As Dame Mila walked back to the House Vryciaro camp with her squire, she observed the other soldiers scrambling to prepare for war. They outfitted themselves in armor, sharpened their weapons, saddled up their horses, restocked their arrows, and got down on their knees to make peace with whichever god they hoped would favor them. It was a familiar scene. Mila had witnessed it many times since she joined the Hyrulean military several years ago. Even though she believed their victory in the coming battle to be highly likely, many of these people would not be returning with them.
Such a waste.
Mila was quite young for a Kokiri, having been brought over to this material realm only twenty-five years prior, but she would far outlive any of these Hylians if nature were to take its course. Yet, even with their short lifespans, so many of them would have their lives cut short even sooner, and before they'd even had the chance to do anything useful. Mila couldn't help but see it as a criminally inefficient use of human resources.
Upon her return to camp, Mila ordered everyone to prepare for battle and to get into formation. Word had already spread by the time she'd gotten there, so most of them were already prepared. It was only a short while later that she found herself walking down the front line of the House Vryciaro troops. Dozens of trained soldiers, directly under her command, albeit temporarily. Even though she was not their true lord, they were still honorbound to do everything she commanded, no matter how much they objected to taking orders from a little girl. It brought a smile to her face every time one of them said "Yes, Dame."
Looking down the line at the other battalions, Mila could see the prince's army was almost ready to attack. She could have simply waited patiently for orders to move out, but as long as they had time, she decided to address her troops first. Climbing onto the back of her mountain buck to somewhat compensate for her height, she made her way to the center again and turned to face the line of soldiers.
"Soldiers of House Vryciaro," she said, projecting her childish voice as authoritatively as she could manage. "Today, you are asked to face the enemies of the kingdom. You are asked to fight. You are asked to carry out your duty set forth by your lords and your gods." Mila looked out into the crowd. Many of them stood still, with stoic faces of determination. Others were visibly frightened. Others still rolled their eyes, having heard enough pre-battle inspirational speeches in their time.
"However, soldiers, no matter what else you are asked to do today, none of you are to die," Mila went on. "The fools we face are the ones who have decided their cause is worth dying for. But you are not them. You are smarter than them. You are better than them. You will kill for the prince's cause. You will not die for it. Understood?" The last word she shouted as a question, letting the troops know she expected an answer.
"Yes, Dame!" came a chorus of responses. Many of the House Vryciaro troops looked baffled, as if they never would have thought she'd demand anything but the utmost dedication to the prince's cause. Nevertheless, they were hanging on her every word, and they seemed perfectly willing to do as she said. The Kokiri knight smiled to herself.
Not bad for a little fairy girl, huh?
Just as the prince's army got into formation, Mila could see Laverta's army gathering at the top of the hill, consisting mostly of humans and Zora. Percival's forces outnumbered Laverta's and was made up of professional soldiers, not to mention they had the Zora's gigantic Hydrophant. Laverta's forces were merely cultists and mercenaries. However, they always had the option of retreating behind the fortifications of Ulria. Laverta would need to die in this battle before that happened if they wished to avoid this becoming a more drawn-out conflict.
Coming from further down the line of the assembled forces, Mila began hearing shouts of "Forward march!" Dame Mila drew her gilded sword and raised it into the air when the orders reached her. "Forward march!" she repeated to her own troops. Kicking the sides of her mount, she began creeping forward, followed by the rhythmic stepping of dozens of boots behind her.
The battle began with a hail of arrows let loose from the back of the enemy's formation. Calls of "Shields up!" echoed all throughout the Hyrulean formation as the troops protected themselves. Mila's eyes traced the path of the arrows heading towards her section of the formation. As they got closer, she raised her sword and waved it a few times. While not easily visible, bursts of turbulent winds shot forth. Some of the arrows were knocked clean out of the air, while others lost momentum, changing trajectory enough to land harmlessly on the ground in front of them.
Glancing to her sides, Mila saw other battalions being buffeted by arrows. Most were safely blocked by shields, but others found their way into the tiniest of openings, piercing into the poor saps beneath. However, the army marched firmly forward, not letting a few casualties deter them so easily.
The enemy's arrow volley was soon repaid as the archers behind Mila loosed their own arrows. However, since they were the ones attacking uphill, many of their arrows fell short without any wind mage's intervention, and only a few cultists in the enemy's front line fell from the attack.
The two armies traded volleys back and forth like this as Mila and her compatriots slowly advanced up the hill. As she finished knocking the latest round of arrows out of the sky with her wind magic, Mila noticed something. Laverta's cultists had stopped advancing only a short distance from the top of the hill. This was not entirely unsurprising, given that they already had the high ground and were on the defensive. However, what was truly perplexing was the enemy's front line. No longer was it headed by spear-wielding soldiers. Instead, a group of staff-wielding mages had stepped out in front of them. As soon as Mila realized this, she felt fear rising up inside of her.
What are they doing? Are they planning to cause an earthquake here? Can they do that without harming themselves?
All at once, the enemy mages lifted their staves, then stabbed them downwards into the ground. However, the earth did not begin to shake. Instead, a large boulder rose out of the ground in front of each mage, as if the stones had been buried there beforehand.
"Fuck," Mila sword under her breath. Any second now, the enemy would send those boulders rolling down the hill towards them, and her wind magic wasn't strong enough to stop that. They would have to move out of the way, but their formation was too tight. The situation required them to stagger their ranks in order to dodge the falling rocks. "Be on alert, soldiers!" the Kokiri knight shouted to her troops behind her. "Eyes forward! Cease advance! Move back and part to the sides!"
