"We thank you once again for your hospitality, Sage." Queen Urballa bowed her head respectfully. Harun and Princess Sabah, standing on either side of her, mimicked her actions.
"No, my queen. It is us who thank you for your visit," the sage replied. The line of spirit priestesses standing behind her nodded in agreement. "The Arbiter's Grounds have suffered in the recent monster raid, but its people are grateful that you and your warriors were here to protect us." Regarding him with those soul-piercing eyes, Nashorla then approached Harun. "Young prince, I know this experience has not been a positive one for you," she said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Much is still uncertain about your future, and about the spirits who haunt you. But I trust that you have the fortitude and inner strength to endure it."
Harun hesitated, unsure how to respond. Uncertainty was all he knew these days, particularly when it came to his feelings regarding gods and spirits. "You… have my gratitude," he decided to say. "I confess I had hoped more would be accomplished with my journey here, but your guidance has been helpful nonetheless."
"You are still welcome to stay and continue your training, if you wish," Nashorla reminded him. "Mastering your connection to Ganon will require great effort. It will be a long time before you no longer need him to keep the Curse of Demise under control, and even longer before you may break the curse, if ever. It would be my duty as the Sage of Spirit to aid you in this most arduous of tasks."
"The offer is appreciated, wise one," Harun replied, shaking his head. "But I must accompany the queen to Taafei. I cannot be absent during the negotiations with Hyrule."
And I cannot in good conscience remain safe here while the others brave the desert again.
Nashorla turned her gaze to Queen Urballa, who nodded her approval. "His destiny is his own," the queen said. "And he has made his choice."
"We shall keep the shield safe, as well," Harun added, reaching behind himself to tap his trident against the mirror shield he carried upon his back. "Taafei was the seat of power of its former owner. Perhaps we will uncover its mysteries there."
Nashorla nodded. "I wish you safe travels," she said. "May Nephysis guide you."
Their farewells concluded, Harun and his surrogate family returned to the convoy that was preparing to leave at the edge of the settlement. Among those who would be joining them on their journey back to the Gerudo capital were Elder Kobami, Commander Bularis, most of the surviving members of the party that had accompanied them from Naboris, as well as several nomads and citizens of the Arbiter's Grounds who had chosen to join them.
"We'll be traveling in two parties once again," Urballa informed Sabah and Harun. "Sabah will ride up front with me. Harun, you and Elder Kobami will follow in the second group."
"Yes, Mother," Sabah said with a nod.
"Yes, my queen," Harun agreed as well.
"Good. Follow the path I take as closely as you can. We'll be sticking close to the cliffs until we reach the Southern Oasis," the queen instructed. Taking her daughter by the hand, Urballa went to join her half of the party.
"My prince." Laine, Emri, and Kyra appeared beside Harun, carrying satchels of supplies along with their weapons. "Please join us if you're ready to depart."
Harun felt his heart sink.
These girls trained with me and Katta.
And it was not only Katta who was missing. Several others had not made it all the way to the Arbiter's Grounds, and even some of those who did would not be leaving with them.
Lady Averla…
"My prince? Is something wrong?"
"No. I am ready to depart. Thank you," Harun said quickly, beginning to trudge through the sand over to the camels. Drudging up recent unpleasant memories would only serve to strengthen the evils inside of him. He could already feel the struggle, like Ganon was pulling him one way and Demise was pulling him the other, but neither way felt like it would lead him to where he wanted to go.
If only the true path forward were clearer to me...
After mounting up and giving Urballa's party a head start, Harun and his party set out. The difference between the Arbiter's Grounds and the desert was immediately apparent. With no buildings around, there was no shade, and the hot desert sun was free to beat down on them with no interruption.
"Do you require more water, my prince?" Laine offered.
"I'm fine, thank you."
"Is the sun too intense for you, Prince Harun? I could ride beside you and provide some shade, if you'd like," Emri offered, resting a parasol against her shoulder in place of her spear.
"No, that will not be necessary." Harun waved her off, then sighed.
Perhaps I should try riding with some of the Hylianites who despise me instead.
The prince pulled his camel's reins, choosing to travel in the middle of the convoy, as far as possible from the guards lining the perimeter. They were in for a long trip, and while it would've been nice to have had someone to talk to, that wasn't something he could handle at the moment.
However, his solitude was short-lived. The sound of rushing wind erupted from behind him, and suddenly, Elder Kobami was floating beside him atop a carpet. "Why do you spurn their advances?" she asked the prince.
