The King's Helm
Ever since he had hatched on Needle Rock Island, that shattered helm had been there lying by the pond. Moss grew on it and the colors were faded. "It belonged to the Helmaroc King, who once ruled the skies," his mother said.
"What's a Helmaroc?" he asked, knowing only Kargarocs like himself.
"They were a clan of Kargarocs that wore helms, that's all," she said. "My mother used to boast that we were descended from the last Helmaroc King and that we should be proud of that. But the Helmarocs lost a great war against Kargarocs before her generation, which is why none of us wear helms anymore. It also distances us from the shadow of Ganon, so we can fly freely. We don't need a king."
It was what a lot of Kargarocs around Needle Rock said. The Helmaroc clan had lost, so no bird wanted to be known as one anymore. However, he was different. The Helmaroc King had ruled the skies; that was a glory that should be revived. Once he was old enough to leave the nest, he took one of the old helms that had been hidden out of shame and flew out to find power as a Helmaroc.
The king's mask was much too large for him; he'd tried a few times to put one of the pieces on only to stick his head through the eye hole. Therefore, he needed to grow bigger. The Helmaroc hunted as many fish as he could, figuring that eating more would lead to growing more. When he saw ripples on the ocean's surface indicating a large school of fish, he was ready. One, two, three, he snatched up those fish and gulped them down!
Four... this was getting tough, but he could do this. Five... his stomach was heavy and the fish were starting to get away. Six... he couldn't let them, he had to be large and mighty to become king! Seven... he struggled to get it down and collapsed onto the salty waves. His stomach felt like it could burst. But, this had to work. He had a glorious legacy to fulfill.
Sometime later, he woke up on a sandy beach. The Helmaroc didn't think he was any bigger. He was quite a lot sicker, though. Sighing, he rested his head on the warm sand and looked over the rolling waves. How was he going to rule the skies like this?
The ocean bulged more than he was used to, then burst around a massive fish like none he'd ever seen. A glowing pearl dangled from a long antennae off his head. "Good, you've woken. I brought you some medicine; eat it and rest, you will recover."
"Who are you?" he asked, ignoring the seaweed bound medicine for the moment. He didn't feel much like eating yet.
"I am Jabun, one of the Great Spirits of these waters," he said. "Many creatures live and die by the laws of nature. But when I found you suffering in the waves, I found it curious that you wore a pearl helm. I thought you birds of the golden feathers had given up that custom."
A Great Spirit... this was one of the gods? Maybe he could help. "Most of them gave it up," the Helmaroc said, sitting up and ignoring his queasiness. "But we used to be feared and respected under the guidance of the Helmaroc King! I'm going to become the new King so that we can rule the skies again."
"That is quite a task, young one," Jabun said. "But if you win that title honestly, you will be worthy of much respect."
The Helmaroc nodded. "I'll do my best. I thought I had to get bigger to be more powerful, since the old King's helm is far bigger than the one I wear now. So I was going to eat a lot to grow faster; I don't know if it's working."
For a moment, it seemed like Jabun was laughing at him. But the great fish caught himself and swayed his antennae. "I-I see. Unfortunately, it's not possible to gain power or size rapidly like that. You must do things that push your strength, like flying with heavy objects or swimming in the waves. Still, your best mentor would be one of my kin, the dragon spirit Valoo who lives to the northeast on Dragon Roost Island. he'd know better how to advise you on how to become powerful in the skies."
"Then I'll have to seek him out."
Once he recovered with help of Jabun's medicine, the Helmaroc decided to try out the first Great Spirit's advice before finding a second. It was hard getting a grip on large rocks to build his strength. But on exploring the sprawling cliffs of Jabun's island, he discovered a cache of treasure chests that were ideal for weight training. They had handles that were perfect for his claws to grab, with varying weights depending on what was inside.
His regiment from that day on was to grab a chest he could lift off the ground, then fly around with it. At first, he wore himself out frequently and would have to drop the chest in the water so he could make it back to land with tired wings. Fortunately, somebody kept replenishing the chests for him. He was more careful with how he ate so as not to make himself sick again.
