Disclaimer:
The Legend of Zelda is property of Nintendo.
Author's Notes:
Well, my new email address should be up in bio if it's been updated yet. I look forward to getting some letters, but I don't want them to take place of reviews. I don't really have a specific review I want to acknowledge this time; it's been kind of slow.
I'm barely making my two day deadline on these latest chapters, and I have finals coming up. So there may be some chapters that aren't up quite as quick.
Anyway, there's a lot of action in this chapter, so I hope you enjoy, and PLEASE REVIEW!
The Legend of Zelda: The War of Power
Chapter 14: The Battle of Hyrule Field
The streets of Castle Town were in chaos. Amir watched as soldiers ran across the marketplace and as families said goodbye to their loved ones who were leaving for war.
"We need to find an inn," he said to his companions.
"I know the owner of a nice place," Talon said, "He owes me a favor. Follow me." The man directed his horse out of the marketplace and the group was soon traveling down a wide street. They stopped in front of a sign that read 'The Horse & Hoof Inn'. Talon dismounted his horse and knocked on the door facing the street. A short man emerged shortly and regarded Talon with a furrowed brow. The man stood at about a height of only five feet, Amir judged, and he had a short brown beard that covered the bottom half of his face.
"Hello!" Talon said joyfully, "We're in need of a few rooms and stables for our horses over there."
"There's no room," the innkeeper said sourly.
"Sure there is," the rancher said, "You owe me, Borak. Now, I know you're not too crowded, so let us in, would you?"
"Fine," the man snapped, "How many rooms you need?"
"Two," Talon said, "One for the girls over there and one for us men."
"Follow me," Borak said before leading the group to the stables behind the inn. When the horses had been taken care of, the unfriendly man showed the six to their respective rooms. Amir briefly noticed how unclean and neglected the rooms seemed to be. He lay back on his dirty bed and sighed.
"What are you planning on doing now?" Hawehn asked as she entered the room. Amir sat up to look at her.
"I think I may join the war effort," he said, "It's too late to make it back to Calatia, so I figure I may as well help."
"You could always stay here with me," the woman said.
"It would kill me to know I'm not doing anything to help," Amir said as Hawehn bit her lip in thought, "You'll be fine if you stay here; don't worry."
"I'm worried about you, not myself," the woman said, "I don't want you getting yourself killed. I've already lost my…" She stopped, choking on the words. Amir rose from the bed and wrapped his arms around her.
"He did a brave thing, Hawehn," the Calatian said, "He sacrificed himself to save the younger generation."
"I'll have no one left if I lose you," she said, crying.
"I have to help," Amir said, "They may need me. But I will return. I'll have to, seeing as how it's so important to you." Hawehn laughed quietly.
"Thank you," she said.
***
"The enemy approaches!" Kard yelled as his men charged the forces emerging from the west, "Do not let their appearances deceive you! They are our enemy, focus on that!"
The Hylian and Solatian armies advanced and the soldiers drew closer to engaging each other in battle. As the Hylians neared the enemy, however, they became confused as they looked upon a mirror reflection of themselves.
"They're not Hylians!" Kard boomed as he noticed the stares, "Don't let yourselves be deceived!"
The forces collided and the battle began. The Hylians easily slaughtered the first row of the weaker soldiers, but the Solatians were not planning on being defeated so easily. They used their disguises to confuse the true Hylians. Kard's men would find themselves killed by their 'ally', or so they thought. The Hylians were quickly being pushed back as they lost sight of their opponents in the chaos.
"See through the guise!" Kard yelled as he struck down a Solatian, "Concentrate!"
***
Impa rode atop her horse with Sahrashala seated behind her. She flew through the battle, attempting to get as close to the sorcerer as possible before the Hylians were overwhelmed. Sahrashala had been cradling a small ball of light in his palm for the length of the ride, but he was waiting to use his magic at the perfect opportunity.
The horse charged into the enemy lines. Impa drove the beast on, dodging spears and arrows as she did so.