Harun furrowed his brow. "What do you mean, elder one?"
"Your attendants," the witch replied. "They are all such strong, beautiful daughters of Gerudo noblewomen, and they wish nothing more than to please you. Any one of them would make a fine first wife."
Harun sighed.
I do not need to hear this right now.
"There are much graver concerns requiring my attention at the moment," the prince said, hoping his voice adequately conveyed his annoyance.
Elder Kobami shook her head. "You are a difficult voe," she said. "None of the fathers of my daughters were ever so picky."
Harun dared not ask about the voe Kobami had met in her century of life. Gerudo women did not become attached to the fathers of their children, and most never saw them again after returning from a Mother's Pilgrimage. Many Gerudo mothers did not have much issue with discussing the topic, but it was still considered taboo to ask about it.
When he was younger, Harun had sometimes wondered who his father was. According to Queen Urballa, that was something nobody knew. Only his mother had met the voe, and she had died without telling anyone about him. Harun figured his father must be a Hylian, as was the case with most of his people. Gerudo who'd been sired by round-eared humans tended to have somewhat rounded ears themselves. Harun had distinctly pointed ears, which meant his father would have been either a Hylian or a Sheikah. Since the Sheikah forbade relations outside of their clan, a Hylian was much more likely. However, there was no way to know anything else about him, or if he was even still alive.
It matters not. Very few of my people ever know of their fathers.
As a Gerudo voe, his children would be the exception, but that forced him to think about who the mother of his children would be. Katta was gone. His betrothal to Princess Sabah still did not feel right. Elder Kobami's insistence that he should sire children with multiple vai was even more uncomfortable to think about, even though he knew most Gerudo vai who had multiple children did so with a different voe each time.
Harun was pulled out of his thoughts when he heard a commotion around him. Many panicked murmurs echoed about, and he saw people pointing at something off in the distance. "What is it?" he asked.
Elder Kobami raised herself higher into the air to get a better look, but after a moment, Harun saw what was getting everyone worked up. Further out in the desert, there was something big moving under the sand, kicking up dust clouds as it made its way through the sand sea.
Another Molduga?
Harun felt a burning wrath building up inside of him at the mere thought of encountering such a creature again. The image of Demise flashed before his eyes for a split second, but he shook his head in a panic to get rid of it.
No. I must remain my own self.
"Remain calm," Harun said loudly and authoritatively, although he felt like he was mostly talking to himself. "Proceed to those cliffs. Make haste, but do not panic. We are still a safe distance from the monster.
The Gerudo in the convoy did as commanded, picking up the pace and moving to the nearest rocky cliffside where the ground would be too solid for any monster to move through it. Kobami lowered herself down to Harun's level and followed next to him. "I am proud to see you taking charge of the situation so easily once again, young one," she told him. "You have a great future as our king ahead of you."
Harun ignored her. From anyone else, it would have been a fine complement, but he knew what kind of king the witch hoped he would be.
"Let us wait here a moment," Harun declared once he and his party had reached the top of a relatively short cliff jutting out of the desert. He looked out over the horizon and saw that the monster beneath the sand was still moving towards them.
No sense trying to outrun it. Just let it pass.
After a moment, the dust clouds stopped. Harun stared at the spot where the monster was waiting, hoping to see it turn around. If it came close and began circling them, they would be trapped until it lost interest.
"Perhaps you should slay the monster," Elder Kobami suggested, lowering her flying carpet down to the ground a few feet away from his camel.
"Are you mad?" Harun asked, furrowing his brow. "No one person can slay such a beast."
"But you are something more, young one," the witch replied. "With the Great Ganondorf's power inside of you, there is nothing in this realm strong enough to defeat you."
"You exaggerate, elder one." Harun knew he was nowhere near as strong as Ganondorf was said to have been, and as strong as Ganondorf supposedly was, even he had been defeated by the Hero of Twilight.
"You think so now," Kobami continued. "But that is only because you are yet to accept his blessing and unlock your true potential."
Harun sighed. It was always confusing to him whenever the witch said such things. He couldn't tell if she was giving him the same advice Sage Nashorla had given him or if she was saying something completely different.
Would I be maintaining balance and communing with him if I let him grant me his power? Or would I be throwing off the balance and surrendering to him? Would that matter if he is here to help me as Alkawbra claims?