The House Vryciaro troops were a bit confused by the unorthodox marching orders for a moment, but they seemed to understand once they registered the boulder coming towards them. Mila herself set her mountain buck leaping to the right, moving out of the boulder's path long before it reached their front line. The panicked screams and wails of agony coming from other battalions told her that not every group of soldiers had been as quick as hers. And, on top of the casualties, the boulder attack had successfully shattered their army's formation, sending them into disarray.
"Form up!" Mila shouted at the top of her lungs. Kicking her mount in the sides, she set herself moving up and down what remained of their line, shouting the same order to every battalion she could. Other knights and commanders were doing the same, desperately trying to get their soldiers back in line.
Another wave of arrows rained down upon them. As the soldiers were scrambling to get back into place, many of them did not see the arrows coming and did not have time to raise their shields, leading to a much higher casualty rate than the previous volleys had.
The enemy was not advancing anymore. Instead, they remained further up the hill while their archers pelted them. The earth mages had retreated back behind the spearmen, but Mila knew they would not remain idle for long.
"Forward march!" Mila shouted, returning to lead her battalion as they got back into formation. "Advance! Advance, dammit!"
With a little encouragement, the prince's army continued to move forward. Once their forces were only a few meters away from the enemy's, the front lines of both sides readied their spears. Mila, sitting atop her mount, stopped approaching the spear wall. Raising her gilded sword and pointing it forward, she commanded the House Vryciaro troops to attack. The beginning of the clash was noisy and chaotic, but the sounds were mostly metal clanking against metal as spears stabbed against impenetrable shield walls.
"This won't do…" Mila muttered under her breath, annoyed by the lack of progress after watching her troops struggle in vain for a short while. She decided to help out the same way she had with the arrow volleys. Cutting her sword through the air, she began buffeting the enemy shields with blasts of strong winds. It wasn't much, but with every few swings, she managed to make one or two of the enemies stumble enough to create an opening in their shield wall. The Kokiri knight's soldiers would then exploit this opening, stabbing through and impaling their opponents.
"Keep fighting, soldiers!" Mila called. As she did, she glanced around her. The other battalions had engaged the enemy, and most of them were making no more progress than she was. However, after a few moments, Mila saw what she'd been hoping to see. Like Laverta's army, Prince Percival's had mages in its ranks as well, and several of them were setting up in the back row of their formation. Upon receiving their signal, they began lobbing balls of fire into the middle of the enemy's formations.
The effect was immediate. Aside from the cultists that were incinerated upon impact, the resulting fires disrupted the enemy ranks as panicked soldiers pushed and shoved to get away from the fires. With so many flames igniting at once, spaced out across the entire defensive line, there were few places they could run.
"Now, soldiers!" Mila ordered, doing her best to make her high-pitched, childlike voice heard over the shouting. "Eliminate them all!"
Taking advantage of the enemy's panic and confusion, the Hyrulean troops began making considerable headway, taking out line after line of Hylians and Zora. With the enemy formation broken, Mila saw several other knights charging in on horseback. Seeing the opportunity, Mila decided to join them. She kicked her mount into action, leaping over her own troops to get to the enemy.
A deer was by no means as menacing as a warhorse, but something Mila had learned was that anyone smaller than a Goron will still be scared when something with antlers charges at them. The first human she charged at leapt out of her mount's path, but in his panic, he failed to raise his shield to defend himself. Mila's golden sword sliced through his chest as she trotted by leaving the cultist bleeding on the ground.
Her next opponent was not quite as easy. A Zora armed with a slim spear tried to stab at her. However, Mila was able to slash at the spear shaft with her sword, deflecting it enough to avoid getting impaled. The Zora lost his balance, which Mila was quick to exploit. With a quick wind spell, she sent him toppling to the ground, only for him to be trampled a moment later by another knight's horse.
Everything was going well, until a man on fire suddenly ran past Mila. Her deer got spooked and reared back, but even though the flaming man was long gone, the deer bucked wildly. Mila was flown off of it and landed on the ground with a grunt, barely managing to cushion her fall with some quick wind magic. "You ungrateful bastard!" she called after the mountain buck as it leapt away through the chaos of the battle.
Before Mila could manage to climb back onto her feet, an enemy soldier loomed over her. He looked at her with confusion and horror, likely mistaking her for a child and appalled that someone would bring someone so young to a battlefield. Mila's sword had landed just beside her, but she didn't want to reach for it while her armed opponent was staring down at her. He would likely panic and stab her if she did.
You wouldn't hurt a child, would you?
Mila put on a frightened face, as if she were about to cry. She always felt pathetic whenever she made use of a tactic like this, but something else she'd learned about humans was that they were powerless against a sad little girl. The man still looked confused, but he leaned forward and offered Mila his hand to help her up. She took it, but as soon as she did, she grabbed her sword with her other hand. As he pulled her up, she thrust the gilded sword straight through his chest. The Kokiri knight knew she shouldn't, but she couldn't resist giving him a wicked grin.
A child would certainly hurt you, though.
Once she was back on her feet, Mila did not have time to rest. Another Hylian cultist had witnessed her actions and was running at her, sword drawn and shouting. She couldn't quite hear him over all the noise around her, but he clearly wasn't happy that she'd just murdered his friend.
Without the added height afforded by a mount or the opportunity to trick her opponent into letting his guard down, Mila had to fight him head on. For someone permanently trapped in a prepubescent body, that was no easy feat. However, like all mages, Mila did not need to rely on strength alone. While wind magic did not have the same obvious combat capabilities as fire magic, it still had its uses.
