Twenty-One

Erik leaned against the rail of the merchant ship Viridian Breeze, watching the ocean go by as the vessel sped on towards Calatia. Several dolphins were frolicking in the ship's wake, and he watched them for a few minutes.

The Sheikah warrior had always loved the sea, though he rarely got to travel by ship anymore. Ever since his skills had developed enough for long-distance teleportation, he hadn't been aboard a ship, except for one mission that involved recovering an item from its cargo without the crew knowing.

He breathed in the salty air and allowed a contented smile to settle over his features. For once, he had no immediate responsibilities, and he could just be alone with his thoughts.

Or not, he thought, hearing heavy footsteps behind him. A deep voice cleared its throat, and Erik turned to see Arnak standing behind him, one massive hand resting on the pommel of the sword that hung at his side.

"Is there something you need, Arnak?" Erik crossed his arms over his chest, leaning back against the rail again. He could count on one hand the number of times Arnak had spoken to him directly since he had met the man, and he wondered what he wanted.

"Why are you here?" the big man said, almost glaring at the Sheikah.

Erik shrugged. "I wanted to get up out of the hold for a few minutes. It gets stuffy down there, and I saw it was a nice day."

Arnak took a step closer, his hand still on his sword, not quite threateningly. "No. Why are you traveling with us?"

Erik frowned slightly. "What do you mean?"

The Bearer of Power gestured behind him at where Link was running Colin through sword drills, Midna and Princess Zelda looking on. "The other members of our group all have clear reasons to be with us or have abilities useful to our mission, but you have never specified why you joined the Company." He leaned in closer, not bothering to disguise the suspicion the Sheikah warrior knew the big man held him in. "Why are you here?"

Erik narrowed his red-irised eyes. "I have never given you the slightest reason to be suspicious of me. Why are you asking me this?"

"Answer my question." The big man's face was deadly serious.

"I travel with you because I have been ordered to do so," the Sheikah warrior answered defensively. "My superiors have told me to travel with the Hero and assist him in whatever way I can."

Arnak narrowed his own eyes. "What superiors? I thought you Sheikah answered to Princess Zelda."

"We are under obligation to follow whatever orders a member of the Hylian Royal Family gives one of us, but we ultimately rule ourselves." Erik looked angrily up at the larger man. "Now why are you asking me this?"

Arnak's answer was short and blunt. "I do not trust you."

Erik began to feel his anger rising at being treated this way. "I haven't given you any-"

"You are a magic-user," Arnak interrupted, "and that first and foremost proves to me that you cannot be trusted. Second, someone has disturbed our baggage, though nothing was taken. This tells me that either one of the Company is a traitor, or we have a spy aboard this vessel."

Erik raised his eyebrows in surprise, his annoyance temporarily forgotten. "I haven't heard anything about this." He gestured at Link, now explaining to Colin the importance of the angle at which a blade should be held to deflect strikes. "Have you told him?"

The big man shook his head. "I only discovered this a few minutes ago. My bag and those of Raskys and Majacen had been opened, and when I looked inside my bag, my possessions were not how I left them." He glared down at Erik again. "You will swear to me that you did not have anything to do with this?"

The warrior frowned, offended at the implication. "Of course. How do you know it wasn't one of the crew?"

"I have made sure no one but the Company have entered our section of the hold. As I have said, either it was one of us, or we have a spy aboard the vessel."

"We should tell the others, then," Erik said. "They deserve to know."

"What is it we deserve to know?"

Erik turned to see Princess Zelda standing a few feet away. He hadn't heard her approach, and he must have been upset for him to miss something like that.

Arnak turned to the disguised princess. "Our possessions have been disturbed. I suspect there is a spy aboard."

Zelda nodded, her expression thoughtful. Even in ordinary traveling clothes, with her hair loose and no jewelry or makeup adorning her features, the Princess of Hyrule was still a regally beautiful woman. Erik found himself thinking that she looked better like this than in fancy robes of state, before he caught himself, surprised at his line of thought.

"We will tell the others, but none of the crew. If there is indeed a spy among us, it would be wise to avoid letting them know we are onto them." Zelda glanced back at where Link, Midna, and Colin sat on the deck, the Twilight Princess now relating another part of the Hero's previous journey to the boy.

Arnak grunted. "I would say the spy cares little for discretion, if it left such an obvious sign of its presence."

Zelda nodded again, looking up at her fellow Triforce Bearer. "Perhaps the spy left other signs of its presence. We should go and investigate further."