The prince rubbed his temple, trying to think carefully. If he allowed himself to get frustrated, he would only succeed in making things harder for himself.
Suddenly, the monster began moving again, kicking up more dust clouds. It was no longer heading straight for them, but instead heading in a direction that would cut them off if they were to continue on their original path.
No matter. We simply need to wait for it to pass.
However, when Harun turned his head to follow the monster's trajectory, he spotted Queen Urballa's half of the party moving in the distance. They were traveling through open desert, somewhat far from the next safe cliffside. "Elder Kobami, look," Harun said worriedly, pointing between the monster and the queen's party. "Fly over and warn them, now!" he ordered.
"As you wish, my prince." The witch lifted into the air on her flying carpet and took off, speeding in the direction of the queen.
"The horn! Blow the horn!" Harun shouted, frantically looking around for the soldier who was carrying the signal horns. The vai in question was Emri, situated near the front of their party. Harun saw her fumbling with her bags, likely startled by his sudden shouting, but she managed to retrieve the warhorn and blow into it.
Come on… Come on…
A moment later, someone from Urballa's party blew their horn in response
Thank the gods.
Harun saw their camels and sand seals pick up the pace, fleeing to the nearest cliff in order to escape the approaching monster. However, the monster was moving fast, and Harun was not certain they could make it to safety before it caught up to them.
If I ride out there now, I might be able to cut it off halfway.
He knew it was foolish, but he had to make a quick decision, and there was something inside of him telling him to go. He didn't want to think about whether it was Ganon or Demise influencing him, but he felt a surge of power and confidence.
I can do this. I don't need to fight it, just distract it.
Pulling on his camel's reins, the prince spurred it on and took off down the slope.
"My prince, what are you doing?"
"Wait! Come back!"
"Stop! You mustn't!"
Several of his guards began calling to him, but he rode past them all. "Stay here!" he commanded them.
If they follow me, they will only be putting themselves at risk.
As he rode through the sands, Harun kept an eye on the hidden monster's telltale dust cloud. It was still yet to breach the surface, but somehow he knew it was a Molduga. And yet, in his mind's eye, an image of Demise, the demonic beast, took its place once again for a brief moment. He remembered his last encounter with a Molduga all too well. He could feel the fear, the anger, and the anguish returning to him bit by bit as he rode closer and closer to that wicked creature.
It was you. You killed them. You killed her!
This Molduga could very well have been a completely different one, but some irrational part of his brain was telling him it was the same beast that had killed Katta.
You will die today, monster!
Harun tore his eyes away from the approaching dust cloud for a second, taking a deep breath and shifting his focus to the other Gerudo he was riding towards.
No. Stay calm, you fool. I must save my people, not seek revenge on some mindless beast.
He kept his camel charging for another minute. Soon he would be directly in the monster's path, successfully cutting it off. But what then? Harun began to panic more the closer he got, realizing he had no plan.
I'm too slow to lead it away. I can probably dodge it once at best. How am I to…?
The clear solution was already nagging at him, as if the spirit of Ganondorf was in the back of his mind, whispering to him. The prince knew his most powerful weapon in combat would be his magic, if only for a brief time before it exhausted him. With Ganondorf's help, perhaps he could perform a spell strong enough to kill even a monster of that size.
O Great Ganondorf… if you truly are my ally… I ask you to please lend me your strength…
As he prayed, the gap continued to close between him and the giant approaching dust cloud. Suddenly, the monster breached the surface with a massive splash of sand. It likely meant to swallow Harun and his camel whole, but it had come up a moment too early, and instead it sent them flying back.
"Ahh!" the prince shouted as he was raised into the air. A moment later, he grunted in pain as he fell to the ground.
He watched the monster soaring straight up into the sky for a moment, as if it could fly. As he'd suspected, it was a Molduga. Its massive jaws opened wide, and at the peak of its jump, its jaws snapped shut.
It was you…
Harun felt the anger rising in him once more. He climbed to his feet as the Molduga fell back to the earth, wiggling its fins and stubby legs. The prince was almost knocked back by the shockwave and the resulting splash of sand as it landed. It began burrowing itself under the sand immediately, thrashing about as it did.
"You!" Harun shouted out loud. He felt power surging inside him, more than he'd ever felt before. The presence of Ganon had never been stronger either. It felt like the demon king was possessing him as it had before, but he didn't care.
