Dragmire's War – Part 5

-Joket, Ganondorf-

Ganondorf Dragmire sat opposite from Kei Ki the Beheader. Beside him were the two witches, his twin mothers. Beside Kei Ki were an assortment of his personal officers and trusted men and woman. All around the room were soldiers of Kei Ki. Effectively Ganon was outnumbered ten-to-one. He found the odds favorable.

They sat in tense silence as they reached the end of the midday meal. The only sounds were the clinking of porcelain plates and wooden chopsticks. Kei Ki had his men cook, and were the smell anything to go by, he had a few men who knew how to cook well. Ganondorf did not touch his food.

He sat there with his fists clasped together resting against his chin. He had not uttered a word since returning, only having told Kei Ki he wanted time. Nabooru shouldnt take too much longer, and every moment dragged on for him.

Now if only his parents would stop trying to sneak a touch of the Qin commander, so Ganon could fret in peace.

The meal passed and went. It wasn't until Ganon's food was cold that Nabooru came. She entered, and Ganon felt his stomach drop from her grave expression.

"Nabooru, what did you find?" Ganon asked in the Majoran tongue.

"There was a struggle. The man is dead. He was pierced by a sword." Nabooru replied. "The woman and child is missing."

"What?!" Ganon exclaimed. He jumped to his feet.

"I take it she found something?" Kei Ki inquired.

"She found the man dead, the woman and child missing!" Ganon hissed in Qin's tongue. "What did you do!?"

"Chief!" Nabooru interrupted, also changing to Qin's tongue. "It was not him! Witnesses saw Joket guards arrest them! They were taken to the mansion."

The mansion... Ganondorf dimly realized he had taken all the Majoran guards with him. Nabooru, his parents, and himself were absent. The mansion was empty of those loyal to him.

"Much as I would be fine with taking the blame, it seems someone beat me to it." Kei Ki said. "Now does my claim bear weight? He is working to cover his tracks quickly."

Ganondorf did not know, still, if the man was truthful or not, but he knew one thing: no one touched his family! Ganondorf said, "I will return to the mansion and demand answers."

"That does not satisfy me." Kei Ki replied. He placed a hand on his sword. "Do not force my hand."

Ganon stared at him a moment before concluding, "If he does not satisfy me, then I will personally kill him for what he has done. You can even take to your Ki family claim that he committed heresy and treason."

"Heresy?"

Ganondorf walked out the door, his silence and concern replaced with fury. "He summoned a demon."

-At the mansion-

A certain former governor of the city, Ketsu, franticly hurried about his room. He was once a powerful man, and now he was being forced by circumstances to go into self-exile.

And it was all that bitch Ice Queen's fault!

He had been Ketsu's man. The one who kept the Chancellor's personal estate running, his city controlled, and the money flowing. The governor may have taken a bit off the top, but Ketsu knew that and allowed it since his attention was always on the young Royal Family brat at the capital!

Even among the other Ki family heads, none dared touch him. But now there was a particularly ruthless and uncouth upstart bastard of a Ki here for his head! What had he done to deserve this?

"I have met with a terrible fate..." the man mourned. "Haven't I?"

"You have brought this on yourself." A defiant voice said behind him.

He growled angrily, and continued his work. He filled his bags with anything and everything he could get his hands on. A blanket and a pillow he tore off the bed. He threw open the fine silverware drawer and pulled out handfuls of silver utensils. He tossed in a couple goblets and gold plates. He thrust open his clothing closet and despaired, there was so much.

"You know you are going to die, right?"

Spurred on by her words, he grabbed armfuls of clothes and stuffed them in. He had to stand atop and thrust down with his feet to make it work.

"Quiet." He hissed.

"You know of the Majora King's public declaration of protecting us! Let us go!" Kuroko Dragmire pleaded from where she and Malon were tied. Malon cried silently while Kuroko refused to stop fighting against the binding. "I promise, I'll put in a good word!"

"I said, 'Quiet!' You know I cannot trust that! You'll turn on me the first chance you can. You and I are all who remain. You think I don't know how this will go? You'll just flash your demonic red eyes at him, and he will take you into his arms again."

"I haven't been that woman since I left. It has been a breath of fresh air each and every day since your fat master died!" She spit. "Just like you had the chance to renew yourself under the new regime. Instead you try to undermine everything!"

The man kicked open a chest and leaned down into it. He threw off a blanket and books covering up the contents beneath. He stopped to catch his breath. "There is no leaving the business... Kuroko."

He pulled out the mask of Zant and placed it in another bag.

"Course, you can." She glanced at Malon. "Let her go. Take me. I'll stay quiet wherever we go."

"No!" Malon cried. Kuroku shushed her.

The man pulled out another mask. There was no room for this one so he tied it to a string on the outside of the bag. He did the same with another mask, then another, and another. Kuroko felt her blood chill as the freakish masks started to pile up. They depicted people and monstrous beasts screaming in stilled horror. Some were also blank, as if depicting no faces at all.

