Kingdom of the Dragon Arc

10: The Gerudo Queen

Aveil woke up feeling sore and bruised, as she always did whenever her King was through with her. This time had been the worst of them all. His fury over the loss of the Bulblins as pawns had sent the man into a blind rage, and he took that out on her in his bedchambers. As she tried to role out of bed, it was a wonder that she could even move her legs at all.

Wrapping her body in a coarse blanket used for her bed, she gathered her clothes and dressed. So many things had changed since Ganondorf had become their King. At first, she thought things would begin to get better for her people. He was to be their savior, giving them strong daughters to raise into the warriors that their people had once been. But it was all wrong.

He had been born, cut from his mother's stomach by the witches Koume and Kotake, and raised as their own, away from the tribe. Aveil, barely a babe herself at the time, was then taught to be a ruler. In her later years, the tribe prospered, having taken to going out into the lands of Hyrule to give a few lucky Hylians the night of their lives. Many daughters were born this way since the elders gave them herbs to promote fertility.

The Gerudo warriors had begun to rise again.

And then Ganondorf, named after the hideous demonic deity that Koume and Kotake worshiped, had come staggering out of the desert. By then, he was skinny, malnourished, and starved of water. Knowing who he was, the tribe had welcomed him home as their King, and Aveil had become his Queen. She thought there and then would begin their true rise.

But the witches had warped and twisted the King. He was cruel, and power-hungry. What child that were produced from him rarely lived beyond their first days. The ones that did were taken by Koume and Kotake after their first year, and never seen again. Aveil, though she hadn't told her King yet, was infertile. A great shame for someone in her tribe, even worse for the Queen. But as long as Ganondorf though he could produce a note-worthy heir whilst using her, then he would leave the rest of her sisters alone, and free to seek what they needed outside the village.

'But,' she thought as she looked upon her face in the mirror, a large bruise over her right eye, which was just barely open. 'How much longer can I do this' Ten years had already passed her by as the Queen-consort, and Ganondorf was getting impatient for an heir. If he found out she was infertile, then he would most likely banish her and take a younger consort as his wife.

There were laws, of course, that bound them together. The law of their village stated that unless one of them were killed, Ganondorf was not allowed to take another wife, and only allowed to take another woman if she consented. Which she had, multiple times as many women had wanted a child from Ganondorf in the first years of his reign. Now, however, he was avoided like the plague. Unless someone was desperately in want of a child, that is.

She loved and cherished her people, and wanted to protect them from anything that might harm them, and that included their own King.

"Vod?" (Sister?) Said a voice from outside her room, and in entered the room one of her warriors, carrying a large tri-pronged spear in her grasp. She frowned when she saw the state of her Queen, "Kaysh tomad na kaya lo gar, narir va kaysh?" (He really laid into you, didn't he?)

Aveil nodded, "Ni cuyir iviye at bic." (I'm accustom to it.) She said, shaking her head, frowning as the motion gave her a slight headache. "Vaii cuyir Naor?" (Where is the King?) She asked.

The woman shrugged, "Ni tomad na narir va baatir." (I really don't care.) She said truthfully, "Bic gotal'ur ni iupe ibac Ni jatne emuurir dala tion'tuur Ni ret' o'r mie dira, Aveil." (It makes me glad that I prefer women when I see you in such a state, Aveil.) She chuckled and reached for the pouch on her hip, taking out a small bottle of blue liquid, "Pirur ibic" (Drink this.)

Aveil nodded gratefully, and accepted the bottle, drinking from it deeply. A pleasant burning sensation started around all of her bruising before fading away. The swelling in her eye was gone before she finished drinking, and the throbbing in her legs died down almost as quick.

"Vor entye, ner vod." (Thank you, my sister.) She said, passing the bottle back to her.

The woman shook her head, frowning, "You should run from here," she said, speaking common Hylian, "You stay here, King finds you no can have child, he kills you." She said, placing a hand on her shoulder, "Go, you live, and law protects us from him."

Aveil shook her head, "I not coward, Barta," she said, smiling at her, "I stay."

