlust, but he was interrupted by the sound of a horn blowing. His and Linkle’s attention were drawn upwards, where the sailor in the crow’s nest was shouting to the crew below.

“Black sails ahead! Black sails port side!”

Link and Linkle shared a look, then ran over to the left side of the ship. Sure enough, they could see another ship in the distance approaching them from the northwest. It appeared to be of rather crude design with many jagged edges, and it was covered in what appeared to be iron spikes jutting out from many parts of the hull. As the lookout had said, the ship had black-colored sails that also featured a white symbol Link did not recognize.

“Blins,” Linkle said. Either she recognized the symbol on the sails or she recognized the ship design, but either way, she seemed sure of herself.

Casting their gaze to the northeast, the siblings could see another ship of similar design and bearing the same sails. This one was on a collision course with their own ship.

Down on the deck below, the Hyrulean soldiers were scrambling. Captain Chork came outside and began shouting orders. It seemed as though they expected a battle.

“Let’s go.” Linkle ran for the stairs, immediately eager to be of help. Link followed her down onto the deck.

When the siblings reached Captain Chork, he was shouting up to the helmsman while dozens of sailors scurried about the deck behind him.

“Captain,” Linkle said as she and her brother approached him. “Where do you want us?”

Chork looked them over, assessing them. “Stay topside. You can help if they manage to board us.”

“Are we gonna fight them?” Link asked, hoping they could somehow maneuver around the approaching Blin pirate vessels.

“Hopefully not. We’re changing our course and going straight north towards Hateno bay. With any luck, we’ll be able to slip right between them,” the captain replied, shouting to be heard over the commotion around them.

Link liked the sound of that. “Understood, captain. Elle, let’s go find Dayto and the others.”

“Right.” Linkle nodded in agreement.

Link nearly lost his balance several times as he and his sister searched the deck. Above him, he could see the sails being rotated, and the entire ship lurched to the left as it turned to avoid sailing into the pirate ship some distance in front of them. Rumbling sounds could be heard coming from below, which Link assumed was the sound of cannons being rolled into place.

We’ve been in bigger battles than this.

Link tried to comfort himself by remembering they’d been through worse before. The assault on the dragon’s hold in Eldin had involved more people, more monsters, and larger cannons, not to mention the dragon itself. If they’d been able to get through that, surely a few Blin pirates would be no issue.

“Link! Linkle!”

They found Dayto, Nat, and Chabi closer to the bow of the ship. None of them looked particularly frightened, but all of them looked prepared for the anticipated fight.

“Did you see? Pirates!” Dayto announced, pointing vaguely in the direction of the ship that had been approaching them from the front.

“We know,” Link replied. “The captain wanted us to help out up here if we get boarded.”

“Shouldn’t be a problem,” Nat said, peering out over the water to examine the other approaching ship. “What do we think? Blins?”

“Yeah,” Linkle answered. “Sea Blin pirate crews are usually either Bigblins with Miniblin or Pigblins with Devilblins. I’m not sure which these are yet, though.”

“Well, we’ll see in a minute,” Chabi pointed out.

Given that the ships were rapidly approaching, if they didn’t slip past them soon, they would at least be close enough for cannonfire even if they didn’t get close enough to board.

The party moved their way closer to the front of the ship. Link tried to see how far they were from land. He could see the shore, but it looked impossibly far away. He didn’t know how far the pirates would chase them, but getting to shore without engaging them one way or another seemed unlikely.

“Shit,” Link swore out loud. “Let’s just hope our ship is better than theirs.”

“Of course it is!” Dayto boldly declared. “This is a Hyrulean naval frigate. No better ships exist in these seas!”

Link wasn’t sure if Dayto was telling the truth or if he was just trying to raise everyone’s confidence, but he felt a bit better either way.

However, Linkle suddenly looked frightened. Raising her hand, she pointed out into the distance, as if she saw something out there. “That’s not good.”

Link furrowed his brow and squinted, thinking perhaps she could see something very far away from them, but he saw nothing. “What? What is it, Elle?”

“The seagulls,” she replied, still pointing.

Looking again, Link saw what she was talking about. There was a flock of seagulls swirling around in the sky above the water many meters ahead of them.

“Oh, shit,” Nat replied, sounding as if she and Linkle were on the same page.

“What? What’s wrong with the seagulls?” Link asked.

“Yes, I’m afraid I’m rather in the dark on this matter as well, my friends,” Dayto added.

“Seagulls gather like that above Giant Octoroks at sea,” Linkle explained.

“Truly?” Dayto asked. “Well, surely a sea monster of such size would not be found within eyesight of the shore.”

“The Blood Moon wasn’t that long ago. It fucks with monsters in weird ways,” Chabi pointed out.

“Well then what should we do?” Link asked. Blin pirates would be bad enough, but he was not prepared to fight a giant sea monster.

“We have to warn the captain and get him to change course,” Linkle decided.

“Agreed. Let’s move,” Nat said.

The five of them hurried back across the deck of the ship. As they ran, Link eyed the approaching pirate ships, as well as the flock of seagulls they were heading straight towards. All three obstacles were getting closer at an alarming rate.

The sea was a mistake.

“Captain!” Linkle shouted, spotting Captain Chork on the upper deck. “Captain! Look! The seagulls! We’re headed straight for a Giant Octorok!”

Linkle succeeded in grabbing the captain’s attention. He leaned over the railing to look down at her, furrowing his brow in confusion. Following where Linkle was pointing, he glanced towards the flock of seagulls. Even still, he was a bit confused, and Linkle was forced to repeat herself.

“The seagulls! The seagulls! Giant Octorok! Change course! Change course!”

Realization finally dawned on the captain, and he immediately turned to the helmsman. “Hard to port!” he shouted.

The sailor operating the ship’s steering wheel obeyed the captain’s orders, turning the wheel as fast as he could. Captain Chork shouted more orders towards several other deckhands who were operating the sails. Within a few moments, the ship lurched to the left once more as their course changed again.

“We’re not turning fast enough,” Chabi noted worriedly.

Link could see the girl was right. They were no longer heading straight for the flock of seagulls, but they would likely pass by the edge of it. He hoped that would be enough.

However, as they were busy avoiding the giant sea monster, they began heading towards one of the pirate ships. The sound of a cannon firing rang out from the enemy ship.

“Take cover!” several people shouted.

“Return fire!” Captain Chork ordered.

A cannonball from the enemy ship slammed into the ship’s railing on the far side. At the same time, several of their own cannons below deck fired back. Link felt like the whole ship was shaking, and he lost his balance.

“Easy, my friend.” Dayto caught Link before he fell over completely.

“Thanks,” Link replied as he regained his footing. He took a moment to survey the situation. Assuming neither ship was destroyed by cannonfire, the first pirate ship would be within boarding distance very soon, while the second one was further away but still approaching. He had a boomerang and Linkle had her crossbow, but neither of those would be very useful until they were even closer to the enemy ship.

“Chabi,” Link said, getting the young sorceress’s attention.

“What?” she replied, holding the brim of her oversized hat to keep it from blowing away.

“Can you do anything about those cannonballs? Like a shield spell or anything?” Link asked.

Chabi furrowed her brow. “I can’t do anything like that, but I can try to blow them up out of the air.”

“Good idea. Try that,” Link suggested. “Elle, get your crossbow ready. Once the Blins are close enough, shoot them dead.”

“You got it, brother.”

“What shall I do?” Dayto asked, sounding eager to be a part of the plan.

“Stay with us and be ready for when the Blins board us. Call out the cannonballs when you see them in case Chabi misses one.”

“As you command, Dragonslayer.”

“I didn’t slay the dragon,” Link reminded him. “Nat, same thing. Stick with us and be ready.”

“Got it.”


With their ship having changed course, most of the cannons mounted on the sides were unable to fire at the enemy yet. However, the pirate ship was still launching cannonballs at them. Link and his party surrounded Chabi and joined her at the front of the ship, where she began blasting the enemy cannonballs out of the air with her fire magic. She was not able to hit them all and their ship took a couple more hits, but it seemed to help overall.

Eventually, their ship got close enough to the other ship to see the Blins aboard it. Linkle’s speculation had been accurate. Most of the crew was made up of Miniblins -- horrible, impish creatures leaping about the deck and screeching at each other with annoying, high-pitched voices. Also among the pirate crew were a few Bigblins -- large, brutish creatures with massive, muscular arms yet disproportionately tiny legs.

“Elle,” Link said.

“On it.” Linkle raised her crossbow and took aim.

Her first shot hit one of the Bigblins in the arm. The creature groaned in pain, glancing at the bolt in its arm in confusion. The Bigblin roared, pointing towards the Hylian ship. Several nearby Miniblins shrieked in confirmation. Suddenly, the whole pirate crew began drawing weapons or collecting them from crates atop the deck. Most of the Miniblins collected long, thin pitchforks or hatchets. The Bigblin Linkle had shot lifted an anchor with a rope attached to it, as if it intended to use the heavy object as a weapon.

“They’re preparing,” Link pointed out.

“Prepare to be boarded!” someone from among the Hyrulean crew shouted to everyone else.

Linkle continued to loose bolts upon the Blins, while they returned fire by throwing hatchets. Chabi joined in the assault, launching fireballs at the enemy. Link drew his boomerang and threw it. He was surprised by the boomerang’s effectiveness. It managed to slice through two different Miniblins before hooking around and coming back to him.

Before long, however, the ranged battle came to an end.

“Brace for impact!” someone in the crew shouted.

A moment later, the front of their ship collided with the side of the enemy’s. Link and his party lurched forward. Linkle nearly fell overboard, but Link managed to grab her by the arm and pull her back.

Although the cannons had ceased firing, the sound of metal crashing through wood did not stop. Each of the Bigblins from the enemy ship tossed an anchor onto the deck of the Hyrulean ship. Using the ropes attached to the anchors, the Bigblins managed to pull their ships closer together until they were nearly side by side.

“Bloody hell those things are strong,” Nat remarked.

With the ships now so close together, Miniblins began pouring over the gap, hopping onto the Hyrulean ship. They were small and frail by monster standards, and the armed Hyrulean soldiers on deck managed to kill many of them, but the sheer numbers made it unclear which side would have the advantage.

“Let’s get down there.” Linkle immediately ran to the ladder and leaped down to join the fight. The others followed her.

When Linkle drew the Master Sword, its blade glowed white, and it only seemed to glow brighter when Link caught up with her. Many of the nearby Miniblins noticed, flinching in fear and stopping to stare at the sword. When Linkle attacked, the Master Sword cut through the tiny imp monsters like it was nothing, and the blade glowed with another flash of white light every time she swung it.

“That is a nice sword,” Link commented as he joined the fight. His own weapon was not as impressive, but it was still more than enough for Miniblins. He took to fighting behind his sister’s back, covering her from those who attacked from behind while she handled those attacking from the front.

“Keep fighting! Don’t let them break your line!” Captain Chork’s voice could be heard over the commotion, shouting orders and encouragement to his troops. Other soldiers began calling out as well.

“Fight!”

“Die, monsters!”

“Farore bless the Hero!”

For the next few minutes, Link, his sister, his other party members, and the Hylian soldiers fought alongside each other. Several soldiers and many Miniblins went down, but the battle continued. 

A Miniblin jumped on Link’s back, biting him in the shoulder. “Agh!” he shouted in pain and surprise before quickly punching the monster in the face. It squealed and let go, falling to the wooden deck. Link stabbed downwards, piercing the imp’s chest.

“How many more of these are there?” he asked.

His sister turned to him and opened her mouth to say something, but she was interrupted by the ship suddenly rocking back and forth.

One of the Bigblins had hopped onto the deck, and the impact from its landing was strong enough to shake the ship. Three others of its kind were still on their own ship, either growling orders at the Miniblins or tossing the tiny monsters over the gap onto the Hyrulean ship. All four Bigblins wore little armor, showing their bare chests were covered with the scars of many previous battles. Aside from the studded hide armor they wore on their lower halves, they also wore necklaces and bracers decorated with bones and jewelry. The Bigblin that had boarded the Hyrulean ship was missing half its left leg, but it compensated with a cylindrical stone slab haphazardly tied to its leg stump. This monster also carried what looked like a stone pillar, which it swung like an absurd club. Each of the other Bigblins had similarly oversized weapons. One wielded a club that looked like it was made from the bones of an even larger monster. Another spun an anchor on the end of a rope, and the fourth wielded a gigantic axe decorated with skulls. Link hoped the others would stay on their own ship.

The Bigblin swung its pillar in a sweeping motion. Some managed to leap out of the way, but several Hylian soldiers in its path were pulverized in an instant, leaving their bodies splayed across the deck. The monster swung again, but nobody in range was alive anymore. Either in anger or in victory, the Bigblin stomped its stone foot and roared.

“We need to slay that one,” Linkle said to her brother, raising the Master Sword and readying herself to charge.

“Wait!” Link grabbed her by the arm, shouting over the noise around them to make his voice heard. “We have other advantages. Let’s use them,” he reminded her, holding up his boomerang.

Linkle hesitated for a moment. She gave Link the impression that putting away the Master Sword was the last thing she wanted to do, but she reluctantly nodded and pulled out her crossbow instead.

When Link’s boomerang hit the Bigblin, the creature was in mid-swing. The boomerang sliced through its upper chest, causing it to roar in pain and swing the pillar too far. The creature ended up facing its back to them. This gave Linkle the perfect opening to shoot it in the back. The Bigblin flinched and was clearly very annoyed by Linkle’s bolt, but the monster didn’t seem anywhere close to dead yet.

Stomping its uneven stone leg hard enough to chip the deck, the Bigblin turned around, setting its gaze on the siblings. The glare in its eyes was familiar to Link. It reminded him of a drunken tavern patron who was about to attack someone who’d thrown a half-full mug of ale at the back of his head. Not a lot of brains, but plenty of brawn to spare.

The siblings didn’t want to give the stone-footed Bigblin a chance to close the gap between them. Linkle loosed another bolt at it, but the monster held the stone pillar in the way, using it as a shield to block the bolt. Link quickly tossed his boomerang again for another attack. The Bigblin attempted to block once more, but the boomerang simply curved around behind it, slicing the monster in the back. It roared in anger, giving Linkle another opening. She loosed another bolt, hitting her target this time. However, all it seemed to do was make the monster even more angry.

“It’s not enough,” Linkle shouted to her brother over the noise of the battle around them. She drew the Master Sword again. “Distract it. I’ll finish it off.”

Link nodded as he caught his boomerang once more. He didn’t have much time to think of a distraction, however, because the Bigblin charged right at them. When it got close, it swung the pillar in its arms. The siblings dodged out of the way, rolling in opposite directions. A stray Miniblin was obliterated, but no one else got hurt.

“Hey!” Link shouted, deciding that getting the monster’s attention would be a good start if he wanted to distract it long enough for Linkle to kill it. He didn’t have much else he could do, so he threw his boomerang again. Unfortunately, the monster managed to shield itself with the pillar this time. Link’s boomerang clanged helplessly against the pillar before falling to the deck. Link still threw his hand out to the side, having expected to catch the boomerang on its return. To his surprise, the boomerang actually lifted itself back into the air, spinning as if it had been thrown, returning safely to his hand.

This thing is much more useful than I thought it was.

In his surprise, Link was momentarily distracted enough to allow the Bigblin to approach him. The monster lifted the pillar, intending to swing it downwards onto Link. His heart leapt in his chest and he moved to dodge out of the way, but before he could, another Hylian appeared at the Bigblin’s side.

“Take that , monster!” Dayto shouted, driving his sword into the monster’s chest.

The Bigblin roared. It dropped the pillar, turned to Dayto, and delivered a harsh kick with the stone slab attached to its stump leg. Dayto gasped as the wind was knocked out of him, and he was sent flying backwards. When he landed, he slid along the deck before rolling to a stop.

“Dayto!” Despite how annoying Link found the other adventurer to be sometimes, Dayto had really come through for them a few times now, and seeing him harmed like that set Link off. All he could think to do was toss his boomerang right at the monster’s face. Without the pillar to block it, the boomerang hit its mark, slicing through both the monster’s eyes.

The Bigblin roared in pain. Link had expected it to fall to its knees, but the blindness only served to fuel the creature’s anger. It faced Link directly, ready to charge, but before it could, another sword appeared through its chest. The glowing white tip of the Master Sword poked its way out, splattering the monster’s blood all over the deck. The Bigblin roared one final time before finally slumping over, dead.

Linkle panted as she stood over the body, but she smiled at her brother, clearly proud of herself.

Link acknowledged her victory with a nod, then hurried over to Dayto. There was still fighting going on around them, but it was mostly dying down, and luckily none of the remaining Miniblins had bothered Dayto yet.

“Dayto,” Link said, kneeling beside the injured adventurer.

“Is he okay?” Linkle asked, joining them.

“Fear not,” Dayto replied. He coughed as Link helped him sit up. “Merely some broken ribs. Probably.”

“We should get you below deck,” Link suggested. “They might have healers.”

“I’ll stay up here,” Linkle said. She spotted Nat and Chabi fighting alongside one another on the other side of the deck. “I’ll get them to help me. There are still more Bigblins to slay.”

“Linkle, we shouldn’t--” Link wanted to warn her not to try to fight the entire pirate crew by herself, but he was interrupted when the ship suddenly began to move again. He nearly fell over, but he pressed his hand against the deck to stabilize himself. “What the hell?”

Linkle glanced at the anchors and ropes that attached their ship to the enemy’s. “We haven’t broken free yet,” she pointed out. “Why are we moving?”

Link stood up and looked overboard, trying to make sense of it. In the distance, he saw the second pirate ship that had been following them from behind. However, it wasn’t heading directly for them, and they weren’t sailing directly away from it, either.

Link glanced back down at Dayto. “Wait here.”

“No, no, I’m fine,” Dayto insisted, attempting to climb to his feet.

Link and Linkle made their way to the other end of the deck. When they got a clearer view of the water, they understood what was happening. Their ship and the pirate ships were being moved by the water. They were along the edge of a rapidly growing whirlpool.

“This looks bad,” was all Link could say.

Linkle seemed to figure out what was going on a lot quicker than he could. A look of fear appeared on her face. “The Octorok,” she said.

“What?”

Linkle turned to the ship and cupped her hands over her mouth to make an emergency announcement. “ Giant Octorok !”

The crew of the ship had only a moment to take in Linkle’s words before several large tentacles emerged from beneath the waves in the center of the whirlpool. One tentacle reached out and began to wrap itself around the pirate ship that had been pursuing them, while another reached for the Hyrulean ship.

The tentacle came down with a loud thud as it slammed against the deck. As it tightened its grip and pulled, the ship began to tilt.

Linkle quickly pulled out her crossbow and loosed a bolt at the monster’s tentacle, but the creature was so big, Link doubted it would have noticed.

All around them, sailors and Miniblins alike were fleeing over to the pirate ship, which was still attached by the anchors with the ropes tied to them. However, Link could see the monsters were frantically attempting to cut the ropes to free themselves and escape.

“Elle!” Link shouted above the noise. “We need to get to the other ship.”

“We can kill it,” Linkle argued. “The Hero of the Sky killed a Tentalus by hitting it in the eye enough times. Giant Octoroks have lots of eyes, so--”

A second tentacle slammed down on the other side of them, causing the ship to tilt even further. A few Hylians and Miniblins lost their footing and tumbled into the ocean.

“We don’t have time for that!” Link insisted.

“He’s right,” Dayto agreed, listening to Link for once. “We must go.” With that, he headed for the pirate ship.

Link grabbed his sister by the collar. “If you wanna kill it, let’s do it from the other ship. Use your Pegasus Boots and run .” He practically threw her forwards. That apparently drove the message home enough because she started sprinting across the deck. Link, without the aid of any magic boots, was much slower than she was, but he took off running as well.

As the siblings ran, their path became steeper and steeper as the ship was pulled further onto its side. By the time Link reached the side of the ship, he had to grab onto the edge like it was the top of a mountain he’d just climbed. Linkle was there waiting for him, and she knelt down to grab his wrist and pull him up.

By this point, most of the ropes holding the ships together had been cut, although one remained, still attached to an anchor firmly lodged in the ship’s frame. The gap between the ships was too large for Link to jump across.

“Go!” Link told her. “Jump to the other side, before it’s too late.”

“But what about you?” Linkle asked. “I’m not leaving you!”

Link turned his gaze to the remaining rope. “This,” he said, grabbing the rope. “I’ll cut it and swing across.”

“Then I’ll go with you,” Linkle suggested.

“No! It’ll be safer with only one of us on the rope. Just jump. Use your hookshot. I’ll catch up with you,” Link insisted.

Linkle didn’t move. She looked back and forth between Link, the tentacles crushing their ship, and the fight with the pirates that had continued over on the other ship. “I… I can’t…”

Link held his sister’s head in between his hands. “I’ll be right behind you. I promise.”

When he let go of her, Linkle looked a little more confident. She nodded her agreement, then raised her hookshot and fired it. The hook dug into a wooden part of the sail on the other ship. Holding the device tightly, Linkle swung across to the other side, landing with a roll on the pirate ship’s deck. Standing back up, she turned back to Link and raised a hand to signal she was okay.

Link returned the gesture. Knowing she’d made it safely, he grabbed the rope and used his sword to cut it free from the anchor. He gulped. He had no idea if this would work, which was the main reason he hadn’t wanted his sister to join him. For all he knew, he’d lose his grip immediately and fall into the ocean. Or, perhaps he’d simply splatter himself across the side of the enemy ship.

Well, here goes nothing.

Link felt the ship rumble as yet another giant tentacle wrapped around the hull, pulling the ship deeper into the water. Gripping the rope tightly, he jumped over the edge.

For a brief period of time, he was in free fall. It felt as though he would plummet directly into the water, probably dying on impact or drowning shortly after. But then, he felt the rope go taut. He nearly lost his grip, but he managed to hang on as he swung across the gap.

As he’d predicted, he slammed against the side of the other ship pretty hard. His whole body felt sore, and he wouldn’t have been surprised if he found out he’d broken something. Nevertheless, his choices were to either climb or wait until he lost his grip and fell, so he started climbing.

The climb was not easy. By the time he reached the top, his palms were burning, and his fingers felt like they were going to fall off. However, his hands eventually gripped the railing of the deck. All he had to do now was pull himself up.

Link was hoping Linkle would be the first person he saw, but as he poked his head up over the railing, he instead saw one of the Bigblins; the one holding the massive bone club. The monster must have heard him struggling to get over the railing. It turned around, staring down at him with hate-filled eyes.

“I just want to come aboard,” Link said reflexively, as if he expected the monster to understand him, or to care even slightly about what he wanted.

Whether or not the monster understood him, it raised its club above its head, then brought it downwards with the intent to strike Link.

There was nothing else to do. Link let go of the railing, falling out of the way just before the club came down, shattering the wooden railing with the force of the blow. On his way down, Link frantically tried to grab the rope again, but it was no use. He was moving too fast. The last thing he felt was his back slamming harshly against the surface of the ocean. He blacked out immediately from the impact, without having a chance to shout to his sister for help.

Chapter 61: Linkle I

Chapter Text

Linkle wanted to wait for her brother when she made it across the gap to the pirate ship, but she didn’t have time. Dozens of other Hylians had made it over from the other ship as well, and despite the looming threat of the gigantic octopus monster, the Hylians and the Blins continued their battle.

The Hyrulean ship and the second pirate ship were both pulled underneath the water, dragged into the whirlpool by the Giant Octorok’s colossal tentacles. The pirate ship Linkle was on now, however, managed to escape, continuing to sail northwest. Linkle had no idea where the Blin pirates were heading, but that didn’t matter. She and the other Hylians simply needed to defeat the pirates and take control of the ship. From there, they could decide where to go next.

So, as soon as Linkle was aboard the enemy ship, she went back to hacking down Miniblins. The tiny monsters fell easily enough, but she knew they weren’t the real threat. The one Bigblin that had invaded the Hyrulean ship had been a massive challenge to fight. Now there were three of them. One had retreated to the upper level where the ship’s steering wheel was located, but the other two were still on deck. The one with the giant bone club crushed any Hylians who got too close, while the one with the anchor at the end of the rope swung it at any Hylians who were too busy fighting Miniblins to notice until it was too late.

I’ve gotta kill the one with the anchor first.

Something she’d learned from the stone-footed Bigblin was that her crossbow bolts were not enough to bring down the large creatures. The Master Sword, however, seemed to be more than enough. She had to get up close.

The problem was, as soon as she drew the Master Sword, all eyes were on Linkle. The Bigblin with the anchor weapon swung it in a circle around himself while advancing on Linkle, preventing her from getting any sort of opening. While the Bigblin approached her, several Miniblins came towards her from the other side, and she was forced to fight them off while backing away from the spinning anchor.

However, she had an idea. She’d just used her hookshot to swing from ship to ship a moment ago, so the item was still on her mind. Keeping an eye on the wooden structures that were a part of the sails, Linkle waited until the Bigblin stepped into the right position. Moving quickly, she pulled her hookshot back out and shot it into the beam above the Bigblin’s head. Pressing the button to reel herself in, the hookshot pulled her into the air above the swinging anchor.

The Bigblin roared when it realized what was happening. It attempted to toss the anchor at Linkle, but it missed.

Linkle released the hookshot when she was almost directly above the Bigblin. She attempted to stab it in the head as she fell past it, but the monster had enough sense to move to the side at the last moment. However, Linkle managed to land on her feet. She spun around and slashed at the back of the monster’s leg before it had a chance to turn around. The Master Sword easily sliced the monster’s leg clean off, causing the Bigblin to wail in pain as it fell over. She didn’t want to give it a chance to get back up, so she quickly leapt over to the monster’s head and drove her sword down into its neck.

“That was easier the second time around,” she commented as she pulled her sword free from the monster’s corpse.

“Hero!”

Linkle wasn’t sure who’d shouted it, but she turned towards the sound of the voice. When she did, she caught sight of a barrel hurtling through the air, coming directly towards her. However, she did not have enough time to react. The barrel crashed into her head. Whether or not there was anything in it, she felt like she’d just been hit by a ton of bricks. It knocked her down onto the deck where she lay for a moment, dazed and in pain.

After a few seconds, Linkle managed to get her head back together. As she did, she opened her eyes and looked up towards the sky, only to see the foot of a Bigblin coming down upon her. With as much effort as she could muster, she rolled to the side, dodging out of the way just before the Bigblin stomped against the wooden deck. She landed on her stomach and tried to lift herself up, but before she could, she felt a large hand gripping her entire head in its palm. The hand lifted her head up, then shoved it down hard against the deck. It then did so again, and again. After having her head slammed against the floor for the third time, Linkle abruptly lost consciousness.


When Linkle awakened, she wasn’t actually sure she was truly awake. All she could see was darkness. She tried to remember what had happened, but her head was pounding, and everything was fuzzy.

She tried to move, but realized she couldn’t. She could feel she was lying on her back, but her arms and legs were bound in some way. As much as she tugged at her bonds, she could not move her limbs. Upon realizing her situation, she involuntarily yelped in fear, only to realize a cloth had been stuffed in her mouth, muffling her voice.

Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!

Linkle began to panic, thrashing against her bonds and trying to scream, but she could do nothing. She’d been captured. Her memory was still fuzzy, but she remembered she’d been battling Miniblins and Bigblins on their ship. She knew what Blins did to their captives. She had to escape at all costs.

Her next thoughts were of her brother. Had he made it onto the Blin ship with her? Had he been captured as well?

Will I be able to save him? Will he be able to save me?

They always did that for each other. Whenever one of them was in trouble, the other would always come through and save them, no matter what. Linkle had never felt like she needed saving more than at that very moment.

Please, brother. Please, Farore. Hylia. Nayru, Din, anybody.

Linkle tried struggling against her bonds again. She could feel the ropes digging into her wrists and ankles. She tried to scream, but her voice still only came out as muffled moans.

After some time, she heard footsteps. Linkle’s thrashing ceased, and she froze completely. She broke into a cold sweat, terrified of what might happen next.

As the footsteps got closer, she could hear one set of slow, heavy footsteps, as well as the pitter-patter of several sets of smaller, lighter feet. She could also hear an obnoxious symphony of those odd noises Miniblins made, but Linkle could find no humor in them at the moment.

Linkle flinched when she heard a voice. One of the monsters spoke in a language she couldn’t understand. Its voice was slow and almost animal-like, reminding her of a dog mixed with a cow. She could tell it must have been a Bigblin speaking. As soon as it did, all of the Miniblins ceased their noises. The Bigblin stepped closer to Linkle, its heavy footsteps thudding against the wooden floor.

“I won’t hurt you,” the monster said, speaking slowly and deliberately in Hylian. However, he did not sound friendly. “I want to. You killed my friends. But they want the Hero alive.”

Linkle was surprised, but also confused. She had so many questions, yet when she tried to ask them, she could only whimper against the gag. She tried to pull against her bonds again, hoping to do anything to signal that she wanted the monsters to release her, or to at least remove the gag to let her speak.

“No,” the Bigblin told her. “We take no chances with you. You stay tied up until we get to shore.” The monster said no more after that. His footsteps retreated away from Linkle, followed by those of his Miniblin minions, leaving Linkle alone in the dark once again.


Linkle wasn’t sure how long she’d been tied up below deck on the Blin pirate ship. It could have been hours or days. She’d passed out several times from a combination of pain and a lack of food and water, but it never felt like she’d been sleeping when she woke up.

The fear and confusion faded somewhat over time, but never entirely. She was relieved the Blins were not planning to kill her, torture her, or worse, but the Bigblin’s words still weighed on her. The monster was intending to pass her off to someone else. She figured it had something to do with the Sheikah who had attacked her in Faron, but she still didn’t know much about who they were or what they wanted. They apparently wanted her alive, but that gave her little comfort.

Linkle’s body stiffened again the next time she heard footsteps approaching. The monsters did not speak, except in their guttural language. After a moment, Linkle felt herself rising into the air as the monsters lifted the table or whatever wooden object she was tied to. She tried to shake her head and make noises of complaint, but the Blins ignored her and carried her off.

After a short while, Linkle could feel they were ascending a staircase. When she felt the wind blowing and heard the sound of seagull calls, she realized she’d been brought back up on deck. After spending so much time deep within the ship, the fresh air was nice, but she could not appreciate it much given the circumstances.

Before long, Linkle could feel they were descending once more, but she had not been brought back inside the ship. She could tell they were still outside.

Are we docked? Are they bringing me back on land?

“This is the one?”

Linkle flinched. She heard an unmistakably human voice speaking in Hylian. The monsters lowered her once again as they came to a stop. Hoping to get a chance to communicate with the human, Linkle began shaking her head and attempting to speak through her gag, but the human did not come to help her.

“This is the Hero,” came the voice of the Bigblin.

“And you’re sure of this?” the man asked.

“She had the Master Sword,” another Bigblin with a slightly different voice said. “Here it is, along with her other things.”

There was a ruffling sound as someone looked through what must have been a sack holding Linkle’s equipment.

“I see,” the man said. “Has she been harmed?”

“We had to knock her out,” the first Bigblin replied.

“I mean after you’d taken her prisoner.”

“No.”

“We should have tossed her into the sea and been done with it,” the second Bigblin said.

“Even a beast as simple as you should know how counterproductive that would be,” the human said with unhidden disdain in his voice.

One of the Bigblins growled. “Watch what you say, tiny one. Insult me again and you will feel pain.”

“Yes, by all means, attack me. That will do wonders for your race’s sterling reputation.”

There was a stomping sound. “You want to die?” the same Bigblin said angrily.

“Do you even know what I said?”

“I know it was an insult.”

“And you know your orders. Lay a hand on me, and it will be your head.”

“That–”

“Enough.” The other Bigblin interrupted, likely to prevent his companion from mauling the human to death. “We’ve given you your prize. Take the Hero and go.”

“What of your other prisoners?” the human asked.

“What of them?”

“They are not to be your spoils, monster. Make landfall somewhere further up the coast and send a ransom letter to Hateno. Do not harm them, and you shall be paid well for their safe return.”

One of the Bigblins snorted. “Fine. Now begone with you.”

Linkle heard the shuffling of many pairs of feet. The Bigblins stomped away back up the wooden ramp they had climbed down on, along with the Miniblins following them. When Linkle felt herself being lifted up again, she tried her luck once more, screaming into the gag and shaking her head.

Kanojo no sokubaku o hodokubekidesu ka ?” came the voice of a woman who had not spoken before. Linkle could tell she was speaking Sheikah, but she couldn’t understand a word of it.

Īe, kochira no kata ga yoidesu ,” the man replied.

The wooden device Linkle was tied to was then loaded into the back of a wagon of some sort. With as many footsteps as she heard and the number of hands she felt checking her restraints, it was clear there were many more people taking her than just the two she’d heard talking. She could hear chains being attached to the wooden platform she was restrained to, followed by the sound of what must have been the door of the wagon being shut. Linkle tried in vain to thrash about or communicate the whole time, but she was completely ignored.

There was more chatting in Sheikah, and then the wagon lurched forward, beginning to move. Linkle, no closer to escape, lay in the back, having no idea what would come next.

I’ve got to find a way out of this…


“Halt.”

Linkle perked up at the sound of Hylian being spoken again. She’d once again lost track of time while bound, gagged, and blindfolded, and she had no idea where she’d been dropped off by the Blins, so she was still unclear on her location. However, if a new Hylian had appeared to tell them to stop, perhaps there was a chance she would be rescued from her current predicament.

“Good morning to you, sir.”

Linkle almost couldn’t tell it was the Sheikah man who was talking. He spoke in such a different tone that he sounded almost like a completely different person.

“What brings you to Loshlo today?”

“And with such an armed escort?”

Loshlo?

Linkle was surprised. Loshlo was located along the coast of Necluda. Somehow, she’d ended up very close to her own home.

We must have been stopped by some sort of border guard.

“Prisoner transport,” the Sheikah replied, followed by the sound of two taps against the side of the wagon.

“All of you for one prisoner?” one of the guards asked skeptically.

“It’s a high priority prisoner. Very dangerous criminal, you see. We are taking her straight to the dungeons of Hyrule Castle,” the Sheikah explained.

“Mhmm.” There was a pause, accompanied by the sound of paper ruffling. “By the gods,” the guard said. “She’s done all this ?”

What?

The Sheikah must have provided the guard with fake documents claiming Linkle had committed many heinous crimes.

You bastards. When I get out of here, I’ll kill you!

Linkle tried to rock the wooden bench she was chained to from side to side. To her surprise, she succeeded somewhat. There was just enough leeway for her to slam the edge of the bench against the wall of the wagon.

“Ah!” the guard yelped in surprise.

“What did I say? Very dangerous,” the Sheikah quickly replied, playing off the sound Linkle made as the ravings of a mad criminal.

“Yes. Well. Your papers appear to be in order, so move along.” A few stamping sounds followed, which were probably the guards marking the Sheikah’s fraudulent documents.

“Thank you, sir. Have a good day,” the Sheikah said graciously. “Come on, everyone. Let’s get a move on.”

The wagon began to move again. Linkle screamed against the gag and slammed the bench against the wall once more.

Someone banged on the outside of the wagon in return. “Keep it down in there,” came a voice. “This journey can get a lot more unpleasant for you. Believe me.”

Linkle stopped. She wasn’t sure how serious the threat was, but even with how furious she was, she knew she was not in a good position to fight. She couldn’t get out of this the way she wished she could.

What would Link do?

Her eyes opened wide beneath her blindfold, tearing up.

Link.

Was her brother still being held prisoner aboard the Blin pirate ship? Would they release him as promised? Was he even alive?

Stop. Stop. He is alive.

She couldn’t allow herself to dwell on such bad thoughts at the moment. She needed her brother to be alive. She would find him again.

I just need to get out of this first…


As had been the case on the pirate ship, it was difficult for Linkle to get a sense of how much time had passed while she was in the prison wagon. She knew they’d traveled through Loshlo, but she felt like they’d been moving for long enough that they must have moved past the town by now. The Sheikah traveling with her outside of the wagon remained disturbingly silent for the majority of the time, and the few times Linkle heard them talking, they’d spoken in the Sheikah tongue, which she barely knew a word of.

Linkle wondered where they were taking her. They’d claimed they were taking her to the Hyrule Castle dungeons, but that could have easily been a lie, and it made no sense to her anyway.

Regardless of where they were or where they were going, Linkle was constantly listening. If she couldn’t brute force her way out, she had to play it smart. She knew Link would tell her to focus on her situation and wait for the right opportunity, so that’s what she was going to do.

Her first chance came what must have been a long time after they’d left Loshlo. The guards transporting her, who up until that point had kept talking to a minimum, suddenly started shouting in Sheikah. Linkle couldn’t understand what they were saying, but she could tell there was some urgency in their voices.

What? What is it? Are we under attack?

She next heard a noise that sounded like a mix between a pig squeal and some sort of roar. Whatever was outside, it must have been attacking Linkle’s guards, as one of them cried in pain. The monster noises became more frequent, as if one or two more had appeared.

Soon after the fighting began, something rammed against the side of the wagon, enough to tilt it a bit.

This could be it.

As she’d done before in Loshlo, Linkle began wrestling with her bonds. Forcing the bench to tilt on its side, she slammed it against the wall. Then she did it again, and again.

With another squealing roar, a monster rammed the wagon again. Linkle had been throwing herself to the side at the time, causing the wagon to nearly tip over, but it wasn’t quite enough.

Come on, come on…

Several more Sheikah cried out in pain, as if they were being mauled to death, but Linkle ignored them. She was entirely focused on escaping. If there were any Sheikah left once she was free of her bonds, she would want to kill them anyway.

As she continued to slam the bench she was tied to against the wall, the pain began building. Every time she hit the wall, the force and the vibrations shooting through her felt like they would break her bones, but she kept at it, hoping to time it just right.

After a third failed attempt, she finally succeeded on the fourth. One of the monsters rammed against the wagon, much harder than the previous times, just as Linkle was rocking the bench to the side. When she hit the wall, the entire wagon tipped onto its side, throwing Linkle and the bench to the ground.

Linkle cried in pain, muffled by the gag. However, as she moved her limbs, she suddenly realized she was less restricted than before. The bench she’d been tied to had shattered from the force of the fall. Ropes were still tied to her wrists and ankles, but she had more than enough slack to move around.

The first thing she did was pull off the blindfold. Even in the back of a windowless wagon, the light was blinding when her vision finally returned to her. She didn’t mind, however. Not being trapped in the dark anymore came as an enormous relief.

Next came the gag. There was a cloth tied around her head and covering her mouth. She quickly untied it, then grabbed the other cloth that had been stuffed into her mouth and pulled it out.

Fuckers .” Her first word upon regaining her ability to speak came out weakly. Her throat was dry as it had been some time since she’d last had any water. Nonetheless, it was another welcome relief. Lastly, she untied the ropes around her wrists and ankles, revealing rings of reddened skin beneath them.

Linkle moved to stand up, but was immediately greeted by pain. Her whole body felt sore. She suspected a few bones had been fractured in the crash that had freed her.

It doesn’t matter. I just need to get out of here.

Although the wagon had been turned on its side, the door was still shut. Luckily, the door frame seemed to have been damaged, although Linkle still had to throw all her weight against it twice to knock it open. It hurt like hell, but she could finally see the light of day again.

Once she was outside, the sounds of the battle became even more clear. Linkle could also see what the Sheikah were fighting. Apparently, they had stumbled upon a herd of Helmasaurs. The monsters were large, saurian creatures with spiky, metallic plates covering their skulls. Linkle had seen them many times in Necluda before, but she had never seen any this large. Each of them was almost the size of the wagon. Their usual attack pattern was to charge in a straight line, ramming everything in its path. While this manner of attack was predictable, their armored front sides made fighting a Helmasaur quite difficult regardless, and the Sheikah were evidently struggling with it.

Linkle would have loved to slay the monsters under normal circumstances, but even she recognized she was in no condition to fight.

You get a pass today, monsters. Just make sure you kill these bastards, okay?

Staying low and keeping close to the overturned wagon, Linkle tried to avoid being spotted. She wasn’t quite sure what her escape route would be yet, but before she could leave, she needed to collect her belongings. She was not going to let those bastards keep the Master Sword, the Pegasus Boots, the Ocarina of Wind, her hookshot, or anything else that belonged to her.

Her equipment hadn’t been with her in the back of the wagon, which meant it was either being kept in the front of the wagon or one of the guards was holding it. She hoped it was the former, because she did not feel like fighting an armed Sheikah warrior for her stuff at the moment.

The horses that had been pulling the wagon were long gone. And, with the wagon turned over on its side, there was no easy way inside the front compartment now. Linkle had to climb onto the top of the wagon to reach the door, which was extremely difficult given how much pain she was already in.

However, once she was able to look down into the wagon’s front compartment, she could see a conspicuous brown burlap sack. She grabbed the sack and pulled it out, then opened it to check its contents. Everything was there.

Perfect. Time to go.

“Oi! Kanojo o tomete !”

Linkle flinched. Two of the Sheikah on the ground had noticed her. One of them lifted his arm and tossed a knife in her direction.

“Shit. Whoa!” Linkle managed to dodge the knife, but in doing so, she fell off of the wagon. She hit the ground with a thud. “ Owwww ,” she groaned as she picked herself back up. She still had the sack of her belongings, which was lucky, because she assumed she had a fight on her hands now.

The two Sheikah seemed to be arguing now. The one who had thrown the knife was being berated by the other one, who seemed incredibly angry. However, their argument did not last long. A pair of Helmasaurs charged at them head-on, and they had to dive to the ground to get out of the way.

Alright, maybe I should just…

Linkle looked over the apparent battlefield in search of a way to escape unnoticed. However, there wasn’t one. They had been traveling along a road through an open field right beside a cliff. Any direction she could go, the Sheikah would spot her.

Unless…

Limping from her injuries, Linkle made her way over to the cliff’s edge and peered over it. There was a lake below, but more importantly, the cliff may have been climbable. That gave her a possible means of escape.

However, as she was considering the best way down, she heard the squealing roar of a Helmasaur. She turned around, but it was too late. The iron-faced monster charged at her, and in her condition, she was not fast enough to get out of the way. The saurian creature rammed right into her, knocking her over the cliff.

Linkle felt the fear grip her, but she was too weak to scream. Thinking quickly as she fell, she reached into the sack of her belongings and rummaged through it, pulling out her hookshot. She desperately fired it off towards the cliff. She managed to snag something when she was more than halfway to the ground. However, the force of the sudden stop pulled her arm out of its socket. That was when she found the energy to scream.

Immediately after, the hook end of the hookshot came loose. Linkle fell the rest of the way down, plummeting into the lake below.


Linkle found herself lying on the shore. She may have swam there, or she may have simply floated there. She really couldn’t remember. She was in pain, hungry, and dehydrated, and her mind was rather foggy. She’d managed to hold onto the sack containing her belongings. She counted that -- along with the fact that she was alive at all -- as a victory.

Being somewhat more conscious now, Linkle sat on the water’s edge and examined her surroundings. At first, she was worried she was trapped somewhere deep in the wilderness, but then, she realized the area looked rather familiar.

“This is… Lake Jarrah.” This was not some place she had never been before. Linkle had swam, fished, and even bathed in this exact lake many, many times since childhood. She wasn’t lost in the wilderness at all. She was a short walk away from her own home .

How the hell did I end up here?

Her memory was a bit hazy, but everything slotted into place after a moment. The Sheikah had carted her through Loshlo. The place at the top of the cliff where they’d been attacked by Helmasaurs must have been Marblod Plain. So, after falling off of the cliff, she had ended up falling into Lake Jarrah.

She’d crossed six provinces, met five sages, rescued a princess, visited both Kakarikos, climbed the Eldin Mountains, visited the City of Hyrule, survived the Blood Moon out in the wilds, traveled through the Lost Woods, and so much more. And, after all of that, her journey had taken her in one big circle, taking her right back to where she’d started. Back home.

Just like Link wanted.

She would have laughed at the irony that she was the one to end up back home instead of him, but she began to worry once again.

No. He’s alive. We’ll find each other again.

What she needed to focus on now was figuring out what to do next. She’d escaped from the Sheikah, but she didn’t know if any of them had survived and would return to hunt her down again. She could go look for Link, but she wasn’t sure how to begin. Perhaps more importantly, she was injured beyond belief.

Maybe I should go home and rest for a bit…

Before she stood up, she put a hand on her dislocated shoulder. She’d read enough about field first aid techniques that adventurers sometimes needed to employ while out questing in the wilds. She knew this wouldn’t be pleasant, but she closed her eyes, braced herself, and popped the bone back into place. She screamed again, loud enough to cause the birds perched in the nearby trees to scatter into the air.

She couldn’t bring herself to move for a few minutes after that, but eventually, she climbed to her feet. It took considerable effort, but she began the walk back to her old family home.


Seeing her house again was almost surreal. Linkle couldn’t actually remember how long it had been since she’d last been there. Her journey felt as if it had been simultaneously a week long and a year long.

When she reached the door, Linkle saw the door frame was busted, as if it had been kicked in. That did not surprise her. She and her brother had abandoned their home on a whim of hers. They had not sold or leased the property to anyone; they had simply up and left. Someone must have come by at some point and ransacked the place while they were gone. Luckily, she and her brother did not own many possessions of much value, and any they did own had been brought with them. Any bandits who had come by had probably taken what was left of their food stores and then left.

Linkle felt a strong pang of nostalgia when she stepped through the doorway. She’d spent fifteen years of her life in this little house. It was more than big enough for her and Link, but it had been rather cramped back when her parents and her other siblings had lived there, too. Still, it had always been warm and cozy, even if staying in one place had never been what Linkle wanted.

The first thing Linkle did was collapse in one of the chairs by the dining room table, dropping the sack of her belongings on the ground beside her. She would have loved to lie down in her bed, but she was completely out of energy just from walking there, and any place she could get off of her feet was fine as far as she was concerned.

What am I going to do?

Linkle thought to herself. There was much she had to do. She had to find her brother. She had to escape the Sheikah pursuing her. She had to get to the bottom of why the Sheikah were pursuing her. She had to go to the capital to search for the Kokiri knight who possessed the last key. She had to find out what the keys were for. And, of course, she had to slay the demon that threatened the whole kingdom.

Linkle raised an arm experimentally, before letting it drop to her lap due to the pain. Her whole body still ached. In her condition, it would be terribly difficult to do any of the heroic acts she needed to do, let alone all of them.

Is this what being the Hero is like?

She felt useless. She glanced down at the sack of her belongings, from which the Master Sword was sticking out, and her thoughts drifted back to the moment she and her brother had pulled it from the stone.

If I’m even the real Hero…

Linkle shut her eyes tightly, biting back that horrible doubt that had been gnawing at her in the back of her mind ever since that moment. Then, from behind her, she heard a chuckle.

“You’ve met with a terrible fate, haven’t you?”

Linkle was too weak to be surprised. Slowly and with great effort, she twisted her position in her chair to get a look behind her.

There stood a well-groomed Hylian man, finely dressed in violet clothing and gold jewelry. On his back, he carried a rather oversized sack. The man stood with his hands clasped together in front of him, smiling at Linkle with an uncannily wide grin, and staring at her with eyes strangely lacking in color. Something about the man seemed familiar, but she couldn’t quite place it.

“Do I know you?” Linkle asked with a weak voice, wondering if this man had been squatting in her house while she and Link were gone.

“But of course!” the man proclaimed, pulling the straps of his bag off of his arms so he could set it down against the wall. As he did, Linkle noticed several ornate masks depicting strange faces hanging off of the bag. “You know me. We’re old friends now.”

“...Oh.” Linkle blinked. Her mind was still a bit foggy, so perhaps she was blanking on how she knew this man. At the very least, he did not appear hostile, even if she was somewhat concerned that he’d come into her home uninvited. Linkle winced, clutching an arm to her chest where she probably had a broken rib or two. “Sorry. I’m kind of…”

“You do seem to be in quite a predicament.” The strange man stepped closer to Linkle. With an apparent disregard for personal space, he leaned forward to examine her. “Would you care to have your wounds healed?”

Linkle still felt somewhat uncomfortable, but she perked up at the offer. “You’re a healer?”

“I am many things.” The man chuckled, stepping away from her. “But, so long as I am doing a favor for you, Hero, perhaps you’d be so generous as to do a favor for me in return?”

Linkle furrowed her brow.

How did he…?

Looking down, she again noted her belongings spilling out of the sack on the floor, leaving half the Master Sword in plain view.

Oh.

“I… Yes, of course.” Helping others in exchange for aid was commonplace for adventurers, so Linkle did not think much of the request. “What do you need?”

“Well…” The strange man walked around to the other end of the dining table, pulling up a chair and taking a seat. He then placed his elbows on the table and steepled his fingers in front of him, grinning widely at Linkle. “I wish to obtain an item of great importance. It is quite powerful, you see. And I need it.”

Linkle nearly laughed. She knew just what her brother would think if he heard that.

Sounds like more vaguely-important keys…

“You see, some time ago, I made a deal with the head of the Impa Clan,” the man went on.

That got Linkle’s attention immediately.

Impa Sadashi? Isn’t she the one behind all this? How the hell is this guy involved?

“She required this item’s power as well, and since I cannot retrieve it myself, I needed someone else to acquire it for me,” the man explained. “So, I told Lady Impa where it was and how to acquire it, and I agreed to let her borrow it long enough to suit her needs. I even gave her daughter an exceptional gift that would greatly aid them in their task. In exchange, Lady Impa agreed to pass the item on to me once her work was complete.”

“How to obtain it?” Linkle repeated, fighting soreness in order to lean forward in anticipation. “The keys?” Reaching down into the bag of her belongings, Linkle produced the hookshot. “Like this?”

The strange man’s grin never changed, but his eyes fell upon the hookshot meaningfully. “Yes, that is one of the items required to open the way.”

“What is it?” Linkle asked excitedly, wincing in pain from her own sudden movements. “ Ow . The thing. The powerful item. What is it? I need to know!” The man had a lot to say about this all-important item of his, but he seemed to be purposefully avoiding saying what it actually was.

What’s the big secret?!

The man stared at Linkle. His strange eyes gleamed with a sense of desire and purpose. “Perhaps you already know of it. It was used by a predecessor of yours. It can grant one the power of a god.”

Linkle gasped, then stifled a painful cough, feeling her broken ribs again.

The Triforce.

The strange man nodded his head, as if he assumed she’d managed to guess it. “Regardless, I now suspect Lady Impa never had any intention of letting anyone else have it. It would be a terrible thing to fall into the wrong hands. As the Hero, may I count on you to prevent this from happening?”

Linkle nodded. Protecting the Triforce was one of her sworn duties as the Hero.

I have to stop Impa…

“Splendid! I can always count on you,” the strange man said happily, standing up from his chair. “Now then, I suppose I should get to healing you, yes?” He stepped away from the table and walked over to the piano, taking a seat in front of it.

Linkle blinked. “Wha…?” she started to ask, her mind feeling woozy.

We don’t own a piano…

Either someone had moved a piano into her home while she and her brother had been gone, or she was hallucinating. Nevertheless, the sweet melody the man played certainly sounded real enough. Not only that, but it was soothing. The man must have been using the music as a means to channel his healing magic, because Linkle could feel her pain subsiding. An extraordinarily calm feeling washed over her as well. Closing her eyes, she leaned her head back. She was exhausted after everything that had happened to her, and before she knew it, she’d drifted off to sleep.


Art Source

Chapter 62: Seraphina IV

Chapter Text

“How… how are you feeling?” Seraphina asked, lowering her hands.

It had taken her some time, but eventually, she finished healing all of Sheik’s wounds. Having expended so much magic on top of the long and stressful day she’d had, she felt about ready to pass out.

Sheik sat up, experimentally pressing his hands against the various places he’d been wounded. “Less like I’m going to die,” he said.

Seraphina winced at his words. “Well. That’s good.”

Sheik regarded her for a moment, then stood up, staring out into the flowing water of the river. “I’ve almost died so many times,” he said, although it was unclear whether he was talking to Seraphina or just thinking aloud. “This time should’ve been…”

“Perhaps the gods aren’t finished with you yet.”

Seraphina and Sheik both jumped at the sound of someone speaking from behind them. Sheik drew his weapon, and despite everything, the princess was quick to leap behind his back. However, the one who had spoken was not one of their Sheikah pursuers. Instead, staring at them from further along the rocky shoreline was a small, glowing, golden rabbit.

“What the fuck are you?” Sheik demanded.

“Oh, my. That’s rather rude, isn’t it?” The golden rabbit hopped down from atop the rocks, coming closer to them. Sheik moved backwards, pushing Seraphina further back with him.

“No, wait.” The princess stepped to the side, coming around in front of Sheik. She tilted her head curiously, looking at the rabbit. The way he appeared to be made of light seemed extremely familiar to her. “Laemora?”

“Not quite, I’m afraid,” the rabbit replied, sitting on its hind legs. “I am her official replacement. You may call me Blumen.”

“What?” Sheik asked, sounding skeptical. He walked closer to the rabbit, making the rabbit’s tiny stature even more noticeable. “You? You’re the new God of Light?”

“Quite right!” the rabbit said proudly.

Seraphina knelt in front of Blumen and placed a hand on his head. Bathed in the glow of the rabbit spirit, the princess felt a warm and comforting feeling wash over her. “I can feel it. Your presence. It’s so much like Laemora’s.”

“Ah, good. See? This one knows true divinity when she sees it,” Blumen said. “It is no wonder Laemora chose you.”

“Hmm.” Sheik grunted skeptically, putting a hand to his chin. “If you’re a god, what can you do?”

Blumen shifted his position and scratched the side of his head below his ear. “Um. Well, I suppose technically I’m not a god yet . But, my sage here is going to help me with that.”

The princess smiled. “You’re going to make me your sage?”

“But of course!” the rabbit replied cheerily. “All you have to do is help me get to the Spring of Wisdom at the top of Mount Lanayru, and then afterwards, take me to my temple.”

“Mount Lanayru?” Seraphina repeated.

“That’s right. It’s not too far from here. We should be able to see it once we get past these cliffs,” Blumen replied.

Apparently unhappy with what the rabbit had said, Sheik stepped forward and picked him up by the scruff of his neck.

“Ow! Hey!”

“Are you telling me we need to go back to the Light Temple? After all the trouble I went through to get her away from there?” Sheik demanded.

“Sheik!” The princess snatched the rabbit away from him, holding him gently in her hands.

“Thank you, my dear,” Blumen said. “But, yes. That is what we must do. First the spring, then my temple. And then, I shall officially be the new God of Light!”

“It won’t be so bad,” Seraphina tried to tell Sheik. “We can go to my aunt for help before we go back to the Light Temple. She can bring her army with us. And my siblings have probably returned home to make it safe again by now anyway.”

Sheik sighed deeply. “Fine. Let’s just get moving. We’re much too close to Kakariko at the moment, and who knows who might be coming for us now.”

“Hurray!” Seraphina cheered, lifting the rabbit into the air and twirling happily. “Don’t worry, Blumen. We’ll be home in no time.”


“Come along, now! Try and keep up.”

Seraphina shivered as she watched the golden rabbit hop up the pathway in front of her. It had already been cold in Naydra Snowfield at the foot of the mountain, but it had only gotten colder and colder as the ascended towards the peak of Mount Lanayru.

“Aren’t you cold?” the princess asked through chattering teeth.

“Of course!” Blumen replied. “It is a wonderful new sensation. Now, come on!”

Seraphina wasn’t quite sure what the rabbit meant, but she didn’t ask. She simply followed.

Looking over her shoulder, she saw Sheik not far behind her. She quickly looked away before they made eye contact. Ever since she found out he was the one responsible for Princess Sabah’s murder, she’d been confused. She didn’t know if he was a good person or a bad person anymore. He’d always been rather coarse with her, but he still protected her. She’d thought he was good. If he wasn’t, why was he doing all this for her?

The princess didn’t know what to think, but she wasn’t in a good position to do so anyway. She was freezing . She wasn’t traveling with garments that were particularly well-suited for cold weather in the first place, and the wind and snow bit hard into her skin.

While she shivered, Sheik appeared at her side, holding out a lit torch. She flinched at the Sheikah’s sudden appearance, looking up at him questioningly.

“Take it,” he demanded. “I’ll block the wind so it doesn’t go out.”

Seraphina hesitated, but she took the flaming torch into her hand. It wasn’t a perfect solution, but carrying around her own personal campfire certainly helped a little. And, true to his word, Sheik kept pace with her, standing in the way of the wind, which also helped to warm her up.

“We are nearly there,” Blumen announced. “Ah, I can taste the wisdom already.”

“Why do you need to go to this spring?” Sheik asked irritably. “What’s so special about it?”

“This spring is sacred to the goddess Nayru, young man,” the golden rabbit replied. “You ought to show her more respect. She guided your entire civilization, you know.”

“But why are we going there?” Seraphina joined in, also curious about the Spring of Wisdom. “Are we going to find out how to save the kingdom?”

“Perhaps! That is for us to discover. There is wisdom in patience, after all,” the light spirit told them.

Sheik grumbled in response.

None of them spoke much for a while after that. Seraphina was still cold, and she was still a bit uncertain about Sheik, but she stayed by his side, hoping to allow the torch flame to warm them both.

“Ah, we have arrived!” Blumen declared after some time.

As they rounded the path, Seraphina could see they’d finally reached the summit. While they were not at the very tip of the mountain top, the princess could see what looked like a doorway that had been carved into the rock in front of them. Two rows of ancient-looking stone columns lined a tiled path that led up to it.

“It’s in there?” Seraphina asked, pointing forward.

“Obviously,” Sheik replied, going on ahead of her. “Hurry up. It’s probably warmer inside.”

“Yes, that’s the spirit!” Blumen agreed, hopping along the tiled pathway to catch up to him.

Seraphina moved quickly as well, not wishing to be separated from them.

Past the doorway was a narrow corridor. The walls and ceiling were intricately carved, creating flat, smooth surfaces. The stone the hall had been carved from was dark blue in color and covered in whitish impurities, giving it the appearance of the night sky filled with stars.

“Wow,” Seraphina exclaimed in wonder. “It’s beautiful.”

“Indeed!” Blumen glowed so brightly, it would have been enough to light the way through the dark corridor even without torches.

Eventually, the corridor opened up into a crater within the mountain. With no roof over their heads, the night sky was open to them, illuminating the area with moonlight. However, the area within the mountain was no mere barren crater. It was a beautiful hot spring encircled by more ancient stone pillars. With mist rising from the hot springs, the air was much warmer than it had been outside. A stone pathway extended from the doorway to a circular platform in the middle of the spring. Across from the platform was a gigantic statue of the goddess Nayru.

Seraphina gasped when they walked out into the spring, her eyes gazing over the place in awe.

“Well, we’re here,” Sheik said impatiently. “Do what you need to do,” he said to the golden rabbit.

“Patience is a virtue,” Blumen repeated, hopping along the pathway until he reached the circular platform. He waited until the others caught up to him. “O Wise Nayru,” he spoke up at the statue in prayer. “I have done as you have requested. I have reached the Spring of Wisdom. What great knowledge shall you impart upon me?”

The three of them stood together for a moment. Blumen seemed to be expecting something to happen, but nothing did.

“That’s just a statue,” Seraphina pointed out, raising a finger.

“I know that,” Blumen replied. “She should still be able to hear me, though. Lots of people pray to her through her statues.”

“Then maybe she didn’t hear you over everyone else’s prayers,” Seraphina speculated. “Maybe you should try again?”

Blumen scoffed. “I am certain my lady could hear me.”

“Then what the hell are we waiting for?” Sheik asked. “Is Nayru supposed to give you something, or not?”

“Well, I assumed--”

Blumen was interrupted by a noise from behind them. Seraphina and the others turned to see something massive emerging from the water near the entrance. Sheik quickly stepped in front of the princess, holding out his arms as if to conceal her.

When the water cleared, a blue dragon appeared, with most of its body still concealed beneath the water’s surface. The creature flexed its wings, as if to stretch and shake the water off of itself. Everyone froze in fear. It took the monster a few moments to even notice them, but when it did, Seraphina could see the pupils of its large eyes contract as it focused on them.

Ó. Hver ert þú fólk ?” The dragon moved its head closer to them, but it spoke rather than trying to eat them.

Seraphina couldn’t understand what it had said, but the fact that it had spoken at all made it appear friendly. “What?” she asked, taking a step out from behind Sheik.

“Stay back, kusogaki !” Sheik warned her.

However, the dragon still did not attack them. It blinked, closing and unclosing two sets of eyelids over its great big eyes. Then it leaned away from them. “Sorry. I asked, who are you people?” the dragon said, speaking in Hylian this time. The voice it spoke in was still a little scary, but the tone was calm and nonthreatening. It also sounded somewhat feminine, although it was difficult to tell.

Seraphina was about to answer honestly, having forgotten she was supposed to be concealing her true identity. However, Sheik clamped a hand over her mouth before she managed to make the mistake. Instead, Blumen hopped forward, standing on his hind legs and glowing brightly, perhaps in an attempt to appear strong and threatening.

“Who am I, you ask? I am Blumen, the new God of Light!” he declared.

The dragon did not respond for a moment. She exhaled a misty breath that dispersed into the air as she peered down at the golden rabbit. “And you two?” she asked, apparently unimpressed by the self-proclaimed god.

“Troy. Blossom,” Sheik replied, indicating himself and then the princess.

Seraphina blinked. She’d forgotten all about their current fake identities, and she’d been a moment away from introducing herself properly.

“Blumen. Troy. Blossom,” the dragon repeated. “I am Vaida.”

Both parties stared at each other for a moment. Seraphina was still confused, but the dragon seemed friendly enough.

“You’re not going to eat us, are you?” the young princess asked.

The dragon exhaled a fine mist once more. Her moment of hesitation frightened Seraphina, but then she replied. “I had not planned to, no.”

“Oh. Good. Thank you.” Seraphina forced a smile.

“Then what are you doing here?” Sheik demanded.

“I am quite curious myself,” Blumen joined in. “To bathe in Nayru’s sacred fountain is not a privilege afforded to just anyone, you know.”

The dragon’s heavy breaths were quite audible as they waited for a response.

“That is not the easiest question to answer,” Vaida replied, sinking a bit back into the water. “I came here for a purpose. I was seeking something. A key, of sorts. But it was not here.”

“So why are you still here?” Sheik asked, still sounding quite suspicious of the apparently friendly dragon.

Vaida sighed, mist spilling from her great jaws. “Because I do not wish to go back.”

“Back? Back where? The Outer Continent?” Seraphina asked. She knew dragons were not common in Hyrule anymore, but she’d heard stories of them flying into the kingdom from the Outer Continent, where they were supposedly plentiful.

The dragon shook her head. “To my brother. To our people. To our cause.”

“A dragon with a cause,” Sheik stated with his usual mild irritation. He didn’t sound skeptical, as if he thought she was lying. It sounded more like he thought the very idea was ridiculous.

Vaida sighed, turning her head to gaze over the spring. “It is said that those who come to this place are gifted with some of Nayru’s wisdom,” she said. “My kind tends not to think much of her Children’s legends, but after bathing in these waters, I feel… a sense of clarity, perhaps.”

“Do not overlook the gifts of a goddess,” Blumen said with some satisfaction, likely proud to hear the Spring of Wisdom performed as promised.

“Has the goddess spoken to you?” Seraphina asked, hoping she would get to do the same while she was there.

The dragon shook her head, water falling from her long neck as she did. “No. No one has spoken to me since I arrived here, save for a few groups of adventurers who sought to kill me. Not until you all showed up, that is. I have merely reflected on my own actions, while I was not busy hunting or fleeing from monster slayers.” She set her gaze on the princess. “You asked if I planned to eat you. I have eaten humans before, child. And I’ve killed more than I’ve eaten.”

Seraphina’s eyes shot open in fear, and she hid behind Sheik.

“So that is your wisdom? Your moment of clarity? Just not killing people anymore?” Sheik scoffed derisively.

“I’ve seen what it does. Killing people, trying to retake our lands – my brother is obsessed with it, and it has driven him mad,” Vaida explained. “But I… I can live in peace, so long as I cease those pursuits.”

Bullshit ,” Sheik snapped, taking two steps forward with purpose. “Peace? Peace ? You think you just get to live in peace now? Just because you’ve stopped killing? The people you’ve killed are still dead! What good does your peace do for them?”

“Shei–Troy!” Seraphina grabbed him by the back of his cloak.

The dragon waded through the water and lowered her head, bringing it down in front of Sheik. This frightened Seraphina, and she switched from pulling against Sheik’s cloak to clinging tightly to him.

“What would you have me do, then, human? Die ?” Vaida asked Sheik. “My peace will do no good for those I’ve killed, surely. But what good would my death do for them?”

“Regardless of how little it benefits the dead, it may yet be what you deserve,” Sheik replied, not backing down despite the dragon’s icy breath being exhaled right in front of him.

