Disclaimer:
The Legend of Zelda is property of Nintendo.
Author's Notes:
Alright, so Christmas break is basically here and I'm almost done with last minute projects and finals, so updates may come regularly once again. I can't promise anything over the break, though, because I think I'm going to be really busy. That and I'll have to tear myself away from video games and stuff like that.
Judging by the number of reviews this last chapter, I'm guessing that a good number of you are busy with the last weeks of school and such. Well, be glad because the stretch is almost over. And I'm not going to address a review this chapter, partly because I'm really eager to get this up and it's incredibly long and will take me a while to edit. On another note, in my next chapter I'll probably be ranting about how awesome Lord of the Rings: Return of the King was after I see it.
So, read, enjoy, and PLEASE REVIEW!
The Legend of Zelda: The War of Power
Chapter 20: Revenge
Pain coursed through the general's arm, manifesting itself in the many wounds that extended from his hand to his shoulder, as he brought up his sword and deflected the deadly blow of an oncoming mace. Kard forced strength into his limbs and struggled with the fierce Coshrak, their weapons locked together as they glared into each other's eyes menacingly. The general yelled a battle cry and forced his opponent's mace to the ground before dashing past the extended arms of the beast and severing its head.
Kard surveyed the battle field shortly and grew dismayed as he watched his allies slaughtered ruthlessly by the blood thirsty Coshraks. He watched as the Hylian soldiers found themselves unable to compete with the superior strength of the warrior creatures and soon began to lose any hope that was left within them. The Coshraks would not fall from a single sword blow, the elves soon discovered, but would continue fighting until they were physically restrained from doing so. The general quickly realized that the Gorons and Zora were not faring any better than the Hylians. The Hyrulians fell constantly to the weapons of the Coshraks, and Kard knew that unless they could last longer against the tide of enemy forces, the fleeing Hylians would be overrun as they attempted to reach the northern lands.
"Into the city!" Kard bellowed, "Get behind the walls!" The soldiers readily complied, hoping that they could find shelter on the other side of the massive city walls, and began rushing to the gate. Kard ordered for the drawbridge to be raised as the last of the Hyrulians made their way into the city and the Coshraks dashed toward the gate. A number of the beasts vaulted over the drawbridge as it was being raised, only to be destroyed by the soldiers that waited on the other side.
Kard quickly made his way to the top of the city wall, knowing that the enemy would soon find a way to enter the city. He looked over the Hyrulian soldiers gathered before the gate and became dismayed as he realized the army was lessened by over one half the original numbers of soldiers. The battle had begun just two hours before, and Kard knew that he could not expect his army to last through the day.
The general sought out the large form of Mahalda, also atop the massive wall, seeking shelter from the enemy projectiles behind the stone. Kard made his way through the mass of archers shooting through thin slits in the wall while somewhat protected from enemy fire.
"General!" Kard called as he neared Mahalda. The large Goron turned and smiled grimly despite the desperate situation.
"General Kard," he said respectfully, "I'm glad to find you still living after all of this."
"We can't last much longer," Kard acknowledged, "But if we give out now those who are fleeing will be destroyed by the Coshraks. The Hylians will travel slowly with the burden of women and children, and I doubt they have reached the frozen wastelands of the north only a few hours into their travels. The cold should keep the Coshraks from pursuing at their normal pace, but that will not help the people if they do not reach safety in time."
"I know," Mahalda said, "My best suggestion is that we remain within the city for as long as possible. That should provide us with extra time until the Coshraks breach the wall. Afterwards we must continue to fight within the city. The Coshraks will not pursue the people until they have destroyed us completely. Doing so would be against their nature."
"In the end, though," Kard started, "We still die."
"Yes," Mahalda smiled sadly, "We do."
***
Link yelled violently as he loped off the head of an attacking wolf, quickly turning to engage another. He cursed loudly, his adrenaline providing energy which coursed through his body, and shoved his sword through the beast's chest, causing the blade to explode from its back.