"Not coward," she said, flicking her in the head, "Stupid head!" She snapped, "Queen good woman, King, bad man, very bad." She went on, "You running not mean you coward. You running mean you smart. You live, not here, King not take new woman. You stay here, you die, King takes new woman, young woman. He rape her."

Aveil frowned at this. It was true, sooner or later, Ganondorf would kill her. No, he would brutalize her when he found out she couldn't bear his child. And he would undoubtedly rape his next chosen consort. "Barta," she said, looking at the woman, smiling sadly, "I...I need horse."

Barta nodded, smiling, "No come back here, sister," she said, patting her shoulder, "Never come back."

Ganondorf, though the man didn't know about it, was soon to be bereft of his wife. And he could not give a care about it. Currently the man was processing the news about sightings of a Dragon near the Lost Woods. The whole thing had rattled him. A Dragon would change his plans greatly.

"I thought Onox was the last one aside from that lesser beast sleeping in Death Mountain," he growled, looking over a map of the continent. "What's more, it's large. Most definitely not a lesser Dragon. If it's intelligent, then perhaps I can persuade it to my side?"

"Do not be foolish," Koume said, "This Dragon was not born of an egg as Onox was."

"T'was born of the corpse of The Great Deku Tree slain by our Gohma," Kotake said, "Something new awakened. Something we did not, could not foresee."

"The boy," Koume sneered, "His bond with the Tree gave the deity just enough will to stay attached to the mortal world, and be reborn."

Ganondorf snarled, his fists clenching into the parchment, "That brat again!?" He swept the map off of the table in a rage, "What is it about that boy that makes him so untouchable?!"

"Me thinks we should move our plans along," Koume said, "You should go to Holodrum, and tell Onox to move forward with the ritual."

"I will tell Veran as well," Kotake said, "She will be glad to do something about that Queen of hers. Also, i believe she's been keeping a close watch over the Oracles."

"They will be vital to the ritual," Koume said, "Meanwhile, I will think of a way to retrieve our sacrifice."

Ganondorf growled, "And how will you do that?" He snapped, "The Bulblins were one thing, but if one of you is caught, then Hyrule will march against me before my plans come to fruition!"

The twin witches cackled, "Do not fear the boy, my lord," Koume laughed, "We will lure him to Holodrum into Onox's grasp."

"Or do you think that little runt of a child is capable of defeating a Dark Dragon of old?" Kotake laughed.

"You seemed to think him dangerous enough for me to kill him," the man sneered, "And look where that has gotten me! He's untouchable as it is now! And now that blasted brat has brought forth a Dragon of his own! One that raised him!"

The twin laughed once again, "Onox has dealt with his own kind before," they said in unison, "Do not forget how he dealt with the last one four hundred years ago."

"I wasn't around," he reminded them, frowning, "But you have a point, Onox is indeed experienced in killing his own kind...very well, make the preparations. I will leave tonight."

"It will be done," the twins said, and disappeared in a flash of fire and ice.

Ganondorf frowned once again, going toward the wall of his room where a larger map of the continent, red threads tacked all over it, "Where are you?" He wondered aloud, "Twenty years of searching, and not a damned sign of the tomb."

He thought of asking his inner voice for guidance, but the being never gave him a straight answer when he wanted one.

"I'll find you," he reached up and touched the map, "And then not even the Master Sword of legend will be able to stand in my way, no matter who wields it!"

Unbeknownst to Ganondorf as his council with the witches comes to an end, Aveil, proud Queen of the Gerudo, rides away just before dawn. Lost in his own machinations, it would be hours before he realized that she was missing.

Instead of fleeing into the desert as one of her sisters had done not so long ago, Aveil spurred her mount toward the green fields of Hyrule, and prayed to Din that she would find sanctuary there.

=x=

Three days had passed by since the birth of Farosh. Within that time, Saria was taken from the Lost Woods, and brought to Hyrule Castle. She was received with teh greatest honors the King could give, and granted a room withing the palace. Within those three days, Saria had also started growing quite rapidly, and on the third day she reached full adult size.

She was now roughly the same height as Rusl, though he was not considered fairly tall for a human, the new size was quite a change for the new Oracle. Her hair now reached well past her hips, nearly dragging the floor, and her ears were now longer than even most Hylians tended to be.