The three of them went down to the hold, where the Company slept and stored their gear. Arnak had scrounged a lock from somewhere, and had installed it on the door of their room, high up enough that only he could reach it without standing on something. Erik had noticed this a few days ago, and knew he could reach it without any problem, but refrained from saying so. Arnak was already suspicious of him, for reasons the Sheikah warrior was still attempting to determine.

Had Arnak overheard one of his reports to his commanders and misunderstood what he was doing? The Sheikah were on the Company's side in this matter, even if they preferred for him to not tell the others too much about the organization he belonged to. "People are more likely to talk if they think nobody's there," one of his instructors had told him once, and it was certainly true. Their vast information network depended on only a select few knowing of its existence. If the rest of the Company thought him merely a bodyguard for the princess, so much the better.

Zelda stepped into the room and began making a close examination of the disturbed baggage. After a few moments, her hand passed over Arnak's bag and there was a brief flash of golden light as her Triforce manifested itself.

She frowned minutely and bent to look closer, holding her hand over the bag for several seconds. The princess stood. "There is indeed a spy aboard this vessel, but it is none of the crew and," she glanced at Arnak briefly, meeting his eyes with just a hint of reproach in her own, "none of the Company. I sense Shadow magic, and I suspect we are dealing with an unnatural creature."

Arnak looked down at his bag. "What sort of creature?"

Hyrule's Princess sighed quietly. "Some sorcerers skilled in the dark arts make for themselves creatures that can hide in shadows, as spies and assassins. If this is truly what hides aboard this vessel, I suggest that the magic-users in our group should work out shifts so that one of us is always awake."

Arnak frowned, but nodded.

Erik turned to him, a sudden thought crossing his mind. "Why do you not use your Triforce of Power to find the spy? From what I know if it, your piece gives it bearer great powers, and is perhaps the most potent of the Three."

The big man glowered at him. "I have not been able to make my Triforce activate. So far, I have only observed passive effects, such as enhanced strength and greater stamina."

Zelda looked up at Arnak. "Have you tried to do anything beyond that?"

He shook his head. "I have not attempted to cast any spells, if that is what you mean."

She smiled slightly. "The Triforce is a different sort of magic. It does not require spells to activate, but merely force of will. Sit with me, and I will attempt to help you activate your Triforce."

Arnak looked reluctant, but he sat, and Zelda sat across from him, her legs folded underneath her.

Erik knew he was not needed here, and so he went back up on deck, deciding to enlist the help of the Hero in searching for the shadow spy. If it came to combat, he was the member of the Company Erik wanted battling the thing, since he had the experience fighting unnatural creatures.

As he approached the place where the Hero sat, he caught part of the story the Twilight Princess was telling Colin.

"At first, it seemed to be stuck in the ground, and all it could do was try to grab Link with its tentacles, but after Link grabbed its eye with his clawshot and stabbed it a few times, it swam out! It was the biggest monster either of us had ever seen, and it had a mouth big enough to eat this whole ship in two bites! It was as big as a building, covered in armor plates and spines." Midna spread her arms wide, as if trying to show how big the creature was.

Colin gasped, and looked over at Link, who nodded gravely, but with a twinkle in his eye.

Midna continued. "It kept swimming around in circles, knocking over the pillars in the chamber, and Link had to swim after it, since its only weak spot was the eye that was on its back. Once, it turned faster than Link or I expected, and it sucked him right into its mouth!"

Colin gasped again, and Link chuckled.

"It spit me right back out, though," the Hero said.

Midna smirked. "It must not have liked the taste. He hadn't taken a bath in a while." She winked at Colin, who laughed. "Anyway, Link latched onto the eye with his clawshot again, and he stabbed it with his sword as many times as he could before it threw him off. Finally, after almost getting eaten a couple more times, Link managed to kill the creature, and it thrashed around as it was dying, finally slamming into the wall of the chamber and cracking it, making all the water drain out. The creature vanished in a huge cloud of black smoke, and it left behind the third Fused Shadow."

"The last one!" Colin said. "What happened next?"

Erik gestured for the two adults to come with him, and Midna reached down to ruffle Colin's hair.

"I'll tell you next time, kiddo. Go practice your sword drills while me and Link go talk to Erik."

"Okay." Colin went over to pick up his practice sword and shield.

Link and Midna followed Erik over to a spot by the rail.