"Link, are you okay?" Zelda asked as she battled alongside the Hero of Time, "You sound almost like you're having fun."
"Not really," Link admitted, "But these stupid things wanted to challenge us, so I'm gonna make sure they're not disappointed." The boy ferociously severed a limb of his attacker before plunging his sword between the wolf's eyes.
"Whatever," Zelda said as her elven blade stabbed deeply into her opponent's chest. As her enemy fell, the princess used the brief opening in the battle to concentrate on the fire that danced upon the ground and the treetops. She quickly manipulated the magical flames, causing them to extinguish themselves with nothing more than a whisper.
"Finally," Link commented, "I was thinking you were just going to let everything burn."
Zelda laughed sarcastically, "Maybe you should concentrate on the battle instead of making fun of me."
"Relax, Princess," Link taunted, "As the renowned Hero of Time, I can easily accomplish two simple tasks at once." Zelda smiled as she engaged an oncoming wolf.
"So humble," Dek said sarcastically as he fought at Link's left, "Though I'd appreciate it if you two would shut up so I can think of a plan."
"Understood," Link said, smiling, as he slew yet another beast, "But if we keep going at this rate they'll all be dead before you come up with anything." As the hero finished his sentence, an agonizing howl floated through the treetops, the volume of the wail surpassing the previous calls of the wolves. The beast currently surrounding the three elves backed away, frightened by the unseen terror.
Link soon realized the reason behind the wolves' flight as a group of immense monstrosities emerged from the thick forest and growled ferociously, their thirst for blood easily seen through their eyes. The new wolves were identical to the type that had first attacked the elves except that their size was twice as great.
"Those things are huge!" Link said in awe.
"There's only ten of them," Dek pointed out, "This shouldn't be too hard."
"Those sound like famous last words to me," Link said, "But it's not like we have a choice." With that, the hero leapt into battle, engaging the monsters in a battle of claws, teeth, and blades.
Link barely lowered his head in time to avoid the powerful slash of a beast's claws overhead. The boy used the opportunity during which the wolf was off balance and swung his sword horizontally into the creature's midsection. Link was dismayed as he felt his blade repelled by the beast's powerful muscle, creating only a small gash in the wolf's side. The boy cursed and dove to the side as the creature's fists pounded into the ground where he had stood just moments before.
"This isn't good," he stated obviously, turning to Zelda and Dek, both of whom had discovered similar problems, "These things are tough." Dek fired a volley of arrows into the chest of an approaching beast, though this attack did nothing to slow the oncoming threat.
"How are we supposed to hurt these things?" the high elf said as he fit two arrows to the string of his bow and fired them into the nearest wolf. The creature faltered slightly in its progress and Link charged upon seeing its weakness. The wolf growled and leapt at the boy, its mouth open, displaying rows of long, deadly teeth. Link stood his ground as the jaws moved nearer to his face, only to shove his sword down the beast's throat at the last second. The blade emerged from the back of the wolf's neck and Link ripped it free quickly before leaping away from the monstrous creature. The wolf coughed violently as blood poured forth from its mouth, covering the ground in a reddish tint. It stalked toward Link, swaying furiously as it attempted to keep its prey in sight. Link briefly wondered at the fact that the beast remained alive, though quickly pushed these thoughts aside and dealt the wolf a powerful blow across the side of its face. The creature advanced still, however, and Link attacked with a flurry of stabs and slashes, littering his enemy's body with bloody wounds. He stopped as the wolf halted in its progress, gasping painfully and struggling to remain upright. Link stared into the beast's dark, blood red eyes for a second before the wolf collapsed to the ground, the life drained from its body.
