So very sorry for the delay! Life happened and I had to put revision on hold. Thanks to all my readers for their patience. You rock. Now, on with the show.
Agahnim.
The very name caused Marth's stomach to plunge. He'd heard the stories of Hyrule's most influential mage, but never so much as saw a picture. Seeing him in the flesh brought those stories to new and awesome life. He certainly looked the part of a miraculous spellweaver; everything from his garb down to his gait suggested that he really could defeat a city-sized blaze on his own. The sorcerer stood tall and proud, his robes casting the room in shadow.
Cornelius picked up on his son's hesitation and began. "Welcome, Agahnim. We are honored to have such an esteemed figure grace our humble kingdom with his presence."
"The pleasure is mine," Agahnim said with a bow. His voice lingered long after he was finished speaking. Even his words held power.
"I must confess a certain confusion. All this business about an anonymous envoy is highly irregular."
Not to mention, we don't even know what we're discussing here. Marth took another look at Hyrule's "envoy." His father was no fool; he knew none of this made sense. Why persist in the show?
"All will be explained in time, Majesty," the sorcerer continued. "Let me begin by saying that the balance of power in our kingdom has shifted. The newly-christened Queen has thus far endured a short but tense reign."
"Due in no small part to the passing of her father, I assume."
"Hard times for us all. And while she struggles to bear the weight of the crown, the castle and the court find themselves at odds with her."
"What you're saying is," Marth said at last, "Your queen is losing power."
Agahnim turned to face Marth directly. "In the simplest of terms, yes. It's hard not to pity the poor child. She's hardly begun to know the burden of her position, and already it's beginning to take its toll."
"Then why come to us?" Cornelius asked.
"Because I feel that you have something that no one in our country can provide. Something that could inspire our Queen to action."
"What purpose could Altea serve for young Zelda?"
Agahnim deliberately paused for a moment – long enough for Marth to get a good look at his guest's eyes. Narrow. Steady. Seeking control.
He wouldn't have that chance. "Aside from our sympathies, there's no meaningful assistance we can offer your kingdom," he said. "Our resources are limited, and we don't have the manpower to spare you. I'm afraid we simply can't help."
"You misunderstand," Agahnim said. "You already are helping us."
Cornelius realized at the same time Marth did. "Then this isn't merely a summit."
"You're correct. It's an ultimatum."
The soldiers at his side drew their swords, prompting Marth to stand and ready his own.
Agahnim waved his men down. They stepped back, and Marth lowered the tip of his blade. "We're not at war yet, Highness," Agahnim said. "Perhaps you've guessed, but I'm acting in the interests of the Hylian people, not the Hylian crown."
"What difference does it make?" Marth said. "Coming to us with this, after betraying an adolescent monarch? You're less than a dog!"
Agahnim twisted his head sharply toward Marth, his eyes suddenly taking on a glow that sent a deep, burrowing terror into the pit of Marth's chest.
He spoke again. "Our terms are simple. You will surrender all territories to the new Hylian Empire swiftly and peacefully. In return, you will maintain a level of autonomy, as well as enjoy the protection of the Goddesses. Failure to accede to these terms will mean the destruction of your army, your castle, and any who sit the throne."
At those words, Marth banished the tension from his body. "So we're to comply or be destroyed, then?" he snapped. "Altea is not some backwater for you to bully into submission. We will fight to the end to protect our people!"
Agahnim suddenly threw out a hand. Marth reflexively braced in defense, but no attack ever came. In the distance, there was a faint rumble of thunder.
Agahnim lowered his hand. Marth could swear he saw a glimmer of satisfaction in his eyes. "I shall take that as your answer. The generals will be disappointed to have to resort to bloodshed." He turned his back to the king and the prince and said, "This has been an enlightening visit. For what it's worth, I enjoyed my stay in your kingdom."
He strolled out of the room, soldiers close behind. Marth sat in his chair and looked to his father. For a time, neither of them said a word. But both knew what the other was thinking.
Now that it was war, it was time for preparations to be made.