"What is it?" Midna asked.

The Sheikah warrior looked at both of them in turn, and keeping his voice low, told them about the spy.

Link narrowed his eyes. "I've never heard of any kind of creature like that. Do we know who sent it?"

Midna frowned. "Probably whoever is directing the Oocca. That presence Majacen mentioned a few days ago is getting stronger, and I think that's who we've been sensing. It still feels like Ganondorf's magic, but it's still… off. I don't know how to explain it."

The Hero also frowned. "Well, I'll keep an eye out for anything suspicious. I don't know how to fight something that can hide in shadows, but I'm betting this will hurt it, anyway." He gestured at the hilt of the Master Sword over his shoulder with his thumb.

Midna rested her hand on the pommel of the Twilight Blade. "I'll watch for it, too. We should probably tell Majacen about this. He might know more about it, whatever it is."

Erik crossed his arms over his chest. "I'll take first watch tonight. Mara thinks it might try to attack us while we're sleeping." The warrior didn't know if the spy was still about, so he used the name Zelda had adopted with her disguise.

A spark of insight flashed in the Twilight Princess' eyes. "Hey, if we can capture it, we might be able to get it to tell us about its master. We still don't know who he is."

Link's features settled into a determined expression. "And the sooner we know that, the sooner we can take him out."

The spy hurtled through the void, bound for its master. He would not be pleased that it had been discovered, but it had news that would hopefully make up for its mistake.

When it re-entered the world of light, he was waiting, sitting cross-legged on the stone floor of the small chamber with his hands resting on his knees. An expression of intense concentration was on Raneses' face, but as soon as the spy regained its form, he opened his glowing yellow eyes and glared at it.

"You have news?" he said, his tone making it clear that he was irritated with the interruption. The spy would have to choose its words carefully.

"I have found the Third." The spy would have smiled triumphantly, had it still possessed a mouth.

Raneses continued to glare at the spy. "And you have also been discovered. Do not think you can hide anything from me, creature." He gestured idly with one of his hands, and a lance of icy pain stabbed through the spy, making it lose cohesion for a moment. When it had solidified again, he gestured for it to finish its report.

"The Bearer of Wisdom is also traveling with the Hero's Company, with the other two. It is the female Sheikah they call Mara. It was she who divined my presence."

Raneses raised an eyebrow. "So, Princess Zelda has left her kingdom, and is traveling in disguise. This means all three Chosen Ones of the gods are traveling together." He was silent for several long moments. "I will continue to watch this 'Hero's Company', to see what their plans are."

The spy bowed, a habit left over from its former existence. "I will return immediately, master."

Raneses looked up at the spy, as if remembering it was still there. "You will not be the one watching them. You let them discover you, and now I must send a servant capable of remaining hidden even under their scrutiny."

The spy would have paled, had it still possessed the ability. "I am sorry, master, but I-"

Raneses cut him off. "I am not interested in your excuses. Your service to me is finished." He gestured again, and the spy vanished into the smoke of which it appeared to be formed.

Viserys looked up from his paperwork at the knock on his stateroom door. "Enter," he said.

General Drake stepped into the room, saluting, and Viserys stood from his desk to acknowledge the salute. "I have news, sir." The general held out a sheet of paper, frowning slightly. "I received this a few minutes ago, and I thought you would want to look it over personally."

The Mercenary King took the paper, looking it over and scowling once he finished. "Has this been confirmed?"

Drake nodded. "By three different scouting parties, sir. We're still investigating, but we don't have any leads as of yet."

Viserys nodded. "You are dismissed."

General Drake saluted his commander again and left the room. Once he was gone, Viserys permitted himself an angry sigh and a virulent curse, slamming the paper down on his desk.

Needle Peak was gone. Nothing had been destroyed, but every single living person in the city had vanished without a trace, including three thousand Balacruf soldiers. The report had stated that nothing else was missing, and it seemed to have happened without any warning at all. Fires were still lit, plates were still set on tables, and the city gates were still closed. All weapons were still in their racks, and beds looked like their occupants had left them without moving the blankets.

The last thing Viserys needed was another surprise from his enemy. They already had enough strange technology he was still struggling to understand without this new weapon, whatever it was.