“Come, now.” The golden rabbit hopped between the two of them. “Surely we would not want to blaspheme by fighting in Nayru’s sacred spring, would we?”

“I do not care for what your gods want,” Vaida replied. Nevertheless, she backed away. “But I am done with killing.”

“That changes nothing,” Sheik insisted.

“Troy!” Seraphina shouted, tugging on his sleeve. “Y-You stopped killing, didn’t you? Or, er, don’t you want to?” she reminded him. “So, can’t she?”

Sheik did not respond. He remained standing in place, glaring at the dragon as she settled back into the warm waters of the spring.

“Ah. Now I see,” Vaida replied. “You are like me, then. You’re a killer as well.”

“Yes,” Sheik said definitively, not bothering to deny it at all.

“Do you plan to die, human?” Vaida inquired.

“I did . Until this one stopped me.” Sheik gestured to Seraphina, sounding irritated that she had prevented him from dying.

“That is no way to speak, young man,” Blumen told him sternly. “The gods do not give you a life just so you can throw it away.”

“Do not tell me what my life is for, rabbit,” Sheik shot back.

Sheik !” Seraphina shouted, forgetting to use his fake name, not that she knew his real name. There was still so much she did not understand, but hearing him talk about wishing he was dead frightened her more than the dragon.

Vaida had little reaction to Seraphina calling him Sheik, however. She was much more interested in what he’d said. “The people we’ve killed will still be dead even if we die as well, human,” she reiterated. “Nothing can truly bring back the dead.”

Seraphina did not believe that. As far as she was aware, the Triforce could do anything , including bringing back the dead. She’d sometimes wondered why her father had never used it to bring back her mother, but she figured there must have been some sort of rule against it.

“I have an idea,” Blumen said, interrupting their debate before it got more heated. “Lady Vaida here seems to have been granted some level of Nayru’s wisdom after having bathed in her spring. Why don’t we do so? Perhaps Nayru shall enlighten us as well.”

Seraphina looked down into the water. It looked quite warm, which would be extremely pleasant given how cold it had been as they’d climbed the mountain. Stepping over to the edge of the walkway, she leaned over and lowered her hand into the water.

“Oh! That feels nice,” the princess said, smiling with warmth. “Okay, let’s go for a swim.” Although a part of her was still nervous about the dragon, the pool of water was large enough that she could stay far away from her, and Vaida seemed fairly dedicated to not harming them anyway.

“Don’t be stupid,” Sheik said, glancing down at Blumen. “Sitting in a pool of water isn’t going to magically grant us the answers to our problems.”

“It will warm us up, though,” Seraphina argued, already beginning to remove her clothing. “What have we got to lose? Come on, let’s give it a try.” After carefully folding her clothes and leaving them on the cleanest part of the stone walkway she could find, the princess lifted the golden rabbit into her arms and stepped into the water. “ Ohhh , that is nice!”

“Ooh, yes! I quite like this. Warmth is a much more pleasant sensation than cold!” Blumen agreed, pushing himself free of Seraphina’s grasp to go swimming through the pool.

Sheik and the dragon continued to stare at each other. Sheik did not turn his back on Vaida, nor did he climb down into the water to join his companions. Nevertheless, he stepped over to the side of the walkway close to where Seraphina was soaking in the pool, then sat down, still keeping an eye on Vaida.

There was silence for a while. Seraphina sat where she was, leaning her back against the dais she’d been standing on before, the warm water covering up to her neck. She stared up at the statue of Nayru in front of her.

While the Hylians were considered to be the people of Hylia, the princess knew her family in particular had a special connection with Nayru as well. She was the Goddess of Wisdom who had guided all of civilization, which was the role her family was considered to hold now. At various times throughout history, when the Triforce had been split into three parts, it had always been a member of her family who had been entrusted with the Triforce of Wisdom, the piece of the artifact that had been created by Nayru herself.

I wonder who it would be given to. Vicky? Lance? Sophie?

It made her smile to think of her siblings. She was still quite far from all of them, but once she made it to her aunt, she’d be able to find out where they were right now, and then she’d be able to go see them again. Maybe they would all meet back home when she went to take Blumen to the Light Temple.

She thought about Blumen as well, watching the glowing golden rabbit swim around in the spring in front of her. Seraphina was overjoyed by the prospect of becoming the Sage of Light. Many had told her she would make a good successor to Sage Aurun someday. She wished the day hadn’t come so soon, though.

“Blumen?” Seraphina asked.

“Hm? Yes, my sage?” the rabbit spirit replied, treading water to face her.

“Are my parents happy in the spirit world? Is Sage Aurun?”

Blumen swam back over to the princess. “I am sorry, my child, but I am not from the same kind of realm that mortals go to when they die. I am certain the Golden Goddesses saw fit to grant them an afterlife in paradise, however.”

Seraphina felt a little better hearing that from a fledgling god, but it hurt not to know for certain. “Isn’t it scary, though?” the princess asked. “How come the goddesses don’t tell us what comes next when we die? What are we supposed to do about that?”

“It is scary, I agree,” Blumen replied. “But mortals were never meant to know everything. In fact, not even us gods are meant to know everything. Sometimes the mystery is what makes life interesting. And, with your lives so limited, it isn’t important for you to learn or accomplish everything . What’s important is to make the best of the time you have.”

Seraphina didn’t really understand all that, but she sort of got the idea. She nodded, feeling at least a little comforted by the fact that her new friend was trying to cheer her up.

Suddenly, Blumen glowed much brighter than usual. A brilliant white light engulfed him, forcing Seraphina to shield her eyes. The next thing she knew, she was being lifted out of the water. Sheik had grabbed her from behind, pulling her back up onto the stone walkway.

“What’s going on?” Seraphina asked.

“How the fuck should I know?” Sheik asked, holding her tight to him.

Blumen, or rather the glowing mass of light that must have had Blumen at the center of it, rose into the air, hovering above the spring water. Glowing blue runes appeared all around the walls and pillars, and the eyes of the Nayru statue lit up.

While the suddenness of the bright lights had scared Seraphina, they did not last long. The statue’s eyes and the glowing runes soon faded, and the light engulfing Blumen died down as well. The rabbit spirit was lowered back into the water, landing with a small splash.

“What was that?” Vaida asked, unfurling her wings, which she had used to shield herself from the light.

“Blumen?” the princess asked, concern in her voice. She stood up, and Sheik let her go. Before she made it to the edge of the stone dais, Blumen hopped out of the water. However, he was much larger than before, and the shock of that was enough to make the princess gasp and fall backwards.

“Ah! That was quick,” Blumen said happily, shaking the water off of his glowing golden fur. While he had been the size of an ordinary rabbit before, now he looked slightly larger than Seraphina. “Look, friends! Look how I’ve grown! Nayru has blessed me on this day.”

“Is this normal for your kind?” the dragon asked, leaning her head in curiously, probably knowing even less about spirits than Seraphina and Sheik did.

“Of course! Probably,” Blumen replied confidently. “My transformation is not complete, though. If I am to become the true god of light, I must be brought to the late Laemora’s temple.”

Sheik sighed with clear irritation. He’d made it clear when they’d first met Blumen that going back to the capital was the last thing he wanted to do.

“Wow,” Seraphina said in amazement, approaching the newly-enlarged rabbit spirit. She reached out and placed her hands upon him, brushing his soft fur. She smiled warmly. “So cute !”

“I believe you mean ‘divine’ or ‘magnificent,’” Blumen replied. “Now, as much as your admiration is appreciated, we still have work to do. Take me to my new temple, my sage.”

“What? No, we have to see my auntie first,” Seraphina replied, shaking her head.

“That would be the actual smart thing to do…” Sheik added.

Turning around, Seraphina saw Vaida gazing at them. Eying the dragon’s wings, the princess had an idea. “Vaida,” she began, moving closer to the dragon. “Could you fly us to my auntie’s home? It’s right at the bottom of the mountain.”

Sheik furrowed his brow. The shocked look on his face made it seem like he’d just heard the stupidest thing he’d heard all day. “What? Are you insane ?”

The dragon moved through the water, bringing her head down closer to the princess. “Do you not find me terrifying, human child?” she asked, exhaling a blast of cold breath in Seraphina’s face.

The princess shivered, and not just from the cold. “Well… I… yes…” she replied, rubbing her hand against her shoulder nervously. “But… you seem nice. And you don’t want to hurt anyone, right?”

Sheik appeared from behind her. He put a hand on her shoulder to push her back, then put himself between her and the dragon. “She claims she doesn’t want to hurt anyone.”

“You think I lie,” Vaida stated, apparently not surprised.

“I think everybody lies,” Sheik replied. “That’s why we ended up like this.”

“Now, now.” The newly-giant rabbit hopped in between Sheik and the dragon. “I can understand your skepticism, young man. Monsters are ordinarily not to be trusted. I was none too pleased to find this one defiling Lady Nayru’s spring myself, at first.”

The dragon let out a low growl at these remarks.

“But she and I have something in common,” the rabbit went on. “We have both bathed in the Spring of Wisdom, and I think it has granted both of us a clarity that most people do not have.”

Sheik seemed unconvinced. He eyed both Vaida and Blumen skeptically, but ultimately turned to the princess, waiting for her input.

“Will you do it?” the princess asked Vaida again. “Will you help us get to my auntie?”

Vaida did not answer for a moment. She seemed extremely hesitant to help any of them, let alone someone like Sheik who still saw her as the enemy. After letting out a deep, misty sigh, she spoke. “Your aunt is in Hateno?”

Seraphina nodded.

“I will take you close to the city,” the dragon told her. “I will not fly over it. The last thing I need is a hail of arrows piercing my wings.”

The princess was still a little nervous, but she smiled brightly. “Thank you.”

“Splendid,” Blumen said. “Get dressed, child. Next, we take to the skies!”


“Weeeee!”

Seraphina could not believe how good it felt to fly. She’d been somewhat worried at first when she, Sheik, and Blumen had climbed atop Vaida’s back. Being up high might have been scary, they might have fallen off, and the dragon’s spiny back didn’t exactly seem comfortable. And that was all without thinking about how cold it would be once they got even higher into the sky above the snowy mountain.

And yet, soaring through the air on top of a dragon was exhilarating. She felt free . Seraphina wondered if this was what the Rito felt like all the time when they flew. Jeanne was known across Hyrule as the Crimson Angel, and she often referred to Seraphina as her ‘little angel.’ Perhaps if she had angel’s wings, she would’ve been able to feel like this all the time, too.

“Do not let go,” Sheik demanded, grabbing Seraphina’s outstretched arms and forcing them down onto the dragon’s back.

“Sorry,” the princess replied, gripping onto the armored, spiny protrusions on the dragon’s back. “But this is just so fun !”

“You call this fun ?” Blumen cried back. Despite his supposed divinity, his material form lacked opposable thumbs, and thus he seemed very nervous about losing his grip. He looked terrified. “If only I’d been given wings like Laemora.”

“Don’t worry!” Seraphina said. She was sympathetic to Blumen’s plight, but she was unable to keep herself from smiling brightly as she spoke. “We’ll be there soon. Just look how fast we’re going!”

“I’d really rather not…”

“Be careful, you stupid lizard!” Sheik shouted to Vaida. “You’re tipping too much to the side!”

“Do not tell me how to fly. I need to do this in order to turn properly,” Vaida explained, her voice carrying much more easily over the wind than the rest of theirs did.

Despite Sheik and Blumen’s reservations, the dragon flew them all to the bottom of the mountain as promised. The City of Hateno was in full view throughout most of the flight, and Vaida was no doubt visible to the people of the city as well.

As expected, the city’s alarm bells began to ring as the dragon flew close to it. Just as Vaida had promised, she set her passengers down at a reasonable distance from the city’s walls, not wishing to attract the arrows of the City Watch.

When the dragon landed, Blumen immediately hopped down from her back. “Oh, praise the golden sisters! I never want to leave land again,” the enlarged rabbit spirit cried in relief, hugging the ground.

Sheik lifted Seraphina into his arms and leapt down off of the dragon’s back, then set the princess down on her feet.

Seraphina smiled brightly. The short flight down from the mountain top had been the most fun she’d had since before the Blood Moon. When she turned to thank Vaida, she felt a pang of guilt for having been afraid of her in the first place.

“Thank you so much for your help, great dragon,” the princess said, curtsying gracefully the way her sisters had taught her. “I only wish you could stay with us a while longer.”

“You have a kind heart, young one,” Vaida replied. “I do wish I had met more humans like you.” The dragon then turned her attention to Sheik, bringing her head down closer to him. “What do you plan to do now?”

Seraphina was a little confused about what Vaida was asking. They’d told her what they planned to do next already. “We’re going to see my auntie,” Seraphina replied.

Vaida was not talking to her, however. Sheik stared back at the dragon with an unreadable expression upon his face.

After a moment of silence, the dragon grunted, giving up on getting an answer from Sheik. “Very well. Good luck to the three of you.” With that, she unfurled her wings and took to the sky once more, flying back towards the mountain.

Seraphina waved to Vaida as she flew away, but Sheik seemed eager to move on.

“Come on.” Sheik set off towards the city gates. Blumen and Seraphina hurried to follow him.

“Can I look like me again?” the princess asked as they walked, tugging lightly against her altered hair. “My auntie won’t recognize me like this.”

“Not yet,” Sheik insisted. “You’ll draw too much attention.”

“And he won’t?” Seraphina pointed to the large, golden rabbit hopping alongside them.

“Hm? What’s wrong with me ?” Blumen asked.

Sheik turned to look at him. “No one’s searching for a giant rabbit.”

Nevertheless, when the three of them arrived at the city gates a few minutes later, the guards were rather shocked by the rabbit spirit’s appearance.

“Better get inside, citizens.” The first guard to spot them gestured to the gate. “There’s a dragon about.”

“What in Din’s name is that?” the guard next to him asked, pointing.

Blumen sat proudly upon his hind legs, rearing up to full height. “I am Blumen, successor to Laemora as the God of Light!” he declared. “I ask humbly that you allow us inside and take us to the lady of this fair city.”

Sheik sighed in irritation, and the two guards exchanged a look.

“Well, it doesn’t seem dangerous.”

“And it can talk. That’s gotta count for something, right?”

Shrugging, the first guard signaled to the gatekeeper to open the gates, allowing them to pass.

“If you wish to find Lady Kochi, just follow the road leading up to the palace at the top of the hill,” the guard informed them. “I… can’t promise she’s available, though.”

The guards did not seem to believe the rabbit spirit’s claim to godhood, but they did not try to stop them, so Seraphina and her companions decided to continue.

The stares Blumen received did not stop once they entered the city. As they made their way through the streets, plenty of people stopped what they were doing to observe the golden rabbit. Many of them likely believed he was some sort of exotic pet, or a part of some sort of traveling entertainment group, but some may have at least recognized him as a spirit.

“Can’t you take a less conspicuous form?” Sheik grumbled, clearly seething at how much unnecessary attention was being drawn to them thanks to the giant rabbit’s presence.

“That isn’t how it works, I’m afraid,” Blumen replied. “Shapechanging is not among my many incredible abilities.”

“Can’t you do the thing where you change how he looks?” Seraphina asked Sheik. “Like you did to us,” she added, leaning in to whisper to him.

Sheik sighed. “I could make him look like some other large animal, perhaps, but none that move the way he does. The illusion would not be very stable, and an illusion breaking in public draws even more attention.”

“Oh.” Seraphina didn’t really understand, but he sounded like he knew what he was talking about.

Despite Sheik’s frustration, the party did not have to spend too long drawing attention to themselves, as they soon arrived at the gates of the governor’s palace.

As had been the case with the guards at the city’s entrance, the guards at the palace gate looked at Blumen in bewilderment. Nevertheless, one of them addressed Sheik, assuming him to be in charge.

“What is that thing? And why have you brought it here?”

“He is the new God of Light,” Sheik replied. “He wishes to see the governor.”

Seraphina looked at Sheik in confusion.

Blumen didn’t want to see my auntie. I did.

“Ah, so you have finally acknowledged my divinity,” Blumen said with pride. “It is true. I am called Blumen. I have been sent to this realm as Laemora’s replacement.”

The guards share a few whispered words with each other. “What do you want with Governor Kochi?” one of them asked.

“Do not question the gods,” Sheik warned them. “Just inform the governor of Blumen’s arrival. We will wait inside.”

Despite the hesitance of the guards, Sheik’s confidence eventually convinced them to comply. “Step inside,” one of the guards told them as the gate opened. “But wait here. I’ll see what Governor Kochi has to say.”

Now inside the outer walls of her Aunt Celessa’s palace, the gates shut behind them, and Seraphina began to feel nervous. She toyed with her hair, knowing it looked different than it should because Sheik still refused to undo the illusion he’d placed on her. It wasn’t the right length, either. And the clothes she wore were not like any of the pretty dresses she liked.

What if she doesn’t recognize me?

“Sh… Troy?” the princess began, tugging on Sheik’s sleeve. “Can you fix my hair now?” she asked, hoping she could phrase the question in a way that wouldn’t upset him.

“Once we see the governor,” he said quietly to her, eying the guards around them suspiciously. “Just in case.”

“I think your hair looks beautiful, my child,” Blumen said approvingly.

Seraphina smiled at her strange new rabbit friend, but she still felt uncomfortable.

Sometime later, the gate guard returned, along with four knights wearing cloaks bearing the Loftwing symbol of House Kochi.

“Greetings,” one of the knights said to them. “You three, please come with me. Governor Kochi would like to speak with you.”

“Ah, splendid!” Blumen hopped forward, eager to continue.

Seraphina glanced up at Sheik, hoping he would remove the illusion now, but he pushed her forward, and the three of them were led inside.


It had been a very long time since Seraphina had last visited her aunt in Hateno. It had been a trip she’d taken with all of her siblings, although her father had been too busy to come at the time. Some things had changed since then, but many of the decorations remained the same.

The walls displayed many fine portraits of members of House Kochi from throughout the centuries. As they walked down a hall, Seraphina stopped to look at one of the paintings. It had caught her eye, and she realized it was a portrait of her mother. There had been a very similar painting back home in Hyrule Castle.

“That is the late Queen Elincia,” one of the guards told her, noticing she was staring at it. “She was the governor’s sister.”

“She’s beautiful,” Seraphina said.

“Blossom,” Sheik called back to her impatiently. “Let’s go.”

“R-Right.” The princess hurried to catch up with him.

Eventually, they were brought to a large door with the crest of House Kochi decorating it. When the guards standing outside opened the door to usher them in, they entered into a large audience chamber. Sitting upon the throne at the other end of the hall was Seraphina’s Aunt Celessa, along with several knights.

Seraphina was elated to see her aunt. Having finally been brought to a member of her family, it seemed as though her entire ordeal was finally over. And, what was even more exciting, there was someone else Seraphina recognized up on the dais, standing beside her aunt’s throne.

Jeanne !” the princess cried.

She had no idea how her caretaker was there. The beautiful, red-haired knight in pure white armor stood to Celessa’s right with her hand on her halberd, looking as protective and duty-bound as ever. When Seraphina had seen her last, she had suffered serious injuries at the hands of the guards who had attacked them in Hyrule Castle during the Blood Moon. And yet, there she was. Seraphina did not care what miracle had occurred, however. She broke off from the group and sprinted down the carpeted walkway, eager to be with Jeanne again.

Jeanne looked surprised at having her name called out suddenly. The other guards in the room were also alarmed by the young child running straight for the governor.

“Hey!”

“Halt!”

“Somebody stop that kid!”

Before anyone could stop her, Sheik snapped his fingers. Seraphina felt a strange tingling sensation running over her skin. The guards who had been approaching her stopped in their tracks, the confusion at what they were seeing rendering them temporarily unsure if they should approach. Jeanne, however, had a different reaction.

“Seraphina!” The knight dropped her weapon to the floor, left the governor’s side, and leaped off of the dais. She and Seraphina ran towards each other. When they finally met, Jeanne got down onto her knees and held her arms out. Seraphina threw herself into her caretaker’s arms, and the two of them embraced.

“Jeanne! Jeanne!” Seraphina cried, burying her face into her retainer, tears beginning to flow.

“I’m here. I’m here, little angel. I’m here.” Jeanne hugged the princess tightly, her own eyes welling up with tears. “Everything’s alright now. You’re safe.”

The governor and the rest of the guards in the room were shocked, the sudden appearance of one of the princesses coming as an unexpected surprise to them.

“That is my niece?” Governor Kochi asked for clarification.

“It is, my lady,” Jeanne replied, looking over her shoulder as she continued to hold onto the princess.

“Bring her here, please, dame.”

Jeanne did as she was bid, scooping the princess up into her arms and carrying her back across the red carpet. When she set Seraphina down, the princess quickly gave her aunt a hug.

“Aunt Celessa,” Seraphina said simply, having trouble forming words as she cried tears of relief.

“It is good to see you, little one.”

As soon as Celessa drew her arms back, Seraphina clutched onto Jeanne’s side, hugging her tightly once more.

“You two,” Celessa called out.

Across the audience chamber, Sheik and Blumen remained where they stood, watching the reunion.

“You have brought my niece here?” the governor asked.

“Well, I suppose it was her who brought me here, in all honesty. She is to be my sage,” Blumen replied. “But it was our friend here who brought her all the way from the heart of this land.” The rabbit spirit gestured to Sheik with his paw.

Sheik’s illusion had been broken as well, or at least the one he’d been using when they arrived. He now appeared as Seraphina originally remembered him; a Sheikah with flecks of ashen gray in his hair.

“Is this true?” Celessa asked.

Sheik hesitated, but he nodded in confirmation.

“You have my gratitude, young man,” the governor told him.

“Yes, we are eternally grateful to you for bringing Princess Seraphina back to us,” Jeanne added.

Seraphina wondered if she should say anything. Sheik had admitted to being the one who killed Princess Sabah. He would probably be in trouble if Jeanne or her Aunt Celessa found out.

He saved me. But is it wrong to keep secrets for him?

Jeanne must have noticed the strangely uncertain look on Seraphina’s face. On top of that, Seraphina was somewhat of a mess from her trek through the wilds.

“My lady,” Jeanne said, speaking to the governor. “Seraphina must be exhausted. I would like to have her bathed, fed, and given a place to rest, if I may.”

“Of course.” Celessa nodded. “You and my niece are dismissed. I will handle matters here.”

“Thank you, my lady.” Jeanne lifted Seraphina in her arms once again, then exited the audience chamber through one of the side doors.


A short time later, Seraphina found herself in a nice, warm bath. The private bathing area to which she’d been taken consisted of a tiled room with a large, circular pool in the center of it. The pool was currently filled with steamy, foamy water, which felt great against Seraphina’s skin, perhaps even more so than the Spring of Wisdom. Jeanne knelt in the bath behind her charge, washing the princess’s hair. For the first time since before the Blood Moon, Seraphina felt safe.

“I missed you,” Seraphina said.

“I missed you, too, little angel,” Jeanne told her, speaking softly in a soothing voice. “Are you hurt?”

Seraphina shook her head, scooping up some water from the bath to wash the soap bubbles off of her face before they got in her eyes.

“I’m glad,” Jeanne said.

“But you were.” Seraphina peered up at Jeanne over her shoulder. “You got hurt before. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine now,” Jeanne assured her. “My sister patched me up. I’m good as new. And I’ll never leave your side again. I promise.”

Hearing those words brought back memories of everything that had happened that night. She had never been separated from Jeanne during a crisis like that before. It may have been the scariest thing that had ever happened to her. But now, Jeanne was back.

Unable to help herself, Seraphina turned and embraced Jeanne once more, tears welling up in her eyes again.

“Shhh, it’s okay. You’re safe now. Everything will be okay.” As she comforted the princess, Jeanne hugged her tightly, running a hand through her wet hair.

The two of them did not discuss much for the rest of Seraphina’s bath. Once the princess had been thoroughly cleaned, Jeanne helped her dry off and got her dressed in a new set of clean clothes. It was the most refreshed Seraphina had felt since before her ordeal had begun.

Afterwards, Seraphina was led to Jeanne’s room in the palace. Her retainer placed her in a chair in front of the vanity and began brushing her hair.

“What happened to your hair?” Jeanne asked. “It’s so short now.”

“Sheik cut it,” the princess replied. “He said it would help me hide.”

“Oh.” Jeanne sounded like she was worried that she had brought up something unpleasant, but she continued to gently brush Seraphina’s hair. “Is Sheik the man who was with you when you arrived?”

“Yes.” The princess nodded. “I don’t know his real name.”

“And he helped bring you here?” Jeanne continued.

“Y-Yeah.” Seraphina’s hands gripped the edges of her chair as she began to recall how she and Sheik had first met. It was not a pleasant memory.

“I shall have to thank him, then.” Jeanne began to hum softly.

“Um… There’s, um, some things you should know…” Seraphina felt the need to tell her caretaker about everything that had happened. There had never been a time when so much had happened while they’d been separated. She didn’t understand it all, but she knew Jeanne would know what to do.

“What is it, little angel?” Jeanne asked gently, but with clear concern in her voice.

“Um… Sheik… he saved me, but… he was… the one… who… killed… Sabah.” It took her a while to get the words out, but as soon as she did, she began to cry.

“Shh… Shh… Hush now, little angel. I’m here. I’m here.” Jeanne hugged her tightly, gently running her hand over Seraphina’s back.

“I’m sorry.” Seraphina sniffled, feeling the need to apologize for bringing her friend’s killer there with her.

“You have nothing to apologize for, child. I will take care of everything. For now, you should rest.”

Seraphina hadn’t thought about it, but as soon as Jeanne mentioned rest, she felt extremely tired. Looking at herself in the mirror, she saw she had bags under her eyes. It made her yawn.

Jeanne lifted the princess into her arms and carried her over to the bed, laying her down softly. As the red-haired knight pulled the blankets over her charge, she hummed the lullaby Seraphina’s elder sisters used to sing to her when she was little.

Although she still had much to tell Jeanne, Seraphina felt content to forget it all for now. She was comfortable, she was finally safe, and she could finally rest. She closed her eyes and slowly drifted off to sleep.


The next day, Seraphina awoke feeling content. The bed she’d slept in was so soft. It was much better than sleeping on the cold, hard ground like she’d done while traveling through the wilds.

“Good morning, little angel.”

The princess smiled. Hearing her caretaker’s voice first thing in the morning filled her with so much happiness. “Good morning, Jeanne,” she said, sitting up in bed.

“Would you care for some breakfast?” Jeanne offered.

Seraphina nodded. Just as she hadn’t had a good night sleep throughout her journey, she hadn’t eaten a good meal during that time, either.

“Let’s get you dressed properly, then.”

Jeanne helped Seraphina out of bed and into a pretty, finely-made dress. The princess spent a minute smiling at herself in the mirror, twirling the dress playfully while Jeanne watched over her.

Afterwards, Jeanne took the princess by the hand and led her to the dining hall. When they arrived, the governor and much of her court were already enjoying their meal. Two seats at the grandest table at the end of the hall had been left open, just beside Seraphina’s aunt. Amusingly, Blumen sat in a chair beside the open seats, placing his paws on the table as he ate from a bowl.

Seraphina and Jeanne approached the governor at the table.

“Good morning, Aunt Celessa,” Seraphina greeted her, curtsying before aunt while Jeanne bowed beside her.

“Good morning, child,” her aunt replied, smiling warmly. “I hope you slept well.”

“I did!” the princess replied cheerfully. “May I join you?” she requested, remembering the manners Jeanne had drilled into her.

“Of course, my dear. Please, join me, both of you.”

“Thank you.” The princess and her bodyguard made their way around to the other side of the table and took their seats.

“Ah, my sage!” Blumen said when Seraphina sat down beside him. “Would you care for some of these delicious morsels?”

Seraphina saw the giant rabbit had been eating from a bowl of what appeared to be grass and some assorted vegetables. She smiled warily. “Perhaps another time.”

Celessa had her servants bring the princess a hearty breakfast, knowing it must have been some time since her last proper meal. Seraphina was so hungry, she dug in right away. Jeanne didn’t chide her for forgetting her manners this time, however.

A little later, Seraphina realized Sheik had still not joined them at the table. She gazed across the dining hall, wondering if he were sitting at one of the lower tables, but she did not spot him. She knew of his ability to change his appearance, but she wasn’t sure if he would have made himself look different again already.

“Where is Sheik?” the princess inquired.

Celessa looked a little uneasy, hesitating before answering. “At the moment, he remains confined to his guest quarters.”

“...Oh.” Seraphina knew why, and she did not understand if it was a good thing or not.

Jeanne placed a comforting hand on Seraphina’s shoulder. “Has he told us anything helpful yet, my lady?” she asked the governor.

“I have not questioned him fully, but it seems he worked for the Impa Family before his defection,” the governor explained. “He also tells me the Impa Family conspired with Lord Remoth.”

Seraphina gasped.

“What is it, Princess?” Jeanne asked.

“Lord Remoth. He’s the one who killed Sage Aurun.” Seraphina desperately felt the need to tell her that. She hadn’t been able to earlier, but she couldn’t stop herself now that the name had been mentioned.

The look on Jeanne’s face was one of utter horror. “That wicked man… And to think my sister…” she muttered.

Seraphina tilted her head curiously, but Jeanne turned back to the governor.

“My lady, the princess may have stumbled upon something very serious here,” Jeanne said to Celessa. “Please allow me to aid you next time you speak with this Sheikah.”

“Very well,” the governor agreed. She then directed her attention to Seraphina. “Princess, I hate to involve you in such matters, but you may know something that can help us,” she said gently. “May Jeanne and I speak with you in private after breakfast?”

Seraphina wished this could all just be over, but if the kingdom or anyone in it was in danger, she wanted to help if she could. So, she nodded. “Yes, Aunt Celessa.”

Chapter 63: Sophitia XVI

Chapter Text

“What are you writing now?” Liliana asked, leaning over Sophitia’s shoulder curiously.

“My proposal for how the election should be carried out,” the princess replied, dipping her quill into the inkwell on her desk.

“I thought your brother was handling that.” Liliana stepped aside and crossed her arms behind her back while she stood waiting.

“That’s what he wanted,” Sophitia explained. “But we’re all going to give our input and come to a consensus before we announce the election to the people.”

“I suppose that’s the smart way to do it.”

Sophitia could hear Liliana rocking her feet on the floor behind her. She put her pen down and turned in her seat. “You’re bored.”

“How could you tell?”

The princess chuckled good-naturedly. “I know, I know. But this stuff is important. We’re deciding the future of our kingdom. Not to mention we’re still investigating the demon hiding among us.”

“That part is much more interesting. And much more pressing, I might add. Shouldn’t we be investigating that right now instead?” Liliana asked.

Sophitia tilted her head in a reluctant nod. “A reasonable point, I admit.” She turned back to her paper to finish what she’d been writing. “I just need to put a few things in place first. I am competing against my siblings directly now. I cannot afford to lag behind.”

“Ah, sibling rivalries,” Liliana mused.

“Have you any thoughts regarding the demon?” Sophitia asked as she continued to write. “Do you think it’s Lord Remoth, or someone else?”

“Lord Remoth is the obvious choice,” Liliana answered. “But you’ve already said he may simply be working with the demon. And in all those mystery novels you’ve lent me, the culprit was never the obvious choice.”

“Yes, well, I don’t think we can rely on fictional novels as a legitimate source,” Sophitia told her. “Looking to history may serve us better. For instance, the demon king Vaati was a shapeshifter. He disguised himself as a great swordsman in order to approach the Bound Chest, and he later took the form of my ancestor, King Daltus.”

“There are many great swordsmen here in the castle,” Liliana pointed out.

“I didn’t mean this demon would use the same disguise,” Sophitia explained. “He would take the form of someone who could get close to something he wanted, or someone powerful with many subordinates to use as he needed.”

“Lord Remoth matches that description perfectly,” Liliana said. “So perhaps it is the obvious answer after all.”

“Hm. Yes, that is still the most likely explanation.” Sophitia put her quill down, looking over what she’d written. “The trouble is still how to prove it, however.”

“Although, one wonders why he wouldn’t simply take the form of your father,” the bodyguard added.

Sophitia blinked. Liliana made a good point. If the demon were to take the form of someone in a position of power, why would he not take the form of the most powerful person in the kingdom? “Hm. That is quite the quandary. Perhaps there is more to this than we anticipated. Or, perhaps the demon’s shapeshifting ability is simply more limited than Vaati’s.” The princess put her papers aside, then grabbed a few things and put them into her carrying bag.

“Are we off to deliver your proposal?” Liliana inquired. As usual, her monotone voice gave little away, but Sophitia could tell she was eager to exit the tower after having been cooped up inside of it for so long.

“No, that is for later,” Sophitia told her. “I wish to speak with my sister now.”

“I see. Does it concern the demon?”

“That is not my priority today, but I suppose it is likely to come up over the course of the conversation.” Sophitia stepped towards the door, and Liliana was quick to open it for her.

After descending the tower, the princess and her retainer made their way through the castle grounds in search of Victorique. Along the way, Sophitia could not help but examine everyone they passed by. All that talk of shapeshifting demons had set her mind to work trying to figure out who it was, even though she already had a very strong suspect.

“Would there be any easy way to detect the demon?” Liliana inquired. “I don’t know a lot about magic, but you seem to have the ability to sense it.”

“All those who wield magic can sense it to some degree,” Sophitia answered. “But there are ways to conceal it from others if one wishes. If Laemora or the Sage of Light were still with us, they might have been able to sense magic this foul regardless of how it was being hidden. But as of yet, my siblings and I have not managed to sense anything amiss.”

After asking around the keep for a bit, Sophitia was told she could find her sister in their father’s old study, so that was where they headed.

Am I to take that to mean she sees herself as queen already?

Sophitia had already heard many throughout the castle refer to her sister as ‘the queen’ or ‘Queen Victorique.’ She’d even heard a few people refer to Lancel as if he were already the king. It would have been nice to hear someone refer to her ‘Queen Sophitia,’ but she knew better than to express such a vain desire.

Few would follow a queen like that.

The princess felt a little sick climbing the steps to her father’s old office. It had been some time since she’d learned of her father’s murder, but she knew she hadn’t fully processed it yet, especially since it still wasn’t clear exactly who had killed him or why.

“Are you sure you wish to speak with your sister now?” Liliana asked her, offering her hand as they climbed the stairs. “You could wait and speak with her at dinner, or when she returns to her quarters.”

Sophitia shook her head. “I’ll be fine, thank you.” She took her retainer’s hand regardless.

Pressing forward, the princess found two members of the Royal Guard standing outside of the office. She was about to request entry, but before she could, the doors opened and a Sheikah woman stepped outside. At first, Sophitia thought the woman was Impa Ayako, her sister’s bodyguard. However, she noticed the slight differences in her facial tattoos.

“Impa Shiho,” Sophitia said, recognizing the Sheikah woman as Ayako’s sister. “It has been a while.”

“Princess.” Shiho reached for the mask that hung from the side of her head, pulling it around to the front to cover her face. “I was pleased to hear of your safe return,” she said, her voice now slightly muffled by the mask.

“My thanks,” the princess replied. “What brings you back to the capital? Are you here to help us investigate the demon’s presence?”

“Indeed I am,” the Sheikah woman replied. “You wouldn’t happen to have any useful information regarding that matter, would you?” As she spoke, Shiho leaned her mask-covered face closer to the princess’s.

Sophitia was rather put off. Being stared at by that big eye in the center of Shiho’s mask was uncomfortable. She winced as she took a step back. “I am still investigating the matter as well,” the princess replied. “I will be sure to share any useful information I obtain.”

“That would be most helpful. You have my gratitude, Princess.” Shiho bowed, then excused herself, stepping around Sophitia and Liliana to leave.

Sophitia rubbed her temple, feeling a slight headache coming on. She noticed one of Victorique’s guards reaching to close the office door now that Shiho was out of the way, so she raised a hand to stop him. “Wait. I wish to speak with my sister.”

“The Crown Princess is very busy,” the knight told her.

“Wait,” came Victorique’s voice from inside. “See her in.”

“At once, your highness.” The knight pushed the door back open fully, stepping to the side. “You may enter.”

“Thank you.” Sophitia turned to Liliana. “Wait out here, please.”

“Very well, Princess.”

Sophitia then entered the room, with the knight shutting the door behind her. Inside, she found her sister sitting at her father’s old desk. Impa Ayako stood beside her.

“Sister,” Sophitia said in greeting.

“Welcome, sister. Please, have a seat,” Victorique offered, gesturing to the chair on the other side of the desk.

“Thank you.” The younger princess sat down. “I apologize if I’m interrupting anything.” She glanced at Ayako, wondering if the Impa sisters had been discussing anything private.

“Not at all,” Victorique replied. “We just finished. Shiho was briefing us on her and the Grand Watcher’s investigation.”

“I see. Any progress?”

“Not as such. There has been little movement on that front. The possibility exists that the demon has simply left the castle, leaving us with little to go on.”

Sophitia nodded her understanding.

“Now, what was it you wished to discuss?” Victorique asked.

Sophitia’s eyes shifted to Impa Ayako for a moment. She was not particularly fond of her sister’s retainer, but even if she had been, she wished to speak with her sister alone at the moment. “May I speak with you in private?” she requested.

Victorique’s face showed little response, but she seemed to understand. “Very well. Aya, please wait outside for a moment,” she said, dismissing her bodyguard with a wave.

“Yes, Your Grace.” Impa bowed. As she walked around to the other side of the desk, she eyed Sophitia with mild disdain before exiting the room.

Once they were alone, Victorique waited. “Go on, please, sister. Speak freely.”

The younger princess took a deep breath. “You said before that you did not understand why any of us would want to wear the crown, correct?”

Victorique straightened her back, probably realizing it was going to be that sort of conversation. “Yes. That is correct.”

“Well, if I may ask, now that you are aware that I wish to be queen, why do you think I want to be?” Sophitia asked.

“I suppose for the same reasons all others want to,” Victorique replied. “The power to shape this kingdom to one’s own vision – it is an alluring prospect to all. The issue is that few see the sword dangling above the head of the one who sits upon the throne.”

Sophitia was not surprised that her sister had an answer prepared so quickly. She had to choose her next words carefully. “I do not claim to know the extent to which Father suffered for his duty. I certainly do not know it as well as you , sister. But I trust your judgment. I know it would not be easy, nor would it be pleasant.”

Victorique raised an eyebrow. “Then have you come to tell me you wish to withdraw?”

“No.” Sophitia emphatically denied the idea, shaking her head. “What I mean to say is, I fully accept the risks, even if I do not comprehend them as well as you. Were I to be queen, I would have to make difficult choices that would have serious consequences for the kingdom on a regular basis. I would have to endure the hatred of half the population at all times. Many would wish to unseat me, and many would attempt to kill me. But despite all that, I still wish to be queen. And I want you to understand why.”

The elder princess waited until Sophitia was finished, then waited for a few more seconds. Seeing her sitting in that chair, contemplating her response, she really did remind Sophitia of their father.

“Very well, sister,” Victorique replied level-headedly. “It is clear that this is important to you, and that is a fair request. Please, inform me of your reasoning.”

The younger princess nodded in gratitude. “For so long, I never thought I’d ever get the chance to really contribute something to this kingdom. I always thought you would be queen, Lancel would be your minister, Percival would be your general, and Seraphina would be your sage. I’ve done small things here and there, but many of our people do not recognize me unless I’m wearing a crown or escorted by the Royal Guard.”

Sophitia could see a look of concern in her sister’s eyes, but Victorique did not interrupt, continuing to listen patiently.

“Perhaps that is vanity, but it speaks volumes to how little I’ve actually accomplished,” Sophitia continued. “I am not content to merely live a safe, quiet life of luxury while you and our brothers take up the burden of running our beloved kingdom. I recently had the chance to act as Governor of Hebra for a brief period, and I was able to negotiate peace with the Rito. It was difficult – even dangerous – but it was the most fulfilling thing I’ve ever done in my life. I want to do more for this kingdom, and becoming queen would allow me to do that to the fullest extent possible.”

Victorique waited a moment longer before responding. Sophitia was somewhat worried, even embarrassed. It felt good to get that off of her chest and lay it all out for someone else to hear, but she could easily see how it could be perceived as her merely whining and being selfish.

“I have always felt others underestimated you, little sister,” Victorique finally said. “I understand it is difficult to be the fourth child, and I apologize if Lancel, Percival, and I have ever made you feel small.”

“N-Not at all, sister. That is not what I meant to imply,” Sophitia said quickly, nervously squeezing her hands together in her lap.

“It’s alright,” Victorique went on. “I have never doubted your drive or your dedication to this kingdom, and you have always been wise beyond your years. As I planned for the day I would eventually succeed Father, I always hoped to have you in my court, helping me run the kingdom.”

Sophitia felt herself swell up with pride, and she blushed red with embarrassment. She could scarcely remember the last time her elder sister had spoken this kindly of her.

“But everything I said still stands,” Victorique asserted. “I want you to be able to serve the kingdom if you so choose, but you need not be queen in order to do so. Father’s throne has always been my burden to bear, and I do not intend to allow any of my siblings to take it upon themselves.”

“I know,” Sophitia replied. “I did not expect you to simply withdraw from the race in order to support me. But I do have a proposal.”

“I thought as much.” Victorique steepled her hands. “Please, do share.”

“I want to be queen. But if I am not to be the one to take the throne, I want it to be you,” the younger princess explained. “Percival is too much like Father in some ways, and not enough like him in others. I do not think he would make a bad king, but I worry about how quick he is to turn to violence as a solution. And Lancel… There’s something wrong with him. Ever since he learned of the power the City in the Sky possessed, it’s… done something to his mind. He wishes to use our ancestral homeland as a weapon to deter our enemies. It just isn’t right. I know he’s probably thinking several steps ahead of anything I could possibly understand, but I just can’t accept his path to peace.”

“I am inclined to agree with your assessment,” Victorique replied. “But what is it you are suggesting? Do you wish to pool our resources together? Run for office in tandem, then decide which of us is to be queen once we win the election?”

“I am happy to share resources, but I believe we should remain separate candidates. If we were to work together, I do not think it would be wise to let Lancel and Percival know,” the younger princess explained. “I propose we campaign for ourselves, but promote each other as well. Let the people see us as their number one and number two choices. Increase the chance of one of us winning. And, we can promise that, whichever one of us becomes queen, the other shall be made Grand Minister. That way, neither of us will have to bear the burden of ruling alone.”

Victorique put a hand to her chin. “I am not completely opposed to the idea, but I would have to push back on one part of it in particular. If we are to work together, we cannot keep it a secret from our brothers. We are family. No good can come from going behind each other’s backs, especially in matters as important as this.”

Sophitia winced, as if her elder sister had just scolded her. “Well, I understand, but do you truly expect Lancel to not go behind our backs in any way?”

“He almost certainly will, but we should not let his methods determine how we act.”

Sophitia squeezed her hands together nervously again. “Well, if we were to inform Lancel and Percival of our intentions, would you agree to my proposed alliance?”

Her elder sister nodded. “Yes. That is acceptable.”

Sophitia breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you, sister. I am glad we see eye to eye on this matter.”

“As am I.” Victorique smiled warmly. “I must say, Sophitia, I am proud to see how far you've come. It was only a few years ago when you were still attending the Academy. You have grown into a wise young woman.”

The younger princess was surprised to receive another genuine compliment. “That--That’s very kind of you to say, sister. Thank you. Can I take that to mean, in the event that I were to actually become queen, you would not take issue with it.”

Victorique hesitated. “As I have said, my reluctance to see any of you on the throne has never been caused by a lack of confidence in your abilities. While I do not wish to see you suffer the weight of the crown, I do believe the kingdom would be safe in your hands.”

Sophitia nodded once more. “I understand.” She took a deep breath.

This went much more smoothly than anticipated.

“Before we inform Lancel and Percival of our decision, perhaps we should discuss the matter of Lancel’s weapon,” Victorique suggested.

Sophitia blinked, taking a moment to process the change in conversation topic. “His floating fortress? It is quite concerning, I agree. What of it?”

“The citizens in the capital no doubt fear having the weapon turned on them,” the elder princess explained. “It will no doubt influence how they vote. If we wish to have a fair election, we must convince Lancel to remove it beforehand.”

“Hmm.” Sophitia put a hand to her chin, considering how best to go about this. “Knowing Lancel, he will want something in return. What do you propose we offer him in exchange for his cooperation?”

“That is a good question.” Victorique took a moment to think it over as well.

“Perhaps we merely need to acquire the control mechanism,” Sophitia suggested.

Victorique looked curious. “Control mechanism?”

Sophitia nodded, realizing she should explain. “When we went to Skyloft together, Lancel managed to find a device that was intended to be some sort of master control system for the floating city, or at least of its flight path and the like. It appeared inoperable at the time, but he must have found a way to repair it when he retook the city from the Rito.”

“And you would steal it?” Victorique asked.

Sophitia realized she’d been suggesting something underhanded, which Victorique no doubt frowned upon. “Well, it isn’t exactly his to begin with,” the younger princess argued. “We’d merely be taking it into our possession for safekeeping. Then the four of us could decide what to do with it together after the election is concluded.”

“I would not consider it theft if that is the case,” Victorique conceded. “But Lancel would certainly take it as a serious slight, and it would give him an excuse to commit an equivalent act in retaliation. I believe the wiser course of action would be to discuss the matter with him directly.”

Sophitia knew her sister had a point, but she also knew Lancel would not cave so easily. Unless, of course, he believed he had already made his point, and the people would still fear his weapon even if it was not floating menacingly nearby. “I suppose we can give it a try,” Sophitia said. “But I suggest we also add something into our agreement before the election. Something to state that even the veiled hint of a threat to use the weapon on the people would be grounds for his disqualification from the race.”

“That would be prudent, I agree,” her sister said. “I am glad to see you thinking things through like this. It is the sign of a competent leader.”

“Thank you, sister.” Sophitia smiled. “Well, if everything else is settled, shall we go meet with Lancel and Percival?”


Sophitia and Victorique were the first to arrive at the meeting they’d scheduled with their brothers. Although the square meeting table was small, the sisters decided to sit next to each other on the same side of the table. It would show their willingness to cooperate with each other.

Percival was the next to arrive. His approach was signaled by the booming footsteps of Sir Onnick, which could easily be heard even through the sound-dampening door that afforded them a level of privacy in their meeting room. When the door opened, Percival walked inside. Sir Onnick’s massive frame could be seen briefly through the door before it shut.

“Sisters,” Percival said as a curt greeting. He took a seat at the table opposite Sophitia and Victorique. If he noticed that the two of them were sitting more closely than one might expect for this sort of meeting, he did not choose to comment on it.

“Welcome, Percival,” Sophitia said.

“Glad you could join us,” Victorique added.

“I see Lancel is last, as always,” Percival commented, placing a small stack of papers on the table.

“He does have a habit of doing things on his own schedule,” Sophitia agreed with some mild irritation. Between the four of them, Lancel was easily the one who spent the most time on leisure activities, and yet he was rarely able to arrive at a meeting at the agreed-upon time.

“I trust you’ve brought your proposal,” Victorique said, gesturing towards Percival’s papers.

“Indeed. I assume we’ve all had similar ideas, so hopefully we can get this over with quickly.” Percival was clearly eager to get the election started. They had already delayed for some time, and he appeared to think he would be the obvious winner.

Sophitia would not be against making it a short process, at least if they could do so without sacrificing the election’s integrity. She thought of what Liliana had said about the situation regarding the demon and the traitors in their midst. The election probably shouldn’t be their top priority,

As soon as we get the election underway, then we can handle the rest.

The three of them discussed smaller matters while they waited for Lancel. Just as Sophitia was about to suggest they get started without him, the door opened once more.

Lancel stepped into the room and clapped his hands together once. “Have no fear, sweet siblings! I have arrived to take part in this most historic think tank.” He spread his arms to gesture to everyone as he approached the table. “Glad to see you all could make it. Guess we can get started right away, huh?” Lancel took a seat at one of the empty sides of the table before reaching into his bag, pulling out a stack of papers, and dropping them in front of him.

“Yes. I’d hate to make you wait,” Percival said with obvious disdain.

“You’re too kind, brother.” Lancel shot Percival a smile that was clearly intended to annoy him. He turned to his sisters next. “My, don’t you two seem awfully close? Have I missed something?”

“Very perceptive, brother,” Sophitia replied. She gave a look to Victorique, silently requesting permission to unveil their agreement. When her sister gave her an approving nod, she proceeded. “I suppose Victorique and I shall begin with an announcement. While we intend to remain separate candidates in the election, we have agreed to cooperate and share resources. We have also agreed that, if and when one of us becomes queen, the other shall be made Grand Minister. I hope the two of you have no objections.”

“Sure, go ahead,” Lancel replied with no hesitation.

Sophitia blinked, a bit surprised to hear that. “Are you certain, brother?”

Lancel shrugged. “Why not? You’ll only end up splitting the vote between the two of you. Overall, it seems like it’ll help us more than it’ll help you .”

Sophitia shared an uncertain look with her sister. Before they’d arrived, she’d briefly considered the possibility of their supporters splitting the vote between the two of them, and thus lowering each of their votes individually. However, she’d ultimately decided the benefits would outweigh the potential drawbacks. Lancel’s response had her wondering if she’d gravely miscalculated.

Lancel turned to Percival next. “And you, brother? Any complaints?”

“None,” the other prince replied. “You can all do whatever you want. I intend to win regardless.” Putting his hand on the papers he’d brought to the table, he moved them closer to himself. “Let’s move ahead to our proposals for how the election will function.”

“There is one more thing I would like to discuss before we get into the details,” Victorique interrupted.

Percival looked annoyed. “And what is that?”

The eldest princess turned to Lancel. “Skyloft.”

Lancel smiled proudly. “Yes, what a wonderful city. Have you been, sister?”

“Lancel, surely you cannot expect the election to have a fair outcome when the people live in fear of your deadly flying fortress hovering above them,” Sophitia pointed out, making it clear what their complaint was.

“Technically, it’s hovering above the moat ,” Lancel replied. “So, really, it’s the fish who have to live in fear.”

“Lancel,” Percival said in an unamused tone.

“Fine.” The elder prince held up his hands disarmingly. “I see what this is about. You wish for me to remove the ace from my sleeve before the next hand is dealt, yes? Very well. I am more than willing to acquiesce to your request. However--”

“You do not get to make demands in return,” Percival interrupted. “Sophitia and Victorique are correct. You cannot threaten the people and then ask them who they wish to rule. It would defeat the purpose of the election entirely, and I am not interested in wasting all of our time when there is already so much left to do to rebuild this fucking kingdom.”

“Percival.” Victorique raised her hand, giving him a look that told him not to take it any further than that. She cleared her throat, directing her attention back to Lancel. “I am willing to hear your request. I shall decide if it is fair or not.”

“Aw, sweet sister. As wise as you are generous. I am confident you will see reason upon hearing my most simple of requests.” Lancel continued to smirk confidently as he leaned forward, giving his siblings a mock bow from where he sat at the table. “For you see, if I am to forgo my trump card, I think it is only fair that you, Victorique, should do the same.”

Sophitia did not know what Lancel meant by that. She looked to her sister questioningly, but Victorique appeared as perplexed as she was.

“What are you referring to, brother?” Victorique asked.

“For the entirety of the election, you must opt not to describe yourself as the Crown Princess, the rightful heir, or anything else that might unfairly sway the vote in your favor,” Lancel declared. “Of course, we all know the order of our birth is irrelevant, but there are many in the kingdom who have seen you as Father’s heir for our entire lives. If you are to win their votes, you must do so by your own merits, just as we will. You cannot claim any sort of birthright.”

Sophitia was surprised. It was a simple request, but one she had not ever expected Lancel to make of Victorique. She’d already had it in her mind that a large part of her elder sister’s campaign would involve invoking her right to the throne as given to her by their father and by law. She had many other good qualities as well, but surely that would have helped her tremendously.

Will she agree to such a demand…?

The younger princess and both princes watched Victorique’s face intensely. She remained expressionless for several moments, merely staring back at Lancel as she considered how to respond.

“I accept your terms,” she finally agreed.

Lancel smiled with self-satisfaction at his latest victory. Knowing how her brother’s mind worked, Sophitia figured Lancel must have calculated that giving up the threat of Skyloft was worth Victorique forswearing her ability to claim herself their father’s rightful heir.

Could that possibly be right…?

Percival’s expression barely changed at all, but Sophitia could tell he was hiding his excitement. This was a victory for everyone except Victorique, so of course he would be glad to hear it as well. As much as Sophitia would have preferred to see Victorique on the throne rather than her brothers, she felt a sort of relief as well.

I really do have a chance now.

“Well, then,” Percival began, once again tapping his papers. “With that out of the way, shall we--”

“Wait!” Lancel interrupted loudly, raising his hand for attention.

Percival sighed in irritation. “What now , Lancel?”

“Hm? Oh, nevermind. Do continue, brother.” Lancel leaned back in his chair, a cheeky smile on his face.

Percival glared at him, but moved on. “Let’s just get this over with…”


“I hate this cape,” Liliana complained, pushing the fabric around on her shoulder as she and Sophitia walked along the bridge.

“I know, dear. But try to endure it, just for a little while.” Sophitia pinched her dress and lifted it slightly as she walked to keep it from dragging across the ground. She wore one of the finest dresses in her wardrobe, as well as her crown, which she had not worn since the summit. She had to think of the announcement as a first impression, so looking her very best was incredibly important.

The princess had made sure her other guards looked their best as well. As she was led to the city square where the announcement would take place, she was surrounded on all sides by members of the Royal Guard wearing shiny, freshly-polished armor. Select guards in the formation held banners displaying Sophitia’s personal seal -- three thin red rubies in a fanned-out pattern to match her crown, sitting upon a blue backdrop.

The entire northern section of the city square had been sectioned off well ahead of the Royal Family’s arrival. A line of armed guards stood in front of the barricades, ensuring the crowd of citizens would not cross. A stage had been set up, as was usually the case when the Grand Minister had an important announcement to make. The stage was larger this time, however, with several podiums placed upon it.

When Sophitia arrived, she waited on the ground level behind the stage. Victorique and Percival were already present with their retinues as well. Victorique stood with both Impa sisters and a line of her guards behind her. Percival was encircled by his guards, but it was easy to pick out his golden armor and the imposing figure of Sir Onnick towering above the others.

As usual, Lancel was the last one to arrive. He entered the square with Sir Anselm and his other guards formed up in a rectangular formation around him. He took his retinue to stand in between Victorique and Percival.

With the four siblings present, the Grand Minister approached Victorique. Sophitia could not hear them from where she was standing, but she presumed he was asking if they were ready to begin.

“Are you ready?” Liliana asked quietly, standing close by Sophitia’s side so she could speak into her ear.

Sophitia took a deep breath to steady herself. She could feel her hands shaking, and did her best to still them. She was not especially averse to public speaking, but this was quite a significant event. She needed to do everything right, or she’d risk beginning the election at a disadvantage.

“I am prepared,” Sophitia replied to her retainer, although she was also talking to herself. She flinched slightly when she felt Liliana’s hand grip hers.

“You’ve faced worse,” the round-eared girl reminded her. “And you’ve spent so many hours preparing for this. You’ll do fine.”

“Yes,” Sophitia nodded, as if agreeing with what Liliana said would make it true. However, she did feel some relief. Liliana had always been good at calming the princess down.

“Princess Zelda Sophitia Hyrule.” Sophitia’s guards parted slightly to allow Grand Minister Malkori to converse with her. “Are we ready to begin?”

“Yes, we are,” Sophitia replied, putting great effort into appearing calm.

The Sheikah man nodded. “Very well. I shall proceed with the proclamation. You and your siblings may join me on the stage after I announce you, your highness.”

“Thank you, minister. Please proceed.”

Sophitia watched as Malkori took the stage. Many in the crowd beyond the barrier shouted once he came into view. Some cheered, expecting him to announce that the Crown had found some way to solve all their problems. A great deal of others, however, were plainly angry and demanding answers.

Sophitia felt wary upon hearing some of the things they shouted. She had not taken enough time to research the citizens’ thoughts on the current state of affairs in the capital. She knew they were still suffering from the events of the Blood Moon as well as Percival’s battle with Lord Remoth. Parts of the city still lay in ruin, and many of its citizens must have been worried.

Do not fear. We are here to protect you.

“People of Hyrule,” the Grand Minister began. Some of the shouting died down, but many still made noise. Nevertheless, he continued, his voice carrying easily from a wealth of experience with public speaking. “We have all suffered following the tragic demise of our great King Tychon. Those in his court have been working tirelessly to bring about a better tomorrow. I have come here today with King Tychon’s children bearing an announcement regarding the future ruler of our fair kingdom.”

Here it comes.

“Presenting -- Princess Zelda Victorique Hyrule, Prince Lancel Leif Hyrule, Prince Percival Seliph Hyrule, and Princess Zelda Sophitia Hyrule.”

Liliana placed her hand on her charge’s shoulder for a moment. It was enough to silently say ‘ good luck .’

Sophitia silently nodded her thanks, then fell in line behind her siblings, approaching the stairs leading up to the stage.

Please, Hylia, let them see me as their queen.

Chapter 64: Link XVIII

Chapter Text

Link was back in the Water Temple. He had never been in this particular chamber before, but he had spent enough time in the complex to recognize the architecture, and he wasn’t sure where else he would ever see such a massive, high-ceilinged, cylindrical chamber. There was water on the ground, but not much. Most of it had been drained out of the chamber through the large crack in the wall; the crack that had been caused by the gigantic eel-like creature that had rammed into the wall as it died.

Link stood beside the monster’s massive corpse. It was slumped down on its side with its head embedded in the cracked wall. Link looked up into the creature’s large, singular eye sitting atop the center of its head. Within the dead creature’s eye, Link could see a swirling black darkness faintly radiating from inside of it. Walking forward, he put his hands on the monster’s body and climbed upward until he reached the eye.

Clinging on with one hand, Link drew his sword and sliced the eye open. A foul stench overtook him, and he nearly lost his grip. Regardless, he could see his prize. Something that looked like a black, stone crown was embedded in the giant fish eye. Glowing green lines pulsated across it, which made him fear to touch it for a moment. Nevertheless, he plunged his hand into the monster’s eye, pulled out the stone crown, and leaped back down to the ground.

After he landed, he coughed, still not quite over the stench. There was blood and oil covering the object he’d removed from the monster’s eye, so he shook it clean before holding it up to examine it.

Suddenly, his shadow sprung to life, leaping out of the ground. However, it was not a shadowy version of himself like he’d seen the last time he visited the Water Temple. It was the shadow of that imp girl he’d seen in his wolf dream.

“There it is! The last Fused Shadow…” Midna said excitedly. A gigantic, orange hand extended from the imp girl’s hair, reaching forward to grab the crown out of Link’s hand. “I’ll just take that, thanks! Now, don’t resent me for all I’ve put you through. I need this thing!” The imp girl didn’t seem particularly apologetic. “Besides, we have to do something about Zant, the one who thinks he is the king of shadows…”

Zant again?

The imp girl had mentioned him the last time Link had seen her.

“His power is a false one…” Midna went on, sounding as if she felt the need to remind everyone of this. “I’ll prove it using these!” Still gripping the stone crown she’d called a Fused Shadow, she retracted her hair-hand back behind her head, disappearing the magical object from sight. “So…” Midna said, turning away from Link. “I’ve done everything I needed to. I’m sorry for dragging you all over the place with me…” She at least managed to sound a little more like she actually meant her apology this time, Link noted.

Midna floated forward, then raised her hand and waved it in front of her. A large black spot appeared on the ground, which soon opened into a portal of swirling green. The imp girl turned back to Link. “So… Shall we go?”

Link walked forward and joined her atop of the portal. A moment later, he felt the strangest sensation he’d ever felt, and everything went black for a moment.

When he came to, Link found himself standing on a ledge outdoors, looking out over a pool of water below him. When he turned, he suddenly found someone blocking his path. The person was so tall, Link only came up to his chest. He tilted his head back to look up, then gasped in shock.

Standing before him was none other than Zant himself. Link recognized him immediately by the distinctive conical helmet he wore that resembled the head of a chameleon. The Usurper King stared down at him with the bulging, lifeless eyes of his helmet. Link knew the man was a threat -- likely the biggest threat he had ever faced -- and he was too frightened to move.

Behind Link, a gigantic, glowing, golden serpent burst forth from the water, baring its fangs and roaring at the Usurper King. But Zant was unmoved. He did not even flinch at the sudden appearance of the serpent god. Instead, he emitted a blast of searing bright light that radiated from him in all directions. Link felt his retinas burn, and he was thrown onto his back.


Link must have been knocked out for a short time, but when he opened his eyes again, he was in a wolf’s body once more. Looking up, he saw Zant standing over Midna. She was on the ground, clearly quite injured. A glowing ball of black and red magic hovered in front of Zant. He stared down at Midna with obvious intent to harm her. Without thinking, Link reacted by leaping at the Usurper King.

“Linkle!”

Link awoke with a start, reaching forward as if to grab his sister’s hand to save her, but Linkle was nowhere to be seen. Neither was Midna, nor Zant, and Link wasn’t a wolf anymore. Instead, he sat upon a sandy beach, with gentle waves washing over the ground he sat upon.

What…?

He examined his surroundings, trying to think of where he was or how he’d gotten there.

I was… fighting pirates…

Link’s head throbbed, but his memories started to come back to him. He’d fallen into the sea, just as the tentacles of the colossal Octorok had pulled his ship into the swirling whirlpool. Before long, he’d been pulled underwater himself.

I thought I’d drowned…

For a moment, Link realized it was possible he really had drowned. He’d heard many stories about where the souls of the dead ended up after they passed on. Perhaps this was his afterlife for whatever reason. He looked down at his hands, then at his legs. He appeared to be in pretty bad shape. He had small cuts and bruises all over, and his skin was sunburnt.

Seems like a mortal body to me…

Link stood up, which was not as easy as he would’ve liked. He couldn’t tell where he was. The shoreline did not remind him of his home province of Necluda. It looked more like the coast of Ordona, but he wasn’t sure how he would’ve ended up there again.

He turned his gaze to the sea. Holding up a hand to shield his eyes from the sun, he squinted as he looked off into the distance. Very faintly, he could make out a coastline.

Wait. If that’s Hyrule, then…

“Great,” Link said aloud. He was stranded on some island off the coast, he realized. He must have washed ashore after the ship sank.

Link patted himself down, checking if he had anything useful on him. His clothes were in tatters, and he had none of his equipment. However, when he glanced down, he saw his boomerang sticking up out of the sand.

“Huh.” Link knelt down to collect the item. “I guess it really does always come back.” He quickly searched his surroundings, but he could not find his sword or anything else he would’ve brought with him.

And, more importantly than that, he saw no signs of anyone else.

“Linkle!” He cupped his hands around his mouth as he shouted into the distance. “Linkle! Are you there? Linkle!”

Link put his hand to his temple. He remembered a little more clearly what had happened. Linkle had not fallen into the water with him. She had made it onto the enemy ship. However, Link had not been conscious for very long after that. For all he knew, she’d fallen in battle against the pirates, or the giant Octorok had sunk their ship, too. And then there was Dayto, Nat, and Chabi. Those three adventurers might have been dead as well, all because they’d chosen to travel with Link and his sister.

As he processed all the horrible possibilities, Link sank to his knees in the sand. He stared out into the sea for a long time.

My sisters always liked the sea…

The only sounds he heard were the gentle breeze, the slow movement of the waves crashing ashore in front of him, and the distant calling of seagulls. Everything seemed so calm, but Link just felt empty.

If Linkle were with him, the two of them would have been trying to find a way off of the island immediately, or perhaps working to find food or set up a shelter. Link did not feel like doing any of that. He didn’t feel like doing anything.

Maybe I should just die, too.

Link’s thoughts were interrupted by a new sound. From behind him, he heard a low growling. Rather than being startled, Link did not react at all. Surely some monster had come to eat him. Maybe that was what the gods wanted to happen. He remained kneeling, waiting to see what happened next.

But nothing happened. Instead, there was another low growl, as if the monster making the noise were being insistent. Not knowing what else to do, Link stood up and slowly turned around. Several yards away, there was a treeline made up of tropical trees. At the base of one tree, there was a wolf peeking out from behind the tree trunk. It stared at Link and let out another low growl.

Wait. Is that…

Link recognized the wolf. In fact, he was the wolf, or at least he had been in his dream. It was the same black and white wolf he’d been transformed into by Zant when he dreamed about being the Hero of Twilight. It even had that iron cuff around its ankle, dragging a short, broken chain along the ground.

Am I still dreaming? Or maybe I’m just hallucinating…

After making eye contact with the wolf, the creature stared at him for a moment. Link could see intelligence in those eyes. He wondered what it wanted. Then, it turned around and walked off into the forest of tropical trees.

Link walked forward. For some reason, he got the distinct impression that the wolf wanted him to follow it. At the very least, he wanted to know if he was crazy.