Usually, the borderland scenery was something astounding. The mountain ranges that outlined Hyrule's borders receded gracefully into the Archanean plains, and travelers didn't so much as notice the way the roads gave way to trails. The sky would blanket the earth in its boundless reaches, shedding the sun's light onto every hill and vale.
Usually, the borderlands weren't being trespassed by cannons and soldiers.
Link spared no time to admire the sights and sounds of his journey, because they largely weren't there. The commanding voices and the glint of steel overtook everything. He blazed a madman's trail through the ranks of warriors, catching only brief hints of their confused frustration in their shouts as he passed.
He'd been at this on and off for hours, all the while thinking there was no way in hell he would beat that envoy there. The Chancellor and his "friends," whoever they were, had a full day's start on him. And the thicket of armor only grew more dense the closer he got to Altea, so even getting there was uncertain.
It didn't matter. He'd figure something out, like always. But he was tired. He stumbled, and came to a stop.
Only then did Link get a good look at what he was up against.
There were thousands of them, at least. Hyrule's combat elite. Each one was no doubt equipped with the best gear the kingdom could get its hands on, meaning a thicker plate and a sharper sword than Link was allotted during his time as a footman in the Eldin conflict. There were cavalry, too, astride thoroughbred warhorses and brandishing wicked spears. As if it weren't enough to stock the best fighters in the army, the machinery that accompanied them was nothing short of horrifying. A myriad assortment of cannons, battering rams, and trebuchets lined the paths in scores.
Link scanned the rows of soldiers as he crept closer to them. As far as he figured, it would take minutes for them to begin the siege of Altea. If he couldn't stop them, he could stall them. That would mean going to the front lines. The enlisted infantry would be there in droves, but it was the only plan he had.
Just as he started to pick up the pace, an armored hand grabbed his bicep and pulled him backward, nearly causing him to fall to the ground. He turned sharply, his own and snapping up to his sword, and saw a Hylian soldier with what a pair of what he assumed were new recruits. They were still in borrowed chain mail and dented helms, carrying swords that no doubt hid notches and cracks under their scabbards. The senior warrior was in brand-new, tailored armor and carried a sword along with a shield, similar to Link's own.
"You've gone far enough," the veteran said.
Link stared his opposition down.
"Well, if it isn't the 'Hero of Eldin,'" said one of the recruits. The voice under the helmet was young and boastful. Link really hoped he wouldn't do anything stupid. "I've got to admit, I was expecting a lot more."
"Yeah. We were wondering why you weren't sent out here with us," sad the other. "Then we got orders saying we were to apprehend you if we saw you."
"It might be that you turned traitor," the veteran continued. "Or perhaps the Queen sent you elsewhere. Me...?" He rested a hand on the pommel of his sword and stepped uncomfortably close to Link. "I don't care for the reason. Lord Agahnim doesn't want you here, so you won't be."
Link's eyes widened. Agahnim, giving orders to the army? He had an enviable position in the court thanks to his history of working miracles, but nothing that would warrant any command over the military.
Zelda was right. She was losing control. And with this, she might have just lost the last of it.
The soldier stepped back and drew his sword. "Now you've got a choice, Hero. Leave or be led out, in chains or in pieces."
Link froze. He'd fought alongside some of these men in the Eldin conflict; he would have gladly given his life for any of them. His deeds even won him the appreciation of some of the generals. On the other hand, these orders weren't coming from Zelda. And there was something sinister in the warriors' eagerness to take him in. He couldn't let them do that. He drew his own blade.
Nothing more needed to be said. The veteran soldier threw a cut that Link only just bounced off the edge of his shield. The two recruits unsheathed their own weapons and charged. Their lack of training was evident in the way they swung, but their zeal was more than enough to force him back an inch.
In the confusion of haphazard slashes, Link found an opening and struck, finding a gap in the senior warrior's armor. The blow was far from fatal, but it allowed him the space he needed to start on his way out. The brawl was starting to rouse the rest of the battalion, and he wasn't about to fail his mission by picking fights with dozens of men.
