A/N: I own nothing except a copy of this great game.
The post-battle operations were relatively easy to take care of. The Ravagers hadn't allowed any of the Bulblins or Moblins to survive, and the few that were were in such bad condition that Impa figured that they barely had a few hours left to live. Evidently, Ishaka and his gang lived up to their moniker. They had ravaged the Bulblin camp to the point that nothing would ever rise from the scattered ashes. Impa was surprised that there was anything left standing, so cleanly had the camp been picked clean. And then, as if to make sure, the Ravagers had set fire to the entire encampment as soon as they were secure in the knowledge that there weren't any Hyrulian soldiers inside.
From his trusted steed, Lord Tiberius watched the affair with a rather distasteful expression.
"We've let the Hyrulian army fall prey to mercenaries." He grumbled, watching as the Ravagers and their ilk were busy arguing over who got what from the camp. In the middle of it all, Ishaka stood watch. His arms were folded across his chest, a sharp and determined look on his face. He seemed ready to jump into the fray the moment his mens' arguing devolved into something even worse. For this, Impa was relatively relieved.
"Ishaka seems to keep them in control." Impa said, standing at the foot of Tiberius' horse. "For that I am willing to give them the benefit of the doubt." She said. After a moment's thought, she added another thought. "Truthfully, Ishaka seems undoubtedly devoted to our cause. Better us than the Sorceress, I suppose."
"Hmmph. Perhaps." Tiberius conceded. "And yet I cannot truly be at peace with their actions. So…undignified on the battlefield!" He snorted. Impa raised an eyebrow.
"This is war, Lord Tiberius. Outside of large set-piece battles, I do not think that dignity factors too much into it. Things get…messy."
Tiberius* only grumbled to himself, but conceded the point. A win was a win in this regard, and there was no need to get angry at this point in time. That could come later, when he was sufficiently frustrated with the Ravagers' methods. For now he was simply not interested, especially considering the low-stakes affair this had been.
An hour or so later, a dispatchment from the Goron Kingdom came down from the mountains, bringing with them some explosives (Gorons were big on this sort of thing) and Goron mountain-brewed ale (Gorons were even bigger on this sort of thing). As an establishment of good faith for future battles against the Sorceress' forces, Tiberius left a detachment of the Hyrulian guard in the ravine to form an outpost. That left him, Impa, a few high-level Hyrulian praetorians, and the rest of the Ravagers to make the trek back home.
Perhaps it was because of the reputation that the Ravagers had acquired beforehand, or maybe even word getting out of their harsh treatment of the Bulblins after the skirmish, but no forces of darkness dared to cross the returning party.
They arrived back at Castle Town early the next morning, and Impa, Tiberius, and Ishaka went to rendezvous with the Princess. Tiberius met independently with the princess in the throne room, leaving Impa and Ishaka to mull around the courtyard for the time being.
"I don't think that Gen'ral like me." Ishaka had pulled out his trusty pipe yet again, and was casualy smoking like a chimney. Impa wrinkled her nose. How a man could so intentionally dull the senses was a mystery.
"Justinian?" She asked. "He is…rough. Particularly when he thinks that something is doomed to failure." She paused in thought. "Truthfully, anything that deviates from his plan is something that he believes is doomed to failure."
"Always gotta stick up 'is ass?" Ishaka asked. Impa frowned.
"I would not be that harsh in my evaluation, but…" She trailed off. "He is particular about doing things a certain way. There is comfort in it, I suppose. To know that your enemy knows what you are planning and yet you still are able to succeed."
"I calls it, uh, hubr's." Ishaka said in between puffs. He stroked his beard in thought. "Y'all might be a bit more formal th'n me, but y'all all knew that alr'ady." Impa turned to the Ravager.
"Indeed. Just so long as it does not interfere with the overall synchronicity of the Hyrulian Army, I will have no complaints about your attitude." She looked thoughtful. "Though in the end I am not the boss of the Hyrulian Army. That would be Justinian."
"Not fer long, at this rate…" Ishaka grumbled.
"And what is that supposed to imply?" Impa asked, her eyebrow raised. Ishaka shrugged.
"If'n he ain't fixin' ta be adapt'ble, he ain't gonna be happy when th' enemy adapts fer him." He continued puffing happily on his pipe. Impa watched him disappear in a cloud of smoke, and shook her head.