When he made it to the treeline, he saw the wolf in the distance, further into the woods. It was standing on all fours with its neck craned around to see him. When it spotted Link, it kept moving.

It really does want me to follow it.

Link tried his best to catch up. He thought the wolf would give him some clue as to what was going on if he could get close to it, but no matter how fast he moved, the wolf was always far beyond his reach. It wasn’t easy for Link to move very fast anyway. He was sore all over, and he stumbled over the tree roots several times.

After a few minutes of following the wolf, Link slumped down against one of the trees, needing a moment to catch his breath. The wolf stopped as well, barking at him like it wanted him to continue.

“Shut up,” Link muttered, breathing heavily. Closing his eyes, he leaned his head back against the tree trunk. “What the fuck am I doing?” he asked quietly. With Linkle gone, he couldn’t see the purpose in anything right then, let alone following some animal deeper into the interior of the island he was stranded on.

The wolf barked again, then trotted away. Link considered just letting it go. However, despite everything, he got the strong feeling he wasn’t supposed to.

“Fine,” he said aloud. “Wait up, you stupid mutt.”


Link followed the wolf through the forest and eventually emerged at the top of a hill. He was panting when he reached the top, tired and hungry. As he ascended, he got a better look at his surroundings. He was indeed on an island, and he saw no ships or any signs of civilization.

However, at the top of the hill, the wolf led Link into a clearing. To Link’s surprise, it looked like someone had set up a campsite. There was a lit campfire set up between two overturned logs, and there appeared to be a pot of something boiling suspended over the fire.

“Someone’s here,” Link said aloud. However, he was not exactly relieved. He half-heartedly held his hand beside the boomerang he kept at his waist. He was not sure if he would’ve been willing to fight, but he knew it was possible that another person stranded on the island could be hostile.

Just as Link was about to begin searching the area, the wolf stopped in front of one of the overturned logs. Link watched in bewilderment as the wolf changed shape before his eyes. It stood on its hind legs and its fur melted away. In mere seconds, the wolf had transformed into a Hylian man. He looked middle-aged, with blond hair and muscular arms, and he wore peasant clothing. There was a necklace around his neck bearing a charm that resembled a small, white, horseshoe-shaped instrument with holes in it, kind of like what the ocarina had. In addition to that, he wore an earring in the shape of a fishing hook.

The man smiled at Link and took a seat on the log. “Sorry to rush you like that,” he said. “I didn’t want to let the soup go to waste.” The strange man picked up a ladle and placed it into the pot suspended over the campfire, scooping some soup into a bowl he held in his other hand. “Would you care for some? I’m sure you must be hungry.”

Link blinked. He was still confused about the whole situation. However, he was hungry, realizing he didn’t know how long it had been since he’d last eaten. So, he nodded and stepped forward, taking the bowl the stranger handed to him.

As Link took a seat on the other log, the man scooped up another bowl of soup for himself. “You like it?” the man asked. “It’s made with Ordon goat cheese; a specialty of my village.”

Link took another sip of the soup. He could definitely taste the cheese. “It’s… good. Thank you,” he said politely. He examined the man’s face for a moment. “You’re from Ordona, then?” Link asked. “You look Hylian.”

“Oh, I am. Just like you,” the man replied. “I think I’m a lot like you, actually, Link.”

Link froze, then lowered his bowl. “You know my name?”

The Hylian man nodded.

Despite the oddness of the entire situation, Link’s mind worked to put two and two together. The man was a Hylian from Ordona, and he could transform into a wolf -- the same wolf Link had seen in his dreams.

“You…” It took Link a moment to form the words. “You’re… him . The real him. You’re the Hero of Twilight.”

The man nodded his head somewhat reluctantly. “Well, I suppose that’s what they call me nowadays.”

Link was stunned. “But… you’re dead . Wait, am I dead?” Link put the bowl of soup down and examined his hands, as if he expected them to be skeletal, or translucent like a spirit.

“No, no,” the Hero replied. “Well, I’m dead, yes. But you’re not. Don’t worry.”

Link still wasn’t quite sure what was going on. He sat there staring at what must have been the ghost of one of the most famous Heroes who ever lived.

Linkle would be so jealous.

His heart sank at that thought.

“So, tell me,” the Hero said in between mouthfuls of soup. “What do you plan to do once you get off of this island?”

“What?” It took Link a moment to comprehend the question. “I… don’t know. Maybe I’ll just… stay here.”

“Stay here?” the Hero repeated. “What about your sister? Don’t you have to get back to her?”

Link wasn’t sure how the Hero knew so much about him, but he didn’t ask. Instead, he hung his head, wishing he didn’t have to have this conversation at all. “My sister is dead.”

“What makes you so sure of that?” the Hero asked. “She was still alive when you last saw her, right?”

Link supposed that was true. “I… don’t know.”

The Hero nodded. “Look, I know what you’re going through,” he said. “Every hero goes through something like this; something that makes them want to give up completely. But they never do. That’s part of what makes them heroes.”

Link narrowed his eyes, even more confused now. “Hero?” he asked, then he shook his head. “No, it’s not-- it’s not me . My sister is the Hero,” he corrected.

The former Hero shrugged. “It could be her. But are you sure about that? Your hand was on the sword when it was pulled from the stone, too, wasn’t it?”

Link opened his mouth to argue, but the Hero was correct. Some of the other adventurers who were present at the time had pointed that out as well, but he hadn’t considered it to be a real possibility. “But, I-- Linkle’s the fearless one, alright? I’m not the least bit… courageous, or, or anything like that.”

“Is that a fact?” the Hero asked. “Last I checked, you’re the one who revealed himself to a dragon just to save a guy you didn’t even like.”

“Yeah, and I was fucking terrified .”

“But you still did it.”

“I-- Yeah, but-- I didn’t even-- No. No ,” Link denied it again, shaking his head. “It’s Linkle. It’s gotta be Linkle.”

“Why?” the former Hero asked, taking another sip of his soup.

Link sighed. “Look. I’m not like you. Or Linkle. I don’t have what you two have. This, this, that sort of drive to, like, save people. Save the world . I’m not like that.” Link paused, feeling ashamed to admit it. “I just… I just wanted to live my life. With my sister. That’s it.”

The Hero nodded, placing his bowl on the ground beside him. He took a deep breath. “Let me ask you something. Do you know why I left my village when I was about your age?”

Link furrowed his brow. He’d heard the story enough to know almost every detail of this man’s life. “Yeah. You left to stop the Twilight Invasion and save Princess Zelda.”

The Hero chuckled. “Ah, figures that’s what they’d say about me.”

“What? Is that not what happened?”

“Well, I did fight against the Twili invaders, and I did help Princess Zelda, yes,” the former Hero confirmed. “But that’s not why I left my village. I didn’t set out with some grand ambition to save the world. All that happened was two of my friends got kidnapped by Bulblins. When I went after them, a Twili pulled me into a forest that was engulfed in shadow, which turned me into a wolf for some reason. Before I knew what was happening, I woke up in the dungeons of Hyrule Castle. Then, a smug little imp showed up and offered to help me escape if I did something for her in return. Next thing I knew, I was being dragged all across Hyrule, collecting things to help fight against Zant. It was never my intention to challenge the Usurper King, or the Dark Lord. It all just sort of… happened .”

Link wasn’t sure how to respond to that. He supposed it made sense. The former Hero’s own version of his story was closer to some of the other tellings he’d heard, but his sister always made him seem much… grander.

“Why are you telling me this?” Link asked.

“Well, my point is, you don’t need to try to save the world to be a hero,” he replied. “Sometimes, just trying to save one or two people is enough.”

Link considered the former Hero’s words for a long time, staring into the campfire without saying anything.

“My sister is still alive?” he asked after a few minutes.

“Maybe,” the Hero answered. “But you’re not gonna find out if you give up and die on this island, are you?”

“I guess not,” Link admitted. He felt guilty for having even considered it.

If there’s even a chance she’s alive, I need to find her.

“Good.” The former Hero smiled and climbed to his feet. “Then how about we get you out of here?”


Getting off of the island was not as easy of a task as Link had hoped. The ghost of the Hero apparently had no means to teleport him, nor did he have access to any other useful magic that may have aided his departure. Instead, the Hero’s suggestion was to do things the old fashioned way – building a raft using fallen trees from the island.

It was tiresome work to drag the logs they found over to the beach and fashion them together, but it was nothing Link wasn’t used to. During his time as a blacksmith’s apprentice, he’d been required to move heavy objects and perform manual labor all the time. The Hero was no stranger to hard labor either, having been a farmer in life. Linkle had often touted that as a connection she had to him.

“You know, my sister’s gonna be real jealous when I tell her I met you,” Link told the Hero as they worked.

The Hero of Twilight chuckled. “Yes, I understand she’s a big fan of mine.” With a grunt, he finished sliding one of the logs into place, then stood up straight and wiped his brow. “Tell you what,” he said, putting his hands to his ear. He removed his hook-shaped earring and held it out to Link. “Why don’t you give her this? Think of it as a gift from me.”

Link took the earring in his hand. He vaguely recalled the part of the Hero’s story in which the piece of coral jewelry was mentioned, but it was one of the more obscure items the Hero had used in life. Nevertheless, he knew Linkle would appreciate it. “Thanks,” Link said appreciatively. “You got this from King Ralis, right?”

“Well, he was Prince Ralis when he gave it to me,” the Hero replied. “But, yes.”

The two of them worked for a while after that. By the time they put the finishing touches on the raft, it was beginning to look seaworthy. The raft was rectangular in shape, and thick enough that a portion of it should stay above the water. They’d managed to fashion together a sail from some of the materials the Hero had in his camp, and Link had found a few decently-sized sticks to make into oars. The Hero also had some food for Link to load onto the raft, along with an assortment of tropical fruit from the island trees.

“You really think I’ll be able to make it back to shore in this thing?” Link asked as they pushed the raft into the sea. He could faintly see the mainland in the distance, but it still seemed impossibly far away.

“Of course,” the Hero replied confidently. “The wind is in your favor, and you have the gods on your side.”

Once the raft was into deep enough water, Link could see that it could float, at least. He climbed on top of it and began readying the sail.

“Just keep heading west,” the Hero said. He waded backwards through the water, heading back to shore. “And always remember what you’re fighting for. It will keep you going, even in the toughest of times.”

My sister.

“I will.” Link turned to face him, standing aboard the raft. “You can’t come with me?”

The former Hero shook his head. “It doesn’t work that way.”

“I figured.” Link wasn’t sure what else to say. The whole situation was so surreal. “Thank you. For everything.”

“It was the least I could do,” the Hero replied. “Now, get that sail ready. The god who made all this possible will do you one last favor.”

Link furrowed his brow, wondering which god he was talking about. “Okay.” Link finished unfurling the sail. Right away, the wind caught it.

The former Hero made it back to shore. He lifted the small horseshoe-shaped instrument he wore on his necklace, put it to his mouth, and began to whistle a gentle tune.

Before Link knew what was happening, a whale breached the surface of the water several yards away from him. Link stumbled, gripping the mast of the ship, worried the whale would capsize him. However, the whale did not crash back into the water. It flew up into the air, flying with a pair of feathery white wings extending from its back.

“What the…?” Link watched in amazement as the winged whale flew behind him, hovering above the island’s shore. The former Hero stood beneath the floating creature and waved goodbye to Link. Then, the whale flapped its wings rapidly. It sent a gale force of wind directly into Link’s raft. The sail caught the wind, and it propelled the raft forward.

“Good luck, Link!” the Hero called, quickly shrinking into the distance. The winged whale let out a call as well.

As Link sailed further from them, the island seemed to fade away, as if disappearing into a dense fog until it could no longer be seen at all.


As Link sailed the sea in his raft, a part of him wondered if the whole island and everything that happened on it had been a dream, or some sort of hallucination. He’d wondered the same thing throughout the entire encounter, but now that he was further removed from it, it seemed like a greater possibility. However, the raft was real, which meant at least the island had been real. Meeting the ghost of the Hero of Twilight and being helped by a winged whale, on the other hand, seemed more far-fetched. The only thing that made it seem real to him was the coral earring the Hero had given him. Every now and then, he would hold it in the palm of his hand to examine it, as if he were afraid it would fade from existence.

I guess it was probably real, then. And I got a nice present for Linkle out of it.

He smiled to himself as he thought of the look Linkle would have on her face when he gave it to her and told her the story.

She’s alive. I’ll find her.

While the winged whale had propelled him a decent distance at the start of his journey, Link still spent quite a long time sailing and rowing. Even though he could see the coastline approaching, progress was slow, and he began to wonder if he’d even survive long enough to make it back to land.

Luckily, he did not end up having to make it all the way back to shore on his own. A sailing vessel appeared on the horizon, coming straight for him.

“Hey! Hey! Over here! Help! Over here!” Link stood up and began waving his hands and shouting, even when the ship was still too far away to possibly hear him. He kept it up until the ship got closer. Someone onboard blew a signal horn, which Link hoped was meant to let him know they saw him.

They did. As the ship passed by Link’s raft, a rope ladder was thrown down the side of the ship. Someone at the top of the ladder called for him to come aboard. Link dove into the water without a second thought, then swam the short distance to the ladder, grabbed on, and began climbing.

When he made it to the top, a pair of sailors pulled him over the bulwark.

“Here you go, mate. Nice and easy.”

“You alright? You need food? Water?”

“Water,” Link said, panting. He stood leaning against the bulwark, while one of the sailors kept his hands on Link’s upper arm to help steady him.

“Fetch him some water,” the sailor standing across from him called to another nearby member of the crew. “What happened?” he asked Link. “Ship go down?”

Link nodded. “We got attacked by pirates, then a giant Octorok sank the ship.”

“By the gods.” The two sailors exchanged sympathetic looks.

“Can you take me to shore?” Link asked. “Anywhere will do. I need to look for someone as soon as possible.”

“We’re headed for Hateno,” one of the sailors told him. “We’ll be there shortly.”

Link panted for another few seconds. “That’s my home.”

“Ah. Good. We’ll have you home in no time, then.” The sailors helped him stand up straight and walked him away from the edge of the ship. “What’s your name, kid?”

“Link.”

“Alright, Link. Come along this way. You can rest below deck until we arrive.”


“Link. Link.”

Link heard his sister’s voice calling to him. “...Elle.”

“Link.”

He opened his eyes. It wasn’t the voice of his sister speaking this time. It was a sailor, standing in the threshold of the room he’d been given to rest in.

“Y-Yes?” Link lifted his head up.

“We’ve made it to port,” the sailor told him. “Do you want us to contact the City Watch to come help you?”

Link shook his head, climbing out of bed. “I’ll speak to them myself. I need to get going.”

“Are you sure you’re well? How long were you adrift?”

“It doesn’t matter. I’m fine,” Link insisted. He didn’t have many belongings anymore, although he’d been given a fresh set of clothes by the sailors, but he grabbed his boomerang and the earring he’d been given by the Hero and prepared to leave. Rather than carry it in his pocket, he put on the earring and headed for the door. “Thank you so much for your help,” he said quickly. He was genuinely quite grateful for the rescue and he did not wish to be rude, but he felt he had to hurry.

A few other members of the ship’s crew tried to talk to him as he made his way above deck, but Link didn’t give them much more than a quick thank you and an apology for leaving so abruptly. When he reached the deck, he hurried down the ramp leading down to the dock.

As he stood in Hateno Harbor, Link realized he was in familiar surroundings for the first time since he’d left home. He was actually back home . If Linkle was there, that could have been where their journey came to an end, and could’ve gone back to their old lives. Unfortunately, he was alone.

The first place Link went was the City Watch office in the harbor. Inside, he found a guard sitting at a till behind some iron bar fencing. “Excuse me,” Link said as he leaned against the till, somewhat out of breath from running.

“Yes, citizen?” the guard behind the bars asked.

“A Hyrulean naval vessel was sunk in the Necluda Sea. Have any survivors come through the harbor here?” Link asked.

The guard looked at him curiously. “Yes, actually. A number of sailors were ransomed back to the city by pirates quite recently.”

Yes!

Link felt a glimmer of hope. There were survivors. Linkle could still be alive. “Was there a girl with them? Blonde. Around my age. She’s a Hateno native.”

“I’m sorry, young man. I don’t know any of the specifics of who was returned,” the guard told him with a slight shake of his head.

Fuck .

“Where are they now?” Link asked, desperate to get to the bottom of this.

“Well, they were brought to the palace for medical care when they arrived, but I have no idea if any of them are still there.”

“Thank you.” With that, Link ran back out the door, heading straight for the palace.


The Governor of Necluda’s palace was located at the top of the hill overlooking the bay from the highest point in Hateno. It was known as the Eastern Palace due to it having been the seat of power for the eastern half of the kingdom at some point in history. If it had been built more recently, it probably would have been named the Southeastern Palace, but it had been given its name back before Lanayru, Eldin, and Akkala had become a part of Hyrule, and the name had simply persisted throughout the centuries.

Despite having spent most of his life in Hateno, Link had never been to the palace before. He had seen the governor on a few occasions when she made public appearances, and some of her knights purchased weapons and armor from the blacksmith he’d worked for, but he’d never met her personally. He wasn’t actually expecting to meet her this time, either. For all he knew, she was traveling to some other part of the kingdom at the moment. Nevertheless, he hoped to find his sister at the Eastern Palace, or at least someone who knew where she was.

The hike up the hill from the harbor to the city proper was quite tiring. Even after getting a decent night of sleep aboard the ship that had picked him up, Link was definitely not in the best shape for physical activity at the moment. Then, after making it up the hill, he had to climb another spiraling hill up to the governor’s palace. By the time he made it to the front gate, he was panting with exhaustion.

The first thing Link noticed was that there was a lot more security than he’d expected. Rather than just a few guards standing at the entrance, there were at least a dozen sentries visible by the gate, on the walls, and along the road. He was glad the only weapon he had on him was his boomerang, which must not have looked very threatening.

“Halt, citizen.” He was stopped at the gate by a knight bearing the Loftwing crest of House Kochi. “State your business here.”

Link took a moment to catch his breath. “Please,” he said. “I think my sister is in there.”

“Your sister?” the knight repeated. “And who might your sister be?”

“Her name is Linkle. Our ship was attacked by pirates,” Link explained. For a moment, he considered saying that she was the Hero, but he hesitated, not knowing if that would make him sound like he was spinning some story.

“She was one of the sailors ransomed back to us by the pirates?” the guard asked. He turned to one of his colleagues. “Are any of them still staying in the palace?”

The other knight shook his head. “Unless some of them stayed behind for some reason, I heard they were all gone.”

Link sighed defeatedly. She might never have been there at all, and even if she had, she was gone by then.

Just my luck.

“Hey! It’s Link!”

The voice of a young girl calling from the other side of the gate caught the attention of Link and the guards.

Someone recognized me?

Link didn’t recall knowing anyone who worked at the palace, but he supposed he’d been gone long enough that someone he knew might have gotten a new job there. However, when he looked through the bars of the gate, he saw a young girl in a pretty dress rushing towards him.

“Princess! Wait! That’s dangerous!” A red-haired knight chased after the young girl, catching up to her and grabbing her arm.

“No it isn’t. That’s Link! Remember?”

Link realized who the young girl was, remembering his encounter with her in Hyrule Field.

“You are acquainted with the princess?” the gate guard asked him.

“Um. Sort of. I mean, yes. Yes, I am,” Link replied, hoping he’d be more likely to get the help he needed if he was seen as a friend of the Royal Family.

“Link! Link, it’s me! Hi!” Princess Seraphina walked right up to the gate, with Dame Jeanne walking in front of her to partially obscure the princess from view.

“Hello, Princess.” Link gave her a tired smile. “Good to see you are well.”

“You too!” the princess said cheerily.

“Thank you again for healing my wounds, Princess,” Link said gratefully.

“And thank you again for saving us from those scary monsters.”

“Ah. So it is you,” Dame Jeanne said, apparently recognizing Link. “I am happy to see one of the princess’s rescuers again.” She glanced around, as if expecting to see someone else as well. “Is your sister not with you?”

Link’s heart sank. “Well. I’m sort of looking for her right now,” he explained. “We were on a ship that got attacked by pirates. I was told some of the other survivors were here at one point.”

“They were,” Dame Jeanne confirmed. “But I do not recall your sister having been among them.”

“Oh. I see,” Link said dejectedly.

Princess Seraphina looked at him sympathetically. “We’ll help you look for her!” she said, smiling brightly like she was trying to cheer him up. “Won’t we, Jeanne?”

The princess’s bodyguard hesitated. She seemed to want to say yes, but she likely saw this as a small matter that they did not have the time for.

“She’s the Hero,” Link blurted out.

Dame Jeanne, the princess, and the guards were all shocked to hear this.

“Wow, really?” Princess Seraphina said in amazement.

“Is this true?” her bodyguard asked.

“Yes,” Link nodded. “She just pulled the Master Sword from the stone a few days before we set sail. Someone was after her. I don’t know what’s going on or where she is, but I know where she might go. Just, please… I’ll take whatever help I can get.”

Dame Jeanne took a minute to process what she’d been told.

“Come on, Jeanne,” Seraphina pleaded. “They saved my life. Of course one of them is the Hero.”

Jeanne nodded, apparently having made up her mind. “Open the gates,” she told the guards. “Link, please come inside with us. The governor will want to hear everything.”


Author’s note:

One of the greatest Heroes of all time appeared in today’s chapter! There was also a cameo from a particularly wondrous god who made this meeting between Heroes possible.

Art Source

Art Source

Chapter 65: Linkle II

Chapter Text

When Linkle awoke, she was still sitting in the chair by the dining room table in her own home. She felt a little cramped from the sitting position she’d slept in, so the first thing she did was lean back and stretch, extending her arms far above her head and arching her back. She noticed right away that her pain was gone. In fact, she felt amazingly refreshed, as if the previous night had been the best night of sleep she’d had in years.

Glancing around the room, she did not see the man who had healed her, nor did she see the large bag he had set down by the door. Even the piano he’d used to heal her was gone, assuming the piano had not simply been an invention of Linkle’s delirious state.

For a moment, Linkle began to wonder if she’d dreamt the entire encounter. The man had been so odd, it would not have been surprising. However, that would not have explained how she had recovered from her injuries so quickly.

Then, Linkle noticed something that seemed to confirm the previous night’s events had truly transpired. Placed on the dining room table in front of her was a mask – one of several she had seen hanging off of the mysterious man’s large carrying bag.

Even though the mask was right in front of her, it had still taken her some time to notice it for some reason. It was as if the mask had sort of blended in, despite not at all matching the color and texture of the wooden table. The mask appeared to be carved from cracked, gray stone. It vaguely resembled a face, although it was extremely lopsided. The top of the face sloped downward to the right. The eye holes were clearly not properly aligned, and one was noticeably larger than the other. The mask did not appear to have been smoothed to a clean finish, either. The surface of it was rough and uneven, as if it had simply been broken off from a rocky cliffside.

Curious, Linkle placed her hand on the mask and lifted it up. The mask certainly felt like stone, but it was much lighter than she’d expected it to be.

What’s this for?

It appeared as though the strange man had left it behind on purpose. Was it a gift? Was it just to prove she hadn’t hallucinated the encounter? Was the mask intended to help her obtain the Triforce in some way?

Well, some masks can enchant the wearer and give them powers…

Linkle shot to her feet, her eyes opening wide in realization. “Wait, that’s it!” She suddenly remembered where she knew the strange man from. She and Link had seen him in the capital. He ran the shop that sold enchanted masks, but Link hadn’t let her buy anything at the time.

“What the hell is he doing in Necluda?” she wondered aloud. But, more importantly, she wondered what the mask could do. The salesman had said his masks imbued the wearer with the abilities of those depicted in the mask.

But who the hell does this depict?

Linkle was not aware of any monster, animal, or Child of Nayru that had a face like the stone mask. She could not guess what abilities it would grant her, either.

“Well, only one way to find out.” Linkle smiled, excited to see what surprises the magical mask might bring. Lifting it to her face, she put it on. It was surprisingly easy to see out of, given the oddness of the eye holes. As she’d felt when she lifted it, the mask was rather light, so it did not bother her to wear it. She did not feel any different with it on, however.

“Hmm…”

Well, the mask looks like stone. Maybe it’s for geomancy.

Linkle made her way over to the front door and quickly stepped outside. Not far from her house, she saw a pile of rocks sitting on the ground. Smiling excitedly, Linkle lifted her hand, attempting to command the rocks to rise.

However, nothing happened.

Linkle lowered her hand, furrowing her brow in confusion. She tried once more, straining her body in an attempt to try harder, but still, the rocks would not move.

“Fuck.” Linkle was disappointed. She’d already conjured up in her mind a hundred ways she could use geomancy to help her in her adventures, but apparently, the mask was intended for something else.

Sighing, Linkle went back inside. “Guess I’ll figure it out later.” Grabbing the bag of her belongings, Linkle collected her things and took a walk through her house, grabbing anything else she thought she might need once she set out on her next journey.

Once she had collected everything she needed, Linkle felt ready to leave again. However, before she did, she had another thought.

Link’s gonna be looking for me.

She had no doubt in her mind that he would be. She had the strong urge to go back and look for him herself, but she had to keep moving forward. The fate of the kingdom rested on her.

I’ll leave him a note.

Linkle checked her brother’s room and retrieved some parchment and his quill and ink set. Returning to the dining room table, she sat down and thought long and hard about what to tell him. She knew it was possible he wouldn’t even find the note, but just in case he came through this way, she wanted to at least let him know what was going on.

“Link, the Sheikah captured me, but I escaped. They’re trying to steal the Triforce. That’s what the keys are for. I’m going to the capital to warn the Royal Family,” she said aloud as she wrote. There was a lot more detail she could have gone into, but she wanted to tell him the rest in person, and she wasn’t sure if it would be a good idea to say too much in a note that just anyone might find.

Having written down what she needed to tell Link, she stood up to leave, but she stopped herself again before she left the table. “I guess there’s one more thing I should say…” Sitting back down and picking up the quill again, she wrote one last thing before signing her name.

Finished. Time to go.

Although she had many important objectives now, she knew exactly where to go next. She needed to return to the City of Hyrule. There, she could warn the Royal Family about Impa Sadashi’s plot to steal the Triforce, gather information about the Headless Demon, and perhaps even retrieve Saria’s brother’s sword from Dame Mila, if she was there.

When Linkle stepped outside once again, she was fully prepared for her next adventure. She was alone this time, but she was the Hero. She would succeed somehow.

The Hero always does…


It had been quite a long time since Linkle had been to Fort Hateno. She and her brother had traveled through the military outpost very early on in their journey. They hadn’t done much there at the time, other than getting their travel papers stamped and trading for some supplies. The fort was operated by Hyrulean soldiers, just like those who had tried to help her cross the sea. Perhaps the soldiers at the fort would be of help to the Hero as well.

“Sir,” Linkle said, approaching the guards at the gate to the fort’s outer wall. “I need your help.”

The guards looked her over. Although her body had been healed, she still looked incredibly disheveled. Her clothing and her hair were a mess, and she was covered in dirt.

“What seems to be the trouble, citizen?” one of the guards asked. “Are you injured?”

“I was,” Linkle replied. She did not feel the need to explain how a mysterious man had healed her with a disappearing piano. “Look.” Reaching behind her back, Linkle pulled out the Master Sword and held it out for the guards to see. “I’m the Hero. I’ve just escaped from the servants of the demon who attacked Hyrule. I must get to the capital at once.”

The guards eyed her sword cautiously. “The Hero, you say?”

“Aye,” Linkle confirmed with a nod. “Please. Some grave evil is at work. We need to move fast.”

The guards shared a look. With a few hand gestures and facial expressions, they seemed to be silently deliberating. “Go get the commander,” one told the other.

“Fine.” The closest guard signaled for the gate to be opened. “Come inside.” He gestured for Linkle to follow him, but as soon as she passed the threshold, he held out his hand. “Wait here.”

“Alright. But please hurry.” Linkle did as she was told. She stood by the wall as the gate closed behind her.

Will the commander allow me to take some troops to the capital with me? Or will he just give me supplies? Perhaps they have some protocol for aiding the Hero.

She also considered that the soldiers at the fort wouldn’t be of much help to her, or perhaps the commander would be one of the skeptics who didn’t even believe she was the Hero. She’d have to wait and see what they said.

As she waited, she noticed movement around her. More soldiers had appeared atop the wall behind her, and many of the nearby buildings also had soldiers appear in the windows and on the rooftops. Most of them did not appear to be looking at anything in particular, but Linkle caught many of them staring right at her.

She recognized it was possible she was imagining things, or perhaps they were just curious to see the Hero, but a lot had happened to her recently. She knew people were after her, and now that she was alone without her brother, she was feeling rather paranoid.

If Link were here, he’d tell me to get out of this place as soon as possible.

Stepping forward, Linkle began walking along the path that led through to the other side of the fort. Perhaps if she simply left without interacting with anyone more than necessary, she would get out of this just fine.

She got about halfway through the fortress grounds before a line of six guards stepped in her path. “Halt,” one of the guards told her. “The commander wants to speak with you.”

Linkle felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. She definitely wasn’t being paranoid.

Something’s not right here.

“Can they come out to meet me by the western gate?” Linkle requested. “I’m kind of in a hurry.”

“I’m afraid not, young miss. Please come with us.” The guard gestured towards one of the larger buildings on the grounds, which presumably held the commander’s office.

Or perhaps a dungeon.

Linkle heard a noise and sensed a close presence, as if someone had magically appeared behind her. It was something she’d experienced before, and she knew what it was. Instinctively, she drew the Master Sword and spun around, slashing at the two Sheikah who’d appeared in a puff of smoke.

Her enchanted sword cut cleanly through the first Sheikah’s chest. He fell over dead immediately, a sinister dagger falling out of his hand. The second Sheikah attempted to back up. Her sword still cut his chest, but not as deep. It left him clutching his hand against his wound, bleeding profusely. Not wanting to give him a chance to recover, Linkle quickly slashed him again, cutting his neck this time.

Seize her !” a guard shouted.

They attacked me !” Linkle complained. Before the guards could move in to surround her, Linkle took off running towards the closest building, using her Pegasus Boots for speed. However, she did not want to go inside. Trapping herself indoors could have meant a death sentence.

Think quickly.

Tilting her head up as she ran, Linkle noticed some wooden scaffolding set up on the side of the building. Taking her hookshot in hand, she aimed and fired it. The harpoon tip of the hookshot stuck into the wood. Pulling the trigger again, the chain quickly retracted, pulling Linkle off of her feet and into the air.

“Hey!”

“Get back here!”

“The fuck is she doing?”

When Linkle reached the scaffolding, the hook unlodged from the wood and she tumbled forward onto the platform. “ Ugh ,” she moaned in minor pain as she stood up. Down on the ground, she could see the guards running towards the building she’d just scaled. Alarm bells went off all around the fortress grounds, and additional guards were spilling out from the surrounding structures.

Fuck.

Searching desperately for a way out, Linkle spotted a small wooden structure atop the roof of another building, across the pathway from her position. It appeared to be a simple observation tower. Since there was no archer currently peeking out from the window to shoot her, she figured it was empty. Deciding to continue upward, she pointed her hookshot and fired again, zipping away just as she heard the soldiers’ boots climbing the scaffolding below her.

When she reached the observation tower, her heart skipped a beat as she fell a short distance before her hands managed to grab the window sill. Her right hand slipped, causing her to shriek in surprise and swing to the side. She recovered quickly, grabbing the window sill once more and pulling herself inside. She heard arrows colliding with the side of the tower just as she made it to temporary safety.

Linkle slumped down against the wall inside the tower, breathing rapidly.

Do they all work for the Sheikah? For the demon? Or have they been tricked?

Regardless of why her enemies were attacking her, she realized she had to keep moving. Barging through the door, she found herself on the rooftop. Three guards she hadn’t seen before had already made it to the top of the stairs. They brandished their swords when they saw her, getting into their combat stances.

Wait !” Linkle shouted desperately. “What the hell is going on? What did I do?”

The guard in front looked appalled. “At the very least, you are guilty of murder and impersonating the Hero.”

Impersonating ?” Linkle was offended, and more than a little annoyed. She pulled out the Master Sword and held it out to them. “See the sword, idiot? I’m the real Hero!”

“If that’s true, then give us the sword and come with us. We can sort this out once you’re safely in irons.”

“Are you kidding me?” Linkle asked, stepping back and holding her sword at the ready. “Someone’s trying to kill me! You think I’m just gonna let that happen?”

The guard sighed with contempt. “Forget it. Seize her!”

The soldier on the man’s left came forward, slashing at Linkle with his sword. She reflexively spun out of the way, then pulled out her crossbow and shot him in the face. He fell to the ground with a bolt through his skull, dead.

“Stop!” Linkle shouted as the other two guards came at her, but they ignored her. She changed out her crossbow for her shield and attempted to fight them off. She was outnumbered two-to-one, and both her opponents were larger than her, but she had the better weapon. The Master Sword glowed bright with every slash. Whether the guards thought it was the real Master Sword or not, they seemed to be intimidated by the magic weapon, and they pulled far back whenever she swung at them.

Eventually, Linkle found an opening and drove her sword through the heart of one of her attackers. Up close, she saw the look of agony and shock on his face. Her expression turned to horror as well, but before she could dwell on it, she was forced to pull back to dodge out of the way. Her third attacker was still fighting.

“Stop, stop! Please, stop!” Linkle begged as she parried his blows, backing up as they clashed.

“You just killed two of my comrades, and you tell me to stop?” the man roared with fury.

Linkle glanced behind her and realized she was nearly at the edge of the rooftop. An arrow flew over her head, and she realized just how many other guards were still coming.

Her attacker persisted. “It’s over for you, you little monster! I’m going to–”

Linkle screamed and charged at him. She knocked his sword out of the way, then stabbed him in the gut. “Stop– making me– kill you– asshole!” Linkle shouted while swiftly stabbing him several more times.

When she pushed the man’s body over, she let out a scream of distress. She didn’t enjoy killing Children of Nayru, at least not the ones who may not have really deserved it, like these men. She breathed heavily as she wiped the blood off of her sword, and she desperately wished for a way out of this.

Linkle heard footsteps coming from the floor below her. More guards were approaching, so she decided she needed to leave. Rushing over to the other edge of the rooftop, she quickly searched for something else to hook onto. There was another wooden structure atop one of the other buildings, so she aimed and launched her hookshot.

“Stop her!” someone shouted from behind her as she let the chain retract, pulling her off of the roof. However, she did not make it all the way across this time. As she swung through the air, the hook came loose, causing her to plummet the rest of the way to the ground.

“No, no, no, augh !” Linkle rolled when she landed, but it still hurt. She could hear alarm bells and shouting all around her, so she didn’t have time to recover. She stood up and ran. Luckily, there was nobody blocking her path, so she was free to use her Pegasus Boots to sprint towards the western wall of the fortress grounds.

She knew there was no way she’d be able to get through the gate, but the other parts of the wall would likely be less well-defended. So, she sprinted straight for the southern end of the wall, spotted a tower with a good place to grapple onto, raised her hookshot, and fired.

Hookshot, don’t fail me now!

When she hopped up over the parapet, she found two more guards waiting for her. However, before they had time to react, she kicked one of them in the chest, causing him to stumble backwards into the other one. She then simply leaped over the other edge of the wall, shooting her hookshot back into an exposed wooden section of the tower along the way. This allowed her to safely lower herself quickly down to the ground.

As soon as her boots hit the dirt, she took off sprinting again, not waiting for the archers atop the wall to take aim at her. She didn’t look back, and soon the alarm bells faded into the distance.

I’m the Hero. How the hell did I turn into a fugitive?!


Linkle chose not to follow the road. It wouldn’t have been safe if people were looking for her. Also, the road would bring her closer to Kakariko. As far as she knew, that was her enemy’s headquarters. So, she instead sprinted straight through Blatchery Plain and into the Ash Swamp.

It wasn’t long before she grew tired. She’d never run at full speed for that long before. Even if the magic of the Pegasus Boots helped her move faster, they didn’t make the exercise any less strenuous. Climbing onto the driest patch of land she could find, Linkle sat down to rest.

The Ash Swamp wasn’t as filthy as the name implied. There was still plenty of grass and plenty of trees to be seen. The area was just really wet and boggy, with several bodies of water scattered throughout. It was right in the center of the wilds in Western Necluda, so there were bound to be monsters, too. It wouldn’t be the easiest place to travel, but Linkle doubted anyone would follow her.

Except maybe the monsters working with the Sheikah.

Linkle sighed. She hated that she wasn’t excited. She’d only just confirmed she was the Hero, and she was on an epic quest, traveling through the wilds and fighting monsters. This should have been a dream come true for her. Instead, she was somehow on her way to becoming a wanted criminal, and she was alone.

“Brother,” she said aloud, a tear dripping down her face as she stared into the swamp. “I fucked up.”

I shouldn’t have gone on without you. I should’ve gone back to Loshlo or Hateno to look for you.

She had an important mission to prevent a demon from stealing the most sacred relic in the kingdom, but that shouldn’t have stopped her from going back for her brother. He never would’ve left her behind, no matter how important their quest was.

As she contemplated things, she was startled by a noise, which caused her to jump to her feet and draw her sword. Several yards in front of her, something had risen up from the water. At first, it looked like a big piece of rock, but Linkle soon realized the rock was a shell. She could see the eyes and snout of an Octorok peeking out from under it. The monster was nowhere near the size of the one she’d seen at sea, but it must have been a good four meters tall, at least. Regardless, as Linkle stared at the Octorok, she was reminded of the larger one -- the one that had attacked her ship and separated her from her brother.

“You bastard !” she cried, directing her anger toward the swamp monster.

Linkle’s screaming must have caused the Octorok to recognize her as hostile. It quickly spat a large rock at her, then ducked its face beneath the water, leaving only its boulder-sized shell above the surface.

Linkle dodged out of the way, then charged towards the water’s edge. She had no plan other than to kill the Octorok. Once she stepped into the swamp water, the Pegasus Boots no longer functioned very well, and she was forced to trudge her way over to the monster. When she got closer to the giant Octorok, she was about waist-deep in the water. She stabbed at its shell with the Master Sword, which managed to chip the shell slightly, but it ultimately did the monster no harm.

“Die! Die!” she shouted, trying to stab it a few more times. Suddenly, she felt something grab her leg, pulling her underneath the water’s surface. The Octorok had wrapped its tentacles around her, and it was now trying to drown her.

Linkle thrashed about wildly, struggling to get free of the monster’s grip. Swinging her sword, she managed to chop off a few of its tentacles. Once she’d broken free of its grip, she kicked back against the monster, pulling herself up for air and sucking in a deep breath.

The Octorok seemed to give up at that point. The giant shell drifted quickly through the water, fleeing further into the swamp.

“Get back here!” Linkle shouted, pulling out her crossbow and loosing a bolt at the retreating monster. The bolt bounced harmlessly off of the back of the shell. Linkle waded a yard or two through the water before she, too, gave up and made her way back to land.

Linkle was soaked, so she decided it was time to build a fire. She wandered west for some time until she found another patch of dry land to make camp. Once she had the fire going, she removed the green tunic she wore -- the one that was modeled after the Hero’s iconic outfit -- then laid it out to dry on a stump near the fire. She took a seat on a log across from it.

Linkle sat there for a while. She couldn’t remember the last time adventuring hadn’t felt fun to her. Nothing was going right. Her brother was missing, and she’d been too stupid to go back and look for him. Barely anyone believed she was even the real Hero. And now she couldn’t even slay a monster correctly.

What the fuck is wrong with me?

However, after sitting still with her thoughts for a while, Linkle straightened her back and looked up into the skies.

I see what this is. The gods are testing me.

Every Hero went through tribulations of some kind. They didn’t become famous for giving up when things got tough.

If I want to be like them, I can’t let this get to me.

Linkle stood up and paced around the campfire. “I’m gonna make it back to the capital. I’m gonna find the last key. I’m gonna slay the demon. I’m gonna protect the Triforce. And I’m gonna save the realm!”

When she finished her little speech, she stared out into the darkness, as if challenging any nearby monsters to come try to stop her. However, as she looked out into the night, she realized how late it was, and how tired she’d become.

I’ll get some sleep now, then save the world in the morning.


When Linkle awoke, she packed up and got ready to head out. But, when she reached for the tunic she’d left out to dry, she stopped.

They’re looking for the Hero. I’m too recognizable in this, aren’t I?

She knew Link would suggest she do everything she could to conceal her identity. She couldn’t leave the Master Sword behind, but she could keep it in its sheath. The hero’s tunic, on the other hand, was too big of a risk, especially since her enemies already knew she wore it. Sighing with regret, she left the tunic where it was. It pained her to leave it behind, but she knew she had to.

And so, Linkle trekked on, continuing west until she made it out of the Ash Swamp. From there, she had only two ways she could go. If she went north, she’d have to go straight through Old Kakariko, which she’d already decided was out of the question. The other route would take her through the Twins and then through the Dueling Peaks, which meant passing through a populated town and then getting back on the road. She knew that was risky, but she had no alternative.

She’d already ditched her hero’s tunic, and the Master Sword would remain hidden as much as possible. The only other thing she could think to do in order to further conceal her identity was to keep her face hidden somehow. She pulled a hood over her head, which would help somewhat, but it didn’t seem like quite enough.

I could buy a helmet of some kind in town.

“Oh. Wait.” Suddenly, Linkle had a thought. Rifling through her things, she retrieved the odd, stone-like mask that had been left for her by the mask salesman. “This’ll do,” she said aloud, putting on the mask.

Now, if anyone looks under my hood, they won’t see the Hero. They’ll just see some weirdo in a mask.

Reasonably satisfied with her disguise, Linkle cautiously proceeded through the field in the direction of the Twins.

The town known as ‘ the Twins ’ was divided into three sections by the Squabble River flowing through it. The town got its name from the two bridges that connected the three sections of the town. The larger bridge was known as the ‘ Big Twin Bridge ,’ while the smaller one was the ‘ Little Twin Bridge .’ The names of these bridges were meant to mirror the Dueling Peaks, which themselves were sometimes referred to as ‘ the Big Twin ’ and ‘ the Little Twin .’ While the town was much smaller than Hateno, it was considered one of Necluda’s major settlements because it stood at the east end of the Dueling Peaks, which served as the primary route between Necluda and Central Hyrule.

When Linkle arrived at the town gate, she found it wide open. There were sentries posted by the entrance nodding to people as they came in and out, but no one was being stopped or searched. Linkle briefly wondered if it was some sort of trap, but she decided she’d be fine as long as she acted natural. So, she slipped in with a group of peasants entering the city who were accompanying a horse-drawn cart filled with produce. She kept an eye on the guards as she passed by, but none of them paid her any notice.

Perhaps word of me has not spread here yet. Or maybe the disguise is working.

Whether or not the town guard had been informed of her yet, Linkle did not wish to stay in the Twins long enough to find out. However, the journey back to the capital would be long, so she wanted to stop by the market to pick up a few necessary supplies before she left.

Her first stop was a fletcher. She was low on crossbow bolts, and while she loved using the Master Sword more than anything, she didn’t want to be caught empty-handed if she found herself in a situation where she needed a ranged weapon.

The shop was fairly small. Many different styles of bows hung upon the walls, and there were barrels filled with various kinds of arrows. A single shopkeeper stood behind the counter, absent-mindedly carving a piece of wood. With no one else around, Linkle felt relatively safe speaking with the man.

“Pardon me, sir,” Linkle said, stepping closer to the counter.

The man did not reply. He continued to drag his knife across the wood.

“Sir? I would like to purchase some bolts for my crossbow,” Linkle told him.

Still, the man did not answer.

Linkle furrowed her brow in confusion. “ Hellooo ! Buddy, I’m talkin’ to you!” She was baffled when the man still did not reply or even look up from what he was doing. There was no way he required that much concentration to carve an arrow.

Can he not hear me through this mask or something?

Confused, Linkle lowered her hood and removed the stone mask. “Sir, I–”

Ahh !” The man jumped back from the counter in surprise. “By the gods, young lady, you scared the hell out of me!”

“What?” Linkle asked in bewilderment. “I’ve been trying to get your attention since I came in. You just completely ignored me!”

“What?” The fletcher seemed genuinely confused and embarrassed. “Uh, well, my apologies, I suppose. I must have spaced out.” He cleared his throat. “You, uh-- What can I help you with today?”

“I need some bolts for my crossbow,” Linkle repeated with mild annoyance.

“Yes, of course. Right away, young lady.”

Linkle told the man how many she wished to purchase, then gave him a handful of rupees. As soon as their transaction was complete, Linkle left the shop, putting the mask and her hood back on as she exited through the door.

Her next stop was to be a shop where she could purchase some good traveling food. She knew how to hunt and how to forage, but it was always good to have some rations on hand when going on a journey through the wilds.

“Ow!” Linkle cried as someone walked right into her as she navigated through the marketplace.

“Oh! Terribly sorry,” the woman who’d bumped into said. “I didn’t see you there.” After her initial apology, the woman seemed to notice Linkle’s strange mask. It obviously creeped her out, and she hurried away.

“Hm,” Linkle grunted. Glancing around, she looked to see if anyone else had taken notice of her after that little encounter. Her goal had been to hide her identity and keep a low profile, and that seemed to be working. However, she found it strange that no one else seemed to think much of her mask. She’d expected to get a few curious glances and double takes, but nobody around seemed to care.

Maybe masks aren’t that uncommon around here. Is there a festival this season?

Undeterred, Linkle carried on her way. However, moments later, a large man walked straight into her, knocking her to the ground.

“Oh, Din! My mistake, stranger. I swear I didn’t see you.” The man held out his hand and helped Linkle to her feet.

“I-It’s alright,” Linkle replied, her voice coming out somewhat muffled by the mask. Not wishing to carry on the encounter any longer, she quickly excused herself and continued through the marketplace.

Something weird is happening.

First the fletcher, then those two people on the street.

How could they not have seen me?

Linkle glanced down at her gloved hands, as if she was expecting to find she was invisible somehow. She could see herself just fine, but perhaps others could not for some reason.

Stepping out into the middle of the marketplace, Linkle stood directly in the path of a man who was walking by with a bag slung over his shoulder. She waved her hands at him like she was trying to get his attention, but even though he was looking right towards her, he had no reaction. If Linkle had not stepped to the side to avoid him, he would have walked right into her, same as the others.

Linkle put a hand to the mask she wore on her face.

So that’s what it does!

The mask salesman had told her that the masks he sold held enchantments that imbued the wearer with the powers and abilities of the figure being depicted. Linkle was not aware of any race in Hyrule that had the appearance depicted in the mask, nor was she aware of any race that could not be seen until one made physical contact with them. Nevertheless, that appeared to be the power she had while wearing this mask.

…Cool. Let’s test this out!

After a short search, Linkle happened upon a store with a sign displaying various food items, so she stepped inside. There were two women inside the store. One of them appeared to work there, while the other was purchasing a bushel of apples. As Linkle still wore the mask, neither woman appeared to notice her. Wanting to see how far she could take it, Linkle walked right up to the counter next to the woman buying the apples.

The customer handed some rupees to the shopkeeper, but the two of them continued talking. As they did, Linkle reached into the woman’s basket, grabbed an apple, and lifted it up in front of them. Linkle expected them to be surprised by the floating apple, but they continued chatting, apparently unable to even see the apple.

Huh. That’s interesting.

Linkle put the apple back in the basket, then took off the mask.

The shopkeeper looked startled. “Oh! Hello there.”

The woman with the basket turned her head to find Linkle standing beside her. “Oh, sorry, dearie.” She stepped away from the counter, waving to the shopkeeper. “I’ll see you tomorrow!”

“Goodbye!” The other woman waved back as the customer exited the store. She then turned her attention back to Linkle. “How may I help you, young lady?”

“Hello.” Wanting to see what would happen now that she’d been seen, Linkle put the mask back on. “I was hoping to purchase a few days’ worth of travel rations,” she said through the mask.

The shopkeeper raised an eyebrow, as if she found it odd that Linkle had chosen to put a mask on for some reason. “Ah, certainly. We have many things that are perfect for traveling,” the woman replied, gesturing over to the barrels on the far side of the store. “Take a look over there. I’m sure you’ll find something you like.”

Linkle nodded, then went to have a look.

So I guess she can still see me.

Linkle took a few moments to look over what was available. As she did, the shopkeeper went into the backroom.

She must not deal with a lot of thieves.

Grabbing some salted meats, some nuts, and a few other things that would be good for traveling, Linkle brought her items over to the counter and put them down, waiting for the shopkeeper to return.

When the woman stepped back into the room, she found Linkle’s items waiting on the counter. She then glanced around the room. “Young lady?” the shopkeeper called in confusion.

Linkle couldn’t help but smile behind her mask.

So now she can’t see me again.

She waited until the shopkeeper looked the other way before she took the mask back off. When the woman behind the counter turned and found her standing there, she gasped in surprise, putting her hand to her heart.

“Oh, there you are, dear,” she said to Linkle, chuckling nervously. “Is this everything you need?”

Linkle nodded, smiling wryly. “Yep, all set!” She then paid for her items, put them in her bag, and exited the shop.

Outside in the marketplace, Linkle walked southwest, heading for the Big Twin Bridge. As she walked, she held the stone mask in her hand, staring at it in wonder.

What the hell is this thing? Where did it come from? Why did the mask salesman give it to me?

She’d been in need of a way to conceal her identity and hide from her pursuers, and she suddenly found herself in possession of the perfect tool to aid her.

That mask salesman must have been sent by the gods to help me.

Taking a look through her belongings, Linkle was fairly certain she had everything she needed. The next step was to leave the Twins, travel back to Central Hyrule through the Dueling Peaks, and then head back to the capital. The Royal Family needed to know about what was going on, and they would be able to help her locate the Kokiri girl who held the sword key.

I cannot believe I’ve been collecting these for the enemy this whole time…

Holding her hookshot in her hand, she counted herself lucky she’d managed to hold onto it. If she’d mistakenly given it to the Sheikah like they wanted, it may have spelled disaster.

As she rifled through one of her carrying bags, Linkle also found herself gripping down on the Ocarina of Wind. “Oh. Right,” she said aloud.

I need to stop by the Temple of Time on the way. The sage needs to know what must have happened to the real Ocarina of Time.

Chapter 66: Mila VIII

Chapter Text

“Under my leadership, Hyrule will not live in fear of heretical sages, rebels, or monsters. As a kingdom, we must be brave. We must be strong . And we must be united.

The crowd cheered as Prince Percival finished his speech. It was the third one he’d given this week, and even Mila could tell he was improving.

These people are idiots. All you need to do is shout a few adjectives and talk about how great the kingdom is, and everybody claps.

“This is insufferable,” Mila bemoaned, standing at the perimeter, sword on her back and arms crossed in front of her. She expected Vanova to say something in response, so when all she received was silence, Mila glanced up at her retainer. The round-eared girl was staring at the prince with a dreamy expression on her face. Sighing in annoyance, Mila smacked the back of Vanova’s thigh with her hand.

Ouch ! Thank you, my lady. Sorry, my lady.” Vanova hurriedly bowed in apology.

“Will you stay focused, you tart?” Mila scolded. “It’s bad enough I have to stand here and watch this tripe.” The Kokiri girl glanced around her, making sure there was nobody close enough to overhear. She would normally have waited until she returned to her chambers to complain, but being on guard duty for the prince while he campaigned for kingship was heavily grating on her nerves.

“I thought you would be happy, Lady Shadowgale,” Vanova commented innocently. “This assignment is safe and easy. The worst we’ve had to deal with has been drunkards.”

Mila snorted derisively. “True. But this is so slow and boring . The princes and princesses are supposed to be fighting, but all they do is give speeches to useless peasants. Why are they so bad at killing each other? If I’d been a candidate, I’d be the bloody queen by now.”

My lady !” Vanova said in a frantic whisper.

Mila sighed, deciding she’d voiced her treasonous thoughts in public enough for one day. “You’re right. I apologize for my stupidity.” Luckily, there still did not appear to be anyone else within earshot, so she would not need to kill or intimidate anyone into silence.

From behind her, Mila heard the telltale ring of her fairy returning.

“Oh, good. The bell is back,” Mila said.

Vanova giggled.

“Har, har.” Luft fluttered over to Mila’s shoulder and sat down on it. “The tall one wants to see you.”

Mila turned her head to glance at the fairy on her shoulder. “Finally.” Even after she’d started working with the Lord of Spikes, Mila had been having difficulty finding a time when he was free to meet with her. Between his duties as acting Grand Artificer and whatever other nefarious plots he was concocting against the Royal Family, he was hardly ever in his office.

“Should I tell him you’re able to meet, or are you too busy babysitting the prince?” Luft asked.

“We’re almost done here,” Mila replied, watching as Prince Percival shook hands with the nobles he’d allowed to come to the front of the crowd. “I’ll be off duty once the prince returns to the castle. Tell him I’ll be there soon.”


Mila approached Lord Remoth’s office without any of her guards in tow, only bringing Luft with her. As far as she was concerned, the fewer witnesses she had, the better.

Just as his personal chambers had been, Remoth’s office had a number of black-cloaked knights with face-concealing helmets guarding the door. As they peered at her through the slits in their helmets, she saw their glowing red eyes, and she was convinced they were not human. Others may have mistaken them for Sheikah because of the eyes, but Mila knew better. Any one of them could have been the monster who’d attacked her in her bed that night. He may have wanted revenge for what she did to his friend.

Nevertheless, Mila did not bat an eye. She walked right up to them and nodded her head to the side, silently telling them to move out of her way. Two of them did so, allowing her to reach the door uninterrupted. Turning the knob, she opened the door and stepped inside.

“I have arrived,” Mila announced herself.

Lord Remoth sat at his desk, looking over some parchment. He glanced up at her when she entered. “Sit.”

Mila did so, taking a seat in one of the chairs on the other side of his desk. “Are we finally ready to act?”

Remoth looked uninterested. “In what way?”

Mila raised an eyebrow. “The election has started. The people know the late king’s children are in direct competition with each other. If any of them were to mysteriously end up dead, all of Hyrule would suspect it was their siblings who did it. Now is the perfect time.”

Lord Remoth turned a page. “It’s still too early.”

Mila looked confused. “Why? What is the point in moving at a snail’s pace?”

“The Royal Family members are not the only variables in this equation,” the Lord of Spikes explained. “Their time will come, but at present, their lives are necessary to draw out the other necessary target.”

“There’s someone else more important than the Royal Family?” Mila asked. “Who? Is it a god?”

“It isn’t relevant to you.” Lord Remoth put a stamp on something and put it to the side. “Now, as for why you’re here.” Reaching his arm out to the side, he gestured with his hand as if he were beckoning someone to join them.

Mila turned to look. At first, she saw no one there. But then, a shadow appeared on the wall, and a man stepped out of it. She flinched in surprise as Grand Watcher Socicilla walked across the room and took a seat beside her. The Sheikah man wore a dark, hooded robe and a face covering, so only his blood red eyes were showing. He did not show any interest in Mila.

“What is this?” the Kokiri girl asked in annoyance. If there had been someone else listening in on their private conversation, she would have liked to have been informed ahead of time.

“Lady Shadowgale, you informed me that Prince Lancel possessed a device that allowed him to control the movement of Skyloft,” Lord Remoth said, reiterating a conversation they’d had earlier.

“Yes, indeed,” Mila confirmed. Luft had discovered this after eavesdropping on a conversation between the princesses. “Are we ready to act on that information?”

“I believe so.” Lord Remoth turned to Socicilla. “Grand Watcher, would you kindly share your plan with Lady Shadowgale?”

The mysterious Sheikah man nodded. “My watchers have confirmed Prince Lancel keeps the control device secured within his tower. I will arrange for the prince to be away from the tower, and for its wards to be disabled. Lady Shadowgale can use that opportunity to enter the tower and retrieve the device.”

What ?” Mila was shocked by all of this. For one, she had no idea the Grand Watcher was working with Lord Remoth’s insurgency group. Additionally, she took issue with her sudden involvement in the Grand Watcher’s plan. “Why me ? What the hell’s the point of that? Why not have one of your stupid watchers do it?”

“I can disable almost all of the prince’s wards, but I cannot disable the ones meant to ward off shadow magic users like myself and my agents,” Socicila explained. He spoke completely emotionlessly, not appearing to take any offense to Mila’s rudeness. He also showed no apparent qualms about betraying the prince.

Mila furrowed her brow. She knew little of that kind of magic, but for the prince to have multiple wards set up against multiple different types of possible intruders, he must have been pretty paranoid.

“Fine. I’ll do it,” Mila agreed. “But on one condition -- I get to keep the control device.”

“I see no reason not to entrust it to you,” Lord Remoth agreed. “Given your affinity for wind magic, we may require your skills in order to make use of it anyway. Grand Watcher, have you any objections?”

Socicila shook his head.

“Excellent.” Mila smiled. “Well, then. When are we doing this?”


Mila crouched atop a wall that stood high along the side of the castle. She had positioned herself a fairly large distance away from Prince Lancel’s tower, knowing it was important that she not be spotted. Peering through a spyglass, she waited until she saw the prince leaving with his bodyguard.

“Looks like the Sheikah did his job,” Mila remarked to Luft.

“What about the other guards?” the fairy asked.

Mila moved the spyglass, focusing on the two royal guards standing at the end of the bridge leading to the entrance of the prince’s tower.

“This will be a lot cleaner if I don’t have to kill anyone,” Mila whispered. “There shouldn’t be any guards within the tower. I just need to get inside without the guards spotting me.”

Sneaking into the prince’s tower did not seem difficult to pull off. Mila had the cover of night on her side, her small frame made it easy for her to hide, and her wind magic gave her mobility that most sentries would not be considering. While she had not dressed herself in an outfit too obviously built for stealth, she had opted not to wear her armor, so she would make little noise as she moved.

“Follow me, Luft.”

“As if I have a choice.”

Collapsing the spyglass and putting it away, Mila leaped over the edge of the wall. She used the wind to slow her descent, landing almost silently on the level far below. She then repeated this action, jumping down another level that would allow her access to the base of the prince’s tower.

As she made her way across the castle grounds, she saw many guards on duty, but none of them spotted her. She did her best to keep out of sight. It would not have been inherently suspicious for her to be found outdoors this late at night, but if she were spotted, it may have caused issues somewhere further down the line when the prince started asking questions about his missing control device.

When she made it to the base of the tower, Mila tilted her head to look upwards. The closest window was several stories up. Climbing all that way was going to be a pain.

“Nothing you haven’t done before, right?” Luft pointed out.

Mila grunted. “The Talus Titan was much easier than this. Lots more handholds.” She sighed. For most people, falling while attempting to climb the tower would have been fatal. For her, it would have meant starting again from the bottom. A mere inconvenience compared to certain death, but Mila hated inconvenience. And so, she started climbing, trying her best not to fall.

Luckily, she managed to climb all the way up to the lowest window with nothing more than a few scrapes on her hands. Luft was able to slip inside the tower and unlatch the window to let Mila in. When Mila crawled inside, she found herself atop a spiral staircase, upon which she sat down to catch her breath.

“Heal,” Mila demanded, thrusting her hands out towards Luft.

“Heal, what?” Luft teased.

“Heal now .”

The fairy giggled, but complied, hovering above Mila’s hands as she sprinkled them with her healing magic.

When she was ready, the Kokiri girl climbed to her feet and dusted herself off. “Alright. Let’s get searching,” she said to Luft. “Warn me if you see anyone. Socicila said there wouldn’t be any guards inside the door, but you never know.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

Mila wasn’t sure exactly how much time she would have, so she wanted to search quickly. However, she also did not want to make her intrusion obvious, so she had to be careful.

Try to think like him. Where would the supposed genius prince hide something this important?

The prince’s tower was filled with items that looked delicate and expensive. It was decorated with fine portraits, porcelain vases, magical artifacts, and trinkets from numerous other civilizations. Probably more than anything, it was filled with books. Despite Hyrule Castle having its own considerable library, the prince had his own personal library that spanned three levels of his tower.

Mila expected to find the control device in the prince’s bedchambers. She looked under his bed, mattress, and pillows, in his wardrobe, behind the mirror, and everywhere else she could think to look. In numerous other rooms, she checked beneath the furniture and behind every portrait, hoping to find a safe or a hidden compartment somewhere.

“For Din’s sake,” the Kokiri girl said in annoyance, sitting herself down on the prince’s couch. “I didn’t expect this to be easy, but gods is it frustrating.”

“I’ll say,” Luft agreed, jangling in annoyance. “If I have to look at one more pretentious piece of art, I’m gonna burn this damn tower down.” The fairy settled down on Mila’s shoulder, raising her tiny arms up in a stretch.

Mila mimicked her fairy partner’s actions. “I hope the device in question isn’t small,” she said aloud. “If it can fit inside of a hollowed out book, we might have to search Lancel’s entire library.”

“Well, I’ve often said people should spend more time in the library,” came a man’s voice from the doorway.

Mila leaped to her feet, immediately drawing her sword.

“Now, now.” Prince Lancel leaned against the wall. “It’s poor manners to draw your sword in someone else’s home, you know.”

The Kokiri girl did not know what to do.

I took too long to search! Either that, or that idiot Socicila didn’t do his job right.

“Please, sit back down,” the prince insisted, gesturing to the couch Mila stood in front of. “We no doubt have much to discuss.”

Prince Lancel remained friendly and affable, but Mila did not feel safe. The sound of clanking metal followed from behind him, and a moment later, the prince’s bodyguard appeared in the doorway, blocking Mila’s exit. Sir Anselm had his axe drawn, but he placed the head of it on the ground in front of him, with his hands resting on the pommel.

“Please listen to the prince, my lady,” the distinguished knight requested.

“What are you so scared of?” Luft asked in the Fairy tongue, hovering beside Mila’s head. “He’s just an old man. You can take him.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t be so sure of that,” Prince Lancel replied, also speaking their language, much to their surprise.

“...Very well, my prince.” Mila sat back down.

“Splendid!” Lancel clapped his hands together and sat down on the sofa chair across from her. “Now, then. Dame Shadowgale. Or, I hear it’s Lady Shadowgale now, is it?”

“That is correct,” Mila nodded, showing some pride.

Lancel laughed. “Excellent. I see working for my brother has its perks.”

“I suppose it does.” Mila eyed Sir Anselm, wondering if she would be fast enough to slip past him.

“So, why don’t you enlighten me as to your business in my dear home?” the prince requested.

Mila only had a moment to think. “Prince Pervival sent me. He wanted me to find any information regarding your campaign that would be useful to him.”

Prince Lancel smirked. “That is not a bad fabrication, but I’m afraid I already had you at a disadvantage, given that I already know why you are here.” Reaching into his carrying bag, Lancel pulled out a rectangular slate of some kind. It was about the size of the clay tablets the Zora wrote on, but Mila could not quite tell what material it was made of. It didn’t look quite like metal or quite like stone.

Is that the control device?

“This is what you were here for, is it not?” the prince asked, wearing a cocky smile on his face. “Not that I blame you, or my brother, of course. With this little thing, I can control each and every sky island that makes up the whole of Skyloft.” The prince tapped his hand against the slate and one face of it lit up, making a gentle noise. Lancel swiped his finger across it a few times, which caused the lights on the slate to change, showing various symbols and images.

Mila was amazed by what she was seeing. She’d never heard of a device like that, whether it was magical or technological.

“I know! It’s quite impressive. I call it the Sky Slate . I was quite happy with it after I managed to repair it.” Lancel tapped the slate in a way that caused the lights to turn off, accompanied by another noise. He then slipped the slate into his bag.

Mila furrowed her brow. The prince was being extremely open with her. He no doubt believed he held all the cards. However, he seemed to still believe she was there at the behest of Prince Percival. That meant there was some information he did not have.

Maybe I can convince him to let me go if I agree to spy on his brother for him.

“How did you know I was here?” Mila asked probingly.

“How would I not have known, my lady?” Lancel replied, still smirking insufferably.

Mila hesitated, choosing her words carefully. “There were not any active wards on the tower.” She was unable to know that, and Socicila had told her there would still be a few active. Nevertheless, she didn’t want to give away any useful information.

Lancel laughed. “Ah, so is that what Socicila told you?”

Mila was shocked.

So it was on purpose? Socicila set me up? But why?

Perhaps she’d been stupid to agree to do this in the first place. She had no reason to trust Socicila, even if her business partner appeared to trust him. However, something still didn’t add up.

If the Grand Watcher told him everything, why does he still think I’m working for Prince Percival?

“What do you mean?” Mila asked noncommittally.

Lancel looked as smug as ever. “He’s quite brilliant, you know. He’s always had everyone convinced that he’s working for them – my father, Lady Impa, Lord Remoth – but really, he’s been reporting to me this whole time. It’s allowed me to stay three steps ahead of everyone else from the very beginning.”

Bullshit. If he betrays everyone else, what makes you think he won’t betray you?