She also occupied a seat on the King's council. A child of Farore she may have been, but she was no less wise, given that she was well over two hundred years old. She also took on the lesson Horwell usually gave to the Princess and Link. The young Hero was happy to have her near once again. he hadn't realized just how much he missed her. But now he had to wonder just who would take her place as the Sage of the Forest Temple.

"Don't take your eyes off your opponent," Arn yelled out as his wooden training sword crashed against Link's Daybreaker shield, startling him out of his thoughts. Arn, smiled as his son staggered back with a frown on his face, "Now don't look at me like that, Link, you're the one that was wool-gathering in the middle of a spar."

In answer, the boy launched himself forward, his sword out in a thrust. Arn raised his own shield to parry the blow, but Link whipped around and slammed his own shield against it, jarring the man's arm as Link landed, and used his short legs to sweep Arn's right out from under him. Arn managed to catch himself before he hit the ground too hard, and kicked the boy's shield, and sent him sprawling.

Link rolled with the momentum, and dashed around the more experienced Knight before he could right himself. Arn was forced to hit his knees before the wooden sword his son wielded struck his armor, and block it with his sword, just barely avoiding the quick movement. He then jumped back to his feet before the young Page could get at him again.

'Hylia, Rusl was right about him,' he thought proudly, 'No wonder Ganondorf had a hard time with him!' True, Arn was proud of how well the boy could fight, but he still had a long way to go. He noticed that he wore a worn Goron bracelet, which provided added strength. It was no wonder the boy had such a powerful strike with his sword.

"Good," he complimented, "Very good, Link. But is that all you have?" He smirked as the look in the boy's eyes changed. It was the same ferocious look he always had when he took a fight seriously.

Link charged him again, darting to one side and then the other before darting back and rolling behind him, and under his guard, and brought his sword up across Arn's unguarded back. The force of the blow sent Arn staggering forward, and Link jumped into the air above him, and rolled, his sword spinning through the air and striking the helmet Arn wore.

The piece of armor clanged and clattered to the ground, a visible dent in the metal.

Arn's ears were ringing loudly from the impact, and he shook his head to clear the noise. He then looked down at his son in pure shock because of what he'd done. And then he saw the smug look on his face. "What?" The boy asked, "You asked for it."

The man looked from the boy to his dented helmet, and started laughing, "Aye, I suppose I did!" He said, placing the sword at his hip, "You did well. Where'd you learn to fight like that?"

Link shrugged, "By fighting."

Arn was confused by this, but before he could ask what he meant Rusl called out. "It won't do any good asking him where he learned to fight," the man laughed, "That's the only answer he'll give."

Link frowned at the Knight Commander, "It's a good answer."

"For most, it would be," Impa said as she sauntered onto the field with Zelda at her side, both dressed in their own training gear. "What they really want to know is who taught you how to fight like that, little one."

"Huh?" Now Link looked confused, "No one taught me, I learned to fight the way I do by staying alive."

Arn frowned at this, while Impa nodded respectfully, "I see, so you pretty much just came up with those techniques on your own while fighting enemies."

Link nodded at this. "Well, yeah, Kokiri don't fight unless we have to, so there was no one around to show me how to fight," He said, sliding his shield to his back, "If I didn't learn how to fight fast, then I would've been killed by that Gohma inside The Great Deku Tree."

"And you've done quite well," Rusl put in as Arn was at a loss, "Once you've got some size on you, some of your moves would prove fatal to even seasoned Knights like Arn and myself."

Link shook his head, "I don't kill people."

"What does Ganondorf count as?" Zelda asked, confused. Surely the young Page viewed the man as a person, didn't he? But cold look that entered Link's eyes was all that she needed as an answer.

"I think he used to be normal," Link saud truthfully, "But normal people can't control Gohma like he did."

Impa nodded in agreement, "He's right, even I can sense something off about the man when he's near." She admitted, but then shrugged, "But, thanks to you, young Link, he's been banished from Hyrule."

"That won't stop him," Link put in. He knew exactly what the man wanted. If the future he knew was to come about, then Ganondorf would drive out all of the Hylians and Humans, even his own people, and monsters would rule over the land. The boy then looked to the Princess, "How's it going with the circlet?"