He rose, and crossed to the window, looking out at the clouds as Argent Hawk sped on, bound for a base on the eastern coast of Calatia, at which Viserys and his generals would organize a mission to search for Oocca bases. They had been unable to find anything resembling a supply depot or shipyard thus far in the war, and Viserys was determined to find a way to cripple the Oocca offensive in any way he could. Directly taking on any and all flying fortresses they encountered would be foolhardy, as even with knowledge of their weak point, the fortresses still vastly outgunned his ships. The most advantageous action would be the one that accomplished the most damage while spending as few lives as possible.

Though, he reflected darkly, such an action may not exist.

There was another knock at his door, and Viserys sighed again, wondering if it was another report with confounding news. "Enter!"

Philos, his chief scientist, poked his head in. "Erm, is this a bad time, Admiral?"

"What do you need, Philos?" Viserys kept the irritation out of his voice. This could be important, since Philos rarely approached him without a good reason.

The short scientist stepped into the room, bearing a box under his arm. "I've just finished work on a prototype I thought that the army might find useful in the future, and I thought you would like to review it."

Viserys gestured at a table, and the scientist bustled over to it, setting the box down. It was about two and a half feet long, and once the scientist opened it, Viserys stepped over to see what it was.

Philos removed the object from the box and held it up for Viserys to see. It was a narrow metal tube about two feet long, attached to a wooden handle that looked like it had been scavenged from a crossbow. There was a complicated-looking mechanism where the tube met the handle, and there was a trigger on the underside of the object.

The Mercenary King crossed his arms over his chest. "All right, Philos, what is it? It looks like a miniature cannon."

The scientist beamed. "You are right, sir. I've been working on this in my spare time for the last six months, and I recently managed to get it working the way I intended. I got the idea while I was talking to one of our archers, who told me that it was difficult to aim while the wind was blowing, and I remembered that cannonballs move fast enough that you don't have to compensate for wind as much. So, I thought to myself, why not make a cannon small enough to be carried easily?"

Viserys took the miniature cannon from Philos and looked it over. "How does it work?"

"Ah, I'm glad you asked, sir. See, this metal tube is the barrel, and you put a tiny metal ball inside," he produced one from his pocket and held it up for examination, "and a small amount of gunpowder, the same as a cannon. You then pull this trigger on the bottom here, and this creates a spark that ignites the gunpowder and propels the ball out at your target."

"How long does it take to reload?" Viserys pressed the stock against his shoulder and sighted along the barrel. He doubted the thing's accuracy, but if it worked, it would be another advantage for him. If he equipped the ground troops with them, it would be an easier way to kill foes from a distance. And, the troops on the airships would surely appreciate a new weapon to repel boarders with.

"Well, it usually takes me about a minute and a half to get everything secured properly." Philos grimaced. "If everything isn't properly set up, it has the slight tendency to…" He trailed off.

Viserys looked over at him, one eyebrow arching in suspicion. "To what?"

Philos chewed his lip nervously. "Ah, to explode, sir. I lost two of my prototypes that way." He chuckled shortly. "And my eyebrows, once."

Viserys handed the miniature cannon back to Philos. "This could be useful in the future. Put three members of your team to work on this full-time. I want it ready to mass-produce within two months." He narrowed his eyes slightly, to show he was serious. "And Philos, I want all possibility of this exploding in my soldiers' faces removed. Swords and bows are working for us at this time, and I will not risk lives on an unproven experimental weapon."

"Yes, sir! I'll get my team working on it as soon as I get back to Nimbus City." Philos packed up his miniature cannon, but remained standing by it.

"Was there something else?" Viserys returned to his desk and sat down.

"Ah, yes, there was, actually. My assistant called me a few hours ago to tell me that the two Oocca survivors we pulled off the wrecked fortress are recovering, and will soon be ready for interrogation." Philos picked up the box and tucked it under his arm again.

"Excellent. I will conduct the interrogation personally once this mission is over. Is that all?"

Philos nodded. "Yes, sir."

"You are dismissed, then." Viserys looked back down at his paperwork, noting the door shutting as Philos left.

Viserys looked down at the pile of documents that needed his review and signature, dreading having to return to this essential but mind-numbing portion of his duties. Deciding to put it off for a few minutes, he crossed to where his bag sat at the foot of the bed in his stateroom, and opened it, searching for a small, cloth-wrapped bundle. Finding the object, he clenched his hand around it and crossed to the small washroom, to ensure privacy.

He removed the cloth, revealing a Communication Stone of an odd reddish-purple color, and tapped it in a specific pattern. He waited for several moments, and it buzzed in his hand, in the same pattern.