“If all that is true, then why bother telling me all of this?” Mila asked, hoping to steer the conversation favorably for her. “Would you like me to work with him, too? To spy on your brother?”

Lancel clapped his hands together, then held them out invitingly. “Now there’s an idea!” he said happily. “I’m sure my brother must be quite difficult to work for. He’s never been great at properly rewarding his subordinates. Me on the other hand -- I’m an excellent lord. Isn’t that right, Anselm?”

“He pays quite well,” the elderly knight replied. “The problem is everything else.”

“See?” Lancel said proudly, as if he were satisfied with that answer. “So, how about it? Let’s make a deal! I love deals. Tell me everything I want to know about Percival’s campaign, and I’ll give you whatever you want. Especially after I become king!”

Mila internally breathed a sigh of relief. Despite having been caught breaking into a prince’s private domicile in an attempt to rob him, not only was she not to be punished, she was actually being rewarded. The Kokiri girl smiled. “Well, my prince. I think--”

Nothing could have prepared Mila for what happened next. In the middle of her sentence, something large and heavy tore through the prince’s tower, as if a giant boulder had fallen through the ceiling right above Prince Lancel. Whatever it was, it tore through the tower like it was nothing, knocking chunks of stone and wood free and scattering them to the ground below.

In an instant, the prince and his bodyguard were gone, as was a huge chunk of the wall and much of the furniture. As much of the wall had been torn away, Mila could see a colossal monstrosity hovering outside. It appeared as some sort of undead giant, with a great red eye in place of a head, and with severed hands floating in front of its wrist stubs.

Mila remained seated on the couch for a moment, stunned by the sudden destruction in front of her, and more terrified than she could ever remember being.

Demon!

Alarm bells began ringing throughout the castle grounds. The Headless Demon let out a deep, anguished groan from its mouthless body. It then lifted its arms and swung its severed hands back towards the tower.

Mila shrieked as more large chunks of the tower she was still inside of were quickly dislodged by the sudden force. The room she was in tilted forward, and she realized the whole thing was collapsing.

Mila, get out of here !” Luft shouted, flying out through the opening in the wall, ringing loudly in alarm as she did.

The Kokiri girl did not have time to think. The piece of floor she was standing on slid free from the tower, plummeting towards the ground. Reflexively, she jumped away from the collapsing tower, summoning the power of the winds as strongly as she could to propel herself. She found herself diving straight into the castle moat. Before she collided with the water’s surface, she summoned the winds once more to cushion her landing.

When she broke the water’s surface, she plunged deep into the moat. She felt disoriented, as if she’d just been smacked in the head with a heavy wooden club. It took her several seconds to realize which way was up, but once she’d righted herself, she swam upwards as fast as she could.

Mila drank in a gulp of air as soon as she got her head above water. She could see the demon was still present, hovering above the ground beside the rubble that was once Prince Lancel’s tower. There was an odd, rhythmic thumping sound coming from the monster as it slammed its hands against the ground repeatedly, as if it were beating an invisible drum.

Is that really… Lord Remoth?

As Mila treaded water, staring at the demon in horror, the monstrosity turned its eye towards her, casting a red light upon her like a searchlight. She instantly felt a searing pain in her head, as if the demon’s eye were penetrating her mind.

The pain did not last long, however. A cannon from atop the castle wall fired at the demon, causing it to emit a sudden squeal of pain. The demon turned its great eye upon the cannon. It instantly swiped one of its severed hands across the wall, obliterating the cannon that had fired upon it, as well as a chunk of the wall where the cannon once stood.

Mila thought the demon would proceed to destroy the entire castle next, but it did not remain much longer than that. The shadowy portal in the night sky from which the demon hung opened wider, and the demon ascended upwards, disappearing through the portal. Almost as quickly as it had appeared, it had left.

What the hell was that?!

“Stupid… fucking… demon ,” Mila muttered to herself, panting as she swam to shore.

I swear, if Lancel’s control device was damaged…

When she made it back to land, the area was absolutely swarming with guards. There had to have been dozens of soldiers in the area, surveying the wreckage and barking orders to each other.

“Make way!”

“Clear a path!”

“Give them some space!”

Mila watched as four women in priestess robes appeared. The guards cleared a path for them, forming a circle around what Mila realized was the mangled body of Prince Lancel. The priestesses knelt beside him, and a white glow enveloped them as they tried to heal the prince.

Idiots. He’s clearly already dead.

For a moment, Mila considered slipping away from the crowd before anyone could ask her what she was doing there. However, unless anyone had seen her diving out of the collapsing tower, she figured she was safe.

Where is the Sky Slate?

It was probably still on the prince’s corpse, but it was too difficult to see through the crowd of guards blocking the way.

Some of the guards began clearing a path once more. A knight in golden armor appeared, who Mila recognized as the Grand Protector. He spoke a few words to the priestesses, but Mila could not hear anything over the commotion. One of the priestesses stood, shaking her head.

See? What did I say? Dead.

A group of guards arrived carrying a padded wooden stretcher. They set it down beside the prince’s body. The priestesses gave up on their attempts to heal him as he was loaded onto the stretcher. The Grand Protector waved his hand, and they carried him away.

Dammit.

She would not be able to retrieve the Sky Slate that night. If it was even still functional, she or one of the Grand Watcher’s agents would have to swipe it off of the prince’s corpse later. Slipping away from the crowd, Mila retreated back to the castle to plan her next move.


The next day, Mila was not happy. Grand Watcher Socicila had set her up somehow, which meant Lord Remoth probably had as well. On top of that, if Lord Remoth truly was the demon, he had nearly killed her. He may have even intended to. And to make matters worse, the Sky Slate had been lost, and possibly destroyed.

I need to get to the bottom of this.

While the rest of the castle was in mourning over the death of Prince Lancel, Mila marched through the halls towards Remoth’s office. When she arrived, the guards stepped in her path, but she was in no mood to deal with them. Swinging her arm through the air, she summoned a gust of wind, knocking all four of them against the wall. Before they had a chance to recover, she stepped through the door, slammed it shut, and locked it behind her.

In the office, Lord Remoth took notice of her, but said nothing. He merely glared at her with a look of irritation on his face.

“What the hell was that?” Mila spat out, stomping closer to him.

“Might I ask you to be more specific?” Remoth responded with little interest.

“You know what I mean, demon ,” the Kokiri girl continued scathingly. “I do not appreciate being used like that. The Sheikah lied to me. If the prince hadn’t been in the mood to negotiate, I could have been executed for treason.”

“Yes, he lied to you,” Lord Remoth confirmed, sounding as if he thought she was an idiot for ever assuming otherwise. “We needed a way to trick the prince into bringing the control device out into the open. It worked. I fail to see the problem.”

“The problem is you two selfish bastards threw me to the wolves!” Mila asserted, angrily swinging her hand through the air, blowing the papers off of Remoth’s desk in the process.

“If you are worried about Prince Lancel, I highly doubt he will be a problem anymore,” Lord Remoth said dryly, unfazed by Mila’s rage.

“And that’s another thing!” Mila went on. “I can understand killing the prince, but doing so by destroying his tower with me inside of it ? You could have killed me!”

Lord Remoth raised a brow. “ I could have?”

“Don’t play dumb with me,” Mila said in irritation. “You, Socicila, or whoever it is you’ve got wearing that big, ugly, demon corpse. We had a deal, monster. I am not to be harmed.” Mila drew her sword and trained it on Lord Remoth. It was not her gilded sword, but rather a fairly accurate replica she carried with her while her true sword was hidden away for safekeeping. “You forget -- you still need my sword. If I die, you’ll never find it, and the Triforce will remain out of your reach. You would do well to remember that.”

Remoth eyed Mila’s sword, showing no interest in her threat. “You have my word that I shall do you no harm, nor shall anyone under my power.”

Mila hesitated. She looked for a loophole within his words or any hint of him lying. He clearly did not care for her safety, but the threat of losing the key to his prize would have to be enough to keep him in line. Slowly, the Kokiri girl slid her sword back into its sheath. “I do not have the Sky Slate,” she informed him, moving on to business.

“Sky Slate?”

“The prince’s control device. That’s what he called it,” Mila explained.

“I see. Fear not. Socicila’s agents have already recovered it,” Lord Remoth informed her.

Mila sighed angrily.

So everything went according to plan, huh?

“Then what’s next?” Mila asked. “There are still three Hyrules left.”

“We have discussed these private matters enough for one day,” Remoth said, raising a hand to stop her. “All in due time. Now, please. Allow me to return to my work.” He gestured to the door.

Mila remained a moment longer to glare at the man in annoyance. However, she relented, turning back to the door. “You should get better guards,” she remarked on her way out. When she opened the door, she preemptively blasted the guards out of her way with her magic and continued on her way.

Chapter 67: Harun XVI

Chapter Text

After passing through the Breach of Demise, Harun chose to remain silent for a while as he and his party continued their journey. He had a lot on his mind. As far as he could tell, he had finally freed himself from Ganondorf, which was something he had desired for quite some time. However, it left him with an obvious concern. The Curse of Demise was still present. Without Ganon’s power helping him to keep the curse at bay, there was no telling when it might set him off next.

“We’re stopping here,” Mina Remoth’s voice informed everyone.

The Hinox known as Raeger had been leading the party, but upon hearing Mina’s words, he stopped, and everyone else followed suit.

Harun quietly groaned. “Why are we stopping?” Harun asked, somewhat irritably. He wanted to reach the supposed location of the Triforce as soon as possible, and any further delay was enough to bother him. However, he realized the curse might have been affecting him, so he quickly changed his tone and spoke more politely. “Is there a problem, my lady?”

“Nah.” Coming to a fork in the road, Mina steered her horse down the other path. Raising an arm, she pointed towards a structure at the end of the road, near the edge of the water. “I wanna make a stop here.”

Raeger nodded his head. “Very well, Mistress.”

Harun shared an uncertain look with his retainers. “Are you sure that is wise, Miss Remoth? What if that structure houses enemies?”

“It doesn’t,” Mina insisted, sounding sure of herself. “Just come on. We haven’t got all day.”

Harun followed, along with the rest of the party. He noticed there were guards standing outside of the facility, and a few of them hurried inside when they spotted the approaching horde. Harun took this as a bad sign, but if Mina or Raeger had noticed, they did not seem concerned.

They better know what they’re doing…

Soon after, a small group of Hylians came outside through the front entrance. Some of them were armed, but some of them were not. They did not take up a combat formation, either. A woman with spectacles and red hair like Mina’s stood at the front.

“Mina!” the other red-haired woman greeted her happily.

Mina smiled, swung her leg over the side of her horse, and hopped down to the ground. “Hey, Mom,” she said, approaching the other woman and meeting her in a hug.

Harun was surprised at first, but he could easily see the resemblance.

Does that mean this woman is a monster as well? How many are there who live amongst humans like this?

“Been a while. Didn’t think you’d be here,” Mina told her mother.

“Oh, it’s not been that long,” her mother replied. She then turned to the Hinox, tilting her head to look up at him. “And Raeger! You’re just as big as I remember!”

The Hinox lowered himself into a squatting position, then extended his arm and held out a finger. Mina’s mother took hold of it, shaking his finger like one would shake a hand.

“It is nice to see you again, Doctor,” the Hinox said in his usual, oddly polite manner of speech.

“And who is this?” the red-haired woman went on, taking notice of Harun. “I wasn’t expecting Gerudo.”

“Ah, right. Harun, c’mere.” Mina waved Harun over, stepping aside.

Harun climbed down from his horse and approached the woman, giving her a bow.

“Harun, this is my mom. And Mom, this is Harun. He’s Prince of the Gerudo.” Mina gestured between them with her hands as she gave a quick introduction.

“Doctor Fleur Felltom,” Mina’s mother continued, holding out her hand.

Harun shook it. “A pleasure to meet you, Doctor.” Something about the woman seemed very familiar to the prince. He wondered if he’d heard her name before, or if he’d met someone who looked like her. He also found it odd that Fleur and her daughter did not share a surname, which seemed to be contrary to Hylian customs.

“A pleasure to meet you as well, Prince Harun,” Doctor Felltom replied. “So, what are you all doing here?” she asked, addressing the three of them. “On your way back to the temple?”

Temple?

Harun found the comment odd. The closest Sage Temples were the Light Temple and the Wind Temple, but they were headed in the wrong direction if they intended to visit either of them.

“Yep!” Mina confirmed. Then she put a finger to her lips. “But shh ! It’s a big ol’ secret, innit?” She shot a teasing grin at Raeger.

“Alright, alright.” The doctor stepped to the side and gestured towards the building’s entrance. “Mina, Prince Harun, why don’t you two join me inside for tea? Raeger can take everyone else around back to pick up some supplies. My assistants can help you.”

“Very well, Doctor,” Raeger agreed, nodding his giant head.

“I would be honored to join you, Miss Feltom,” Harun agreed. He was again somewhat frustrated by the delay, but he tried to push that thought out of his mind.

This curse will not defeat me.

“Sure!” Mina agreed as well. “Only if you don’t got anything stronger, though.”


Inside, the building appeared very clean and sterile. Most of the floors, walls, and ceilings were made of white stone, and most of the doors they walked past looked to be heavy and made of metal.

“This is some sort of laboratory?” Harun speculated, judging by Miss Felltom’s title of doctor and the appearance of her and her assistants.

“That’s correct!” Fleur nodded, holding up a finger like a triumphant teacher. “This is the Hyrulean Royal Laboratory, actually. The other researchers and I work for the Grand Alchemist.”

Royal Laboratory?” Harun repeated, suddenly worried. “Then this place has connections to the Hyrulean Royal Family?”

“Hm? Well, yeah, I guess,” Fleur confirmed, tilting her head back and forth as she thought of her answer. “The Grand Alchemist is a member of the Grand Council, which advises the Royal Family. So a good deal of our funding comes from the Crown, yes.”

“I see.” After having mentioned the Royal Family, Harun realized why Fleur seemed familiar. “Doctor, Miss Remoth, do the two of you have any relation to a ‘Dame Jeanne’?” he asked. “She is the attendant of the youngest princess.” The bodyguard had had the same red hair they did, along with similar facial features, especially compared to Fleur.

Fleur and Mina both smiled excitedly.

“Oi! You know my Aunt Jeanne?” Mina asked.

“Yes. We met when her charge visited Taafei alongside the Crown Princess,” Harun confirmed.

“That’s my big sister,” Fleur told him. “Oh! By the way, she’s quite alright, Mina,” she went on, turning her attention to her daughter.

“You mean she made it through the Blood Moon?” the younger girl asked.

“Yes, that’s right. I managed to convince your father to have her brought here instead of killing her,” the doctor explained.

“Ah, that’s good.”

Mina and her mother both seemed rather casual about discussing what sounded like an attempted murder plot.

What kind of people have I gotten myself involved with?

After walking through a bit more of the facility, Fleur led them into a more comfortable-looking room that housed a tea table and sofa chairs. “Come and have a seat,” Fleur offered.

As they sat down, the door to the room opened once more. A Bokoblin leaned in the doorway and made a noise.

Harun furrowed his brow. He did not recognize the Bokoblin from among Raeger’s party.

“Hey, Skrags,” Mina greeted the monster casually, waving her hand.

“Skrags, bring us some tea, please,” the doctor ordered.

The Bokoblin known as Skrags made another noise, then left.

Harun had so many questions for the doctor, he was having trouble deciding what to ask first. “Doctor, if I may ask, what exactly is this place? How did there come to be a facility run by monsters so close to the Hyrulean capital?”

“Hm?” Fleur tilted her head curiously. “Well, it’s not run by monsters. Grand Alchemist Naldor is a Sheikah. Most of the other scientists and I are Hylians.”

Harun furrowed his brow, glancing between the mother and the daughter.

Mina seemed to understand why he was so confused. “Only my dad’s an Acheman,” she explained, smirking.

That wasn’t any less surprising to Harun. “So, you are some manner of…”

“Half-breed? Yeah.” Mina morphed her face into a monstrous, bat-like form and spread her wings, knocking something off of a nearby table in the process.

“Oi! Watch what you’re doing with those!” Fleur scolded her, slapping one of Mina’s wings.

Mina retracted her wings and returned to her human form, laughing good-naturedly. “My bad, Mom.” She turned to Harun, still appearing amused by his bewilderment. “You know, you shouldn’t be so surprised. Aren’t all you Gerudo half-breeds anyway?”

Harun hadn’t thought of it that way. He had a Gerudo mother, and he probably had a Hylian father, but he’d never viewed himself as anything but Gerudo.

“Ooh! That is something I’m rather curious about.” Fleur adjusted her spectacles and leaned in closer to Harun, examining his face closely. “The Gerudo are a nearly-all-female human subspecies, yet when they breed with other kinds of humans, they produce an offspring that carries nearly 100% of the Gerudo phenotype. What is the mechanism behind this extreme gene dominance?”

“What?” Harun leaned away from her, feeling as though his personal space were being violated.

“What prevents the Gerudo from birthing male offspring? And why did it not prevent your mother from producing a male? Are the male Gerudo genes just as dominant? Were I to breed with you, would our child appear fully Gerudo?” the doctor went on.

What ?”

Mina laughed, slapping her hand down on the table. “Easy, Mom. He’s closer to my age, you know,” she said, raising her eyebrows at the prince.

Harun was unsure how to respond to the insane battery of questions, but luckily, the door opened. Skrags the Bokoblin returned, entering the room carrying a tray with a tea set on it.

“Ah, good! Bring it here, Skrags,” the doctor told him.

The Bokoblin made more of those screechy noises, clearly complaining in some way, but he came over to their table and placed the tray down in the middle of it. He then waved his hands and left the room again.

Mila took a tea cup and sipped from it. “Oi, Mom. Did Princess Sophitia pass through here at all?”

Her mother took a long drink for her tea before answering. “She didn’t come by here , but she and her retinue passed by on the road at some point. She went back to the capital.”

“Ah.” Mila tried to act nonchalant, but Harun could tell she was thinking hard about something. “Well, let’s just hope we get to the Triforce before Dad kills her.”

“That would be for the best, yes,” her mother agreed.

Harun was not pleased to hear about this. “Why does your husband plot to slay the Hyrulean princess?”

“We’re not married,” the doctor corrected. “But, well, he thinks the Royal Family keeps the kingdom held back with tradition. If we are to change the world in such a way as to allow the Children of Nayru to live in peace with the monsters, he thinks those who perpetuate the old conflicts must be discarded.”

“But why would killing anyone be necessary to achieve such a goal once we have the Triforce?” Harun asked. “Could he not simply wish for peace between all peoples?”

“Exactly,” Mina replied. “That’s why we need to get our hands on the Triforce as soon as possible.”

“Yes. I simply cannot wait to have all of Nayru’s knowledge at my fingertips!” Doctor Felltom declared, adjusting her spectacles with a dreamy look in her eyes.

Harun drank from his teacup. These people and their monstrous allies may have seemed strange, but their end goal appeared to be nothing more than peace and knowledge.

All we need is the Triforce. Then no one else must die.


After departing from the Royal Lab, Harun and his party did not return to the road. In order to avoid passing too close to the Hyrulean trade city of Maritta, they instead circled around Salari Hill through Irch Plain. This route eventually took them back to the road to the southwest of Aldor Foothills. For a short while, Harun assumed they would continue along the road in order to reach Hebra. However, they instead simply passed over the road and traveled through Rowan Plain, taking them to the edge of Tanagar Canyon.

Spreading her wings, Mina flapped them a few times as she hopped up onto a boulder by the edge of the canyon. “Behold! Our glorious destination!” she declared, gesturing into the pit.

Curious, Harun climbed down from his horse and approached the cliff’s edge to gaze in the direction Mina had indicated. There, at the northeast end of the canyon, he saw the face of a gigantic temple. A great doorway and several pillars lined the front of it. Most of the temple was not visible, however. The front of it stuck out of a massive pile of boulders that extended the rest of the way into the canyon. From the mining equipment scattered about outside the temple, Harun got the impression that the monsters had been digging the temple out of the rubble. Upon the small section of the temple’s roof that had already been mined free of its rocky covering, a great red dragon slept, curled up on a bed of glittering gold and rupees.

Harun was impressed with the sight of the temple, and he had many comments and questions about it. However, before he could say anything, he was struck by another of his hallucinations. The whole environment turned blood red. The dragon turned black, and it lifted its head to reveal it had morphed into a hideous form resembling the Imprisoned. The demonic dragon roared, letting out a horrible sound that shook the world.

“Harun?”

In an instant, the hallucination disappeared. Mina had appeared at Harun’s side, flicking him in the side of the head with a long-nailed finger. “What’s the matter? Afraid of a little dragon?”

“Do not touch the prince!” Laine ordered, inserting herself between the two of them.

Mina laughed. “Whatever. Let’s head inside. Meet you at the bottom!” With that, she turned around, crossed her arms over her chest, and leaped backwards over the edge of the cliff. She quickly spread her wings, however, and glided safely towards the temple’s entrance.

The other Achemen who accompanied Mina followed her over the edge and flew downward. Raeger stepped up to the cliff’s edge and pointed to the right. “There is a path you can take over that way,” he instructed.

Harun turned his head and saw the Blins were already filing their way down a series of wooden walkways that led down the side of the cliff face. Raeger didn’t join them, however. He chose to simply climb over the side of the cliff and make his way downward that way. So, Harun took his forces and followed the Blins.

When he reached the bottom, Harun saw the area was still being actively mined. Blins of all types, and even a few Hinoxes, were hard at work chipping away at the stone, both near the temple and far from it. Many of the workers had gathered around Raeger and Mina, and Raeger was apparently doling out orders.

“What is this place?” Harun asked when he approached them. “That temple over there -- I’ve never seen a map with a temple in Tanagar Canyon.”

“That may be by design,” Raeger explained.

“Yeah. What better place to hide the Triforce than a place that’s not on any map?” Mina joined in.

“But the Triforce is here, correct?” Harun asked for confirmation. “Somewhere in this temple?”

“Yep. It’s juuust behind this one door we can’t get open,” Mina told him. “You wanna see it?”

Harun nodded. “I would very much like to.”

“Alrighty. Let’s go.” Mina clapped her hands and sauntered forward towards the temple.

“I shall wait out here,” Raeger said.

Mina laughed. “Most of the temple is big enough for him to fit, but he’s afraid he’ll accidentally knock a pillar over and collapse the whole thing,” she explained to Harun.

The temple did indeed have massive doors on the front of it. One of them was currently closed, while the other was slightly ajar. As they approached, Harun wondered about the dragon on the roof. However, just as he had that thought, the dragon suddenly stirred. Exhaling a cloud of smoke from its nostrils, the reptilian beast crawled towards the roof’s edge, then reached down with its claw to slam the door shut.

The monster’s sudden action caused Harun to see another flash of the Imprisoned over a blood red world. He raised his trident, expecting a fight, and his guards followed suit. However, Mina remained unperturbed, strutting forward confidently with her hands in the pockets of her overcoat.

“Hey, Volder,” she greeted the dragon.

The monster atop the roof growled, exhaling another puff of smoke. “ Þú. Þú ert ekki sá sem ég vil sjá . Where is the Acheman Master?” The gigantic creature spoke somewhat similarly to Raeger. His voice was deep and guttural, but he was surprisingly articulate.

“My dad’s busy. So I’m here instead,” the impish girl replied. “Whaddya need my dad for?”

“I should not be here right now,” Volder complained. “I fulfilled my end of the bargain. I retrieved the bow. Why am I on guard duty? I am Volder the Dragonlord, rightful heir to the Eldin Mountains. I am not some gate guard !”

Mina shrugged. “Yeah, well, right now, you’re guarding the gate. So, I guess you are some gate guard.”

Volder snarled, then spread his colossal wings. However, he did not lift into the air. He leaped down off of the roof, landing on the ground, then crawled towards Mina. Harun, the Gerudo, and the Blins in their party all backed away slowly, but Mina stood her ground, and Raeger moved to put himself between them.

“Stand aside, cyclops!” the dragon demanded. “No one asked you to interfere.”

“This is hardly the time for us to fight amongst ourselves,” Raeger reasoned. “We are close to having all of the keys. We’ve brought the fourth one with us now.”

The dragon snarled, his underbelly red with heat. “I’m well aware of the situation,” he replied. “Even now, the Hero’s agents move against us. If anything, I should be out there leading the hunt with my sister, not standing in front of a gate.”

“We don’t even know if the Hero’s been awakened yet,” Mina argued. “If we need more disasters to help force ‘em out into the open, we’ll let you go burn some villages or something. But for now, my dad and our partners have it under control. Just relax. We’ve got the easy job now.”

Volder snarled again. “You disappoint me, half-breed,” he said to Mina. “As do you, one-eye. But I suppose neither of you matter in the end. As long as I get my wish, Eldin will be mine, and you can all return to wallowing in your swamps and forests.” The dragon turned around, then flapped his wings, lifting into the air just enough to return to the temple’s roof. “Go on and enter, then, aumkunarverðir aumingjar .” Reaching down with his claw, the dragon pried the gate open once more.

Mina turned to Harun with a smug look on her face. Upon seeing his obvious concern, she snickered. “No big deal, right?” she remarked. “Dragons are all talk. You’re more likely to get eaten by them .” She nodded her head towards the Blins who accompanied them.

That doesn’t exactly make me feel better.

“Let’s just get on with it,” Harun said in annoyance. However, he quickly recognized his rudeness and corrected it. “Excuse me. I mean to say, may we proceed now?” he asked, wishing to see inside the temple where the Triforce was kept.

“Yep. Let’s go.”

When Harun began to climb down from his horse, Mina stopped him. “It’s a long way to the other end of the temple,” she pointed out. “Keep your horses. In fact…” Mina glanced around for a moment, then put her fingers to her mouth and whistled. “Oi! Bring me that Bullbo!” she shouted to some Bokoblins off in the distance.

The monsters looked confused for a moment, but soon complied. They’d been using one of the large, boar-like monsters to pull a cart, so they reluctantly unstrapped it from the cart and led it over to their apparent half-human mistress.

“Thanks.” Mina hopped onto the Bullbo’s back and kicked its sides. The tusked monster oinked in annoyance, then trotted towards the gate. Many of Mina’s Acheman guards followed her on foot. Harun signaled for his Gerudo forces to follow as well, remaining upon the backs of their horses. As a group, they moved through the colossal gateway, under the watchful eyes of the dragon, and entered the temple.


Inside, Harun saw Mina had been correct. The temple was more than large enough for a Hinox as large as Raeger to stand inside of it. In fact, he was certain that if Volder were to enter the temple, the dragon would have been able to comfortably fly inside of it, at least in the main chamber they had entered.

The temple was like a large tunnel, extending deeper into the canyon, with a curved, high-ceiling. Harun could see several other potential pathways branching off from the main hall, although many of them were still covered in rubble. All throughout the tunnel, more monsters were chipping away at the piles of rocks scattered everywhere, just as they had been outside.

“What was this temple for?” Harun asked.

“There are statues of Hylia inside of it, so I guess it was for her at some point,” Mina replied, tugging the reins of her Bullbo to keep it from straying off the path she wanted.

The Gerudo prince looked around for statues. He did not see any of Hylia, nor any other gods or goddesses. However, he did see one recurring feature that made him curious. Around the temple, there were several stone installations that appeared to be large, bell-shaped Beamos statues. The heads were crested and had designs around the crystal eye in the center. They sat atop bases that looked to be mounds of stone, and each statue was inscribed with patterns and designs Harun did not recognize. However, all of them appeared to be in a state of disrepair. None of them moved, and many of them were still half-buried in rubble.

“Are those Beamos statues?” Harun asked, indicating a nearby statue that a Moblin was trying to dig out with a pickaxe.

“I guess so. Probably a real old-fashioned design,” Mina answered, not sounding very interested.

“Are we in any danger?” Harun knew such statues were often installed as a means to defend a site against unwanted intruders. They could even be found in the ancient ruins of lost civilizations, still functional and still deadly.

“Probably.” Mina cast her gaze over her shoulder, smirking at Harun’s concern.

The Gerudo prince was beginning to find the Remoth girl’s antics extremely irritating, but he chose not to comment further.

As they delved deeper into the temple, Harun began seeing more monsters. In addition to the types of Blins he was familiar with already, there were several other breeds he had never seen before. Likewise, there were many different kinds of Lizalfos present, as well as one or two odd creatures he did not recognize. Some of the monsters were hacking away at the stone, attempting to clear out more of the temple. Others were armed with weapons, and seemed to be keeping watch for intruders. There were also several bestial monsters being used as mounts and beasts of burden, including Dodongos, Kodongos, Helmasaurs, and more Bullbos.

“Won’t be long now,” Mina commented as they passed through a doorway guarded by two massive Dogblins.

In the next chamber, Harun was surprised to see several Sheikah. They all had snow white hair and blood red eyes. Many of them wore armor with helmets that concealed the lower half of their faces. Some kept watch on the monster workers, but the rest observed Harun and Mina as they passed by.

“Are they more monsters in disguise?” Harun asked Mina, remembering that she and her Achemen subordinates had the ability to take human form.

Mina shook her head. “Nah. They’re just Sheikah.”

The Gerudo prince furrowed his brow. “So they are like your mother and the others at the lab? They do not serve the Kingdom of Hyrule?”

Mina shrugged. “I guess.”

Harun had always known the Sheikah to be servants of Hyrule, but he supposed any individual had the ability to choose their own allegiance.

“Ah, here we are,” Mina declared a bit further into the temple.

The pathway to this section of the temple looked as though it had been cleared of rubble more cleanly than others. The paved walkway led to a pair of large, stone doors. Four knights stood in front of the doorway, all of which looked to be as heavily armored as an Iron Knuckle, but too large to be human. Even Commander Bularis would have been dwarfed standing beside one of them. Each of the creatures also wielded a massive greatsword. Harun dreaded the idea of having to fight them.

“Darknuts?” the Gerudo prince said in surprise.

Mina giggled. “Gods, it’s cute how everything just blows your mind.” The impish girl hopped down off of her Bullbo and strode forward confidently. “Oi. You can move. They’re all with me,” she told the Darknuts.

The heavily armored creatures gave her a bow, then moved to the sides, clanking noisily as they did. They then placed their hands on the doors and pulled them open, allowing Mina to enter.

The red-haired girl waved for Harun to follow her. “C’mon. You can bring your guards,” she told him. Then she turned to her own troops. “You lot can wait here, though.”

Harun was glad to hear he’d be allowed to keep his guard with him. Otherwise, he might have been nervous about going inside. So, he climbed down off of his horse, and the rest of the Gerudo did the same. With the prince leading the way, they walked past the Darknuts to follow Mina.


After passing through a hallway, they came to a relatively small chamber, at least compared to the rest of the temple. The room was more narrow and the ceiling was lower, but there was still a lot of empty space. If there had been any rubble in the room before, it had been cleared out at that point, and only a large stone table sat in the center of the room. Several Sheikah and Blin guards stood around the perimeter of the room, all of whom took notice when the Gerudo entered.

Three individuals sat around the table. One was a middle-aged Sheikah woman wearing an elegant purple and black kimono emblazoned with the Sheikah eye crest. She wore her hair tied back in a bun, and her lips were painted blood red.

Next to her was another Sheikah woman, but she was extremely elderly, though perhaps not quite as old as Kobami had been. This woman was short and squat. She had a dark violet robe draped over her body. Atop her head, she wore an oversized straw hat that had four pieces of metal jewelry hanging from it that each resembled a swinging axe. The hat also had a red Sheikah eye painted on it, and the woman had a purple tattoo of the same symbol on her forehead.

The last individual sitting at the table was a large Pigblin. The creature had a jowled face and a nose ring. His whole body bulged with muscle, even more so than the other Moblins Harun had observed throughout the temple. He wore a kind of bronze armor that Harun had not seen on any other monsters. Notably, one of the Moblin’s boar-like tusks appeared to have been broken in half.

“Miss Remoth,” the younger Sheikah woman said. “Welcome back.”

“Hey.” Surrounding the table were slabs of stone with backrests carved into them and with seats cushioned by padding of some sort to serve as crude chairs. Mina took a seat at an empty one, immediately putting her feet up on the table and leaning back to relax. “Harun, get over here.” She beckoned him, gesturing to an empty seat.

As Harun cautiously approached the table, his eyes were drawn to the elderly Sheikah. He could feel intense, dark magic radiating from her, more so than he’d ever felt from Kobami. It reminded him of the aura given off by the Sage of Spirit and the Sage of Time.

“Everyone, this is Harun. He’s the Gerudo prince.” Mina introduced him as he took a seat.

“Greetings, young prince.” The middle-aged Sheikah woman bowed her head respectfully. She spoke Hylian, but with a noticeable accent. “I am Impa Sadashi, Shogun of the Sheikah Clan. It is an honor to finally meet you.”

Harun was surprised. To have Sheikah defectors in their ranks was one thing, but if he understood her rank correctly, she was the highest-ranking Sheikah in the entire kingdom. That kind of disloyalty did not sit well with him, but he knew he had to work with her anyway. “I am honored to meet you as well,” he said simply, hoping to be respectful enough in return.

Sadashi raised her hand and indicated the elderly woman sitting beside her. “This is my mother, Ichika, the Sage of Shadow.”

Ichika bowed her head. “Hello, my child,” she said in a friendly manner.

The Sage of Shadow?

That explained why she reminded Harun of the other sages he had met. “I am grateful to have an audience with you, wise sage.”

The Moblin at the table grunted with impatience. He did not speak, but he clearly wanted to move on.

Mina chuckled and gestured to the large monster beside her. “And this here’s the Halftusk. He’s the Moblin warchief I told you about.”

“Stop wasting time,” the Pigblin growled, causing his jowls to wobble. “Why are you here, half-breed?”

Mina held her hand out, pointing toward Harun. “We’ve got the fourth key,” she proclaimed. “And my dad wanted me to keep an eye on this place. Y’know, since he doesn’t trust you , and all.”

The Halftusk growled lightly, but did not address the insult. “Then where is it?” he demanded.

“Harun, if you would?” Mina asked.

The prince was hesitant, but he did not expect them to kill him now that he’d come this far. Reaching behind his back, he took out the mirror shield and laid it flat on the table in front of him.

“Ah, of course,” Sage Ichika said. “The gift the Hero gave to Queen Nabooru, was it? It is very fitting.”

“What are the other three keys you have collected?” Harun asked curiously.

Sadashi gestured to one of her guards. A woman clad in heavy samurai armor stepped forward and handed her a simple wooden bow.

“This bow was used by the Hero of Twilight to defeat many great threats to the kingdom,” Sadashi proclaimed, placing the bow on the table.

From her robes, Sadashi’s mother produced what appeared to be a violet magnifying glass. However, the lens was decorated to look like the Sheikah eye crest. There were even three spikes resembling eye lashes sticking out from the top of it.

“The Lens of Truth,” the sage explained. “An heirloom of the Impa family.”

The Halftusk did not look pleased, but he reached back and produced a small blue object that resembled an oddly-shaped flute. “The Ocarina of Time,” the Moblin said simply.

“It is an heirloom of the Hyrulean Royal Family,” Impa Sadashi explained further.

Harun furrowed his brow. “I met with the Sage of Time, and she assured me she was still in possession of that instrument.”

The Shogun’s blood red lips curled into a faint smile. “She is not. That, in the Halftusk’s hands, is the genuine article.”

Harun nodded his acceptance, realizing they must have tricked the Sage of Time in some way. “So, these keys open the way to the Triforce?” he asked.

“Indeed,” Sadashi confirmed. “Would you like to see the door they open?”

“Yes, I would, please.”

Sadashi, Harun, and Mina stood up from the table. Ichika and the Halftusk remained seated.

“I’ll wait for you here, my children,” the Sage of Shadow told them. “I’m afraid I’m not much for walking these days.”

“Whatever you say, old lady,” Mina said, skipping away from the table and over to a doorway. “It’s just through here. C’mon, I’ll show ya.”


Harun was brought to what appeared to be the deepest chamber in the entire temple. It was a long, high-ceilinged room with not much in it, other than a great stone door at the end with an altar in front of it.

While the walls and the pillars looked positively ancient, the altar and the great door behind it stood out as looking rather new by comparison. They were carved from a darker-colored stone, they did not match the architecture of the rest of the temple, and they were not nearly as weathered and worn down as everything else. They still looked old, probably made decades or centuries before Harun was born, but they were not ancient.

“So the Triforce is just beyond that door,” Harun mused, staring up at the colossal boundary between them and their prize. The designs on the door were hard to make out, but there appeared to be a depiction of the goddess Hylia with the Triforce floating in front of her chest.

“Yep. And before you ask, no, we can’t just knock it down or dig around it. Trust me. We tried,” Mina told him.

That came as no surprise to Harun. For a sacred barrier such as this, durability-enhancing enchantments could render it nigh-indestructible. And if it had been further modified by someone wielding the Triforce itself, then they could have wished it to be genuinely indestructible.

Is such a thing even possible?

Harun approached the altar. There were six circular runic symbols carved on top of it in a line. “These are where the keys are placed,” Harun reasoned. He took out the mirror shield and held it in front of him. “May I?”

“Please do. It should confirm if that is truly a key or not. Like this.” Impa Sadashi took her bow and placed it on the altar, atop one of one of the runes. The rune lit up, glowing red in color.

Harun did the same, placing the mirror shield on one of the other runes. His rune also lit up, glowing orange.

“The door accepts it,” Sadashi told him. “Good. That means there are only two left, and we have already located them, I believe. It is only a matter of time now.” The Impa shogun removed the bow from the altar, and the light from the rune died down.

Harun retrieved the mirror shield as well. “Is the door safe to approach?” he asked, considering how it might have additional defensive enchantments that may have caused harm to those who came near it.

“Sure. You won’t be able to open it, though,” Mina told him.

“I do not expect to be able to.” Harun walked around the side of the altar and climbed the short staircase that led up to the door. While Mina had claimed it to be safe, Harun sensed a strong, dark presence the closer he got to the door -- even stronger than what he’d felt from the Sage of Shadow.

Whatever magic protects our prize, it must be exceptionally powerful.

Experimentally, the prince reached out and placed a hand against the door. However, as soon as he did, he was met with an intense vision. All he saw was the face of Demise, obscured in shadow, wreathed in flame from all sides. Harun kept his hand there, locking eyes with the demon in his vision. Just seeing the one who haunted him drove him mad, and after a few seconds, he yelled and punched the door. In doing so, he removed his hand, dispelling the vision.

“Whoa! What the fuck was that?” Mina asked, flinching away from him.

“Is something wrong, young prince?” Sadashi asked.

The prince panted, gripping his wrist as he held out his injured hand. “My apologies. It is nothing to be concerned about,” Harun replied, stepping away from the door and climbing back down the steps. He cleared his throat, hoping to move on from his outburst. “May I ask you two a few questions, please?” he asked Sadashi and Mina.

Mina shrugged. “Okay. Go for it.”

“Please, speak freely,” the Sheikah woman replied.

“Firstly, how is it that you know what is behind that door?” the Gerudo prince asked, gesturing past the altar. “The Triforce could have been hidden anywhere. Did you happen upon it while excavating these ruins?”

Mina shook her head. “My dad’s mining business hadn’t gone this deep into the canyon yet.” She gestured to Sadashi. “She’s the one who knew where it was.”

The Sheikah woman nodded in confirmation.

“But I thought the location of the Triforce was known only to the Royal Family of Hyrule,” Harun pointed out.

“Knowing the secrets of the Royal Family is one of the duties of the Impa Family,” Sadashi explained.

That brought Harun to his next question, and he knew he had to phrase it delicately. “If that is the case, then why have you chosen to aid the monsters in obtaining the Triforce? Mina, Raeger, and the Halftusk, presumably, wish to use it to aid their own people, as do I. But the Sheikah have always been on friendly terms with the Hylians. What do you gain by betraying them?”

For a moment, Harun was worried he’d spoken too boldly, wishing he hadn’t referred to Sadashi’s actions as betrayal . However, after a moment of hesitation, the Sheikah woman responded.

“I understand that what I, my family, and my people are doing is far from moral,” she said, speaking plainly. “However, it has always been the duty of my people to handle the kingdom’s unsavory business from the shadows, and to keep Hyrule’s bloody history out of the public consciousness. Dealing in necessary evils is simply the mission put forth to us by the goddess.”

“You believe this to be a necessary evil?” Harun repeated.

“I do.” Sadashi nodded. “The monsters, and you, share our goal. Everything we do, including stealing the Triforce, is wholly necessary to change the world.”

Chapter 68: Link XIX

Chapter Text

The Eastern Palace was quite a sight to behold, even more so on the inside. Link had seen the outside of the structure many times from afar, but seeing the interior of it was a different matter entirely. It was massive, well-decorated, clean, and furnished expensively. He couldn’t believe some people lived like this.

Link did not have much time to admire the decor, however, nor was he particularly interested. His mind was still on his missing sister, and Dame Jeanne led him rather quickly to a sitting room, where he was told to wait. And so, he took a seat on one of the couches that encircled a tea table and waited.

He was not sure how long he waited for, as his mind was so preoccupied. However, eventually, the door to the sitting room opened once more. Dame Jeanne and Princess Seraphina had returned, bringing Governor Kochi with them.

“Greetings, young man,” the middle-aged Hylian woman said, nodding her head respectfully.

Link quickly climbed to his feet and gave the governor a bow. “Thank you for meeting with me,” he said nervously.

The governor gestured to the empty couches. “Please have a seat,” she told everyone as she claimed the sofa chair across the table from Link. The knight and the princess sat down together on one of the other couches, and Link sat back down as well.

“Dame Jeanne tells me your sister is the Hero,” the governor began.

Link nodded. “Yes. And she’s missing,” he replied, hoping to get right to the point so they could begin searching for her.

“Indeed. Dame Jeanne also told me you and your sister were on the naval vessel that was attacked by pirates. I am sorry you had to go through that, but as you’ve been told, I do not believe your sister passed through here,” the governor reiterated.

“Yes, I know,” Link said exasperatedly. “But she must be alive. Some Sheikah were after us, and I think they wanted to capture her alive. They could’ve taken her from the pirates, or the pirates could have been working for them, or maybe she escaped to go find the other key, or--”

The governor raised her hand for silence. “I sympathize with your situation, and I do wish to help you,” she said calmly. “Perhaps you should take a moment, then start from the beginning.”

Link took a deep breath, then did as she suggested, starting from the beginning. He detailed the major points of his and his sister’s journey, glossing over the parts that did not seem important, but taking care to highlight everything he remembered about his interactions with the Sheikah and everything related to the keys they’d been sent to find.

He mentioned meeting the Sheikah shogun, Impa Sadashi, and her daughter, Shiho, in Old Kakariko, and how she’d sent them on a quest to New Kakariko. He told them about their two interactions with the Sage of Shadow, Impa Ichika, and the greater quest she’d sent them on to recover the keys from the Water Temple and the Forest Temple. He explained how his sister had managed to pull the Master Sword from the stone, and how a group of Sheikah had attacked them soon after they’d left the forest. Finally, he told them the story of how he and his sister had been separated during the pirate attack. However, he chose to leave out the part where he met the spirit of the Hero of Twilight.

“I know I can’t say for sure that she’s alive, but, but, the gods wouldn’t simply let the Hero die so soon after she got the sword, right?” Link reasoned. “So she must be out there somewhere. She’s probably going to look for the Kokiri who took Saria’s brother’s sword, or she’s going to slay the demon, or, or something . So, please, can you help me find her?”

“Yes, of course,” the governor answered plainly. “The well-being of the Hero is a matter of national importance, especially if the kingdom is under siege by a demonic threat. However, based on your story, we have another priority -- the Sheikah.”

“Much of what he said fits with what Sheik has said,” Dame Jeanne commented. “The entire Impa Family is in on this conspiracy. That means each and every Sheikah we encounter could potentially be our enemy.”

“Including Impa Ayako,” Governor Kochi pointed out. “Queen Victorique could be in danger.”

“Aya would never hurt Vicky,” Princess Seraphina said, almost pouting as she asserted her belief. “And… Sheik…” The young princess seemed to want to say more, but could not seem to find the words. Her caretaker placed a hand on her back and rubbed it affectionately.

“Whatever the case, I believe our next course of action is clear,” the governor declared. “I must bring the armies of Necluda to the capital. My other nieces and nephews must be informed of this Sheikah conspiracy. We can attempt to locate the Hero along the way. Once we are all united, we can work to rid Hyrule of these traitors and this demonic incursion.”

Dame Jeanne nodded. “I agree, my lady.”

“I’ll come, too,” Princess Seraphina stated. “Blumen still needs me to take him to the Light Temple.”

Link watched the conversation unfolding in front of him with some interest. There was a lot going on that he did not know about. Most of their concerns were secondary to him, but he knew Linkle would care about them, so he paid attention.

Dame Jeanne gave her charge a cautious smile. “Little angel, perhaps it would be better for us to remain here, where it is safe.”

“No!” The young princess stood up. “I’m coming, too! I want to see my brothers and sisters again. And Blumen is my friend. He said I’m supposed to be his sage. I have to help him get to the cathedral.”

“Young lady, I have to agree with Dame Jeanne,” her aunt told her. “Not only will the capital be dangerous, but there is one other place we must visit on the way there.”

“Where is that, my lady?” the crimson-haired knight asked. “Old Kakariko?”

Governor Kochi shook her head. “No. The Coliseum. I am told Queen Urballa of the Gerudo has taken control of it, and she is using it as a fortress to stage her invasion of Hyrule. We know the identity of her daughter’s killer now. Perhaps we can smooth over our relations with the Gerudo if we remand the perpetrator to their custody.”

Princess Seraphina suddenly looked very worried. “What?”

Before responding to her niece, the governor turned to Link. “Young man, we may require a moment to discuss a few things in private. If you would, please head through that door over there. One of my servants will take you to your quarters for now.”

Link was hoping they would leave to search for Linkle sooner rather than later, but he understood the governor probably wouldn’t be able to mobilize immediately. He considered simply dismissing himself to head out on his own, but he tried to remind himself that his odds of finding her would be better if he worked with the governor directly.

“Alright,” Link said, standing up from his seat. “Thank you for your time, governor. Please let me know as soon as possible when we plan to leave.”


Luckily for Link, the governor had already been planning to take her armies to the capital, and her forces had been amassing in the city for days before his arrival. So, instead of having to sit still in the governor’s palace for an extended period of time while he waited for her to be ready, they were able to set out the following morning.

The governor had been generous enough to grant Link some extra clothes as well as a new sword and shield. Beyond those items, the Hero of the Minish’s boomerang, and the Hero of Twilight’s earring, he did not have many other possessions. Nonetheless, he helped the governor’s troops load the supplies they would be bringing with them into the horse-drawn carts before they set out.

As he finished loading the final cart, Link spotted Princess Seraphina and Dame Jeanne exiting the palace. Also joining them was also a young Sheikah man with streaks of gray in his hair. However, what caught Link’s attention was the other strange companion they had with them. It was what appeared to be a giant, glowing, golden rabbit. When the young princess spotted Link, she smiled and approached him.

“Good morning, hero!” Seraphina greeted him cheerfully, gripping her dress to curtsy for him.

Link was about to correct her by saying he was not the Hero, but he remembered there was a possibility that he actually was. However, he figured Seraphina meant it in the looser sense of the word anyway.

“Good morning, Princess. Good morning, Dame.” Link gave a curt bow to them both. The Sheikah man hung back and did not approach him. However, the giant rabbit thing hopped over alongside them. “Um…” Link held up a hand and pointed down at the glowing rabbit. “What is that?”

“How rude.” To Link’s astonishment, the rabbit spoke. “I am not a what . I am a who . I am Blumen, the new God of Light!”

Link stared at the alleged god for a moment, then looked to the princess and the knight for confirmation. Seraphina was smiling at Blumen, but Dame Jeanne nodded while shrugging.

“Okay.” Link chose to ignore this new development for the moment. “So, are we ready to set out?”

“As soon as the governor is ready, yes,” Dame Jeanne replied.

“You’ll be riding in our carriage!” Princess Seraphina told him.

Link blinked. “You’re coming, too?” he asked, remembering how Jeanne and Kochi had both been opposed to it.

“Mhmm!” The young princess nodded excitedly, apparently not feeling the need to explain how she’d changed their minds.

Link hadn’t expected that, nor had he expected to be invited to ride in a carriage with royalty. The governor had agreed to help him, but she had other goals, and he did not expect her to view him as very important. He gave the princess a cautious smile. “I appreciate the offer, but I don’t want to intrude. I’m good on a horse, so I don’t mind riding with the soldiers.”

“What? Nonsense!” Seraphina practically lunged forward, gripping one of Link’s hands in both of hers. “You saved me and Jeanne back before the Blood Moon. Of course you should ride with us!”

Link wanted to insist, but the young girl’s bright, wondrous eyes and cheerful smile were very tough to say no to. Instead, he looked to Jeanne, expecting her to object to having a relative stranger close to the princess for too long.

“It would be an honor to have the Hero’s brother join us.” She said it politely, but Link could see the hint of a smirk on her face, as if she found something funny about his reaction to Seraphina.

“If you insist…” Link reluctantly agreed, nervously adjusting the shield on his back.

Just then, trumpets blared, and most of the knights, soldiers, and servants in the area quickly stood at attention. Link mimicked their actions, standing beside Dame Jeanne. Governor Celessa Kochi exited the palace. She was escorted by four mage-knights who carried no weaponry and wore mage robes over their armor. A ring of soldiers also surrounded them, serving as extra protection.

Once the herald finished announcing the governor, she simply waved her hand, setting everybody back to work. She then approached the young princess, allowing some of her guards to part out of the way.

“Good morning, little one,” Celessa said to Seraphina. “We are to leave shortly. Are you certain I cannot convince you to stay behind?”

“I’m coming,” the princess confirmed, latching onto her bodyguard’s side. “Right, Jeanne?”

The governor smiled. “I suppose that settles it.” Then she turned to Link. “Are you prepared as well, young hero?”

Link nodded. “Yes. I’m ready. Please let me know if I can do anything to help.”

“Will you be riding with us, Aunt Celessa?” Seraphina asked.

“I would love to, little one, but I’ve been advised to follow proper security protocols. I will be traveling separately,” the governor replied. “Our first stop will be Fort Hateno. I shall see you all there.” With that, Celessa dismissed herself and made her way over to her carriage, accompanied by her guards.

“We should go, too, little angel.” Dame Jeanne took her charge by the hand. “Follow us, hero. And you, too, Blumen.”

“Huzzah! We are off on our holy pilgrimage,” the rabbit exclaimed, hopping on ahead of them.

“Right.” Link followed them over to their spacious royal carriage.

Along the way, Link noticed the Sheikah man who had been with Jeanne and the princess earlier. A group of the governor’s guards had surrounded him. One of them tried to grab him by the arm, but he angrily pulled away. Despite his resistance, he then walked along the road, escorted by the guards until he was loaded into another carriage.

Jeanne noticed it, too. “Do not worry about him,” she instructed. “He will not harm anyone else, and the guards are on orders not to harm him unless it’s absolutely necessary.”

Link wanted to inquire further about the Sheikah man. Something about him seemed familiar. However, he noticed an uneasy look on the young princess’s face, so he decided against it.

Once Link, Princess Seraphina, Dame Jeanne, and the strange golden rabbit ‘god’ had climbed inside the carriage, the convoy started moving. Next stop was Fort Hateno.

Hopefully someone there has seen her…


For most of the ride, Link spoke very little. Having spent most of his life among other commoners, he was not sure how to present himself among nobles, royalty, and gods for an extended period of time. Luckily, Princess Seraphina did most of the talking, and her guardian appeared to be very experienced with handling her admittedly cute ramblings.

“Your voice is very different from Laemora’s,” the princess said to the glowing rabbit god. “She spoke into my head sometimes.”

The rabbit laughed. “Well, I should think so! Laemora was fully-realized. She had a lot of time to develop. The Golden Goddesses sent her into this world almost a full century ago to replace the four Light Spirits. Give me time, my child. I shall be as powerful as she was one day. With your help, of course, my sage.”

The princess giggled, although it was clear that some of what Blumen said had gone over her head. “Then you’re just like his sister!” she said, indicating Link. “The new Hero gets sent by Farore to replace the old one, right?”

Link smiled at that. Linkle used to talk all the time about how she must’ve been Farore’s chosen champion.

Who would’ve thought she was right?

“Does the Hero of Twilight ever talk to your sister?” Princess Seraphina asked Link. “Like how Laemora used to talk to me?”

“Um… sort of.” Link was once again reminded that he might’ve been the Hero instead of his sister. He could have told them about his interactions with the previous Hero, but he did not want them questioning anything at this point. “She has dreams about a lot of Heroes.”

As he spoke, Link slid closer to the window and gazed outside. He recognized their surroundings. They would soon be coming to the fork in the road, where the western path would lead to Fort Hateno and the southern path would lead to his house.

“Is something wrong?” Dame Jeanne asked.

“Would it be possible to stop here for a moment?” Link requested. “My home is in this area. I want to check if my sister is there.”

Seraphina seemed excited. “The Hero’s house? Wow! Can we go, Jeanne?”

Her retainer put her hand to her chin. “It would probably be best not to stop the convoy, but if we go by horseback, we can probably afford a slight detour. We’ll be able to catch up with the rest of the convoy afterwards.”

“Yay!” Seraphina cheered.

“I’ll ask the governor for permission.”

Getting permission from Governor Kochi required Jeanne to lean outside of the carriage and request that one of the knights riding on horseback alongside them take a message to the governor’s carriage in another part of the convoy. They then had to wait a few minutes for the rider to return. Once they did, Dame Jeanne leaned back outside of the carriage to retrieve the governor’s reply, thanked the rider, and came back inside once again.

“It will be alright,” Jeanne announced. “But if I am to bring my charge, we are to take half a dozen guards with us just in case.”

With that, just as they were coming to the crossroads, Jeanne requested the coach driver bring their carriage to a stop. Link and Jeanne were each given a horse, and Princess Seraphina would ride with Jeanne. They told Blumen to stay in the carriage and sent it on its way. Then, along with the princess’s extra escort, they took the southern road once they reached the fork.

“This place is beautiful ,” the young princess said, eyes open in awe as she took in her surroundings. “The grass, the forest, the pond, the butterflies.” She smiled at Link. “You really live out here?”

Link shrugged. “Well. I did . I’ve been away from home for a while.”

Seraphina nodded. “Me, too.”

Link furrowed his brow. The princess went on gazing at the countryside with a smile on her face, but Link felt as though she’d just said something worth more than only a passing mention.

“I come from Hateno as well,” Dame Jeanne commented. “I left many years ago, however.”

“Is that how you know the governor?” Link asked.

“Yes. House Felltom has served House Kochi for generations.”

“What is your House?” the princess asked Link.

“It’s over there.” Link pointed. His home had come into view up the road.

Seraphina let out an “Ooohh,” and Link couldn’t tell whether or not she’d noticed his joke.

When they arrived at the low fence outside of Link’s house, Link dismounted, as did the rest of their party. Seraphina was quick to try to run to the front door, but Link instinctively threw his arm out in front of her. “Wait.”

Jeanne nodded, seeming to understand his thought process. “Check inside,” she ordered the guards.

“Yes, dame.”

While they waited, Princess Seraphina grabbed the arm Link had blocked her path with. She began leaning back and forth, impatiently waiting for the chance to continue. “What do you and your sister do for fun around here?” she asked.

Link did not bother to shake free from her grasp. “Well. I like to make things,” he answered. “And Linkle likes to hunt monsters.”

“Ooohh.” Seraphina clutched Link’s arm tightly. “What kind of monsters do you have around here?”

“Little angel, you should have more respect for the young man’s personal space,” Dame Jeanne lightly scolded her.

Link waved his other hand. “It’s fine,” he assured her. “Around here, it’s mostly Chus, Keese, and Bugblins. But we get Tallblins and Helmasaurs and such from time to time.”

The guards Jeanne had sent into the house came back outside. “It’s clear, dame.”

“Yippee!” Seraphina let go of Link’s arm and ran on ahead.

“Be careful,” Link called after her.

Dame Jeanne stepped forward and placed a hand on his shoulder. “I can tell you are the older sibling.”

Link looked up at the taller woman, seeing the look of approval on her face. “Yeah… You, too?”

Jeanne nodded. “It sounds like your sister isn’t here, however. I am sorry, young man.”

“It’s alright. I didn’t expect her to be.” Link walked towards the front door. “She might have come through here, though. I want to check.” Gently pushing the door open, Link stepped inside his house for the first time in quite a while.

“Link! Link! Link! Link!”

He barely made it through the front door before Seraphina was hopping up and down in front of him, waving a piece of parchment in her hand.

Jeanne stepped into the room. “What is it, little angel?”

The princess stopped jumping and held out her hand, giving the paper she held to Link. “Look! I found it on the table.”

The paper was folded, and Link saw the words “To Link” written on the front of it. He stopped himself from getting too excited, knowing anyone could have left a note for him while he was away. Slowly, he unfolded the parchment and read the message silently to himself.

Link, the Sheikah captured me, but I escaped. They’re trying to steal the Triforce. That’s what the keys are for. I’m going to the capital to warn the Royal Family.

I know you’ll find me. I love you.

 

  • Linkle

 

Link stared at the paper for a while, overwhelmed.

“What does it say?” Princess Seraphina asked.

Link was brought back to reality, and he breathed a sigh of relief.

She’s alive.

“It’s from my sister,” he replied. “She’s heading to the capital, too. She says she escaped from the Sheikah, and that the Sheikah are trying to steal the Triforce.”

“What?” Dame Jeanne sounded shocked. “If this is true, then the Impa Family has betrayed both the Royal Family and the gods. Why would they have done this?”

“We could ask Sheik,” the princess suggested. “Maybe he knows something.”

“Maybe,” the red-haired knight muttered. “Young hero, is there anything else you need from here before we continue? We should return to the governor’s convoy as soon as possible.”

“Let me just check to see if I have any supplies I can bring,” Link replied, heading for his bedroom.

Jeanne took Seraphina by the hand. “We shall wait outside.”

After a quick search of the house, Link did not find much that would be of any use. He and Linkle had brought almost everything of value with them the first time they’d left. However, before he went back outside, he decided to stop by Linkle’s room. Inside, there were many story books about the adventures of various Heroes lining her bookshelves, and there was a chest filled with her old wooden toys in the corner. He smiled sentimentally.

We’ll come back to this house together some day, little sister.

Stepping back outside, Link saw the guards standing around the perimeter, keeping their eyes on the princess. Seraphina was busy trying to climb the tree beside the house. Jeanne stood nearby, watching her.

Link stood beside the knight. “Careful on that long branch,” Link called up to the princess. “It bends down if you put your weight on it.”

“Okay!” Seraphina called back.

Jeanne chuckled lightly. “Did your sister used to climb in that tree as well?”

Link nodded.

“She and Seraphina sound a lot alike.”

“They are. In many ways, I imagine.”

Jeanne glanced at him quizzically.

“It’s… the look in her eyes,” Link said, speaking in a low voice. “She’s seen a lot, too, hasn’t she?”

Dame Jeanne nodded gravely. “A friend of hers was murdered while we were visiting in Gerudo. Then, when we returned home on the night of the Blood Moon, the traitors attacked us and her father,” she explained. “Her father was killed that night. She watched the traitors murder the Sage of Light, too, and even more has happened since then.”

Link was silent for a moment. “That’s awful. Especially for someone as young as her.”

“Yes. And, not to pry, but you say your sister has the same look in her eyes -- I’d say you do as well, young man.” Dame Jeanne gazed down at Link sympathetically. “Have you and your sister experienced similar tragedies?”

Link couldn’t look at her, so he kept his eyes on the young princess as he spoke. “Nothing quite so traumatizing,” he replied. “But we lost our parents and our other four siblings in the span of a couple years.”

“I would call that quite traumatizing.” The red-haired knight placed a hand on his shoulder. “They say the life of a hero is never easy.”

Link knew that from the stories. All of the most famous Heroes had been orphans, and that’s to say nothing of what they went through on their journeys.

Whether the Hero is me or Linkle, that means one of us is cursed.

“I’ll be fine. As long as I have my sister,” Link told her.

As he watched Seraphina playing in the tree, he noticed one of the guards start to walk towards her. For some reason, that struck him as odd.

Jeanne didn’t tell them to do anything.

Glancing around, he noticed something else. “Dame, we brought half a dozen guards, right?”

“Correct,” she replied.

“Then why are there seven?” Link instinctively drew his sword and charged at the guard approaching the tree. “Hey!” he called out.

The guard ignored him, but a moment later, a magical, dome-shaped barrier appeared around the suspicious man. It must have been Jeanne’s doing, as she soon caught up with Link, holding her halberd with one hand while the other was raised towards the captured guard.

“Princess, get down from there!” the crimson knight shouted. “The rest of you, stay where you are!” she ordered, giving a quick glance over her shoulder towards the other guards.

The guard who was captured by the magical barrier suddenly disappeared in a puff of black smoke, a trick Link was familiar with at this point.

Sheikah.

However, the Sheikah reappeared a moment later, pressed against the barrier. He was apparently unable to shadowstep through it. Link thought this meant the danger had been neutralized already, but then, there was another burst of dark smoke from outside of the bubble. A second Sheikah appeared, this one dressed like a Sheikah ninja rather than disguised as a guard. Together, the two Sheikah began hacking at the barrier with their swords. The magical dome soon shattered and dissipated.

The Sheikah did not get much chance to do anything after breaking the one disguised as a guard out of his containment. Jeanne brought her halberd down on that one’s skull, and Link tossed his boomerang at the other one. The boomerang did not cut him fatally, but it distracted him long enough for Link to run up to him and stab his sword through the Sheikah’s chest.

“Jeanne!” By then, Seraphina had climbed back down to the ground. Still several meters away, she ran a few steps towards her caretaker, but before she got far, she was stopped in her tracks by another burst of smoke. She screamed as two more Sheikah appeared.

Princess !” Jeanne cried.

She and Link ran towards her, but before they could do anything, one of the newly-appeared Sheikah grabbed the other one from behind and slit his throat, dropping him to the ground.

“Get away from her!” Jeanne shouted at the remaining Sheikah.

The man calmly complied, stepping out of the way, allowing Jeanne to reunite with Seraphina. Link joined them as well, but he was very confused by the situation at this point.

“Sheik!” Seraphina looked relieved to see the Sheikah standing before them.

Looking closer, Link could see it was the man with gray streaks in his hair who he’d seen earlier when they departed from Hateno.

“You said you would remain with the guards,” Jeanne said to the Sheikah, speaking as though she were chewing him out for disobeying orders.

“And your idiot guards said they would keep me from escaping,” the man replied, wiping the blood from his blade. “So, really, who’s the bigger liar here?”

“Thank you again, Sheik,” Seraphina said to him.

The Sheikah man said nothing. He looked irritated for some reason.

Jeanne sighed in frustration, protectively wrapping an arm around the princess and holding her close. “Are there any others?”

“None that I’ve spotted,” Sheik replied.

The red-haired knight glanced around them, then nodded her head. “Do you think they were waiting to see if you would come back here?” she asked Link.

“I doubt it,” Link replied, shaking his head. He reached into his pocket, pulling out his sister’s note. “They wouldn’t have left this for me to find -- it tells us their plans. They must have followed us from Hateno.”

“I see,” Jeanne said. “We should hurry back to the convoy. We need to keep the princess safe and tell her aunt what happened.”


Although Link and his party were able to travel quickly thanks to their horses, they had spent more time on their detour than they had intended. Once they got back onto the road, they traveled around the Cliffs of Quince in good time, but they did not manage to catch up with Governor Kochi until they found her convoy waiting for them at Fort Hateno.

When they arrived at the gate, some of Kochi’s guards were there to greet them, along with some of the soldiers who guarded the fort.

“Dame Jeanne,” one of the guards said as they rode up.

“Yes?” the knight replied, bringing her horse to a halt.

“The governor wants to see you and the boy. Bring him inside.”

“At once.” Jeanne waved for Link to follow her. The gate opened and they proceeded inside. On the other side of the wall, more guards directed them to the main building, saying they would find the governor there. Leaving their horses outside, they entered the fortress and moved through the halls.

Link and Jeanne found the governor in a council chamber. She was meeting with an older man wearing armor and a plumed helmet, who seemed to be the commander in charge of the fort.

“My sincere apologies for our delay, governor,” Jeanne said, taking a bow as she entered. Link and Seraphina followed suit. “We encountered some hostiles. I can give you a full report in private later.”

Governor Kochi bowed her head slightly in reply. “Understood. In that case, you have my thanks for keeping my niece safe,” she said. “Link, please have a seat,” she told the young Hylian man, gesturing to the chair beside hers.

Link sat down, suddenly a little nervous. The governor seemed to be acting rather serious.

“Commander, please show this young man what you showed me,” Celessa said.