"There!" Sahrashala yelled, pointing to a man at the rear of the army, "That's him!" The Sheikah took out one of her knives and pushed the horse onwards. She blocked the many attempts to kill the horse or knock the rider from her perch and they quickly neared the sorcerer. In a moment, they were upon him, and Gahmig barely had time to notice their approach before Sahrashala threw his ball of magic into the ground at the sorcerer's feet. Gahmig screamed as the magic surrounded him and the entire Solatian army. He felt the masking spell weaken as its power was taken from him.
Impa turned the horse and escaped the enemy as the soldiers were blinded by a bright light.
***
Kard watched as an intense wave of light swept over the field. When the Hylians opened their eyes once again the veil of the Solatians had fallen.
"Attack!" Kard yelled as the Hylians charged into battle once more.
***
"They survived," the dark figure atop the mountain said thoughtfully, "It seems I have not given them enough credit. The three of them defeated my dragons without receiving so much as a scratch. I will have to take more drastic means next time." The shadowy man turned his gaze toward Hyrule.
"The war has begun," he said to himself, "The fighting may prove to be a distraction that can aid me in my plan. That fool of a sorcerer may play a bigger part in this than I had thought."
"The two remaining pieces of the Triforce are within my grasp," he said as he looked at the mark of the Triforce of Power upon his hand, "But I will wait a little longer. They do not foresee the danger that awaits them."
***
"So what did you two do to warrant being attacked by Kawelts?" Dek asked as the three descended the mountain.
"I'm not really sure," Link said, "I've been thinking about it. Those dragons came from the south, not from the direction of either of the Solatian sorcerers. And they're the only ones that I can think off that would send those creatures, but I don't think they're even quite powerful enough to control wild beasts like that. But I don't know who else would be after us. Maybe we're just unlucky and we got in the way of the dragons as they were passing by."
"No," Dek said, "Those dragons live only in the most remote and highest areas of this planet. I don't know exactly where they come from, but I know they wouldn't be traveling so close to civilization unless they were told to." The three walked in silence for a while.
"So what kind of village are we heading to?" Zelda asked casually.
"The City of the Dwarves," Dek answered, "It's also called Aldoren. The dwarves set up residence in these parts when they found deposits of silver within the mountains. Long ago, they built many mines within the rock, and I think the mines are still used today. There's apparently an infinite supply of silver within Mount Aldoren. The dwarves have been mining these hills for many years and have yet to clean the mountain out. They keep going deeper and deeper into the rock, and continue to find riches. The city is very wealthy because of this, and is quite a sight, I've heard."
"Aldoren means 'infinite wealth' in Dwarven," Link said. Dek and Zelda shot him a surprised glance.
"You're right," the high elf said, "But where'd you learn the language of the dwarves?"
"I don't really know the language," the boy answered, "I just know a few words, and I remembered hearing that somewhere."
"Well, anyways," Dek continued, "I don't think they use that speech anymore. They talk in the Common Language, if I remember right, so we should be okay. The dwarves can be hostile to outsiders, though, so follow my lead and keep your mouths shut." The elf and the princess both looked meaningfully at Link.
"Alright, alright," he said, "No rude comments. Got it." Zelda laughed as the three continued down the mountainside.
***
"Fight hard!" Kard yelled, "The Solatians will fall!" The Hylians surged forth, destroying the Solatians easily. Kard slew every enemy that dared step in his way as his men pushed through the enemy forces. The general then chanced glancing behind him and his men for a moment. He saw that they had indeed forced the Solatians a good distance away from Castle Town. Kard began to breathe a sigh of relief until he saw the remainder of the Solatian army approaching from the south as well as the east.
"We're being surrounded!" he yelled suddenly, "The Solatians approach from the rear!" Many of the Hylians turned to meet the oncoming threat, leaving Halberd and his men less overwhelmed.