He heard a sound outside and looked down from the window to see Ganondorf running into the front door below.

Time was up.

He said, "Unfortunately, your promise will not be good enough. Your silence must be assured..."

"If you dare kill us!"

"Oh, I won't have to do that." He snapped off a pair of blank masks. "You see, I have come to learn the Majora do not imprison. Nor do they execute. They do something different. Something... truly special."

He walked up to them with a wide smile on his face. A very wide smile, as if his face had cracked and become a smiling mask itself. Kuroko tried to move, to physically shield Malon or move them both back from the madman, but the binding held firm and dug into her bloody raw wrists.

The man grabbed her by the red hair with one hand and thrust a blank mask on her face. Kuroko screamed into the mask. Light shimmered and flashed from the seam where her face touched it.

Red cords like rope erupted from the sides of the mask by the thousands and in an instant wrapped themselves around her until she was effectively mummified. The man stepped back in surprise, never having witnessed it before. Red cords wrapped her tighter and tighter, and her head seemed to be pulled into the mask. The mask swallowed her head, yet she continued to scream.

It only took a few seconds from start to finish, but the cords squeezed her completely into the mask, the light disappeared, and the mask fell to the ground. Smoke billowed from its surface, the now silent screaming personage of Kuroko Dragmire on its surface.

The moment of silence was broken by Ganon's outraged yell. The governor looked briefly at the blank mask in his hands and up at Malon.

"Damn it all!"

He lunged forward, thrust the mask on Malon's face, allowing the process to start before he rushed off, grabbed a chair and jammed it into the door handle. Just in time, as Ganon, hearing Malon's screams, ran at the door and slammed his shoulder so hard it cracked.

The governor fell back, wide eyed in terror at the inhuman growls coming from the other side of the door. He scrambled back towards his pile of bags and worked to get it all together.

A second time Ganon bashed the door. This time the door split open. His red eyes instantly caught Malon as the red cords worked to mummify her. He dropped to his knees by her, and placing a hand on the mask, infused a dominating power into it while pulling at it while Malon screamed. The red cords resisted, but relented. The bindings split as the mask was torn from her flesh; the power infused into it responding to Ganon and releasing her. The red cords disappeared into the aether as if they had never been there.

Malon gasped for breath. Her face was red and puffy with crying and she shook with pain. Ganon put a comforting hand on her head. His eyes fell beside her. The spot beside her had blood caked rope bindings that had fallen, where someone had recently been.

The man of Ki, who had served Chancellor Ketsu, and had since tried in his own way to resist the Majora, grunted with effort and lurched forward, finally having been able to pull his prized belongings and bags on his back. A mask bearing Kuroko's face was on the side of his luggage.

Ganon rose to his feet, his swords in his hands, heat and fury billowing from him like wind. His eyes did not leave the governor. Seething, he walked forward.

The governor stepped back hurriedly away, trying to find distance. He reached a door on the other side leading to a servant's passage. He reached for it, but an explosion of fire hit the wall beside him from Ganon's hand. The wall blackened where it hit. The door handle turned red with heat. Afraid and irrational, he reached for the door all the same. He screamed as the heat burned his hand and he let go. The burn festered and hissed and smoked, revealing the family mark of Ketsu on his palm.

"Fitting that you would be marked with the mark of a traitor." Ganondorf said.

Seeing him near, the governor made one last desperate attempt. He reached for a mask, any mask, in his reach. Taking hold of one, the man put it on his face.

Ganon was finally within arm's reach, and lifted his sword to kill, but halted upon seeing the man place a mask on his face.

Ganon dropped his swords, ran back, and encircled Malon with his arms. A moment later the room exploded.

-Nabooru-

The earth beneath her feet shook as an explosion ripped itself from the mansion. On a higher floor fire erupted from a wall and wood and stone was flung into the sky. A rip tore itself down the side of the building; and the higher room crumbled down and fell.

Nearby people screamed in fright and either fled the danger and noise or came nearer to see if they could help, or were just curious. Very quickly the streets were in chaos.

"Is someone playing with explosives?" Kei Ki wondered. He stood nearby intent on seeing Ganon leave with the man's head.

Nabooru shook her head. There was no black powder in that room. She had a bad feeling about this. Ganon was capable of that power, but he never used it except as a last resort.

Her answer soon came as a high pitched cry came from the fire, and a large form rose. Wings spread wide, talons clasped onto the edge of the room that had not crumbled, and a six-eyed flaming red bird screamed its birth.

Screams filled the streets. People fled. Despair and terror followed the monster.

"What the..." Kei Ki looked on with wide eyes. His crossed arms fell to his side numbly.

Nabooru and Kagami ran into the lower mansion. Soldiers either fled, overcome by fear, or drew their weapons and charged forward.

"Do not fight it!" Nabooru yelled. "Only ensure everyone escapes!"

Nabooru ran by the fleeing custodians of the house and towards the stairs leading up to the floor where fire was spreading quickly. Kagami was already twice as far, his nose leading him. Nabooru followed.