When the enemy soldier slashed at Mila, he was surprised by the speed with which she managed to dodge out of the way; a gust of wind allowed her to glide safely to the side. Before he had a chance to comprehend his predicament, Mila quickly glided past him again, slashing at his neck while his guard was down. He fell just as his friend had.
Now, where the hell are my soldiers…
Finally having a chance to get her bearings, Dame Mila saw that her troops had finally caught up with her. Many of the Hyrulean soldiers were still engaging with the enemy, but the tide of the battle had turned significantly in their favor. However, Mila was not optimistic.
The sage still hasn't done anything…
Laverta was the Sage of Earthquakes, and yet no earthquakes had occurred throughout the battle so far. Mila assumed this was because Laverta did not want to harm her own followers, but if her side was losing this significantly, the sage was bound to get desperate soon.
I need to find her and take her out, or I might die with everyone else.
She did not have to search for long, however. Soon, Mila felt the ground beginning to shake.
Shit! Is this it? Has Laverta already lost it?
But the shaking was not an earthquake. In the distance, towards the center of the battle, the ground cracked as something rose up from the earth. Screaming could be heard as loose rocks fell from the rising figure, crushing those beneath it. When the dust settled, a gigantic Stone Talus was standing there as everyone looked up at it in awe. Mila had encountered a few of these elemental monsters before, but most were no more than five meters tall. This one was upwards of twelve meters tall. Atop the stone monster's head stood Sage Laverta, her lyre tucked under one arm.
"Prince Percival!" Laverta called out. "I warned you, and you did not listen. Call off your attack at once, or suffer the wrath of Namazu!"
There was a momentary standstill. Everyone on both sides was waiting to hear the prince's answer. Would the battle continue, or would he surrender? Mila was not going to wait around, however. Taking advantage of the distraction, Mila made her way past the dumbfounded cultists staring up at their leader with mindless reverence.
Pathetic sheep.
The Kokiri knight was some distance away, but her goal was to get behind Laverta's Talus. She couldn't fly, but perhaps she could climb. She wouldn't have to kill the monster anyway. If she could kill Laverta, the Talus should return to a harmless pile of rock.
I hope.
Not long after, a warhorn sounded. It was not a signal to surrender. As Mila had expected, the prince wanted to see this through to the end. All at once, the fighting started again. Swords and spears clashed against shields, and people shouted war cries like they wanted the whole world to hear them.
As she ran, dodging her way through the battlefield, Mila looked up at Laverta. The Zora sage began strumming her lyre, although the Kokiri knight could not hear it. Nevertheless, the gigantic rock monster slowly lifted its right arm back, then slowly swung it forward, releasing a large, fist-like boulder from the end of its arm. More screaming could be heard, but she was not aiming for the people. Instead, the boulder collided against Prince Silorn's Hydrophant. The gigantic creature let out an agonizing sound as it was knocked over, spilling its riders from the carriage on its back. The Talus then lifted its left arm, tossing its other fist towards the far end of the battle. It soared through the air, then rolled as it landed, killing another swath of soldiers.
I need to hurry.
A few of Laverta's cultists got in her way, but Mila was quick to chop them down, none of them expecting her wind magic-enhanced speed. Soon she had reached her destination. She was behind the great Talus, and she was alone. Most of the others seemed too terrified to get this close to the sage's earthen beast, and those that were brave enough were already dead by Mila's hand.
Looking up at the monster's back, it was like watching a cliff face swaying back and forth. Climbing it traditionally would take ages, but with a few wind-enhanced jumps, she might be able to reach the summit quickly enough.
Assuming I don't fall and die.
Mila sighed. "Farore… don't be a bitch today." With what was the closest she'd ever get to a prayer, the Kokiri ran forward and leapt for the rock monster's leg, summoning a strong and favorable wind behind her. When she smacked against the walking cliff face, she only managed to find a hold with one hand, causing her to flail about until her feet found somewhere to step.
Off to a great start…
Almost immediately after she began climbing, the leg she was holding onto began to move as the Talus took a step forward. The monster's foot landed with a crunch that silenced a few annoying screams, but the noise around her was still unbearable. Nevertheless, she soldiered on, climbing higher and higher until she reached the monster's back.
The constant rumbling and titanic movements the Talus made were far from ideal for climbing, and once Mila had climbed high enough, she began to fear for her safety. Sure, she could cushion her fall if she lost her grip, but even the smallest mistake could kill her, and even if she landed safely, the Talus could take one step backwards and crush her underfoot.
"Need a little help?"
Mila nearly slipped. Hearing a voice from behind her was startling. Clinging to the monster's back, she looked over her shoulder. Floating there on a small cloud was Cyclos, lazily reclining as he watched her climb.
"Is this why you still follow me?" Mila asked, glaring daggers at the psychotic frog god. "Just to taunt me?"
"That's not the only reason, fairy child, but it is certainly one of them." Cyclos snickered as he effortlessly rose higher into the air. "How do you plan to fight the catfish's sage once you reach the top, hmm? Perhaps you could use a little divine grace of your own?"
"If I wanted grace, you'd be the wrong person to ask," Mila shot back. As she did, her foot slipped. Losing her hold, she nearly fell, but a strong gust of wind practically slammed her against the Talus's back, allowing her to grab hold again.
"That one was free," Cyclos said with smug superiority. "But if you want a real miracle, well, perhaps you'd better pray for it?"
"I'll pray for you to fuck off."
"Hmmm?"
Mila looked up to find Cyclos's face, now floating upside down above her.
"Well then, perhaps the winds won't be as favorable as they have been so far," he taunted. With a flick of his wrist, Mila suddenly found herself clinging to the rockface as a strong wind threatened to blow her off of it.