Kard continued to fight his way through the army, attempting to get to the king. He hoped that if Halberd died the war would end quickly. He wielded his longsword with ease as the general parried and attacked in one fluid motion. He could soon see the king standing bewildered only a small distance ahead of him. Kard broke past the enemy lines and rushed King Halberd with incredible speed. The king saw the attack coming and attempted to pull his sword from its sheath, though he knew he would be too late. The general swung his sword towards the man's neck in what would have been a killing blow had not Gahmig used his magic to lift the general into the air. Kard flew through the air and landed in the mud nearly fifty feet away. He rose to his feet and faced the sorcerer.
"You may not be the one who took the life of King Harkinian," he said menacingly, "But you will pay for your apprentice's crimes here and now. I will not allow you to further corrupt and destroy." Kard yelled and charged as the crystal atop the sorcerer's staff glowed with a violet light.
***
"I'm coming with you," Amir heard a voice say from behind him as he descended the stairs of the inn. He turned to see Alria looking down at him from atop the staircase.
"I have no control over you," he said as the girl walked down the stairs to meet him, "You may do as you wish."
"Good," she said, "I feel a need to help in this war. I need to discover a purpose for myself in this world now that I am no longer a Gerudo. I do not know what I am supposed to do. Perhaps I was cast down in order that I should lend my aid to the Hylians during this time."
"Those are honorable words," the Calatian said as the two exited the inn.
"I used to believe that honor was instilled in me from my birth," Alria said quietly, "That the Gerudo philosophy was based on honor. I see know that I was wrong. Those people have no honor."
"What happened?" Amir asked, curious.
"They rebelled against Nabooru," she said sadly, "Those whom I thought were my sisters turned so quickly upon two of their own. I am glad I have been shunned. I have realized that I need to discover my own definition of honor. I must forget all the lies that I was taught as a child. My past has been erased, and I now see that it was for the best. If I can do nothing else with my life besides fight for those who deserve the freedom they have been granted, then I will be content." The two walked in silence until they reached the Castle Town gate. After a few words to the guards, the drawbridge was lowered and the companions emerged onto Hyrule Field.
"We better hurry," Amir said as they saw the battle taking place less than a mile away, the Hylians now surrounded by the Solatian soldiers, "Or we'll miss all the action." Alria smiled as the two ran to join their new comrades.
***
Kard twirled on his heel, barely dodging the lighting that exploded from the sorcerer's staff. He leapt towards the man, sword raised, but Gahmig blocked the general's attack with his black rod. Kard's foot flew into the sorcerer's chest and he fell to the ground as the general stabbed downwards. Gahmig created a magical shield around himself that pushed Kard backwards through the air before the sword could connect with its target.
"You really think that you have the power to defeat me?" the sorcerer taunted, "It took four of you to give me as much as a scratch last time we fought. If you are clinging to the hope that good will eventually triumph over evil, then I suggest you let go right now and die. You will never be rid of me."
"Coward," Kard spat, "You've manipulated these people as if strings were attached to their very limbs. You are the reason that this war has started. You are the reason that otherwise innocent Solatians are being slaughtered. You must die. For the sake of this entire world, I will wipe you from this earth."
"Fool," Gahmig said. The sorcerer lifted Kard into the air with his magic and the general was suspended above the ground, helpless. Gahmig clenched his fist, and Kard suddenly found himself unable to breath. His body felt as if it was being crushed in a vice. He gasped for air as he saw two shapes emerge from the chaos of the battle.
Amir had fought his way through the Solatian lines and he now charged the sorcerer as Kard struggled to free himself. Gahmig was forced to release the general from his grip and was barely able to bring his staff up in time to block the Calatian's broadsword. Kard fell through the air only to be caught by Alria as she dashed into the battle. The general immediately charged Gahmig alongside Amir and Alria and the three made a stand against the powerful sorcerer.
***
"What's happening?" Ruto asked with worry evident in her voice. She looked to Mikau who was standing over the still body of one of her subjects.
