Chapter Two
The Path of the Moon

As Rael and Elane began their journey southward, a wind whipped up about their feet, and sand danced in a whirlwind about them until the wind broke free and soared high into the sky, carrying a scattering of desert grit. South the wind blew above the desert and far away from the two travellers, meeting stronger winds that bore it far across the mountains. Along a majestic river and through a harsh ravine the wind swept. It whistled through the craggy hills and into a large city under a mountain. A grand queen shivered with cold as it swept through the windows of her high tower.

The wind left the city, left the desert, and raced with ever increasing speed over a vast wasteland. It met an easterly wind from a far-away ocean and blew south-east over grassy plains, and towns occupied by purple-cloaked soldiers from a distant land. Over foothills and farmland and boggy marshes it blew, deep into the dead of night until flat land stretched out and the wind whistled through long grass.

The wind reached a once-small fishing town that had become a large military harbour. It circled above and then dived into the dark quay, whipping the sails of tall-masted ships in harbour. Then it raced south once again, over dark cold waters. The wind roared in the sky and danced among storm clouds as lightning blots split the sky and thunder boomed into the depths of the ocean. The wind toyed with great galleons, and revelled in the delight of the monsters of the deep.

As the sun rose on the eastern horizon the wind left the ocean, blowing across the shores of the shores of a far green country where the sun shone strongly. As day broke, the wind swept over the country of Kaira, driving southward with force. Through forests and over far rolling hills the mighty gale blew and towards a long column of men and women on horseback riding across vast open land. The wind flapped cloaks and rattled buckles and armour plates and the company held their coats tightly for warmth.

The wind surged through the column, but when it reached the single leading man at its head, the gale stopped dead and scattered, blowing all directions save towards him and his horse. His dark purple cloak was untouched, and hung still from his shoulders. No wind touched him, for the elements were his to command. The man was tall, with curls of dark hair about his shoulders. As the wind dwindled and died his expression hardened; his face could have been carved from stone.

Ralis was lost in thought. As he sank beneath the dark waters of the sea he had been given a vision. He believed that this vision was a prophecy of things to come, and he was trying to understand how to make it a reality. He had seen himself wearing a crown of the night, bejewelled with stars and moons. He had seen the nations of the world bowing down at his feet and worshipping him. He had seen himself robed with the night and holding the entire world in his fist. Yet he had seen another vision too. In the other vision there was another man, crowned with fire and gold, and he himself kneeling at this other man's feet. And the other man held the world in his fist and all of space and time bowed down before him. Then, in yet another vision he had seen himself standing side by side with the other man, and the sun grew cold and the moon blazed with fire and the world bowed down to both of them, and together they ruled all that was and all that is and all that would be for time unending.

The other man was his brother, Rael. Not really his brother, but they had been raised together from childhood and had never known any different. Had not thought he had known anything different. Yet now he was aware of other different memories; fleeting images deep in his subconscious mind of grand halls and high towers. That was irrelevant. Rael was his brother, and always would be, eternally bonded.

Rael was the son of the Queen of Hyrule and the Marshal of Hyrule, but had been raised by another man, ignorant of his true heritage. By an incredible twist of fate Ralis had been raised by the same man, ignorant of his own real lineage – the line of Kairin kings. Some months ago when the Kairin invasion of Hyrule began they had begun a journey together that led them to discover the truth about their royal pasts. Now Ralis had been recognised as the returned King of Kaira by ever increasing numbers of wise men and prophets. The situation was ever difficult to comprehend and every day he expected to wake from a dream, with a little less hope as every dawn came.

A hawk-nosed woman in a brightly ornamented red coat drew rein beside him, and bowed her head with respect before speaking. "With your permission, Lord Ralis."

Ralis kept his eyes forward and his head still as he spoke. "You may speak, Captain Arella."