The boy quickly turned to see Zelda engaging their attackers as well, dashing through an opening when she could find one and inflicting numerous wounds upon the hides of the wolves. Dek had managed to retrieve his sword and was fending off his pursuers desperately, firing arrows into the beasts when the chance arose. Link suddenly felt a disturbance in the air behind him and dropped to the ground with amazing speed as the claws of his attacker passed overhead. He leapt to his feet and engaged the three wolves that had chosen to challenge him to battle.
Dek charged past the wolf's outstretched front legs and plunged his blade into its left eye, causing a shriek of pain to erupt from the throat of the injured beast. The high elf removed his bow from his back with incredible speed and launched an arrow into the throat of his attacker. The wolf flailed madly, backhanding Dek in the chin and sending him sprawling to the ground. The elf rolled desperately, barely avoiding the claws of another wolf as they plunged into the earth beside him. He rose to his feet and sprinted for a low hanging tree branch as the three wolves advanced angrily. Dek leapt into the air, sheathing his sword and gripping the branch with his free hand before using his momentum to swing himself upwards. He flipped onto the branch gracefully and climbed higher in the tree, escaping the reach of the crazed wolves. The elf immediately fit two arrows to his quiver and fired downward into the face of a wolf staring at him hungrily. The beast shrieked in pain as an arrow penetrated its snout as well as its eye and began clawing at the trunk of the tree ferociously. The remaining two wolves leapt vertically as they attempted to reach the elf upon the branch, clawing at the air uselessly. Dek launched his arrows into the bodies of the beasts, though they still refused to let their prey escape so easily and kept trying to reach him. He would have laughed at the stupidity of the beasts had not the situation been so grim.
Link struck down the last of the beasts that had attacked him, sweating profusely and bleeding from a number of wounds on his body. He surveyed the battle field and noticed that Dek had destroyed all but one of his attackers from atop the branches of a tree. Zelda, too, had destroyed her share of the wolves using the elegant Sheikan style of fighting and her elven blade.
"Well, that's over," he said to his companions as Dek leapt down from the tree, impaling the wolf below upon his sword as he touched the ground. Link noticed that the smaller wolves that had observed the battle with the larger predators still stood around the perimeter of the clearing.
"Get out of here!" Link said menacingly, "We destroyed your leaders, and we can finish you easily." The wolves shrunk back upon hearing the words of the boy, and Link believed that the creatures may indeed retreat. The beasts, however, had become crazed upon witnessing the defeat of their leaders, and were blinded by an insane fury. A memory of their orders came forth from within the depths of their minds and the group turned their heads as one, focusing their dark eyes on Zelda.
Link saw the warnings too late and cried out desperately as the pack converged upon the startled princess. The boy lunged desperately, attempting to reach Zelda before the wolves were upon her. As Dek watched it seemed that time slowed and seconds were drawn out into hours, Link locked in midair while dashing to the princess, and the wolves suspended as well, their jaws open and ready. Just as suddenly as it had shifted, however, his sense of time returned to normal and Dek was blinded by an explosion of golden light that poured over the clearing, throwing the elf to the ground violently.
As the light subsided, Dek slowly rose to his feet and gaped at the sight before him.
***
The wall was shaken once again as the Coshraks barraged the drawbridge with the large tree serving as a battering ram, causing Kard to stumble slightly as he walked atop the stone. Below, soldiers frantically barricaded the bridge with anything that was available and pushed against the door with all their strength, attempting to counter the efforts of the Coshraks.
Kard watched as the end of a rope was catapulted over the wall, a grapple hook attached so as to grip the stone barricade. The general reached up and grabbed the large cord out of midair before throwing it into the sea of Coshraks below, though this did not stop the Coshraks from throwing similar ropes over the city wall. The Hylian soldiers frantically cleaved the cords with their swords, sending the Coshraks plummeting into the river surrounding the city. Still, many beasts managed to scale the wall and the elves soon found themselves engaged in battle atop the wall.