The man in the plumed helmet nodded. He put his hand on a large piece of paper and pushed it across the table until it was in front of Link.

Furrowing his brow, Link looked over the paper. He realized quickly that it was a wanted poster – for Linkle. Grabbing the poster, he pulled it closer to himself to examine it. “Murder and impersonating the Hero?” Link read aloud, appalled.

“Yes,” the commander replied. “She killed three of my soldiers and two of our intelligence agents.”

Link narrowed his eyes. “Did these ‘ intelligence agents ’ happen to work for the Impas?”

“Of course. And?”

“Then of course she killed them! They were probably trying to kill her !” Link shoved the poster back across the table. “And what do you mean impersonating the Hero? Did none of you see she was carrying the Master Sword? She’s the real Hero!”

“Young man.” Governor Kochi raised her hand for silence.

Link paused, then hesitantly leaned back in his seat, still quite angry at the man on the other side of the desk.

“Commander, did your intelligence agents attack the young woman in question?” Celessa asked.

“They shadowstepped behind her while we were attempting to detain her,” the commander explained. “They were merely trying to assist my men.”

“Is it protocol for these agents to assist in such arrests?” the governor continued.

The commander pursed his lips. “Well, I suppose not, but…”

The governor took a deep breath. “Commander, we have strong reason to believe the Impa Family have betrayed the Crown,” she declared. “The Sheikah are also targeting the Hero. It is possible that your intelligence agents were attempting to kill or kidnap young Linkle, and she merely defended herself. And, yes, I have reason to believe that she is likely the real Hero.”

The commander seemed shocked and troubled by this news. “I… I had not been informed of any of this, governor.”

“That is understandable. The information is rather new,” Governor Kochi told him. “However, I must order you to cease your search for the Hero. Retract any previous orders you’ve given your troops regarding her, and instead inform them that she is not to be harmed. Any updates regarding her whereabouts are to be sent directly to me as quickly as possible.”

“Yes, governor. But what should I do about the Sheikah Cadre?”

“Leave them be. Act as if you suspect nothing. But if you learn anything about the Hero, do not share that information with any of the Impa Family’s agents.” Governor Kochi stood. “We must be going now. Time is of the essence. Thank you for your cooperation, commander.”

“Wait,” Link interrupted. “If my sister came through here, where did she go? Which way was she heading when she left?”

The commander regarded Link cautiously now. “West. She escaped into the Ash Swamp.”

“I see. Thank you.” Link stood, and together with the governor, he exited the room.

After heading down the halls towards the exit of the fortress, Link was quick to voice his concerns once they had a little more privacy. “We’ll never catch her,” he told his companions, speaking dejectedly.

“Because she’s taking a shortcut through the swamp?” the governor asked. “Do not fear, young man. It may be a shorter distance, but the terrain is difficult. It will not be much faster than taking the road around the swamp.”

“It’s not just that. She has the Pegasus Boots.” Link turned to Dame Jeanne and the princess. “After we helped you in Hyrule Field, you allowed us to take some of the Hero of the Minish’s artifacts. She took a pair of boots that let her run faster. Between the boots, the shortcut, and her head start, we’ll never catch her,” he repeated.

“Don’t worry,” the young princess consoled him, smiling brightly. “As long as we’re all going to the same place, we’ll find her eventually, right? Me and Jeanne went completely different ways when we left the castle, but we found each other at my auntie’s palace anyway!”

Strange as it was, Link found that sort of comforting. “I guess so. Thanks, Princess.”

When they got back outside, the four of them rejoined the convoy and prepared to continue.

“If she’s going through the Ash Swamp, she’s probably going to take the path through the Dueling Peaks to get back to Central Hyrule,” Link stated, even though he was certain everyone else had gathered that much already. “If we’re taking the road, we’re going to end up pretty close to Old Kakariko at some point along the way.” If the Impa Family was their true enemy, getting anywhere near their seat of power sounded dangerous.

“Do we plan to take our forces to Kakariko, governor?” Dame Jeanne asked. “We could arrest Impa Sadashi and end this quickly.”

“No,” the governor replied. “We may not have the forces, the resources, or the time to prepare for a proper siege of a city nestled so safely in the mountains. We must continue on for now, and deal with the Impa Family after informing my other nieces and nephews of their betrayal.”

“But what if they attack us?” Link asked. The last time he’d gone anywhere near Old Kakariko, he’d ended up kidnapped by Sheikah agents.

“Then we’ll just have to fight back, protecting the princess and the governor at all costs,” Jeanne replied.

Link looked down at Princess Seraphina. She didn’t look at all worried, seemingly having infinite confidence in her guardian. However, he knew what their enemies were capable of, and he was overcome with a strong urge to protect her as well.

“Fine.” Link nodded. “Let’s hurry, then. Even if we won’t catch up with my sister until we reach the capital, I need to find her as quickly as possible.”

Chapter 69: Linkle III

Chapter Text

The Dueling Peaks were the largest part of the mountain range that ran through Necluda. This mountain range split the province, with about one-third of its total area on the western side and two-thirds of it on the eastern side. In addition to being larger, the eastern side of the province was also more densely populated. The Squabble River ran through the gap between the peaks, and a road had been constructed alongside the river. There were many stories about the Dueling Peaks having once been a single mountain that was cleaved in two at some point, as the two mountains looked like they could have fit together if they were pushed into one another.

Link told me the river had cut the peaks in two, but how can water cut stone? It must have been a monster with a giant sword or something.

Those were Linkle’s thoughts as she left the Twins, looking up at the Dueling Peaks. The mountains were massive, and Linkle wished she had the time to try climbing to the top.

I could probably see all of Hyrule from up there!

For a moment, Linkle took off the stone mask for a better view, smiling as her sense of adventure returned to her. However, she soon put the mask back over her face. She’d decided to wear it at all times while on the road, for now at least. The path between the peaks served as an important connection between East Necluda and both West Necluda and Central Hyrule, so she knew there would be patrols and other travelers that she might bump into along the way. She couldn’t risk running into any Sheikah, or anyone else who might report her presence to her enemies.

I wonder if this mask works on monsters.

The patrols likely kept the monster population away from the roads for the most part, but no place in Hyrule far enough from a city was ever completely free of monsters, especially since the last Blood Moon had occurred very recently.

The journey started out as expected. The first people Linkle passed by were some soldiers out on patrol, likely having come from the Twins as they were headed back that way. Just in case, Linkle sidled up against the rocky wall that lined the south side of the road. The soldiers all passed by without noticing her.

The next people she saw, however, looked like a couple of ordinary travelers. Each of them carried a large sack. Linkle figured they must have been merchants or something, but neither of them seemed to be carrying any weapons, which was quite risky when traveling through the wilds.

At first, Linkle planned to simply stay out of sight and let them pass. However, she noticed something in the river. She could see three Lizalfos swimming just below the water’s surface. They kept most of their bodies hidden underwater, but Linkle had trained herself to recognize the subtle, undulating movements the creatures made.

They’re gonna attack those people.

She didn’t want to reveal herself, but letting two random, innocent people get attacked by monsters was out of the question.

“Hey! Watch out! Monsters in the water!” she shouted at the strangers further down the road. However, the travelers appeared unable to hear her.

Shit.

Kicking up dirt behind her, Linkle sprinted forward with the speed of her Pegasus Boots. Just before she reached the travelers, she pulled her mask off.

“Whoa!”

“What the–?”

“Get back !” Linkle drew the Master Sword and threw herself in between the travelers and the river. Just as she did, all three of the Lizalfos in the water leaped ashore. Each of them carried a long spear; the crude kind that might be used for skewering fish in the river. The travelers backed away, and Linkle threw up her shield, blocking the attack from the closest Lizalfos. She quickly countered, slashing at her attacker and kicking it back into the water. “Run!” she ordered the travelers as she continued fighting.

Luckily, the merchants listened to her. They took off running down the road towards the Twins, allowing Linkle to fight off the other two Lizalfos without having to worry about them.

The fight didn’t last much longer after that. She managed to kill the second Lizalfos, and the third one fled once it lost its numbers advantage. Linkle was left with a few bloodstains on her clothing, which she tried to wash off by dabbing at it with some river water after cleaning her sword. When she was finished, she redonned the stone mask and continued on her way.

When nightfall came, Linkle had not passed anyone else. She doubted she would meet any other travelers taking the road at night, as most of them would stop to make camp rather than trying to travel at the time when the majority of monsters were most active. She knew she might still run into soldiers on patrol, however, but they could be easily avoided using the stone mask.

Linkle decided to stop and rest as well. Normally, she would make a fire, but she wanted to conceal her presence as much as she could, so she went without one. While she’d been traveling with her brother, the two of them had taken turns keeping watch while the other slept. She would not have anyone watching over her as she slept now, but she hoped the stone mask would allow her to safely rest without anyone seeing her. So, after finding a relatively good place to sleep in some bushes off to the side of the road, Linkle lay down and went to sleep.

In the morning, I continue my quest…


When Linkle awoke, it was not yet daybreak. She’d been startled awake by some noise. Even when her brother had been around to watch over her, she’d learned to sleep lightly, just in case. From somewhere nearby, she could hear the telltale sounds of bones scraping against dirt.

Peeking out from the bush, Linkle confirmed her suspicions. Four Stalfos were digging their way out of the ground. One of them was already fully formed, seemingly trying to get its head screwed on correctly. Another was kneeling next to the hole it had crawled out of, plucking its remaining bones out of the dirt. Two others were struggling to escape the confines of the earth, making ghastly sounds of irritation and anguish.

Linkle was certain these monsters would be laid to rest by a patrol at some point in the night, but as the Hero, she figured it was her job as long as she was there.

If I leave them standing, they may harm some other travelers before the patrols get to them.

Crawling free from the bush, Linkle climbed to her feet. She did not think the stone mask would keep her invisible once she started attacking them, but it would at least let her get in a sneak attack on one or two of them. So, with her hand on the hilt of her sheathed sword, she crept forward.

However, she soon froze. The Stalfos that had been adjusting its skull seemed to notice her, and was now staring right at her -- at least, as much as it could stare at her with those glowing red lights housed within its otherwise empty eye sockets. After a moment, the creature raised its arm, pointing with a long bony finger, and let out a screech. The other Stalfos turned their heads, all of them looking directly at her, clearly able to see her.

Shit.

Reacting on instinct, Linkle drew her weapon and charged forward. She’d expected all four of the Stalfos to shrink back at the sight of the Master Sword, as had been the case with the other Stalcreatures she’d fought since she’d obtained the blade. As undead monsters, they normally seemed to be allergic to its holy magic and afraid of the light it gave off. However, this time, her sword glowed with only a dull light, and the monsters didn’t even seem to notice.

When Linkle swung at the first Stalfos, she broke its bony neck with a satisfying crack . The other Stalfos she’d killed before with the Master Sword had been vaporized into dust when she slashed through them, but this one’s skull fell to the ground, still active until Linkle stomped on it with her boot.

What is with these infernal things?

With the skull destroyed, the rest of the monster’s skeleton crumbled into a heap of bones. However, immediately afterward, Linkle felt a sharp pain in her back as the second Stalfos slashed her with its jagged skeletal hand. She was quick to react, spinning around and felling her attacker the same way she’d defeated the first one. She then made short work of the other two, crushing their accursed skulls before they could finish clawing their way out of the ground.

The Hero stood for a moment, panting from the sudden exertion of the fight. “ Aghhh …” she moaned, dropping her sword and shield to reach behind her back, touching her wounds. The second Stalfos’s claw had broken the skin, and she was bleeding.

Fuck. That hurt.

Reaching into her bag, she pulled out a healing elixir she’d purchased in the Twins, then drank some of it. Next, she removed her mask to make it easier to pull her shirt off, intending to apply the rest of the elixir directly to the wound, but she decided to clean the wound first. So, she stepped down onto the riverbank and slowly lowered herself into the water.

“Oh!” Linkle couldn’t help but let out a startled yelp from the cold water, but it was soothing in a way. Crossing her arms, she stood there in the water, resting as the blood was washed from her back.

Why didn’t the mask work?

She hadn’t had time to think of it during the fight. The Stalfos had plainly seen her. Was it because there were monsters? Or perhaps the mask simply didn’t work at night. Linkle racked her brain trying to think of any other Heroes who had used such an item, but she couldn’t come up with anything.

Reaching onto the riverbank, Linkle picked up the stone mask, staring into its bizarre, lopsided face.

What secrets do you hide?

Linkle considered the object may have been Sheikah in origin. Many magical techniques employed by the Sheikah involved stealth. A perception-altering mask that made the wearer unnoticeable seemed to fit in well with that kind of magic. However, the mask lacked any noticeable Sheikah symbols, and the face did not depict any character from Sheikah folklore or any spirit sacred to the Sheikah, as far as Linkle could tell.

Despite still having many unanswered questions, Linkle smiled to herself.

This is exciting!

There were still mysteries to be solved, quests to be completed, demons to be slain -- exactly as she had always dreamed her life as the Hero to be.

Then I’d better keep moving!

Climbing out of the water, Linkle shook herself dry, patted herself with a rag, then applied the rest of the healing elixir to the newly-cleaned wound on her back. Afterwards, she redressed, collected her equipment, and put the stone mask back on. It was still the middle of the night, but Linkle knew she wouldn’t be able to get back to sleep after everything that had happened. And so, she got back on the road and continued west.

Next stop, Gatepost.


When approaching the Great Plateau from the east, one would not arrive at the town of Gatepost immediately. There was also a Hyrulean military outpost that the road traveled through first, just south of the Forest of Time. So, after Linkle passed through the Dueling Peaks, continued through West Necluda, and crossed Proxim Bridge over the Hylia River, she found herself outside the gates of the outpost.

Given what had happened at Fort Hateno, Linkle elected not to reveal herself to the guards at all, instead keeping the stone mask over her face. However, she was much more wary now, since she was aware that the mask did not always work. Nevertheless, she was able to insert herself into a group of soldiers returning from patrol, allowing her to pass through the gate unnoticed.

Once inside, Linkle did not wish to linger. She followed the road towards the Great Plateau, knowing she’d be only a short distance away from Gatepost as soon as she exited the gate on the other side of the outpost. However, as she walked, she overheard something strange from a group of off-duty guards lounging around outside of the barracks.

“So, who are you voting for?”

“Hell if I know. I’ve never even seen any of the king’s children.”

“I’ll hafta go with Princess Zelda.”

“Which one, you simpleton?”

“Victorique, obviously.”

“Agreed. She’s the king’s true heir, after all.”

“Bullshit. Who cares about which one was born first? Hyrule needs strong leadership, especially now. Someone like Prince Percival.”

“Ha! That twat?”

“Watch your mouth. Insulting the prince is borderline treason.”

Linkle wanted to stay and listen to their conversation a bit longer, but she was much more interested in getting back to the Temple of Time as quickly as possible. From what she could gather, it sounded like the next ruler of Hyrule was to be decided by a vote.

Can you do that?

Linkle had heard many stories about the Royal Family, but the only one she’d actually met so far was Princess Zelda Seraphina. She knew the eldest of the royal children was Zelda Victorique. Up until that point, Linkle had assumed she had been crowned as queen long ago.

I wonder what they’re like. I can’t wait to meet the rest of them!

After sneaking out through the outpost’s gate, Linkle continued along the road, traveling alongside the Great Plateau. The road shortly brought her to Gatepost. However, she was surprised to find the entrance to the town was as well-guarded as the military outpost had been.

What’s going on?

Using the same trick as before, Linkle snuck into town. Inside, she took a look around, and once again noticed a high presence of guards. Curious about the situation, she made her way to the town square, thinking there may be a notice on the bulletin board to provide her with an explanation.

Apparently, Linkle was not the only one seeking answers. Many other townsfolk were gathered around the bulletin board. Some of them looked quite disgruntled, and others muttered in annoyance.

“Can you believe this?”

“Curfew? What’s the point? Not like any of us are the enemy.”

“I’m supposed to just let soldiers sleep in my house if they want to? For free ?”

“I work on the west side! What am I supposed to do for money?”

“Those damn Gerudo. Why don’t they just go back where they came from already?”

When Linkle read the notices on the board, she could see what they were angry about. From what she could gather, the invading Gerudo forces had taken control of the Coliseum. They had not attacked Gatepost or anywhere else in the surrounding area yet, but for some reason, they hadn’t left yet either. However, the Hyrulean military had placed a large force on the west side of town as a defensive measure, and much of that area was at least partially shut down while the military occupied it.

Linkle remembered hearing about the Gerudo attacking the last time she was there. She had seen large groups of soldiers moving through town, presumably on the way to fight them.

Sounds like we lost the battle. But what are the Gerudo still doing here? Do they plan to invade the capital? Are they working with the demon?

The idea wasn’t far-fetched. The Gerudo were known demon worshippers. Linkle wondered if it was her duty as the Hero to drive them out of their lands.

There’s just so much to do! How the hell did the Hero of Twilight manage to get so much done so quickly?!

Linkle sighed. She would think about the Gerudo later. For now, before she returned to the Temple of Time, there was one important thing she needed to do in town. Linkle turned away from the bulletin board and left the town square.

The stables were located on the north end of town. Many travelers who journeyed through hub towns like Gatepost needed to purchase or rent horses, or needed a place to board their horse for a period of time. Sometimes farmers from Hyrule Field would buy, sell, or rent horses from stables such as this one as well. Linkle actually knew quite a bit about this sort of business, given she had worked as a farmhand for years back in Necluda.

When Linkle arrived at the stables, she removed the stone mask just before stepping into the front entrance. A young woman dressed in overalls was waiting at the counter inside.

“Good day, young lady,” the stablehand greeted her. “How can I help you?”

“Hi. I have a horse boarded here,” Linkle explained, walking up to the counter with an excited smile on her face. “I was hoping to check on him.”

“Certainly. Will you be taking him out now?”

“Not yet. I’ll take him later today, but I just wanted to check on him now.”

“Alrighty.” The stablehand turned and retrieved a large book from the shelf. “Name, please?”

“Linkle. But it might be under Link.” The Hero’s heart hurt a little as she said that, but she still had faith she’d see her brother again soon enough. “Our horse is called Arion.”

“Mhmm. Mhmm. Gotcha,” the woman said after flipping through several pages. “Go on in and have a look then, if you like. You’ll find your horse in this pen,” she explained, tapping her finger on Arion’s pen number.

Linkle smiled brightly. “Thanks!”

There was a set of swinging doors leading into the actual stables. Linkle pushed her way through and found herself in a large barn lined with animal pens. Walking down the line of unfamiliar horses, she eventually laid eyes on the horse she and her brother had left there quite some time ago.

“Arion!” Linkle cheered, rushing over to her stallion’s pen.

Her horse whinnied happily, trotting over to the wooden barrier and sticking his head out.

“I’m glad to see you, too, big boy.” Linkle put her hands on Arion’s head, petting him aggressively. “Have they been feeding you well?”

Arion neighed in response.

“Good. Link would kill me if this place wasn’t worth the rupees.” Linkle ran her hair through Arion’s mane, feeling a tinge of nostalgia. “Sorry we couldn’t bring you with us, boy. Lake Hylia and the Lost Woods weren’t exactly horse-friendly. But I’ll be taking you with me when I leave here today, okay? We’re going back to the capital!”

Her horse made some inquisitive noises.

Linkle shook her head. “Link’s not here. Not right now. But he’ll be back. I know he will.”


After enjoying a brief reunion with her horse, Linkle left the stables and returned to the main part of town. She was about to head for the stairway that led up to the Great Plateau, but she was halted by a rumbling in her stomach.

I guess one more stop wouldn’t hurt…

Linkle searched around and found the nearest tavern, hoping for a hot meal before she continued on her way. Stepping through the door, she found the tavern crowded with both citizens and soldiers, but none seemed to pay her any mind, even without the stone mask on her face. She spotted two groups of what were probably adventurers as well. She wished to the gods she could talk to them and show off the Master Sword, but she kept her blade hidden, not yet knowing if it was safe to reveal her identity in such a place.

Wishing to order, Linkle scanned the crowded tavern in search of a free barmaid. However, before she found one, her eyes fell on the one person in the building who seemed to be looking her way. There was a man sitting at a table on the far end of the room, and he was staring right at her. It was difficult from that distance in the low light of the tavern, but she thought she recognized him.

“Wouldja like a table, young miss?”

Linkle turned to find one of the waitresses had approached her, holding an empty serving tray under her arm.

“You by yourself?”

Linkle nodded. “Yes. Just me. Was hoping to get something to eat.”

“Well, you’ve come to the right place, then! Right this way.” The waitress turned and headed towards an open two-person table further into the room.

Linkle followed her. As she walked, she looked back towards the man that had been staring at her. However, no one was looking her way now. There were several men on that side of the room, but Linkle couldn’t remember which one it had been.

Well, it was probably nothing. Not like it’s the first time I’ve ever had a man stare at me.

Linkle grinned. Normally, when she went to taverns with her brother, most men wouldn’t approach her. However, since she was alone this time, she wondered if anyone would offer to buy her a drink.

“You can have a seat right here, young miss.” The barmaid was not that much older than Linkle, but she seemed to want to address her respectfully since Linkle was a customer.

“Thanks.” Linkle ordered her food, and the waitress walked off.

While she waited, Linkle looked around the room again. Obviously, she was not wearing the stone mask, but she had her hood up just in case. Not that she was particularly worried about being recognized. She had only been to Gatepost once before, and she hadn’t retrieved the Master Sword yet at the time. Still, she was a little paranoid that perhaps the people searching for her would have placed people everywhere.

“Nothing but friendly faces here.”

Linkle jumped in her seat. Someone had appeared at her table, sitting across from her. The man had a mug of ale in front of him, and a second mug sat before Linkle. The man smiled at her with a wide, almost unnatural grin. Linkle recognized him as the man who’d been staring at her earlier. But, more importantly, she recognized him as someone she’d seen twice before at this point -- the mask salesman.

“You?” Linkle said in utter confusion.

The mask salesman chuckled. “Were you expecting someone else?”

“I wasn’t expecting anyone .” Linkle furrowed her brow, trying to make sense of the situation. “That wasn’t a hallucination earlier,” she decided. “You were in my home, weren’t you?”

The salesman nodded. “I was. I healed you, remember? And I gave you one of my most wonderful masks!”

Linkle reached into her bag and pulled out the stone mask.

“Ah, yes. There it is. A real beauty, isn’t it?”

The Hero looked down at the ugly, misshapen face depicted in the mask. “Not how I’d describe it. But it’s cool.”

“I imagine it’s been helpful on your journey so far, no?” The mask salesman lifted his mug and took a drink.

“It has. Yes, thank you,” Linkle nodded. “It doesn’t always work, though. I ran into some Stalfos last night, and they could see me.”

“Well, yes, that is to be expected,” the man replied. “Magical constructs have a different kind of perception. I’m afraid that mask will have no effect on them. Perhaps I have another mask that may be of more use to you…” Turning to his side, the mask salesman lifted his gigantic carrying bag, which, as far as Linkle could tell, had just appeared out of nowhere.

Linkle stared at the man as he rifled through his bag. She thought about what other kind of mask the salesman might offer, but she remembered she had a million other questions for him. “Er, thank you, but… who are you?” she asked. “Sorry, I think you said we knew each other, but I can’t remember.” She was pretty sure that the time she and Link had visited his mask shop in the capital had been the first time they’d ever met, and their interaction had been very brief.

The mask salesman laughed, putting his bag down. “I am exactly who I said I was, brave Hero! I am but a humble purveyor of masks. I deal in masks that bring happiness to everyone. It is my one wish, in this world and any other.”

Linkle raised an eyebrow.

He wants the Triforce to wish for people to be happy?

She supposed that was a noble goal. However, nothing he’d said had really answered much. “So… are you, like, following me?”

The mask salesman’s smile never faltered. “I think it would be more accurate to say our destinies are intertwined, wouldn’t you agree? Such a thing is common for the Hero, as I’ve come to understand.”

“Shh…” Linkle shushed him, glancing around cautiously. “Hey, listen, maybe don’t call me that around here, okay?” she suggested.

The salesman chuckled. “Whatever you say, brave one.”

Linkle nodded in gratitude. “And, uh, thanks again for the mask you gave me before. It was most generous of you to give me such a powerful enchanted item.”

“It is no trouble at all. I believe you were meant to have that mask, just as I am meant to have mine.” The salesman redid the straps of his carrying bag to shut it. “I would say the mask I gave you will be quite useful when you meet with the Sage of Time.”

Linkle furrowed her brow, suddenly a bit worried. She hovered her hand near her sword out of instinct. “What makes you think I’m going to see the Sage of Time?”

“Why else would an adventurer like you come to Gatepost?”

Linkle paused, realizing that was a reasonable answer, especially considering the relationship between the Hero and the sages. “Oh. Right.” She cleared her throat, still having questions. “But why would I need the mask?”

The salesman’s smile remained unchanged, but his eyes sparkled with mirth. “Is it not obvious? Sage Lucrezia, no matter how powerful she may be, is only human. Thus, the stone mask should fool her as well as anyone else.”

“But I don’t want to hide from her,” Linkle stated in confusion.

Does he want me to harm the Sage of Time in some way? Or steal from her? What the hell?

“Here you are, young miss!”

Linkle turned to her side. The barmaid had returned, carrying her food on a serving tray. She lifted the plate and placed it in front of Linkle

“Did you need another?” the waitress asked, gesturing to the mug of ale in front of her.

Linkle shook her head, not having touched hers yet. “What about--” She turned to the mask salesman to ask if he needed another drink, but he was gone. Linkle glanced about in confusion, unable to find him anywhere. His mug was still on the table, but he and his carrying bag were nowhere to be found.

“Miss?” the waitress asked.

“Um. Uh, nevermind. I’m good, thanks.” Linkle waved off the waitress, taking a drink from her mug to try to appear casual. However, she was kind of freaked out. The mask salesman had vanished as quickly as he’d appeared -- something he was apparently quite prone to doing.

Seriously, who the hell is that guy?


Linkle was surprised by how much of a military presence there was on the Great Plateau. The large stairway leading up to it was well-guarded, and sentries were posted on the walls around the edges of the plateau as though it were a castle.

The Gerudo have everyone scared.

Since Linkle was still unsure if she could trust Hyrulean soldiers at the moment, she opted to wear the stone mask and climb up to the plateau unseen. Luckily, as she continued along the path towards the Temple of Time, the number of soldiers she saw decreased. It seemed there wasn’t as much need to guard the interior.

The Temple of Time was just as impressive as it had been the first time Linkle had visited. Not wanting to surprise the sage or the other priests by suddenly appearing out of nowhere, she chose to remove the stone mask just before she reached the staircase leading up to the temple. As she approached the entrance, her hand hovered over the hilt of her sword. She’d encountered the Gerudo prince on her way inside the temple the last time she’d visited. It probably wouldn’t have made any sense for him to be there again, but anything was possible.

Thankfully, the only person there to greet her was a lone time priest. The Hylian man draped in violet and silver robes bowed to her at the entrance. “Greetings, traveler. Are you in need of aid?”

Linkle shook her head, moving her hand away from her sword. “I’ve been here before,” she said, before realizing that didn’t really explain much. “I need to see the sage. It’s important.”

“Certainly. She is available at this time.” The priest gestured past the entryway. “I believe she’s in the nave right now.”

“Thanks.” Linkle gave a curt bow as she headed inside.

On the way in, Linkle took another moment to admire the interior architecture. The stories of the Heroes she admired often described the many grand temples, castles, and dungeons they visited on their journeys. She counted herself lucky she’d gotten the chance to visit so many already, and to even revisit this one.

When she entered the nave, Linkle scanned the room in search of the sage. She did not find her at the altar this time, but she spotted her over in the corner, speaking with two other priests. She seemed to be giving them instructions, as they soon bowed and left. Wanting to catch the sage while she was free, Linkle hurried down the aisle.

“Sage Lucrezia!” Linkle called out when she got closer.

The sage turned towards the sounds of Linkle’s voice. It seemed to take her a moment to recognize the adventurer, but a small smile of amusement appeared on her lips.

Likewise, Linkle froze as she was reacquainted with the sage’s appearance.

The gods really do play favorites, don’t they?

“Approach, my child,” the sage commanded her gently. “I am surprised to see you again so soon.”

Linkle shook herself back into reality. Not wanting to get distracted again, she immediately got to the point. “Sage, a lot has happened. I need to warn you about something.”

“Oh, my. This sounds rather serious.” The sage put a hand to her chin curiously. “Whatever is the matter?”

The Hero glanced around her to make sure it was safe to talk. She stepped a bit closer to the absurdly gorgeous sage. In doing so, she could hear a faint ticking sound, like one might hear coming from a clock, which she realized was coming from that thing on the end of Lucrezia’s scepter. “Can you tell me who else is in the temple right now?” Linkle asked, speaking softly.

Lucrezia furrowed her brow. “Only me and my faithful, I should think,” she replied. “We have had other visitors today, but none remained for long.”

“Were any of them Sheikah?”

“Sheikah? Not that I recall.”

“And the soldiers on the Great Plateau? Do any of them come in here?”

The sage looked more confused now. “Sometimes they do. To pray, and such. What is this about, adventurer?”

Linkle was a bit nervous to hear that.

They could come inside at any time.

“Can we go somewhere more private, then?” Linkle suggested.

Lucrezia nodded in response. “Very well. Let us speak in the catacombs, then.”

Trying to keep her eyes somewhere respectful, Linkle nodded gratefully, allowing the sage to lead the way.


The Hero and the Sage of Time descended the staircase down into the lower chambers. Linkle remembered this had been where she and her brother had been given the fake Ocarina of Time in the first place. At that thought, Linkle reached into her bag to make sure the instrument was still there. She was lucky it had not been lost at any point, and that it had been with her rather than her brother back when they got separated. She thought about how to explain the situation to the sage.

I hope she won’t feel dumb after finding out she got tricked by a bunch of stupid Blins.

“We should have plenty of privacy here, young hero,” the sage said, her scepter ticking away as they walked past a row of statues. “Now, what is it that you needed to tell me?”

Linkle stood before the sage and removed the ocarina from her bag, presenting it to Lucrezia’s curious gaze. “Remember this?”

The Sage of Time looked at her like it was a silly question. “Of course. I am glad to see you have held onto it. But, what of it?”

“It’s not the Ocarina of Time,” Linkle told her.

Lucrezia seemed confused. “You mean you lost it?”

“No, this is the one you gave me and my brother,” Linkle explained, shaking her head. “But it’s the Ocarina of Wind . The Blins switched them!”

The sage stepped closer, lifting the ocarina from Linkle’s hand to examine it closely. “You’re right,” Lucrezia said, sounding mildly surprised. “How did you determine this?”

“The Sage of Forest noticed,” Linkle told her.

“Ah, so it was Saria.” Lucrezia smiled in amusement. “I take it you’ve visited her temple as well, then?”

“Yes.” Linkle nodded her head in confirmation. “But the ocarina isn’t the only problem,” she went on, realizing she hadn’t explained the real danger yet.

“Oh?” Lucrezia’s gorgeous eyes stared down at Linkle. “What other misfortunes have befallen us, young hero?” she asked, somewhat playfully.

Linkle glanced over her shoulder, still a bit paranoid. “It’s the Sheikah,” she said in a voice just above a whisper. “The Impas. They’re after me. And the keys. They’re working with the monsters, and probably the demon. They want to steal the Triforce.”

Lucrezia’s eyes narrowed slightly. “That’s a rather extraordinary claim. Have you any proof?”

“I-- well, they attacked me. Monster pirates captured me and handed me over to the Sheikah. They’re definitely in league with one another,” Linkle frantically explained, now worried that the sage wouldn’t believe her. She didn’t have any proof other than her own word, after all.

“They attacked you?” Lucrezia asked. “Why would they do that?”

Linkle reached for the Master Sword and pulled it from its sheath. “Because I’m the Hero,” she declared. “I don’t know if they need me for something, or if they just want to kill me before I can use the Master Sword to slay the demon, but the Sheikah attacked me as soon as I left the Lost Woods with this.”

The sage stared at the sword for a moment. Her gaze traveled upward slowly, meeting Linkle’s eyes. She looked almost contemptuous. The sage then lifted her hand, and Linkle saw a flash of yellow light.

The next moment, Linkle was very confused. She and Lucrezia were no longer alone. Two other priestesses and half a dozen armed soldiers stood in front of her. Lucrezia was still there, but she had changed position, standing further back behind the soldiers.

“Hero,” the sage spoke. Any kindness was gone from her eyes. She regarded Linkle with disdain. “Put down your weapon.”

“W-What?” Linkle stepped back, holding the Master Sword at the ready. Her battle instincts kicked in, but she was so bewildered by the sudden change in the situation, she could feel herself breaking out in a cold sweat. “Sage? What’s going on?”

Lucrezia pursued her lips. “Guards. Seize her.” She lifted her hand, and there was another flash of yellow light.

Suddenly, the soldiers were closer to her, with two of them grabbing Linkle by the arms while the other four stood in front of her, swords and spears drawn.

Linkle shrieked. Kicking with her Pegasus Boots, Linkle shoved herself backwards, shaking free from her captors in the process. As she moved backwards, she tried to slash at one of the guards, although she was too far away to hit him by the time she swung.

Now with a few feet between herself and her opponents, Linkle readied her sword once more.

Why didn’t they take it from me?

In an instant, it dawned on Linkle what was happening. The magic the Sage of Time was using was some sort of stasis spell. The guards weren’t teleporting anywhere; she just wasn’t conscious enough to see them moving while she was frozen in time. Thankfully, the Master Sword and anything else on her person must have been frozen as well, preventing them from disarming her while she was immobilized.

“Sage!” Linkle shouted angrily. “What the hell? You trying to fucking kill me?!”

Lucrezia held her ticking scepter in one hand, idly tossing the decoy ocarina up and down with the other. “I do not intend to, no. If I kill you, you’ll just be reborn, and then you’ll be someone else’s problem further down the timeline.”

“What, then?” Linkle asked. “Are you working with the Sheikah and the monsters? Do you serve the demon, too?”

“I serve no one but the Goddess of Time,” the sage declared haughtily. “Impa and Remoth may want you gone, too, but my only goal is to protect the stability of the timestream.”

“What the hell are you even talking about?” The sage’s sudden betrayal left Linkle utterly baffled, and she was trying her best to piece it together in her head.

How could so many people in this kingdom wish harm upon the goddamn Hero?!

Lucrezia sighed. “Guards, stand back.”

The soldiers seemed hesitant for a moment, but they ultimately obeyed and backed away from Linkle, slowly. Likewise, the sage walked forward, her heels clicking menacingly against the hard stone floor.

Linkle gripped her sword tightly, expecting the sage to unleash some sort of sorcery upon her. However, once the sage was close, she stopped and turned around. She put her hands together, then moved them apart in a motion similar to opening the curtains of a window. Linkle stepped back as a shimmering blue portal opened in front of Lucrezia.

“Sage? What the fuck are you doing?” the Hero asked.

Lucrezia turned to face Linkle. The portal seemed to stabilize as its bluish glow faded. It soon turned clear, like glass, and Linkle could see through it. She could see the temple behind the sage, but her allies were not there, and the catacombs seemed different. It wasn’t until she saw a large fish swim by that she realized she was seeing the temple flooded with water on the other side of the portal.

Linkle had no idea what to say. “W-Wha… What?” It was clear she was seeing through a window to some alternate version of the Temple of Time, but she didn’t know what that meant. “What is this?” she asked Lucrezia. “The future?”

The Sage of Time shook her head. “No. It is a different present -- one in which all of Hyrule has been drowned in a Great Flood.”

The Hero panted, overwhelmed by everything that had happened in the past few minutes. “I… I don’t understand.”

“Of course not.” Lucrezia took a few steps forward. “There are few who understand the intricacies of time -- few who respect the need to maintain its integrity. That is why such an alternate timeline exists. It is all because of the Hero of Time.”

Linkle furrowed her brow. “Who the hell is the Hero of Time?” She thought of herself as a veritable scholar of the Heroes, even the obscure ones, but Linkle had never heard of anyone who’d been given the title of ‘ The Hero of Time .’

“It is unsurprising that you do not know of him. Most of his prominent deeds were erased from this timeline.” Lucrezia lifted the decoy ocarina in front of her eyes, examining it with contempt. “I would never have allowed the real Ocarina of Time to fall into the Hero’s hands again. Not after what he did.” She dropped the Ocarina of Wind to the ground, once again glaring at Linkle, as if she were the one the sage was talking about with such disgust.

Linkle kept her sword at the ready. “What could the Hero have done that you believe to be so evil?”

“Evil? No. Arrogant . Incompetent. Myopic to the point of destructive .”

Lucrezia raised her hand. Linkle reflexively took a defensive stance, but she was powerless to stop the sage’s stasis spell. The next thing she knew, the sage was right in front of her, swinging her scepter at Linkle’s face.

Agh !” Linkle shouted in pain. She was knocked to the ground by the force of the blow, some blood splashing from her face onto the floor.

“The Hero of Time wished to prevent the rise of Ganon,” the sage continued, as if she hadn’t just interrupted her monologue to assault Linkle. “So, he had the princess send him seven years into the past using the ocarina. The wardens of time can handle mortals making small jaunts to the past -- little changes to the timeline here and there can be accounted for without creating unstable paradoxes. But after what he did? The Goddess of Time had no choice but to split the timeline.”

Linkle climbed to her feet, wiping the blood from her mouth. “I don’t care !” she shouted. “That’s got nothing to do with me!” Everything the sage told her sounded insane, but regardless of how true it was, Linkle didn’t see why she should be held responsible for anything done by a previous Hero.

“The Hero’s spirit lives within you, child,” Lucrezia replied. “You and the Royal Family are this world’s greatest threats to the integrity of the timeline. If either of you are allowed to continue existing, there’s no telling when you might split the timeline again. If that happens, I do not know if even the Goddess of Time can prevent the calamity that might occur.”

“You’re wrong ,” Linkle asserted. “Without the Hero and the Royal Family, this world would’ve been conquered by demons at least three times over by now!”

“There’s that ‘ heroic ’ arrogance again,” the sage said, rolling her eyes. “The gods are on our side. With or without you, this realm will endure.” Turning around, she moved her hands together, closing the portal to the flooded temple. Lucrezia’s subordinates were once again in view. “You may proceed now. Take her alive.”

As soon as the sage turned her back, Linkle pulled out her hookshot. Rather than using it to attack the sage or her soldiers, she aimed it further into the catacombs, past the statues and the pillars.

Please, Farore, let this work.

The sound of the hookshot firing caught everyone else’s attention. Luckily, the hook managed to penetrate something in the distance, pulling Linkle into the darkness.

“Get her!”

“After her!”

“Don’t let her escape!”

Linkle knew she only had a few seconds. The instant she was out of view, concealed by one of the stone pillars, she pulled out the stone mask and put it on. She had no idea if it would work when she’d been seen so recently, and by people who were actively looking for her, but it was the best idea she could think of.

The sound of boots clamoring against the stone floor resounded throughout the catacombs as the soldiers rushed towards her position. Linkle pressed her body up against the pillar, hoping to avoid any of them bumping into her. As expected, the soldiers came into view shortly, rounding the corner in search of her. However, they looked around in confusion, not able to see her despite being right in front of her.

“Where’d she go?”

“Check over there. We’ll go this way.”

Nervous, but satisfied she was undetectable, Linkle peeked out from behind the pillar.

Lucrezia looked unamused. “Guard the stairs,” she ordered two of the soldiers. She took a few steps towards Linkle’s hiding place, which caused Linkle to shrink back behind the pillar, listening nervously to the incessant ticking given off by her scepter. “Hiding down here in the catacombs will not save you, Hero. You only delay the inevitable. The reincarnation cycle will be broken.”

Linkle listened as the ticking got closer. Feeling courageous, she peeked out from behind the pillar once again. Lucrezia was looking in her direction, but the sage clearly could not see her.

The Hero could feel the hairs standing up on the back of her neck. She was surrounded by enemies who wished her harm, led by a traitor she thought had been a friend. Even if she escaped, the sage would help the Sheikah and the monsters hunt her down. Beyond that, Lucrezia had made her intentions quite clear – she wished to eliminate the Royal Family, and the Hero.

I can’t let her do this. I need to stop her.

Linkle gripped the Master Sword tightly, building up the resolve to do what she thought was right. Taking tentative steps forward, she crept towards Lucrezia, unseen. When she was mere inches away from the sage, she hesitated for only a moment, then drove the Master Sword through Lucrezia’s stomach.

The Sage of Time screamed in pain. Her eyes wide open in fear and shock, she stared down at Linkle’s eyes through the holes in her mask, evidently able to see her now. Linkle intended to pull her sword back, but before she could, Lucrezia’s eyes glowed, and a shimmering yellow light enveloped them both.

Then, something strange happened. Everything around them turned gray, as if the color had been sapped from the world around them. Linkle moved backwards, witnessing her own actions over the course of the last few seconds, but in reverse.

When it was over, color returned to their surroundings, and Linkle suddenly found herself standing by the pillar once more. It was as though she’d never walked over to the sage and stabbed her.

“What…?” Linkle said aloud in confusion, glancing around herself to confirm her current position.

Lucrezia stood where she’d been before, with no signs of having been stabbed. In addition, she was looking right at Linkle, clearly still able to see her.

“Guards, return to me!” the sage shouted. “She is here!” As she pointed toward Linkle, something else caught her attention.

In between the sage and the Hero, a shimmering blue light had appeared, floating in the air in the shape of a crack one might see in an old stone wall. Before Linkle had a chance to process what was happening, the crack expanded, opening up like the portal Lucrezia had opened earlier. However, whereas Lucrezia’s portal had merely been a window, this crack was not. A torrent of water spilled through, knocking Linkle to the ground.

As the water spilled over her, the Hero rolled to the side and crawled out of the way, spitting up salty seawater as she did. Climbing back to her feet, Linkle saw Lucrezia and the other priests rushing forward. Linkle raised her weapon, but they were not coming for her.

“Close it! Close it, now!” the sage ordered, pure panic in her voice. She and her subordinates got into place around the portal, raising their arms and glowing brightly as they worked their magic.

With the sage distracted, Linkle set her eyes on the exit. It was still blocked by two of the guards. Stomping her boots a few times, Linkle took off in a full sprint, heading straight for them. Before they had time to react, the Hero held out her shield and rammed them both into the wall.

Before she left, Linkle took one last look back at Lucrezia. The sage was still trying to close the portal, but she met Linkle’s gaze, glaring at her with a look of pure contempt. The message was clear -- this was far from over.

Chapter 70: Sophitia XVII

Chapter Text

Lancel’s funeral was held a few days after his death. His body had been interred alongside King Tychon and Queen Elincia. The funeral rites for a member of the Royal Family would ordinarily have been performed by the Sage of Light, but since the position was still yet to be filled, the highest-ranking bishop available had performed it instead. Sophitia, Victorique, and Percival had all been in attendance, as had a great deal of the nobility in the region.

“Are we sure Toren Remoth’s whereabouts on that night are accounted for?” Sophitia asked, trailing her eyes over the documents she’d laid out across the floor of her bedroom.

Liliana stood behind her, arms crossed over the small of her back. “He’s got dozens of witnesses placing him in his wing of the castle, both his own subordinates and others.”

“But that is odd for Remoth, is it not?” Sophitia asserted, looking over the written statements she’d collected from his witnesses. “He is normally a quite private person. On most nights, surely he would not have half this many witnesses to his whereabouts, especially not so many who are not under his own employ. He is too paranoid for that. It is as if he was trying to make sure we knew of his whereabouts when the demon attacked.”

“Agreed. However, if this is true, it does confirm the true demon is another individual, even if they are working together,” Liliana pointed out.

“Not necessarily. The Remoth everyone witnessed could have been a phantom, or some other sort of illusion,” Sophitia reasoned.

There was a knock on the door.

“Liliana, be a dear.” Sophitia never looked away from the papers on the ground, offhandedly gesturing behind herself in the vague direction of the door.

“Yes, Princess.”

Sophitia put her hand to her chin. “There must be some way to confirm it. Could any of our mages detect traces of illusion spells at this point? How many of the witnesses saw him up close, or made physical contact with him?”

The sound of footsteps signaled Liliana’s return. She appeared at Sophitia’s side, holding out a piece of paper in her hand.

“What is it?” the princess asked, not looking away from her investigation.

“It’s from the Grand Minister. He has questions about the election,” Liliana replied.

“Oh, to hell with the election,” Sophitia told her, waving her hand dismissively. “It does not matter who is voted onto the throne if the demon is simply going to crush the winner the moment they claim it. We must deal with this now .”

“Don’t you have a Grand Protector and a Grand Watcher for this kind of thing?” Liliana asked, placing the minister’s message on Sophitia’s desk. “It does not seem like a princess’s duty. We should be thinking about relocating you out of the castle until it is safer.”

“Are you mad?” Sophitia asked, looking up at her retainer for the first time in a while. “I cannot leave now . Everything that matters is happening here .”

“I do not want you getting hurt.”

The princess opened her mouth to argue, but she stopped. Liliana’s face never betrayed much emotion, but for some reason, Sophitia could tell what she was thinking. This was about more than just doing her job.

“I know,” Sophitia said gently, meeting the other girl’s eyes meaningfully. “But I cannot leave. This… thing – it killed my brother. It’s responsible for the death of my father, and perhaps even my sister. Not to mention Laemora, Aurun, and potentially countless more. It must be stopped.”

Liliana paused, then nodded her understanding. “Fine. We shall stay. Do you have a plan to kill the demon once we find it?”

“My sister’s bow should be able to kill it. The Twilight Princess was able to wound Ganon with it,” Sophitia replied. “I suspect our rapiers and my brother’s sword may be able to harm it as well, given the blessings Sage Aurun placed upon them. If all else fails, my sister knows the location of the Triforce. But that must remain as a last resort.”

“Your sister knows where the Triforce is?” Liliana asked. “Do you ?”

Sophitia shook her head. “Father only told Victorique. The rest of us have instructions for how to find it, as a contingency in case she and Father both died before passing on the knowledge.”

Liliana raised an eyebrow. “You know how to find the location of the Triforce, and you haven’t done so?”

Sophitia could tell why Liliana found that odd. The princess was curious by nature, so the thought of her not going out of her way to discover one of the kingdom’s greatest secrets must have seemed quite strange.

“The process is a bit… convoluted. And very time-consuming,” the princess admitted. “But never mind that right now. The demon is our priority.”

“Very well.” Liliana looked over the closest set of papers Sophitia had laid out on the floor. “If it isn’t Lord Remoth, who else could it be?”

The princess considered the question. “Difficult to say. It is likely someone with access to the castle, but not necessarily, since the demon makes use of portals. It is likely someone with authority, given the number of guards and watchers who allegedly attacked my father and sister during the Blood Moon. But that is not necessarily the case either, since the demon could have been giving them orders from the outside. I would also suspect it is someone who practices shadow magic, but they may keep that skill hidden while disguised as their public identity.”

Liliana walked across the floor, stepping between the papers as she looked down. “If you are having trouble narrowing it down with the evidence available to you, then perhaps you can think about how to draw the demon out. What does it want?”

“I am not sure of that, either,” Sophitia admitted. “So far, the demon and its followers have killed my father, my brother, the Goddess of Light, and the Sage of Light. One would think they hold a grudge against the gods and the Royal Family, but if that is the case–”

“–then what are they waiting for?” Liliana finished, evidently following Sophitia’s train of thought well.

“Precisely. Victorique, Percival, and I are still here. Why did the demon appear only to kill my brother and then retreat? Why not try to kill the rest of us now?” As she spoke, the princess could feel her frustration mounting. She hated the hopeless feeling that came with knowing precious little about the situation.

What the hell am I supposed to do with this little information?

There was another knock at the door. Liliana went to open it without question. However, Sophitia overheard the conversation.

“The princess’s presence is requested.”

Sophitia stepped over to the door, but kept a few feet behind her bodyguard. One of the castle’s stewards was there. “Yes, what is it?” the princess asked.

“A woman carrying the Master Sword has arrived on the castle grounds,” the steward informed her. “It would appear that the Hero requests an audience with the Royal Family.”


Despite the supposed importance of this meeting, it was not to be held in the grand throne room. Apparently, Victorique had decided the meeting should be more discreet, without the Grand Council or any of the other nobles in attendance. So, Sophitia was brought to a smaller audience chamber adjacent to the courtyard. It was a long, narrow room with a red carpeted floor and stained glass windows decorating the wall. Six thrones stood at the far end of the room, raised up by a short staircase.

When Sophitia arrived, Victorique and Percival were already there. The two of them sat to the right of the central throne, where their father would have sat. The seat to Percival’s right was empty, reserved for their younger sister, should she ever return to them. Sophitia understood the setup immediately, taking a seat at the far left, leaving Lancel’s seat and their father’s seat between her and her siblings. It felt a bit lonely, but at least Liliana stood by her side. Sir Onnick and Impa Ayako were also standing beside their charges.

“Where is the Hero at the moment?” Sophitia asked her siblings.

“She is in the company of the Grand Protector, but I have sent for her, so she should be here shortly,” Victorique explained.

“Perhaps now we will be able to rid ourselves of that accursed demon,” Percival commented. “If the gods have chosen this moment to send her, then it can only be for that reason.”

“Yes. She may know the demon’s true identity,” Victorique added.

“And if she does not, perhaps the Master Sword may be used to identify the demon,” Sophitia suggested, knowing a demon would have a strong adverse reaction to the Blade of Evil’s Bane.

Soon after, the doors to the audience chamber opened wide. The Grand Protector walked inside, followed by two columns of three royal guards, each carrying a large golden halberd. Sophitia had trouble spotting the Hero at first. The girl was quite short, and she was walking in the middle of the procession. As she entered, her eyes gazed over the room, and she smiled with wonder at everything she saw.

The Grand Protector and the royal guards halted when they were near the thrones. The Hero took a few more steps forward before she noticed the others had stopped.

“Princess Zelda Victorique, Prince Percival Seliph, and Princess Zelda Sophitia.” Grand Protector Brigo addressed the three of them, bowing respectfully. “I present to you -- the wielder of the Master Sword.” Brigo stepped to the side, gesturing towards the Hero.

Now that Sophitia could see her a bit more up close, she was surprised by the Hero’s appearance. The girl appeared to be even younger than Sophitia was. She was pretty and somewhat tomboyish, with bright blue eyes and golden blonde hair that was cut kind of short, aside from a pair of braids that framed her youthful face. She wore a thin choker around her neck with a small blue pendant hanging from it, and she also wore a necklace from which hung a golden compass. Her outfit consisted of a white shirt, an orange skirt, and a short blue cloak that she wore with the hood down. Additionally, she wore some brown leather armor, including a chest guard covering the upper left portion of her chest, a kidney guard wrapped around her waist, and a pair of gloves. Her boots were also brown leather, coming up to mid thigh and decorated with a pair of feathery white wings. She carried a sheathed sword, a shield, a small crossbow, and a quiver on her back, along with a hookshot that dangled from the side of her belt. Despite her youth, the Hero certainly carried the gear of a seasoned adventurer. Perhaps more surprising than the Hero’s youthful appearance was her expression. Between her big eyes and her excited grin, she looked both awed and ecstatic to be in the throne room, even if it was only a minor audience chamber.

The girl took a moment to look between the three siblings, staring at each of them in turn. Sophitia found it odd. The Hero did not seem to have the greatest grasp of noble manners.

Perhaps she is from a common family.

“Young Hero.” Victorique was the first to speak. “It is an honor to have you in our court.”

All at once, the girl seemed to remember she was in the presence of royalty. With a flash of embarrassment on her face, she began to kneel, then quickly stopped herself. Reaching behind her back, she drew her sword, then got down on one knee, bowing her head as she held her sword tip-first down into the floor.

Sophitia leaned forward in her seat, wishing she could examine the sword up close. The princess had seen the Master Sword depicted in paintings, murals, stained glass artwork, statues, historical documents, and storybook illustrations. The girl’s sword appeared to be a perfect match for how the Master Sword was traditionally depicted -- same size, same hilt, same engravings. It even faintly glowed with a white light the way it was supposed to. That could only have been the real Master Sword.

Then she truly is the Hero.

“I-It’s an honor to meet all of you!” the Hero said, speaking quickly and slightly stumbling over her words. She sounded equal parts nervous and excited. “My name is Linkle of Hateno. I have come here on a quest to save the kingdom!”

“Rise, Linkle of Hateno,” Victorique commanded.

“Y-Yes, Princess!” The Hero seemed eager to obey. She scrambled to her feet, standing at attention. The look on her face reminded Sophitia of how her younger sister looked when she was hoping to be praised.

“We are pleased to have you here. You and your sword will prove to be invaluable assets in our struggle against the Headless Demon,” Percival said.

Although the prince had referred to her as an ‘ asset ,’ the Hero seemed to take his words as praise. “Thank you, your highness.”

“I, too, would like to extend my personal welcome to you, Hero,” Sophitia joined in. “Tell me, what news do you bring from the kingdom? Where else is the demon’s presence being felt?” The princess had been feeling stifled by the slow drip of information she’d been receiving ever since she’d returned to the castle, and she was eager to get an update on the state of the other provinces.

The Hero smiled at her, apparently just as happy to be welcomed by the younger princess. However, her smile soon faded, as if remembering something unpleasant. Linkle glanced nervously between the three of them before taking a deep breath. “Your highnesses, I’m afraid I bring bad news. The demon’s minions are everywhere. They have been hunting for me, and they are searching for a number of objects that serve as keys to open the way to the Triforce. And it is not just monsters. The Sheikah are working with them, probably led by the Sheikah Shogun and the Sage of Shadow. The Sage of Time is working with them as well, and gods know who else.”

The Sheikah Shogun? The Sage of Shadow?

Sophitia, Victorique, and Percival all turned to Impa Ayako at the same time. The Sheikah woman narrowed her eyes in a confused glare, but she said nothing, not being one to speak out of turn at a royal audience.

“We were aware there were traitors in our midst working with the monsters,” Percival stated.

“The Gerudo are working with them as well,” Sophitia pointed out, having encountered the Gerudo prince traveling with several monsters.

Linkle gasped. “That makes sense! My brother and I ran into the Gerudo prince the first time we visited the Temple of Time.”

“However,” Victorique interjected, “Impa Sadashi and Impa Ichika are both loyal servants of the kingdom. The Impa Family has long been one of our greatest allies. What evidence do you have of their involvement in this conspiracy?”

Linkle eyed Impa Ayako suspiciously for a moment, then lifted her hookshot in her hand to present it to the royal siblings. “This is one of the keys that opens the way to the Triforce. Sage Impa sent me and my brother to get it. They also wanted me to find a sword that belonged to the Sage of Forest’s brother, but it was stolen by a Kokiri named Mila. A dragon named Volder stole one of the other keys, and the Sage of Time gave another to the monsters. After I pulled the Master Sword from the stone, I was attacked by Sheikah who worked for Sage Impa as soon as I left the forest. And before that, Impa Ichika and Impa Sadashi both gave me a quest to destroy the undead plaguing the bottom of the well in New Kakariko. I think it was a set up to lure in adventurers while they searched for the Hero. They were oddly interested in my hand, like they were checking if the mark of the Triforce of Courage was on it. And also there was this mask salesman who told me--”

“Slow down,” Percival told the girl, raising a hand to stop her.

Linkle stopped talking. She looked very eager to continue, but it was clear she hadn’t realized just how much she’d already said.

The Hero had made many claims that warranted further investigation, but Sophitia thought it best to hear from the Impa in the room. “Sister,” the younger princess began. “May we hear your retainer’s thoughts on the claims regarding her family?”

Linkle’s eyes went wide, looking at Impa Ayako in shock.

“Yes, I wish to hear this as well,” the elder princess agreed. “Aya, is this the first you are hearing of this?”

“Of course, your highness,” the Sheikah woman replied emphatically. “It is no secret that my family and I have not seen eye to eye on a great many things, but they would never betray Hyrule. Everything they do, no matter how underhanded it may be, is always intended to benefit the kingdom.”

Sophitia nodded her understanding. Hypothetically, if the Impa family had betrayed the throne, the princess could have believed that Impa Ayako had not been involved nor made aware of it. Ayako was apparently considered the black sheep of her family, and as much as Sophitia may not have liked her personally, she couldn’t deny the Sheikah girl was fiercely loyal to Victorique.

“I do not doubt the Impa Family seeks what they believe is best for Hyrule, but I think we can all agree that their mentality of ‘the ends justify the means’ could possibly have led them to do something we would not view as entirely just,” Sophitia asserted.

“Agreed. We must question Impa Shiho immediately,” Percival added.

“I will speak to her myself,” Victorique said quickly, giving Percival a look that politely told him to leave it to her.

“Does the Impa Family have any connection to Lord Remoth?” Sophitia asked. They did not yet know if the Impa Family was guilty of anything, but it would be revealing if there was a connection between the Impas and their current prime suspect.

“Remoth?” the Hero asked, perking up at the mention of that name.

The girl’s response had Sophitia interested. “Yes. Do you know of him?” Many in Hyrule knew of Lord Remoth, but a peasant girl from the east was less likely to be familiar with one of the western lords.

“No, but Sage Lucrezia mentioned that name in the same breath as the name Impa,” Linkle replied. “She said she only wanted to protect the timestream, but that Impa and someone named Remoth wanted me gone.”

“Well, that settles it, then,” Percival decided. “We should have Remoth executed for treason immediately.” He turned to the Grand Protector to give him orders, but Victorique held up a hand to stop him.

“Let us not be hasty,” the elder princess suggested.

“He killed Father and Lancel. If that is not treason, what is?” Percival replied, clearly letting his anger seep through.

“That isn’t what she means,” Sophitia argued. “We do not yet know the extent of his involvement, nor do we know the extent of this larger conspiracy. Even if he is to be put to the sword, we still need to question him first.”

“And when he changes into his demon form, do you still intend to question him then?” her brother asked.

Sophitia did not answer him. Instead, she turned to Linkle, whose sword still faintly glowed with a majestic light. “Hero, we wish to place Lord Remoth under arrest. But, if our suspicions are correct, it may mean he is the demon we have been fighting against. Can we count on you, the wielder of the Blade of Evil’s Bane, to help us fight him if need be?”

Linkle’s eyes opened wide with wonder and excitement, as if that were the greatest thing anyone had ever said to her. “ Yes !” the Hero replied, her voice cracking with eagerness. “That is my destiny!”


Sophitia and her siblings decided to move quickly. Together with the Hero, the Grand Protector, and a number of royal guards, they made their way to Lord Remoth’s wing of the castle. While they still did not have any direct proof of his involvement, the lead provided by the Hero gave them a good place to start.

Since the Impa Family had been implicated by the Hero’s testimony as well, Victorique and her retainer planned to corner Impa Shiho and ask her a few questions afterwards, but they had decided that Lord Remoth was the higher priority.

When they reached the door to Lord Remoth’s office, four black-cloaked knights stood in their way. All of them readied their weapons upon the approach of the royal siblings and their armed escort.

“Halt! What is the meaning of this?” one of Remoth’s guards demanded.

“Step aside,” Percival ordered. “We have business with Remoth.”

“He is in a meeting. You can speak with him afterwards.”

“Are you disobeying an order from your prince?” As Percival spoke, Sir Onnick advanced on the black-cloaks. The giant man’s suit of armor rattled with each step, and Remoth’s guards shrank back in fear.

“There is no need for this to turn violent,” Sophitia reminded everyone. “Simply step aside and let us see Lord Remoth, please.”

The guards held steadfast for only a moment longer, but being stared down by Percival’s bodyguard proved too much for the one closest to the door. The black-cloaked knight undid the door latch, shoved the door open, and stepped to the side. His cohorts followed suit.

“You have our thanks,” Victorique told them.

Together, the royal siblings and the Hero entered Remoth’s office along with half of their guards, while the other half remained outside to guard the door. Inside, they found Lord Remoth sitting at his desk, with Lady Shadowgale sitting on the other side of it.

Lord Remoth barely reacted to their sudden entrance. With his hands clasped in front of him while he rested his elbows on the desk, his eyes looked up at the royal siblings with mild annoyance, clearly dismayed to have his meeting interrupted, but not enough so to express his immediate displeasure.

Lady Shadowgale looked shocked to see them. She reacted by immediately climbing to her feet and standing at attention. “My prince. Your highness. Your highness,” the Kokiri girl said, bowing to each of the royal siblings in turn.

Percival raised an eyebrow, perhaps somewhat surprised to run into her there, but he quickly disregarded her and turned his attention to Lord Remoth.

“Good day, your highnesses,” Remoth said in a tone of voice that betrayed no sense of urgency. “To what do I owe the pleasure of having my guards ignored and my meeting interrupted?”

Percival took a step forward, keeping his intimidating bodyguard at his side at all times. “Toren Remoth, in the name of my father, King Tychon Aldoranus Hyrule, I hereby place you under arrest for treason, conspiracy, demonic activity, and regicide.”

Lord Remoth looked unimpressed. “Is that right? And how have you determined this?”

Before any of the royal siblings could explain, Linkle pushed herself to the front of the group. “Sage Lucrezia told me you and Impa were trying to get rid of me!” she said, pointing at him with an accusatory finger.

The dark-haired man eyed her with similar disinterest. “I don’t even know who you are.”

Linkle drew the Master Sword, brandishing it with pride. It glowed even brighter than Sophitia had seen it glow earlier. “My name is Linkle. I’m the Hero,” the young girl declared.

For the first time since they’d entered the room, Remoth actually looked interested. His eyes opened ever-so-slightly wider in surprise upon seeing the Blade of Evil’s Bane, setting his gaze upon it immediately. He then locked eyes with the Hero, staring deeply into her. “Very well, then.” Lord Remoth stood from his seat, rising slowly to his intimidating full height.

The Hero and the royal guards all raised their weapons expectantly, stepping forward in front of the prince and the princesses. Only Lady Shadowgale shrunk back, as if to avoid the coming battle.

Is he going to transform? Now? Right here? What do we do?!

Sophitia focused herself, ready to call upon her defensive magic as soon as Lord Remoth changed into his demon form. However, he did not.

“If you are to detain me, I shall expect reasonable accommodations befitting a man of my station,” Lord Remoth said simply. “I wish to speak with Grand Arbiter Pelletier, as I also expect a fair trial. I will need to send several messages as well. I expect they will not be interfered with.”

There was a pause. Everyone else in the room had been prepared for a fight, so it took a moment for the tension to fade. Sophitia breathed a sigh of relief, feeling Liliana’s hand comfortingly placed upon her back.

“That is quite a lot of expectations for one in your position,” Percival remarked. “I hope our dungeons do not disappoint. Guards, take him away.” He then turned to Lady Shadowgale. “You. Wait here. The Hero needs to talk to you.”

“Y-Yes, my prince!” the Kokiri girl replied.

Sophitia watched as Lord Remoth was led out of the room, escorted by several royal guards. As he left, he gave Linkle one last look. The princess could not help but see it as threatening, and she didn’t like how easily he’d given up without a fight.

He’s up to something.

“Hero,” Percival spoke to get Linkle’s attention.

“Yes, my prince?”

Percival gestured to the Kokiri girl standing at attention before them. “You said something about a Kokiri named Mila having one of the keys. This is her.”

Mila looked shocked, glancing between the prince and the Hero rapidly. “I-- What?”

“You’re Mila?” Linkle repeated, walking up to her.

“That’s right,” the fairy child replied. “And you’re the Hero?”

“Yes. My name is Linkle. Do you still have Saria’s brother’s sword?”

Mila stared at her for a moment. “You know about that?”

“It’s okay. Saria didn’t send me. You’re not in trouble or anything,” Linkle went on. “But I need her brother’s sword. It’s important.”

“Do as she asks,” Prince Percival commanded.

Mila looked offended for a moment, but quickly hid her expression. “Y-Yes, my prince.” She begrudgingly reached behind her back and unstrapped her sword sheath, handing it over to the Hero.

Linkle looked excited. She happily accepted the sword and pulled it part-way out of its sheath to examine it. The sword was ornately decorated with gold leaf, appearing to be very expensive. “Amazing! Thank you, fairy child!”

“I expect to be properly compensated,” Mila said, ignoring the Hero and addressing the prince.

“Speak with the Grand Treasurer. He will see to it,” the prince assured her.

“Good.” Mila gave one last barely-concealed glare to everyone in the room, then marched out the door.

“That went well,” Sophitia commented. She knew little of the keys Linkle spoke of, but if this development meant their enemies were now further from the Triforce, then it was certainly good news.


After the arrest of Lord Remoth, Sophitia and her siblings brought the Hero and the Grand Protector to a council chamber for a short debriefing. However, given how smoothly the arrest had gone, there was not much to talk about other than what they’d agreed upon beforehand.

“He is quite clearly still scheming,” Percival declared, speaking of Lord Remoth. “We need to keep a detachment of guards on him at all times. Any messages he wishes to send out should be examined by the watchers and then tossed into the fire. And the second he gives up his co-conspirators, he’s dead.”

