Chapter 2: The Beginning of the War
It had been 45 minutes, and the class had returned. This time, their young faces were bright and cheery, and they were actually excited about a lesson for once. Mrs. Septim would sit quietly at her desk, grading yesterday's theology test. For once, she had time in class to grade so she could have a night on the town with the gals later. But for now, she was stuck in her job.
"Now, my children," Mr. Benedict would rise up from his chair, being sure to finish off his last shot of liquor first. "It is time to speak of the great Civil War that plagued the continent merely a few decades ago. Surely your parents remember this, but you ma-"
"MR. BENEDICT!" shouted a girl in the back row. "WHAT'S A CIVIL WAR!"
"Oh, yes…" he stopped what he was doing and provided a definition for the young lass. "A civil war is when the people of the same basic region, this country for example, fight each other."
"But why would they wanna fight?" pondered the student, slanting her head in query, causing her ponytail to go with it.
"Oh, it could be for a variety of reasons. Power, money, fame…or just disagreements about any old thing. Now, this civil war started in question because of two people: General Barbarossa of the Hylian Army and Shaman Tamika Donton, ruler of the Shiekah of Kakariko, up north. The King of Hyrule at the time, Uriel Harkinian, had long expected his subordinate to be of a malicious nature, yet he remained too good of a general to be replaced. Eventually…Uriel the Forger was killed." A gasp went throughout the entire classroom, except for little Timmy in the back, who came in after the intial sound.
"The assassins were later confirmed to be of the Shiekah tribe, yet Barbarossa, who was rapidly gaining power over the Chancellor, had made false claims that it was the combined efforts of the Protectors of the Elements, whom you would know as the Kokiri, the Zoras, and the Goron tribe. The Chancellor and the emergency government, who was formed as Lord Harkinian had no known heirs to his throne, kept calling Barbarossa's claims false. Yet, the man was an excellent speaker, and convinced the people to join his side. Soon enough, a massive riot would occur, killing the Chancellor and his council. The city unanimously agreed to put Barbarossa in place…that, my children, is when it began."
"When what began?" a student in the front piped up.
"Hmm? Oh, the first battle. Soon after the appointing of Barbarossa, he sent the 1st Hussar Cavalry, the elite force of the Hylian Army. Led by Lt. General Jean Paturade, they would head to the Zoran Canyon that connects the Great Field with the Domain in an attempt to secure a foothold to control the water passage. However, someone tipped the King off, someone to this day who is still unknown. In return, the Hussars would meet the DSD, the Zoran "Special Forces" if you wi-"
Timmy queried, "What does DSD stand for?"
"Deep Sea Divers. They don't need water to function, it's just a name after all," he would reply. "The first blow would be given to the Zoras; the one thing that the Hylians had over them was collapsible mobile artillery. The catapults would annihilate the entire front line, save for Commander Domasi Arrian, who was mysteriously unharmed. The battle itself would end up being surprisingly short; though the Hylians had artillery, the Zora were quick to disassemble them, as they had to be in the front so there would be no friendly fire. Zora, Hylian, Zora, HYLIAN! The bodies would pile up and wash down the strong current of the river! The snipers would pick each other off till none were left standing. The other foot soldiers? This was not a particularly good day for the Hylians, as the current of the river had been too strong to cross, which would prevent them from building makeshift bridges to facilitate them. With no way to cross, the Lt. General would have to retreat."
"Did they go back?" The entire class asked Mr. Benedict in almost complete unison, with 1 or 2 squeeky voices being a tad late.
"Yes, yes they did. Many times, in fact. Yet, every time they did, they'd be pushed back again by Arrian's forces. The 1st Hussars were no match for the sheer experience of the DSD. Eventually, Barbarossa would give up, and would open a second front: The Deku Forest. The heavily armed 37th Infantry, under direct control of Barbarossa himself, would have much, MUCH better luck against the Woads of the Kokiri."
"But…" Little Charlie in the front row would stand up and proceed to ask a question. "What about the Gorons and the residents of Kakariko? What of them?"
"Excellent question!" the historian would exclaim, flipping open the pages of his black book, then stopping somewhat towards the end. "The Shiekah, as being a technical extension of the city of Hyrule, allied with Barbarossa. Shaman Donton appointed her apprentice, Eva Dra-"
Suddenly, the door's knob turned and pushed open. On the other end would be a solitary Castle Guard, giving a royal salute, before calling out, "Sir, Chancellor Beaumont has called you at the throne room. We must go immediately. It concerns the king."
"Well…" Mr. Benedict would reluctantly close up the book, shaking his head in disappointment of what happened. He stepped down from the oak podium he had been standing on since he had arrived. "I'm sorry children, but I must take my leave," Disappointment filled the eyes of the children as some sighed in regret. "I promise all of you, I shall return. Please, just wait for next week…" Even his statement wouldn't enlighten the children. Saddened by their faces, Julius would trudge towards the door, where he'd be interrupted.
"Mr. Benedict!" called out Mrs. Septim. "May I have a word with you outside?" The history professor tilted his head towards the guard, who would make a small yet noticeable nod. Both Mrs. Septim and Mr. Benedict stepped outside and faced one another.
"Professor…"she started, putting her hand on the black book that he carried around. He turned it to the cover, which showed a shiny, ebony Triforce upside-down. "This book is very rare…how did you manage to acquire such an artifact?"
"I…it was…" he stammered. "'It was a family heirloom…before my father disappeared, he gave it to me."
"Oh…I'm sorry," she said, showing sympathy. "But, may I ask…" She slowly let go of the book, letting go once she reached the edge. "Who…no, what was your father's name?"
"His name?" he asked back. "Oh, it was-"
"Lord Benedict, we must go!" the guard shouted, taking having somewhat of a large head start.
"Oh, don't worry about it then. If the Chancellor wants you," she said, "then you must go. It's just a petty detail." She walked back to her classroom door, and spoke as she proceeded to shut it, "Take care, and see you next week!"
"Yes…petty detail…" He started to run along, attempting to catch up to the guard.