And slowly, he got stronger. He found himself able to carry heavier chests, then carry them out further from Jabun's island. The Helmaroc felt less pain in his wings and legs from the exercise. However, it was a slow process. He pushed himself further, willing to drop chests into the waters since there'd be new ones when he got back.
One night, he decided to roost within the chest cove and discovered just who had been replacing them: human pirates. "You believe me now, boss?" the smaller one asked. "The chests just up and disappear on their own! Nobody who guards here has a clue who's doing it either."
"Quite the brazen thief to make off with the whole chest, repeatedly," the larger one said. "But we need the back-up in case our hideout gets raided."
"Come on, who'd be crazy enough to do that?" the small one asked.
"I know just the lady who would be."
Human language was harder to grasp, but the Helmaroc could figure this out. These humans saw their chests as their property in their territory. Maybe he should find another source of weights for training. As he extended his wings preparing to fly out, his shadow moved across the boss pirate's vision. He reacted quickly, raising a hand and sending a bolt of lightning that narrowly missed the Helmaroc.
The Helmaroc squawked in alarm and fled immediately. If they were normal humans, he wouldn't mind fighting them. But one that cast lightning? He wasn't ready to take that one on. Maybe when he was stronger, recognized as King and able to defeat anyone.
Without an easy source of chests now, the Helmaroc decided to go northeast to find Valoo. It was a long flight of many days, riding the winds when he could and resting on small islands on the way. There were a great many other monsters out there: Gyorgs in the water, Seahats flying mindlessly above, Bokoblins drifting on rafts from outlook to outlook. Not many Kargarocs on his way; there definitely wasn't any other Helmaroc either.
But when he got to Dragon Roost, he spotted the familiar gold flickers of Kargaroc tails. The Helmaroc decided to fly with them for a bit, show them how they could be. "How's the winds, brothers?" he called out as he approached.
"Messy, as they have been," one called back, not looking at him.
Another saw him and squawked in alarm. "Aaaaah, it's a Helmaroc!"
"I am the same as you, with the same golden feathers," the Helmaroc said, waving his tail feathers to shine in the sun.
"No you're not!" another said, swooping at him aggressively. "You took up one of the evil helms, you're no longer a Kargaroc!"
"They are not evil," he insisted. "I am bringing back the glory of the King by becoming one."
"No, no, we don't need a king!"
"A King will only bring back the greedy war of the clans! You can't become one!" She attacked him, trying to clamp onto his neck.
The Helmaroc swerved away and lashed out with his claws. "We could rule the skies! Why don't you want to?"
"No, we don't need a king!" The group of Kargarocs all turned to attack him.
Angered, the Helmaroc fought back. In that, he saw that he was stronger. Their pecks and snaps only hurt a bit while he could tackle another in the air and peck at their unprotected face to make them drop. But as they did, more of the local flock came to help their kin. A flurry of feathers surrounded them and the weaker ones overcame him with their numbers.
For the next couple of weeks, he found himself under the care of another bird-kind: the Rito. However, they were more like humans in that very few of them could understand the language of other birds. The old one seemed to have some grasp of it. "The helm of a Helmaroc is like the skull necklace of a Moblin. It does nothing but has some worth to the monster; a Helmaroc is simply a Kargaroc with a helm, after all."
"But they still fought each other just because of that?" the young Rito asked. "Poor guy."
The older one kept her from touching him. "Yes, but he's still a monster. Be careful in how you deal with him; he might have snapped your fingers off because he only has that to defend himself with now."
"Oh, okay Nana."
He would have snapped the young girl's fingers off, mostly because he was miserable and didn't like these others being close. The old Rito at least had the wits to place food and fresh water in his reach when he was asleep. But really, why should they care for him? He wanted to be a Helmaroc King, but there wasn't a chance of that happening if he lost to weaker Kargarocs. He was stronger... but at this rate, he'd be as old as this caretaker by the time he was strong enough to be King.