"I don't know," the general said, "One minute everyone's fine, and the next half of the population is falling ill." Ruto stared with disbelief at the many bodies of the fish people strewn across the floor of the room.
"Are they dead?" she asked, her voice quavering. Mikau stared solemnly at the many Zora.
"Yes," he said, "All of them. They died within a minute of collapsing to the ground in pain."
"How could this happen?" Ruto asked, scared.
"Someone must have poisoned the water," Mikau answered, "I didn't even know that this powerful of a toxin existed."
"Was it the Solatians?" the Zora princess asked, "Did they do this?"
"Most likely," the general said, "They needed us out of the way so that they would have a clear path into Hyrule. It only took one man to cause the death of so many." The two stared at their still friends for some time.
"We should speak with my father," Ruto finally said, "He may know what to do." Mikau nodded and the two exited the room and ascended the many stairs that led to the king's throne. The two emerged into the throne room only to be greeted by a terrifying sight. Ruto screamed as she laid eyes upon her father. The large Zora was slumped over upon his throne, his body pale as death.
"Father!" she screamed as she darted towards him. Mikau lunged for her, grabbing the princess in his arms to restrain her.
"You can't go to him!" the general shouted above the screaming, "This poison's too deadly! You will only invite death to come upon you as well. I'm sorry, Princess, but we must leave him. If the toxin is in the water, it is only a matter of time before the rest of us are affected. We must seek out a cure." Ruto ceased her struggling and hung limp in Mikau's arms. The Zora princess wept violently as she looked upon her deceased father, ruler of the Zoras.
***
"You will all die!" Gahmig shouted, furious that these people were challenging his power. He sent a ball of magical energy rocketing towards Alria. The girl leapt over the initial attack with amazing grace, only to find that the sphere was rapidly expanding. Alria hit the ground and immediately rolled away from the danger, but Kard and Amir were swallowed by the light. The sorcerer quickly detonated his bomb in a huge explosion of magic, and Alria was shocked when she saw the bodies of the two men lying face down on the ground.
With incredible rage she charged the sorcerer. Gahmig saw the attack from the corner of his eye, but he was not able to turn fast enough to deflect it. The sorcerer threw himself back as the blow that was intended for his neck severed half of his left arm, leaving a stump at his elbow. Gahmig screamed in pain as blood poured forth from the wound. His rage caused him to lose control of the power that lay within him, and black energy exploded from his body. Kard and Amir were thrown back as they picked themselves up from the ground and Alria found herself careening through the air as black electricity coursed through her body. She rose from the ground and saw the sorcerer starting towards her.
"You!" he shouted, infuriated, "You will die!" The magic bolts exploded from the man's fingertips and Alria felt the electricity surging through her. She writhed involuntarily as the heat of her body rose to tremendous levels. She screamed unwillingly, the pain overpowering her mind.
"You will die a slow, agonizing death!" he yelled, "Gerudo scum!" Alria raised her head and clenched her teeth at this insult.
"I…am…not…Gerudo!" she screamed, charging the terrified sorcerer. Alria dove straight into the attack, overpowering the man's magic. Gahmig roared and increased the fierceness of the attack until the power would have killed any normal person instantly, but Alria still pressed on. The girl yelled and severed his one hand with her scimitar before plunging the blade into the sorcerer's chest. Gahmig's body twitched in agony as dark magic surged forth from the wound. Alria was thrown back once again as a darkness devoured both the Solatian and Hylian armies. Every soldier was knocked to the ground and blinded by the tremendous blast that swept over the land.
***
Gahoch doubled over in pain as his men saw the explosion surge towards them. The terrified Solatians screamed as the darkness spread over them.
"Master!" Gahoch screamed, "How could they!?" The sorcerer bellowed in despair as the field was thrown into chaos. The Solatian soldiers panicked and fled the battle in every direction, the blackness blinding them.
Just as soon as it had begun, however, the darkness disappeared and dawn bathed the land in an orange light.
