THE HYLIAN WARS
Clark Andersen
PROLOGUE:
The land of Hyrule was a blessed land, indeed. Its green forests, deep lakes, cool rivers, and fields of grain showed great prosperity. It was ruled by a just king who sought the success and happiness of his citizens. He had a queen, who was fair and loyal to her husband and people. Their daughter, the Princess of Hyrule, was noble and just, even if she was a little tomboyish at times. Hyrule Castle lay at the north end of the country, on a hill overlooking the second-largest city in Hyrule, Hyrule Castle Town. The town had a large population, prosperous market, and low crime rate. The human inhabitants of Hyrule (who were called Hylians) had no reason to complain.
Just to the east of Hyrule Castle Town sat the stronghold of Kakariko. Kakariko Stronghold was the largest city in the nation. As an impenetrable fortress, Kakariko was designed to defend Hyrule whenever attacked. Ancient stone walls and towers stood in Kakariko, and if one were to climb a tower, they could look down not only on Kakariko or Hyrule Castle Town, but if they were to look hard enough, they could see Lake Hylia's shimmering surface in the distance. In the heart of the city stood the Kakariko Windmill, the tallest building in Hyrule. One could sit and stare at the windmill for hours, thinking, as its giant blades spun, about anything they wished.
Kakariko was the ancestral home to a race of people apart from the Hylians, the Sheikah. The Hylians and Sheikahs had no arguments, and their alliance had existed since Hyrule was created, twelve generations ago. The Sheikahs, although they looked similar to the Hylians, were extremely different. The Sheikahs were an elegant race, with tall, slender figures contrasting to the short, stubby Hylians. Sheikahs' hair color was usually gold or silver-colored, which shimmered in the sun and their eyes usually a stunning red or purple.
The biggest difference between the Hylians and Sheikahs, however, was the Sheikahs ability to use the Eye of Truth. This natural ability that the Sheikahs had allowed them to peer into the soul of anyone they wished, allowing the Sheikah to read the thoughts and minds of the unlucky victim. The Eye of Truth was useful for anyone from Sheikah judges hoping to convict a criminal, to teenage Sheikah boys who wanted to know if a particular girl liked them.
Kakariko existed in the Northeastern Mountains of Hyrule, brown hills abound with trees, sagebrush, and Zelda flowers. The mountains took on a different hue when the sun set in the west; they seemed to glow orange. The largest mountain in the range, Death Mountain, stood proudly above Kakariko Stronghold and Hyrule Castle Town, engulfing both cities in its shadow as the day begun. The caves of Death Mountain were home to another race of beings in Hyrule: the rock-dwelling Goron tribe.
The Gorons were quite different from the Hylians and Sheikahs, they were the most naturally muscular beings in Hyrule, but they were the most peaceful. They were content sitting in their caves all day eating the rocks that they dug by hand. Gorons were almost rocks themselves; their skin was stone-tough, and they didn't have too much intelligence in their solid heads. Gorons tried to avoid the struggles of the Hylians and Sheikahs, and they preferred laziness to preparedness.
The longest river in Hyrule, Zora's River, started in the Northeast Mountains, ran through western Hyrule past the Gerudo Desert and spilled into Lake Hylia in South Hyrule. The source of the river was home to another race of beings in Hyrule: the Zora race. Everything the Goron race was, the Zora race wasn't. Tall and elegant, with silver skin and long fins, the Zoras were an aquatic race. Half-fish and half-human, the Zoras could live underwater for long periods of time and could swim much faster than run. The Zoras had gills on their heads and necks, and they had dark, beady eyes with no whites. They were guardians of the river source, much as the Gorons were guardians of the mountains.
Yes, peace was evident in all of Hyrule, from Hyrule Castle Town in the North to Lake Hylia in the South. Yet, as all these races were able to coexist, none of them were united with each other and only they got along as long as they stayed away from one another. This was not how things were supposed to be. It all began twelve generations ago….
Hyrule was created by the Three Golden Goddesses. With their divine abilities and strengths, they were able to pool their talents and create the world.
Din, the first Goddess, was the most brash and outspoken. With her powerful arms, she created the rough mountain ranges from raw matter, and breathed life into the races of the Gorons and Sheikahs.
Farore, the second Goddess, enjoyed learning new things. With her powerful mind and calm nature, she created the Dark Forest in the east of Hyrule and she breathed life to the Hylian race.
Nayru was the final Goddess. She was the most loving and kind, and with her abilities, she created the water and Lake Hylia, and she gave life to the Zora race.
Each of these Goddesses was proud of their work. The very last thing they created was the Sacred Realm, another world outside Hyrule. In the Sacred Realm they placed the Temple of Light, where each Goddess was hoping to spend the rest of eternity in slumber. Right before they were about to sleep, each goddess placed all of her power inside a single, small gold triangle, called a Triforce. Din, with her forceful nature, created the Triforce of Power. Farore, with her unceasing attitude, created the Triforce of Courage. And Nayru, with her infinite knowledge created the Triforce of Wisdom. These three triangles, each containing the goddesses' power, rested in the Temple of Light. With their powers gone, the three goddesses, now mortal, began their eternal sleep, leaving a hidden passageway into the Sacred Realm and the Temple of Light, where the Triforce, the Goddesses' very powers, lay.
Where was the gateway to the Sacred Realm? The answer fell asleep with the Goddesses. Legend was passed down from generation to generation in Hyrule that whosoever merely touches the power of the Triforce will have all the Goddesses' abilities for their own. As time moved on in Hyrule, the Goddesses' story became legend, and legend became myth, for twelve generations…