Grant me your strength, demon. I will slay this beast in the name of our people.
The prince held out his arms. Winds began swirling around him as if a tornado were forming, but soon, he felt his body being lifted off of the ground. The Molduga was now out of sight, and its dust cloud was circling around him, preparing to go in for another strike. "You killed Katta!" he shouted down at the invisible monster. "You killed my people! You will pay!"
Harun rose higher and higher. The sky above him darkened as black clouds formed overhead, crackling with thunder. Reaching behind him, Harun drew his trident and began channeling his magic into it.
The Molduga breached the surface again directly below him, jaws open wide, leaping into the air to swallow him whole.
"Die!" Harun shouted. His screams were immediately overtaken by the thunderous sound of a lightning strike. Several bolts came down from the clouds at once, striking the trident in his hand. All of that power flowed through him, and he redirected it through the tips of his trident down into the monster's open mouth. It bellowed in agony as it was electrocuted. A gust of wind pulled the prince out of the way, but the monster's jaws did not shut. Instead, Harun grabbed onto its head, then drove his trident into it. Together, they began to fall, and Harun hung on tight, pulling his trident back out to stab the monster over and over again on the way down.
"Vengeance is-!"
Harun's revels were cut short when the monster crashed against the ground. Harun, too, landed against the monster's body with a harsh thud. The sudden pain shot through him as if he'd just run head first into a wall. After the initial impact, he bounced off of the Molduga and fell to the ground, landing on his arm. He heard an awful crack, and his pain increased exponentially.
Oh, gods…
Harun did not scream, speak, or make any noise at all as he lay there in the desert sand. He didn't even breathe for a moment, too stunned to do much of anything. Beside him, the massive fallen beast did not move either, but Harun could hear the sound of it struggling with labored breaths.
So the demon's power abandons me in time for me to kill myself, and it does not even grant me the satisfaction of one final victory.
He could not help but feel like a fool. Perhaps he had drawn upon Ganon's power too much or too quickly, and paid the price for his recklessness. He'd done exactly what he'd told Elder Kobami that he refused to do. The monster had been distracted, possibly long enough for Urballa and the others to get away safely, so why hadn't he flown away? That would have been the smart thing to do.
With great effort, Harun rolled onto his back and looked down at his right arm. Not only was it broken, but it was criss-crossed with wavy-lined bruises, no doubt from the lightning that had passed through him.
I thought I could control it.
Just moments ago, he had felt like the most powerful person in the world. He could not believe he'd managed to fool himself like that.
After a few minutes of lying in the sand, the injured prince heard the thundering sound of numerous footsteps approaching.
"Harun!" Princess Sabah's voice was the first he heard, followed by several others murmuring worriedly about him. The princess stood up off of her sand seal sled and ran over to him, kneeling by his side. "By the gods…" she muttered in surprise. "Healers! He needs healers!"
"You two, attend to the prince's wounds at once," he heard Queen Urballa order.
"Yes, my queen." Two Gerudo women dressed in Hylianite robes knelt beside him as well. "Princess Sabah, please step back." They quickly examined his injuries, and holy light shone from their hands as they began trying to heal him.
"The monster still lives, my queen," Commander Bularis noted, indicating the immobilized Molduga. "Shall we finish it off?"
Urballa looked it over, seeing the bloody wounds all over its head from where Harun's trident had punctured it. "Yes. End it quickly. It is clearly suffering."
As it should be!
"Agh!" Harun flinched.
"Apologies, my prince," one of the Hylianite priestesses said, lightly touching his arm with her healing hands.
Commander Bularis and several warriors approached the injured Molduga.
"I want its fins and its guts," Elder Kobami remarked, hovering nearby on her flying carpet. "Take the choice cuts of meat as well. It will make a fine feast tonight to celebrate the prince's victory."
Harun did not feel like he'd achieved a victory.
Still she praises me for all the wrong reasons.
Queen Urballa stepped into Harun's line of sight, looking down at him with concern. "Do not worry, Prince Harun. Everything will be as it was. Just let the light priestesses do their work."
"Their blasphemous work," Elder Kobami added scathingly.
You would rather they let me die, witch?
"Thank you," Harun managed to say to the healers, his voice strangled by the pain in his torso.
"Think nothing of it, child," said the priestess with her hands on his chest. "It is Hylia's will that I might aid you in this way."
Princess Sabah clutched Harun's hand comfortingly, but she said nothing while the others attended to him.