Kard shoved his sword into a beast's stomach before lashing out with his foot and sending the Coshrak tumbling into the river at the base of the wall. He ducked as an arrow flew over his head and cut a rope suspended from the castle wall, receiving a barrage of curses in the foul language of the Coshraks as they fell into the water below.
"Stay on the door!" he shouted to his men below, being aided by the powerful Gorons as they attempted to hold of the enemy forces, "They must not get through!" The general turned to the archers atop the wall. "Don't relent!" he yelled, "Their hide is thick! Aim for the throat!"
"Gorons!" he heard Mahalda bellow, "Get those bombs up here! Now!" Kard turned his gaze from the enemy army and watched as several Gorons climbed a thick ladder and displayed their explosives to the general. "Good," Mahalda nodded his approval, "We must slow their approach! Target the soldiers nearest the wall and in the largest groups! Don't hit the wall!" The Gorons obeyed readily, lighting their weapons and tossing them down into the enemy ranks. The Coshraks, unprepared for this attack, were immensely surprised as several explosions detonated in their midst, killing the nearest beasts instantly and throwing others to the ground. "Keep them coming!" Mahalda shouted as another volley of explosives descended into the enemy soldiers.
"Cover the Gorons!" Kard yelled, "Aim your fire near the explosions and hit the enemy when they have been confused by the bombs!" The archers obeyed and the Coshraks were given no time to recover from the explosions before being rained upon by the Hylian arrows. Gradually, the number of grappling ropes that gripped the wall decreased, the Coshraks unable to near the city due to the assaults of the bombs.
"How many bombs do we have?" Kard asked Mahalda privately.
"We've used approximately half of our supplies," the Goron general said, "And we only been at it for half of an hour. I don't suppose there's any bomb plants nearby."
"No," Kard said, "We best prepare for the end. Use the bombs and hold of the Coshraks for as long as possible. My men and the Zora will be ready below. The Gorons can join us after you exhaust your bomb supply."
"Understood," Mahalda said, "It looks like this is it." Kard grunted in acknowledgement before surveying the enemy forces below. The sight that attracted his eye nearly blinded him with fury.
There, standing in the midst of the Coshrak army, was King Halberd of Solatia accompanied by his advisor, the sorcerer Gahoch. The two were barely out of range of the Hylian bows and they surveyed the battle from their protected position.
"Coward!" Kard spat, garnering a confused look from Mahalda. "It's Halberd," he explained to the Goron, "The coward doesn't even join the fight, but stands under the protection of his sorcerer." Mahalda squinted in the direction that Kard had pointed out, and was able to discern two small men among the army of the beasts.
"He's out of range," Mahalda said, "We'll finish him as soon as he draws near."
"I don't think so," Kard said, "He would never put himself in any immense danger."
"Then what will we do?" the Goron general asked.
"Not we," Kard snarled, "I'm going to finish this myself." With those words, the Hylian general yelled and leapt over the wall of the city into the swarming masses of Coshraks below.
Kard landed painfully on the ground across the river and sprinted into the enemy ranks recklessly, dodging and countering the many attacks of the Coshraks. He ignored the pain that coursed through his body as he was struck slightly by several sword blows and focused on his path, remembering where he had spotted Halberd from atop the wall. The Coshraks, not understanding why someone would so carelessly push through their ranks, lost their chance to attack in their confusion as the general blazed past them with amazing speed.
Kard swung carelessly but powerfully, forcing the beasts back and allowing himself time to pass by the startled creatures. He ignored the realization that he was dealing killing blows to only a few of the Coshraks, as he was far more concerned with reaching the Solatian king.
Halberd had no time to react as the Hylian general exploded from the Coshrak ranks and attacked viciously. Gahoch, however, was able to force Kard back with his magic and a blast from his staff. The general was lifted off of the ground and thrown backwards before landing on his feet gracefully. Kard glared with ferocity at the two men, the hate blazing in his eyes, terrifying both Gahoch and Halberd.