"You do realize that that is not healthy for you, correct?" She asked pointedly. Ishaka turned to face her. He looked a little like an angry Dodongo, the way he was surrounded by wafting smoke. He smirked.
"Neith'r is leadin' Ravagers, Sheikah." He said.
Well, damn. He had a point. Impa folded her arms across her chest and waited for Justinian to finish his report with the Princess. The Lord of War emerged from the throne room a few minutes later, clearly pleased with how things had gone. He turned towards Impa.
"The Princess wishes to speak with you two in the Royal Gardens. She's…pleasant right now." He seemed to be staring at Ishaka. "Keep it that way, would you?"
"When have I ever done otherwise, Justinian?" Impa asked, a cat-like smile forming on her face. The Hyrulian Lord of War shrugged, offering a tired smile. He curtly nodded towards Ishaka, and then walked away and down the hall. Impa watched him go.
"I pity the poor bartender that serves him tonight." She said. Ishaka turned.
"Damn. He that bad?" He asked. Impa shook her head.
"Not like that. I have told every bartender in the city to cut him off after one drink on the night after he has returned from a military campaign, successful or not. Justinian can be very…persuasive in trying to get them to overlook that rule." She turned towards the door to the throne room. "Come. We must not keep the Princess waiting any longer than we have already."
Impa led the Ravager captain through the throne room. It was much more spacious and eerily quiet when there was no one else in there. The sun was starting to set, which considerably darkened the room and made the stained glass windows towards the top of the walls a little more morbid in appearance. Impa deftly stepped around the throne, and pulled aside some of the curtains on the wall behind it. An old, musty-looking door stood waiting for her. She turned the knob, and grunted as she pulled the heavy slab out. Ishaka scratched his beard.
"Yer sayin' th' princess can op'n that herself?" He asked. Impa turned to him and nodded.
"Do not underestimate the princess of Hyrule, Ishaka. She did not simply achieve that title by birthright. She has earned it."
They stepped through the doorway.
Ishaka had never seen a garden quite like this. Ferns and flowers and ivy as far as the eye could see. It was clearly a square-shaped location, as could be told by the walls that went up about twenty feet and covered in ivy. Ishaka could see from the way the walls closed around the place that it was rectangular, and deceptively large for an interior garden. He figured that this was the place that the princess spent her time getting away from the crushing tediousness that was royal politics.
Hell, he'd just be smoking in a corner himself, so he was in no place to judge.
He found himself drawn to a statue to his right, covered in ivy and worn from years. It might've been a pristine white marble once upon a time, but now it was just sort of a stained and dulled beige color. He reached towards the face of the statue, intending to see just how worn it was and whether it was still smooth to the touch.
Thunk!
An arrow embedded itself a mere few inches from his fingertips, embedding itself in the side of the statue's head.
As an almost-instantaneous reaction, Ishak drew his combat knives towards the source of the shot: an increasingly embarrassed-looking Princess Zelda.
"Goddesses!" She exclaimed, lowering her bow. "I didn't expect you to walk into my path! Are you alright?" She asked. Ishaka did not lower his battle stance, the adrenaline spike granted him by virtue of nearly being skull-pierced still within.
"I be fine." He growled. Impa laid a hand on his shoulder, gently so as not to provoke the man.
"Easy, Ishaka. She meant you no harm." She then turned towards the princess. "Goddesses, Zelda. A few more inches to the right and we'd be without the captain of the Ravagers and most likely have to deal with riots from the rank and file! What were you thinking?" She asked.
This was enough to get Ishaka to lower his guard, because truth be told he had never met anyone with the veritable rocks to challenge a princess by speaking as her equal. Even Lord Tiberius and Grantham were relatively deferential to the Princess. He sheathed one of his battle knives, but kept the other one handy.
Just in case.
"I…I was not." Zelda admitted. "I was, as they say amongst the soldiers, 'in the zone.'" Impa groaned, and smacked her forehead with her palm. It made an impressive clapping noise.
"I suppose that your skill as an archer is to be admired and thanked for avoiding a death, but that still does not change the fact that your situational awareness is staggeringly poor." Impa chided, her tone and mannerisms like that of an elderly swordsman schooling his young pupil. "I am surprised that Ishaka did not rush forward to attack you."