"It's been a while, Viserys. I thought you'd forgotten about me," the voice emanating from the stone said. The Mercenary King could just barely make out a face in the stone, silver-haired, with red irises, pointed ears, and otherwise unremarkable features.

"Have you been able to find out anything more since the last time we spoke?" The level of secrecy was demanded by his contact, who assured him that while his organization could be trusted, they preferred to keep their existence a secret as much as possible.

His contact nodded. "Our agents have been searching for some sign of an Oocca base, but so far, we have not found anything. But, the Oocca recently sent another fortress to Hyrule, and I have sent scouts to discern its purpose. They have sent two into Calatia, and one stopped for several hours over the Blue Forest."

"They are reinforcing their garrison there, then." Viserys frowned. This was not good news. If the enemy was massing an army in the Blue Forest, it almost certainly meant they were going to attack Belakar City soon. The capital of the most powerful nation on this continent could not be allowed to fall.

"We also spotted three fortresses over Holodrum, and I believe it is ready to fall. They have been battering that country relentlessly since they began their invasion, and its neighbor Labrynna, also." Viserys' informant smiled ironically. "It is… unfortunate that they refused your services."

"It is not my fault if they are governed by stiff-necked fools. I am not going to protect them for free," Viserys said bluntly. "Have you been able to locate the mage that destroyed a fortress over Hyrule?"

His contact nodded. "Actually, we have. One of our agents happened to be present at that battle. He reported that a Twili, of all people, was responsible for the magic blasts that ultimately crippled the fortress. I would have told you this weeks ago, if you'd contacted me."

Their arrangement was the Viserys contacted the informant, never the other way around, since the Admiral never knew when others would be around. Another level of secrecy insisted upon by the man. His information was always accurate, so Viserys put up with his demands, which were thankfully little more than not revealing the informant's existence.

Viserys frowned in puzzlement. "What is a Twili? I haven't heard of that race before."

"They were a group of sorcerers who attempted to seize Hyrule almost a thousand years ago. They were defeated, and banished to a parallel dimension known as the Twilight Realm. Their descendants grew so accustomed to the conditions there over time that they can't return to this world without being harmed. But, this one can, since she's the ruler of the Twilight Realm and has special powers that the rest don't have."

"What's she doing in this world, then?"

His informant's image shrugged. "We don't know, really." He grinned. "Funny thing, though. Her group is on its way to meet you."

Viserys looked sharply at his contact. "Why?"

"They're fighting the Oocca, too, and a wizard traveling with them told them you were their best bet for a way to defeat them." The informant leaned in closer to the stone on his end. "I'd suggest you meet up with these people as soon as possible. For one thing, they have several powerful magic-users with them, not to mention all three Triforce Bearers. All three bearers of the Golden Power haven't been on the same side... well... ever, and there's no telling what they can accomplish if they work together."

Viserys had heard of the Triforce, and had heard endless rumors about the power its pieces gave to their bearers, not to mention what it could do when it was intact. If even half of them were true, this was definitely something he wanted on his side. "Where are they?"

The contact held up a finger. "In a second. It gets better. Besides the Triforce Bearers, the Twilight Princess, and the wizard, they have one of the few individuals we know of that knows how to read and speak the Oocca language besides the Oocca themselves. And," the informant's grin got wider, "they have the Hero with them, too. He's one of the Triforce Bearers, and this guy is someone you want on your team, trust me."

Viserys had also heard the stories of the Hylian Heroes, and how their gods gifted them with incredible strength, speed, and skill with weapons. From the rumors, they were practically one-person armies, able to take on the mightiest of monsters without fear. These abilities were supposed to come from the piece of the Triforce the Hero usually bore, Courage. If the other two were with him, especially Power, the war would soon be over with them fighting for Viserys.

The informant leaned even closer to his stone, so that Viserys could see his serious expression. "But, don't send a warship to pick them up. Their group is somewhat suspicious, and if a gigantic flying ship swoops down out of the sky and asks for them by name, they're going to wonder how you knew about them. Even though one of our agents travels with them, we'd prefer it if they didn't know too much about us. Our effectiveness depends on our secrecy."

Viserys nodded. "So you've told me. Where are they now?"

"They're on a ship, a few days away from Calatia. Our agent has talked to the captain, and he intends to make port at Redeen. Don't make it obvious that you're looking for them, either. Just… make yourself easy to find."