“He will not give us anything if he believes he will die immediately afterwards,” Sophitia pointed out.

“Obviously,” the prince replied. “But the Lord of Spikes, of all people, should know there are ways of making someone talk regardless.”

“We must not attempt to harm him,” Victorique asserted. “He likely retains the ability to shift into his demon form, and he will do so if directly threatened. We must handle this carefully.” She turned to Brigo. “Grand Protector, head down to the dungeons and begin the interrogation process.”

“At once, your highness.” The Grand Protector bowed and left.

“Ayako and I shall find Shiho and speak with her now,” the elder princess went on. “Brother, why don’t you handle the detainment of Lord Remoth’s subordinates?”

“Fine.”

“Thank you. And sister–”

“I shall show the Hero around the castle grounds,” Sophitia said, glancing towards Linkle. “I would very much like to speak with her. Would that be alright?”

Linkle glowed with excitement. “Yes! Of course, Princess.”

Victorique nodded. “Very well. I shall report back with my findings later.”

With that, the siblings split off, each headed to perform their own tasks.

“This place is so amazing,” Linkle proclaimed as Sophitia led her down the hall, followed closely by Liliana. As the Hero walked, she constantly moved from one side of the hall to the other, taking in every detail of the paintings and the other decorations as they passed by them. “I couldn’t believe it when I first got here. The castle is so big . I’ve dreamed of coming here ever since I was a little girl. It’s even better than the stories say!”

“You say you are from Hateno,” Sophitia commented. “Are you acquainted with my aunt Celessa?”

Linkle shook her head. “I’ve seen her, but I’ve never met her.”

“I see.” Sophitia led the Hero to a doorway that opened to the garden in the courtyard.

Linkle gasped once again, drinking in her surroundings with excitement. “It’s beautiful!”

“Yes, it is quite lovely out here,” the princess agreed. Back when things were more peaceful, she’d often enjoyed reading out in the fresh air of the garden. “I am interested to learn more about your life as the Hero, if I may ask you a few questions,” Sophitia told Linkle, hoping the Hero would allow her to satisfy her curiosity.

“I wanna know more about you, too,” Linkle replied. “What kind of divine powers do you have? Can you talk to the spirits of your ancestors? How come your sister isn’t queen yet?”

Sophitia blinked, taken aback by the sudden barrage of questions. “Um. May I take that one question at a time please? Let’s see… Well, divine powers, I suppose my magical ability stems from my divine ancestor, but I must admit I am not nearly as accomplished as my siblings. I have never communed with any of my ancestors. Such a power is not among my talents. And, well, my sister is not queen yet because my siblings and I decided to hold an election to choose who would inherit my father’s position upon the throne, but the matter has been put somewhat on hold after my brother’s death.”

Linkle’s face had been beaming with excitement up until Sophitia’s last sentence. Her expression melted into one of shock, and then one of sympathy. “Oh. Gods. I’m sorry, I–”

Sophitia raised her hand and gave the other girl a weary smile. “Think nothing of it.” The princess stepped in front of a large hedge trimmed into the shape of the goddess Farore, tilting her head to look up at the Hero’s patron. “As I’ve said, I wish to know more about you,” she went on. “When did you know you had been chosen to be Farore’s champion?”

“I’ve always known.” Linkle took the golden compass hanging from her necklace into her hand and held it up. “Ever since I was a kid, I’ve loved exploring, fighting monsters, and saving people. It’s just what I was made for.”

“So it was just a feeling, then? No gods or spirits ever spoke to you?” Sophitia gestured to the hedge, as if to ask if Linkle recognized the figure.

Linkle shook her head. “The first god I ever met was the Great Deku Tree.”

“I see. It must be nice to have known one’s destiny from an early age.” Sophitia sighed lightly. “If only Nayru would grant me that kind of clarity.”

Linkle looked at her kind of oddly, but the Hero seemed to realize what she meant. “You know, once we find the Triforce, we’ll need someone to wield the Triforce of Wisdom,” she pointed out, speaking as if she were about to make her an offer. “In the stories, it’s usually Princess Zelda.”

That made Sophitia chuckle. “There are three Princess Zeldas in Hyrule at the moment. But the sentiment is appreciated.” She cleared her throat and resumed walking through the garden path, wishing to steer the conversation away from herself. “So, tell me, why was it that you left Hateno? Was it because of the quest Impa Sadashi gave you?”

“Nope.” Linkle shook her head, practically skipping alongside the princess. “I didn’t know about that at first. I heard there was war coming, and that lots of new opportunities for adventurers were popping up in the capital. I didn’t wanna stay in Necluda and be a farmer all my life, so me and my brother hopped on our horse and set off.”

“You have a brother,” Sophitia restated. “Has he come to the castle with you?”

Linkle abruptly stopped in place. “We, uh, kinda got separated when our ship was attacked by pirates. And a giant Octorok.”

“Oh.”

Has she recently lost a brother as well?

“I am sorry,” the princess said sympathetically.

“He’ll find me, though,” Linkle said, her optimistic smile returning quickly. “He always does.”

Sophitia nodded. “My little sister is missing as well. But I know the gods will return her home safely.”

Are we both merely deluding ourselves?

“Now, why don’t you tell me the rest of your story?” Sophitia suggested, hoping to obtain certain details. “I am particularly interested in your encounters with the Impa Family.”

“Okay! Let’s see…” Linkle tapped the tip of her boot against the ground as she thought. “Well, after me and my brother left, we wanted to take a shortcut through Old Kakariko, but we got attacked by bandits. A Sheikah showed up to help us, but then more of them showed up and kidnapped us.”

Kidnapped you?” Sophitia was taken aback. “Were you harmed?”

Linkle shook her head. “Not really. We got teleported to the dungeons under Impa’s castle, and they asked us a bunch of questions about what we were doing there. They said they mistook us for wanted criminals, but like I told you before, I think they were trying to see if either of us was the Hero. That’s gotta be why they checked the backs of our hands.”

“Interesting. Would the mark of the Triforce of Courage appear on the Hero’s hand if the Triforce is still safely sealed away?” Sophitia asked, thinking it was a strange thing to check for given the circumstances.

Linkle looked at the back of her hand, as if to check if the mark was there. “Hm. I dunno. Maybe not. But maybe they thought it would.” She shrugged.

“I suppose. And it was Impa Sadashi you spoke to?” Sophitia continued.

“Yeah. Well, her and her daughter.”

Sophitia was surprised to hear this. “Her daughter Shiho? Was she there as well?”

“Yeah, that was her name.” Linkle’s eyes opened wide as she remembered something. “That Sheikah woman who was with your sister -- isn’t she an Impa, too? Is your sister safe?”

“I trust Impa Ayako. She is loyal to my sister, not to her family,” Sophitia asserted. “Impa Shiho is also in the castle. She is the one they are speaking to right now.”

“If you say so, I’ll believe it, Princess,” Linkle replied.

“Now, what happened after you spoke to the shogun? She simply let you go?”

“She gave me and Link a quest.”

Sophitia raised an eyebrow, taking a second to realize Link must have been her brother’s name.

I suppose my family is not the only one with a naming tradition.

“She wanted us to go talk to her mother, the Sage of Shadow. She said there were a bunch of undead monsters infesting the well in New Kakariko,” Linkle explained.

As they spoke, the princess and the Hero arrived at an outdoor table set up in the garden where Sophitia often sat to have tea. The two of them sat down. Liliana, who was still following them, chose to remain standing some distance away.

“Yes, I believe you briefly mentioned that,” Sophitia reiterated, remembering what the Hero had said in the throne room earlier. “You believe it was some sort of test?”

Linke nodded. “We figured out there must have been a necromancer intentionally raising the dead whenever they sent adventurers down there to deal with the monsters. As soon as we said that, the sage basically kicked us out. She said she would deal with the necromancer, but I think she was worried we were onto her. And when we came back from hunting the dragon, the well was completely gone.”

“That does sound suspicious.” Sophitia put a hand to her chin. “So the Impa Family has been manufacturing problems to draw in adventurers in hopes of discovering the Hero. And now that the Hero has awakened, they are attempting to kill you.”

“They’re not trying to kill me,” Linkle corrected. “They keep trying to capture me alive. The Sage of Time said if she killed me, I would just be reborn.”

Sophitia was confused. “So what is their goal, then? What would they do with you if not kill you?”

Linkle shrugged. “No idea.”

Sophitia brushed her hand through her hair, considering the situation.

If they are worried about the Hero’s reincarnation, then their plans are clearly long-term. Is that why the Sage of Time is involved? They are attempting to steal the Triforce, so theoretically they could do almost anything if they succeeded. Do they plan to wish the Hero out of existence? But why? They are working with monsters. Do they merely serve the demon? Did it promise them something in return for the Triforce? But what could the demon offer them that the Triforce could not already give?

After taking a moment to think, Sophitia turned back to Linkle and noticed the other girl was staring at her oddly.

“Sorry, I was lost in thought,” the princess apologized.

“Don’t be sorry. You’re really pretty when you’re like that!” Linkle said with a smile.

Sophitia blinked, taken aback by the comment. Instinctively, she glanced over at Liliana, who had an eyebrow raised but gave no other reaction. “Um. Th-Thank you for saying so, Hero,” the princess replied. Then she cleared her throat, taking a moment to gather her flustered thoughts. “Now, then. Tell me about these keys you mentioned.”


After hearing the story of Linkle’s journey up to that point, Sophitia felt she had a better understanding of the Hero. As a lover of knowledge, the princess enjoyed having a real live Hero right in front of her, giving her the opportunity to ask the many questions she had. She knew the story of the Hero of Twilight and many of the previous Heroes quite well, but it was a very different experience to meet one in the flesh.

Perhaps the most surprising thing about this Hero was how normal she seemed. When legends spoke of the Hero of Twilight or the Hero of the Sky, they seemed like very larger-than-life characters, embodying every ideal that would be held as virtuous in the eyes of Farore. From her stories, this girl certainly seemed courageous, but she was still very human in Sophitia’s eyes. Her lowborn background reminded Sophitia of Liliana. Her energetic attitude was somewhat similar to Mina Remoth’s. Her attachment to her brother made her quite sympathetic. Everything about Linkle seemed much more down-to-Earth than any Hero Sophitia had ever heard the tale of.

“Hey, did your friend there want to join us?” Linkle asked. As she and the princess had spoken, she’d glanced over at Liliana a few times, noticing her waiting patiently. Perhaps she was worried that they were being rude, likely because she was not used to being waited on by guards and servants the way Sophitia was.

“She certainly can,” Sophitia replied, turning to Liliana with a smile. “Dear, come and join us.”

Liliana nodded. She uncrossed her hands from behind her back and approached the table, taking a seat beside her princess.

“Sorry, I do not believe you have been properly introduced,” Sophitia said, gesturing between Liliana and their guest. “Linkle, this is Liliana. She is my personal retainer, and my old friend from the Royal Hyrulean Academy. And Liliana, this, of course, is Linkle, the latest reincarnation of Hylia’s Chosen Hero.”

“Hi!” Linkle greeted her happily.

“That’s quite a title,” Liliana said.

The Hylian girl laughed, but she clearly wore a look of pride. “Well, guarding Princess Zelda is a noble role, too.”

“It’s not nearly as glamorous as you’re imagining,” the round-eared girl replied. “You should see her when she first wakes up in the morning.”

“Lili!” Sophitia said indignantly.

Linkle seemed to find it funny, however.

“So, what’s been going on around here?” Linkle asked. “I only stopped by the capital for a bit just before the Blood Moon, so I feel like I’ve missed everything.”

“Oh, dear. Where to begin.” Sophitia tried to think of where the trouble had all started, and her mind went to the day of the summit. She intended to begin her story there, but before she could, she was interrupted by an approaching servant.

“Princess Sophitia.”

Liliana stood from her chair and moved closer to the princess.

“Yes, what is it?” Sophitia asked.

“Princess Victorique requests your presence. And yours as well, Hero.”

Sophitia nodded. “Well, it sounds like my sister has finished speaking with the Impas,” she declared, standing up.

“Aw, I wanted to hear what you were gonna say!” Linkle said as she stood along with her.

“Another time,” Sophitia promised.


Sophitia and Linkle had been called to another of the castle’s meeting chambers. When they arrived, Sophitia’s siblings and the two Impa sisters were present. Percival sat at one end of the meeting table, while Victorique sat on the other end with the Impas standing behind her.

“Great. They’re here,” Percival said as soon as they walked in. He then turned to Victorique. “Now, would you kindly tell me why this one is not in chains?” he asked, gesturing towards the girl in the mask.

“Gladly,” Victorique replied. She gestured to the open seats next to Percival, then waited for Sophitia and Linkle to sit down. “Brother, sister, Hero. I have spoken to Impa Shiho. Shiho, would you care to explain?”

“Yes. Thank you, Princess.” The masked woman gave a bow before continuing. “Prince Percival, Princess Sophitia, young Hero. It is clear to me that someone from the Sheikah Tribe, and perhaps even the Impa Clan, has been working with the enemy. If an Impa is truly involved, it is likely a member of one of our cadet Houses. Regardless, this is a tactic intended to deceive and divide us. My mother, my grandmother, and I remain as loyal to the kingdom as ever.”

“Well of course you’d say that,” Percival was quick to respond. “What proof do you have of your innocence?”

“I could have killed any of you at any time, but I have not,” Shiho replied coldly, her voice muffled by her mask. “I also aided in the protection of Princess Victorique on her way back to the capital, and I was the one who informed her of Lord Remoth’s treachery in the first place.”

Sophitia tilted her head. She supposed the Sheikah woman made some valid points, although the actions she described were not necessarily proof of anything. “Linkle,” the younger princess said.

“Yes, Princess?”

“Was this woman one of the Sheikah who abducted you and your brother early in your journey?” Sophitia asked, wishing to hear Shiho’s explanation.

“Yes, she was!” Linkle replied, pointing a finger at Shiho in accusation. “She and her mother held us in their dungeon. Not for long, but still. What the hell? You said you mistook us for criminals, but that was ridiculous!”

“You and your brother were spotted prowling around the graveyard at night,” Shiho replied. “You also came close to our borders carrying weapons. My agents were suspicious, as they had every right to be. Especially during times such as these.”

“Bullshit! We were in the graveyard killing ReDeads, and then we were attacked by bandits while trying to get to Kakariko. We weren’t doing anything suspicious,” Linkle argued.

“Our people are cautious,” was all Shiho offered in her defense.

“What about your grandmother?” Sophitia asked her. “The Sage of Shadow hired Linkle and her brother to clear out an undead infestation at the bottom of the well in New Kakariko. When they expressed their belief that a necromancer was behind it, they were dismissed, and then the well was filled in and removed. That is rather suspicious, is it not?”

Sophitia could not see Shiho’s eyes, but she felt the Sheikah woman’s gaze boring into her regardless. Looking at that oddly-decorated mask was giving the princess a headache.

“I received updates about that matter long ago,” Shiho replied. “Once it became clear that a member of Grandmother’s clergy was the culprit, she found it prudent to investigate the matter internally. The culprit was identified and dealt with, but the well was deemed too cursed to be fit for use anymore. That is all.”

Sophitia did not like that answer, but she did not see any holes in Shiho’s story.

“Then why were your mother and grandmother so interested in our hands?” Linkle asked.

Victorique raised an eyebrow. “Hands? What does she mean?”

“The Hero means she and her brother were examined to see if they bore the mark of courage,” Shiho explained. “The Hero often bears the mark. Identifying the Hero is crucial, so adventurers are often examined in this way.”

“That’s what I mean!” Linkle replied. “I was kidnapped and lured in with a quest that might not have even been real, and they checked to see if I was the Hero. And then, as soon as I showed them I was the Hero,” she went on, drawing the Master Sword to emphasize what she meant, “I got attacked by more Sheikah!”

“The timing is rather suspicious,” Victorique agreed.

“I have little doubt the Master Sword was being surveilled by Sheikah,” Shiho admitted. “But they were not my agents. The ones who attacked you were members of the traitorous splinter cell within our midst.”

“But–” Sophitia wanted to question that, but she was interrupted by Victorique.

“Shiho offers a reasonable explanation for the situation,” the elder princess asserted. “Given her family’s history of loyalty to ours, perhaps it would be best to let the matter be settled once further evidence makes the reality of the situation more clear.”

The younger princess opened her mouth to reply, but she caught the look Victorique gave her. She thought she understood what it meant.

Obviously we do not believe her, but we need more evidence. Harming the Sheikah shogun’s daughter without due cause would be considered an act of war, after all.

“I don’t like this, but fine,” Percival said, speaking before Sophitia did. “Rest assured, Sheikah. If Remoth names you and your family as co-conspirators, no amount of historical loyalty will save you from just punishment.”

“I accept your terms,” Shiho replied, unfazed.

The prince stared at her masked face for a moment, then abruptly stood up and left.

“Very well,” Sophitia agreed, nodding her ascent.

“But she–” Linkle began to complain, clearly not wishing to back down yet, but Sophitia put a hand on her shoulder.

“Fear not, Hero,” the princess assured her. “We shall discover the truth together in time.”

Chapter 71: Seraphina V

Chapter Text

Despite Jeanne and Celessa’s concerns about traveling along the road so close to Kakariko, they suffered no further attacks from the Sheikah along the way. Perhaps the Impa Family did not wish to reveal themselves as hostile and provoke an open war, or perhaps the size of Aunt Celessa’s army proved too formidable for them. Nevertheless, Princess Seraphina and her aunt’s retinue soon arrived safely in the Twins.

Given the size of the governor’s forces, they made camp outside of the town rather than inside of it, although plenty of soldiers went into town to purchase food and supplies. Seraphina did not stay to eat in the camp, however. She and her aunt were invited to dine with the local lord in his manor. Link, being the Hero’s brother and one of the princess’s protectors, was invited to join them as well.

“Is there any left over?” Seraphina asked once the meal had concluded.

“I believe so, little angel,” Dame Jeanne told her. “Why?”

“I want to bring some to Blumen.” Seraphina had wanted to invite the rabbit god to dinner as well, but Aunt Celessa had rejected the idea for some reason.

“Don’t stay up too late, Seraphina,” her aunt told her. “I shall be turning in for the night. Dame Jeanne, inform my guards if you have need of me.”

“Yes, my lady,” Jeanne replied with a bow.

“Good night, Aunt Celessa,” the princess said, curtsying. After taking a bowl of leftovers from dinner and preparing to leave, Seraphina noticed Link standing by himself. He looked kind of lonely and he’d been quiet throughout most of the dinner, so the princess decided to invite him to come along. “Hey, want to come with us?” she asked, tugging on his tunic. “I’m gonna give this to Blumen. He’s really friendly!”

Link appeared somewhat amused and smiled good-naturedly. “I suppose so,” he agreed.

After leaving the lord’s manor, Jeanne led Seraphina and Link through town and back to camp. Along the way, Seraphina noticed Link studying every sign and poster they passed.

Oh, right. His sister might have been here. I hope he finds her soon.

The princess wanted to reassure him, but Jeanne had instructed her not to pry too much.

Soon, Seraphina and her companions arrived back at the camp set up outside of town. They found Blumen atop a small hill on the north side of camp, reared back on his hind legs and staring up at the moon.

“Hey! Blumen!” Seraphina called out to him.

“Hm?” The glowing rabbit turned towards the sound of her voice. “Ah, my sage! Come to join me in prayer under the light of the moon?”

“I brought you some dinner,” the princess said cheerily, lifting the lid off of the dish she was carrying. It contained mostly green vegetables and cheese, but the rabbit god seemed happy about it.

“Ah! What a most bountiful offering.” Blumen bounded forward, eating directly off of the plate without using his paws.

While Blumen ate, Seraphina cast her gaze towards another part of camp, setting her eye on a tent with several guards surrounding it.

I wonder if he’s eating well.

“Do you want to see him, Princess?” Jeanne asked, noticing what her charge was looking at.

“Can I?” Seraphina asked meekly.

The crimson-haired knight nodded her ascent, then turned to Link. “Hero, you are not obligated to, but would you accompany us to see the prisoner?”

Link raised an eyebrow, casting a cautious glance towards the prisoner tent. “I suppose,” he agreed, momentarily placing his hand on the hilt of his sword, as if to check that he still had it with him.

The three of them excused themselves from Blumen, then made their way down the hill towards the prisoner’s tent. Strictly speaking, since Sheik had already made it abundantly clear that the governor’s soldiers had little way of ensuring he did not simply teleport away, Sheik was something of a voluntary prisoner. He was kept in a tent rather than a cage, and while he had guards keeping watch over him, he was not kept in chains. Additionally, after he had helped protect Seraphina once again, not even Jeanne seemed to view him as a genuine threat anymore.

When they reached the tent, Jeanne waved the mage-knights guarding the entrance out of the way. She and Link entered first before allowing Seraphina to follow them. Inside, they found Sheik sitting on his bedroll with his back to them, as if he were meditating or something.

“Sheik?” Seraphina called out to him gently.

“Hm.” The Sheikah grunted noncommittally in response.

“Are you okay?” the princess asked.

“I’m fine.”

Seraphina looked up at Jeanne, silently asking for help.

“Have you eaten this evening?” Dame Jeanne asked. “I can have the guards bring you something.”

Sheik sighed, unfolding his legs and climbing to his feet. He turned to face them, looking agitated. “I’m fine,” he repeated. After glaring at Jeanne, he took notice of Link. The Sheikah man stared at him for a moment before narrowing his eyes.

Link wore a similar expression. “Wait. I do know you,” the adventurer said, as if he’d finally remembered something about Sheik.

“Hm?” Seraphina tilted her head up at Link. “This is Sheik. He was the one who helped us outside of your house,” she reminded him, unsure if he’d forgotten so quickly.

“Well, yes, but I met him once before that.” Link met the Sheikah’s eyes. “You’re the one who helped me and my sister when we were attacked by bandits near Kakariko Bridge, yeah?”

Sheik’s blood-red eyes did not move. “And what makes you think I’m the same Sheik you met?”

Link furrowed his brow. “Well, I recognize you. Especially the hair, and your voice,” Link replied, gesturing to the top of Sheik’s head.

Sheik ran his hand over his head. Before their eyes, his hair changed color to a bright blond, like Link’s. “Still convinced?” he asked in a perfect imitation of Link’s voice.

Seraphina had witnessed this trick several times already, but Link took a step back in surprise. “I, um, I guess I don’t know for sure, then. But I wanted to thank you, if it’s really you. Those bandits would have killed us.”

“I kidnapped you, locked you in a dungeon, and interrogated you under threat of pain and death,” Sheik responded, his voice back to normal and his hair returning to its original color.

Link scratched the back of his head. “Well, it was more that scary lady in the mask who interrogated me,” he recalled.

“To whom is he referring, Sheik?” Dame Jeanne asked.

Sheik groaned in annoyance, clearly not excited to be questioned further than he already had been back at Celessa’s palace. “He’s talking about Impa Shiho. She wears a mask that allows her to read a person’s thoughts. That’s why she handles interrogations.”

“What?” Seraphina asked.

“Surely that is not possible,” Jeanne replied. “There is no Sheikah magic that allows for such a thing.”

“Yes, there is. That mask. I don’t know where she got it. She just suddenly had it one day. But I’m telling you, she reads minds with it,” Sheik insisted, still sounding quite annoyed at being questioned.

“When she was interrogating me, and she stared at me through that mask, I remember feeling a pain in my head,” Link recalled. “I didn’t know what it was, but maybe that was when she read my mind.”

“Did your mind reveal anything sensitive?” Jeanne asked.

“He didn’t fucking know anything,” Sheik answered for him. “Not back then. He and his sister were just a couple of idiots who wandered into our territory without thinking.”

“Hey! Be kind!” Seraphina scolded. Throughout her time with him, Sheik had always been so callous, and she’d never understood why. She had a slightly clearer view of him now, but she still didn’t understand why he had to be so cruel with his words all the time.

“Why did you try to deny you were the one who saved me before? With everything you’ve said, it’s clearly you,” Link asked.

“Of course it was me. So don’t fucking thank me. I was just following orders. If my orders had been to torture and kill you, I would’ve done that, too.”

Seraphina was horrified. Knowing what he’d done to Princess Sabah, she knew he was probably telling the truth, too. Dame Jeanne put an arm around the princess’s shoulder and turned her around, directing her towards the exit.

“I think we’ve heard enough,” the red-haired knight said. “Come, hero. Let us leave the prisoner alone with his thoughts.”


After leaving the Twins, Seraphina and her retinue traveled along the road that led between the Dueling Peaks. Before arriving in the town of Gatepost, their convoy stopped at the Hyrulean military outpost on the east side of the Great Plateau. The soldiers at the outpost were apparently surprised to see such a large host of troops led by the governor of Necluda, but they were quick to find their commanding officer to meet with her.

“To what do we owe the honor, my lady?” the commander asked, greeting Governor Kochi within the walls of the outpost. “Have you come to help us reclaim the Coliseum?”

Seraphina stood a good distance back, along with Jeanne and Link. She understood that she technically outranked her aunt in terms of her family’s line, but she was too young to really give orders to anyone, so she was fine with leaving these duties to her aunt.

Military stuff is more Vicky and Percy’s thing, anyway.

“So it is true. The Gerudo hold the Coliseum,” Celessa reiterated.

“Ma’am?” the commander said in mild confusion. “Well, yes. Is that not why you were called here?”

“I have not been called for,” the governor explained. “I have business with the queen of the Gerudo, and then I have family matters to attend to in the capital. Does the Gerudo queen still hold the Coliseum herself, or has she returned home?”

“She is still in the Coliseum, we believe. The area is being closely monitored at all times. The prince left some time ago, but the queen has not been seen leaving the premises.”

“The prince?” Celessa questioned. “Where has he gone?”

“He went northwest, along with a battalion of Gerudo, a horde of Blins, and a Hinox.”

The governor shifted her position, brushing her royal mage’s robes to the side as she raised a hand to her chin in ponderance. “This is disturbing news. Perhaps the queen has remained in the Coliseum as a foothold while her ward continues their campaign further into our lands. Nevertheless, it is fortunate Queen Urballa remains here. I believe I have the means to negotiate peace with her.”

“Is there anything you need, my lady?”

“Keep your forces as they are. Maintain defensive positions around Gatepost and the Great Plateau. I will send a messenger to request an audience with Queen Urballa myself.”

“By your command, governor.” The knight bowed and excused himself.

Celessa turned and walked back over to her lieutenants and advisors. “We can use these facilities until we leave for the capital,” she explained, giving out further orders. “I shall send word to the Gerudo queen. Get the troops settled while we wait for her response.”

“Yes, governor.”

Several of her subordinates left to begin their respective tasks.

“My lady, during this time, may I continue the search for my sister?” Link requested.

“Yes.” The governor nodded. “Locating the Hero is paramount. Please do whatever you can.”

“Can we go with him, Aunt Celessa?” Princess Seraphina asked. “I wanna help!”

“If the Hero’s brother allows it,” Celessa told her, looking to Link for confirmation.

“Sure,” Link answered. “Er, I would be honored to have the princess’s help.”

“Yay!” Seraphina cheered, falling backwards into Jeanne’s arms.

“Very well. Bring some of my guards with you wherever you go,” Celessa reminded her and Jeanne. “May Farore bless your search,” she said to the Hero’s brother.

When Seraphina’s aunt dismissed herself, Jeanne lifted the princess up and placed her on her feet. She then turned to Link. “Where shall we begin our search, young hero?”

“I’ve got a couple ideas.”


This was not Seraphina’s first time visiting the town of Gatepost. The Royal Family often visited on their way to the Temple of Time for religious ceremonies. However, Seraphina was not used to seeing this many soldiers in the town. Much of the chatter around town was in regard to the Gerudo presence on their doorstep, or in regard to the chaotic and rapidly-evolving situation in the capital. However, Seraphina heard no mention of the Hero.

Is that a good thing or a bad thing?

Despite the odd atmosphere of the town, Seraphina was in good spirits. She’d gotten excited as soon as Link had mentioned the stables in his list of places to search. On their way, she skipped ahead of her retainer, giggling excitedly to herself while the extra guards her aunt had sent with her hurried to maintain their perimeter.

“Don’t go too far, little angel,” Dame Jeanne called after her.

“I wanna see the horses!” Seraphina called back.

“We have plenty of horses,” the red-haired knight pointed out.

“Yeah, but these are different horses.” Undeterred, the princess continued skipping forward until she reached the door to the stables. She kept her hand on the door handle, rocking back and forth on her feet while she waited for Jeanne and Link to catch up.

“I guess all little girls like horses,” Link remarked with a grin.

Jeanne chuckled. “Well, not all of them. I certainly did, but my sister was more interested in Lynels than horses.”

“Linkle liked them both,” Link recalled. “Although she was more interested in fighting Lynels.”

When Jeanne reached the entrance, she reached her arm past the princess and gently nudged the door open. “You can all wait out here,” she informed the other guards. “We won’t be long.” She stepped inside ahead of Seraphina, with Link following behind.

The princess burst through the door as soon as her retainer let her. “Hi!” Seraphina said cheerfully, greeting the first person she saw inside.

There was one stable worker present in the entry hall. She was a young woman, probably about Victorique’s age, and she was holding a broom that she’d been using to sweep the floor. Her outfit was that of a commoner, which was to be expected. When she saw Seraphina, she smiled warmly. “Well hi there, little friend,” she greeted the young girl. “Ya here to see the horses?”

“Yeah!” The princess nodded excitedly.

Jeanne came up behind her and placed her hands on the princess’s shoulders. “In a moment, little angel.” She turned to Link, nodding for him to proceed.

The stable worker also looked at Link expectantly. “Did ya need something?”

“Yes. I was wondering if my sister had come by recently. We had our horse boarded here,” Link explained.

“Well, I can certainly check that for ya.” The woman leaned her broom against the wall and stepped behind the wooden counter, producing a ledger from a shelf. Dropping the ledger down onto the countertop, she flipped it open. “What’ll be the name, sweetheart?”

“Link. Or Linkle,” Link replied.

The stable worker smiled in recognition. “Oh, that little cutiepie!” She flipped through the book quickly, looking for a specific page. “Yep, your sister came through here not too long ago. Took your Arion with her, too.” Flipping the book around to face Link, she pushed it across the counter over to him.

Link quickly put his hand on the ledger and pulled it closer. He stared at it for a moment. “I need a horse,” he told the stable worker. “A fast one.”

“Alrighty,” the woman behind the counter replied. “Let me see what we’ve got.” She exited the room, stepping through a door leading into the back.

For much of their journey, Link had remained very reserved, not showing much emotion. Even now, he did not seem to be letting on much. However, Seraphina could tell he was anxious. “Are you going after your sister?” the princess asked.

Link nodded. “I was right. She was here. I’m so close now. She’s probably in the capital already. I can still catch her.” As he spoke, his breathing was off. It was as if he was experiencing relief and fear at the same time.

“You cannot leave now,” Dame Jeanne told him. “We must speak to the governor first so that she might release you from her service.”

Link shook his head, his left hand tapping nervously against the counter. “I’m not waiting any longer. I need to get back to her.”

“You know where she is now. I’m sure she’s perfectly safe,” Jeanne reasoned, speaking gently.

“Are you kidding?” Link did not sound angry, but he was raising his voice at this point. “Last I heard, the capital was a warzone, and there was a demon lurking around out there somewhere. She’s never safe. I need to get back to her.”

Jeanne opened her mouth to object, but Seraphina grabbed her by the sleeve. “Jeanne,” the princess said, looking up at her. “We should let him go.”

“But–”

“Would you let anyone stop you from chasing after me?” Seraphina asked, knowing Jeanne had traveled across the kingdom in search of her after the Blood Moon.

Jeanne glanced between the princess and the adventurer. She hesitated, but ultimately nodded her assent. “Very well.”

“Thank you,” Link said to Jeanne. “And thank you , Princess.”

“You’re welcome!” Seraphina smiled. “You know, it’s funny. You say you’re the Hero’s brother, but you act like you’re the Hero. You’re off to rescue the princess, but your princess is your sister!”

“Yeah, well, don’t tell her that,” Link insisted. “Her ego’s big enough as the Hero. Call her a princess too and she’ll think she owns the freaking world.”

“What’s an ego?” the princess asked, turning to Jeanne for an explanation.

The door in the back of the room opened, and the stable worker poked her head back in. “Alrighty, I’ve got just the horse for you. Why don’tcha come on back and meet her?”

“Yay!” Seraphina cheered, suddenly excited to see the horses again.

The three of them followed the stable girl into the barn. The princess was immediately elated. “Look at this one!” she cried, running up to pet the head of a white horse that was peering out of its enclosure. “So pretty!”

“That one’s real friendly,” the stable worker commented. “Watch out for this one, though,” she said, indicating a large stallion as they walked by. “He gets grumpy.”

The princess giggled. “He’s probably just hungry.”

“Listen to the nice woman, young lady,” Jeanne cautioned her.

“I know, I know.”

The stable girl brought them to a stall containing a brown horse with a white mane. “This is the one I had in mind for you,” she announced, speaking to Link. “Her name’s Epona. She’s the fastest one I’ve got.”

“Oooh,” Seraphina cooed. “Like the song! The Hero of Twilight’s horse was named after it, too, right?”

“That’s right!” the stable girl confirmed.

“I’ll take her,” Link said quickly. He patted his sides as if he were searching for a bag, then seemingly remembered he had few belongings aside from his boomerang and the sword and shield he’d been given by Celessa. “Can I pay you later?”

“I’ll pay for it,” Seraphina offered instead.

The stable girl looked amused. “Ya know, horses are actually pretty expensive, little lady.”

“That will not be an issue,” Jeanne confirmed, placing a hand on Seraphina’s shoulder. “We have the rupees for it.”

Link looked like he wanted to argue, but he must have decided he didn’t want to waste any more time. “Thank you. I’ll pay you back. I swear.”

“No need to worry. It’s a gift!” the princess insisted.

“Alrighty. I’ll go ahead and get Epona here saddled for you. You can wait outside if you like,” the stable girl told them.

“But I wanna stay here with the horses,” Seraphina said.

“In a moment, little angel,” Jeanne told her, leaning her head down. “I think we need to speak with Link in private for a bit, don’t we?”

Seraphina realized they would be saying goodbye to him, for now at least. “Oh. Okay.” Nodding her head, she followed Jeanne and Link.

The three of them exited the barn a different way than they’d come in, leaving through a large door that led outside.

“I do not know what awaits you in the capital, young hero,” Dame Jeanne said to Link. “The conflict there may be over already, and it may not be. I pray that Hylia grants her protection to you and your sister.”

“Thank you,” the adventurer said. “You’ve both been so kind to me. I appreciate the help you’ve given me so far, and I swear I’ll repay it someday.”

“I meant it when I said you seem like the Hero.” Seraphina smiled brightly, then stepped forward to wrap her arms around his waist, pulling him tightly into a hug. “My aunt and I will be right behind you, so we’ll see you again really soon. You and your sister.”

“Thank you, Princess,” Link told her. When she took a step back, Link kept his hand on her shoulder for a moment, looking her in the eyes. “I know you’ve been through a lot. I’ll do whatever I can to help. I promise.”

Seraphina’s eyes opened wide. She had trouble thinking of something to say. Link’s words were so much like Jeanne’s, the way she’d comforted her when they’d finally been reunited in Hateno. Link did not seem the type to reveal much about himself, but Seraphina got the impression that he understood what she’d been through. More than that, he wanted to help, even if he didn’t know how.

Is he actually the Hero?

“Th-Thank you,” the princess said gratefully. When Link removed his hand from her shoulder, it was quickly replaced by Jeanne’s.

Before anyone could say anything else, the sound of a horse whinnying signaled the approach of the stable girl bringing Epona out to them.

“Well, here ya are!” the stable worker announced, pulling Epona along by her bridle. The horse had a saddle strapped to it as well, and she did not appear to be struggling against the stable girl at all.

“Pretty!” Seraphina could not resist saying, rushing to the horse’s side to run her hand through its coat. She began to hum Epona’s Song as she pet the horse, amused by the name.

Link did not hesitate to climb atop the horse. “Thank you, again,” he said, glancing at all three of them in turn. “I hope to see you again soon,” he told Seraphina and Jeanne.

“Goodbye for now, young hero,” Jeanne told him.

“Good luck!” Seraphina called, stepping away from the horse to wave goodbye.

With that, Link kicked his boot against the horse’s side, and they were off. Seraphina continued to wave until he was nearly out of sight.

May Hylia protect you, Hero.


Having completed their task in Gatepost, Seraphina and Jeanne returned to the military outpost outside of town, along with the rest of Seraphina’s guard. After asking one of the sentries on duty, they were informed that Seraphina’s aunt was in the commander’s barracks. Jeanne wished to check in with her, so they went inside.

The governor had set up a space for herself in an unused officer’s quarters. They found her at a desk, writing hurriedly across a parchment.

“My lady,” Jeanne greeted her, putting her hand to her heart and bowing in the doorway.

Seraphina curtsied rather than bowing. “Hi, Aunt Celessa.”

Governor Kochi raised her head and put her pen down. “Dame Jeanne, Seraphina. Come in,” she said, waving them inside. After a moment, she glanced behind them, as if searching for somebody else. “Is the Hero’s brother not with you?” she asked.

“That is what I wished to inform you of,” Jeanne told her. “Link confirmed that his sister had been in Gatepost recently. They’d boarded a horse at the local stable the last time they were here, and the proprietor of the establishment had a record indicating the Hero had retrieved the horse not long ago.”

“I see. I suppose this is good news.” Celessa picked her pen back up and began noting something down. “Where is Link now?”

“He left. He is headed for the capital on horseback to find his sister. I am sorry, my lady,” Jeanne explained, bowing as she apologized.

“No need for apologies. One would expect anyone in his position to do the same. We are fortunate that he will be able to inform my other nieces and nephews of our activities here as well.” Celessa put one paper aside and pulled out another one.

“Understood.” Jeanne nodded. “Have you received a reply from Queen Urballa yet?”

“No, but my messenger is due back soon,” Celessa said.

Seraphina lifted her head at the mention of Sabah’s mother. “Aunt Celessa, may I come?” she requested.

Her aunt raised an eyebrow. “To my meeting with the Gerudo queen?”

“Yes,” Seraphina confirmed.

Jeanne placed a hand on her shoulder. “Little angel, I do not think it would be an appropriate setting for you.”

“Sabah was my friend,” the princess reminded them. “And… if something is going to happen to Sheik… I should have a say in it, shouldn’t I?”

Celessa stared at her for a moment. “Your sister brought you to Gerudo during a time of peace,” she explained. “Things are different now. If you enter the Coliseum while it is under Gerudo occupation, they may not let you leave until our kingdom gives in to their demands.”

“But Prince Harun helped me escape before!” Seraphina argued.

“Prince Harun is not there,” Aunt Celessa countered.

“Sabah’s mom wouldn’t hurt me!”

“Princess, I think that’s enough,” Jeanne insisted, gripping her hand tightly.

“Please! I--” Seraphina had to force herself to say the words, holding back tears. “I don’t want Sheik to die.” If they handed him over to the Gerudo and told them what he had done to Princess Sabah, surely they would execute him. Seraphina had never been involved in that part of governing, but even she knew what his fate would be.

Jeanne put an arm around the princess. She looked down at her charge sympathetically for a moment before addressing the governor again. “My lady, our goal is to end Hyrule’s conflict with the Gerudo, and to recruit Queen Urballa as an ally to aid us against the Sheikah and the monsters, correct?”

“Indeed,” Celessa confirmed.

“Well, Queen Urballa will likely be less defensive and more willing to negotiate if Seraphina is there, will she not?” the scarlet-haired knight posited. “She is quite fond of Seraphina, after all. The friendship between the princesses would serve as a reminder that our peoples have gotten along in the past. That was why Princess Victorique wished to have her with us in Gerudo, and it worked rather well, up until Sheik’s actions derailed negotiations.”

Seraphina nodded vigorously. Jeanne was clearly better at appealing to Aunt Celessa than she was, so she decided to just go with whatever she was saying.

The governor put her hand to her chin, taking a moment to mull it over. “Elincia would haunt me if I ever put one of her children in danger,” she muttered. Then she sighed. “If Queen Urballa will agree to meet us on Aquame Bridge with plenty of guards present, then I suppose we can minimize the risk while maximizing the potential benefit.”

Seraphina perked up. “So, I can come?” she asked for clarification, fairly certain that was the case but not quite following all of the big words her aunt used.

“Yes, you may,” the governor confirmed. “But you are never to leave Dame Jeanne’s side, even for a moment. Understood?”

“Understood, Aunt Celessa.”


True to Governor Kochi’s estimate, the messenger she’d sent to Queen Urballa returned shortly after Seraphina and Jeanne had spoken with her. The Gerudo queen had agreed to meet. The message she’d sent back made it very clear that her daughter’s killer was to be brought to her alive, and that any aggression on the part of the Hyruleans would be met with severe retaliation.

When they arrived at Aquame Bridge, Celessa sent another messenger into the Coliseum to further clarify the terms of their meeting. A line of House Kochi mage-knights stood at the north end of the bridge, locking eyes with a line of Gerudo Iron Knuckles who stood all the way on the south side of the bridge. Both groups had orders not to make any aggressive moves, but neither group was to allow anyone to pass, either.

Seraphina waited in a tent with Jeanne and her aunt, several meters away from the bridge. Until they received word that it was safe to approach for the negotiations, they were not to risk getting any closer. The princess was told Sheik was being held in another tent nearby as well.

While Celessa discussed a few final matters with her advisors, Seraphina sat quietly in the corner, clutching Jeanne’s hand. She’d been the one to request being in attendance, but she hadn’t thought of how scary it would be. The princess couldn’t help remembering what had happened back in Taafei. She’d had to climb over the bodies of fallen Hylians and Gerudo as Jeanne led her through the fortress to escape the fighting. She didn’t want anything like that to happen again.

“We’ll be going home soon, little angel,” Jeanne reminded her, speaking softly into her ear. “You’ll get to see your brothers and sisters again. Are you looking forward to it?”

Despite herself, the thought brought a smile to Seraphina’s face. This was all they had left to do before crossing Hyrule Field and returning home.

I’m so close. Vicky, Lance, Percy, Sophie -- I’ll be there soon.

“Blumen needs me to take him to the Light Temple, too,” Seraphina reminded her. “He’s going to make me his sage.”

“I know,” Jeanne said. “I’m so proud of you. Sage Aurun will be smiling down on you when you take up his mantle.”

Seraphina felt another pang of fear at the memory of losing Sage Aurun, the way she’d been forced to listen from her hiding place as Lord Remoth murdered him. She gripped Jeanne’s hand more tightly. Her caretaker responded by gently rubbing her free hand over hers.

“Governor.” One of Celessa’s mage-knights stepped through the open flap of the tent, saluting her with a fist over his heart. “Queen Urballa sends her reply.” He held out a piece of parchment and Celessa took it.

“What is it, governor?” one of her advisors asked.

“We are ready to proceed,” Celessa replied, quickly reading over the note. “Retrieve the prisoner and meet us at the bridge.”

“Yes, governor.” The mage-knight saluted again and exited the tent.

Dame Jeanne slowly climbed to her feet. “Are you certain you wish to come, Princess?” she asked Seraphina quietly. “There is nothing wrong with choosing to remain here instead.”

Seraphina remained seated for a moment, considering the knight’s proposal. If she stayed where she was, it would be far safer and far less scary. However, the thought of sitting there waiting to hear if Sheik had been executed or not didn’t sit well with her.

I need to help him. Don’t I?

She wished the gods would give her an answer. Nevertheless, she went with her gut.

“I-I’ll come,” the princess decided, warily climbing to her feet.

Her aunt was waiting by the exit while the rest of her advisors walked outside. “Are you ready, Seraphina?”

The princess nodded, following Jeanne as they joined her aunt.

“Good. Remember, stay behind me,” Celessa told them.

“I shall ensure her safety as always, my lady,” Dame Jeanne assured her.

It was a short walk up the hill to the edge of the bridge. As expected, several dozen Necludan troops were still guarding it. However, there were people standing on the bridge now. Two of Celessa’s mage-knights had advanced towards the center of the bridge, and two of the Gerudo Iron Knuckles had as well.

Jeanne took Seraphina and stood with her off to the side while Celessa continued to the bridge. Four of Celessa’s guards formed up around her, and under their protection, the governor walked forward. The line of guards at the edge of the bridge parted to allow them to pass. They advanced until they had joined the two Necludan mage-knights waiting near the center of the bridge.

Then, on the far end of the bridge, the line of Gerudo guards parted as well. Seraphina could see Queen Urballa. Stepping onto the bridge, she and four of her heavily-armored Iron Knuckles made their way to the center.

“Queen Urballa. I thank you for agreeing to treat with me on this day,” Celessa greeted the Gerudo queen, speaking very formally. As there was still quite a bit of distance between the two of them, she spoke in a loud and clear voice, enough so that Seraphina could easily hear her from the end of the bridge.

“Governor Kochi,” Urballa replied, returning the greeting curtly. “You claim to have my daughter’s murderer in custody.”

“Indeed I do. He has confessed to the crime.” Celessa had likely been hoping to exchange pleasantries for a bit to establish a more positive atmosphere for their negotiations, but Urballa was clearly not interested in delaying things.

“Bring him to me. I wish to see him,” the Gerudo queen demanded. She spoke in an even tone, but it was clear she was containing her fury.

Celessa nodded. “Very well. However, I must insist that he not be transferred to your custody until the conclusion of our negotiations,” she reminded her counterpart.

“Fine. Just bring him here ,” Urballa insisted.

The Necludan governor turned and signaled to her guards at the end of the bridge. Seraphina watched the movement of the crowd as people shuffled to get out of the way. When enough people cleared the path, she saw Sheik being led in shackles by two heavily-armored knights.

“Sheik,” the princess instinctively called out, wishing to say something to him.

Shh .” Jeanne shushed her and pulled her closer.

The Sheikah assassin glanced in the princess’s direction, and she met his blood-red eyes. He said nothing. He wore his usual scowl, but he looked much more exhausted than usual. Without any resistance, he allowed the guards to walk him out onto the bridge towards Celessa and Urballa.

Seraphina’s heart raced. What Celessa had said implied she would protect him, at least for now, but the princess still feared the worst. She glanced up at Jeanne questioningly.

Can’t I say anything?

When the guards escorting Sheik reached the governor, they stood and held him in place behind her.

“Here he is,” Celessa announced.

“Let me see him,” the Gerudo queen continued to insist.

Celessa hesitated for a moment. She stepped to the side, nodding to her guards. They got the message and brought Sheik forward, closer to Urballa. They stopped once they reached the halfway point.

Queen Urballa closed the remaining distance herself. Her heels clacked against the wooden bridge, and she stared Sheik down with a cold fury. As a Gerudo, she was effortlessly taller than him, and her advance could only be seen as menacing.

Seraphina expected Urballa to shout at Sheik, or to ask him why he did it. Instead, her hand suddenly flew across his face, slapping him hard. She hit him with such force that he was wrenched free from the guards’ grasp, and he toppled over onto the wooden floor.

“Your majesty, I insist you show restraint,” Celessa scolded. “Pick him up. Move him back,” she told the guards as she moved forward to be closer to them.

The guards did as commanded. Now with a short distance between them and Urballa, Sheik stood, his nose bleeding. However, he made no complaint.

Urballa glared at him for a few seconds more before speaking again. “Why did you do it?” she demanded. “Why did you kill my little princess?” She spoke sternly, but Seraphina could easily tell the Gerudo queen was choking back tears.

Seraphina herself began to tear up, thinking what it must have been like for Sabah’s mother. Jeanne pulled her in tighter, comfortingly.

Sheik took a moment to reply. “Those were my orders,” was all he said.

Urballa looked like she had a lot to say about that. “Who gave those orders?”

“My mistress, Impa Shiho- sama . By order of her mother, Impa Sadashi- sama ,” the Sheikah explained.

“By order of King Tychon?” Urballa asked.

“No.” Sheik shook his head. “This was wholly the Impa Family’s design.”

Urballa glared at Sheik, then looked past him to Governor Kochi. “You expect me to believe this? The Hylians would saddle the blame with the Sheikah just to save their own skin now?”

“I don’t care if you believe me,” Sheik retorted. “You’re going to kill me anyway. Why would I bother lying?” he asked, speaking as if he found Urballa’s skepticism stupid.

The Gerudo queen slapped him once more, although he managed to remain on his feet this time. “ Why then? Why did the Impas want my daughter dead?”

“They didn’t.” Sheik coughed, blood still running down his face. “They didn’t give a damn about you or your daughter. It was just supposed to piss you off so you’d kill the Hyrulean princesses.”

Queen Urballa punched him in the face this time. He was knocked back into the arms of the guards. Seraphina gasped in shock.

“Your majesty, this is not the way we treat prisoners,” Celessa reminded her.

“No. This is the way we treat child killers ,” Urballa spat back. “Tell me, Sheikah. If the Impas wanted the Hyrulean princesses dead, why did they not simply tell you to kill them instead?”

Sheik growled and spat some blood out of his mouth. “I don’t know. They don’t tell me everything. Maybe it was just to throw the suspicion off of them.”

Urballa looked like she wanted to argue with that, but she seemed to accept the possibility as reasonable. She held out her hand. “Sword.”

The large armored woman standing beside her produced a curved blade and placed it in the queen’s hand.

No !” Seraphina couldn’t keep quiet anymore. She pulled her hand away from Jeanne and ran closer to the edge of the bridge. “Stop! Don’t!”

The other guards on duty were quick to get between her and the bridge, and Jeanne grabbed her hand again as soon as she could. “Princess, wait!”

On the bridge, the guards escorting Sheik pulled him back behind Celessa, and two other guards stepped forward to ensure Urballa could not reach them. However, the Gerudo queen did not attempt to pursue the prisoner. Instead, she turned her attention to the young princess who’d shouted in the distance.

“I’m afraid I cannot allow you to execute my prisoner,” the governor reminded Urballa. “I have not yet relinquished him to your custody, and I insist he be tried.”

Queen Urballa did not react to these statements. “Is that Princess Seraphina?” she asked.

Celessa glanced over her shoulder, seeing Seraphina being held tightly by Jeanne at the end of  the bridge. “Indeed it is,” the governor replied. “My niece is in my care at the moment.”

“I wish to speak with her,” Urballa stated.

Celessa hesitated. “I do not think it would be wise to bring her any closer.”

“Then bring me to her.”

The Iron Knuckle standing beside Urballa reacted poorly to this suggestion. “My queen, it would not be safe--”

Urballa raised a hand to silence her. “If you guarantee my safety, I will allow you to escort me, unarmed, to where the princess is now.”

The governor considered this for a moment. She signaled for her guards to escort Sheik back to the end of the bridge first, then gave her answer. “Very well, your majesty. Please, follow me.”

Seraphina watched as her deceased friend’s mother was led across the bridge, surrounded by her aunt’s mage-knights. The rest of the guards cleared a path, allowing Urballa and Celessa to walk right up to her.

Urballa knelt in front of Seraphina. “Princess,” she greeted her, speaking a bit more gently than she had been previously. “Why are you here?”

The princess was nervous now. Her eyes jumped from Urballa, to her aunt, to Sheik in the distance, and to Jeanne before she answered. “T-To see you, Your Grace.”

Urballa glanced back at Celessa before replying. “And do you know why I am here?”

Seraphina nodded grimly. “For Sheik.”

“The Sheikah, yes,” the Gerudo queen confirmed, nodding her head. “A moment ago, you tried to prevent me from harming him. Is this correct?”

The princess could only nod once more.

“I see.” Urballa stood up straight, glancing back at Sheik’s bloody face for a moment. “Are you aware of what that man has done?”

“Y-Yes,” Seraphina replied shakily.

“Then why is it that you protect him, Princess?”

Seraphina breathed heavily for a moment, tightening her grip on Jeanne’s hand. “Because he… he saved me.” She looked towards Sheik once again, as if to remind herself that he was really the one who’d done that. “On the Blood Moon, the other Sheikah… they killed my father. They tried to kill me. Sheik was with them, but… he chose to help me instead.”

Queen Urballa stared deep into Seraphina’s eyes. The princess could tell she was conflicted, just as she was.

“Do you believe him to be a good man?” the Gerudo queen asked.

That was the question Seraphina had been asking herself ever since Sheik had confessed to killing her friend. He’d done a terrible thing, and he’d done a good thing. What did that mean?

“I… He can be,” was the best she could come up with.

Urballa crossed her arms, taking in a deep breath and exhaling as she mulled it over. “Bring the prisoner back over here,” she ordered Celessa.

“Have I your word that you will not abuse him again, Your Majesty?” Celessa asked.

“You have my word. Bring him here,” the queen repeated.

Celessa appeared skeptical, but signaled to her guards. They obeyed, pulling Sheik by his bound arms as they escorted him to the governor’s side.

“Princess Seraphina tells me you betrayed your people and saved her life,” Urballa told Sheik, speaking in the same contemptuous manner in which she’d spoken to him earlier. “Tell me, why was her life worth saving, but my daughter’s wasn’t?”

“Would you rather I’d killed them both?” Sheik asked. As usual, he sounded as though he were in no mood to deal with absolutely anyone, and especially not the person he was talking to at the moment.

Seraphina flinched at Sheik’s words.

Urballa raised her hand, then quickly lowered it, resisting the urge to strike him again. “Tell me why you spared Princess Seraphina,” the queen demanded.

Sheik gave a low growl, but after a moment, he voiced his answer. “My whole life, I’ve never thought for myself. Not once. In my clan, we have no names, no identities; we are the Impas’ blades, nothing more. We’re told everything we do is to help the kingdom, but we don’t get to ask how, or why. If the Impas tell me to kill someone, I do it. They told me to kill your daughter, and I did it. Then they told me to kill King Tychon’s daughter, and this time, I asked ‘ why ?’ I’m defective; a failure, a deserter, a traitor. But why shouldn’t I be? Why don’t I get to ask ‘ why ?’ Why shouldn’t I get to be a real person like the rest of you for once in my meaningless life?”

The longer Sheik talked, the angrier he got, and the more he raised his voice. By the time he was finished, he was glaring at Urballa, as if he were daring her to challenge him.

Urballa did not seem to have a response to him, so Seraphina decided to add something. “If you had killed Sheik before he rescued me, I wouldn’t be here right now,” she told Urballa. “If you kill him now, he might not get to do the next good thing the gods want him to do.”

Urballa turned to her with a questioning look.

“The Golden Goddesses have sent the next God of Light to me. I am to be his sage,” the princess explained, realizing no one had told Urballa about Blumen yet. “I think… I think the gods still have plans for Sheik, and I think they want me to help him.” It was an idea she’d been working out for some time, ever since she’d met Blumen. The fledgeling god did not seem to know much yet, but the Golden Goddesses must have sent him to her for a reason.

What else could it be?

The queen seemed to absorb what Seraphina was saying, but she had no words for her in return. Instead, she turned her attention back to Sheik. She glared at him once more, then breathed heavily, clenching her fists as she held back her rising anger.

Then, she let out a deep sigh, locking eyes with the Sheikah man. “Nothing you do will ever make up for what you have done,” she stated matter-of-factly. “You will never be forgiven, and when your time comes, I hope the gods grant me the honor of sending you to your eternal punishment.” She glanced in Celessa’s direction for a brief moment before continuing. “However, even if you were the blade, the Impa Family was the hand that held you, and you may still have information that will help us destroy them. So, until your masters are dead, you shall be allowed to remain breathing.”

Sheik did not thank her for her mercy, nor did he provide any further explanation or apology. He seemed to accept Urballa’s words, even if he gave no indication of it.

Celessa signaled to her guards again, telling them to take Sheik away now. “The Impa Family is the enemy of Hyrule as well,” the governor stated. “They, along with Lord Remoth of Midoro, have betrayed our kingdom. I am bringing my armies to the capital to help my nieces and nephews fight against them. If you pledge to help us, I swear to you I will support Gerudo’s independence from the Kingdom of Hyrule, should you still desire it. What say you, Your Majesty?”

“I accept your terms,” the Gerudo queen replied before turning back to Seraphina. “I pray you are correct, Princess. Let us work together to put my daughter’s soul to rest.”

Chapter 72: Mila IX

Chapter Text

Maybe I need to redirect my efforts.

Mila had no idea what Lord Remoth was thinking. He had allowed himself to be taken prisoner without a fight. If he was the demon, why would he not simply transform and break out? Or open a portal like she’d seen the demon do in the past?

How much does the Royal Family know? Have Remoth’s plans gone up in smoke? Perhaps I should cast my lot with Prince Percival again.

So far, Mila had not given up any incriminating information about Lord Remoth, and Prince Percival did not seem to think she was a traitor. If Remoth had failed in his plan to acquire the Triforce, she could still pivot back to her original plan of aligning herself with the Royal Family. She had given the Hero a fake sword, but she could easily donate the real one to the Royal Family’s cause, should she choose to switch her allegiance back to them.

However, the election to determine the next ruler of Hyrule had all but halted. One of the candidates was dead, and all the others seemed too frightened to do anything else. Percival, Victorique, and Sophitia had not left the castle since Lancel was killed, and every event related to the election had been postponed.

I hate to see that throne remain empty…

At the moment, Mila found herself pacing through the halls of Hyrule Castle somewhat aimlessly, with only Luft for company. She had walked past the throne room just to stare longingly at King Tychon’s vacant throne, which none of the Hyrules seemed to be in any rush to claim for some reason.

“I could walk right up there and sit down on that throne,” Mila voiced to her fairy.

“Perhaps if we put a box down on it first. Otherwise, I doubt you’d be able to see all of your subjects,” Luft joked, jangling humorously.

Mila swatted her hand through the air as if to smack the fairy, although Luft effortlessly glided out of the way. “If I were queen, I could put out a call to all the sorcerers in the land to see if any of them could break the curse the Deku Tree placed upon me,” Mila mused aloud.

She left the throne room’s entryway and continued down the hall, trying to think if there was anything she could do next. “I have not spent enough time glad-handing Princess Victorique,” Mila pointed out. “If she is still the favorite to win, I would like to–”

Mila did not finish her sentence. She was startled by the smokey black shadow that stepped through the wall in front of her, blocking her way. Before she could draw her sword, the smoke materialized into the form of a hooded man wearing a cloth covering the lower half of his face. It was not the Grand Watcher, whom Mila would have recognized. However, it appeared to be an agent of his.

“Lady Shadowgale,” the watcher greeted her.

Mila glared at the Sheikah in front of her. She was still none too pleased with the Grand Watcher, and having one of his subordinates sneak up on her did not make her feel any safer. “What is it?” she spat out.

“I have been instructed to give you this.” The watcher reached into his robes, producing the Sky Slate that had been stolen from Prince Lancel.

Mila furrowed her brow, eying the object suspiciously.

They’re just… giving this to me?

The Kokiri girl hesitantly reached forward and took the strange device out of the Sheikah’s hand. “What’s the plan?” she asked, knowing she wouldn’t have been given the Sky Slate if she wasn’t intended to use it somehow.

“You will find Lord Remoth in the dungeon. Bring this device and your sword -- the real one.”

“But--”

“Time is of the essence. The next phase is ready to commence.”

Mila had a thousand questions, but talking to this useless drone would have gotten her nowhere. He likely knew nothing more than what he’d been instructed to tell her. “Dammit, fine ,” she replied with an exasperated sigh. “Anything else?”

“That is all. Proceed.” The watcher stepped towards the wall, then transformed into a cloud of black smoke once more, phasing through the wall with little issue.

“I hate those freaks,” Mila muttered, setting off down the hall.

Along the way, she considered the orders she’d been given. Remoth wanted her to retrieve her sword from its hiding place and bring it straight to him.

Does he really think I’m that stupid?

Although, if Remoth had intended to kill her, or otherwise steal the sword from her, it would have been weird to give her possession of the Sky Slate. However, there was still a chance that was intended to trick her into trusting him, or perhaps just to save himself some time by having her bring the item directly to him. Regardless, she decided not to retrieve her sword until after speaking with Lord Remoth.

Looks like it’s down to the dungeons I go…


The dungeons of Hyrule Castle were below ground on the west side of the island. One thing Mila hated about Hyrule Castle was how many goddamn stairs there were. Going down to the dungeon wasn’t too bad on its own, but she knew it would be hell climbing all the way back up.

Gaining entry to the dungeons was no issue. She was a lady now, and most of the guards were relatively low-level, so the first few guard posts she passed through gave her no trouble. It wasn’t until she made it to the higher-level cell blocks that she faced any true resistance. The way was shut by a heavy iron gate. A knight stood on either side of it, with several other guards present in the vicinity. One sat at a desk cluttered with stacks of papers.

“Lady Shadowgale,” the guard at the desk greeted her. “How may I be of service?”

Mila did not recall ever meeting this woman, but by now, most people living or working in the castle were aware of the lady who had the appearance of an eleven-year-old.

“I need to speak with a prisoner,” Mila informed the guard. “Lord Toren Remoth.”

“What business have you with Lord Remoth?”

“That’s my business.” Mila hoped that would be enough.

“Lord Remoth is a high-priority prisoner. We have orders to keep visitors away unless they are on royal business.”

“This is royal business,” Mila lied. “I serve under Prince Percival. Just open the door and let me carry out the prince’s orders.”

The guard seemed hesitant. She was likely weighing the potential consequences that might come with either obeying or refusing Mila’s request. She seemed to settle on obeying her, and hurriedly scribbled a few things down with her quill pen. She then pushed the parchment toward Mila’s end of the desk.

“Fill this out, please.”

Mila sighed, mumbling to herself in the Fairy tongue as she complied.

Someday I will set all this fucking paperwork ablaze.

“There.” Mila shoved the parchment back across the table.

The guard took the paper and placed it on a stack, then retrieved a keyring and stood from her chair. “Right this way, Lady Shadowgale.” She then led Mila over to the dungeon gate and unlocked it.

Mila simply walked past the woman without saying anything more to her. Whatever Remoth wanted, Mila was just hoping to find out and then leave that dingy dungeon as fast as possible.

She found Remoth at the end of the cell block. Most of the other cells were empty, but he’d been given the largest one available. It was nowhere near civilized, but it had a decent bed for a dungeon cell. It even had a desk, at which Lord Remoth currently sat, writing something.

Two guards stood near his cell. They eyed Mila suspiciously as she approached, but she did not address them. “Lord Remoth,” she spoke up.

The imprisoned lord put his quill down and stood up. Given his height, it was impressive that the ceiling of his cell was high enough for him not to reach it. He turned around and stood at the bars, looking down on the Kokiri girl. “I see you’ve received my message,” he said, speaking normally, as if he wasn’t behind bars at the moment.

Mila glanced at the two guards standing on either side of her, silently asking if it was safe to talk in front of them.

“They are mine,” Remoth informed her.

Mila nodded and produced the Sky Slate from her carrying bag. “One of Socicila’s men gave me this.”

“Good. And you have your sword?”

Mila shook her head. “Not until you tell me what’s going on.”

“We’re finally moving forward,” the imprisoned man said.

“Moving forward?”

“Ever since this all started, we’ve been forced to progress slowly while we awaited the awakening of the Hero,” he explained. “But, now that she has revealed herself, there is no reason to hold back any longer. Today, the remaining members of the Royal Family will die. We will take the castle. We will capture the Hero and take her key. And finally, we shall obtain the Triforce.”

Mila had many questions once again. “The Hero has a key?” she chose to start with.

“Yes. The hookshot she carries. That, and your sword, are the final two pieces of the puzzle.”

That made sense.

He wanted my sword now because he is gathering all the keys together.

“Fine. I’ll retrieve my sword. Where do I need to take it?” Mila asked, hoping to discover the location of the Triforce.

“A temple in the west,” Remoth answered. “Once we have both your key and the Hero’s, you will take the City in the Sky and fly it to the Triforce’s location. That will grant us sufficient control over the area.”

Mina looked down at the Sky Slate.

And that is why he wanted me to have this.

“My subordinate, Lord Gagaim, will take control of the floating city in the coming battle,” Remoth went on. “I want you to be the one to pilot it. I believe your mastery of wind magic will be of use.”

“And when will this battle be occurring?”

“As soon as you stop wasting my time and get your troops into position,” Remoth told her. “Mine and Socicila’s are ready to begin at my command.”

Lord Remoth had not been exaggerating – things really were moving quickly all of a sudden. Mila felt a cold sweat on the back of her neck. Up until now, she’d been positioned in such a way that she could have easily pivoted to the winning side if needed, whichever side that may have been. Taking part in a coup like this was a big risk, and there would be no coming back from it if they failed.

If I can obtain a wish on the Triforce, it will all be worth it.

“Fine. Stop wasting my time, then,” Mila demanded. “What would you have me do?”