"Jes' s'prised me, is all." Ishaka admitted. "Didn't think dat th' princess partook in th' more…predat'r-like pastimes."
"You make it seem so dirty." Zelda said. "Archery is a most noble passion to take up in your down time, provided of course you aren't actually looking to kill innocents willy-nilly." She looked slightly embarrassed, no doubt recognizing how close she'd come to just that. "And it is a bit of an advanced skill to have in battle. Why waste your time stabbing someone when you can shoot them from afar?" She asked.
"Damn." Ishaka muttered. "That be awf'lly cold fer a princess."
"I did not garner the support of my people through idle hands, Ishaka." Zelda said. She gestured to the gleaming rapier that hung by her hip. "I am not just a damsel in distress, like they tell in the pulpy fairy tales."
"Color me 'mpressed…" Ishaka said.
"You wished to speak with us, Princess?" Impa asked. Zelda set her bow against a stone bench a few feet from where she stood, but still kept the handwoven quiver of arrows slung across her back.
"Yes. I wished to hear the perspective of someone other than Justinian about the aftermath of the battle." She said. She folded her arms. "Namely, Ishaka's take-no-prisoners style of fighting." Her eyes narrowed, and the Ravager leader realized that she was not pleased. He looked at his feet, trying not to make eye contact with those steely-blue eyes the Princess had.
"Well, uh, that be what we do." Ishaka said. "We ravage, yer highness. Adds an el'ment a' fear to th' battle. Makes up fer th' lack o' manpower we have." Zelda's expression did not change.
"I respect the Ravagers' right to their own independent confederacy, though truthfully their government seems to begin and end with your whims, but you are now in a joint alliance with the Hyrulian Army. We do not execute downed foes, and certainly not in the…showy manner that I was told you did."
"Would yeh rather 'em jes' bleed out?" Ishaka asked.
"Not my point." Zelda said. A chill went through both Ishaka and Impa's spines. "You are working with us against an army that threatens the very existence of Hyrule and her allies. They commit evil and depraved acts, and they feel no remorse for what they do. Attempting to battle them with their own brand of fire will only get us burned. That is how evil worms its way into the hearts of good men: thinking that because their cause is right, that excuses occasions where they act little better than their foes."
"You are a welcome friend to Hyrule. But if you act in a manner that continues you down that dark path, you will not be. Am I clear?"
Ishaka stared at her for a moment. He nodded.
"Transp'rently, yer highness."
Zelda finally smiled.
"Good. Now, tell me: am I to believe my Lord of War when he says that this was a good victory against the forces of darkness?" She asked.
"I believe so." Impa said.
"Meaningless." Ishaka said.
Impa turned to the Ravager in shock, and a little bit of indignance. Zelda raised an eyebrow.
"You disagree with my trusted lieutenant, and close friend at that. Why is that?"
"Don't get me wrong, 'twas a good 'un." Ishaka said. He began to smoke again, letting that cloud reform around his head. "But them Moblins and them Bulblins ain't gonna be 'mpressed dat we cleared out a lil' camp in th' Goron Mountains. They'd a' been pasted by them Gorons when th' king woke up an' saw them Moblins and Bulblins snorin' at his foothills. Hell, I'd put good money that they'd set up th' boulder mort'rs, an' 'ave a picnic watchin' th' fireworks below 'em the next mornin'."
Despite herself, Zelda giggled. Impa smiled briefly, but then reverted back to a serious expression.
"Well then, Mr. War Master," Impa said with a hint of impatience. "Was there anything good that came of it?"
"My Ravagers mesh well wit' yer soldiers." Ishaka said, positively enshrouded in a cloud of smoke. "They be itchin' ta show yer sold'rs some tricks o' th' trade we got."
"Tricks of the trade?" Zelda asked.
"We be fightin' up in th' mountains to th' south!" Ishaka said. "Ain't much leg room fer big ol' set battles." He sheathed his second knife, and cracked his knuckles. "Ain't meanin' ta brag, but us Ravagers…ain't got no equals up close."