The Mercenary King nodded. "Very well, then. I'll contact you later. In the meantime, focus on finding the Oocca base. If these people you've told me of intend to work with me, their power would be best used in focusing on crippling the enemy operations."

"I'll tell our agent to look for your men in Redeen. He's smart enough to make it look incidental."

Viserys nodded again and closed the connection, wrapping the stone back up and putting it back in his bag. As he sat at his desk again, he allowed himself a small smile. The gods had dropped another advantage in his lap. Now, if his enemy didn't find a way around this one, also, the war was all but won.

Nabooru resisted the urge to strike the woman sitting next to her in the council room. How could anyone be so foolish?

"You would be willing to let another Ganondorf lead us to even greater ruin?" she said incredulously.

"What choice do we have?" the other woman replied. "Raneses is legally our king. What will we become if we abandon our laws whenever it is convenient? We would become nothing more than barbarians!"

"Raneses is just as power-hungry as his ancestor! He will repeat the actions of that man, and it will ruin us just as thoroughly as his did!" Nabooru stabbed her finger at the portrait of Ganondorf that hung on the wall, his hand clenched around the Hylian Triforce and a maniacal grin on his face. "I know from speaking with the Hylian Hero that the monster we captured had in his possession an artifact forged by the Accursed One that would let him control the Triforce. Raneses freed the monster while he was here. This can only mean that he is in pursuit of the Hylian magic, also. It has not been so long as to make us forget what happened the last time a king of ours attempted to do such a thing."

Another woman spoke up. "Our traditions are what separate us from the savages. If we simply ignore whichever laws do not suit our current goals, we might as well abandon them all!"

"Sisters." The Matriarch stood from her chair. "We must break this deadlock. Raneses' week is almost up, and we are still no closer to a decision." She gestured out at the ring of Gerudo women, some city administrators, some merchants, but most warriors. There were six raiding party commanders, including Nabooru, all of them sharp minds with sharper swords.

"Our decision is obvious!" one of the city administrators said. "We are barely surviving as it is, and if he can give us Hyrule, his methods don't matter."

"Even if it means we all die when the Hylians slaughter us?" Nabooru held up a hand at the others' shocked gasps. "Let us be realistic, sisters." She began to walk around the room, making eye contact with the others whenever possible. "True, we are warriors without peer, and I will personally prove wrong anyone who says otherwise. But, think about what Raneses' first orders for us will be. He has stated his intention to seize Hyrule. Who do you think he will send to accomplish this? We have been spying on them for centuries; we know their country as well as they do. But what has stopped us every time?"

She stopped in front of Ganondorf's portrait, to drive home her point. "The Hero. The Chosen Ones of the Hylian gods are gifted with supernatural reflexes, strength, and speed. They are no ordinary warriors, sisters. The current Hero fought alone through scores of the Accursed One's monsters, and even defeated the Accursed One himself in single combat, a feat only one other has managed to accomplish. His gods favor him strongly, so what do you think will happen when he decides that we are his enemies?"

"You would favor a foreigner over a member of your own kind? Over your own legal king?"

Nabooru was not sure which of the women made the incredulous statement, and she did not care. She was growing tired of their foolish adherence to tradition over common sense.

"I would not be the first!" she snarled at them. "Do none of you remember the tale of Sogolon? The king of her day wanted to enslave the Zuna, despite our treaty with them, and she knew he was wrong to do so, no matter his legal position. So, against orders, she rode ahead of the charge and warned them, enabling the Zuna to escape before the army reached their city.

"The King was furious, but the Zuna were so grateful to Sogolon that they supplied the Gerudo when the Hylians laid siege to our capital, after the King attacked them, also. Our fellow desert-dwellers braved the siege lines and kept us fed, and our wells flowing, while the Hylians starved in the sand.

"And when, after the Hylians finally retreated, they sent in their Hero to destroy us, Sogolon stopped him, and befriended him, showing him that not all the Gerudo were power-hungry and aggressive as our mad King." Nabooru looked around the room again. "Together, they showed our people that the King was insane, and was not fit to rule. Because of her brave actions, Sogolon was rewarded with the scimitar and the mantle of Matriarch. She went on to negotiate a treaty with the Hylians, and this lead to the longest-lasting peace between our peoples in our history." She paused, to let that sink in so she could drive her next point home. "That treaty lasted until the Accursed One broke it."