Still, he had another chance. When his wings felt right, the Helmaroc watched for an opportunity to escape this cavern dwelling. What he didn't expect was when the two Ritos approached him with an offer. "Our guardian Valoo wishes to speak with you, Helmaroc," the older one said.
"Really, that's what he was asking, Nana?" the young one asked.
"Is he taking pity on a loser like me?" the Helmaroc cawed, not liking that. Still, it was a chance to speak with someone who could tell him how to become stronger.
"Valoo could tell this one is working hard, Medli," the older one said. "Even though he was badly injured, the great dragon could still see promise in him. Still, he has to be careful flying for now or his weakened wings could be injured again. Would you guide him through the volcano to its peak?"
The young one was surprised. "Really? But Nana, you could fly with him around the peak."
"I'm sure you can handle this on your own," she said, patting the girl's head. "The volcano's quiet and this Helmaroc will surely scare off any other monsters along the way. Just be careful when taking him where the Kargarocs nest."
"S-sure, I'll do my best," Medli said.
"And will you protect her, Helmaroc?" the older Rito asked. "Even as you are now, you are a strong one."
Encouraged to hear that they recognized his strength, the Helmaroc lifted his head. "Yes, it's a weird thing but I'll keep her safe."
Medli had to hold open doors for him along the way; the passages were narrow but he could fly carefully through them. "Even though the volcano's quiet, there's probably still updrafts from the magma's heat," she said as they entered a cavern with a white pond and wooden bridge. "So, um, be careful where you fly."
"Any indoors flight needs extra care," the Helmaroc said to himself, recalling how he'd learned to pass through a large window to enter and leave the treasure chest hoard.
"Although you probably know that better than me," she said. "I haven't even made my climb to earn my wings, only accompanied Nana a few times to meet Valoo as an attendant. Although I do know the path up pretty well as a result of that. It'll mostly be Keese and Chuchus that could get in our way inside, and Kargarocs on the outer path. Nana can usually scare them off."
"Those shouldn't be a problem," he said, puffing his chest up to show that he wasn't afraid.
Medli laughed a little at that. "Wow, you seem fearless. Okay, I trust you to handle them."
Inside the volcano itself, the Helmaroc saw things that he'd never imagined. The whole place felt like it was full of fire even though the air was clear. The ground had a dangerous glow. However, the hot air felt good on his feathers. He could ascend incredibly fast in here. The Helmaroc considered finding his way to the peak himself doing that. But he could only see rocks overhead and it would be easiest to follow the girl who had to rely on her feet and a clawed rope to get around.
Keese definitely weren't a problem as he'd fought them off before to get good night roosts. Chuchus were tougher because they stuck to the ground and were gooey when he pecked them. Although their goo was unpleasantly sticky on his feathers, it was tasty. That was a good thing to know, that they made for a good meal as long as he took a thorough washing after. Those monsters were nothing to worry about.
High up, Medli paused to look at a grand door past a short staircase. "Nana says that place was once a throne room, before we got wings. Our leaders and their followers spent many days there praying for the mercy of the gods. I really should remember more of those lessons; something had angered the gods, or they just weren't listening to people anymore. But after several years, Valoo finally answered us and helped us to survive in a transformed world."
"Is that a place of power?" the Helmaroc wondered. Maybe training in a place like that would help.
"Nobody uses that room anymore, though, since it's right underneath Valoo most of the time," Medli said. Then she bowed to him for some reason. "Oh, sorry, you're probably not interested in any of that. I have so much to learn that I'm always thinking over these things. We're almost there, we've just got to make a climb outside."
Outside; that was where the Kargarocs nested. He could see their straw-woven beds and scattered feathers. There weren't any in sight as they followed rocky stairs to the peak. How long had it been since he'd slept in a nest? It was probably since he'd left his mother's nest and set out on his quest to become the King. It'd be nice to have a nest again, but all his attention and care had gone into growing stronger.