"I would like to see that." Impa said. "We train our Seegs* precisely to be the greatest in the land in close-quarter combat. Perhaps you would like to send your best Ravager against our best Seeg?" She asked.
"I would not mind seeing that." Zelda said. "It has been a good while since I've patrolled the army during drilling exercises."
"That is because you enjoy ogling some of the more handsome soldiers and captains, your highness." Impa said. She did not look at the princess while speaking, knowing that the might sight of her embarrassed ruler would cause her to laugh out loud.
"I ain't off'rin' calendar boys." Ishaka said, with an apologetic shrug. "But I'd gladly be willin' ta send my best fight'r ta repr'sent th' Ravagers, if yeh be willin'." He said.
"Of course." Zelda said, having regained her composure. "That would be lovely. Tell your men that the drilling will begin at 9 A.M. Sharp."
"Will do, yer highness." He said. Zelda nodded.
"Thank you. You are dismissed, Ishaka. Return to your Ravagers, as I am sure that you are missed." She turned to Impa. "You will stay." The slight trace of annoyance caused Impa to wince ever so slightly.
Ishaka bowed graciously, and left the way they had come. As soon as the earthen door to the garden was closed, Zelda turned to Impa.
"Seriously, Impa?" She asked.
"Am I not allowed to joke, your majesty?" Impa asked, trying to keep her face as innocent as possible.
"Drop the pseudo-respectful tone with me, because I know that you're just pretending." Zelda said. "First you embarrass me by calling me a culeeto yesterday, which I let slide because it was just between the two of us, yet you embarrass me in front of someone else? Do you have any idea how embarrassing that really is?"
Impa could tell that the princess was truly flustered: she was repeating the same word again and again, instead of coming up with something else.
"I'm sorry, Zelda." Impa said. "But the ultimate point to my teasing remains: you cannot stay a virgin ruler, you know."
Zelda turned a shade of crimson, so Impa spoke again.
"I mean that eventually you will need to take up someone that will produce you a heir to the kingdom, because as much as you would like otherwise you in particular are not immortal. Much as you would like to believe differently." Impa nodded towards Zelda's hand. The princess instinctively looked down at the back of her right hand, where a barely-visible triangular icon rested with one of the inner triangles more visible than the rest. She rested it against her hip.
"He'll show up, I am sure." Impa said, her tone more reassuring. "You are a rather open-minded individual; If you were to find love with a former goat-herder, I would not be surprised."
Zelda set her jaw, picked up her bow, and in quick succession fired three arrows into the bullseye she had set against the statue Ishaka had admired earlier. The first one hit, and then the second one split through the middle of the first arrow, and then the third split through the first two arrows. It was an implicit sign that Impa had better knock it off. Which the Sheikah wisely did.
"Do you feel anything from the north?" She asked. Zelda shook her head sadly.
"The Sorceress clouds herself well. I am well-trained in clairvoyance in magic but she is my superior in arts so ancient that no one remembers them except her." Zelda said. "I still do not understand. She has been there longer than anyone can remember. I recall my grandmother telling me that the Sorceress has been there for as long as anyone can remember, and during all of that time she was a peacefully neutral guardian of the Triforce. She had no quarrel with us, and we never considered grievances with her. What brought about her change? Why does she attack us? What wrong could we have possibly committed?"
"I do not pretend to know the answer." Impa admitted. "All I have is faith that the goddesses shall reveal all in due time. For now, the best that we can do is prepare for the next engagement."
"I agree." Zelda admitted. "You know, despite your inappropriate sense of humor, you always display good counsel Impa. I am blessed to have your advice."
Impa had been walking back towards the door, the princess deciding to follow her.
"Of course, Zelda. If I did not keep you on your toes every now and then, what would be the point of my existence?"
Zelda decided not to dignify that one with a response.
.
Impa arose the next morning at the crack of dawn. She knelt down on her knees like the day before and began to meditate. Almost immediately, she could feel the soreness and pain from the raid against the Moblins and the Bulblins fading away. She would be back to full strength in but a few hours. And considering she was not leaving the castle grounds to go out on patrol, she could take solace in a good day of recovery.
Also, in watching what was to come that morning.