Once more the bird's cries filled the air, then the building shook violently with the sound of a great wind. Nabooru stumbled on the stairs and watched as a fleeing servant fell through a crumbling ledge to the polished marble below.

Kagami was already there by the time Nabooru arrived to find Ganondorf collapsed. Fire was all around them and he looked burned all down his back. A girl with red hair was unconscious beneath him and had a nasty burn over a corner of her head at the hairline.

In the distance the bird had flown into the air and the witches flew around it with all the size and effect of a gnat. It seemed to be fleeing into the far distance.

"Chief!" Nabooru shook him. There was no way in all the realms she would be able to lift him with even his lighter armour on.

Ganondorf groaned. Kagami bit his leg and tugged, causing the man's painful groan to turn savage. "Stop it!" Ganon coughed.

"Can you walk?!" Nabooru pushed up at his shoulder. Ganon blinked emptily at her before nodding and rising, painfully, to his feet. He bent over in pain. He tried to lift the girl with him, but Nabooru took her. Ganon looked like he would collapse at any moment.

Nabooru called for guards, and with them helping him walk, they left the mansion.

Ganon collapsed once they were outside. Immediately his eyes sought out the girl in Nabooru's arms and he visibly relaxed when he found her. Nabooru laid the girl down gently.

Nabooru stood and turned to go back in, but Ganon whispered, "Don't."

"But the mother!"

Ganon shook his head grimly. Nabooru bowed her head in defeat. "Din damn it... wha- what was that?! Where's the governor? Is he-"

"That was the governor. He got his hands on a few masks of the exiled."

Nabooru had no visible reaction, but she knew how bad that was. It wasn't a secret in their people what the masks were, and there were blank ones prepared for the government. There were few security methods in place because the masks were already feared. Even among their people, these masks were considered taboo, and feared with superstition. It was said some of the masks predate the fall of Hyrule and were sealed with unspeakable evils.

The Majora did not have room for prisons, and there were some things too powerful to be killed conventionally or men too evil to warrant a mere execution.

Ganon would know. He was the executioner.

"How many did he have?" Nabooru dreaded the answer.

"Less than he could. More than he should. Send our fastest messenger to Majora. All masks of the exiled are to be given to the Fae Grove for safe keeping until this situation is resolved."

Nabooru left briefly to relay the order. A doctor came and looked them over. Ganondorf had suffered great burns across his back, his neck, and his hair. He would be fine after a month. His regeneration was unnatural.

The girl was largely unhurt, all things considered. A broken wrist, very deep bruises, cuts, scrapes, and a large burn across half her scalp. Ganon looked on it guiltily. Nabooru asked, "Did you get the burn from shielding her?" Ganon nodded. "Then don't look so shameful. She would be long dead and that scar would be far bigger were it not for you."

Despite her words, he continued to look guilty on her. Like he was the one responsible. The sight shook Nabooru. This was the most vulnerable she had ever seen him. He was always angry, focused, proud, bored, or furious. (The last one never failing to result in someone dead.) On occasion he could be grudgingly gentle, and his form of humour was mockery, sarcasm, or a cruel jest. His weakened moments were a mixture of pain and primal fury promising retribution.

He looked utterly defeated and wholly responsible. There was never a moment in her life she remembered seeing him feeling guilty.

"Tell Kei Ki that the governor is dead." Ganon whispered. "He has his victory. And tell my mothers... they will be getting a granddaughter."

Ganon hated the words even as they left his mouth. He hated this world that forced him to say it. Most of all he hated himself for having not been there. If he had been here as a proper leader rather than spoiling himself in Kanyou (though he knew the relationship between Qin and Majora was assured and the most important) when he had promised to protect them. He had not been here to notice with his talented eyes how peculiar the man was. Now he hated himself for who he was, angry, violent, and yet hopeful that he could protect a seed of innocence.

He felt the hate return. His inner fire flared and he remembered the fury he felt for the former governor. He needed to kill something.

He would protect the last hope of his clan if he had to die to do it, and he would try to be a better person for her to ensure some semblance of innocence can be left. Well, he would at least try...

"I name you as governor of Joket, in his place with all rights and responsibilities and have my mother's select with the men of the tribe who shall lead Majora in my stead." Ganon continued, his strength and resolve returning.

"And you?"

"I'm going to war. Preparations should be finished. I'm going to conquer the mountains. I need to kill something."

-Somewhere, Link-

Link did not know how long he laid there. He remembered opening his eyes briefly, how bright everything was, and that he was racked in pain with the simple knowledge that the pain meant something was very wrong. He knew what bruises felt like. This wasn't it.

'So weak...' he thought. It took effort just to think, and he thought no more as his eyes closed.

The next time his eyes opened was in response to voices but it came to him as garbled and scattered sounds and at times akin to melody; and he remembered feeling comfortably warm and with the sensation of hovering. It was dim.