Zelda flushed, reached up to the piece sitting upon her head, "Not very good." She relented, "Somehow this thing doesn't...well, it doesn't feel like it belongs to me." She said, frowning, "All I can manage to do with it is move a small amount of water around, and sometimes I can turn it to ice, but nothing more than that."

Impa reached down and patted her on her head, "It is an item made from magic, Dear One," she reminded the girl, "It will take some time before it begins to respond to you in a positive way."

"I suppose so," the girl pouted, "But it's frustrating. More so than my martial arts training."

"Oh?" Impa smiled at her, "Then perhaps a few more lessons would make up for that, hm?"

Zelda shook her head vigorously, her blonde curls bouncing, "N-no need for that!"

Rusl and Arn chuckled, "Well," Rusl smiled, "I would say that it's about time for the evening patrol." He turned to his former mentor, "Arn, would you mind taking the boys out? Uli could use a brake tonight with Colin, and I would love to spend a little more time with my boy."

Arn nodded, "I know how you feel," he said, looking down at Link, who turned away with a bit of a huff, "I'll gather the other boys together and we can ride out within the hour."

Link was about to head to the stables to saddle up Epona when Zelda skipped to his side, "Link, would you mind if I tagged along?" She asked, a small blush on her cheeks, "I wanna check on Tess before dinner."

Impa caught sight of the tips of Link's ears darkening with his own blush. "Sure. Epona might like seeing you, too." The boy said, showing off a happy smirk on his face.

The Sheikah woman rolled her eyes, "Remember, Dear One, you're still far too young to role in the hay!"

"IMPA!" Zelda shouted, scandalized.

Rusl had to restrain his laughter as the whole thing was lost on poor Link, "You know that doesn't do any good on Link's part, right?" He asked as Arn chuckled.

Impa just shrugged as the two youngsters jogged off, "I realize it, but teasing my little one never gets old," she said, smiling. "But I would explain to the boy about the insinuations of them being alone for any extended amount of time before the become older. Link would be about twelve, now, and quite suspect in some fool's eyes."

Arn looked at her, "Surely it's not so bad?" He asked, looking after his son, "They're only children, after all."

"And Link is very mature for his age, despite his size," Impa pointed out, "And I've seen the way he looks at my dear one. While it would be best if the Princess chooses a potential husband before her sixteenth birthday, there are several that would say that she's already chosen. And I believe Link would be happy to be chosen."

Rusl nodded, "He will make a good replacement for me, indeed...he just needs to come out of that shell of his."

Arn released a sigh, "And now I'm one step further out of his life," he groaned, "I just can't catch a break, can I?"

"Don't say that," said a new, lyrical voice as Saria came strolling up to them, "Link is always this way around strangers. It just takes him a little while for him to warm up to people."

Arn and Rusl bowed their heads to the Oracle, while Impa knelt, "Lady Saria."

Saria blushed heavily, "Oh, please stop doing that!" She whined quite childishly, "It's bad enough that I have have two extra pounds on my chest, but I don't need my friends treating me like some form of royalty!"

The two men tried to ignore the mention of those 'two extra pounds' as they raised their heads. Saria, like Link, was still getting used to castle life. Impa smiled at her, "Count yourself lucky, my dear," she told the Oracle, "Most women your age would kill for a figure like yours."

"If you're talking about these lumps of fat on my chest that the guards can't seem to stop staring at," Saria shivered, having grown displeased at such leering looks, "Then I would rather be my original size again."

"They're just admiring your beauty," Arn put in, trying to put the woman at ease. Though it was odd, the woman was strangely attractive in an ethereal sort of way. She did not wear such gaudy dresses that showed of great amounts of skin, yet the silken emerald green dress she would clung to her curves quite nicely. And as far as her current problem, she did have a modest bust, not at all overly large like some of the women he had seen in his younger days.

But Saria only pouted, "I would rather they not ogle me like a piece of meat," she said, reaching up to tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear, her amber earrings sparkling in the fading sunlight, "Either way, if you're trying to get Link to open up to you, Arn, just take it slow. You're already making progress."

"How so?"