Without a word, Kard leapt at the sorcerer as Gahoch held his staff up in defense, not having time to brace himself for the attack. The amazing power of the blow dented the rod and knocked it from the sorcerer's hands. Gahoch watched with terror as the crystal atop the staff wedged itself in the ground many feet away. Kard, not willing to waste this opportunity, attacked the weakened sorcerer who created a magic shield between the two in a desperate attempt to survive. Magical electricity surged through the general's body as his sword connected with the shield, but Kard refused to relent. Gahoch yelled in pain as the barrier shattered, throwing him backwards into the dirt of the field, his body numb from the blast.
Kard, out of the corner of his eyes, saw that the few Solatian and Hoshenan soldiers had noticed the battle taken place and were rushing to the aid of the king. As Coshraks also dashed to their new leader, Gahoch, Kard turned his eyes to Halberd, realizing he had not the time to deal with the beasts and finish the sorcerer. The Solatian king stood nearly petrified, though he managed to remove his sword from its sheath and bring it up in defense.
It happened in the blink of an eye, and those few who witnessed it would later think that their eyes had betrayed them. Kard rushed the terrified king with incredible speed as the Solatian soldiers converged upon the lone general. Halberd's sword was knocked from his grip by Kard's blade and the general plunged his blade through the man's chest in one swift movement. As this happened, an immense pain seemed to tear through Kard's abdomen and shoulder muscles apart and he noticed the blades jutting through his right shoulder and stomach. The general stared with malice into the bewildered eyes of King Halberd and uttered quietly, his voice filled with anger.
"So it ends," he said as the two collapsed to the ground, unmoving.
***
Malon looked on sadly as the many Hylian refugees willed strength into their tired limbs, terrified of the death that would await them if they relented in their travels. A small number of steeds, most old and worn, marched slowly behind the elves, led by their owners and laden with heavy loads of belongings and provisions.
Malon stroked Epona's mane fondly as the mare walked alongside her. The girl's favorite horse had been one of the few that had been taken to the safety of Castle Town and now traveled with the Hylians. Malon's heart became heavy as she thought of the animals at the ranch that she and Talon had been forced to set free into the expanse of Hyrule Field. The girl could only hope that they had sought out a refuge in the world, safe from the chaos that had ensued. Malon sighed heavily, garnering attention from Alria who walked beside her.
"You okay?" Alria asked with concern.
"Yeah, I guess," the farm girl said before studying the villagers once again and changing the subject, "They all look so tired and scared. Like they don't want to go on but they know they have to."
"I have to admit," Alria started, "It does seem rather hopeless. I've never been to the frozen wastelands, but I can't expect that any more than a half of us will survive the cold."
"What about you?" Malon asked, "You've lived in the desert your entire life and never experienced cold weather."
"I have been kind of worried about that," Alria admitted, "But I figure I'll just have to tough it out."
"I have some warm clothes you can borrow," Malon said, looking over the girl's Gerudo attire.
"Thanks," Alria said. The two walked in silence for a while before Malon sighed once again, receiving another response from Alria. "Are you going to tell me what's bothering you, or continue looking depressed?" she said sharply.
"Sorry," Malon apologized, "I know I shouldn't be acting like this, but I can't help it. We're fleeing danger and running into danger. It just seems so hopeless."
"It seems hopeless because it is," Alria said, "There's no other way of thinking about it. It may be that none of us will survive this trek, but we can't abandon hope. It's the only thing left for us to cling to during these times. We have to believe that this will all work out in the end, even if there's not a chance that it will. Once we lose what little faith we have, then the end will surely come."
"You're right," Malon sighed, "I've been trying to think like that for I don't know how long, but it just gets more difficult as we go along." The two quieted once again and stared ahead, watching the forms of Hawehn and Amir huddle close to each other as they walked, the Calatian's broad arm wrapped around the woman's shoulder. Malon smiled at the sight.
"Those two look good together," she said, "And Hawehn deserves someone who can be there and comfort her during this time. Amir seems to do the job well."