She arrived in the courtyard around half past 8, and saw that what appeared to be the entirety of the Ravager brigade sitting around and forming a loose circle surrounding what was no doubt going to be the makeshift arena where this sparring session occurred. There was a sound of marching, and Impa turned to see the pride of the Seegs, the Twilight Wolves*, in locked step towards the circle. The princess was out as well, though she was on horseback next to Lord Tiberius. Impa turned towards the Wolves.
"Send out one of your own." She ordered. Even though she had no jurisdiction with the Wolves, her status as General gave her seniority and right to give orders. The Wolves all nodded in unison, and sent forth the smallest of their lot. He stood a little over six feet tall, and was dressed in the stout armor of the Wolves. His face was like that of a kabuki mask; completely devoid of emotion.
The Ravagers began to howl and cheer, stomping their feet and clapping. Ishaka was making his way through the crowd, choosing to wear a light outfit that was more suited for a goatherder rather than a warrior. He looked at the princess, Lord Tiberius, and later Impa, and the implication was clear: he was the leader because he was the best. It was time to prove it.
"Begin!" Lord Tiberius barked.
The two men locked up. The Wolf lunged low for a single-leg takedown, attempting to pin Ishaka to the ground. Before he was completely pinned, the Ravager captain scrambled around so that he now was on top of the Wolf. The Wolf dropped low, tossing Ishaka over his shoulder with an arm drag. Before the Wolf could hook the arm, Ishaka had rolled away and popped back up to his feet. This process continued for several minutes, with neither man able to get the upper hand in the battle.
The two men, dirtied and breathing slightly heavy, circled one another slowly as if they were two predators gauging prey. The Wolf made the first move, going for another single leg takedown. Ishaka hopped over his charging foe, a move that drew a cheer from the crowd considering his bulk. Before the Wolf could turn around to face his foe, Ishaka rushed forward and grabbed around the Wolf's waist. To the roar of delight from the Ravagers, he lifted the Wolf up from behind and pulled him up and over his shoulders, with the Wolf landing hard on his back and just barely missing landing on the base of his neck. Before anyone could react, Ishaka raced forward and leapt on top of him. With his left arm, he hooked around the Wolf's left arm and raised it upwards, pinning it against he crease of his elbow. With his right arm, Ishaka wrapped around the exposed neck of the Wolf, pushing the hard edge of his forearm against the Wolf's carotid. He heard the gurgling of pain from the Wolf, and knew that he had the hold cinched in tight.
The Wolf, to his credit, desperately tried to break out from the hold, but Ishaka held fast like a tick on a dog. Finally, mere seconds before passing out, the Wolf used his free arm and tapped firmly against Ishaka's right elbow. He tapped out.
The Ravagers exploded in cheers, clapping and stomping in unison. The Wolf and Ishaka both lay on the ground, breathing heavily. The Wolf coughed, clutching at his throat, regaining air and in turn his senses. Ishaka rolled over on his back, resting and staring up into the sky. After a few moments, the Wolf hobbled over on his knees towards Ishaka, and extended a hand. Ishaka took it, and the two pulled each other up to a standing position.
Zelda was clapping politely, clearly impressed. Tiberius was flabbergasted, no doubt in disbelief that one of the Twilight Wolves had been bested in physical hand-to-hand combat. And the Wolves all stared at Ishaka, silently respecting this man and his combat prowess with a slight nod in unison.
Ishaka walked over to Impa, and stared at her expectantly. The Sheikah growled, her jaw set. But there was no getting around it.
She reached into her pocket and tossed Ishaka fifteen rupees.
.
Far and away from all of this, a woman stood at the peak of a mountain. She was not watching this display of childish aggression, nor was she interested in it. Instead, she stared into her crystal ball, and gazed into worlds both past and future, possible and impossible. And in her heart she felt an unbearable yearning.
Her face was covered by a mask that looked positively avian in nature, that split into two peaks above her head. A red, feathery plume rested across her right shoulder, just above the jagged armor piece. What she wore covered the bare minimum of modesty but not much else. She was the kind of woman that, even if dressed conservatively and prudish, would set tongues wagging across the land at the mere sight of her.
As she looked now, there might not be a man (and perhaps even some women) that would be able to resist her charms.
She was dangerous. And she knew it.