Valoo was a being like the Helmaroc wanted to be, able to take the volcano itself for his nest along with having the adoration of the Rito people. However, the Helmaroc wasn't even addressed first. The dragon first offered one of his scales to the Rito girl. Medli was shocked, clasping her hands at her chest rather than taking it. "Huh? But I didn't come up here for that. I came to help the Helmaroc here."
"That's why he's giving a scale to you now," the older Rito said, happy for her student. "You ascended the peak without me, which proves you have the ability to start flying. And you did so in service of another, which shows that you are worthy to be recognized as his attendant."
"R-really?" She took the scale, then bowed low to Valoo. "Thank you, kind Valoo, for your generosity. I'll train hard to serve you well."
"Come, I'll show you more on the way down," the older one said, guiding her to leave for now.
After watching the two leave the area, Valoo looked down to the Helmaroc. "Well then, you caused quite a stir coming here."
"The others wouldn't listen to me," he said, brushing his helm with his wing. Thankfully, it was still intact and with him. He would have had to go all the way back to Needle Rock to get to where he knew others were.
"What they recall is the strife caused by the split of Kargarocs and Helmarocs," Valoo said. "Especially the trouble caused by the Helmaroc King."
"What kind of trouble would having a King cause? Those were glorious days when we ruled the skies; I want to bring those days back."
"Right now, there is only you who strives to be King." The dragon shook its head. "If a new Helmaroc King comes into existence, there will be many more Kargarocs who take up helms in hopes of becoming King. They will fight each other to the death, as has happened before. The Kargarocs as a whole have decided to simply live as themselves instead of bringing back that bloodshed. As the King could fly from one end of the Great Sea to the other without tiring, that is many who have decided to give up on power for the sake of peace."
"But they won't become any better like that," the Helmaroc argued. "We could be great! I've already become stronger than the others, but to fulfill the legacy of the King, I need to be much much stronger."
"And what will you do with that strength? How will you lead your flock?" Valoo seemed skeptical.
"Well..." he hadn't really thought of that, only how he could become King.
"What needs do that Kargarocs have that only a King could fulfill?" Valoo asked. "What could a King do to make all who live in the skies have better lives? From the Rito to the seagulls, and to you Kargarocs, what can you do for them as the Helmaroc King? Seeking such strength alone is a dangerous way to fly. It could lead to more battles and death. If you do not know the answers to those questions, it will be good for you to reflect on them and find those answers first."
"Are you trying to say that I shouldn't become King?" the Helmaroc asked, angered at that. Maybe Valoo thought he ruled the skies; that could be why he was trying to dissuade him.
"If your reasons for why are sound, I would not stop you," he said. "But as you are, I do not think this is wise."
"I'll make the Kargarocs and Helmarocs great again, that's what I'm doing!" After a defiant squawk, the Helmaroc took off. He'd find his own way if Valoo wasn't going to help.
The Helmaroc King could fly from one end of the Great Sea to the other without tiring. That was something he was far from doing. Since his strength training was going so slowly, the Helmaroc decided to pursue that goal. Perhaps the mask would recognize his strength if he could do that. He flew for days and days, nights too when he could manage it. He only stopped when his wings were trembling. A few times, he crashed out of exhaustion, thankfully into patches of land rather than stretches of water that could swallow him up.
On one trip, he started from a place called the Forbidden Fortress, aiming for a scattering of island towers far across the waters. There were dark clouds and rough turbulence in the sky. The Helmaroc wasn't going to let that stop him. While others would keep to the ground, he figured that the bad conditions would make him stronger until he could pass through them like the storm winds were only a gentle breeze.
He made it past Windfall to the south when he came across the heart of the storm: a giant cyclone that danced endlessly across the waves from the power of an angered god. Narrowing his eyes, the Helmaroc swore to himself that he'd fly right by without stopping. He wouldn't be drawn in. The cyclone winds yanked any loose feathers off and he wouldn't let himself care. When he had to fight against the winds to keep on course, he flew on with all his might. He would make it...