"I feel bad saying this," Alria started, "But I don't trust him."
"That's just your nature," Malon said dismissively, "You've been raised to be untrustworthy."
"That may be the cause of it," Alria said, "But my instincts still tell me that there's something we don't know about him; something he doesn't want us to know. What did he say about his past?"
"Well, he's from Calatia, of course," Malon stated obviously, "He told Hawehn that he had accidentally ended up stranded on Solatia after boarding the wrong ship. He was trying to get to Hyrule in time for the Harvest Week Festival. Then after he discovered Solatia's plot he made his way to Hyrule to warn us of the danger."
"A strange story," Alria said thoughtfully, "It's hard to believe that a man that seems as practical as him would board the wrong ship. And you say he was heading to the festival?"
"Yes," Malon said. Her eyes suddenly lit up with realization. "But that doesn't make sense," she discovered, "It takes about eight weeks to get to from Calatia to Solatia by sea, but only two weeks to sail from Calatia to Hyrule. And the journey from Solatia to Hyrule takes about three weeks. Amir arrived in Hyrule about three weeks after the festival, which means that he must have been in Solatia during the festival itself. So for him to be in Solatia during the festival as he says he was, he would have had to set off from Calatia eight weeks before the festival itself and he would have arrived in Hyrule six weeks early. Why would he leave for Hyrule so much prior to the festival, and without enough money to pay for housing?"
"I've been wondering about that for the past few days," Alria said, "And I've only come up with two answers. He might have been intending to travel around Hyrule, seeing the wonders and such, prior to the festival. But that doesn't explain how he could have boarded the wrong boat. From what I've learned of Calatia, the ports to Solatia and Hyrule are very distinctly separated so as to prevent mistakes such as the one Amir claims to have made. The fare for the trip to Solatia is also far more expensive than a trip to Hyrule, and you'd have to be a complete moron to not realize that you were paying an insane amount of money when you thought you were only going on a two week trip. I can't imagine Amir being that dense."
"And the second?" Malon asked, curious.
"He's a spy," the older girl said simply, "He was sent to Solatia in order to study the nation and uncover any traitorous plots, and then was to report back to Calatia with the news. Or he may have been instructed to infiltrate Hyrule after he was through in Solatia. He may even have been given a mission such as assassinating the king or something similar."
"That's assuming a lot," Malon observed, "I don't know if we can doubt him because of a slight flaw in his story."
"I would go with my first idea," Alria started, "If it wasn't for the fact that I've been trained for spy missions as well. It's a central part of the Gerudo training, hence the reason I've been given a large amount of information about Calatia and other nations. I know how spies think and work and the basic structure of stealth missions. Deciphering Amir's story reveals a situation that is the backbone of any spy mission."
"Which is?" Malon asked.
"Enter the country unnoticed as an average person," Alria began, "Uncover as much information as possible in a relatively short period, act like a normal person, and get out safely without arousing any suspicion."
"Act like a normal person?" Malon said, confused. The older girl nodded.
"Yes," she said, "It is essential that you blend in with the people of the country. Live in a normal room of an average class inn, get a job, and participate in normal activities such as shopping in the market and such. Not one person must think strangely of you, or your cover may be blown. But during the entire length of your stay, you are constantly watching, listening, and waiting."
"I always thought of spies as dark figures that crept about and could disappear into the shadows," Malon said, "People that were constantly watching and were never seen."
"That's the other technique," Alria smiled, "Though it is usually used when operating within a shorter span of time."
"Oh," the farm girl said, understanding, "Well, then, continue with your explanation."
"It is likely that Amir spent a few weeks in Solatia before heading for Hyrule," Alria said, "It may be that he attempted to get to Hyrule for the reasons that he has relayed to us and he was truly concerned about the welfare of the nation. Though I believe that his mission may have involved Hyrule anyway. Most likely, he was planning to set off for Hyrule within a week, but then felt the need to leave sooner when he uncovered Halberd's plot. Therefore, he stowed away on the sorcerer's ship, was discovered and thrown off, and then found by Hawehn upon the shores of Rok."