'Ah...' he thought weakly. 'I died. So this is the heavens... it's not bad... I'm sorry... Zelda... Ganon...'

His eyes closed again.

Link's eyes snapped open. Colours flickered in the darkness all around him, hovering and shifting innumerably. It was like Fae but something about their movement confused him. No... it wasn't Fae. It was reflected lights on cavern walls from water he was laying in.

This was followed by two thoughts, 'Wait... what am I doing in a cave?' And then, 'Shit! I can't swim!'

Link thrashed around, reaching for leverage. Water fell over him and pulled him under. His mouth and lungs quickly filled with water. He felt the surface at the edge of his fingers, but he couldn't quite hold it. Tiny hands grasped at him, trying to pull him in. He fought against them but there were many. They sat on him, grabbed his chest shirt and his arms and pulled at him. Something moved under him akin to a snake. It roped itself around him and squeezed him tight.

The giant snake pulled him out of the water and slammed him down on a rock surface. The snake loosened its grip, but many small creatures crawled onto him. He fought against them while drowning in himself. His torso felt like it was on fire and his body was weak and numb. He could not resist them and was forced onto his side. Water spilled from his lips and lungs.

Link gasped for air and collapsed.

"Breath!" A little voice said behind him. "Just breath!"

Link panted and looked back at the voice. It was a monster straight from his dreams. Some kind of slithering abomination with the bottom of a snake, the top torso of a woman with four spidery arms, three long, fat fingers on each hand, some kind of scaly cloth over her chest, and a massive head with two sets of eyes along either side of her face and an unnaturally wide jaw with teeth.

"HOLY NARYU, DIN, 'N' FARORE!" Link exclaimed. He backed up, crawled, and generally scrambled away from her as fast as he could. He had no weapons, and while he could hold his own in a fist-fight with his peers, something told him this animal had special tools at her disposal to eat him.

Link fell backwards into water. The snake-woman dove into the water, grabbed him, and pulled him back up. "No! No!" Link fought back, but the woman grabbed his arms tight and held him down to the rock surface. "Don't eat me! I'm gangly! I'm thin!"

"Quiet! Stop moving!" The woman exclaimed.

Link shut his mouth, and quivered in fear, waiting for the inevitable bite to his neck. Something told him he was still very wounded and moving so much had not helped, because normally he would have been able to move easier to put up a bigger fight. He actually felt quite woozy. The world was spinning and his side burned.

In front of him where he held onto the rocks a bunch of little creatures, like hunch-back turtles, looked back at him curiously.

The woman did not bite him. She pulled herself onto the rock surface herself and took a deep breath. Gills all down her neck opened and closed. She had no nose. She looked at him in a very human-like expression of exasperation. "We aren't going to eat you, foolish Huma! You are a patient."

"Patient?" Link whispered.

"Yes." She said. "You were wounded. You are being healed."

"I- what?" Link looked around. The pool of water he had nearly drowned in was only ten inches deep, and on a nearby surface was a plate with creams, bandages of sort, and other items that he did not recognize. Link looked at himself. His torso was covered in a kind of skin-like bandage, similar to the skin a snake sheds. Although parts of it were now torn from when he had been trashing about.

"I… You aren't going to eat me?" Link asked fearfully.

"No." She gazed at him a moment as she moved about and started to tidy up. He had knocked things around. The smaller creatures scurried about. "I see by your eyes you have not seen the like of us before."

Link shook his head.

"Well, I wish I could say 'do not be alarmed', but it is far too late for that." She grunted. She reached for him and pulled him up out of the water. Her flesh felt wet and clammy against his skin. Her hands did not have scales on them, but her torso did in a loose form. It was something he had saw already, but only now registering it was clothing like any intelligent being would wear. She was not an animal.

Link resisted slightly at being laid back down, but relented slowly. He felt close to panicking. He had seen Fae before, but these things… this was straight out of tales parents tell their children to behave.

"I'm a Zora. We are Zora." She said.

"Zora." Link repeated. Zora was a country far to the east. It was a nation the bordered the ocean. "You are… people of Zora?"

She nodded. "Now you seem to get it."

"Wha-what are you doing in Qin? What are you doing here?... Just where is here? The last I remember-" Link gasped. His chest constricted and convulsed a moment as he was overcome. He had complicated his injury. He coughed violently.

"Lord Ouki kicked you into the lake." She concluded. She slithered over towards the tools and retrieved some things.

"You saw?"

"Not me, no. But others did. You hit the lake hard. Crushed many bones. You nearly drowned, but the border guard brought you in."

So there were more of the Zora. Link concluded. Also this meant he was either deeper within the lake, or nearby the lake. Either way he was in Qin. Link breathed easier knowing this.

But Ouki… tried to kill him.

Why? The man was like an idol to him… and Ouki tried to have him killed.

Link didn't know what to think, what to feel. He felt empty. He hurt everywhere, both body and soul. He felt betrayed.

