Before the Game Begins...
The Death of the Queen
Chapter 3: The Kokiri Emerald
The King of Hyrule stood empty handed, his back to the Altar of Time. The sword was sealed in the ante-chamber along with the Sage of Time. Now he needed it, and he couldn't get it. The only thing left was the Ocarina of Time, and it was useless without the jewels. He clenched his fist and lowered his head. Someone had outmanuevered him. An enemy dwelt within the gates. It was the only explanation. Unless Ganondorf had found a way to get in without anyone noticing him. He dismissed the notion as ludicrous, yet it kept gnawing the corner of his mind.
No one had come in or gone out of the town for 2 weeks. He entertained the idea of leaving the town in secret to seek his Queen and Heir, but he was the King. Even if there was a way out, there was the heavy yoke of obligation that kept him chained to the castle and the town. The smallest citizen was his responsibility, and if there was no other recourse but to stand between them and Ganondorf, he would. Without weapon. Without sheild. Fist to fist, he would beat that arrogant lord into the ground he stood on.
But he couldn't leave, not without great risk.
He lifted his head, his eyes flashing, and he strode out of the Temple of Time. As he stepped over the threshhold of the door, he saw a boot protruding from a nearby shrub. He paused and walked over to make the grizzly discovery of the missing guards. They lay in dark stains. One lay very very still. The other, not far off, moaned softly and curled his fingers.
The King stepped toward him quickly, knelt down, and turned him over. His helmet rolled away, revealing a gash that bled profusely. His eyes flickered open, focusing on the King's face, recognition lighting his dimming eyes. "Ganondorf" he gasped.
The name flew like an arrow into the King's brain. "Don't talk" he tersely commanded, and set about stopping the blood's flow. But the failing light of the evening was also the failing light of this soldier's life. The sun set, and the man became heavy with death. His eyes stared at nothing. His body became limp. An emerald rolled from his unclenched fist.
The King stared at it uncomprehendingly. At what cost had this brave soldier paid to grasp this treasure? He released the body and picked up the glimmering stone. After a moment, he pocketed the emerald and resumed his stride toward the castle.
How had Ganondorf gotten in? The thought of those black boots touching the soil of this town, roaming freely in the twilight, boiled his blood. He began to run toward the stables.
At the garrison, he burst into the door and told the captain of the guards that two soldiers were down at the Temple and Ganondorf was roaming the streets of the town. The place became a roiling sea of action as men grabbed weapons and shields and massed toward their captain who barked instructions. Four men were dispatched to the Temple.
The King divested himself of his blood-stained clothes and changed into more practical clothing. He transfered the gem into a pack. He was 35 years old. His body hadn't become soft with civilian life. He was disciplined in several martial arts: the art of the sword, the art of defense, the art of the mace, the art of horsemanship. He even knew a few secrets that the sages had given him: the endurance potions that lay scattered in several locations throughout the land.
He strapped on a sword, chose a bow and quiver from the armory, and slung a sheild over his pack.
The men were silent when he approached them thusly encoutred. They listened grimly as the King told them that the Sage was sealed and unable to lend any assistance. He told them that the Sacred gems had been stolen, one recovered. He told them the dying soldier's last word. He warned that they may have been betrayed by someone inside, or Ganondorf may be using undetectable magic. Then he told them to rally. They would meet the sneaking desert rat on the Plains of Hyrule.
The men began to gather every weapon at hand. They mounted their horses and headed toward the gates of the town.
The drawbridge was ordered down, and the army of Hyrule boiled out of the gates.