"Get him back on a camel as soon as he is stable enough to ride," Queen Urballa ordered. "It is not safe to stay out here too long." She spoke truthfully. The Molduga's corpse would soon attract more monsters, perhaps even bigger ones.
Still I put others in danger…
The power of Ganon had been too much for him to handle. It would be one thing if he was the only one harmed by it, but he could not bear the thought of more of his people being killed as a result of his recklessness.
I must make no further use of the old king's power. Not until I've learned to control it, the way Sage Nashorla wished.
Harun and the rest of the traveling party spent the night at the Southern Oasis. Chief Dina had been accommodating to them just as she had been the first time, and they were able to spend the night in safety after having been well fed. The party was also reunited with several Gerudo who had been left behind at the Southern Oasis due to the injuries they'd sustained in battle against the Lizalfos. Most of them had recovered enough to rejoin them for the journey back to Naboris.
Although everyone else was in relatively high spirits, Harun spent the night recovering from his own injuries. The healers had mended him well enough that he would not have any permanent damage, but he was still sore all over. More than that, he was ashamed of himself, and still very uncertain about everything that had been going on lately.
The next day, Harun was tense from the moment they left the safety of the oasis. He fully expected another monster attack like they'd experienced on the way there, especially now that he bore the mirror shield that those Bulblins had wanted for whatever reason.
However, as the day passed, they ran into no such trouble from monsters of any kind. There were a few close calls with Malgyorgs and Leevers passing uncomfortably close to the caravan, and a few Gerudo nearly passed out from heat exhaustion and dehydration, but otherwise, things were calm.
Eventually, they could even see Naboris over the horizon. Harun was relieved that they had almost made it home safely without incident.
"I wish we had more time to continue your training once we've returned to Naboris," Elder Kobami said to Harun, flying beside him as he rode his camel over the sand. "After the power you demonstrated yesterday, I am even more aware of just how much potential we have left to unlock from within you, my prince."
"I nearly killed myself," Harun said plainly. "Perhaps this 'potential' you speak of is better served sealed away."
The witch cackled. "An army in a fortress is safe, but that is not what we have armies for, young one," she told him. "Power is pointless if its wielder does not make use of it."
Harun sighed. "While your words are true, elder one, the queen has been quite explicit about this matter. The decision ultimately lies with me," he reminded her.
Elder Kobami regarded him for a moment. "Do you see those Gerudo?" she asked, pointing a long, spindly finger in the direction of a group of nomads riding up ahead of them. "They have spent their lives braving this harsh desert, living in fear of monsters and starvation. So many of our people live this way, outside of our few safe settlements. If you have the power to improve the lives of our people, will you truly choose to let it go to waste?"
Harun gritted his teeth. He hated that she had a point, but what she said still came off as a meaningless platitude. "What I demonstrated yesterday was powerful aeromancy and electromancy - which was clearly more than I could handle," he said, holding out his arm which was still criss-crossed with bruises from the lightning. "You would have me end poverty and world hunger with these magics?"
"We have only scratched the surface of your potential, young one," Kobami replied. "And what you have shown so far is enough to help our armies retake the valley, where the soil is rich and the water is plentiful."
"I would be careful when speaking of such things," Harun warned. "Queen Urballa opposes open rebellion against the Hyruleans, as do I."
"She opposes it now, perhaps," Kobami said. "But she will come around. She desires Gerudo independence as much as I do. Once she realizes there is only one way to achieve that goal…"
"That will not happen," Harun insisted. "I have seen enough of my people's blood spilled on this excursion alone. I will not have war."
The witch shook her head in annoyance, as if she were thinking 'Oh, the folly of youth.'
Suddenly, Harun felt something sharp graze his head. "Augh!" he shouted, ducking his head down and placing a hand where he felt the pain. He could feel blood seeping from the wound. Turning to the side, he saw an arrow flying at his face, but it was knocked to the side by a blast of air from Kobami.
"We're under attack!"
"Protect the prince!"
All around him, people began shouting, mobilizing into a defensive formation.
"What is it?" Harun asked. "More monsters?" His question was answered for him when figures began pouring out from over the sand dunes they had been traveling past. Surprisingly, they were not monsters. All of them wore cloth coverings to conceal their faces, but they were clearly Gerudo.
"Hylianites," Kobami said, her voice bitter and scathing.
Harun was taken aback.