***
"It's over," Alria said as she rose to her feet, her legs shaking, blood pouring from her many wounds and staining the ground. She turned to see General Kard and Amir standing upright and surveying the scene. The dead sorcerer was lying twenty feet away from them on his back, the handle of the scimitar still protruding from his chest.
"No…" the three heard a voice say to their right, "What will I do now?" Alria turned to see the Solatian King staring at the fallen form of his advisor. The king yelled and drew his sword before charging the girl. Alria watched as the attack came, the girl knowing she was too weak from the battle to defend herself. Kard suddenly appeared before her, however, and lifted the small Solatian by his throat. Halberd gasped desperately for breath, dropping his sword.
"Release…me…" he choked.
"The time has come for you to pay for your sins," Kard said menacingly, "I will finish you and end this war now."
"It…is…not…that…easy…" the king gasped, "Make…worse…"
"What are you talking about?" Kard growled, releasing his hold on Halberd. The king fell and lay sprawled out on the ground, clutching his throat and breathing rapidly.
"You think it's so easy," he said, smiling, "That we would just charge straight in here and attempt to take over Hyrule alone. I am not a fool, general."
"I could argue against that," Kard said as Halberd scowled.
"I have reinforcements," the king said, "Lohen and Hoshena rally behind us. They are approaching Hyrule as we speak."
"Let them come," the general growled, "They will suffer the same fate as you."
"The Coshraks come also," Halberd said, smiling, as a look of worry spread across Kard's face.
"Coshrak," he said quietly, "We cannot deal with them right now."
"Precisely," the king said, "That is why I will make you a deal. You let me live, and I will call off the attack. For now."
"No," Kard said, seizing King Halberd once again, "You are a coward and a liar. You will not stay true to your word. The only solution to this problem is your death."
***
"So where is this village anyway?" Zelda asked as her, Link, and Dek trudged through the forest. They had reached the base of the mountain an hour ago and had been wandering through the forest since then. The Emerald Forest, as it was called, lay in a ring of towering mountains, cutting the trees off from the outside world. Aldoren was the only city situated amidst the large expanse, though Dek had said that men and elves sometimes made their home in the shadow of the mountains.
"I'm not really sure," Dek admitted, scratching the back of his head nervously.
"Well, that's great," Link said sarcastically, "How are we supposed to find this place?"
"Allow us to help," a voice said to the boy's left. Link whirled as the hidden dwarves emerged from the thick foliage and shrubbery that covered the forest floor. Many held their axes at the ready while several pointed their small crossbows at the group.
"Hello!" Link said cheerfully, "It's nice of you to help us out. We're kind of lost, after all." Zelda shot Link a look and the boy immediately shut up.
"You three have been found guilty of trespassing in the land of the Dwarves of Aldoren," a stout dwarf said, stepping forward from the rest and clutching an axe in his hands, "We could execute you on the spot if we wished." He paused to let his words sink in.
"If you wished?" Dek said, raising an eyebrow.
"I, Rousha, servant of the king, have decided that I will allow you to live, for the time being," the dwarf said, "We have been observing you for quite some time, and it seems that you mean us no harm. We will merely take you as our prisoners until King Bwarrow decides your fate."
"How did these guys sneak up on us?" Link whispered to Dek. The elf shrugged.
"Hand over your weapons," the dwarf commanded. Link reluctantly removed his sheath and placed his weapon in the dwarf's hands. Dek and Zelda did the same.
"Follow me," Rousha said in a gruff voice. The three obeyed and were soon winding through the thick forestry.
***
The procession reached the city a short time later. Link, Zelda, and Dek gazed with amazement upon the structure. The city emerged from the very mountainside, carved into the rock itself, and the stone shone with a thin coating of precious silver. The city consisted of three separate levels, each farther up the hillside than the last, and each separated by an immense stone wall. Link thought that the only path between sections seemed to be an immense silver gate. The outer wall of the city was enormous, built to provide protection from outside forces.
"Behold," Rousha said proudly, "The Dwarven City of Aldoren."