Someone laughed at him horribly. "Aren't you a reckless little devil?"
"I will be King of the skies!" the Helmaroc called back; he was just past the main body of the cyclone. "I will not be stopped by anyone, not even you!"
"Hah, no little beast like you is capable of ruling the skies over me," the god called back. "Just try to get out of this."
With no more warning, the sharp winds grew so powerful around him that they became a hand to grasp him out of flight. The Helmaroc beat his wings as hard as he could, fighting back. But there was nothing to peck or claw at with the wind. The world spun around him; the winds hurled him back to where he had come. By the time he got any control over himself, the sea was above him, rapidly approaching. The Helmaroc shifted his wings, but not in time to save himself from splattering hard against the waves.
He should have died from that. Instead, the Helmaroc found himself in the care of yet another person. It was getting seriously embarrassing how he kept failing, especially since his latest caretaker was also a powerful being. But, this didn't seem like another Great Spirit. There was something majestic to this man; he seemed like a King.
"You have been seeking power for all of your life," the man said when the Helmaroc was fully alert. It was strange because his wings and body should be broken from a collision like that. But he was whole again, not a feather out of place.
"I want to become the Helmaroc King, so I can show the others how glorious we could be," he said.
Strangely, the man understood him just fine. "The others have forgotten their glory, yes. Many people have; they don't strive for anything more than what they have and become weak, just like your fellow Kargarocs have become nothing more than pests that are unworthy of their shining feathers. If you accept the role of the Helmaroc King, you will crush them without effort. They will have to heed you then."
"But it's going to take a long time before I can get strong enough to do that," the Helmaroc said, hanging his head. "I couldn't even fly through a cyclone."
"It doesn't have to take a long time," he said, holding a hand out in front of him. In a flash of violet flames, the shattered mask of the King appeared in front of him. He took his other hand and wove a spell over it, restoring it to appear bright and new. "I can name you the Helmaroc King and grant you all the power you have been seeking."
"Really?" Then it wasn't going to take years, so much time that he might grow too old to be a worthy King? If he could be King now, he could show the Kargarocs just how mistaken they were. He could show everyone who had dismissed him, even the cyclone god.
The man nodded. "I am Ganon; it is nothing to me. But I want your service in return. We shall cover the Great Sea in dark storms and ruin the complacent ones who have no ambition. They will have to bow to us and beg for mercy to survive. You may rule all in the skies; leave what is on and under the waters to me."
Ganon... that was a name of dark mystery among the Kargarocs. They claimed that the Helmaroc King had served Ganon before, one reason they thought the King was bad. But Ganon was also the one who made monsters strong. Monsters under his command could destroy the civilization that humans and other races tried to build.
"Yes, it would be an honor to serve you," the Helmaroc said, his heart nearly bursting with pride. If he'd known Ganon was active in the world, he would have come straight to him instead of trying so futilely on his own.
"Good," he said, giving a nod. "But before you ascend to being King, there is something that should be done. I plan to drive the Great Spirit Valoo insane so that he destroys those he sees as his children; I can enslave him when he breaks that far. Deliver the slumbering Gohma to the chamber directly under where Valoo rests. You should be able to slip in unnoticed if you enter at night. I will empower both you and Gohma there, then you will head to the Forsaken Fortress to assist my return to the surface realm. Will you do so?"
Help ruin Valoo? Why wouldn't he agree to that? "Yes, I'll get right to that."
Ganon then sent him out to a small active volcano to wait out the day. As he flew out of range of the lesser Kargarocs, the Helmaroc wasn't sure how this Gohma was supposed to ruin Valoo. It seemed like nothing more than a large scorpion, not even as heavy as an empty treasure chest. But Ganon had said he needed to empower the scorpion as well. Once the sun had passed below the watery horizon, the Helmaroc flew back to Dragon Roost.