Rusl looked at him, "He spoke to you without being spoken to first," the man said, gaining a nod from the boy's 'mother'. "It took him a while to do that with me and the boys."

Arn frowned, "Well, I guess I shook take what I can get." He said, moving off toward the stables. "I see you all tomorrow, provided we're not out too late."

=x=

Day passed into night as the small patrol made their round around the fields that evening. With four of them, the group had split into two, Pipit going with Link, and Groose staying with Arn. Link was more than happy with the arrangement as he and Pipit had become close friends during their training together, and reading lessons he helped him with.

The boy was fingering the Yiga bow at his back, feeling uncomfortable with its size. "Say, Link, how do you use that bow of yours when it's too big for you?" He asked, looking at the bow on Link's back, "I can't even draw this thing all the way back."

Link shrugged, "It's easy. Just turn your hand over on the string from how you'd normally hold it, and use three fingers, or four if need it," he explained, demonstrating as he mimed holding a bow, but his hand was turned upside down, his thumb pointing downward, "this let's you get more of a draw on the bow."

Pipit tried it out by taking his bow from his back and drawing it back. The bow bent much better than when he tried to draw it normally. He carefully let it back down, taking great care not to let the string snap him in the arm. He smiled at his friend, "Thanks, Link." He said, "I was really worried I wouldn't get the hang of this thing, like Groose."

Link cocked his head, "Is he having trouble?" He asked, looking surprised, "Zelda said she was having trouble with her magic, too."

Pipit frowned, "Yeah, but that's magic, it's always hard to learn," he said, then perked up, "Hey, I just remembered, you used magic against that Bulblin when you fought him, right?"

"Yeah, but that's just channeling what magic I do have into my sword, and letting it loose one huge wave," Link relented, "I can use a couple of spells, but other than that, I suck at magic."

"You know some spells?" Pipit practically glowed with interest, "Which ones?"

Link shrugged, "The three spells of the Goddesses. Farore's Wind, Din's Fire, and Nayru's Love."

Pipit was more than a little shocked. Those spells were usually reserved for priestesses, or Oracles. He had heard tales of several priestesses in service to the an Oracle of Nayru call upon Nayru's Love to form a giant shield to protect the kingdom against attack. Still, if his friend was taught by a Deku Tree, then it shouldn't come as a surprise that he knew a few powerful spells.

"So," Pipit said, deciding to change the subject, "Are you and your dad getting on alright?"

Link's ears twitched in annoyance, "Apart from when we train together, he treats me like a kid," he frowned, "I don't understand why he won't just let me be."

"But you are a kid, Link," Pipit reminded him, frowning, "Look, I get that you've already been through a lot, and can do some things that Groose and I can't, but you're still just a kid, like us." Link grimaced at him for a moment, remaining silent, "I mean, think about it. You're small, and his son, and he saw you fight against that Bulblin like a seasoned Knight. You made Rusl proud, but Arn was probably terrified of losing you."

Link frowned, "I don't need him to coddle me," the boy said, growling slightly, his hands tightening on Epona's reigns, "I get that he wants to be a part of my life, but I don't need a guardian. I need...I don't even know what I want from him!"

Pipit looked at him, a hint of jealousy in his eyes, "You know, if either of my parents were alive," he started, thinking back on his mother, "I'd just want them around."

Link looked at his friend, and saw how inconsiderate he'd been, "Sorry," his ears drooped, "I didn't mean it like that. Besides, just because I don't need him to protect me...doesn't mean I don't want him around."

Pipit would have said something, but Grey, his horse, and Epona, tossed their heads and snorted in agitation. "Whoa, what the- "

"They smell something they don't like," Link said, trying to calm his little mare, "Easy, girl, it's alright."

Her front left hoof came down on something with a loud crunch, and Link looked toward the ground. It was littered with bones. Pipit saw them as well, "Uh, Link, what are - "

"Stalfos," Link frowned, and dismounted, "A lot of them."

Pipit followed suit, "Are they all dead?" He asked, kicking a stray femur.

Link nodded, kneeling down to pick up what looked like part of an arm, "Yeah, someone got to these things way before we got here." He said, looking up at his friend, "I can't tell how long ago, though."