"Leave me, frog," Mila demanded, raising her arm to climb higher. "We both know if you were going to kill me, you would have done it long before now."
Cyclos laughed heartily. "Very well, fairy child. I'll just sit back and watch. Good luck against the fish lady, now." The god then ascended into the sky until he was out of Mila's sight.
"Someday I will kill you," the Kokiri muttered.
With the wind god's distraction out of the way, Mila was free to continue her ascent. The Talus continued to rampage its way through the Hyrulean army as she moved closer and closer to the summit, and still her presence had not been discovered.
Laverta must be focused on the prince. Hopefully I can end this with one clean blow through her back.
By the time she reached the top, Mila's arms and legs were aching, but she knew it would be over soon. She could hear the gentle sounds of Laverta's lyre - a strange contrast to the screaming and clashing of metal down below. With one last deep breath, the Kokiri knight summoned a strong wind to help push herself up, climbing onto the Talus's head.
When Mila pulled herself onto her feet, she was standing behind Laverta. The Zora woman's head fin swayed gently with the movement of the monster they rode upon, and she continued to serenely swipe her hand across the strings of her instrument. Hoping to seize the opportunity, the Kokiri drew her sword and charged forward.
Laverta must have heard her. The Zora woman turned around, and a look of surprise flashed across her face. She barely had enough time to react, but she reflexively swung her lyre, deflecting Mila's sword just enough for it to miss her. Afterwards, she leapt backwards, letting her broken instrument fall to the ground. Mila charged again, but Laverta quickly waved her hand. A piece of rock broke off from the ground and flew up at the Kokiri, forcing her to dive to the side.
"I know who you are, fairy child," the Zora sage told her.
"I'm glad the province still remembers me," Mila said dryly. However, she did not care to cross words with an opponent she hoped would be dead shortly. Trying another tactic, Mila stepped forward and waved her arm, sending a gust of wind at Laverta, hoping to knock her off the edge. Laverta lost her balance and stepped back, but she quickly knelt down and raised a wedge-shaped wall of rock in front of her. "Dammit," Mila muttered.
"Why do you fight me?" Laverta called out from behind her rocky barrier. "Do the forest gods have some stake in this battle? Or the wind gods?"
"Perhaps, but I don't really care," Mila replied, walking around to the side of the rock barrier with her sword raised. "This isn't about the gods. It's about me."
"Such selfishness." One half of the wedge-shaped rock wall launched itself towards Mila. She managed to dodge out of the way, but she did not see when Laverta launched the other half. It smacked into the side of her head, knocking her to the ground.
"Ahh!" Mila screamed in pain. Her helmet fell off when she landed, and while it had absorbed some of the blow, her head still bore an open wound. Rather than blood, ribbons of swirling green light leaked out - her own spiritual essence failing to maintain its material form. Mila pressed one hand against the wound and reached for her sword with her other hand. However, as she reached her arm out to retrieve it, the ground beneath the sword rose up and slid it away from her. "Fuck," Mila muttered as she watched her weapon tip over the edge and fall out of sight.
"This battle is not for your sake, nor mine," Laverta stated, stepping towards the fallen Kokiri. "It is about Akkala. This may not be your true home, fairy child, but it is mine. Namazu can make this land safer. We cannot sacrifice his blessing merely to uphold an oath to a god who has abandoned us."
Mila sighed, thoroughly unmoved by the zealous statements from the Zora sage. "Have you no respect for yourself?" the Kokiri asked, standing back up. "Namazu is using you. You're killing your own countrymen simply to further the catfish god's ego trip, and you're too simple to even realize it."
Laverta was taken aback. "And what do you know of the gods?" she demanded.
Before Mila could respond, she noticed something. Floating behind Laverta, a few meters over the edge of the Talus's head, was Cyclos. He sat atop his cloud with his arms crossed, watching the battle as if it were entertainment. "I know enough," Mila said, pointing at the frog god.
Laverta looked confused, then looked over her shoulder. "My word!" she said, turning around to face Cyclos. "Is that…?"
I cannot believe that worked…
While the Zora sage was distracted by the sight of a god in the flesh, Mila launched herself forward, propelled by as strong a wind as she could muster. She collided against Laverta, sending them both over the edge.
Mila knew it was a risky move, but an earth mage would be powerless falling through the air, and even a sage would die from a twelve-meter fall. A Kokiri would, too, but unlike Laverta, Mila could slow her descent. Hopefully, it would be enough for her to survive.
However, things did not go as planned. As Laverta screamed and Mila tried to separate herself from her, both of them were suddenly caught in a much more powerful wind than Mila had tried to summon. The Kokiri soon found herself flying horizontally through the air instead of falling. A great tornado had formed out of nowhere, and as Mila spun around in a circle, she caught glimpses of the wind god laughing uncontrollably from his position in the center of it.
"Cyclos!" Mila called out, although she could barely even hear herself. "Stop this madness!"
"And why would I want to do that?" the wind god asked, his booming voice echoing like thunder throughout the tornado. "You should know better than to make demands of the weather." Cyclos chuckled at his own near-rhyme.
Mila was getting dizzy, and it was so difficult to breathe that she knew she would black out soon. "Are you… going to kill me?" she asked her former Patron.
"Hmm… who knows?" Cyclos lounged in his cloud, pretending to think it over. "I suppose if you were my sage, I wouldn't want to, hm?"
Fighting to stay conscious as she tumbled through the air, Mila knew she had to swallow her pride.
It will be simple. Pretend to serve him, and bide my time. Just like with the prince.
"I'll do it!" Mila shouted. "I'll be your sage once again!"