Not wanting to be seen by the Rito, he came in high to enter the door at the base of the stairs to the peak. He remembered what Medli had said: there was a room past a large door that was directly underneath Valoo. Getting past the doors was something of a problem. While the one on the outside lifted up as he approached, the large door needed the large gear to be turned aside to open. The Helmaroc placed Gohma aside so he could clench that gear in both feet. It took a few tries, but he got it moved and was able to fly inside. Once past, Ganon's magic reset the gear and locked it securely in chains.
The Helmaroc brought Gohma to the center of the floor. This was a grand room, if too narrow for his liking. As Gohma was still curled up, the Helmaroc nudged him carefully with his claws. "Come on, time to wake up."
"Don't wanna," Gohma grumbled, finally starting to move by waving a claw.
Snorting, the Helmaroc nudged him again. "No, you have orders from Ganon too. You're going to make the lazy idiot overhead suffer."
"Oh? Ganon's back in action?" The scorpion uncurled itself, then looked up at the Helmaroc.
"Yes." Their patron's voice echoed in the shadows, creating a faint image of him there. "The ambitions and dark wishes of those like the Helmaroc King here have allowed me to return in a limited fashion. You both are to spread fear and suffering until the key that still binds me is completely removed. Gohma, your primary goal is corrupting the dragon overhead so he answers to me as well."
Gohma clicked his claws eagerly. "Yes, if I get some lava in here, there will be no stopping me!"
Ganon nodded. "In a moment. And Helmaroc, I've already sent my Wizzrobes into the Forbidden Fortress to begin their work. You will be sent to distract the current squatters until I have physically manifested there. You both will require a true awakening to power in order to accomplish your missions. Swear your allegiance to me and that power is yours."
"Yes, Ganon, I swear by my golden feathers that my loyalty is yours for the rest of my days," the Helmaroc said.
"Of course, Ganon, my loyalty is yours for the rest of my days, I swear it by my claws," Gohma said just after him.
"I will make good use of your service," Ganon said, making his image shatter apart and enter both of them.
Minutes later, the new Helmaroc King flew over the Forsaken Fortress. He was immense, brimming with power just like the storm that accompanied the endless cyclone. In fact, the King's Helm was almost small on his head. He no longer had a long neck, but that was fine; long necks were something of a weakness and he no longer needed one to fish. His claws would be enough to crush rocks. Certainly, the human pirates below were no match.
There were huge lights upon the smaller towers. However, he was serving as a distraction. The King swerved around, letting his golden tail feathers shine that light back down on them. The cannons and spotlights turned to find him. Spotting a few of the pirates standing in the courtyard, the King glided to a good place, then dove down and snatched up as many of the humans as he could grab. They yelped and swore, trying to grab their weapons in time to save themselves. He rose up with three, then turned to fling them at those operating the spotlights.
A few of the pirates tried to shoot him down with arrows. But his feathers were like metal now; the arrows did nothing. The cannons, on the other hand, those hurt when one struck his foot. The King wove around the shots, letting them fly through his tail. As the cannons were embedded in the wall, it would take some effort to destroy them.
He dove a few more times at those who came out in the open; the humans didn't dare stay out where they could fight him with all the cannons raining down. Then magical markings appeared in the courtyard. Dark flames appeared along the walls, searching for something. As the Helmaroc King descended back to the courtyard, the cannons stopped firing. A small group of the pirates rushed down one of the ramps trying to escape the flames, desperate and afraid.
The King landed at the end of the ramp and screeched at them. "This place belongs to Ganon now! You cannot escape him!"
While they could not understand him, the pirates made the mistake of stopping at his declaration and staring. The dark flames captured and consumed them, leaving no trace behind. Other flames poured out of the fortress interior and headed for the magic circle. When all the flames had gathered, they offered their sacrifices so that Ganon could manifest again.
"Welcome back, my liege," the Helmaroc King said, bowing as best he could.
"Well done," Ganon said, shifting an arm to see that he was whole. "While the Master Sword is still in place, I cannot leave this fortress. Therefore, you will do my work in the rest of the Great Sea. I'm counting on you."
"I will not fail you," he said, relishing that he had his proper place in the world at last.