"I guess it makes sense," Malon said, unsure, "But it's hard to believe that this man who fought and nearly died for Hyrule could be secretly working against us."
"I don't think that's the whole picture," Alria said, "As I said, I've been studying him for quite some time, and it seems that his concern for the welfare of the Hylians, especially Hawehn, is genuine. My guess is that he's been manipulated by King Tawahn of Calatia and has been basically forced to embark on his mission. If he was a spy because of his own free will, I highly doubt that he would risk his life for people whom he does not know."
"So you think that Calatia's against us as well?" Malon said.
"In a way, yes," Alria said, "They have not come to our aid and I highly doubt that it is because they have received no news of the war."
"So," Malon began, "You don't think we can trust Amir?"
"No," Alria confirmed, "For now, we must be wary but not attempt any sort of action. I'll explain all of this to your leader."
"That would be Impa," Malon explained, then pointed at the tall Sheikah near the front of the crowd, "She's up there. I'll come with you, I guess, since she doesn't know who you are. I still hope that you're wrong, though."
"So do I," the older girl said.
The two started toward the head of the masses just before an earsplitting scream pierced the air from the western edges of the crowd. Alria's head snapped to the left immediately, her eyes searching for any signs of danger nearby. What she beheld nearly left her standing open mouthed in belief.
Upon the edges of the crowd, the entirety of the remaining Gerudo warriors had descended upon the people like hawks, terrifying the Hylians as they struck down all who stood in their way. The few Hylian soldiers rushed toward the chaos, engaging the desert thieves in battle amidst a flurry of arrows and scimitars. The civilians fled in every direction, desperately hoping to escape the carnage.
Alria darted toward the Gerudo, growling fiercely as she looked upon her former comrades and unsheathed her twin blades with amazing speed. She leapt in the path of a Gerudo scimitar has it flew toward the head of an innocent woman carrying a child. With terrifying ferocity, she swatted the blade to the side and stabbed through the attacker's midsection powerfully. The Gerudo fell to the ground as Alria heard the faint sound of chuckling and looked toward the noise.
"It seems that our sister holds no shame in killing one of her own," the face of Obaru, Alria's former instructor and mentor, said coldly.
"Do not count me among you any longer," Alria said menacingly, "I am not Gerudo, and she is not one of my own."
"I'm surprised at you, my pupil," Obaru said, "I did not expect that you would be so quick to switch to the side of the dirty Hylians."
"You are making a mistake," the girl growled, "The Hylians did nothing against us. Those soldiers were not-"
"Oh, I know they weren't Hylian," Obaru interrupted, "I've been watching the progress of the war for quite some time. But we have decided that the blame still falls on the Hylians, as they did not send warning or aid to us in our time of need."
"They didn't know!" Alria argued.
"That does not relate any longer," Obaru snarled, "This matter is beyond argument. The Gerudo have chosen to be loyal to the Great Ganondorf, and we will avenge his death this day. You have chosen exile, and I cannot help it if you are destroyed along with the traitorous Hylians. Though if you change your mind while you have a chance, your death may be avoided."
"I'll never join you!" Alria shouted, "You have reduced the Gerudo to heartless beasts who prey upon the defenseless and seek nothing but revenge! If I must destroy you myself to end this, then I will not hesitate!" The girl crouched into a battle stance, as did Obaru, and the two glared into each other's eyes menacingly.
"I was like a mother to you!" Obaru growled, "And you have turned against me!"
"You betrayed me and the Gerudo!" Alria countered, "And you will die because of it!" With that, the two warriors leapt at each other, their rage unleashed, and engaged in a chaotic duel of flashing blades amidst the carnage surrounding them.