"Oh, you will? Hm…" Cyclos tapped his hand against his chin. "You know, now that I think about it, I don't think I want you anymore."
"What?!" The Kokiri knight was confused. Had this all been the god's way of humbling her? Making her grovel and admit she needed him? Or had this all been merely a sadistic joke?
"Sorry, fairy girl. You know how it is. Sometimes the winds change without any warning," his booming voice declared, followed by more laughter. "But don't worry. I won't kill you. Not on purpose, anyway. I'll just give you and the catfish's sage the same chance. Bye, now!" Cyclos waved his hand. All of a sudden, it was as if the invisible force that had been keeping Mila and Laverta inside of the tornado had ceased to be. They were both sent flying through the air, screaming in terror as Cyclos flew away laughing.
It took all of Mila's strength and focus to summon as much wind as she possibly could in the short amount of time she had before she hit the ground. It was far from enough to make her landing pleasant, but it slowed her down enough to keep her from dying. Between her shoulder dislocating on impact and her ribs cracking as she tumbled across the hard ground, the pain was enough for her to finally slip into unconsciousness.
"...up… you… on… lazy little…"
As Mila's eyelids slowly opened, she found herself staring at a bright ball of light hovering above her face. "Luft…" she groaned, feeling the tingling sensation of fairy dust peppering her face.
"Well, finally," Luft said in annoyance. "By the great ones, you can't go anywhere without me, can you?"
Mila actually managed a smile. "It's true. I'll try to remember that next time, old friend." Lifting her head, she saw three or four of Mija's fairies dancing across the rest of her body, helping to mend her broken bones.
"Hmph. Well, you'd better," Luft insisted. "You know what happens to fairies who lose their Kokiri."
"Better than what happens to Kokiri who lose their fairy," Mila pointed out, remembering the horrific faces of the Skull Kids she'd encountered on her journey through the Lost Woods.
Looking around her, Mila saw others in the same state as her. Among the many bodies, there were wounded humans and Zora being healed by fairies. Cyclos's tornado was long gone, and Laverta's Talus had collapsed, leaving a vaguely humanoid-shaped pile of boulders on the hillside. "What happened to Laverta?"
"How should I know?" Luft replied.
Mila blinked a few times as the haze lifted more. She was beginning to remember what had happened more clearly. "She was in the tornado with me," the Kokiri said aloud to herself. "She must be dead." She sighed with relief at the thought, but then something occurred to her. "Shit. Is Cyclos getting the credit for this?" The wind god had made her beg for his help and nearly killed her. If he'd managed to steal her glory in addition to all that, it would have been the final humiliation.
"Will you quit squirming?" Luft complained.
"Oh, hush." Mila lifted an arm to lazily swat Luft away. "Ow." Her face scrunched up in pain, and she carefully lowered her arm back down, realizing she was still quite injured.
After lying on the ground for a while longer, letting her fairy healers do their work, the Kokiri knight heard someone calling her name.
"Mila? Dame Mila? Mila Shadowgale?"
With her body mostly repaired, Mila managed to sit up. She spotted her squire walking through the remnants of the battlefield, searching for her. "Vanova!" Mila called.
The round-eared girl's face lit up when she saw her knight. "Dame!" she shouted, running over to her. "Oh, thank the gods. I thought you'd been killed." Vanova knelt down in front of the Kokiri girl, wrapping her arms around her.
"Hey! Hey! Will you get off of me?!" Mila fought to free herself from her squire's grip, still feeling aches of pain all over her body as she moved. "I know I look like a child, but I am your elder, young lady."
"R-Right! My apologies." Vanova released her, stepping back and standing at attention. "I was merely overcome with joy to see you were unharmed, dame."
"What on earth makes you think I'm unharmed?" Mila grimaced as she pushed herself up onto her feet. "Augh. I swear, I'm going to kill the fucking frog if it's the last action I take on this plane of existence..." The Kokiri knight rubbed the back of her neck while she muttered to herself.
"Mm." The round-eared girl nodded awkwardly, but her face lit up again a moment later. "Oh! I nearly forgot." Reaching behind her back, she pulled a sword out of its scabbard. However, it wasn't hers.
"My sword!" Mila said, staring in wonder at the gilded weapon as her squire carefully handed it back to her. She looked up at Vanova and smiled gratefully. "Thank you, Vanova. This sword is one of a kind. I would have been quite upset with myself if I had lost it."
"I am honored by your gratitude, dame," Vanova said proudly, bowing to the short knight. Looking down at the sword, she tilted her head quizzically. "It does appear to have a very unique design," she commented. "Is it foreign?"
Mila chuckled. "More so than you would believe. It was originally made by my people, but it was reforged elsewhere." She didn't care to elaborate any further at the moment, however. There were more pressing matters at hand. "Laverta is dead, correct?" Mila asked, sheathing her sword.
"Yes, she is. She was killed by the tornado that tossed you," Vanova confirmed.
"Good. Victory is ours, then." Mila raised a brow as she realized something. "You saw me in the tornado?"
"Yes. Everyone did. I saw you dueling Laverta atop the Talus as well." Vanova seemed proud just to be associated with her at this point. "Your bravery was commendable, dame. You will surely be rewarded."
"I'd damn well better be," Mila declared.
Even if Cyclos technically dealt the killing blow, as long as everyone saw me push Laverta off of the Talus, I'll still be given at least some credit.
Taking a step forward, Mila nearly collapsed again, falling down on one knee. Nothing seemed to be broken anymore, but her body wasn't going to let her forget she'd been tossed out of a tornado. "Take me to Prince Percival," she commanded her squire.