"We will we reach Nanharo soon, my Lord. Has my Lord made his mind on how to proceed?" Arella had captained the ship that bore him to Kaira, having been the first Kairin person to hear his name. Ever since the truth about his identity had been discovered she had been his most trusted captain and body guard. She was some fifteen to twenty years older than he, and was fiercely patriotic, yet her personality was endearing to him and she was a comfort when he felt alone.

"Two days ride towards the capital," he said, "and so far only one hundred swords have flocked to my banner. I must gain the support of the Count of Nanharo, and the support of every other noble from here to Morlakai City."

"My Lord believes he can take the city?" asked Arella.

"You know I do, Arella. Come, tell me the story of my fathers again." He turned to her and smiled.

"Mr Lord you have heard the story several times already, is there something you do not understand?"

"Not at all. It helps me to build my anger. When I am angry, I am stronger." He laughed at his own mad words, and turned his head to face ahead once again.

Arella nodded. "Of course my Lord. Where shall I begin?"

"Let us begin at the beginning. Take us back to King Drodamen." Ralis adjusted his grip and settled himself in the saddle.

"Yes my Lord. Kind Drodamen… King Drodamen lived many years ago. Any living Kairin that remembers his reign were only children when he lived, and are now old of days. Drodamen was of a line of great kings, and became very wise through his years and defended this land through many wars. The end of Drodamen's rule marked the end of a golden age, for following his death there has been nothing but unrest in the line of kings and Kaira has suffered for it.

"Now King Drodamen was blessed with many sons and daughters, the first born and most beloved of all sons was Prince Darian. Darian was a great man, a great prince and leader of the Kairin armies. When Darian was of similar age to you are now he was wedded to a beautiful young noblewoman, and there was much festivity in the land. His father Drodamen loved him dearly and knew he would make a great king.

"But King Drodamen's second son, Prince Rodian, did not please him. As second born, Rodian held high office, and was head of the Morlakai City Temple. Yet Rodian caused his father disgrace by marring a common woman named Shim, whom Drodamen saw as unworthy. Drodamen allowed Rodian to marry, but only because the aging King did not see Rodian as the bearer of the royal line.

"Well. Then the great tragedy befell Kaira. Prince Darian led his father's armies to war in the War of the Teeth, and defended the land from the invasion of the Valask Kingdom. Yet Darian was slain, and Drodamen was bereaved to lose his most loved child. Of course now Prince Rodian became the first heir to the throne.

"Now at this time Rodian had been married to common-born Shim for some years. Together they had a baby son named Ralian. However now that Rodian was the First Prince he refused to see him become his successor alongside an inferior queen such as Shim. In one of few malicious acts as king, Drodamen ordered Shim's death. Alas, Drodamen was a good king, but was vehemently traditional."

Ralis growled to himself. History regarded King Drodamen as a good man still, yet he murdered an innocent woman, his son's wife no less, because he thought she was unfit for his bloodline. Ralis would burn this sort of injustice out from the world. The arrogance of mighty would soon crumble.

"Prince Rodian never forgave his father for killing Shim, yet at his father's request he re-married, to a noblewoman named Alyssya. Whether he ever loved her is unknown. It was assumed that the infant Ralian would be raised within the palace by Rodian and Alyssya but he would never take the throne. As expected, Rodian bore a new heir by Alyssya, whom they named Tadian."

At the name of Tadian, Ralis tightened his fists and strong gusts of wind burst through the column again. Thunder clapped on the horizon.

"Many long years came and passed, during which King Drodamen passed away, and King Rodian ascended to the throne. His two sons Ralian and Tadian grew up strong and became ambitious young men. They were close brothers though born by different mothers, and were both dear to Rodian. The question of who would take the throne was never answered. The authority to name his successor was Rodian's alone. Prince Ralian was his first son, and supposedly the rightful heir, though he was the son of a common woman. However, Prince Tadian was the one whom Drodamen would have had take power, and Rodian respected his dead father's memory.