“Your objective will be Prince Percival,” the lord explained. “Given your position in his court, that should make things easy for you. I will deal with Princess Victorique. Socicila will handle the younger sister.”

“What about the Hero?”

“She must be taken alive at all costs.”

“What sense is that?” Mila asked. “We’re already killing the Royal Family. Why does the Hero need to live?”

“She will die as soon as we use the Triforce to break the Hero’s reincarnation cycle,” Remoth told her. “There is no point in killing her now when she’ll merely be reborn later. Now, are we quite finished? The longer we delay, the greater the chance of us losing the element of surprise.”

Mila was unhappy leaving things there, but she had all the information she needed for the immediate future. Everything else she could obtain later. “Fine. I’ll have my troops ready within the hour.”

“Good,” Remoth spoke. “See that you do. You will know when it is time to begin.”

With that, she pocketed the Sky Slate and turned to leave. “I expect you to keep your promises, Remoth,” she said as she walked back down the relatively empty cell block.

“I always do, fairy child.”


“Take your guards and return to the barracks,” Mila ordered.

The captain on duty furrowed his brow in confusion. “I heard you, my lady. I merely desire an explanation.”

“Our desires are not always meant to be met, captain,” the Kokiri girl told him. “Early shift change. Prince’s orders. That’s all either of us need to know.”

Mila knew it was a risk to lie in the prince’s name so much in so short a time. However, if everything went according to plan, he wouldn’t be alive long enough to find out about it.

The captain sighed. He seemed to decide he didn’t care enough to dig further into the situation, so he relented. “Very well, my lady. You have my gratitude for the early rest.” With a bow, he walked off and began recalling his guards stationed in the area.

“Excellent.” Mila turned to the four columns of soldiers following behind her. “Everyone in this column, you’re taking over here,” she instructed.

“Yes, Lady Shadowgale.”

Her troops complied, spreading out and moving to their new posts. Mila nodded, then signaled for the rest to follow her inside.

Everything was going well so far. She’d managed to switch out a few guard posts with her own troops, forming a perimeter around where she expected the prince to be. They would protect her from any interference while she played her part in deposing the prince.

The bigger issue would be Percival’s personal guard. Even as a lady, she held no authority over the members of the Royal Guard. She would have to let her troops kill them along with the prince. However, even though she likely commanded enough soldiers to outnumber Percival’s guard detail, she knew the royal guards were much more skilled and much better equipped. And then there was Sir Onnick, the mountain of a man known throughout the kingdom as ‘ The Wall .’ She wasn’t sure she could defeat him even with the combined might of all her troops.

It would be best to separate Percival from as many of his guards as I can manage. Especially Onnick.

Mila located the prince in the entrance hall of the main keep. He appeared to be departing from a meeting that had just finished, and he was exchanging words with the Grand Minister by the staircase on the right side of the hall. As always, Sir Onnick stood a short distance from him, and several other knights wearing the uniform of the Royal Guard stood in the hall as well.

“There he is,” Vanova whispered to Mila in the entryway. “What shall we do, my lady?”

The Kokiri girl knew she couldn’t simply strike then and there. With a hand gesture, she directed her troops to follow her back outside and line up for a mock inspection. That would give her cause to stay in the immediate vicinity of Prince Percival without arousing suspicion.

“These are trying times, ladies and gentlemen,” Mila said as she walked down the front row of her soldiers. “Any moment now, things could become even more challenging. But now is not the time to be intimidated. Now is the time for loyalty.” She paused when she reached the center of the line, turning to gaze over her troops. “And believe me, loyalty will be richly rewarded.”

Everyone in her current squad had been either hand-picked by Mila or given to her by Lord Remoth and Grand Watcher Socicila. She was reasonably certain she could trust them, and she had briefed them on what was about to happen before they had begun their rounds. She could only hope they’d stay loyal once the coup began.

Before long, Mila heard alarm bells, accompanied by the sounds of shouting and clashing steel emanating from other parts of the castle.

Remoth said I would know when it was time to begin.

“Well? What are you waiting for? Inside! Now! Defend the prince!” Mila shouted at her troops, jabbing her finger in the direction of the keep’s door. Her soldiers were quick to obey. They rushed back into the keep, with Mila joining them.

Back inside, the prince’s guards had formed up around him and Grand Minister Malkori. The sight of Sir Onnick standing so close to the prince infuriated Mila.

“Prince Percival,” the Kokiri girl called out to him. “We have a situation. We need to move you.”

“Just what the hell is going on now?” he asked, sounding almost exasperated.

His words were met with the sound of an explosion from somewhere in the distance.

“Unclear, but we’re under attack.” Mila gestured to her troops, ordering them to surround the prince. They formed an outer circle around the circle of royal guards. They could not get to Prince Percival yet, but this would give Mila some control over the situation. “Take him to the nearest safe room. Let’s move!” she ordered.

Mila’s troops guided Prince Percival down the hall. In the chaos of the situation, the prince and his guards just went along with it. As one big mass, the group made its way deeper into the keep.

It wasn’t long before they encountered the attackers for the first time. When they rounded the corner, they found about a dozen black-cloaked soldiers and a bat-like humanoid monster standing over the corpses of several fallen guards. Mila recognized the creature as the same kind of monster that had tried to steal her sword, while the black-cloaked men wore the uniform of House Remoth.

“Traitors!” Prince Percival shouted accusingly. He drew his unique sword, one half of which glowed white with light while the other half glowing red with heat. The prince pointed his weapon towards the enemy. “Kill them! And their beast!”

Soldiers on both sides raised their weapons, and a battle ensued.

Mila knew Remoth’s soldiers were on her side, but she allowed her soldiers to fight them anyway, keeping up the illusion for now. However, she would soon reign her troops in, hoping to leave as many of the prince’s guards behind as possible.

“My prince!” Mila shouted over the chaos. “We need to keep you and the minister moving.” As she spoke, she pointed behind them, back towards an intersection in the hall that they’d taken before. She suggested they go back and take the other route now.

At that moment, the bat monster spread its wings and attempted to fly over the line of guards to attack the prince directly. It was blocked by the massive Sir Onnick. He snatched the creature out of the air, grabbing it by the head. He then slammed it down onto the ground and brought his greatsword down upon it, cleaving the monster in two.

Regardless, Remoth’s soldiers continued fighting, so Prince Percival relented to Mila’s suggestion. While a number of Percival’s guards stayed behind to hold the enemy back, everyone else retreated back down the hallway, including Sir Onnick.

Mila was somewhat happy with this result, but she cursed under her breath due to the fact that Sir Onnick remained with them. She would have to find a way to get rid of him. In the meantime, having Minister Malkori with them was also something of a burden, and Mila formulated a good way to get rid of him and a few more of Percival’s guards in the process.

“My prince,” Mila called out the next time they came to an intersection. “We are too crowded to move quickly with this many people. You and the Grand Minister should part ways and be brought to separate safe rooms.”

Percival and Malkori paused. The minister adjusted his glasses before speaking. “She may have a point, my prince,” he said. “Besides, I am unlikely to be their target, don’t you agree?”

He seemed nervous, and he clearly wanted to get as far away from the prince as possible. Mila wondered if Malkori knew anything of Socicila’s plans. They were both Sheikah, although that didn’t exactly prove anything.

The prince looked irritated, but he nodded, gesturing to a few of his own guards. “Go with him,” he commanded, pointing down the other passageway.

“Yes, my prince.”

The two groups quickly went their separate ways. Mila’s troops outnumbered the prince’s even more greatly now. She was tempted to stab him then and there, but the menacing presence of Sir Onnick stayed her hand.

I just need to get rid of him…

It wasn’t until they reached the door of the safe room that the opportunity presented itself. The room in question was protected by a set of extremely heavy iron doors. When they arrived, the guards at the front of the party moved to open them, with each door being grabbed by three guards each. However, just as the doors came ajar, an explosion came from just inside the room. Everyone standing close by was knocked back.

Through the now-open doorway, more of Remoth’s men emerged. Some of the guards moved forward to engage them. However, that wasn’t the largest immediate problem. The explosion had apparently caused enough structural damage to affect the ceiling above them. Looking up, Mila spotted the growing cracks.

This could be it.

Turning around, Mila summoned the power of the winds as strongly as she could. She managed to shove herself, Prince Percival, Vanova, and a number of guards out of the way just as a section of the ceiling collapsed. As the rubble landed, it cracked holes in the floor as well, further separating them from the guards who were left fighting Remoth’s men on the other side. As Mila had hoped, Sir Onnick was separated from them as well.

Good. Now let’s just move the prince somewhere else and kill him. Then it’s off to the sky city.

“Prince!” Mila shouted over the commotion. “We must keep moving!”


Mila ended up bringing Prince Percival to the minor throne room located beside the courtyard. The room consisted of a narrow carpeted walkway leading up to an elevated throne. Stained glass windows looking out to the courtyard lined one wall, while the other wall was covered with portraits and royal sigils. The room had been empty when they entered, and the single entrance made it seem relatively safe and easily defensible. That made it easy to convince Percival to enter it.

“Bar the door,” Mila ordered. “Nobody gets in.”

Or out.

The guards were quick to obey. While they worked, Prince Percival calmly walked up the stairs to the central throne and sat down upon it, pressing the tip of his sword into the ground in front of him.

Mila resisted the urge to smirk.

He believes himself king already.

“We can hold out here, my prince,” Mila said, climbing the steps to join him. “Fear not.”

“I do not fear for myself,” Percival replied, tapping his fingers impatiently upon the hilt of his gaudy weapon. “Remoth’s men did not use their element of surprise on me. I fear they used it on my sisters.”

That much Mila knew was true. She wondered if the princesses were dead already. “I am certain they are safe, your highness,” Mila lied. As she spoke, she surveyed the room. Her soldiers outnumbered the prince’s. Most of them were in good positions, and some of Percival’s men were distracted by the job of barring the door. This was the time to strike.

Percival grunted. “Regardless, this will be a short battle,” he reasoned. “Most of Remoth’s men were already banished from the castle earlier. I suspect--”

The prince did not even notice when Mila drew her sword from its sheath. It was her real sword -- the gilded sword that had once belonged to the Sage of Forest’s brother. Sharpened down to a razor edge by a master blacksmith from the realm of Termina, the blade easily passed through Prince Percival’s neck, killing him instantly. When she withdrew her sword, his body slumped over in the throne, his blood spilling onto the cushions.

Many of Percival’s guards throughout the room took notice. However, so did Mila’s guards. They had been prepared for this, so they were quicker to turn their swords upon their former allies. A quick bloodbath ensued. When it was over, only Mila, Vanova, and five others remained alive.

“Sorry to leave you with such shitty last words,” Mila said, speaking to the prince’s body. Sheathing her sword, she shoved his corpse off of the throne, letting it fall to the ground. She wished he’d been wearing his crown. She would’ve loved to take it from him. However, his glowing white and red sword lay on the ground. Smiling, she bent over to pick it up.

“It suits you, my lady,” Vanova said as she approached.

“It’s much too large for me,” Mila said. The gilded sword was too large for her as well, but not by as much. Looking away from the sword, her eyes fell upon the throne.

Do I dare be so vain?

She answered the question quickly by sitting herself down on the edge of the cushioned seat. Like the sword, the throne was too large for her, and she did not wish to end up with blood on her clothing. Regardless, she felt power coursing threw her. She’d killed the prince, and soon she’d be granted a wish on the Triforce.

“That was surprisingly easy,” Mila commented.

“Your wise planning and quick thinking paid off, Lady Shadowgale,” Vanova told her, paying her yet another compliment.

“Yes, I suppose it did.”

“Shall we make our way to Prince Lancel’s sky lift?”

Mila thought about it. “Hmm. Perhaps it would be best to wait for the fighting to die down a bit. Then we can--”

She was interrupted by a heavy thud . Something had banged against the doors. Mila’s other five guards formed up in front of it, raising their weapons.

“Calm yourselves,” Mila called out to them. “Back away from the door. It’s probably just Remoth’s men.”

The soldiers obeyed, stepping gingerly over the dead bodies on the ground as they backed away. However, none of them lowered their guard, watching nervously as the banging on the doors continued.

After a few seconds, the doors burst open. Rather than any of Remoth’s men, Sir Onnick stepped into the room, having to duck to fit through the door frame.

Oh fuck.

Mila hopped to her feet in response. She watched in horror as the prince’s colossal bodyguard surveyed the room, with Mila’s guards cowering in his presence. Onnick’s gaze settled on the body of Prince Percival, before he fixed his gaze on Mila.

“Now, I know what this looks like…” Mila began, raising her free hand defensively.

Another mighty thud rang out through the throne room as Sir Onnick let the spiked iron ball at the end of his chain fall against the floor. The sound caused Mila’s guards to jump back again. With the minor throne room as narrow as it was, there wasn’t much room for Sir Onnick to swing his ball-and-chain, but he nevertheless raised it off of the ground, gave it a few spins, and released it.

“No!”

“Wait!”

“Stop!”

Mila’s guards screamed and shouted as they attempted to run out of the way. The spiked ball collided with the man Onnick had been aiming for, knocking him back across the room until it landed, utterly crushing the man. Onnick then yanked the chain back, demolishing another of Mila’s guards as he returned the weapon to him.

“Fight back, you cowards!” Mila cried, not liking the way the fight was going already. “Strike before he can prepare again!”

One of her soldiers still cowered against the wall, but the other two heeded her words. Holding their swords at the ready, they charged at the colossal knight after only a moment’s hesitation, each letting out a battlecry.

Sir Onnick dropped his ball-and-chain. Reaching behind his back, he drew his greatsword and swung it, cutting one of his attackers in two. The second soldier reached Onnick and attempted to stab him. The sword seemed to pierce partly through his armor before getting stuck, and Onnick did not seem harmed at all. Letting go of his greatsword, Sir Onnick slammed the back of his heavy gauntleted fist against the side of his attacker’s head. The man was knocked to the ground, writhing in pain. Onnick walked over to him, lifted his foot, and stomped on the injured man’s skull. He then calmly retrieved his sword and advanced on the man cowering against the wall.

“Please, sir! I yield! It was all Lady Shadowgale’s idea! Spare me, and I’ll tell you everything!”

“You sniveling coward!” Mila shouted.

However, Onnick was unmoved by the man’s cries of surrender. He swung his sword, silencing the pleading soldier by chopping off his head.

“My lady, what do we do?” Vanova asked, standing between Mila and the advancing knight with her sword drawn.

Mila breathed heavily. She couldn’t fight her way out of this one. She had to find some way to talk her way out. “Sir Onnick, listen to me for a moment,” she said, summoning as much confidence as she could. “Your charge is dead. Prince Percival’s sisters will blame you for failing to protect him. They may even have you executed. But we can make a deal. Cast your lot in with us instead, and I can promise you a wish on the Triforce.” It was the strongest gambit she had.

Surely no one would pass up a free wish.

Sir Onnick said nothing. He never did. He merely continued to slowly advance on them, climbing the steps, getting closer and closer.

Why won’t you listen to reason, you mindless lackey?!

When Sir Onnick got too close, Vanova did not attack. Instead, she threw down her sword and tried to run past him. She did not make it far. Sir Onnick swung his greatsword, slicing her in half.

Hey !” Mila shouted in a rage. “She was mine !” Throwing her hands out, Mila summoned the winds, hitting Sir Onnick with a blast of air. It did not deter him in the slightest. All that armor appeared to make him too heavy for her wind magic to move.

Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck…

Mila backed away, hiding behind the throne. That didn’t stop Sir Onnick, as he merely smacked the piece of furniture out of his path and continued to advance.

The Kokiri girl decided to try something more clever. Moving her hands in a controlled manner, she tried to manipulate the air around Sir Onnick’s head, creating a vacuum. She had used this technique before. It didn’t matter how big or strong Sir Onnick was. If he couldn’t breathe, he would die like anyone else.

For once, this did seem to affect him. He stumbled for a moment, bringing one gauntleted hand up to his helmet.

Yes, yes…

However, her optimism did not last long. After a moment, Sir Onnick tossed his sword at Mila.

Shit !” she shouted, diving to the side as the giant spinning weapon flew past her. In doing so, she broke her concentration, breaking her spell in the process. Now able to breathe just fine, Sir Onnick charged at her, moving much faster than he had before. Mila screamed, summoning the winds to move herself quickly out of the way.

“Sir Onnick, please, stop!” Mila shouted desperately. “Killing me would be of no benefit to you. Just think of what you could gain with a wish on the Triforce. You could have anything you desire. Anything!”

Onnick still remained silent. She could not see his face or even his eyes from under his horned helmet, so she had no idea what he was thinking.

“Just say something, you mute bastard!”

The giant knight charged at her once more, and she barely managed to dodge out of the way again.

Mila thought about trying to run, but he’d managed to effectively corner her. She’d be backed up against the wall before long at this rate. Clearly trying to negotiate with the man was getting her nowhere. The only option left was to fight. The Kokiri girl gripped Prince Percival’s dual-enchanted sword in her hands, and she felt the heft of the gilded sword on her back.

I have two of the greatest swords in the entire kingdom. I must be able to do something with them.

Thinking quickly, Mila examined Sir Onnick’s armor for any weak points. It was very well put together, but it should have had the minor openings all suits of armor had. Unfortunately, Sir Onnick managed to retrieve his tossed sword, which would not make things any easier.

Mila waited in a battle-ready stance. Sir Onnick moved forward steadily like an unstoppable juggernaut. Once close enough, he raised his greatsword and swung it downwards in a chopping motion. Mila once again used her wind magic to move quickly out of the way, but she did not run. Instead, she then used the wind to propel herself into the air.

Letting out an angry battlecry, Mila swung Percival’s sword at Sir Onnick’s neck. The glowing red half of the sword collided against the knight’s armor. A great flame erupted from the sword upon impact.

Mila landed next to Sir Onnick and leaped backwards, returning to her battle stance to examine the damage. A portion of the knight’s armor had been broken off, leaving small shards of metal on the carpeted floor. There were scorch marks near the point of impact as well. Onnick did not appear harmed, but he was now slightly less invulnerable than he’d been before.

Mila flipped the sword around in her hand, eying the glowing white half of it.

Let’s see what this side can do.

Sir Onnick didn’t give her much time before his next attack. He swung sideways this time, forcing her to leap over his sword immediately. In the process, she sprung herself high enough to attack him in the same spot she had before, but with the other side of her sword this time. When the white half of Percival’s sword collided with Sir Onnick’s armor, it let out a burst of light that blinded them both. When Mila hit the floor, she stumbled and backed away, shielding her eyes.

When she looked up through the tears in her eyes, she could see Onnick lowering his arm in the same way. She also saw she’d managed to shatter a larger gap into his armor. There was a real vulnerability showing now. Killing him no longer seemed like such an impossible goal.

Reaching behind her back, Mila drew her gilded sword, sheathing Percival’s sword in its place. The prince’s sword had been helpful so far, but she figured she would need the razor sharp edge of her own sword for this last part.

Mila took a deep breath, readying herself with total concentration. When Sir Onnick next swung his massive blade, she immediately propelled herself into the air once more. She screamed, letting out a battlecry and slicing at the opening in his neck. She felt the blade hit his flesh and pass through it.

When she hit the floor, her sword was coated in fresh blood. There was a thud as Sir Onnick’s helmeted head fell to the ground. The Kokiri girl felt her heart beating rapidly. She couldn’t believe what had just happened. Just after killing the prince, she’d killed the most unkillable knight in Hyrule.

I did it.

For a moment, she allowed herself to calm down, breathing a sigh of relief. However, her moment of respite was short-lived. She felt a new kind of fear course through her veins as Sir Onnick moved once again.

The still-standing body of the heavily-armored knight bent down and picked up his own severed head. Gripping it by one of the horns on his helmet, Sir Onnick held up his head and pointed it in Mila’s direction, as if it could still see.

“Wh--Wha--Wha--What? What? What ?!” Mila could do nothing but stutter out the same one-word question as she walked backwards in fear.

Still holding his head aloft in one hand, Sir Onnick continued undeterred. This time, he raised his sword and thrust it forward. Mila was too shocked to make any sort of effort to dodge out of the way, and so she was impaled straight through the chest.

The Kokiri girl felt a sense of weakness wash over her. She tilted her head downwards to peer at the sword sticking through her stomach. Wisps of misty green light spilled forth from her wound. She felt the tethers holding her to this realm weakening.

No… I can’t go now… I’m supposed to live forever… I’m supposed to be a god…

The headless knight pulled the sword from Mila’s chest. She fell backwards onto the ground. She listened to the clattering footsteps of Sir Onnick walking away from her as everything went black.


“You’re a fucking idiot, you know that? What, we came all this way just for you to die like this ? We could have done so much more, but you just couldn’t stop picking fights with people stronger than you. You’re lucky I fucking love you, you idiot. I guess this’ll be the last time I help you, so I’ll see you next time you die. You better actually accomplish something before then, or I’m gonna be so angry.”

Mila gasped and sat up. It took her a moment to process the fact that she was even alive. She was still in the minor throne room, just where she’d been when Sir Onnick had stabbed her. Remembering that, her hands flew up to her chest, feeling for any wound. Her clothing was damaged, but not her body.

What…?

The Kokiri girl noticed the tiny sparkles hovering in the air around her, as well as those that clung to her chest. There was fairy dust everywhere. Her eyes shot open wide in fear.

“Luft!” she shouted, hopping to her feet. “Luft, get out here right now!” Mila spun around, glancing frantically in all directions. “Luft, please. You’re here. You’re here, aren’t you? Luft? Luft!” There was no response. Her fairy companion did not emerge from within her, nor did she fly out from any hiding place.

Mila knew why she was alive.

“Luft! Luft! Luft! No! No !” Mila fell to her knees. She slammed her fists against the floor repeatedly, tears streaming down her face as she cried. She must have looked like an actual child throwing a tantrum at that moment. “You weren’t supposed to do that!” she cried. “We promised! We promised each other! We’d never do that! I’m not worth it, you stupid selfless cunt !” Mila collapsed forward, shoving her face into the carpet to muffle the pathetic, anguished shriek that followed.

The Kokiri girl stayed in that position for a minute until her crying died down. “This… stupid useless tiny … form…” she stuttered out in between sobs, beating her tiny fist against the floor to punctuate each word. “I’m gonna kill him,” she muttered. “I’m gonna kill that unkillable bastard. Onnick, Cyclos, the Deku Tree, all of ‘em. They’re all fucking dead .”

Slowly, Mila pulled herself back to her feet. She angrily wiped the tears from her eyes. If she wanted her revenge, she couldn’t just give up. Thinking back to the plan, she decided what to do next. Prince Percival was dead. According to Remoth, he and Socicila would handle the princesses and the Hero. Her objective now was to escape to the City in the Sky and pilot it to the Triforce’s location.

Reaching into her bag, Mila pulled out the Sky Slate. The headless bastard hadn’t seen fit to take any of her possessions, so the device was still on her. Remoth had told her Lancel’s sky lift was already under the control of his men. All she had to do was make it there without getting caught up in the rest of the battle. Putting the Sky Slate back into her bag and retrieving her sword from the ground, Mila headed for the exit.

This isn’t over. Mark my words.

 

Chapter 73: Linkle IV

Chapter Text

For the duration of her stay in Hyrule Castle, Linkle was in a constant state of disbelief. She’d wanted to see what the castle was like ever since she was little. Now, not only was she actually there, but she’d been invited to stay as a guest of honor -- because she was the Hero. It was absolutely a dream come true.

She’d also been personally introduced to the Royal Family. It was unfortunate that the youngest princess was still missing, as Linkle would’ve loved to see little Seraphina again. And it was truly awful that King Tychon and Prince Lancel had been killed. Regardless, the other prince and princesses had been kind to her. Princess Victorique was every bit the wise, elegant beauty she’d been lauded as. Prince Percival seemed a bit rough around the edges, but he was exceedingly handsome, and he had a straightforward and blunt attitude that reminded Linkle of her own brother in a way.

And then, of course, there was Princess Sophitia. She was the member of the Royal Family closest to Linkle in age. She was kind, clever, and pretty. She’d reached out to Linkle personally and taken the time to show her around the castle, and Linkle had spent more time with her than anyone else she’d met at the castle so far. Sophitia was the highest of highborn and she was clearly very well-educated, so while Linkle struggled to keep up intellectually, she found the princess fascinating to listen to.

The only thing that was somewhat disappointing had been her confrontation with the one known as Lord Remoth. When Linkle had arrived at Hyrule Castle and learned that the Royal Family believed the demon to be hiding in the form of a man, she’d been expecting to have a proper climactic showdown with him, fighting alongside the prince and princesses.

The Hero’s story never ends with the demon being arrested, does it?

“Does the Master Sword need to be cleaned?”

Linkle turned around to make eye contact with Liliana. At the moment, Linkle was sitting on the steps that led down from one of the castle walls, wiping down her sword with a cloth rag.

“Well, yeah,” Linkle replied. “Especially when it gets bloody. But right now, I’m just trying to get it to shine brightly again. It’s been kind of dull lately, for some reason.”

“Perhaps it has been too long since it’s killed anyone,” Liliana speculated. She pulled her own sword partially out of its sheath. “I personally feed mine twice a day. We have plenty of prisoners in the dungeon you could use.”

Linkle was horrified.

“She is joking, of course,” Sophitia pointed out, appearing at Liliana’s side. 

“Oh.” Linkle laughed in relief as she stood up to greet the princess properly. Throughout her stay at the castle, she had found Princess Sophitia’s round-eared bodyguard to be a bit of an odd one. Liliana would often make jokes at the expense of others, but her facial expression never really changed, so it was often difficult to tell when she was joking.

“You will have to forgive her… unique sense of humor,” the princess went on. “It pleases her to shock others. Though, truth be told, her sharp tongue pleases me as well.”

“Indeed it does,” Liliana replied.

Linkle stifled a laugh.

The princess looked confused for a second, then she looked shocked, her face turning red. “A-Anyway. You were discussing the Master Sword. Does it require maintenance?”

Linkle hefted the sword in front of her, examining the dull sheen. “Honestly, my brother’s way better at this sorta stuff,” she admitted. “I usually just swing it.”

“Hm. I see. Well, if you ever need help with such matters, we have a number of Goron blacksmiths in our employ who are masters of their craft,” Sophitia offered.

“Really? Wow, thanks! I bought my last sword from a Goron blacksmith in Rudania. Their stuff is amazing .” Linkle placed the Master Sword down and allowed it to lean against the stairs for a moment. She then pulled out the other sword she had with her. The gilded sword she had received from Lady Shadowgale was supposed to be one of the keys to the Triforce, and it had once been the property of Sage Saria’s late brother. “I wonder who made this one,” she mused, running a hand over the flat of the golden blade. “Do the Kokiri usually make swords like this?”

Sophitia tilted her head. “I am unsure. Lady Shadowgale is the only Kokiri in Central Hyrule.”

“Hm.” As Linkle looked at the gilded sword, she had the annoying realization that it seemed to be shining more brightly than the Master Sword was at the moment. Sighing in mild irritation, she sheathed the gilded sword and picked the Master Sword back up.

Maybe it could use a touch up from a blacksmith after all.

Unexpectedly, she noticed the blade glow a little brighter all of a sudden. However, some instinct told her this wasn’t the good kind of glow. “Princess!” Linkle shouted, rushing forward and pushing Sophitia out of the way.

“What--?” Sophitia cried in surprise.

From over the edge of the wall, a monster appeared. The creature was humanoid, but bat-like, and it flew upwards on leathery wings. As soon as it showed itself, it screeched and lashed outwards with a clawed hand. The creature’s claws slashed Linkle across the nose and cheek, but she still managed to thrust the Master Sword forward, stabbing the monster through the chest. The creature screeched in pain, smoke emanating from its chest wound as the Master Sword’s holy blade seared its flesh. When Linkle pulled the sword back, the monster fell backwards over the wall.

While Linkle was busy, a second bat monster appeared. Luckily, Liliana’s reflexes were quite good as well. The round-eared girl appeared at Linkle’s side. With three quick strikes, she chopped the monster’s hand off, then slashed it across the chest before finally stabbing it through the neck. This one flopped down onto the ground, spilling dark red blood on top of the wall.

“Achemen,” Linkle pointed out, recognizing what type of monsters they were.

“There were reports of these things being spotted in the city during the attack on the night of the Blood Moon,” Liliana added. “Stay close to me, Princess. We need to get inside.”

“Right. Thank you for coming to my aid, both of you,” Sophitia said graciously.

With their swords drawn, Linkle and Liliana led the princess down the steps and away from the wall, heading towards one of the castle buildings. As they moved, alarm bells began going off all around the castle.

“There must be more of them,” Linkle realized.

“This is Lord Remoth’s doing. It must be,” Sophitia said, sounding confident. “These creatures must work for him. We met some others of their kind in the Breach of Demise, with the Gerudo and those other monsters.”

“Do you think he has broken out of the dungeons?” Liliana asked.

“Either he has already, or this attack is meant to distract us while he is broken out.”

As they approached the keep, a number of guards spilled out through the doorway. At the same time, a separate group of soldiers came around the corner -- these ones wearing cloaks bearing the sigil of House Remoth.

“There she is!”

“There she is!”

“Kill her!”

“Protect her!”

A fight broke out in short order. Sophitia paused, staring at the battle in horror, clearly desperate to help the guards who were risking their lives to protect her. Linkle wished to help too, but her instinct was to save the princess first. So, she grabbed Sophitia’s hand and pulled her along with her, running towards the keep.

“We need to get you inside, Princess,” Linkle repeated.

“Agreed,” Liliana concurred, following them and guarding the princess from behind.

Once inside, it did not take long for them to run into more hostiles. On an upper level overlooking the entrance hall, two Remoth soldiers leaned over the bannister, holding crossbows. Linkle had quicker reflexes, reaching behind her back to pull out her own crossbow. She fired off a shot at one of the soldiers. The one she hit slumped over dead, but the other loosed a bolt at them soon after.

A shimmering blue magic barrier appeared around them, shielding them from the enemy’s bolt. Linkle turned to see Sophitia holding up her hand, having been the one to conjure the barrier. Linkle quickly reloaded her crossbow. Without needing to say anything, Sophitia dropped the barrier. Linkle fired at the enemy crossbowman, but he ducked behind a pillar.

“Forget him,” Liliana urged. “Just keep moving.”

Behind them, Linkle could see more black-cloaked soldiers coming through the door. “Oh, shit. Yep, let’s go!”

The three of them ran further into the keep. As they rounded the corner, Sophitia threw up another barrier, this time blocking the path behind them. Linkle didn’t know how long the barrier would last, but apparently it was long enough for them to escape, because they soon lost sight of their pursuers. They continued moving in search of someplace safe, but everywhere they went, they could still hear the sounds of clashing metal somewhere close by, and no room they came across seemed like it would be a good place to hide if a group of soldiers were to come banging on the door.

Linkle had been hoping to come across more of the castle guards who might have been able to aid the princess, but the next group of soldiers they came across were more of Remoth’s men. They had been heading for the stairs, but six of the invaders came down the steps, blocking their path.

Linkle and Liliana stepped in front of the princess and raised their swords, but before they could engage the enemy, a puff of smoke erupted between the two parties. When it cleared, three Sheikah were standing before them. The two on the sides immediately leaped forward with kodachis drawn, attacking Remoth’s troops. The third turned to face them

Linkle stepped back in fear upon seeing the woman’s mask. “You?” she asked in confusion.

Impa Shiho stared at each of them in turn, then turned her mask to the side of her face. She ignored Linkle, choosing instead to address Sophitia. “Your sister is in the library,” she told her. “Go there. Now.” Without waiting for a reaction, she slipped her mask back into place, then turned around and joined her allies in the fight.

Linkle knew to be wary of this Impa from her past encounter with her, and she also knew the Hyrules suspected her of being a traitor, so she was unsure if they should trust her. “What do we do, Princess?”

Sophitia seemed to think about it for a second. “We make for the library. But be cautious.”

“Of course, Princess,” Liliana agreed.

Before Linkle left, she stopped to observe Impa Shiho one last time. The Sheikah woman seemed to sense her presence, turning her head to look at Linkle through the mask she wore. For a moment, Linkle wondered if they’d truly been wrong about Shiho, but she did not linger on that thought. Instead, she hurried after Liliana and the princess.


During her stay at Hyrule Castle, Linkle had spent a good deal of time in the library. There were historical accounts of Heroes she’d never even heard of, as well as countless bestiaries detailing the most exotic of monsters.

“I swear to Hylia, if someone burns down this library, I’m gonna destroy them,” Linkle said aloud as they ran towards its entrance.

Sophitia and Liliana had no response to that. Once they reached the closed doors, Liliana signaled for Sophitia and Linkle to stop. So, the princess held back with Linkle guarding her while Liliana approached the door and attempted to open it. However, the door did not budge.

Liliana rapped her fist against the door. “Hello?” she called out. “I have Princess Sophitia here. We need to get inside.”

For a moment, no one answered. “Is my sister in there?” Sophitia called out.

Hearing the princess’s voice must have been enough to convince whoever was on the other side to open the door. The sound of a heavy lock being undone could be heard, then one of the doors opened outwards. Two royal guards appeared in the doorway, swords drawn.

“Princess,” one of them spoke. “Yes, Princess Victorique is here. Please, get inside.” The two guards stepped out of the way, making a path for them. Liliana went in first, quickly glanced around, then waved Sophitia and Linkle inside.

The library of Hyrule Castle was expansive. It extended across multiple floors, and it stretched practically the entire length of the castle. The guards seemed to have the place on lockdown, as each entrance had sentries posted to it and several more guards were present throughout the library. Although they could not hear any fighting in the vicinity, the ringing of alarm bells could still be heard coming from other parts of the castle.

“Well done, Lady Linkle, Lady Liliana,” one of the guards said. “Thank you for bringing Princess Sophitia here safely.”

“Where is my sister?” Sophitia inquired.

“Come with me. I shall escort you to her at once.”

The three of them were led down a staircase to the ground floor of the library, then taken all the way across the room until they very nearly reached the end. The guard led them to a large bookshelf that stretched across one of the walls. Several royal guards were posted along it, all of whom saluted Princess Sophitia as she walked by.

“Princess Victorique is in here,” the guard guiding them said, gesturing to the bookshelf.

Linkle furrowed her brow in confusion. “Huh?” she asked, glancing around her immediate vicinity in search of what the guard could be referring to.

However, Sophitia apparently knew more about the library’s secrets than Linkle did. She confidently strode up to the bookshelf and reached her hand past the books. Linkle could hear an audible click , followed by a louder sound as a short section of the bookshelf was lowered into the floor.

Whoa …” Linkle stared in amazement. “That’s amazing!”

When the bookshelf disappeared from view, it revealed a sturdy iron door. Princess Sophitia stepped up to the door and gave it a knock. “Sister?”

A moment later, Linkle heard the door being unlocked from the inside. It was then pulled open. Linkle nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw Impa Shiho standing before her again, but she quickly realized she was mistaken. It was Impa Ayako who had opened the door.

The Sheikah woman looked behind herself. “It is her,” she said affirmatively. Ayako then stepped out of the hidden room and moved aside, clearing the way for the elder princess.

“Sister.” Princess Victorique’s ordinarily stoic face betrayed an obvious expression of relief as she exited the hidden room.

“Sister,” Princess Sophitia said in kind as the two moved to embrace one another. “I’m glad you’re alright.”

“Likewise.” After breaking off the hug, the elder princess acknowledged the other two girls as well. “Thank you for keeping my sister safe as always, Liliana. And you as well, Hero.”

Linkle felt all tingly inside at having been thanked by the Crown Princess. “It was my honor, your highness!”

Victorique nodded, turning back to her sister. “Lord Remoth’s men attacked us, so we have barricaded the library for the time being. What is the situation? Were you attacked as well? Do we know Remoth’s current whereabouts?”

“Yes, we were attacked by Remoth’s men. And by Achemen,” Sophitia added. “I do not know his whereabouts. We ran when we were attacked. We met Impa Shiho along the way, and she told us you were here.”

Shiho’s sister shared a look with Victorique.

“I see,” Victorique said. “What of Percival?”

“I have not seen him,” her sister replied.

“No matter. He’ll have gotten somewhere safe by now. Lord Remoth does not have enough of his own troops in the castle to take it from us, even if he does have some monsters bolstering his forces. We shall remain here while the Grand Protector and the Grand Watcher deal with the rebels.”

“Agreed. And we shall deal with Lord Remoth if he is captured in the fighting,” Sophitia said.

“I’m going back out there to join the battle,” Linkle blurted out. The princesses had not said anything about what she should be doing, but even if she would have liked to stay there to defend both of them herself, her instinct was not to sit still. “Your people need my help. And I might be able to find and kill Remoth, even if he is the demon.” Linkle punctuated her point by drawing both of her swords, showing them exactly why she thought she’d be able to kill him.

The two princesses shared a look.

“It might make sense tactically,” Sophitia pondered. “The castle may be swarming with monsters, and she is a professional monster hunter.”

“Indeed. And if Lord Remoth truly is the demon, then the Hero is the one fated to slay him, as she says,” Victorique added. She turned to her retainer. “Aya, can we spare anyone to aid her?”

The Sheikah woman glanced around the room for a few moments as she considered her answer. “Six. We should still have enough to keep the library locked down if we give her six.”

“Good. Sir Akrah, Dame Parcy,” the elder princess called to two of her guards.

A man and a woman approached them, both dressed in the uniform of the Royal Guard. The man had black hair and a small black beard. The woman also had black hair, which was cut short like Linkle’s.

“Present, Princess,” the short-haired woman said. She and her partner each put a hand to their heart in salute.

“Take four of the castle guards and go with the Hero. Your job is to eliminate the rebels, including Lord Remoth if he is out of his cell,” Victorique instructed.

“It would be our honor, your highness,” Sir Akrah replied. He and Dame Parcy bowed, then headed for the other end of the library where the reserve guards were waiting.

Despite the severity of the situation, Linkle couldn’t help but feel a surge of excitement. She was going to fight alongside knights of the Royal Guard, and she may soon fulfill her destiny and slay the Headless Demon.

My legend is going to be a tale for the ages!

“Stay safe, Linkle,” Sophitia said to her, speaking a little more softly and a little less loftily than Linkle was used to hearing from her.

“I’ll be back,” Linkle said, straightening her posture and smiling confidently. “You can be sure of that.”

“May Hylia and Farore watch over you, Hero,” Princess Victorique added, giving her own blessing.

A moment later, Akrah and Parcy returned. Four of the lower-ranked castle guards trailed behind them. “We are ready, Princess,” Parcy said to Victorique.

“Excellent. Now go. Secure this castle,” the elder princess ordered them.

“Come with me, everyone,” Linkle said. “Let’s go slay some monsters.”


Despite the princesses’ belief that Lord Remoth didn’t have many of his own troops on the castle grounds at that point in time, it sure seemed like he did. Mere minutes after Linkle and the guards left the library, they encountered their first group of rebels in one of the castle’s many long corridors. The enemy battalion was made up of what appeared to be four normal Hylians and two Achemen. While she’d fought with other humans several times in the past, Linkle still didn’t enjoy it, so she chose to focus on the monsters while her allies dealt with the humans.

Linkle opened the fight by firing off a bolt from her crossbow. Both Achemen flew up to the ceiling immediately, so she did not hit her mark. Surprising both her enemies and her allies, she immediately sprinted forward with the magically-enhanced speed granted to her by her Pegasus Boots. When she was close enough for the soldiers on the ground to raise their shields, she pulled out her hookshot and fired into the chandelier behind the Achemen. The hookshot then pulled her into the air. As she passed by, she swung her sword at one of the bat monsters, slicing it across the chest.

She landed behind the enemy group. For a moment, all eyes were on her, still stunned by her unexpected tactics. This distraction allowed for her allies to advance on their adversaries unimpeded, and the battle began with Linkle and the castle guards having the upper hand.

While the Remoth’s human troops did battle with the guards, the Acheman Linkle had wounded fell to the ground, clutching its chest. The monster’s skin burned along the cut left by the Master Sword. The other Acheman, however, recovered from its initial shock and swooped down to attack Linkle. She managed to block the creature with her shield, flipping it over herself. Afterwards, she tried to slash at it, but the Acheman flew backwards and screeched.

Ahh ! Shut up!” Reflexively, Linkle grabbed her hookshot and fired it at the monster’s head. The hook pierced through the monster’s eye, penetrating deeply. It screeched one final time before its wings gave out and it collapsed to the floor. As she retracted the chain back into her hookshot, Linkle felt a sudden pain in her back. She yelped and spun around, realizing she’d just been slashed by the other Acheman.

The creature she’d cut down earlier was still clutching one hand to its chest, and it seemed unable to fly. However, it glared at her with intense hatred. Its free claw dripped with Linkle’s blood. “You’ll pay for this, bitch,” the monster spoke, his voice grating and clearly inhuman.

Linkle reached into her bag and pulled out a rupee. “Fine,” she said, flipping it over to the monster.

The Acheman reflexively caught the small gem, then stared at it in bewilderment. “What--?”

That moment of distraction was just enough time for Linkle to close the gap. She jammed her sword right above the wound she’d left before. The blade of light seared the monster’s flesh once again, and it soon fell over dead.

When she was finished with her opponents, Linkle looked up to see her allies were just finishing up their battle as well. Dame Parcy stabbed her sword through a rebel’s chest, dropping him to the floor. All four of the rebel troops were dead, but Linkle noticed two of the castle guards who’d fought with them lay dead as well.

Oh, shit.

She’d been so focused on her own battle, she hadn’t noticed how difficult her allies’ battle had been. She wasn’t sure if she would have been able to do anything to save their two fallen comrades, but she still felt a pang of guilt.

“Are you alright, Hero?” Sir Akrah asked her, cleaning the blood off of his sword.

Linkle nodded, choosing not to trouble them with her thoughts. “I’m fine.”

Sir Akrah nodded. “Let’s keep going. If we can secure this wing of the keep, we should be able to stem this incursion significantly.”


Bit by bit, Linkle moved through the castle with the squad of guards she’d teamed up with, slaying monsters and traitors everywhere they went. Along the way, they joined up with other squads of guards, eventually growing to a group of about a dozen, although some of their allies would fall in almost every skirmish they took part in.

As they continued to clear the castle, the enemies they encountered were beginning to flee more often. This was a good sign, as it meant they were winning the battle overall, and perhaps this siege was coming to an end. However, Linkle noticed something odd.

“Why do they keep fleeing upward?” Linkle asked after their latest battle.

“What?” Dame Parcy asked, kicking over an Acheman’s body to check if it was truly dead.

“Those two who ran away. They went up the stairs, like all the others who ran. Isn’t that weird?” Linkle explained.

“She makes a good point,” Sir Akrah agreed. “If they were fleeing, wouldn’t they be running for the outer walls in order to escape?”

Linkle had a slightly troubling thought. “None of the other guards we’ve met have seen Lord Remoth, right?”

“Correct,” Dame Parcy confirmed.

Linkle smacked herself in the forehead. “Of course! Why didn’t I think of it before?”

“What is it, young Hero?” Sir Akrah asked.

“I should’ve seen it before. This whole siege was way too big an act to just be a distraction. Lord Remoth wasn’t trying to escape . He’s somewhere in the castle still. His minions must be running to rejoin him somewhere on the upper floors,” Linkle explained.

“What would be the point of that?” Dame Parcy asked as she gestured with her hands to give further orders to the other guards.

“He’s trying to kill the princesses and the prince and take the throne for himself, here and now.” Linkle had read more stories about Heroes battling against monsters than anyone else she’d ever met. This sounded exactly like the sort of thing a Demon King would do. “He’s probably sitting on the king’s throne right now.”

“That’s a possibility,” Sir Akrah agreed. “We’ll just have to keep working our way upward, then. We’ll arrive at the throne room eventually.”

Before Linkle could say anything else, she heard a repetitive clattering noise coming from around the corner, signaling the approach of more soldiers. She drew the Master Sword, expecting a fight, only to find it was three members of the castle guard returning to their position in a hurry.

“Dame,” one of the guards said, standing at attention in front of Parcy. “We found the prince’s body.”

“What?” Dame Parcy replied. “Prince Percival? He’s dead? Are you certain?”

“Yes, dame.”

“Show us,” Sir Akrah ordered. “Lead the way.”

“Yes, sir.” The guards turned and headed back down the hall. The royal guards followed them, as did Linkle.

They were brought to the minor throne room beside the courtyard. The door had been smashed in, leaving debris scattered around the room.

“Oh, shit,” Linkle said under her breath as soon as she walked in. At least ten bodies lay scattered throughout the room, some of them chopped into pieces or crushed beyond recognition. Whatever had happened there had been a slaughter. Up on the dais at the end of the room, Linkle spotted a body wearing the armor she often saw Prince Percival wearing. The corpse lay on the ground beside the throne.

Dame Parcy and Sir Akrah knelt beside the body to examine it. “It’s him,” Akrah confirmed.

“Damn these accursed devils,” the other knight swore.

Linkle’s heart sank. She stared down at the prince’s body, and all she could think of was how devastated the princesses would be.

Losing two brothers is not easy…

She turned her back on the scene before she started to tear up, wishing to project an image of courage befitting her role.

That’s what Link would do here, right?

“Where is Sir Onnick?” Akrah questioned.

Linkle hadn’t noticed it before, but none of the bodies were large enough to belong to the prince’s famously tall and bulky bodyguard. They had not encountered him at any point in their campaign through the castle yet either.

“Well, if the prince is here, the Wall probably died protecting him somewhere else in the castle,” Parcy speculated.

Linkle got the attention of the nearest soldier. “Are there any wounded?”

“No, my lady. All were dead when we arrived.”

She nodded, then turned back to the royal guards accompanying her. “We need to head to the throne room as soon as possible. We have to slay this demon before anything happens to the princesses.”


Despite Linkle’s hunch that the demon was in the throne room, she and her allies did not head straight there. They continued to sweep their way through the castle, floor by floor. Wherever they found civilians or other guards, they did their best to aid them, and wherever they found rebels and monsters, they fought them.

It took a great deal of time, but Linkle and her group of allies eventually reached the throne room. A small group of Remoth’s soldiers had fled from them, disappearing through the doors that led into the throne room. That had at least partially confirmed that their remaining enemies were gathering inside. By then, Linkle’s party stood at about two dozen strong.

“This is it,” Linkle proclaimed, standing several meters from the great double doors. There were no rebel troops or monsters standing guard outside. It was entirely possible that the demon wasn’t on the other side of those doors, but she was confident he was in there. She could feel it.

The two royal guards who had been assigned to accompany Linkle stood beside her. Dame Parcy signaled to two of the guards. “You. Soldiers. Head back to the library. Inform the princesses the keep is secured, apart from the throne room, which we believe could hold Remoth and his remaining forces. Request reinforcements and an update on the state of the rest of the castle grounds.”

“Yes, dame.” The two guards saluted and ran off.

Linkle tilted her head curiously. “We’re not attacking now?”

Sir Akrah shook his head. “There’s no need. We have them cornered. It is better to attack when we are at our strongest, if we can afford to wait.”

“The enemy can fly,” Linkle pointed out. Perhaps not all of them could, but the Achemen had wings, and Lord Remoth likely had some method of flight as well.

“Then if they wanted to flee, we wouldn’t be able to stop them anyway,” Dame Parcy pointed out. “Do not fear, young Hero. Our victory is nearly assured. The princesses will be quite pleased with our progress.”

Despite feeling a strong desire to confront her destiny then and there, Linkle managed to convince herself to listen to her allies.

Link would tell me the same thing.

While the guards set up a perimeter, Linkle sat against the wall and drank deeply from her waterskin. She hadn’t realized it while she was still pumping adrenaline, but she was exhausted. They’d spent hours running through the castle fighting monsters and rebels. All of that exertion and effort was suddenly catching up with her.

As she rested, Linkle examined her two swords once more. She’d been keeping an eye on the way the Master Sword reacted todanger. While it often glowed the way she expected it to, she couldn’t help but notice it was never quite as bright as it had been when she had fought the Blin pirates in the Necluda Sea, or when she’d fought the Sheikah who attacked her in Faron.

Back whenever Link was around…

Linkle cast an uncertain eye towards the throne room doors, where she suspected the demon to be. Then she examined the back of her hand, where she noted the distinct lack of any mark of the Triforce.

What if I’m rushing towards Link’s destiny instead of mine? If only the Hero can slay the demon, and I’m not really the Hero, am I going to…?

Linkle shook her head, slapping her hands against her cheeks as if to wake herself up.

Even the princesses say I’m the Hero. What more do you need?

Glancing about the hall, Linkle self-consciously checked if anyone was looking at her, as if they’d somehow be able to see she was doubting herself.

This is something every Hero goes through. I’m gonna save the princess, then save my brother, and everything’s gonna be happily ever after.

Sometime later, Linkle was snapped out of her thoughts by the sound of Impa’s voice.

“Attention!”

All of the guards turned to face the entryway, boots stomping as they all stepped into place and stood up straight. Linkle jumped to her feet as well.

In addition to Impa Ayako and Liliana, a number of other royal guards passed through the entryway, spreading out to check that the area was truly secure. Following them, the princesses entered. Both of them appeared extraordinarily regal in Linkle’s eyes. Victorique had a look of both dignity and iron-willed focus, clearly ready to complete the task at hand. Sophitia looked just as determined. However, Linkle could see the sadness hidden behind the younger princess’s eyes.

They’ve been told about their brother already.

The Hero wished she could comfort her and promise to do whatever she could to make things right, but the setting was too public for such a thing. She would have to offer her condolences later.

“Princess Victorique, Princess Sophitia.” It was Dame Parcy who stepped forward to address them. “I thank you for the reinforcements you have brought, but I must protest the presence of royalty here. We believe the remaining hostiles to be gathered in the throne room, so the area is still too dangerous.”

“Your caution is appreciated, dame, but my sister and I have already made our decision,” Victorique told her.

“If Lord Remoth is here, we shall force him to answer for his crimes,” Sophitia declared, her voice remarkably unwavering given her situation.

“Very well,” Dame Parcy replied. “What is the status of the rest of the grounds?”

“The island is secure. The rest of Lord Remoth’s forces have been killed or captured, as far as the scouting reports tell me. If you are correct, the throne room should be the one area left to clear,” the elder princess said.

Linkle took note of the weapons the princesses had with them. Victorique had the Bow of Light slung over her back, which Linkle recognized from accounts of the Twilight Princess’s battle against Ganon. She also had two rapiers on her waist that glowed with a brilliant light, like the Master Sword would. Sophitia had a similar rapier on her waist as well.

They intend to participate in the battle.

Despite the seriousness of the situation, Linkle couldn’t help but feel excited by that notion.

“Let us proceed. We wish to speak with Lord Remoth before attempting to apprehend him, so kindly refrain from engaging the enemy unless they attack us first,” Princess Sophitia instructed. She then turned to Linkle. “Hero, please join us.”

Linkle’s heart raced. “It would be my honor!” she declared, rushing to the princess’s side.


The doors to the throne room opened. As expected, they were not alone on the other side. Almost immediately, the princesses’ guards moved into a semicircle in front of the entryway, shields up and weapons drawn.

Much of the gallery was filled with Lord Remoth’s soldiers. They hung back, far from the entrance, so no immediate fighting occurred. However, like the Hyrulean guards, Remoth’s soldiers likewise held their weapons at the ready.

The twin staircases on either side of the room that led up to the royal thrones were filled with Achemen. Some stood up straight with their wings spread, others perched on the banisters like gargoyles ready to strike. Also present amongst the Achemen were two hooded figures, one standing at the top of each staircase. Both wore white robes, but one had red designs while the other had blue. It was difficult to make out the figures from so far away, and their robes concealed their features considerably, so Linkle couldn’t tell if they were Sheikah or anyone she would have recognized.

Lastly, Lord Remoth stood at the bannister in the center of the upper floor. Rather than sitting atop the king’s throne as Linkle had expected, he leaned against the railing, glaring down at the princesses and the Hero with a look of frustration on his face.

“Lord Remoth.” Princess Victorique spoke first, her voice carrying effortlessly throughout the large throne room. “Your coup has failed. Surrender now and we will grant leniency to the remaining Hylians under your command.”

The dark-haired man sighed. “I suppose it has failed,” he said, clearly irritated. “All because of that snake Socicila. If he hadn’t abandoned us, we may have won.”

“Socicila?” Princess Sophitia questioned skeptically.

“Yes,” Remoth replied. “You have fewer friends than you know, Princess. But then, so do I, as it transpires.”

Linkle stepped up next to Sophitia. “Why did you do all this?” she asked with righteous anger. “So many people died. What was the point?”

“I was trying to change the world, I suppose.” Lord Remoth leaned against the bannister, sighing defeatedly. “When this was all over, I intended to create a world in which my kind and yours could simply live in peace.”

“Peace?”

Peace ?”

Sophitia and Linkle repeated the word one after the other, both clearly finding the notion ridiculous.

“How the hell were you gonna make peace by killing everybody?” Linkle forcefully questioned.

Lord Remoth rolled his eyes. “I suppose the Hero is meant to be courageous, not wise.”

“Hey!”

“Killing everybody , as you say, was never my intention. Only those who stood in the way of our peoples joining together,” Remoth explained. “The Royal Family, the Hero, the Sage of Light -- all of you speak of monsters as though we are merely dangerous beasts to be eradicated. My goal cannot be accomplished while you remain in power.”

“Even if you killed us, it would change nothing,” Victorique replied, speaking calmly and rationally despite the clear hatred in her voice. “Monsters raid our villages and kill our people at every opportunity. It is their actions that vilify them, not our words.”

“True.” Lord Remoth made no attempt to deny it. “I have made contact with the leaders of a hundred different monster tribes. Too many of them speak of the Children of Nayru as though you are meat -- spoils to be taken and destroyed. And you know what? Those monsters -- I’ll kill them , too. The scum who rule my kind need to be eradicated as much as the scum who rule yours .”

“If you hate monsters so much, why do you even give a shit about them?” Linkle asked. “Why not just join us instead?”

Lord Remoth stared down at the Hero for a moment. Slowly, his form began to shift. Wings sprouted from his back. His ears became large and bat-like, and his hands became claws. He soon looked no different from the other Achemen filling his side of the room. Once he’d revealed his true form, the Acheman Master raised his hands, gesturing to his brethren.

“Why should my kind be the only ones to be enriched by the glory of civilization?” he asked. His voice was different now, clearly inhuman. He began to pace back and forth in front of the throne. “After the First Demon War, the Acheman race retreated to the Depths of this land, where we remained for centuries. Then, my great ancestor struck a bargain with a demon sealed inside a statue. It gave our kind the ability to blend in with yours, and we have since learned your ways. The Children of Nayru live in a completely separate world from us monsters. A better world. A world of law and order; of peace and prosperity. A world that should belong to everyone .”

“Nayru offered everyone that chance millenia ago,” Princess Victorique countered. “We accepted civilization back then. The monsters rejected it. They will reject it again.”

“You are wrong, child of Hylia,” Remoth disagreed. “I have seen it. The Doctor’s work is a miracle of science. Even the simplest of monsters can learn to be more than what the gods have decided them to be.” As he spoke, he said the word gods with complete and utter disdain.

There was a heavy silence throughout the room after Lord Remoth concluded his speech. Linkle clutched the Master Sword so hard her knuckles turned white, but she had no idea what to do. Some of what Remoth had said sounded sane -- reasonable, even. But on the other hand, everything he’d said was his justification for mass murder. Her gaze instinctively turned to Sophitia, believing the princess to be smarter than she was.

She’ll know what to do.

However, it was Princess Victorique who spoke next, taking a step forward. “I believe I understand your perspective now, Lord Remoth,” she said. “I do not disagree with your desire to change the world. Perhaps someday, we shall reach this new world you speak of -- but it will not be as a result of your actions. Not after everything you’ve done.”

Princess Sophitia stood next to her sister. “You murdered my brother, my father, my uncle, and countless others in pursuit of this dream of yours. If you surrender now and face judgment for your crimes, I swear on my divine ancestor, I will work with your daughter to pursue peace properly.”

Lord Remoth’s bat-like eyes narrowed at the princess with the mention of his daughter. “Apologies, child of Hylia,” he replied. Holding his arm out to his side, a large dark-iron spear suddenly flew off of the ground and into his hand. “My trust has already been betrayed once today. I do not intend to allow it to happen a second time.” With that, he let out a terror-inducing roar. That was evidently the signal to attack, and his forces charged forward.

The humans among Remoth’s forces clashed against the line of soldiers forming a defensive semi-circle in front of the princesses, but many of the Achemen took to the air, flying over the ground-bound soldiers. Before any of the flying monsters could reach the princesses, Victorique drew the Bow of Light from behind her back and launched an arrow directly at Lord Remoth. The arrow left the bow in the form of a fast-moving beam of light. One of the Acheman flew in front of Lord Remoth in an attempt to block the arrow, but the beam effortlessly pierced the bat monster’s chest.

However, despite the power of Victorique’s bow, her efforts were in vain. The robed figures standing on either side of Lord Remoth each raised a wand, and a shimmering purple magic barrier appeared around him, blocking the beam of light.

Immediately afterwards, Princess Seraphina used a similar spell, erecting a blue barrier resembling a crystal around herself and her sister. Several Achemen collided with the barrier, hacking against it with weapons and their elongated clawed hands, but the barrier did not budge.

With monsters this close to the princesses, that was Linkle’s cue to act. Most of the Achemen were focused on trying to crack the barrier, so Linkle was able to Pegasus-sprint into one of them and stab it in the back with the Master Sword. Liliana and Ayako likewise sprung into action. The round-eared girl sliced through one of the monsters with her sword, and the Sheikah samurai impaled one with her naginata.

After their initial confrontation, many of the Achemen turned their attention away from the princesses, choosing instead to focus on the Hero and the bodyguards who were attacking them. Linkle quickly found herself surrounded by three bat monsters, two of them wielding spears and one of them unarmed. The two that carried weapons lifted themselves into the air with their leathery wings, and Linkle realized they meant to dive bomb her. So, she Pegasus-sprinted directly into the unarmed monster, bashing the creature out of the way with her shield while also dodging the incoming spears. The monster she’d knocked over tried to climb back to its feet, but Linkle managed to swiftly decapitate it, leaving smoke rising from its neck stump after making contact with the master sword.

Within the princesses’ protective bubble, the two sisters pressed their hands together and spun around, weaving spellwork with their free hands. The magical barrier surrounding them ignited, blasting the nearby Achemen with a burst of fire. When the flames faded, both princesses emerged wielding their holy rapiers, with Victorique’s extra rapier floating beside her and attacking enemies on its own.

Linkle could not help but be impressed.

So. Amazing!

The sound of a woman’s scream accompanied by the thundering sound of something heavy hitting the ground snapped the Hero out of her reverie. Quite close to where Linkle was standing, she saw Dame Parcy had just been impaled by Lord Remoth’s spear. The Acheman Master still stood up on the balcony. He had thrown his weapon hard enough for it to stab deeply into the stone floor when it landed. He did not fly down to retrieve his weapon. Instead, he merely held out his hand, and the spear flew back into the air, returning to its master. When the spear was pulled out of her, Dame Parcy’s body lifelessly slumped over onto the ground.

You bastard!

Linkle parried the oncoming attack from another Acheman, but she had already decided on her next objective.

If I can kill Remoth, this battle is over.

Shoving the Acheman off of her and quickly slashing it across the chest, Linkle sprinted away, rushing straight towards the crowd of clashing soldiers. However, she did not stop to fight any of the humans under Remoth’s employ. She pulled out her hookshot and fired it towards a chandelier on the right side of the room. This allowed her to pull herself over the battle, landing on the right-hand staircase.

There were two Achemen standing guard upon the stairs, but they were taken off guard by Linkle suddenly grappling over to them. She managed to take advantage of their surprise and cut down one of them before they had a chance to react. The second one hefted an axe above its head and chopped downwards, attempting to cleave Linkle in half. She quickly slammed her body into the railing to dodge out of the way, and the monster’s axe crashed against the carpeted stairway. Thinking the Acheman was probably off-balance as a result, Linkle drew her hookshot again and shot the monster in the chest. It screeched in pain, then Linkle tugged on the chain, pulling the Acheman forward and causing it to fall down the stairs. She slashed it with her sword on its way down.

Remoth is close. I’ve almost got this.

Hoping to make her way to the upper floor before her enemies caught up with her, Linkle hurried up the staircase. The path before her was clear, but suddenly, the two cloaked figures who’d magically defended Lord Remoth earlier appeared out of thin air. They seemed to be floating a foot above the stairs, but Linkle could see some sort of magical effect beneath their feet, like ripples on the surface of a pond.

Seeing them up close now, Linkle realized the robed figures had no faces. Their hoods stood up as though covering a head, but there was simply nothing there. The hands that held their wands were covered by gloves, making identification even harder. The left figure’s wand had a ruby attached to the end of it, which appeared to be on fire. The right figure’s wand was encrusted with a sapphire that seemed to make the air around it colder.

“The Hero’s here, the Hero’s there.”

“To face the Master, she wouldn’t dare. A dull sword, a dull brain.”

“To face the Master, she’d be insane.”

Linkle was too confused to continue. “What the fuck? Did you just rhyme at me? Even Link and I aren’t that annoying.” She and her brother were nearly twins, being born only ten months apart. They even spoke in unison at times, which others sometimes taunted them for. But to speak together in rhyme? That would just be creepy.

The faceless beings cackled.

“Her story ends, it’s time to burn.”

“A fatal lesson, she shall learn. The time has come for her to freeze.”

“She cannot live unless she flees.”

The robed figures cackled once more, raising their wands.

“Would you--” Linkle was about to tell them to shut up when she noticed something peculiar. Just barely peeking out from beneath the robes covering each figure’s chest, there was a pair of eyes that glowed the same color as the designs on their robes. They were not headless. Their heads were merely sunken into their torsos, with the empty hoods acting as a bit of odd misdirection. At once, Linkle realized what these creatures were. “Wizzrobes!”

The Hero did not have much time to dwell on what kind of monsters she was fighting. Just as she figured it out, the Wizzrobes waved their wands and unleashed a torrent of fire and ice in her direction. The only thing Linkle could think to do was leap over the railing to jump off of the stairs, landing in the gallery. She rolled when she landed, managing to minimize the pain. When she looked back up at the stairs, she saw the Wizzrobes waving at her tauntingly.

“You little shits!” she shouted up at them. Taking a moment to survey her surroundings, she recognized that she was still several meters behind the enemies who were battling with her friends. She also saw the other staircase was unguarded. Her objective was to kill the Acheman Master, not his minions.

Forget the twins. I can deal with them later.

Once again making use of her magic boots, Linkle sprinted across the gallery and began climbing the set of stairs on the other side of the room. However, once she got halfway up the staircase, the Wizzrobes appeared at the top of it once more. They must have had some way to teleport, or otherwise move quickly and unseen. Either way, she wasn’t getting past them that easily.

Linkle didn’t have a whole lot of experience with fighting sorcerers, but she knew magic required focus. So, hoping not to give them time to prepare their spells, Linkle quickly drew her crossbow and fired at the blue Wizzrobe. The creature waved its wand, and a magical barrier appeared and blocked the bolt. Meanwhile, the red Wizzrobe spun in place and disappeared.

However, Linkle could see more of those strange magical ripples moving through the air. She thought it looked like footsteps. The red Wizzrobe was still there, she realized. He was just invisible. Hoping to catch him by surprise, she reloaded her crossbow, but before she had a chance to use it, the blue Wizzrobe attacked. Acting on reflex, Linkle raised her shield to block the oncoming barrage of icicles and cold air, and she sprinted up the stairs towards her attacker.

When she reached the top of the staircase without ramming into anything, Linkle realized the ice Wizzrobe had pulled the same disappearing act the other one had. She could now see Lord Remoth towards the center of the platform, although he was preoccupied with throwing his spear while dodging Princess Victorique’s light arrows. She wanted to attack him right away, but with the Wizzrobes actively targeting her, she knew she wouldn’t stand much of a chance in a three-against-one battle.

Gotta deal with them first.

Linkle examined her arm. It felt frozen. She could see her shield was covered in ice and snow, which she did her best to shake off.

If only I had a mirror shield.

However, the incident gave her an idea.

When the Wizzrobes appeared again, they were each hovering several feet above her, and they cast their spells to attack Linkle simultaneously. Rather than attempting to fight them or block anything at the moment, Linkle simply ran out of the way. As she focused on avoiding the attacks, she tore off the hood she was wearing and crudely wrapped it around her shield.

The Wizzrobes disappeared once more after their attack, but Linkle kept an eye on the ripples to keep track of where they would be. When the monsters reappeared, Linkle fired a bolt from her crossbow at the ice Wizzrobe, forcing it to block rather than attack. As expected, the red one unleashed another fireball, which Linkle blocked with her shield. The cloth wrapped around the shield immediately caught fire.

Success!