"Shall I carry you?"
"That had better be a joke. Fetch me a damn horse or something."
"Yes, dame." Vanova ran off while Mila sat back down, rubbing her temple.
"So, what nickname do you think you'll end up with this time?" Luft asked, chiming right beside Mila's ear.
"Eh?"
"You became 'The Devil of Shadow Pass' last time. Maybe now you'll be 'The Titan Climber' or 'The Earthquake Slayer.'" Luft giggled, clearly taunting the Kokiri for her ego.
"You know, those aren't half bad," Mila replied. "It's a shame you never got a nickname, though. Perhaps 'The Vexing Pixie' or 'The Winged Whiner.'"
"Bah!" The fairy angrily rammed herself against the side of Mila's head. "We'll see who's whining next time you get hurt and I decide not to heal you."
Moments later, Vanova returned, riding atop a dark brown horse. "Dame Mila," she greeted her, hopping off of her new mount.
"Splendid. Good work, Vanova." Mila stood back up and approached the horse. However, when she looked up at the saddle she was expected to climb onto, she was reminded why she preferred to ride a deer. The Kokiri girl let out a sigh, swallowing her pride for a moment. "Would you mind…?"
"Hm? Oh!" It took Vanova a moment to realize what Mila was asking. "Of course, dame." Grabbing hold of the smaller girl, Vanova helped lift Mila up onto the horse's back. She then climbed up herself, sitting behind Mila.
The Kokiri let out another sigh, knowing she must look like a little girl being given a lift by her elder sister. "Let's get going," she commanded. "Where is the prince?"
"He and the other commanders returned to camp after giving orders to gather up the dead and wounded," Vanova replied.
"Then take me there."
"Yes, dame." Vanova tapped her boots against the sides of the horse and started them trotting down the hill.
Before they reached the edge of camp, Mila insisted on climbing down from the horse. It had been embarrassing enough to be seen riding with her squire like that when only injured people and healers were around. If the princes and the other higher-ups saw her, she would never live it down. Her walking was a bit stilted, but it was better than the alternative.
As she walked through the camp with Vanova trailing behind her, murmurs of her name floated through the air. Several soldiers even got down on one knee out of respect for her as she passed.
Perhaps Luft was right. Maybe my time as the devil is over.
"Dame Mila." A knight in regal armor, who Mila recognized as a royal guard, approached her. "Prince Percival has been looking for you. Please come with me."
"Of course, sir," Mila agreed. She had to force herself not to smile deviously, already trying to guess what her reward would be.
The guard led her into the prince's tent. Percival, Silorn, Kaifa, and several other nobles and their guards were inside. When they spotted her, many of the guards took a knee and planted their swords in the ground, bowing to her. Sir Onnick did not, Mila noted.
"Ah! And the lady of the hour has finally graces us with her appearance," Prince Silorn said completely genuinely, standing up from the table and spreading his arms welcomingly. "Come! Join us, great hero. We should all be honored to be in the presence of the one who slew the dreaded false sage."
Prince Percival raised a hand at Prince Silorn, as if telling him not to overdo it. Then he turned his attention to Mila. "Yes. You've done well. And you shall be suitably rewarded along with the other heroes of this battle once we return to Akkala Citadel."
Mila bowed her head, allowing herself a brief grin. "Thank you, my prince. I wish only to serve this great kingdom."
The journey back to Akkala Citadel took considerably longer than the initial journey had. Many of the horses, as well as the Zora's Hydrophant, had been killed in the battle, and many of the remaining ones now pulled carts filled with wounded, prisoners, and corpses. Mila would have suggested leaving the dead bodies behind, but it was customary to give fallen soldiers a proper burial.
Mila had thought it was strange when she first found out that humans left bodies behind when they died, like animals. While the death of a Kokiri or a fairy was a rare occurrence, she had seen it happen. Their corporeal bodies became ethereal again, and they passed on to who knows what realm. As she grew older, she learned this was not always the case with spirit beings, however. The original Great Deku Tree's body still remained in the old Kokiri Forest. The humans had even hollowed it out and made a temple out of it once the Kokiri had migrated further north.
I wonder if Cyclos will leave a corpse behind after I kill him.
When they finally arrived back at the citadel, the guards informed Prince Percival that he was to meet with General Alchon and bring his lieutenants with him.
"Return to the barracks, soldiers," Mila ordered the House Vryciaro troops, enjoying her last moments of being in charge of them, at least for now. "I shall summon you after I receive the governor's next orders." Most of the soldiers bowed and left, but Vanova stuck around.
"Shall I accompany you, dame?" the round-eared girl asked.
"Certainly, so long as you do not mind standing around for yet another boring meeting." Mila turned and headed for the stairs, following the other officers and lords who were being escorted by their own subordinates. They made their way through the citadel and up to the general's audience chambers.
Inside, General Alchon sat upon his throne, with Governor Vryciaro sitting in a smaller throne to his left. Mila filed in and stood in the gallery with the others, but Prince Percival stood front and center before his uncle.
"Percival," the general spoke. "Word has reached me that the Earthquake Sage is dead. Is this true?"
"It is indeed, Uncle," the prince replied, bowing slightly. "With Laverta's death, we have cut off the head of the snake. Namazu is unlikely to find another potential sage any time soon. Members of her cult still remain, but they will no longer pose a serious threat to the kingdom. The campaign was a complete success."
"With the number of casualties your forces appear to have sustained, I would hardly call that bold, head-on attack a complete success," General Alchon replied sternly. He had been against the idea when it was first proposed, and he seemed to feel the need to remind everyone of that, even though it had worked out in the end.
