Chapter Three
After Volga had finished, he redressed and went to track down his new second in command. The dinalfos that was normally in charge had incited the mutiny, but the next after him was smart enough not to get involved. Usually the method of instituting a new leader was a very large fight where the stronger was elected, but that took time and resources.
The dinalfos was easy to find, the large bipedal reptile seeking out its master after news of the massacre, and so was waiting for Volga in his keep with a new report about the thief. A few aeralfos and lizalfos finished cleaning up the carnage on the walls. Volga read over and filed the clean report, muttering quietly about how much of a liability his injured leg was becoming. The new dinalfos chieftain mumbled something but Volga didn't catch it.
"What?" He asked, not looking up from his desk. The dinalfos wrung her hands together as she repeated her suggestion.
"The hyliansss ussse fariesss to heal themssselvesss, perhaps you could do the sssame…?" She spoke cautiously, the previously bloodstained room reminding her not to step out of line.
Volga considered the idea. The closest fairy fountains were in Hyrule and Faron woods. After a moment of deliberation he decided Hyrule field was closer. Finding a fairy roaming around would be ideal, but how did the hylians get the creatures to heal them? Ask politely? Even if he did, would they heal him? His memory of the war was fuzzy but he recalled Cia using him and Wizzro to hunt the small creatures and they would definitely remember that. Well, he'd worry about that once he managed to catch one. For now, he was hungry. The makeshift dining hall was calling him, the fairies could wait.
The following morning Volga left the dinalfos in charge and set out for Hyrule field and the great fairy with three lizalfos in tow. Equipped with information on how to summon the great fairy and the materials needed to do so, he still hoped to find a smaller fairy along the way so he didn't have to talk to the minor deity herself. He was not so fortunate. There didn't seem to be any fairies around the field and the fountain itself was completely devoid of the small glowing creatures.
Volga exhaled sharply in irritation when they reached the fountain without seeing a single fairy. The soldiers he brought scattered and found places to keep watch as he stepped into the building. Of course there weren't any fairies to be found! Why? Because that would be convenient! He seethed as he neared the rim of the fountain. He watched the water lap against it with displeasure before tossing a silver rupee in and requesting to speak with the great fairy. Nothing happened.
Volga dropped more rupees into the water, feeling very foolish while talking politely to the empty room. Still Nothing. He flipped the bag upside down, pouring the remaining riches into the fountain and asked again for an audience, trying to keep the impatience out of his voice. As he turned to leave, planning to look again for a smaller fairy or another fountain, the great fairy splashed out with a jubilant giggle. The excess water ran off her pink ankle length hair and vine clothed body back into the fountain.
"Why hello," she said, leaning her elbows on the edge of the fountain. "Isn't this a surprise? I am Mija, the great fairy. To what do I owe the pleasure, dragon knight?"
"I have come to you for healing. Your fairies seem to be missing from the surrounding lands, so I came to your fountain," he answered plainly.
"My fairies are gone. You and Your fellows took them and bottled them up, and when the hero came by he didn't bother to free them. I suppose some things fall through the cracks with a war of this magnitude, but one would think those who heal you would be higher on the list."
She paused and looked down at him coyly, an idea forming.
"You've come for healing? I'll make you a deal, you go get my fairies and I'll fix your leg once you're done."
Volga raised an eyebrow, unsure about the agreement. He replied hesitantly. "I suppose that's fair-"
"Great! You know where all the fairy hunters' camps are. You just head on over there and free my fairies, then come on back when you're done."
Before Volga could respond she spun back into her fountain and left him to make his decision. He started indignantly at the rudeness of the great fairy. At least hunting bokoblins wasn't difficult, nor was opening jars; a fairly easy price to pay for the great fairy's assistance. Volga sighed and left the fountain.
Once his eyes adjusted to the light outside, he sprouted his wings and went to collect his lizalfos. They split up to keep watch on things and liked to hide in the grass so he stayed as low to the ground as he comfortably could. He hovered where the closest had gone and discovered it missing, then flew along the route they'd taken looking for the others. At the position of the third, he found all three lizalfos and a troop of hylian soldiers led by Impa, their general. Volga flew closer and landed carefully between the two groups, taking care that his injured leg didn't hit the ground with any amount of force. Impa stood her ground as he landed, despite some of her soldiers stepping back with words of shock and fear.
"You're trespassing," she stated, taking up a defensive position and adjusting her grip on the biggoron's knife as Volga folded his wings. She looked him over searching for weak points in his armor in case things escalated, as well as any signs that he may have been fighting with Link. She noted his leg was discreetly stabilized and recalled Link had broken it in the final battle with Cia.
"I am," he agreed. "And with good reason."
"What reason?" She asked, glancing at the lizalfos behind the dragon knight.
"I had some business to attend to, I will be taking my leave now."
"What business?" Impa pressed. They stood tensely as the silence stretched before Volga begrudgingly answered.
"I required the assistance of the great fairy."
Impa glanced at his leg. He hadn't shifted any weight onto it through their conversation, and was careful not to land on it when he arrived. If it wasn't healed after his visit to the great fairy, why had he sought her out? Perhaps, because of what he and Wizzro had done with the smaller fairies, she wouldn't heal him? She waited for him to elaborate. He didn't. The silence continued. The great fairy wasn't exclusively Hyrule's ally, nor was her fountain their territory, so they really couldn't limit who saw her. Impa sighed. They couldn't hold visiting her against the dragon knight and likewise couldn't keep him for trespassing.
"We will escort you back to your territory since your business is concluded," she decided.
"Very well," Volga agreed, flashing a sharp grin at her nervous soldiers.
"After you," Impa invited stiffly, gesturing towards the border. Volga unfolded his wings and dramatically flapped into the air as his soldiers filed forward. A few of the hyrulean soldiers ducked or shouted at the action.
Impa berated them for their cowardice and set them in line before following the lizalfos, keeping an eye on Volga who was hovering nearby. The walk back to the border was uneventful. Volga kept his soldiers in line with some sharp hisses now and then, smiling in amusement at the unnerved reactions of Impa's soldiers. Impa watched him, keeping her clawshot ready incase he had other plans for the march back, but he seemed content harassing her men. Volga made a mental note about Impa's behavior. She was far more on edge then he'd ever seen her during the war, and he was unsure what that might mean.