Having a flaming shield attached to her arm hurt like hell, and she’d probably have injuries afterwards, but it would be worth it if this crazy idea of hers worked. Paying close attention to the timing, Linkle waited until just before she expected the ice Wizzrobe to reappear. Then, she unstrapped her shield and tossed it as hard as she could. The shield spun through the air, and right when the blue-robed wizard showed itself, her flaming shield collided with him. The Wizzrobe made a pained groan, and his robes immediately caught fire. Whatever magic he was using to keep himself in the air stopped working and he plummeted to the ground.

“Yes!” Linkle pumped her fist, pleased with her success. She hadn’t thought of another strategy for the fire Wizzrobe yet, but luckily, she didn’t have to. The red-robed wizard appeared beside his burning companion and hefted him over his shoulder. He then jumped upwards through the air, as if climbing an invisible staircase, and went straight out the window, abandoning the fight completely.

Well. That makes things easier.

With all other obstacles seemingly out of the way, Linkle was finally free to focus on Lord Remoth. He was still distracted by the ranged battle he was having with the princesses. If she could manage to take him by surprise, she could end all of this then and there. Gripping the Master Sword in both her good hand and her frozen-then-burned hand, Linkle charged.

Unfortunately, Lord Remoth was not as distracted as he seemed. As soon as she came near him, he swung his spear in her direction, as if he intended to whack her with it rather than impale her. Linkle was barely able to react in time. She moved to duck, but the speed of her Pegasus Boots made it too difficult to stop. She ended up tossing herself to the ground and rolling past him, landing in a heap.

“Oww…” Linkle rubbed the back of her head as she climbed back to her feet.

Lord Remoth stood by the throne, having moved away from the balcony, out of range of the princesses. “Stand down, Hero,” he demanded coldly.

“Or what?” Linkle challenged. “Sage Lucrezia said you lot can’t kill me. You need me alive!”

“Killing the current Hero would be an impermanent solution, but a solution nonetheless,” the monster lord countered. He raised his spear and trained it on her. “Do not make this more difficult than it needs to be.”

The Hero was undeterred. If the gods were truly on her side, then it was her destiny to slay him, and for the moment, she needed to believe that was true. “I’m not afraid of you.”

“I have the heads of a thousand people who didn’t fear me decorating the walls of my city,” Remoth boasted matter-of-factly. “Sometimes it is wiser to have fear.”

“Sorry, but wisdom’s their thing.” Linkle tilted her head in the direction of the princesses. With that, she charged again.

Remoth leaped into the air and flapped his leathery wings, flying upwards out of Linkle’s reach before she reached him. Thinking quickly, Linkle pulled out her crossbow and fired at him, which he easily dodged. However, now that he was higher in the air, Princess Victorique had a clear view of him. Another beam of light from her bow streaked through the air. He still managed to dodge it, but only by throwing himself back to the ground, landing with a thud.

Hoping to follow up before he could recover, Linkle approached the monster and attempted to stab him with the Master Sword. Remoth thrust his arm out to block the attack. The sword pierced through the palm of his hand, sizzling at the touch, and causing him to scream in agony. He then swiped at Linkle with his other hand, adding a second set of claw marks to her already scratched-up face. The blow knocked Linkle back, and with her hand injured, she easily lost her grip on the Master Sword.

Remoth stood to full height, gripped the hilt of the sword, and tore it free from his palm with another gasp of pain. He tossed the bloody weapon to the ground. With one of his massive clawed hands, he grabbed Linkle by the face, then used the other to grip her shoulder. “I am so sick of this castle,” he rasped. “The princesses can die later. I’m taking you back with me now .” With that declaration, he spread his wings, lifted Linkle into the air with him, and flew out the window.

“Wait, wait, no !” Linkle cried as she was taken, leaving her most sacred and powerful weapon behind. Her mind went into overdrive immediately, scrambling to reach for the hookshot at her waist before they even made it through the window. Struggling against the monster’s grip, she frantically pointed the hookshot at the building and fired it. Luckily, it got caught on something. As soon as the chain went taut, Remoth jerked against it and lost his grip on Linkle. She screamed, briefly in freefall before feeling the tug of the chain swinging her back towards the castle wall.

She ended up swinging directly into a stained glass window on one of the floors below the throne room. The window shattered, and Linkle lost her grip on the hookshot. She landed on the ground and rolled across the floor, back inside the castle.

Linkle groaned in pain as she got her bearings. She had pieces of broken glasses lodged inside of her, which caused her to yell as she yanked them out. Knowing she only had a moment before Remoth would be upon her, she quickly wiped the blood from her hands and loaded her crossbow.

As expected, the bat monster soon rammed his way through what remained of the stained glass window, roaring in anger. Linkle quickly fired at him. Either because he was blinded by rage or because he hadn’t anticipated the attack, he made no effort to dodge Linkle’s crossbow bolt. It hit him in the shoulder, causing him to flinch, but not enough to throw off his flight path. He collided with Linkle, knocking her back to the ground.

“You don’t want to be taken alive? Fine!” the Acheman Master shouted, wrapping his monstrous hands around her neck.

Pinned beneath the giant bat creature, Linkle struggled as he strangled her, his claws digging deeply into her skin. She kicked rapidly against his stomach, but it seemed to affect him very little. She wished to the gods that she still had the Master Sword. If anything could slay this monster cleanly, it would be the Sword of Evil’s Bane. However, given her circumstances, clean wasn’t much of an option.

This one will have to do…

Amidst her strangled cries as she struggled not to lose consciousness, Linkle’s hand reached beneath her body and found the gilded sword. Her hand drew the sword from its sheath and held it up. With no elegance or grace to it, she desperately jammed the sword into Remoth’s face from the side. She succeeded in piercing him through the jaw. When the monster reared back and loosened his grip, Linkle quickly inhaled a gulp of live-saving air, then wrestled herself on top of her enemy. She pulled the golden sword out from his jaw and repeated her actions, but this time, she stabbed him repeatedly in the heart and upper chest. Remoth gave her no final words apart from his screams of anger and pain. Blood splashed upon her face as she ruthlessly stabbed him, and she did not let up until he had not moved in almost a full minute.

When she finally got tired, her grip loosened, and the sword fell from her hand. She rolled off of the monster’s corpse, landing on the ground beside him, panting for air. Her whole body ached. She was a mess of blood and torn flesh. Tears fell from her eyes as she began to sob, not exactly knowing why. She did not feel particularly heroic after everything that had just transpired.

Wishing to return to the princesses upstairs, Linkle stood up, then immediately stumbled over to the wall. She realized she was in no condition to move, so she slumped back down into a seated position with her back against the wall, still sobbing and bleeding all over. For some time, she watched Lord Remoth’s body, expecting it to move. Perhaps it would wake up once more and transform into the Headless Demon she had heard so much about. However, the body remained still.


Although Linkle had only been waiting there for what must have been a short while, it still felt like a long time had passed when the door opened at the other end of the room. For a moment, Linkle wondered if she would need to get up and fight again, but the first people through the door were Liliana and Impa Ayako.

“She’s in here,” Liliana confirmed.

The princesses entered next, followed by several other guards. “Linkle!” Princess Sophitia shouted, immediately running across the floor to come to her side. Linkle felt an instant wave of relief wash over her.

“Secure Lord Remoth’s body,” Princess Victorique ordered.

“Yes, your highness,” her guards agreed.

Sophitia put her hand behind Linkle’s head and used her other hand to examine the rest of her body. “She needs healing!”

“On it.” Liliana said. She and Ayako both knelt beside Linkle, each of them pulling small bottles from their pouches. The Sheikah samurai began applying her bottle’s contents to Linkle’s wounds, while the Ordonian girl pressed her bottle to Linkle’s lips. “Drink this.”

Linkle did as instructed. The taste was less than pleasant, but she could feel its healing magic coursing through her.

“Are you alright, Princess?” Linkle asked as soon as she was able to, her voice extremely hoarse from her recent strangulation.

“Yes, I am unharmed. Do not concern yourself with me,” Sophitia told her.

After she put the empty bottle away, Liliana reached behind her back and produced the Master Sword. “I believe this belongs to you, by the way,” she said, placing the weapon on the ground beside the Hero.

Linkle smiled, infinitely grateful to see the sword again. “My hookshot,” she said, turning her head towards the shattered window. Sure enough, the key to the Triforce she’d been carrying with her since her visit to the Water Temple was still hanging by its chain outside.

“Liliana--” the princess began.

“I got it.” The round-eared girl stood up and went to retrieve the item.

“How are you feeling?” Sophitia asked.

“He wasn’t the demon.” Linkle ignored her question, her mind too distracted with other matters. She weakly lifted an arm and pointed to the body of Lord Remoth, which the guards were currently wrapping in chains.

“He doesn’t appear to have been, no.” Victorique walked over to the Hero, and her bodyguard returned to her side. “Based on the situation, I now suspect the demon has been Grand Watcher Socicila this whole time.”

“Well, he was your spymaster,” Liliana commented as she returned, bending down to place Linkle’s hookshot on the ground beside the Master Sword.

“He has been loyal to the crown since before Father took the throne,” Sophitia pointed out, sounding as though she could not believe it.

“As was Lord Remoth,” Impa countered.

“It seems the betrayer has been betrayed,” Liliana added.

Sophitia helped Linkle climb to her feet. “Lord Remoth made it sound as though he and the Grand Watcher had been working together,” the younger princess commented. “Why would Socicila betray Remoth now?”

“Socicila is a demon. Remoth is a monster,” her elder sister answered. “Demons only keep monsters in their service for as long as they are useful.” She turned and watched as Remoth’s body was carried out of the room. “It seems Socicila determined that these monsters have outlived their usefulness, and he decided to leave them behind as a distraction while he spirited away with the City in the Sky.”

Linkle collected her hookshot, the Master Sword, and the gilded sword. She wasn’t quite sure how to feel about these new revelations.

If killing Lord Remoth was not my destiny, then my real destiny is still yet to be fulfilled.

She stared at her reflection in the Master Sword as she contemplated that fact. “Then I guess I still have a demon to slay,” Linkle declared, as strongly as she could manage given her condition. She lowered her sword and looked to the princesses. “Where do I find him?”

Chapter 74: Link XX

Chapter Text

The stable girl had been right about the horse. Epona was fast . Much faster than Arion. On top of that, Epona seemed to be intelligent and well-trained. With very little input from Link, the horse knew how to navigate through Hyrule Field. The terrain was far from rough, especially compared to many other places Link had been throughout his journey, but the horse knew when to follow the road and when to stray from it, when to hop over small obstacles and when to avoid them, and when to steer clear of distant monsters before Link had even noticed them.

If Linkle were here, she would say this was the reincarnation of the Hero of Twilight’s horse.

Link’s hand went to the coral earring that hung from his ear, reminding himself that his encounter with the previous Hero’s spirit hadn’t just been an invention of his delirium.

If meeting him was possible, then maybe there truly is something about this horse.

Link still didn’t believe he was the actual Hero. It had to be his sister. But, if the gods were using him to carry out their will in some strange roundabout way, then maybe they wanted him to deliver Epona to his sister for some reason.

I don’t mind being the gods’ errand boy as long as I get to see my sister again.

With any luck, by the time Link got to the City of Hyrule, Linkle would have already slain the demon, and their toughest trials would be over. He doubted Linkle would ever want to return to their life in Hateno, but he had long since accepted that, even before she was confirmed to be the Hero. However, even if they continued to make a living as adventurers, surely it would be safer to do so once the demon who was organizing the monsters in the kingdom was slain.

In order to save time, Link went off the road in order to head straight north, cutting through Windvane Meadow between Hyrule Garrison and Mabe Village. There was a gentle incline that needed to be climbed as they traveled through the plains, but it presented no difficulty for Epona. However, once they were about halfway across the meadow, Epona began to freak out, neighing wildly and shaking her head.

“What is it?” Link asked with concern. There was nothing dangerous in front of them, and nothing coming from the sides. Twisting around to look behind him, Link spotted another person following them on horseback. He did not find it that unusual. In other parts of Hyrule, most people stuck to the roads when traveling through the wilds, but cutting through a section of Hyrule Field was safer than it would’ve been in other parts of the kingdom. “Hey, hey, relax. It’s probably nothing.” Link channeled his sister’s animal handling skills as he attempted to calm the horse down, gently petting Epona’s mane. However, it did not seem to work.

Looking over his shoulder again, he saw the other horse rider had gotten closer. That was odd enough, given how fast Epona seemed to be. But then, as they got even closer, Link recognized his pursuer was not human at all, nor was it even riding a horse. The person following him was all one creature, with a face and body that could only be a monster’s.

“Shit,” Link said aloud, drawing his shield and his boomerang. “Keep going, girl. Head for the road,” he told his horse. At that point, he was too far from both the garrison and the village, so changing course would not have made much of a difference.

As they rode, the thundering of hooves got louder and louder. Epona whinnied madly once more, and Link checked behind him. His eyes went wide as he saw the pursuing monster draw a bow. When the creature let go of the bowstring, three projectiles were launched from it, each of them crackling with lightning as they soared through the sky.

“Oh, f--” Link tugged on Epona’s reins, trying to steer her on a path that would avoid the incoming arrows. He managed to do so successfully. One of the arrows hit the ground to his right, the other to his left, and the other further off, all of them making the sound of a thunderstrike when they hit the ground.

Link looked behind himself once more. The monster was closer now, and it again aimed its bow. When it loosed three more arrows, Link reflexively threw his boomerang, willing it with all his mental might to do what he wanted. He wasn’t sure if doing that actually accomplished anything, but he felt like it did. The magic boomerang seemed to obey his will, slicing each of the monster’s arrows out of the air, seemingly unaffected by the electricity.

When he caught the boomerang again, Link had another idea. With any luck, he’d be able to put the bow out of commission for good. The monster was closer than ever before now, and it was preparing to pull back its bow once more. From this range, Link doubted he’d be able to avoid the attack. So, he threw his boomerang again. This time, it sliced clean through the enemy’s bowstring. The monster grunted in anger as the arrows it had nocked scattered and fell to the ground.

With the enemy’s bow effectively neutralized, Link felt a little safer. He gripped Epona’s reins tightly and patted her mane affectionately. “We’re doing great, girl. Just keep going.”

As they continued, Link could hear the sound of the monster’s hooves getting closer and closer, until eventually, it came into view to his right. There was some distance between them, but for a moment, the monster and Epona were neck and neck. Viewing the monster up close now, Link could see it had the body of a horse, but rather than a horse’s head, it had an entire humanoid upper body sticking out of its front. The creature wore little armor, so Linkle could see it was rippling with muscle. Although its upper body was humanoid, the head resembled that of a horned lion, complete with a wild mane encircling its face. Much of the creature’s body was covered in silver fur with violet stripes, except its mane, tail, and hooves were solid black. And it was massive , too. Rather than being the size of a human on horseback, it looked to be at least four and a half meters tall.

It’s a Lynel.

Link had heard tales of these creatures. Many adventurers claimed they were the strongest monsters they’d ever hunted. Just from looking at one up close, it was easy to see why.

The Lynel locked eyes with Link, staring at him as if imposing a challenge. The lion-horse monster placed the damaged bow on its back, then pulled out a long spear. Link feared it would attack immediately, but instead, it sped ahead of him. The monster’s actions confused Link, so he pulled Epona’s reins, telling his horse to stop.

Hopefully it will run past us and that will be the end of it.

The Lynel ran a few meters, then stopped and turned to face them, clearly still ready for a fight.

The young adventurer breathed heavily, terrified by the prospect of fighting such a creature without his sister’s help. “I don’t know if you can understand me, but I’m not looking to fight you,” he called out from atop his horse. “I haven’t had the easiest journey here, and I’m just trying to get back to my sister.”

“Your sister tried to kill the Sage of Time,” the Lynel spoke. His voice was deep, and his words were accented and deliberate.

“What?” was Link’s immediate response, pure confusion washing over him. He moved his head back and forth, trying to wrap his head around that statement. “I don’t know anything about that,” Link told the monster honestly. “And what’s it matter to you anyway?”

The Lynel gripped his spear tightly, cracking his knuckles. “That woman’s life does not matter to me. But we owe her a debt, so this is a matter of honor.”

I didn’t do anything,” Link insisted, not understanding why the monster’s grievance would need to be taken up with him.

“Are you and your sister not allies?” the Lynel asked.

“We are,” Link replied. “But--”

“Then we are enemies.” The lion-horse raised his spear. “Draw your weapon, warrior.”

Link’s mind raced. Staring at the hulking behemoth in front of him, he could come up with no scenario in which he would manage to beat this monster in a fair fight. If he was going to win, he was going to have to do something unexpected, and he was going to have to do it fast.

Leaning forward, he took a second to pet Epona’s mane. Link foresaw a high likelihood that the monster would attempt to kill the horse in order to weaken his position, so when the time came, he hoped Epona would know what to do.

I would hate to get her killed so soon after taking her from her home.

With that, Link raised his sword as the Lynel requested. His opponent seemed to take that as the signal to begin. The Lynel nodded, then unleashed the most powerful roar Link had heard since his encounter with the dragon back in Eldin.

When the Lynel charged, Link kept his sword raised, but only as a diversion. While his opponent was focused on his main weapon, he threw his boomerang with an underhand toss using his right hand. The magic item flew directly into the Lynel’s eye. The beast roared again, in pain this time, and swung his weapon wildly.

Epona seemed to instinctively know how to move to get out of the way, and neither the horse nor Link were hit by the monster’s spear. The horse and the monster circled around each other briefly, before Epona came around to the Lynel’s side.

Here goes nothing.

Link stood atop his saddle and leaped onto the Lynel’s back, which was not an easy feat given the creature’s size. The Lynel began bucking immediately, requiring Link to hold on tightly. He figured he would only have one shot at this, so he tried to make it fast. Spotting the quiver of electrified arrows on the monster’s back, Link jammed his sword straight through it.

The attack had the intended effect. Not only did Link manage to stab through the monster’s upper torso, but he set off the shock arrows in the quiver, sending lightning coursing through the Lynel’s body with a thunderous crackle. The bad news, however, was that Link felt the electricity travel up his sword and into his arm, electrocuting himself in the process. As if thrown back by an explosion, Link was hurled off of the monster’s back, landing with a thud in the grass below.

A little dazed from the fall, Link lifted himself onto his hands and knees. The Lynel appeared severely injured. He was bleeding profusely, and his movements were stilted. Link hoped that would be the end of it. Even though the monster wasn’t dead, it didn’t appear to be in any condition to fight. However, the Lynel reached behind his back, gripped Link’s sword by the handle, and pulled it out of him, grunting at the pain. He turned towards Link and angrily chucked it at him, forcing Link to roll out of the way. Apparently far from finished, the Lynel opened his mouth wide and inhaled. Link could see flames welling up inside the creature’s throat, reminding him once again of the dragon he’d encountered.

Oh, fuck.

The sound of a horse whinnying signaled the return of Epona. Acting quickly, Link grabbed his sword off of the ground and leaped atop his horse as she passed by him, just in time to avoid the massive fireball exhaled by the Lynel. The horse took Link in a circle around the lion-horse as the creature spit four more fireballs at them, leaving a trail of singed grass in its wake each time. However, Epona was always just fast enough to avoid the flames.

After exhaling so much fire, and still bleeding from his stab wound, the Lynel soon appeared exhausted. He slumped forward, clutching his wound, breathing heavily. Even Epona could recognize that now was the time to strike once again. With little direction from Link, his horse charged straight at the monster. Link thrust his sword between the Lynel’s eyes, piercing him through the head as he rode by. That finally did it. The creature gave one last earth-shaking roar, then fell over on his side.

Link took Epona back over to the monster’s body and hopped down to the ground. For a moment, he couldn’t believe what he’d managed to do. Even with the Moblins and Bigblins he’d fought, this Lynel was probably the largest and most dangerous creature he’d ever slain, and Linkle wasn’t even there this time. Looking down at his hands, Link examined them, idly wondering if the mark of the Triforce would appear. It did not, however, and he soon shook his head.

It’s not me. It’s gotta be Linkle.

Kneeling down in the grass, Link pried his sword from the monster’s skull and retrieved his boomerang from the monster’s eye, wiping the blood off of both items. Link didn’t know which parts of a Lynel would be valuable to sell, but he saw the creature had two differently-shaped horns, each of which seemed like a deadly weapon in its own right. He thought he might be able to fashion a better weapon than his current sword from one of them, or possibly sell them. So, he cut the Lynel’s horns off and stored them in one of his carrying bags.

At the very least, these’ll make a great souvenir for Linkle.

He also examined the creature’s weapons. The spear was much too large for him to wield properly, but he could definitely sell it for a decent price. The bow was closer to the size of a Hylian-made longbow, but it looked like it could be usable once he got the string repaired. So, he collected both of the Lynel’s weapons as well.

With that, Link decided he’d wasted enough time. He climbed back onto his horse and continued on his way.

I’m coming, sister.


The rest of Link’s ride to Hyrule City was relatively uneventful. Epona got him there in very good time, and he rode up to the city’s southern gate, ready to resume the search for his sister.

When he arrived, Link found the gate was under much heavier guard than he’d expected. He’d entered through the eastern gate the last time he was there, and that had been close to the Blood Moon. But even then, the security hadn’t been nearly as heavy as it was currently. A fence had been set up in a semi-circular area around the gate. Link was stopped by a guard at the fence, and several other guards came over to assess him.

“That’s quite a weapon you’ve got there,” the guard commented, noticing the gigantic spear Link had strapped to Epona’s side.

“I got it off a Lynel,” Link explained. “Can I go inside?”

“A Lynel?” one of the other guards asked. “You killed one?”

“Yes,” Link confirmed. “Can I go in, please?”

“You’re in a hurry, huh?” The first guard remarked. “What’s your business in the city?”

“We’re in a bit of a lockdown, you see,” another one explained. “Can’t get in or out without a good reason.”

“I’m trying to find my sister. She’s the Hero.” Link had considered leaving out that piece of information, but he hoped being a relative of someone important would help speed things along.

All of the guards look surprised.

“Truly?”

“I’ve seen her. He does look like her.”

“He can slay a Lynel. Must run in the family.”

“What’s your name, brother of the Hero?” the first guard asked.

“Link of Hateno.” He reached into his bag and retrieved his travel papers, presenting them to the guards. “My sister is here, then?” One of the guards had mentioned seeing her, so he hoped that meant she was still there and still alive.

“The Hero is still in the castle,” one of the guards answered. “She recently slew the traitorous Toren Remoth when he attempted a coup in which Prince Percival was murdered. That’s why we’re still in lockdown.”

Link breathed a sigh of relief.

Well. Sounds like she’s been keeping busy.

“Fetch the commander,” one guard ordered another. “See if we can let the Hero’s brother inside.”

This unexpected delay was making Link impatient, but he resigned himself to waiting for the guards to sort things out. He’d been tracking his sister for days; he could wait another few minutes.

Eventually, more guards returned, led by the knight who served as their commanding officer. Link once again had to introduce himself and present his papers, and luckily, the commander seemed to believe his story.

“Alright, tell you what. Stamp him through.” The commander handed Link’s papers to one of his subordinates, who stamped them a few times with a seal before handing them back to Link. “You four, escort this young man to the castle gates, and have someone there convey his message to the Hero. If she vouches for him, they can let him in.”

“Yes, sir,” several of the guards agreed, saluting.

“Thank you, sir,” Link said politely, glad that things were finally moving along.

“Right, then. Open the gates!” By the commander’s orders, the gates to the city were opened, and Link was escorted inside.

The city did not look the same as Link had remembered it. Even though it had been quite some time since the Blood Moon, several buildings he passed by were covered by scaffolding, still undergoing serious repairs. Other buildings simply lay in ruins, with no effort put into repairing them as of yet. The streets were still crowded, but only to the level Link was used to seeing in his home city, rather than the excessively bustling crowds he’d seen the last time he visited. There were more town guards on duty than there’d been before as well.

The only time people seemed to take notice of Link was when he entered through the gates with his escort. Since the city was in lockdown, passersby were probably curious as to why someone was being let in. A few others along the way seemed to notice the Lynel weapons he had on him. Link wondered if they thought he was an adventurer returning from a quest, and the weapons were his trophies or the proof that he’d completed his job. But beyond a passing curiosity, no one took great interest in him or his escort.

When he arrived at the bridge that led over the moat to the castle, Link was asked to dismount before he was questioned by the guards. Just like the soldiers who were guarding the city gate, the ones guarding the entrance to the castle grounds were following the same sort of lockdown procedure, and he ordinarily would not have been let in. However, the guards escorting him were able to vouch for him, and a messenger was sent to convey the news of Link’s arrival to his sister.

At this point, Link was getting tired of waiting.

This must be how Linkle feels all the time.

Nonetheless, he remained at the far end of the bridge, waiting with anticipation for his sister to appear beyond the gate. And eventually, she did.

Link perked up when he spotted something moving fast down a pathway in the distance, kicking up a dust cloud along the way. Linkle was coming down to the gate herself, her Pegasus Boots allowing her to move too fast for any escort to keep up with her.

“Look!”

“Whoa, it’s the Hero.”

“She’s as fast as the stories say.”

Many of the others within earshot took notice of her as well. Some murmured to their companions, while others cheered at the sight of her.

When Linkle arrived at the gate, she did not even wait for it to open. She used her hookshot to pull herself up on top of it. Once atop the wall, she peered down over the edge, searching for her brother.

Elle !” Link stepped onto the bridge, standing some distance away from the guards in hopes of making himself more conspicuous as he waved his hands to get her attention.

She soon spotted him. “ Brother !” she cried out. Linkle hopped over the parapet, rolling when she landed, only to start sprinting across the bridge as soon as she righted herself. Link ran forward to meet her, but he only made it a few steps before she collided with him, throwing herself into a hug and knocking Link onto his back. “Brother!” she shouted again, before rapidly peppering his face with kisses.

“Elle. Elle! Elle!” Link laughed from his position on the ground. He felt the most tremendous sense of relief washing over him. His sister was alive, and he was finally back with her.

After a moment, Linkle sat back on her knees, smiling broadly and sniffling with tears of joy. “I knew you’d find me.”

“All thanks to your note,” Link commended, climbing to his feet and helping Linkle onto hers. He noticed a number of large scratch marks across her face and neck. They appeared to be healing, but they were still plainly visible. “What happened to your face?” he asked, gently brushing his fingertips across one of the scratch marks on her cheek. “And your hand?” With surprise, Link took his sister’s right hand in his and held it up, examining the burn scars he’d just noticed.

Linkle chuckled, pulling her hand away and rubbing her cheek. “Yeah, well, you should see the other guy.” Glancing behind her brother, she noticed the unattended horse with the Lynel spear hanging off of it. “Is that yours?” she asked, pointing towards Epona.

“Hm? Oh, yeah. I got the horse in Gatepost. The spear I got off a Lynel. Got its horns, too. And its bow. I gotta fix the bowstring, though. And I’m thinking I might make a weapon out of one of the horns.”

Whoa !” Linkle looked amazed. “You slew a Lynel ? That’s impressive, brother!”

The compliment meant even more coming from a monster hunting enthusiast like his sister. Link smiled in appreciation. “Thanks. I hear you’ve been busy as well.”

Linkle gasped, as if just remembering a whole bunch of things. “Oh, you missed a lot , brother. Come on,” she said, reaching out to take her brother’s hand. “I’ll introduce you to the princesses!”

“Good idea,” Link replied, letting her lead the way. “I have a lot I need to tell them, too.”

As they passed by the gate, Linkle spoke to one of the guards. “Hey, could you bring my brother’s horse to the stables, please?” she asked, gesturing over her shoulder.

“Yes, of course, Hero.”

Link was happy to see his sister was right at home on the grounds of Hyrule Castle. He’d heard for years about how it was her dream to be there someday. Now she got to live that dream, along with being the Hero.

It’s gotta be her.

That thought reminded Link of something. A few minutes after they’d passed the gate, Link stopped on the pathway his sister had been leading him along. “Hey, hold up a second.” There wasn’t anyone else around that he could see, other than some guards atop the walls far off in the distance, so they had some privacy now.

“Hm? What?” Linkle asked.

“I got something for you.” Link removed the coral earring from his ear and held it out for her. “Here.”

“Whoa, it’s beautiful!” she said excitedly, taking it into her hand and holding it up in front of her face. “It’s shaped like a fish hook. Kinda like the Hero of Twilight’s.”

“It is the Hero of Twilight’s,” Link confirmed.

Linkle looked amazed. “Is it another key?”

“No. I don’t think so, anyway.”

His sister brushed her braid out of the way and slipped the earring into her right earlobe, then turned her head to show it off. “How’s it look?”

“It suits you.”

“Course it does.” Linkle smiled and let her braid fall back into place. “Where’d you get it, anyhow?”

“...From the Hero of Twilight.”

A range of emotions crossed Linkle’s face. Surprise, confusion, awe -- and then suddenly, panic. “Wait, you didn’t travel through time, did you?”

“...The hell? No. I don’t think so, anyway. I think he was a spirit.” Link furrowed his brow. “Wait, the Lynel said you tried to kill the Sage of Time. Did you travel through time?”

“The Lynel told you that?” Linkle looked just as confused as he was. “But, no. I went back to the Temple of Time to tell Sage Lucrezia that the ocarinas had been switched. Turns out she let the monsters switch them, because she’s working with them. She tried to abduct me because another Hero in the past broke the timeline or something.”

It took Link a few moments to process all of that. “...You really have been busy while we’ve been split up.”

Linkle laughed. “You have no idea.”


Link was nervous when he and his sister were escorted into the audience chamber. He’d gotten a little bit of experience being in the homes of nobility back when he’d visited Governor Kochi’s palace, but Hyrule Castle felt very different. Everything about it was older and grander. He’d also met one princess before, but she was a child. Now he was going to meet the two elder princesses, one of which would likely be made queen very soon. He idly wondered if he was underdressed for the occasion, but his sister did not seem to be dressed any differently than she normally was.

The audience chamber wasn’t a large one. It appeared as though it was meant for council meetings or some such, but the main tables and chairs had been moved to the perimeter of the room. Two thrones had been placed at the far end of the room, across from the entrance. The princesses sat upon the thrones, eyes set upon the siblings as they entered. The older one looked uncannily similar to Governor Kochi, although she was probably a couple decades younger. The other princess was more similar in appearance to Princess Seraphina, but she looked to be about Link’s age. Both were dressed in finely-made dresses, regal circlets, and expensive jewelry.

In addition to the princesses, several royal guards were stationed in the room, both those in ceremonial attire and full armor. The one standing beside Princess Sophitia wore no armor, and she had distinctly rounded ears. The one beside Princess Victorique was a Sheikah, which made Link nervous.

Once they stood before the princesses, Linkle got down on one knee and bowed her head, so Link mimicked her actions.

“Your highnesses, I present to you my brother, Link,” his sister announced in a respectful manner, still keeping her head down.

“Rise,” Princess Victorique told them, and so they stood.

“It is an honor to meet you, brother of the Hero,” Princess Sophitia said to Link. “I am Princess Zelda Sophitia Hyrule.”

“And I am Princess Zelda Victorique Hyrule.”

Link noticed neither of them indicated which one was intended to be queen, although he had to assume it was the elder one.

“I am told you have news for us from Hateno?” Sophitia asked.

“Yes, your highness.” Link wasn’t sure how far back to begin. He figured Linkle had probably told them everything she knew, and there was no need to mention his encounter with the Hero of Twilight, so he decided to start with his arrival back in Hateno. “After my sister and I were separated at sea, I was rescued by another passing ship that brought me back to Hateno. There, I paid a visit to the palace and met with Governor Kochi. Princess Seraphina happened to be there as well.”

“What?” While the elder princess’s face betrayed only a hint of surprise, Princess Sophitia displayed her feelings openly. “Our younger sister is in Hateno?”

“Not currently,” Link corrected. “Me, Princess Seraphina, and Governor Kochi traveled to Gatepost together. I left ahead of them, but they intend to come here next.”

Princess Seraphina leaned back into her throne, hand over her heart as she sighed in relief. Link recognized that level of alleviation.

She thought her sister was dead.

He was glad to have been able to deliver good news.

“When will my aunt and sister be arriving?” Princess Victorique inquired.

“I do not know exactly. They had some business near Gatepost first,” Link informed them.

“What business is that?” Victorique continued to question.

Link thought back to what he knew of the situation. Truth be told, he was quite distracted by his need to reunite with his sister, but he had an understanding of the governor’s goals. “Your aunt wished to meet with the queen of the Gerudo,” he explained. “She had the man who murdered the Gerudo princess in custody. She intended to make peace with the Gerudo by handing the murderer over to their queen.”

This certainly caught the elder princess’s interest. “That is exceptional news. Do you perchance know the identity of the culprit?”

Link shook his head. “I don’t know his name, but I know he’s a Sheikah.” As he spoke, he could not help but glance in the direction of the Sheikah bodyguard standing beside Princess Victorique. The white-haired woman shared a look with her charge, but Link did not know what they were thinking.

“Your highness.”

Link was startled by the sound of a woman’s voice suddenly coming from behind him. When he spun around, he found himself staring at a familiar face -- or rather, a familiar mask. It was Impa Shiho, the Sheikah woman who had once interrogated him back when he’d been held captive in Old Kakariko. She was still wearing that same white mask with the large red and yellow eye emblazoned upon it. Reflexively, Link put his right arm in front of his sister and pushed her with him as he moved backwards, drawing his sword with his left hand. Four other Sheikah appeared from nowhere, stepping in front of Shiho with their Sheikah-style swords drawn. Much confusion resulted from their actions, with many throughout the room gasping, muttering, or drawing their own weapons.

“No, Link!” his sister cried, grabbing his arm. “It’s okay. We thought she was a traitor, too, but she helped us.”

“What?” Link was confused, but he did not lower his sword.

“Guards,” Princess Victorique spoke up. “Separate them. And block the exit. We must sort this out.”

“Yes, Princess.” Several guards moved in from the sides of the room, forming a line in between Link and the Sheikah newcomers.

“Your highness,” Shiho spoke, her voice muffled by her mask. “Why does this peasant raise his blade at me?”

“You tell us,” the Sheikah woman beside Victorique answered for her, stepping in front of the princess.

“Link,” the younger princess joined in. “Please, explain your actions. Why does the sight of this woman frighten you.”

“I--” Link felt all eyes on him. He must have been the only one who knew, as the news could not have made its way to the capital yet. “She’s the traitor! She and her mother. The Sheikah assassin murdered the Gerudo princess by their command.”

“Lies,” the masked woman replied coldly.

Princess Victorique raised a hand, as if to silence her. “How do you know this, young hero?”

“The assassin told us himself,” Link explained.

“And you believe the word of a child killer?” Shiho asked. She turned to the other Sheikah woman. “I have proven my loyalty countless times, sister. Are you truly going to entertain these wild fantasies again?”

Sister?

The other Impa held out her curved spear. “Perhaps,” she said. “Young hero, have you any evidence that the killer did not speak falsely?”

It only took Link a moment to remember the other important detail Sheik had shared with him. “Yes. Her mask. The assassin said it reads minds. Take it from her. Then you’ll know.”

“Ridiculous.” Shiho stepped forward.

Linkle raised her shield and stood in front of her brother, even though there was already a line of royal guards defending them.

“I will not suffer these outlandish tales,” Shiho went on. “No such mask exists in this world.”

The masked woman’s sister shouldered her spear, then calmly walked past Link and Linkle. The royal guards parted momentarily to allow her to pass by them, but the Sheikah ninjas guarding Shiho would not budge. Nevertheless, the Sheikah woman held out her hand. “Give me the mask, Onee-sama .”

There was silence for a moment. No one could see the masked woman’s face, but it was clear she was hesitating. “Sister, this is--”

“If the boy speaks falsely, then there would be no harm in doing as I say, correct?” the other Impa pressed on. “You can finally clear our family’s name. Just do as I ask.”

The unblinking eye of the mask stared at the hand in front of her, but Shiho said nothing. Suddenly, there was a puff of smoke. Shiho and her four companions vanished. But, just as soon as they had gone, they reappeared. A magical barrier became visible as the fleeing Sheikah seemingly collided with it, preventing their escape.

The two princesses sat upon their thrones with their hands raised, projecting the barrier with their magic. “Guards,” Princess Victorique spoke. “Place Impa Shiho and her conspirators under arrest.”

The four ninjas formed a circle around Shiho, holding out their blades, clearly not ready to surrender. As the guards moved in to surround them, the other Impa sister again approached with her hand held out.

“The mask,” she repeated.

After a moment of hesitation, Shiho removed her mask, revealing a face extremely similar to her sister’s, but with different tattoos. However, she did not hand over the mask. “I am sorry, sister,” she said, speaking solemnly. “I tried to keep you out of it. Mother wanted me to order you to kill Princess Victorique, but I swore I would do it myself. I did not want your soul to be condemned along with ours.”

Onee-sama , what are you talking about?” her sister asked angrily.

“I am sorry,” Shiho repeated. Standing tall, she put the mask back on. It suddenly clamped onto her face, making a disgusting, bone-cracking sound. Her body stiffened, as if crying out in silent agony.

Onee-sama !”

A violet portal opened beneath Shiho’s feet, and she sank down into it, disappearing from sight. The ninjas surrounding her leaped away from the portal, then began attacking the knights who’d attempted to arrest them. Link grabbed Linkle by the shoulder and pulled her back along with him, wanting to get away from the fighting. The Impa bodyguard stepped forward to examine the portal in the floor, but the swirling violet vortex suddenly expanded in size.

Then, something massive emerged from the portal. Link’s first impression was that it was the decaying corpse of a giant, as it had features similar to that of a ReDead. However, it had no real head. Flaps of skin folded open to reveal a giant red eye emerging from where its neck should have been -- an eye that resembled the one on Shiho’s mask.

The Headless Demon!

This must have been the horrific creature that had attacked the city during the Blood Moon and killed the previous Goddess of Light, just as Princess Seraphina had described. Emerging from the portal, the demon’s body demolished the wall and ceiling surrounding her, raining rubble onto the crowd below. Much of the debris was blocked by another barrier projected by the princesses, but Link could see cracks developing.

The demon groaned, despite having no visible mouth. She remained with only the upper half of her body sticking out through the portal, and she lifted her arms. The demon’s hands were severed at the wrists, yet they floated in front of her arm stubs and moved as though they were attached nonetheless. Bringing her severed hands downwards, the demon slammed her palms down onto the floor, shattering it as easily as she had shattered the wall and ceiling.

The occupants of the room plummeted to the floor below. The princesses, unable to keep up their concentration, were forced to let their barrier dissipate. Several of the guards, as well as Shiho’s own allies, were crushed by the falling debris.

“Elle!” Link called in between coughs, unable to see through the dust cloud that filled the room he’d fallen into.

“Brother!” Linkle called back.

Suddenly, Link could see a bright light shining through the dust cloud. He moved toward it until the form of his sister became clear. She was holding the Master Sword out in front of herself as if it were a torch, and it grew brighter the closer she got to him.

The demon groaned once more from up above. As the smoke began to clear, the massive creature lowered itself down from the ceiling, hanging upside-down from the portal. The room filled with the sounds of panic. Some fled, others rallied in the direction of the princesses. Link could see the Zelda sisters behind him. Both were covered in dust and looked a little dazed. Some of their guards clustered closely around them, but Link didn’t know how much any of them could do to protect the princesses in this situation.

As she approached, the demon spread her arms, then moved to close them in a clapping motion. The princesses managed to raise another barrier in time to prevent them from being crushed, but the barrier shattered upon impact. However, the demon groaned in pain, and her severed hands wobbled in the air, pulling back briefly.

“She can be hurt,” Link pointed out. “Elle, you take that hand. I’ll take this one.”

“Right.” Linkle nodded in the affirmative. She was clearly desperate to defend the princesses, but Link was more worried about himself and his sister.

I came so far to get back to her. We didn’t go through all of this just to die here.

Link drew his boomerang and tossed it at the demon’s right hand. The boomerang glimmered as it spun through the air, and it sliced a clean cut through the demon’s hand, spilling dark-colored blood before returning to him.

Over at the demon’s left hand, Linkle sprinted across the debris-covered carpet and leaped forward, plunging the Master Sword into Shiho’s sickly violet flesh. While both siblings’ attacks seemed to harm the demon, she merely groaned slightly. Shiho responded to Linkle’s attack with a half-hearted slap. Linkle raised her shield, and a small barrier erected by Princess Sophitia appeared in front of her as well, but it was not enough to stop Linkle from being flung across the battlefield.

“Elle!” Link reacted quickly, rushing to his sister’s side. She was not dead, but her eyes were closed.

With Princess Sophitia momentarily distracted, the demon’s right hand came down upon her. However, before it struck, her sister pelted the hand with a volley of fireballs, which threw it off course enough to slam into the ground beside them. It was a small victory, but it was short-lived, as the demon’s left hand soon came back. It slammed into the ground right on top of Princess Victorique, crushing her and her guards in an instant.

Sister !” the younger princess shrieked.

“Elle, you have to get up!” Link urged, knowing the battle was quickly going south. Her eyes flickered open, which gave him a new burst of hope. “Come on, get up,” he repeated. When he placed his hand on hers, both of their hands gripped the Master Sword at the same time, and it erupted with such a bright light that even the demon shrank back to shield her great red eye.

Link and his sister met each other’s gaze. He couldn’t know for sure, but the sword’s reaction seemed to suggest something, and it seemed as though Linkle sensed it, too.

“Together, right?” Linkle said.

“Together.” Link pulled his sister to her feet. To make it easier to run, he let go of the Master Sword, letting Linkle keep control of it. Link knew Linkle would be faster than him with her Pegasus Boots on, so he ran straight towards the demon’s eye, setting the pace while his sister ran at his side.

The demon seemed to recover from her temporary blindness. The strange, flower-like structure shielding her eye receded, and the red searchlight of her gaze fell upon the approaching heroes. Link knew she would attempt to swipe at them with her remaining good hand, so he turned and threw his boomerang at it, hoping that would be enough. The boomerang hit the demon’s hand, but he could see it did very little. Luckily, another barrier appeared, this one surrounding the monstrous hand to keep it in place. Link could see Princess Sophitia in the distance, summoning the barrier with a look of vengeful determination on her face.

This is our one chance.

When they reached the demon, Linkle lifted the Master Sword into the air with her left hand, and Link curled his right hand around the handle as well. Together, they plunged the sacred weapon into the demon’s eye. In an instant, the creature groaned in agony, and another brilliant light burst forth from the wound. The demon thrashed about, and the siblings were thrown back. They hit the ground with a thud.

Link tried to recover quickly, expecting the fight to continue, but it did not. The demon shrank back, rising upwards towards its portal. Inky black smoke poured down from her, as if her entire body was leaking a dark magical essence. The portal above them closed, and when the demon finished dissipating, the lifeless, mangled body of Impa Shiho fell to the ground.

Cautiously climbing to his feet, Link approached the Sheikah woman’s body. It was twisted in a grotesque manner, and blood was pooling around her head. Her mask still covered her face, but there was a visible hole through it.

Is she still alive? Is the mask still dangerous?

Link quickly reached for the mask, but as soon as he tried to remove it, the mask broke in two. Upon removing half of the mask, he uncovered enough of Shiho’s face to see the stab wound had not only affected the mask. It was as if the Master Sword had been plunged through her head rather than the demon’s eye.

At the other end of the hall, Link could see his sister had returned to Princess Sophitia’s side. The young royal knelt over the body of her elder sister, audibly weeping. Linkle and the princess’s round-eared bodyguard each stood with a hand on her shoulder in comfort. The severity of what had happened suddenly hit him.

She’s just lost a sister.

Link looked down at the broken half of Shiho’s mask that he held in his hand, realizing another pair of sisters had just been killed as well -- one at the hand of the other.

Just what the hell is this evil thing?

Chapter 75: Seraphina VI

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

“Hmm, hmm-hmm, hmm, hmm-hmm…” Seraphina rocked back and forth upon her seat in the back of the carriage, humming pleasantly to herself. “Are we almost there?”

Jeanne grimaced. “Almost, little angel.”

“Good!” The young princess was extremely excited. Being reunited with Jeanne and her aunt had been the greatest relief of her life. Returning home to her siblings would be even better. “I wonder if Vicky is queen now.” It still hurt to know she would not be returning home to her father or Sage Aurun, but she preferred to look on the bright side.

Her red-haired caretaker sat across from her, twisting her clasped hands nervously. “Little princess, I would like to speak with you for a minute. About something… difficult.”

Seraphina’s bright smile faltered, but she kept it up as best she could. “O-Okay, Jeanne.”

Her bodyguard gave her a look that was grateful yet apologetic. “Little angel,” Jeanne said gently. “There have been reports lately of… violence … in the capital,” she explained. “I do not wish to worry you, but I also do not wish to see you get your hopes up only to have them shattered.”

The princess could not keep her smile up any longer. She had a twisted feeling in her gut. “What… What do you mean, Jeanne?” she asked, hoping her knight did not mean what she thought she meant.

The excruciating hesitation demonstrated how serious Jeanne was. “Nothing has been confirmed, of course, but… Not everything may be as we last saw it. Your father has gone to join your mother, and… well, it is possible that some of your brothers and sisters may have gone to join her as well.”

Don’t say that !” Seraphina had not meant to shout, but within seconds, she’d nearly been brought to tears by Jeanne’s words.

“I-I know. I apologize, little angel.” Jeanne leaned forward and reached out with her hand, placing it upon her charge’s shoulder comfortingly. “I do not wish to think that way either. I would never wish to upset you.”

“I know.” The princess sniffled. Jeanne slid over to sit beside her, and Seraphina laid her head on her caretaker’s lap. She knew it wasn’t Jeanne’s fault. She’d just been trying to avoid thinking about it. Throughout her journey, Seraphina had been telling herself all she needed to do was get to her aunt, and then get back home. Then she could be with her family again. The idea of her family no longer being there when she got back wasn’t something she would even consider.

Seraphina sighed as Jeanne gently stroked her hair. If nothing else, she found comfort in the fact that Jeanne was still there for her. Even if she had no one else, she would always have Jeanne.

And I have Aunt Celessa, too.

The two of them had been her saviors, along with Sheik, but it was difficult to think about Sheik. He was being held prisoner by the Gerudo now, and while the Gerudo queen said she wouldn’t hurt him, Seraphina wasn’t sure how long that would last.

Something else was on her mind, too. The rabbit god Blumen was being pulled along in one of the wagons somewhere else in the convoy. Blumen had entrusted her with the mission to bring him to the Light Temple. That task would soon be complete, and then she would officially be made his sage.

Everything that’s happened has been part of the gods’ plan.

She’d been telling herself that quite frequently. She prayed she wouldn’t have to say it much longer.


Just as they had done in Gatepost, Seraphina and Jeanne allowed Celessa to do all of the talking when they arrived back at the capital. Jeanne insisted Sophitia stay inside the carriage until they’d made it safely to the castle, which she was okay with. She was less worried about the potential danger of being spotted by their enemies, however. Not knowing what awaited her back home, she felt like she was holding her breath throughout the whole trip between the city gate and the castle.

When the carriage came to another stop, there was a short pause before a knock came on the door. “Dame Jeanne,” came a voice from outside.

Seraphina stayed in her seat as Jeanne moved to open the door. “Yes?”

“We’ve arrived. Governor Kochi has sent for her niece.”

Jeanne nodded to the soldier outside. “Understood. Thank you.” She then turned to her charge, holding out her hand. “Come along, Princess.”

Seraphina could hear her heart beating in her ears. She reached out and took her caretaker’s hand, hoping Jeanne would lead her to her siblings.

Outside the carriage, the princess was greeted by several members of the Royal Guard, who bowed in her presence. Many of Celessa’s knights were present as well, and they saw fit to bow as well. “Rise,” Jeanne told them. “Take us to the governor.”

“She’s already inside, dame,” one of the royal guards informed her. “Come this way.”

Since Celessa had been at the front of the convoy, she had arrived at the keep already, while their carriage had stopped closer to the back of the convoy. Seraphina looked around and saw they were already deep within the castle grounds, high atop the island. Despite her trepidation, she smiled, feeling a sense of warmth from this homecoming.

The two parties of knights took up a formation around the princess and led her up the pathway, weaving through the wagons of supplies and other passengers that had been brought with them, eventually arriving at the entrance to the main keep.

Inside the entry hall, Seraphina immediately caught sight of Sophitia. Her sister was speaking with her aunt. Sophitia’s retainer, Liliana, was also there, as was Grand Protector Brigo. Additionally, Link and his sister, Linkle, were present. Seraphina was happy to see all of them, but more than anything, the sight of her sister made her light up with joy.

Sophie !” she cried loudly from across the great hall. Ripping her hand out of Jeanne’s grip and pushing her way past the other guards, she sprinted across the red carpet as fast as her little legs would carry her.

Sophitia took a few steps away from the others and knelt down, allowing her sister to leap into her arms. “Sera,” the elder princess said gently. “Thank the gods you’ve returned. I’ve been so worried about you.”

The younger princess couldn’t help but giggle as she cried tears of joy into her sister’s dress. “It’s been so long! I’m happy to see you, too.” She wanted to keep hugging her sister forever, but there were others she wanted to say hi to, so she let go of Sophitia and stood up. “Link! You found your sister, too!” she said cheerfully, directing her attention to the sibling adventurers.

“Yep.” Link nodded, sharing a glance with his sister. “Glad you caught up with us.”

“Hello again, Princess!” Linkle said, placing the Master Sword tip-down on the floor and giving her a respectful bow.

“Hello, Hero!” Seraphina had not seen Link’s sister since they’d met before the Blood Moon. She approached the siblings and hugged them both at the same time.

With Seraphina busy talking to the heroic siblings, Sophitia resumed her conversation with Aunt Celessa. “What are we to expect from the Gerudo?” the elder princess asked.

“We instructed them to leave one day after we did,” Celessa explained. “This way, we’d have time to explain the situation to you and make plans for their arrival.”

“And Queen Urballa bears no ill will towards the Crown at this time?” Grand Protector Brigo inquired.

“She still desires Gerudo independence, but she no longer believes her daughter’s death to be the fault of anyone but the Impa Family, who she recognizes as having acted on their own,” Celessa answered. “Her ward has joined forces with the enemy, and she wishes to have him returned to her safely. I have requested an alliance between our peoples in order to resolve the situation, and I have promised to support their request for independence in exchange.” She turned back to the princess as she continued. “Since you are to be our queen, Sophitia, it will fall to you to negotiate these terms with her when she arrives.”

Her words got Seraphina’s attention. “Sophie is to be queen?” she asked, confused. “Not Vicky?” Everyone fell silent after she asked her question, and that dreadful feeling she’d experienced earlier returned. “Sophie, where is Vicky?”

Her sister hesitated. “Everyone, would you please excuse us?” Sophitia forced an apologetic smile, then took Seraphina by the hand and led her away. She didn’t need to say anything more. Seraphina knew what that meant.

Vicky is…

She remained in a daze as her sister led her silently through the halls, pulling her aside into the closest guest room. There, Sophitia knelt down in front of Seraphina, placing her hands gently on the younger princess’s shoulders.

“Sera…” Sophitia already had tears in her eyes herself as she spoke. “Victorique, Lancel, and Percival… they are no longer with us.”

It was even worse than Seraphina had thought. It wasn’t only her eldest sister who had died while she was away, but her brothers, too. She couldn’t even say anything in reaction to this news. She simply burst into tears, burying her face in her sister’s chest.

“I know. I know. I’m so… I’m so sorry…” Sophitia hugged her tightly, her own tears falling mutely as her sister bawled her eyes out. “We’ll get through this, little sister. I promise you.”


After Seraphina received the news from her sister, Jeanne came and carried the young princess to her own bedroom. By then, she had mostly finished crying, although the tears still slowly fell as her caretaker quietly comforted her. Jeanne laid her down on her bed and allowed her to sleep until the next day.

The young princess was then awoken by Jeanne, who carried a tray of food for her. Seraphina did not feel like doing anything, but she was hungry, so she quietly sat up and ate breakfast with her bodyguard.

“How are you feeling, Princess?” Jeanne asked gently. “Do you feel sick?”

Seraphina shook her head and continued eating.

“That is good.” The red-haired knight looked nervous. “Blumen has not yet been brought to the Light Temple,” she said. “Would you like to escort him there today?”

Seraphina could not answer. She used to love going to the temple. She and Victorique had been the only two among her siblings to attend services regularly. Sage Aurun had been a great mentor to her ever since her healing powers had begun to develop. And when she prayed there, Laemora would often respond to her. Now, all of them were gone.

“I understand if it is too difficult for you,” Jeanne said gently. “We can rest today if you like.”

“No, I–” The princess nearly knocked over the tray of food as she sat up more. “I… Blumen’s my friend. I want to help him. Nayru wants me to help him. I’m going to be his sage.”

Her caretaker smiled at her. “Aurun always knew you were virtuous enough to be his successor,” she told him. “I’m sure he’s looking down on you proudly right now.”

Seraphina looked up at the ceiling, trying to picture her loved ones looking down on her. Blumen had said that even he did not know where they’d gone after they died, but it was comforting to think they were somewhere more peaceful.

Jeanne helped Sera out of bed and helped dress her in her finest temple-going robes; the kind fit for a sage. Afterwards, the princess was led back to the main keep. They did not take the most direct route, as several areas of the keep lay in ruin as a result of the various conflicts that had occurred while the youngest princess was away.

Eventually, Seraphina and Jeanne stepped outside and into the courtyard. They found Blumen sitting in a large centerpiece fountain. The fountain was made up of three statues joined together, depicting Din, Farore, and Nayru. It was a place where knights, servants, and visitors often came in order to pray while they were on the castle grounds. Some had made a habit of tossing green rupees into the fountain waters as a small offering to the goddesses.

“Hi, Blumen,” Seraphina greeted the rabbit god, calling out to him as she and Jeanne made their way down the path.

Blumen turned to face them. “Ah, my sage.” The rabbit sat on his hind legs for a moment, then bent forward in a bow of sorts. “My deepest condolences for these most dreadful of days, my young lady.”

Seraphina gripped Jeanne’s hand harder. “Thank you,” she said politely.

The rabbit god nodded and shifted positions again, getting onto all fours in the water. He then stuck his head beneath the surface. When he came back up, he splashed water all around him, and the princess could see the tip of a rupee sticking out of his mouth. After a moment, he tilted his head back and munched on the rupee, chewing it loudly before swallowing it.

Seraphina was stunned. “My lord?” she questioned. “What are you doing?”

“Hm? Why, I’m reading your people’s prayers, of course,” he replied, as though it should have been obvious. “The young man who made this offering wished to be with the one he loved. I’ll have to see if I am able to make that love bloom somehow.” The light god crawled further into the fountain, stuck his head back under the water, then surfaced again to eat another rupee. “Ah. A young maiden desires her husband to return alive from the war. I must be sure to keep an eye on him in the next battle, yes?”

The young princess was still plenty confused. “Did Laemora do such things as well?”

“Well of course! This is a god’s duty . We cannot all be as lazy as Cyclos, or as mad as Chronodormi.” Blumen chuckled to himself.

“I don’t remember Laemora ever eating rupees out of a fountain,” Seraphina pointed out.

“Why? How did she receive their offerings?”

Seraphina shrugged. Blumen tilted his head uncertainly as well, then went back to chomping down rupees.

“My lord, Seraphina would be honored to escort you to the Light Temple,” Jeanne said, speaking up once their conversation had ended.

“Oh, yes!” The princess was suddenly reminded of why they’d gone there in the first place.

“Ah, splendid. I have been most eager to take up my predecessor’s mantle.” The golden rabbit hopped his way over to the edge of the fountain and climbed over the edge, shaking his luminous fur free of water. “Come, my sage. Let us fulfill our destinies together.”


Once they had collected Blumen from the garden, Jeanne called for Seraphina’s guard detail, along with a group of light priests who would accompany them to the cathedral. Messengers were also sent to Seraphina’s sister and aunt, as well as the Hero and her brother. All of them assembled in the entrance hall.

Before they set out, Seraphina stood before all those who would be joining her for the ceremony. Although Jeanne and Blumen stood by her side, she felt the need to take a few steps forward and address everyone on her own. Looking at her sister and her aunt was difficult, as she was immediately reminded of all the family she had lost, but she choked back her tears and spoke.

“Thank you everyone for coming with me today. The goddesses must truly love me if they have given me all of you to have as my friends and family. I hope Blumen’s ascension will be the first step towards putting an end to all the fighting.”

When she finished speaking, those in the gathered crowd fell to one knee, one by one, bowing their heads low. Even her sister, who was to be queen. Seraphina teared up at the sight, but quickly turned red and giggled lightly in embarrassment. “Thank you again, everyone.”

Sophitia was the first to return to her feet. “It is our honor, little sister. Let us proceed, everyone.”

What followed was a holy procession, going down the road through the castle grounds and out into the city. The citizenry had been informed a brief period of time earlier, so the guards had known to clear a path for them as they marched. Despite the bizarre sight of the giant golden rabbit, many of the citizens rejoiced. They seemed happy simply to see the youngest princess had returned safely, which must have been welcome news after the many recent deaths among the Royal Family.

“You should tell them what Blumen is, little angel,” Jeanne quietly said to Seraphina. “It will bring them comfort to know the gods still watch over them.

Seraphina nodded. As she looked out into the crowds of citizens they passed by, she began to feel nervous. She had often made the trek between the castle and the temple in public, but she had usually done so with Victorique, who had been much more well-versed in addressing a crowd.

The younger princess cleared her throat, setting her eyes on the golden rabbit being carried atop a wagon in front of her. “Behold, people of Hyrule!” she said, speaking loudly. “Blumen, the new God of Light, has arrived to watch over us!”

At first, the crowds reacted with murmurs of confusion, and even doubt.

“That thing?”

“What, the rabbit?”

“That’s supposed to be a god?”

However, Blumen responded to Seraphina’s heraldry by sitting upright on his hind legs. As if to demonstrate his power, he began to glow a rich, golden color, which drew oohs and ahhs from the crowd. Then, suddenly, he emitted an enormous flash of light, and grew a few feet taller before the citizens’ very eyes. The doubters and hecklers were soon drowned out by the cheers of those who were impressed by the sight.

“It is true!”

“Laemora’s legacy continues!”

“Praise the gods!”

The young princess was glad to see people accepting Blumen already. After seeing how others had reacted so skeptically to him throughout their journey together, she was sure he was overjoyed to hear those cheers as well.

The procession ended when they reached the Light Temple. Several light priests were waiting for them, lined up on the steps leading up to the cathedral’s entrance. The guards escorting them formed a barrier around the stairs, allowing Seraphina, Blumen, and the priests who had come with them from the castle to enter first.

“Princess Seraphina, I see you have returned.” A priestess standing by the entrance was the first to greet them. “And it appears you have brought a new friend,” she continued, setting her eyes on Blumen.

The rabbit god remained on a lower step, allowing him to speak with the priestess face-to-face. “Greetings, wise priestess. I am called Blumen. I have been sent here by the Golden Goddesses so that I might succeed Laemora as the new God of Light.” Blumen bowed, but after announcing his title, the priests surrounding him became the ones bowing to him.

“I see. We shall carry out your ascension ceremony at once,” the priestess replied. “Lord Blumen, have you selected a suitable sage to fulfill your duties when you are otherwise occupied?”

“Of course! Young Seraphina here shall be my most treasured sage.”

The princess nodded, smiling proudly.

“I thought so. Everyone always said she would be wise Aurun’s successor.” The priestess gestured into the temple. “Come along, now. We must prepare before we allow your audience to enter.”


Sometime later, the cathedral’s pews were completely filled, with many more Hyruleans resorting to standing in the gaps. Sophitia, Liliana, Celessa, Jeanne, and several other nobles were given seats closer to the front. The priests who maintained the temple formed two lines on either side of the altar. Finally, Blumen himself was perched atop the altar, radiating a golden light that all the citizenry seemed to enjoy basking in.

As she’d been instructed by the priests, Seraphina entered and slowly walked down the red carpet that led down the middle of the room. The priests led those in attendance in prayer as she walked, with all of them honoring Hylia, the Golden Goddesses, Laemora, and all the other Gods of Light who’d come before her.

When Seraphina stood in front of Blumen’s altar, she put her hands together and bowed before raising her head to recite the question she’d been instructed to say. “Blumen, the world of mortals needs the light to guide us in all things and protect us from evil. Will you watch over the light for us, and keep us safe?”

“I, Blumen, who has been appointed this task by gods even greater than I, shall take up my predecessor’s duties. I will protect the light, guide the world of mortals, and protect it from evil.” Upon speaking those words, Blumen’s body began to shine brighter once again. The temple rumbled, and the rabbit god grew ever larger, until his head nearly reached the high ceiling. The crowd gasped, and Blumen emitted one final flash of light, causing everyone to shield their eyes as if they were staring into the sun.

Then, the light died down, lowering to Blumen’s normal, healthy golden glow. The now-colossal rabbit god bent his head down to speak with the princess. “Zelda Seraphina Hyrule,” he spoke, his voice now echoey and godlike, while still maintaining his odd charm. “You are wise and fair, and can be trusted with my power. Will you serve as my sage and perform my duties to the mortals whenever I am otherwise occupied with higher tasks?”

“I will, Lord Blumen,” Seraphina accepted.

The rabbit god reached out with his paw, holding it above the young girl’s head. A brilliant white glow was emitted from his paw, bathing the princess in light. Seraphina immediately felt something coursing throughout her entire body. It was the same sort of sensation she felt whenever she cast her healing spells, but it was as if she was absolutely brimming with magic. She stared down at her shaking hands, almost worried that she might explode.

I feel like I could heal everyone in this room right now if I needed to.

“Then our covenant is complete,” Blumen replied, moving his paw back. “Now, I must ascend to the upper atmosphere to assess the condition of the barrier that protects this world from the sun’s most harmful rays. You, my sage, have an important task of your own to complete. I trust that you will summon me when you need me.”

“Yes, of course.” Seraphina gave him a bittersweet smile. “Goodbye for now, my friend. I hope to see you again soon.”

“Farewell, my child.” Blumen rose to his full height and looked over the ground beneath him. “Farewell, good people of Hyrule. Continue to follow the path of righteousness, and these troubled times will soon be over.” With that declaration, Blumen’s body seemed to transform into floating rays of light. His shimmering form rose upward, disappearing through the ceiling above them.

Seraphina turned to face everyone. She wasn’t sure how to address them now. She still felt extraordinary power pulsing through her veins, and she was irrationally worried that even speaking would unleash some sort of powerful spell. Luckily, two of the light priestesses came over and stood on either side of her.

“Lord Blumen’s ascension is complete. Please join me in one final prayer before we conclude the ceremony.” Those in the crowd put their hands together and bowed their heads while the priestess led them in prayer. Seraphina did the same.

Once it was over, citizens in the crowd began to leave. Some wished to approach the new sage, but the guards prevented them from doing so. Seraphina might have been glad to speak with them, but she was still a little confused about what she needed to do next.

I’m supposed to do everything Sage Aurun did, right? So, I give sermons, I heal people, I give advice, I, um…

A million thoughts raced through the young sage’s head. She suddenly realized she had a lot of responsibilities now.

What if I can’t do all that? I can’t be as good as Sage Aurun, can I? I don’t know how to use Blumen’s powers! How much did he even give to me? What if I do it wrong?

Seraphina gulped. She stared out into the sea of faces in front of her. They all had expectations of her now, and she had no idea if she could live up to them.

Suddenly, her sister appeared before her, and placed a hand lightly on her shoulder. Seraphina looked up at her before Sophitia knelt down to her level.

“I know it’s a lot to take in,” her sister spoke to her gently. “And I know you’ve been through a lot lately. Just know that I’m very proud of you, little sister. I’m here for you now, and always. We can get through it together.”

That was probably what Seraphina had wanted to hear more than anything at that moment. Tears in her eyes, she smiled gratefully and hugged her sister tightly. “I love you, sister.”

Notes:

Short chapter this week, but this chapter serves as sort of a “the dust settling” kind of chapter to close out the “Return to Hyrule” arc. Only the final arc is left, which will be just the last seven chapters. We’re approaching the endgame now. Thanks for sticking with me so far, everyone!
Also, I thought it would be funny to include this little behind-the-scenes snippet from my planning document for this arc. Trust me, this stuff is harder to keep track of than you’d think!
End results:
Link - Alive
Linkle - Alive
Sophitia - Alive
Liliana - Alive
Seraphina - Alive
Jeanne - Alive
Celessa - Alive
Blumen - Alive
Sheik - Alive
Urballa - Alive
Bularis - Alive
Mila - Alive
Onnick - Alive
Victorique - Dead
Percival - Dead
Lancel - Dead
Impa Ayako - Dead
Impa Shiho - Dead
Anselm - Dead
Toren Remoth - Dead
Vanova - Dead
Luft - Dead