Prince Percival hesitated before replying, no doubt having been hoping for a different reaction from his uncle. "The threat is removed nonetheless," he reiterated insistently.
"Yes, I suppose it is. Perhaps my brother will take solace in that fact when I tell him that half my army is gone," the general said, making a gross exaggeration.
"If my father takes issue with how I chose to accomplish the task he entrusted me with, then he can tell me so himself," Prince Percival shot back. "A victory is a victory. Those who fought for me have earned more than contempt."
General Alchon did not appear moved by his nephew's statement. "Very well," he said with little enthusiasm, getting up from his throne. "Come, Prince. I'll let you handle their rewards." Alchon stepped over to one of the smaller thrones and sat back down.
Prince Percival climbed the small set of steps and sat down where his uncle had been sitting. Most people would not have been allowed to do that, but even though the brother of the king clearly had more power and influence within Akkala Citadel, the son of the king technically ranked higher within the Royal Family's hierarchy.
"Ahem," Percival cleared his throat. "Prince Silorn, please come forward."
The sharktail-headed Zora flashed a toothy grin. Stepping out onto the red carpet, he strutted proudly forward. When he was in front of the other prince, he tapped his silver spear against the floor, then got down on one knee and bowed his head.
"Prince Silorn, you and your people have once again proven your loyalty to the Kingdom of Hyrule," Percival said.
Vryciaro nodded in agreement, but Alchon seemed unimpressed, merely staring blankly with his head resting against his hand.
"In return for your actions, I pledge to aid you and your father in restoring order to the Zora Dominion. You need only tell me what you require, and I shall grant it, within reason," the prince continued.
General Alchon gave him an unamused look, likely angry at Percival for pledging more of his resources.
"My gratitude is as deep as the ocean itself, my fellow prince," the Zora said with no small hint of humor in his voice. "I would be honored if you would accompany me to Lanayru sometime."
"Perhaps," Percival replied noncommittally. "You may rise." Prince Silorn stood back up and returned to the gallery with a spring in his step.
Mila watched as the prince repeated this process with several others, calling on them to step forward, thanking them for their service, offering some small reward, then dismissing them. Lady Kaifa, one of General Alchon's lieutenants, was granted additional land to her already considerable holdings. Mayro, the bishop, was told that the crown would speak to Sage Aurun on his behalf with the hope of getting him marked as a potential sage. Several lesser lords were granted smaller boons in the form of rupees, servants, horses, and the like. Just when Mila was beginning to think she was going to be snubbed, the prince finally addressed her.
"Dame Mila of House Shadowgale," Percival spoke. "Please, come forward."
Finally.
Mila did her best to walk with grace and dignity, holding her head high. Just as the others had done, she knelt before the prince and bowed respectfully.
"As a knight of Hyrule, you have done a great service to your kingdom," the prince said. "You led your troops in battle, eliminated an enemy of the kingdom, and secured the aid of the local fairy flight to tend to our wounded."
"After convincing you to go over my head and lead this reckless assault," General Alchon said to his nephew, no doubt still upset that Percival had accepted Mila's proposal right after he'd rejected it.
"That will be enough, Uncle," the prince replied, raising his hand for silence.
"You watch your tone with me," Alchon shot back. He then turned his attention to Mila. "If you ask me, this child has no place on the battlefield. The army has physical requirements for a reason. We're lucky her presence didn't get her entire regiment killed."
"I take offense to that," Mila said, climbing to her feet. She could endure plenty of unpleasantness, but she was unwilling to bite her tongue while the general discussed her as if she weren't even there. "I may appear young, but we Kokiri are not bound by the same physical limitations as you humans. And, seeing as you are a seasoned military general, I assume you are aware that the kingdom's military code does not hold sorcerers such as myself to the same physical standards as ordinary soldiers." After stating her rebuttal, Mila paused for a moment. "My lord," she added with a slight bow, acting as if she respected him so little that she could barely remember to address him properly.
That will surely get under his skin.
"I was told her past exploits which earned her the rank of knight were more than adequate proof that the battlefield is just where she belongs," Prince Percival said. "And after killing the Earthquake Sage, I believe she has proven that once again."
"It was Cyclos who smote the false sage, your highness," Mayro pointed out from behind Mila in the gallery. "That victory belongs to the gods."
"Cyclos would not have been there if not for me," Mila rebutted, looking over her shoulder to give the bishop a dirty look. "It was my faith and my prayers that necessitated the wind god's intervention." She hated herself for saying that. Even pretending to pray to that bastard disgusted her. But she needed to appease her audience while still claiming credit for what was rightfully her victory, and that meant appealing to the Hylians' faith in the gods.
"Regardless, Dame Mila, you have proven yourself quite effective," Prince Percival went on. "We need knights who are both willing and able to shed blood for our kingdom. And as a reward, I shall grant you a proper title."
Mila's eyes went wide in surprise. "Truly, your highness?"
"Indeed." Percival turned to Vryciaro, who had remained so silent Mila had genuinely forgotten he was there. "I trust you can accommodate this, Governor?"
"Yes, your highness," Vryciaro replied with a nod. "I will find her suitable holdings and a decent manor to call her land."
Mila could not stop herself from grinning.
Dame Mila sounded good, but Lady Mila?
"Thank you, Governor. Thank you, my prince!" Mila fell back down to one knee and bowed to them both, ignoring General Alchon's disagreeable scoff.
"You may rise," Percival said. Having granted her the reward he'd promised, he dismissed her.
Mila returned to the gallery and stood with her squire, who mouthed a silent 'congratulations' to her.