But none of that mattered to her now. She gazed into her crystal ball, and continued to watch the past and what she imagined the future to be before her. Again and again, her focus was on a very particular soul, one that continued to manifest and remanifest itself in the form of a handsome, blonde-haired boy…
…She placed a hand to her heart, to calm the urges before they overwhelmed her. Time would bring her what she wanted. What she desired. It would be foolish to spend so much time dwelling on memories when the present was so close that she could feel it, hold it, taste it…
She was interrupted from her musings by the sounds of footsteps coming behind her, and a strange hovering sound. She slowly turned to see two very distinct beings before her. One was a tall and lithe man, approaching six and a half feet tall. He carried a spear forged in fire, his armor wreathed with the undeniable sturdiness of Dragonscale. And his black eyes revealed a burning hatred within him for the weak.
The creature next to him was bulbous, disgusting, and gave off an odor of indetermine origin yet very determinate unpleasantness. Its eyes were not visible, but the way it licked its lips it was obvious that a view of the eyes would not help matters.
"Is there a reason you two have interrupted me?" The Sorceress asked, her voice purring with both sultriness and thinly-veiled annoyance. "I did not summon either of you."
"We have prepared the army as planned." The bulbous being spat. "It is ready for whenever you wish to use it." This brought a smile to the lips of the Sorceress. Good…that was ahead of schedule.
"Excellent." She purred. "And I am to take it that you are chomping at the bit to lead them?" She asked the Dragon Warrior in front of her. He snarled.
"I crave the smell of human blood on my spear, and dream of their despair." The Dragon Warrior growled.
The Sorceress laughed. It was a positively spellbinding sound.
"Easy now, Volga. Few things are more disappointing than a man who talks a big game but who isn't…" She ran a finger across his shoulder. "…able to follow through." The Dragon Warrior was stoic. "Be that as it may, I admire your enthusiasm. But acting now would be foolish. He has not revealed himself yet."
"What makes you so sure that your hero will emerge?" The bulbous being asked. He floated back and forth in a lazy manner. "Is it not possible that this world and era is different than the ones you know so well?"
"Don't be stupid, Wizzro." The Sorceress said. There was a hint of annoyance, with a trace of venom in her voice. "It is fated that the Hero will emerge. The Princess already lives and holds a piece of the Triforce, while I…" She felt a warmth leaving her wrist, and let the glowing triangle float above her hand as an expression of power. "…hold the second piece. The third shall reveal itself, and make no mistake, it shall be him."
"If you say so." Wizzro said. "If you do not wish to attack now, then when?"
"Three weeks from now is the birthday of the Princess…" The Sorceress purred. "I think it would be rather rude of me not to give her a sort of present. Alas, what with my plans and commitments here in the Valley of the Seers, I fear that I am not able to deliver the gift in person. I trust that you two could take care of the delivery for me?"
"Our armies will make an excellent gift." Volga said, a hungry grin forming on his face. "One that will herald their destruction!" He slammed the base of his spear into the ground, cracking the stone around it ever so slightly.
The Sorceress was unimpressed.
"My word, aren't you anxious to show what a big boy you are." The Sorceress deadpanned. "In the interim, Wizzro, I want you to continue summoning as many monsters as you can from the Gate of Souls. Only the strongest are to stay."
"How will I know who is and is not worthy?" Wizzro said, daring to complain. "I cannot selectively summon. I simply summon en masse."
"I believe that Volga has been excellent at weeding out the populace. Surely he can continue?" The Sorceress asked. Volga nodded.
"I relish the training against those weaklings."
"Good." The Sorceress said. She waved her hand dismissively. "Now begone. I have more important things to worry about than you two right now."
The two bowed their heads reverently.
"Yes, mighty Cia." They intoned.
And then they were gone.
Cia smirked, and turned back to her crystal ball. She took a deep breath, and let herself be overwhelmed with the sights and sounds within it. There he was in a forest. There he was in a land riddled with Twilight, and he howled like a wolf. There he was in the clouds.
And he was always, no matter where she looked, always simply…divine.
Cia licked her lips slowly, as if savoring a lingering taste. It was true that he was not here. Yet. But he would be. He would come forth eventually. If she had to wait a little bit longer, that was handleable.
Because when it came to him, she would wait an eternity.
Because he was hers.
And soon, she would be his.