The Zora woman started the process of removing his bandages and reapplying new ones. Link put up no more resistance. All fight had left him as his mind internalized itself to process and understand what had happened. He could not fathom the idea that Ouki would do it, yet Ouki did. Why?

"Why would Ouki try to kill me." Link wondered.

"I do not think he did." She replied. "Ouki Mitagi is brilliant, calculating, and most of all: Knows we are here." Link stirred at her words. "He sent you here fully knowing we are here. Of all the places to knock you down a cliff, he aimed for the entrance to this place."

That… made a lot of sense actually. Link felt a bit better. He didn't know if that was the truth or not, but at the very least it gave him some hope. Hope that he wasn't betrayed.

But that only left a whole lot of questions. "What is this place?" Link asked. "Why would Ouki know of you? He didn't mention you when we passed by. Again, what are you doing in Qin?"

"I apologize, but I am not allowed to say. I am merely the doctor," she replied apologetically. "I can see you are confused and scared, but don't be scared. You are well here. Rest. Your body was broken when you were brought to me, and already your recovery has been nothing short of miraculous! You healed in two days what should have taken two weeks!"

"I've been out for two days?"

"That's right." She said. "In that pool there. It nourishes your body while you heal. Otherwise we would have to force feed you scrubs and pour water down your throat." She smirked with sharp teeth.

Link gulped. "I think mystery water is better than bugs…"

"Thought you might."

She continued her work on him a little longer. Thankfully he had not torn his stitches badly, but his healing was set back. The smaller Zora clicked and made weird noises, to which the doctor replied in kind. They hurried out of the small cavern.

"What are they?" Link wondered.

"Lesser Zora." She replied.

"They don't look like you."

She scoffed, "You huma are so racist. You think other huma have to look the same to be huma."

"No! I-… I don't mean to offend. I have never met Zora before." Link apologized.

"Accepted. Zora have different bloodlines and castes. Many different castes. I am of one of the worker castes. So are they, but a lower one. The higher castes consist of Zora built to do harder work, then there are Zora built to be warriors, and finally there is the Siren caste."

"Built to fight? Surely any Zora can defend himself… or herself."

"Not so. Your weapons only rust. Zora are born with the tools we need, and we adapt with… what do you call it?" She hummed. "Arranged mating? Warrior Zora are born with weapons or strength and dexterity to wield weapons on the surface. Zora like me are the peasants and so on, supporting the empire. And those little ones you saw are strong, but lack understanding. They make good servants."

"And the Siren? You mentioned the highest caste is Siren. Is that a fancy name or?" Link asked, curious.

"No, no. Siren are born with the gift for speech."

"You can talk too. You are fluent in Qin."

"Not that, but thank you." She smirked. "Siren have a voice that is given by Farore to be beautiful, entrancing, and commanding. Any who hear obey. In turn they bear the weight of leadership. The king is a Siren. The queen is a Siren. The many princes and princesses are Siren. They will always be Siren."

Link hummed. In some ways what she described was familiar, but in other ways it was entirely alien to him. She helped him into the water and held him up as he flattened himself out and relaxed.

"But-" He continued, but she put a finger on his lips.

"Enough of that. I said rest."

"Right…" He groaned. "But I've been asleep long enough… I've wasted so much time." He yawned. "I promised her… I'd be ready…"

Link fell asleep. The water was warm and dreamy.

When he woke up next, it was slowly and without disturbance. He looked up in a daze. The weaker light in the cave gave him the impression of night. His bandages felt new.

Another few times he slept and woke briefly over the next day. Each time he felt more aware, stronger, and the pain and wrongness in his body lessened. The final time he saw another Zora talking to the doctor.

He could not make out the conversion in their language, but this new Zora looked highly masculine. He had thicker arms and legs, was much taller, and seemed to have some sort of skin plating on his joints. On his forearms were very large fins pointing up towards his head. His head was a bit more like a human, with two eyes and a smaller mouth, and a bald head, but the similarity ended there. The ears were holes on the side of his head and he had gills going from the top of his forehead to his pale lips. Like the doctor he wore scales, but these looked much thicker. His feet and fingers were webbed.

The next time Link woke he rose from the water and walked around the room, being careful not to pull at anything. He could feel his body had become lighter, his muscles had weakened, and some bones were still broken. Without having had anything solid in his stomach and inactivity had left him very weak.

"You are awake. You look stronger. Good!" The doctor observed as she returned.

"Yes, I do feel better... still hurt, but better."

"It will pass in time. But this is a good sign." She slithered around him poking at him. She shoved him gently and he stumbled. "Hmm... weak. Do you feel you have the strength to walk? It will be good for you to use your body again."

Link smiled gratefully. "Please."

"Then let us go. The exit is there." She pointed to a part of the cave Link had not noticed. In the mixture of shadow and lights from the water, he had missed a corner where there was an opening deeper into the cave.

Link walked slowly into it, being careful of his steps. The doctor stayed within arm's reach and followed him as he moved. Her involvement proved unnecessary. Link felt strength in his legs. If given another day or two he would be able to walk as well as ever.

