The Ocarina War

[Arcaith]

THE LEGEND OF ZELDA

The Ocarina War

Chapter One – Thunderhead

 

'It just won't do, Turbus,' the Hylian King slammed down his fist on the conference table, causing even the massive Goron to jump in his seat, nearly crushing it on the way down. 'We simply don't have enough weapons and armor, and the armies coming in from the East will be on your doorstep within days if we cannot arm enough men to push them back.'

 

'It is not that simple,' Turbus replied, addressing Durumith with a defeated look on his face. 'We can make the weapons you require, certainly...but not to the standard we would normally like to make them at. They won't last very long in battle. It seems a foolish idea to waste the metals we mine on defective equipment.'

 

'What he says is true,' Viscen the captain of the guard chimed in. 'It is a pointless venture to waste what we cannot spare. There are materials enough at present, but replacements will need to be made faster than the raw materials for their fabrication can be mined.' The King nodded absently and rubbed his brow with his palm in frustration.

 

'Of course you're correct. I apologize, I wasn't thinking,' the King admitted. After a long pause, he drew a deep breath and put forward the thought that had been stewing in his head for several days. 'Do you think it would be rash of me to involve the Gerudo in this matter?' All present exchanged worried glances. 'It is the only other force with ready weapons that we can muster. The Zora contingents have retreated to Lake Hylia after a long engagement along the rivers, and all of our mounted troops have been recalled from previous engagements in the more friendly borderlands.'

 

The audience looked hesitantly at the King's wearied features. His eyes were dark and heavy from a lack of sleep, a stark contrast to his slowly whitening hair and beard. The rest of his features were rather unremarkable, though at times, the expressions that showed on his face were quite amazing. The King could be positively radiant at times. And at other times, like now, he could look quite sad indeed. He looked back at his subjects and fellow rulers questioningly.

 

Turbus was the first to respond. Bedecked in magnificent polished metal pauldrons, his muscly Goron body shuffled in his seat as he opened his mouth to speak. His blue eyes twinkled ever so slightly as he addressed all present. 'I believe that the Gerudo should be involved. Whether or not they like it, they will become involved in this fighting one way or another. It is only a matter of time for the Gerudo.'

 

‘I agree, it should be done,’ Koda, the representative from the southern Ordon province chipped in with a nod. ‘Although,’ he continued after a slight pause, ‘I am somewhat apprehensive about the possible repercussions of this course of action. There are people who remember the Gerudo of times past, the thievery and the men who have vanished into the desert. Things have been better since dialogue was opened with them, but suspicions still create their own undercurrent.’ It was a humbling moment, considering there had been no Gerudo involvement at all in the discussions up to this point.

 

‘A messenger should be dispatched immediately, if we are all agreed,’ the young Princess Zelda brought the point home. ‘It is a fair ride to the Gerudo’s lands, and it will take time again for a reply to reach us. Quite apart from the boost to our numbers, it will show a spirit of co-operation between the people of Hyrule. That should make the decision a lot easier.’ The Princess’ lips quirked into a small smile; she had been largely silent the past few days of council, and was fast gaining a reputation as someone who only said the right words.

 

‘It would certainly help fill the gap our warriors have left,’ King Ebess of the Zora conceded. Queen Turelia nodded in agreement. She continued,

 

‘Our people would welcome the chance to properly recover; many of our warriors are still suffering from the poisons released into the rivers.’

 

‘I think we are all agreed, then,’ Durumith spoke after a short period of silence. ‘We will send a messenger to King Rammaros informing him of the progress of the war, and our request for aid.’

 

‘I will take the missive,’ a cold whisper of a voice came from the shadows of a cowl. The owner of the voice lifted his concealing garment before continuing. He had a sallow, drawn face, and his demeanor was quite the opposite of his appearance. He was largely shrouded by what looked like a travelling cloak, which shaded his face and the rest of his body perfectly evenly. ‘I've had dealings with Gerudo in the past myself. They've become very affable in these past decades, and have started treating menfolk with a little more respect.’

 

‘Only because the womenfolk of the rest of Hyrule aren't getting the short end of the stick anymore,’ Laduinn, his buxom friend and travelling companion teased. ‘You've become a bit of a pushover really, Gantor.’ Gantor smiled slightly, the expression almost pained on his features.

 

‘We can deliver the message before returning to Windhelm, it will only be a short detour and the fortress is not far enough into the desert to be a problem.’ Finished speaking, Gantor withdrew once more into his cowl.

 

‘So be it.’

 

---

 

The war had started in the rolling plains that fell from Hyrule’s South Eastern mountain borders. Further to the East, another ruler sat in quiet council with her advisors. She, Queen Neiida of Celdona had been in the perfect position to start engagements; first with the few Hylians who dwelt in the higher fields close to the roots of the ranges, then with the Gorons and so forth until the Hylians began massing armies from their different peoples. The forest folk had shown little signs of having any fight in them, though it was a dangerous place by all accounts and several ranks of soldiers had been lost in very short campaigns to at least forge a path through it.

 

A notable victory was held over the Zora of Hyrule; the small enclave of rogue Zora from the further yet East had provided Neiida’s army with a poison which, while it would not kill, would render their kin unable to fight for anywhere up to a month without the antidote. A small group had headed West in the wake of the departure of the others, planning to depose the King and Queen of the Hylian Zora and assume control. Neiida did not know the why, but it scarcely mattered to her. She would not be betrayed; this much she was sure of. She cast her eyes over to the lacquered box sitting in the centre of the table before her.

 

It would be a long, uncertain and bloody war.

 

 

 

NOTES: This is a repost of a redraft of a story I posted on Zeldapower a while ago. Still working on it slowly, I'll post more chapters as they're finished.