She began to walk around the edge of the room, behind the chairs. "Raneses is no different than his ancestor. He bears his face, his lust for power, and his ambition. He does not care what he has to do in his quest for power, and I know he will sacrifice us if it means winning his war. He does not care about us, even if we are his native people. He only wants us on his side so that he can use our skills to win his war of conquest, just like his ancestor. He will cast us aside the moment we are no longer useful to him, and we will be worse off than before."

One of her fellow raiders, a woman named Akame, shook her head as she stood. "Have you so little confidence in your own people, Nabooru? As you yourself said, we are warriors without peer. The Hylians are weak, like sheep. Their Hero is the only real warrior among them, and if he is dead, their country will finally be ours for the taking." She looked about the room, indicating Ganondorf's coronation portrait. "I was there when Raneses appeared to us. I fought him myself. If anyone deserves the scimitar of the greatest Gerudo warrior, it is him. He is powerful enough to kill their Hero, and lead us to victory. It is as our sister said; If he can lead us to glory, his methods do not matter."

She began to walk around the room, just as Nabooru had done, while she presented her argument. "Our people once had an empire that spanned this entire desert, and a good portion of the lands beyond. It was achieved through conquest, earned through our blood and our sweat, ours to rule as we saw fit. We were a power to be reckoned with, and the weak trembled at our very name. But," her tone became angry and more forceful, "it was taken, stolen from us by the Hylians and their accursed magic. Sisters, we have before us an opportunity to reclaim that greatness, instead of cowering wherever the Hylians drive us, desecrating our sacred lands and temples with their presence."

Akame stopped in the center of the circle the chairs made. "I am tired of raiding merchant caravans and harassing the coastal cities. We deserve better, sisters. We deserve to live in the green fields and cool winds of Hyrule, instead of scratching a living off of rocks and sand, baked by the sun and assaulted by the harsh winds. I say we stand with Raneses, take our chance at greatness, and if we die in the attempt, so be it! At least we took the chance, instead of dooming ourselves to extinction by refusing our rightful king!"

Nabooru noted with a sinking heart that almost everyone in the room besides herself and the Matriarch was nodding.

The Matriarch stood. "We will adjourn for today. I ask all of you to think long and carefully about what has been said here, and consider which way you will vote equally as carefully. We will hold the final vote tomorrow, and I will make my ruling based on what we think is best for our people."

The other women stood and began to file out of the council room, but at a surreptitious signal from the Matriarch, Nabooru stayed behind and closed the door.

The raider turned to see the Matriarch sigh heavily, seeming older than her years. "Sister, I know which way the others will vote tomorrow. I saw the way their eyes lit up when Akame spoke. They are all warriors at heart, and they are convinced, despite your words of reason. If I rule anything other than to surrender my scimitar to Raneses, they will likely kill me and give it to him anyway."

"I will kill anyone who tries such a thing!" Nabooru hissed.

The Matriarch smiled sadly. "I know you would, sister, but we are in enough danger of dying off without a civil war." She gripped Nabooru's shoulders and looked her in the eye. "That is why my task for you is all the more urgent. After the vote tomorrow, take three of your best warriors and go to find the Hero. You already know him, and perhaps, as with Sogolon, he will listen to you, and spare our people. From what you said of him, he seems like a compassionate man, and he may understand our situation."

She strode away, to stand in front of Ganondorf's later portrait, gazing at it while she spoke. "From the power Raneses demonstrated, I am certain it is he who is controlling the Oocca the Hero is seeking to defeat. If you assist the Hero in finding a way to defeat him, it will solve both our problems."

"I-I will do as you say, Matriarch." Nabooru knew what her leader had just asked her to do was tantamount to treason, but she knew it was the right thing to do.

The Matriarch turned to look at her again. "May you be successful, sister. For all our sakes."

Author's Note: There was originally supposed to be one more Hero's Company section, but I thought this a better end to the chapter, and the deleted section opens Chapter 22 instead. Also, this has been in my profile for a while, but I decided to put in here, also: I have several scenes and characters from this story I would like a picture of, but since I'm unfortunately lacking in artistic talents, anyone who has them and would be willing to work with me on these would be greatly appreciated. If you're interested, send me a PM and I'll give you further details. And, as always, tell me what you thought. Reviews are greatly appreciated.

(Revision Note: Silverwolf05, Desteni, and others have contributed some great fanart to this story, all of which you can find in the 'Story-related' folder of my Favorites on DeviantArt. The offer still stands, though, so anyone who wants to do art based on this story is more than welcome. Thanks for reading!)