The ceremony went on for a while longer as there were a few other knights and lords who'd performed good deeds in service to their kingdom. The prince also mentioned that there would be a knighting ceremony the next day for soldiers who were eligible. Afterwards, he stood and relinquished the throne back to his uncle.
"I'm glad we have finished with the pleasantries, at last," General Alchon declared after sitting back down in the center throne. "Laverta may have perished, but there is still work to be done if we are to completely root out this heresy. All of you have one hour to prepare your reports on the current state of affairs and your proposals for moving forward. Then we shall reconvene in the council chambers. Dismissed."
The crowd in the gallery gave their respects and began filing out of the room. Prince Percival and Governor Vryciaro stood up to leave as well, but the general remained in his throne, absentmindedly tapping his fingers against the armrest.
"Shall we return to your chambers to celebrate, Lady Shadowgale?" Vanova asked with a perky smile on her face.
Mila stepped away from the crowd and stood with her squire by the wall in the hallway. "Hmm. Not yet," she said. She was considering something that she knew the other girl wouldn't like, but it was probably for the best. "I think it might be prudent for me to have a word with General Alchon in private."
"But he was so rude to you, my lady," Vanova replied. "Why must you speak with him?"
"That is precisely the point, Van." Mila watched the other lords exiting down the hallway out of the corner of her eye, wishing for them to be out of earshot before she continued. "Despite the prince's rank, General Alchon is still the most powerful person in the citadel. As much as it may pain me, I still need to get on his good side. His pride has been wounded by his nephew's display of dominance just now, so perhaps he will be vulnerable enough to allow me to build a new bridge."
"I see. That makes sense," Vanova said. "You are so wise, my lady."
The two of them waited for another minute, expecting to see General Alchon come through the doors to his throne room soon. Instead, they heard a loud noise coming from inside, like furniture being knocked over.
"What was that?" Vanova asked.
"I'm not sure." Mila drew her sword and approached the door. "Arm yourself, Vanova. Follow me." Together, the two of them swung open the double doors and stepped back into the throne room. "General Alchon!" Mila called in alarm.
All the way on the other side of the room, the general's throne was on its side, with Alchon lying in a heap beside it, and four of his guards scattered about on the ground as well. Standing above them on the dais was a cloaked figure. Upon hearing Mila's voice, the figure turned to look at them.
"Who are you?" Mila demanded.
Rather than responding, the figure disappeared in a puff of smoke. However, in the blink of an eye, he appeared once again, standing right in front of them. The cloaked man produced a knife from within his sleeve and slashed at Mila, but he must not have expected her to be as agile as she was. The Kokiri managed to dodge out of the way. Channeling the winds to propel her arm, she counterattacked before the man could strike again. Her sword slashed at his arm, cutting halfway through it before getting lodged in the bone. "Finish him!" Mila shouted to Vanova while the cloaked man screamed in pain.
Vanova complied, stabbing the man through the chest. She then withdrew her sword and stabbed him a second time for good measure. He fell to the ground, lifeless. "My lady, are you hurt?"
"I am fine." As she answered, Mila hurried across the carpet over to where General Alchon was lying on the dais. There was blood all over the ground, leaking out of him. "Turn him over," Mila commanded, knowing she could not lift the heavy man on her own. She and Vanova knelt down and rolled Alchon onto his back. His eyes were closed and he gave no response.
Vanova held her hand in front of his face. "He's still breathing," she proclaimed. "Can your fairy heal him?"
As if on cue, Luft appeared, jangling beside Mila's head.
"No," the Kokiri said, raising her hand to block Luft from moving forward.
"No? Why not?" Vanova asked. "Is he too far gone?"
"No, I mean…" Mila stood up, looking down at the general. She took a moment to consider her options. Ever since she arrived at Akkala Citadel for the first time, she'd been trying to get into the good graces of the king's brother, thinking she'd be able to trade up from the governor. However, Alchon had been nothing but an obstacle.
Is he really worth more to me alive?
"My lady?" Vanova asked, watching the look of concentration on Mila's face.
"It's better this way," she decided, turning to her subordinate. "With the general dead, the prince will be in command here. I have his favor." She looked down at Alchon again. "I do not have his."
Vanova looked nervous. "Are you certain, my lady? He is the king's brother…"
"Yes, I'm certain. Let him bleed out. We'll alert the guards once he's dead." Her eyes scanned the area, looking over the four dead guards lying about. "Check on them as well," she ordered Vanova. "If any of them look well enough to recover, stab them once more."
"Yes, my lady."
Such loyalty. I am so glad I found this one.
As Vanova squatted down over one of the guards, Mila made her way back across the red carpet to examine the body of the killer. He was lying on his side, so she kicked him onto his back and knelt down, peeling the hood of his cloak back so she could see his face. "Interesting." The man had a pale complexion and snow-white hair.
A Sheikah. Why would he want to kill the general?
"The guards are all dead, my lady. The general appears to have passed on as well." Vanova came up from behind her. "A Sheikah? That's odd."
"Yes," Mila agreed, standing up straight. "Akkala is a fairly diverse province, with many Hylians, Gorons, and Zora. There are not many Sheikah, but I suppose it's no surprise that Laverta would have one or two of them in her cult."
"You think he killed General Alchon for revenge?" Vanova asked. "He didn't even take part in the battle."
"Maybe. Or perhaps he'd been planted here ahead of time with orders to kill the general, and he simply did not strike until now," Mila speculated. "Still, that is a mystery for someone else to solve. You're certain General Alchon is dead?"
"He's stopped breathing, my lady."
"Good. Now then." Mila pushed her way through the double doors back into the hallway, then took a deep breath. "Guards!"