The ground was slippery. It was bare rock under his feet. Link could not see the steps before him. He trudged in ever deeper, confident in himself. He had trained every day of his life that he could remember until sweat poured down his side. He had trained in rain and storm. He had trained when his body rebelled, and weakness came over him. He had trained in the snow and blistering heat. Link knew his limits. He knew them better than anyone. He had felt this weakness before. He would master it as well.

"Amazing." The doctor murmured. "You are recovering quickly. That fall would have killed an ordinary man, and you are but a boy."

Link clenched his jaw tight. If this blow was capable of killing an ordinary man, then he could not allow himself to be ordinary. He would surpass it. He would surpass everyone he stands against. He had come to Ouki Mitagi for training, and Ouki had tossed him aside! Screw Ouki! Screw teachers! Link would surpass them all. He would surpass the greatest in all of Qin!

"I will surpass you." Link whispered to himself.

"Well you have certainly surpassed my expectations." The doctor said. Link blushed, having been caught thinking out loud. But all the same, he swore it.

He would surpass Ouki Mitagi.

The dark cave lit up in light as they took a careful step further around a bend. What opened itself to him took his breath away. Before him was a large cavern, an amazingly large cavern that connected with other caverns. Water fell from high and a large pool of water lied before them, in which were dozens upon dozens of creatures swimming in it. Some were very small, being of the hunch-back turtle like things he had seen. Some were larger, comparable to the doctor, but with different characteristics for body parts. Some were larger still, standing taller than a normal man and looking stronger as well. The cavern was lit and shimmering and these creatures, these Zora, went about their business. Some carried things to and fro, some were with smaller versions of themselves, no doubt children. Tapestries were over some cavern entrances, no doubt hinting at what was inside like shops or 'streets'.

"You can fit a village in this cave…" Link murmured.

"That's good. Because it is a village." The doctor chuckled.

In every way it was… amazingly similar to every other village or city Link had been in, and yet the striking differences were also there.

"It's so… different. But so similar." Link reflected. "Are they all Zora?"

"They are."

"Why are there so many different kinds? I mean… among my people there is only one form of man. Some may have darker skin, but we are not a different kind."

She huffed, still smiling. "You huma are so obsessed with race. Indeed, huma. We are many kinds. Farore created us, and from what I understand you know of her and her… pension for imagination."

Link smiled wistfully. "Yes."

"She couldn't make just one. She wanted to explore the possibilities and made many. To help organize our people all races are split into one of four castes. The Lesser, Worker, Warrior, and Siren."

"Okay," Link said, barely listening as the doctor went on to explain further.

His attention was drawn to the sights around him. But there was one person that stood out. It was a single Zora that stood alone with a silver half-mask around his lower jaw. This Zora stood on webbed feet, had a head that widened slightly at the forehead, and had long fins at the elbow, but otherwise was remarkably human-like. A little short, two eyes, two legs, two arms with webbed hands.

Something about the emptiness in the Zora's eyes struck Link.

"Who's that?" Link pointed.

The doctor stopped her explanation to look where he pointed. "That is Princess Siren Ruto."

"That's a princess?" Link guffawed. "What is she doing here in Qin?"

At this point the doctor was silent, and looked hard at him. Link gulped, thinking he had overstepped himself. She took him by the arm, slowly turned him back around and guided him back where they had come.

After a moment she said, "That is not for me to say. Seeing as how you are progressing so well, tomorrow we will be seeing Siren Prise. He will determine what to do with you."

"That... ominous."

"We do not know why you were sent here nor if we can trust you. Our existence here is a carefully kept secret, so you have put us in an awkward situation. For now, rest. I will see about finding you some solid food."

The doctor took him back to the cove, and Link obediently sat while she left. She returned after a time with a small skinned fish. She placed it before him before curling around herself to sit and eat her own.

"Oh you skinned it too. Thanks." Link said. He tore off a piece and dug in. It was a tasty fish.

"You are welcome, but it was already skinned."

"Why?" He asked, his mouth full.

"You huma wear plants and the hide of your beasts. We do the same with ours."

Link nodded. He had noticed the Zora wore scales and such. He swallowed.

"What's a Siren and who is this guy we will be meeting?"

"If you had paid attention the first time you would have heard." She replied patiently. Link smiled guiltily. "Sirens are the leaders of the Zora, they blessed with the Gift of Voice by Farore."

"Good for them."

She huffed. "Of course, you think so."

"You don't?" Link wondered.

Her composure darkened. She took a shaky breath through her gills. Link narrowed his brow in concern. "It's terrifying. The gift allows them to control any Zora against their will. You don't know what it's like to be a slave."

"Actually, I do. I was raised as one." Link said gently.

Her eyes widened briefly. "Then you can understand how oppressing it feels."

"The Siren are slave masters, I take it?"

She nodded. Link growled in the back of his throat. "Sounds like a curse, than... does this control extend to humans?"