They're here to kill me?
There were screams and the sounds of metal clashing against metal as Harun's guards began fighting with the attackers. Harun rolled off of his camel to dodge more archer fire, so Kobami rose herself up into the sky and flew away to deal with the archers shooting at him from the dunes. The prince then climbed to his feet and watched the fighting, unsure what to do.
Perhaps word has reached them about the demons within me.
Harun grit his teeth and clenched his fist. It was not fair. It was as if everything the Hylianites feared about him was coming true, but it wasn't his fault. He'd never chosen any of this, and he certainly did not plan to misuse these demonic powers.
Although I suppose it does not matter what I intend to do. I did not intend to kill Lady Averla, after all…
The prince was left uncertain. For a moment, he felt as if his attackers were right. Perhaps he should not resist. But then he heard the screams of one of his guards as a Hylianite stabbed her through the chest. Then another was impaled by a spear, and another was noiselessly shot down by a stray arrow.
"Stop! Stop! All of you!" he shouted in a panic, waving his hands in the air. "There is no need for this! We are not your enemy!"
However, his shouting only served to draw his attackers' attention back to him. Two of the Hylianites managed to break their way past his guards and charged at him. Harun drew the mirror shield from his back and lifted it. The light from the sun reflected off of it, and one of the Hylianites stumbled in her tracks as she raised a hand to cover her eyes. Harun had no such luck with the other one. The second vai leapt into the air and stabbed down at him with her spear.
"No!" Harun shouted, blocking the attack with his shield and taking several steps backwards.
The other attacker recovered quickly and rejoined her compatriot. "Do not resist," she spoke. "We all know this is what must be done."
"You're wrong!" Harun shouted back at her. "Please, I have done nothing to you. Just leave me be."
"Not gonna happen, demon."
The two spear-wielding women circled around him on opposite sides, moving to flank him. Harun glared between them.
They know nothing.
Being called a demon had immediately angered him, and he could feel something in his head urging him to fight back. For a moment, the thought crossed his mind to draw upon Ganon's power once more, and show them a real demon.
No! I mustn't.
Instead, he took his trident in hand and pointed it outwards, hiding behind his shield. He continued backing up and moved to the side, trying to keep both opponents in front of him. They both came at him at once, stabbing with their spears. Harun managed to block one with his shield, and he stabbed at the other with his trident, forcing her to abandon her attack in order to dodge.
"I said stop!" Harun said angrily, his patience wearing thin. He had been willing to let them leave, but he could only remain so forgiving if they continued to try to kill him.
"Just let it happen," the calmer of the two Hylianites said. "With your death, Hyrule will trust our people once more. It is for the best."
"Do not tell me it is for the best." Harun went on the offensive, stabbing at her with his trident. "It is my life. You do not get to decide that for me."
"Watch us," the other vai declared. She thrust her spear at him from behind, and Harun had just enough time to spin around and block it.
The one now behind him attacked again. "What we do, we do for the good of-"
"Enough!" Harun pivoted and thrust his trident outwards, but not to stab her. Instead, he conjured a lightning spell - one not as powerful as the one he'd used on the Molduga the day before. The lightning arced out from his weapon and shocked the Hylianite in the chest. She screamed and spasmed, losing her grip on her weapon and falling over.
"No!" his other attacker shouted. "You monster!"
Harun spun around. The vai attempted a wild stab, and he managed to bash her in the head with his shield. She lost her balance and fell to the ground. The prince quickly followed up by stabbing his trident downwards, impaling her spear hand.
"Ahhhh!" the Hylianite screamed in pain.
Harun removed his trident and kicked her in the chest. She rolled onto her back. Angrily, the prince stepped his foot down onto her and placed the tip of his weapon to her neck. She glared up at him with rage and disgust, but she made no further attempt to move.
"Harun!"
The prince glanced over his shoulder, willing to take his eyes off of his defeated opponent for only a second to check who had shouted his name. It was Queen Urballa, riding up to him with some of her guards. The battle around him was quickly dying down, with the Hylianites being killed or captured.
"She tried to kill me," Harun said to the queen, staring daggers down at the Hylianite.
"Ah, well done." The prince heard the voice of Elder Kobami as well. She lowered herself down from the air beside him. "Will you finish her, young one?"
Queen Urballa dismounted and approached them. "That is not necessary," she said calmly.