"I'm waiting for you, Link, my darling…"
PROLOGUS FINEM
HYRULIAN CODEX
Lord Justinian Tiberius – If there was ever a man least likely to be in the position he stands in today based on his early life, Justinian Tiberius would have to be near the top of that list of unlikely successes. Named after a famous captain of the Hyrulian Royal Guard from eras ago and born to a wealthy family with a strong history of royal support and battlefield accolade, Justinian nevertheless was a sickly and frail child growing up. Doctors did not expect him to make it to ten years of age, and it was feared during the Great Influenza Epidemic that broke through Hyrule when he was seven years old would claim his life as well.
But it was here that Justinian proved his greatest strength: stubborn survival. He would endure the taunts of much better-conditioned boys in the armed forces by studying military history late into the night, determined to earn his place in the Hyrulian Armed Command if not by battlefield accolades then by sheer strategic genius. His methods paid off, as he rapidly climbed the ranks from Captain to Field Commander to Colonel, and was rewarded for his efforts in putting an end to the Stalfos Incursion into Goron territory (thus in turn threatening Hyrulian interests) by being named Hyrule's Lord of Warfare. He now sits upon Princess Zelda's High Council, and while he is acclaimed for his successes, his critics claim that he is a victim of his own success: Justinian has a very specific idea of how warfare works, because his methods have always succeeded, and is infamous for taking personal offense to any subordinates who suggest a different path than he would. Princess Zelda, while trusting his overall judgment, nevertheless keeps a close eye on him so that he does not stack the War Cabinet with Yes-Men.
He has had struggles with alcoholism in the past (as a result of his rough childhood and the enormous self-imposed pressures he has placed upon himself to succeed in life), and privately seeks therapy through Sheikah meditation as tutored by Impa.
Lord Elijah Grantham – While warfare is no doubt one of the easiest (if bluntest) methods of advancing a policy or ideology, the ugly truth is that politics is and will remain the driving force behind all issues. It is an ugly, greedy business, and many a man (or woman) has inadvertently plunged their hands into the metaphorical muck all in the name of personal advancement, and it takes a very skilled individual to advance policy without becoming tainting by the very process that makes these policies.
Elijah Grantham is one of those individuals.
Born to a middle-line noble family, Elijah Grantham attended school around the great kingdoms, studying with all many of people in the kingdom of Hyrule, and even studied in the depths of the Goron Kingdom as well. This cosmopolitan education, coupled with a pleasant personal countenance to begin with, gave Elijah a very nuanced view of the world around him, and thus gave him an advantage over other wannabe politicians who lacked his world experience.
Unlike Lord Tiberius, who had to fight and claw his way to the top, Elijah Grantham was more or less fast-tracked to the position of Lord Treasurer shortly after his predecessor's passing. Any cries of inexperience were silenced as Hyrule's economy stabilized and proceeded to grow in leaps and bounds in the years under Grantham's patient view. He has and continues to put long-term gain ahead of short-term windfall, and while his critics complain that the moves he makes take far too long to have a noticeable effect, once they do take root they are enormous successes.
In addition to his position as Lord Treasurer, Grantham is very keenly interested in expanding his knowledge, often sitting in on meeting with the princess and other ministries while taking furious notes in his ledger-like notebook. He draws the nickname of "The Taxman" for this methodical note-taking by his critics, but considering his knowledgeable approach to affairs outside of his normal strengths, there is a reason that he is on the cusp of being appointed the first Minister of the Interior Kingdom in almost 100 years. In typical fashion, he isn't even aware of the upcoming promotion. He's too busy doing work.
Seegs – Hyrulian military slang for "siege soldiers." These are the brave (and some might argue crazy) souls that are at the front of every Hyrulian advance, and the ones that bust through barricaded doors and gates to get inside keeps. The mortality rate for Seegs is appallingly high, and yet they are one of the most applied-for positions in the Hyrulian Army. Even in the face of imminent death pales in comparison to being known as the toughest son of a bitch in the army. They are excellent in unarmed and short-range combat, and are all burly and covered in scars beneath their armor thanks to their thankless training.
Twilight Wolves – There are only ten of these men at any given time, and when they say that one Wolf is worth one hundred foes, they are not exaggerating. They are understating.