She shrugged. "I do not know. If it does, then there is nothing you can do if he gives you an order." Seeing him getting worked up, she said, "Human, do not fret. Such concerns lie within us, not you. It is feared, yes, and the Siren use it to hold supremacy, but they are not evil or cruel. It is their gift, just as all Zora are born with gifts. The king is wise, and Siren Prise is not abusive."

"All the same, I do not like it."

"Neither do we, there is much unrest; but let us talk no further of this. You must rest and this talk will do you no good."

With that said, she finished eating and left. Link called, "Hey, what do I call you?"

"The closest way you can understand in our speech would be Lenovalarinalbacrin." She answered.

"I... what? How about Len? I am Link!"

"As you wish, Link."

-Kanyou, Zelda-

Zelda paled in horror at the words written in the message. Ryo and Impa stood by, patiently waiting to hear of it, provided Zelda wished to share. The ministers could not see the change in her composure, but her chancellors could. Impa and Ryo shared a knowing glance signifying they saw it. Ryo was patient, and kept his thoughts hidden. Impa gulped, wondering what had drained the colour from Zelda's lips.

Zelda carefully rolled the small scroll and extended her left hand. Impa, standing by her left, took the scroll and unravelled it. She closed her eyes upon reading it.

She said loudly, "Spies from the country of Zhao report Zhao is marshalling an army of one-hundred thousand to invade under the leadership of the newly appointed general, Harken Dragmire."

Immediately the ministers were in an uproar of activity, wanting answers from each other as well as the chancellors.

One-hundred thousand was no small army. The largest countries could only afford to marshal a few one-hundred thousand men generals, and the smaller countries could only marshal one. Zhao was a country equally large to Qin, but had suffered a near apocalyptic defeat of four-hundred thousand only a decade ago. With there an estimated six-hundred cities across Zhao, they would not recover for generations.

But to Zelda, it seemed they did not care. She remembered her life in Zhao. The hate they held in their hearts, the looks, the resentment. And now Zhao was coming for her. Her curse continued to play out over Qin. She could not escape Zhao so easily, it seemed.

"I did this..." Zelda whispered to herself.

"Silence!" Ryo barked. His voice swept over all of them and halted their speech. Zelda pulled herself from her thoughts by his voice. Never had she heard him sound so commanding and powerful.

"All of you, who quiver in fear, remember we are Qin! It was we who defeated four hundred-thousand man generals and all their armies! Did you all think for a moment Zhao would forget their humiliation?! That they would forgive!? Did you? If you did then you were delusional. I hold no guilt in admitting the pain they feel is real, the slaughter of four-hundred thousand who had surrendered is an unprecedented evil. But that general had been punished; and yet they seek further bloodshed. Not on the guilty, but on the innocent! On our woman and children. If they are such fools and warmongers as to seek to throw their men to the slaughter once more, we should welcome this chance to give them a lesson of war!"

Zelda felt the atmosphere change. Her ministers were inspired with confidence from his words and presence. Her heart fell with it, knowing Ryo had claimed respect from her own men and in doing dealt a blow to her. But she had more pressing, and less selfish concerns to focus on. She stood.

"Ryo. Impa. Gather two you trust well and come with me. We have much to discuss. Everyone else, seal the Palace! No one leaves, no one enters, no one talks, no one sends any messages." Zelda commanded. She left the throne room and entered the main study. She ordered everyone out and taking a map of Qin and Zhao, threw it on the main table.

Ryo and Abhdan entered. Impa and the Fae Elder entered, as well as the Majora ambassador.

"Not to be rude, Elder, Majora, but do you have experience in wartime?" Ryo questioned. He meant to stop them from entering.

"I have little understanding of your ways, but this matter concerns us." Elder said.

The Majora ambassador said, "The Majora know war of the mountains."

"Then your input is welcome. Speak freely." Zelda said over Ryo. Ryo stepped back to show consent.

They all assembled around the table. Zelda said, "First thing I want to know is, why now?"

"Isn't it obvious? Because of the recent turmoil in the Qin palace, as well as the near civil war. Zhao smells blood in the wind." The Majora elder said. "And like angry wolves, they are drawn to it."

Abhdan hummed. He had no smile, no laughter on his lips. He looked burdened and old, ancient even. "Not so obvious. If anything, the Zhao had the opportune moment to strike, as well as a reasonable reason to, years ago. But they did not."

"What do you mean?" Zelda questioned.

"Ryo." Abhdan said. "It was your scheme. Why don't you explain?"

Ryo sighed. He rubbed his forehead. Seeing Zelda's open confusion, Ryo said, "Princess, what is a political hostage to you?"

"A prisoner. A... bargaining tool." Zelda said, glancing at Impa uncertainly.

"Both are correct, but it is far more than that. They are used to prevent war. The two main ways of holding peace is a political marriage or hostage exchange. Not the exchange where we give up prisoners, but take them."

"What?" Zelda asked, confused.