"He has already killed another," Kobami pointed out, gesturing to the body of the vai Harun had electrocuted. Harun tensed up upon hearing that.
Had I intended to kill her?
"The battle is over," Urballa reminded them. "If she is to be punished for her crimes, it is better to do so properly."
Harun did not move, keeping the tips of his trident pressed against his prisoner's neck. Simply executing her then and there did not feel right, but letting her live did not feel right either. She had tried to kill him, after all. There could be no greater personal offense.
This is not my fault. None of this is.
"I see no difference between killing her now and killing her later," Elder Kobami said, waving her hand dismissively. "But killing her now saves time, and Harun was who the Hylianites were attempting to kill, just as they killed his mother, and the previous voe."
The prince turned to the witch in surprise. Bringing that up now only served to make him angrier.
Is that what she wants?
Harun took a step back, pulling his trident away from the Hylianite woman's neck. He wasn't sure what decision he would have made on his own, but he decided he would stubbornly refuse to do what the witch was clearly trying to manipulate him into doing.
She may have saved my life when I was an infant, but that does not make me her puppet.
"Thank you, Prince Harun. Well done," Queen Urballa said, the relief clear in her voice. "Bind her wrists and put her with the other prisoners," she ordered her guards.
"You'll regret this, demon," the Hylianite said as she was led away. "One of us will kill you. Mark my words." Harun could think of nothing to say, so he simply glared at her.
"My queen, if I may," Elder Kobami said. "You are being much too soft on these criminals. What if Princess Sabah had been the one they sought to kill? Surely you would be having them executed on the spot."
Queen Urballa's face tensed. "Do not speak of such things, elder one," she said. "I would do anything to protect my daughter. But, regardless of my personal feelings, the law is the law."
Elder Kobami cackled. "Once we are free of Hyrule's tyranny, you will be the law."
The queen paused for a moment as she formulated her response. "Once we are free, the law will still be the law. I am a queen, not a tyrant."
"Of course, my queen," the witch said, bowing her head. "Your wise rule is most preferable to that of Hyrule's. I meant no disrespect."
Urballa nodded, then turned to the crowd surrounding them. "Everyone, return to your mounts. We resume immediately." Harun was uncertain if his camel had survived the battle, but he did not need to go looking for it. Instead, Urballa offered him the one next to hers. "Ride with me, Prince Harun."
"Yes, my queen." Harun obeyed, climbing atop the camel and following along beside her.
"I am relieved to find you safe," Urballa said to him a few moments later once they had a bit more privacy. "When I saw you were attacked, I came as fast as I could."
"I am grateful for that," Harun said earnestly.
"And I am sorry that there are still those among us who do not see you as I do," she continued. "No matter what they say about you, you are no demon, my child."
"...Yes, my queen." Harun was unsure what to say, but he appreciated the queen's words. "It is difficult to comprehend," he said after a moment. "Lady Averla supported Hylian rule as well, but she bore me no ill will. Yet, others who want what she wanted… They want me dead."
"You will find such extremists on any side of a conflict," the queen told him. "Some Hylianites take things too far, as demonstrated here today. Just as some Ganonites do when they wish for you to inherit Ganon's power and decimate Hyrule."
Harun nodded. He understood that, but he did not like hearing it.
"I am proud of you for taking the less extreme measure today," Urballa said. "I realize it must have been unpleasant to have to kill one of the people who attacked you, so it is good that you did not kill the other once you had subdued her."
The prince immediately felt guilty. "I am uncertain I deserve your praise for that decision, my queen," he said, shifting uncomfortably in his saddle.
"Oh? And why is that?"
"I think… I think I wanted to kill her," the prince said quietly. "Or maybe I… I don't know. My mood swings have been getting much worse lately. It's the demons who haunt me, pulling me in different directions. I know it is."
Queen Urballa was silent for a minute, looking forward as they rode together. "I am sorry, Prince Harun," she said. "Perhaps I should have insisted you stay behind in the Arbiter's Grounds to continue training with the Sage of Spirit. I want to do what is best for you, but I know so little about this matter."
Harun shook his head. "No, my queen. If staying behind was the best course of action, then leaving was my own mistake."
"Hm. Well, nevertheless, I will send word back to Sage Nashorla as soon as we arrive back at the palace," Urballa said. "I will request that she come to Naboris so that she may continue your training once we return from Taafei."
The prince nodded. "Yes, I fear that may be necessary after all. Thank you, my queen."