He picked the clearest direction and bolted, keeping his shield up and doing his best to keep the spears and swords at bay. But the weight of his gear and his earlier fatigue slowed him down. In the corner of his eye, Link saw a spearhead bearing down on him. Instinctively, his sword-arm came up in defense, and though he managed to deflect the attack, the force of it stung his hand so badly that he nearly dropped his own weapon. He really had let himself get sloppy.
He sheathed his sword quickly and thought fast. Taking a bomb from his pouch, he lit the fuse and tossed it into the crowd of soldiers, and they all scattered to avoid it. Link didn't bother looking to see where it landed or even if it stalled his pursuers, but was nonetheless encouraged by the resounding blast. Catching his second wind, he drew his sword again and poured all of his energy into flight.
Time had stopped. There was no more sound of clattering armor. Only a rumbling of voices and a rush of wind met his aching ears. Finally, he turned to see if the soldiers were still after him. He never found out. The moment his head was turned, he felt his leg fall out from underneath him, and tumbled down a deep crevasse.
Before shock could register in his brain, his head smashed against the hard wall. He thought he heard a soft splash into rushing water. Then the world fell to darkness.
Outside Hyrule Castle, the Chancellor paced the grounds frantically. Cole released himself from the witches' hold and took a step into the courtyard. It was nearly midday. Aghanim should have reported in. He had a schedule to keep, dammit. He couldn't move on to the next phase without confirmation from Altea.
The old birds started chittering again.
"What a disgraceful performance. Don't you agree, Koume?"
"Quite right, Kotake. Seems our dear Chancellor is getting restless."
"I'd be restless too if I had my life riding on some harebrained war game."
"Perhaps we should cut him a break. After all, it must be incredibly stressful trying to run a country around its queen."
"Will you wretched crones be silent?!" Cole snapped. "I'm trying to think!"
"How rude!" Kotake fumed. "We're trying to help you here!"
"How is your inane prattle supposed to 'help me?' I have less than twelve hours to come up with a new gambit before 'Her Majesty' puts me to the rack, or worse!"
"Don't you get it, you pompous windbag?" Koume said. "With what we have in mind, there would be no need for risky fibs."
"Get to the point!"
"It's obvious the queen is under quite a bit of stress, isn't that right, Kotake?"
"Quite right, Koume. And at our urging, Chancellor, she might be persuaded to take a...little extended vacation."
"Leave it to us. No blood on your hands, and a guaranteed delivery of the soon-to-be-former queen to her demise."
Cole squinted and tensed in anticipation. "And what will this delivery cost me?"
"The best person to determine that would be none other than our lord," Kotake said.
Cole's consternation was replaced immediately by mortal dread.
Koume went on, "Yes, and for all your decades of dedicated service, I'm certain he could find it in his heart to compromise."
"Not that this failure won't go unrecorded."
"Now, Kotake, no need to frighten the poor man. After all, he's doing his part just like the rest of us."
"Astute as always, Koume! Now, without further ado, we must be off."
At that, they both mounted their broomsticks and spiraled slowly into the air. On their way up, one of them called down, "Farewell, Chancellor! And best of luck for tomorrow!"
Cole scowled up at them as they swiftly vanished from sight. He could almost feel the mounting debt tighten around his neck. Resignedly, he started back to his manor.
The Demon King was hardly ever in a bargaining mood.
Author's Note: The Cole bit at the end was something I've been meaning to include since the very first chapter. I wrote that out in response to him getting admonished by Zelda at first, but I felt that it did nasty things to the pacing, so I got rid of it. Good thing I kept it around.
As for Agahnim, there's a little interesting production anecdote about his involvement here. Originally, the "summit" (which I admittedly wrote in a sleep-deprived haze, hence its noticeable brevity) was supposed to be handled by another character you'll meet soon, but I thought at the last minute, basically, that Agahnim would make more sense; he's a much more public figure (folks who've read the manuals to A Link to the Past will know why) and was the late King Hyrule's top adviser for obvious reasons. It would make sense, given his station and his accomplishments, that he would be the face chosen to scare Altea into war.
"Why war?" you ask? Well, don't worry. There's an easy answer to that as well. Just wait for more chapters to come along.