"When two countries give to each other a person of value, normally a member of the royal family, it is with the understanding that if you go to war either them you will lose a member of your family because they will have the right, and the contracted agreement, to... execute the prisoner."

Zelda felt herself pale. She put a hand over her face. "And that was me."

"That is right. It was an unusual case, but can be seen as acceptable by the other nations. You and your father and mother were taken hostage while visiting. In return, we took four-hundred thousand men hostage."

"No, we killed them." Impa said.

"That is the official story." Ryo said, "but it happened so quickly, that it is understandable for even the Sheikah to not know. We did bargain. We were willing to form the four-hundred thousand into a sort of hostage city. Zhao called our bluff. The rest you know. A lot of dead people and I rescued your father in the chaos."

"But they still had me." Zelda argued. "Why didn't they just kill me then?"

Impa looked to Ryo. "Is that why we had the Zhao man?"

Ryo nodded. "Zhao had every right to execute you, but your father and I bargained for a formal hostage, as well as the exchange of a few cities to assure peace... and your life. It took all of my skill, the Zhao king has never been known as reasonable, but as you can see it worked."

Zelda was beyond words. She had no idea. She had never been told of the details that went into keeping her alive. This was the kind of world she was in, where lives were bargained and exchanged like currency, but also where enemies and allies were not so clear. Her family she could not trust, but her dead father did more for her than anyone ever had. How sad and pathetic was that?

And Ryo, her rival and enemy, one day had tried to have her assassinated, and another had worked to keep her alive. One day had weakened her standing in the eyes of her own, and another taught her lessons.

"You have my heartfelt thanks, Chancellor." Zelda struggled to stay composed.

Ryo nodded. A moment of silence passed before he continued, "with the death of your father coming, we had a choice to make. Zhao had its greatest generals on the eastern border to hold back the Qi. Zhao had been on the defensive for years. We used the opportunity to rescue you and violate the hostage exchange pact. We expected two possibilities. Either Zhao would throw caution to the wind and invade, and spread itself thin enough to crumble under its own weight; or they would be wise, a rarity with the Zhao king, and sit to lick their wounds."

Impa said, "I see now. I did expect for Zhao to instigate war or call Qin out on dishonour, but I did not know the details. They did not attack. Now they are."

"Indeed." Ryo replied.

Abhdan said, "You are right to assume the timing is no coincidence, but everything about this army is more than it seems. The fact they waited so long is… frankly it is wisdom and patience beyond what the Zhao king is capable of. Not to mention why are they taking their time to form a new army instead of invading with one they already have? They want us to know they are coming. And why Harken Dragmire? This is no coincidence either."

The name drew an effect from everyone in the room, but Zelda did not know why. "Who is he? Is he related to Ganondorf Dragmire?"

"He is," Fae Elder said.

"I take it you know him, too." Ryo said.

"I did," The Fae said. "Not the most pleasant of a man."

"Who is he?" Zelda repeated.

They looked between each other, and Impa was the one to speak up, "Harken Dragmire was one of the leaders of the Dragmire clan at the time of the Dragmire rebellion, and was the champion of the Dragmire in war. A Qin general lead the fight against the Dragmire in the rebellion, and defeated them."

"Not just any general, Kyou Mitagi. Ouki's lover." Ryo inserted.

Zelda's eyes widened. She had heard of Kyou Mitagi. He was a general on par with Ouki Mitagi. She knew Ouki was into men, but she had not imagined he was lover with another general.

"Years later, Kyou was gravely wounded in battle, and returned to inner Qin to rest," Impa continued. "While he was vulnerable, Harken came out of hiding and killed Kyou Mitagi."

Ryo scoffed. "You do not give it justice. Harken, alone, entered into combat with Kyou's army, pierced his way through it to the general's tent, fought Kyou Mitagi in single combat… and killed him."

"Alone?!" Zelda exclaimed.

Impa nodded. "He was the champion of the Dragmire for a reason."

Zelda looked to the Majora ambassador and Fae Elder. Both seemed to be in agreement. The Majora said, "The Dragmire were legendary for a reason."

"Following the death of Kyou, Harken went on a rampage. Of the six great generals of his generation, Harken Dragmire killed four of them. Ouki Mitagi flew into a blind rage, tracked down Harken Dragmire, and fought him. Ouki reportedly killed him after hours of endless combat. Harken would have defeated him, probably should have, but Ouki's rage gave him the strength to defeat him."

"Clearly not strong enough to kill him." Ryo said. "Harken has returned."

To think such a man so powerful could exist. Zelda thought Ouki was the greatest, and perhaps Ouki was. Ouki had defeated a man who had killed four of his equals.

"When Ouki hears of this he will not just stand by and do nothing."

"And that, I fear, is what this is about." Abhdan said. The old man groaned painfully. Ryo pulled up a chair and the man sat in it. "The timing. The army. The general. It is all intentional. This is a challenge. Zhao is challenging Qin. Harken Dragmire is challenging Ouki Mitagi to a duel. He is coming to finish what he started."