The younger Page began looking around the area, "Maybe whoever killed these things left a trail?" He said, following the bones, "Ah, there're some footprints here."

Link got up, "Let's see where they lead," he suggested, and began looking through his saddlebags for a lantern, "Whoever did all of this might be hurt. And anyone that can kill this many Stalfos is okay in my books."

Pipit looked at him with a smirk, "You mean you'll be nice right off the bat?"

"Hey, I'm always nice!" Link protested, and lit his lantern with a flick of his finger. The two walked their horses through the trail of bones, keeping their eyes glued to the ground and the trail of barefooted prints on the ground. Link was the first to see a thin line of blood glistening in the grass. Whoever had killed the Stalfos hadn't walked away unscathed.

Pipit frowned, "It's kinda fresh," he said, looking at his friend, "think we should send up a flare?"

Link shook his head, "It might spook whoever did this if they're still alive," he said, continuing on, "I'd rather find them and make sure we're not chasing a corpse before we let the others know where we are."

"Did I mention I'm afraid of the dark?"

"Oh, come on, Pipit!"

Pipit chuckled nervously as the pair of them moved through the dark. They came upon an area trampled by horse hooves, and bony feet as well as a pair of humanoid feet. And blood...lots and lots of blood.

"This can't all be from a person, can it?" Pipit gagged at the sight of the red-stained grass.

"It's horse blood," he said, holding his lantern up, and revealing mangled carcass of a small horse. Link recognized the breed; a Gerudo desert racer. The person they were tracking was from the desert.

Pipit gagged again at the sight. The poor things was torn to pieces. "I think I'm gonna be sick."

"Hold it in," Link said, clapping him on the shoulder. "We need to find the rider."

Pipit nodded nervously as the plodded along. "We're getting pretty close to the river," Pipit noted, "I can smell the water."

"She probably needed to clean her wounds." Link pointed out.

"She?" Pipit questioned.

Link nodded, "The horse was from the desert, and no one there besides Ganondorf is a man." He pointed out, "It's got to be a woman."

"At least it's not Ganondorf," Pipit frowned, "I wouldn't want to meet him in the dark of night like this."

"Ganondorf wouldn't have been wounded by something as weak as Stalfos." Link said, "If anything, the Stalfos would more than likely have been running from him."

Pipit looked at him a bit nervously, "You know, the way you talk about him, you sound like you're scared of Ganondorf?"

"I am," Link admitted without shame, "He's dangerous, Pip."

"Well, yeah, but - do you smell smoke?" Pipit asked out of nowhere, sniffing.

Link shook his head, pointing ahead of them, "I see fire."

Ahead of the two boys, glistening on the banks of the river was a small campfire. Driven forward by the urgency of their curiosity, the two hurried forward. What they found was indeed a woman. Laying out on a torn blanket was a tall, slender Gerudo woman. She was dressed in the typical open top that exposed her shoulders and midriff, as well as a blue veil that covered her face partially. Open her head was a circlet of gold with a single large diamond at her forehead along with a pair of topaz earrings, both of which were emanating magic.

The woman, whoever she was, was sound asleep, whether from exhaustion from the fight, or her wounds, she didn't hear them approach. Around her middle was a bloodied bandage, wrapped hastily to stanch the bleeding. Wasting no more time, Link and Pipit took out their signal flares, and lit them, sending the little rockets into the sky as the burst, lighting the sky up with red sparks.

The two boys would stay by the woman's side until Arn and Groose arrived some hours later. The night was waning as the four came together once again. It would be another three hours past dawn before the small patrol frantically rode through the gates of Castle Town, their horses tired and hungry, their riders more so. The woman in their care, Gerudo or not, was taken to the palace to be healed.

The fact that she was in possession of magical artifacts had Link on edge, but this woman was not Ganondorf. If she was a threat, he would gladly wait until she proved it.

Little dark, this chapter, but meh, Ganondorf is an...well, ass. Aveil manages to escape from her husband, only to find trouble where she hoped to find sanctuary. But now she is safe...or is she?

Trivia: Why would Groose and Zelda be having trouble with their gifts?

Don't forget to review...pretty please? :P