"Yet Prince Tadian began to feel that Ralian had more favour. He had lived in Ralian's shadow, and his lust for power and respect had been steadily growing throughout the years. As King Rodian entered his autumn years, Tadian left the city and travelled to the courts of the counts and countesses of this land of Kaira, promising them great wealth and more land for their allegiance. He was planning to take the throne by force, and unseat his father before his years were spent.

"Prince Ralian started to suspect Prince Tadian's intentions. He was adept at sensing political currents, and rightly predicted Tadian's betrayal. Prince Ralian went to King Rodian and told his father his fears. Rodian was angry at Tadian and promised Ralian that he would be his successor. Of course Queen Alyssya was outraged, and sent word to her son Tadian of what had transpired.

"And so civil war ensued. Just over twenty years ago, Tadian called upon the nobles in his payroll to send their armies to him, and he stormed Morlakai city."

Arella's words drifted away, and she set her gaze on the horizon. The air was blustery, reflecting Ralis' conflicted mind. "This is where the knowledge of the wise fades, and speculation begins. I will tell to you what is believed to have happened from his point on."

"Yes, do." Said Ralis.

"Tadian attacked the city to wipe out all opposition to him and seize power. During the battle for the city Tadian came upon Ralian and Rodian in the throne room of the palace. He ordered his men to arrest his father, and challenged his brother in combat. The younger man was victorious, and Tadian stood victorious over his brother Ralian's slain body.

"Tadian did not know that in his few years absence from the city, Ralian had had a son. As he faced his father, he believed that he was the last remaining heir to the throne. Yet the true heir was Ralian's newborn son, the infant-prince whom had been evacuated and taken into hiding before the war.

"Legend has it that before he died Rodian removed his crown from his head, and cursed it, saying that only the true heir to the Kairin Throne would wear this crown. If any other man should place the Lunar Crown upon his head then he would die. In anger, Tadian slew his father and took the throne, assuming rule of Kaira. And so he still remains to this day… King Tadian, son of King Rodian, son of King Drodamen.

"But… he has never worn the Lunar Crown, for fear of the curse. When he learned that Ralian had let a son escape into the world he was broken inside, and enraged. He dispatched spies and assassins into Kaira to try and find and eliminate his nephew, but he never found him. He learned that the child's guardians had eventually fled Kaira altogether, and taken him across the ocean to Hyrule. They even pinpointed him to the town of Taran Kaey, but the boy was never found. The wise say that for reasons unknown, a magical protection encircled that town. The protection was not for Ralian's son, rather for another child, but it inadvertently shielded the boy-prince from Tadian's wrath. The boy-prince named… Ralis."

Ralis had heard this story many times before, yet every time was like the first time. He still felt the same turbulent emotions and heartache for his murdered father and grandfather, and intense hatred for Tadian.

"Tadian never forgot about you, my Lord. The thought of finding you, killing you, has consumed him for two decades. You see, unless you die, he cannot wear the crown of your fathers. This is the single greatest desire of his heart, and it has driven him to madness. It drove him to war! When he failed to find you directly, he decided that he would wage a war against Hyrule, starting with Taran Kaey and branching out against that country hoping that you would be slain by chance in the conflict.

"Few are aware of it, but this is why he is at war with Hyrule. The purpose the Kairin invasion of Hyrule was not for land, or money, or wealth. Tadian invaded Hyrule to assassinate… you."

"That is enough, Arella."

Ralis shut his eyes. Anger boiled inside him, longing to burst forth like a volcano of power. He would need his power in the days and weeks to come. It was at its strongest when he was deeply passionate, when he had strong feelings of either sorrow or anger. His power primarily displayed itself as a control of air and water and darkness. This has resulted in control of storms and seas and the wind. Some of his followes now referred to him as the Storm Lord.

"You have told me that Tadian's rule in Kaira has been terrible. He has neglected his people and used almost all taxes to build his armada and army. I curse my own blood for it also flows in his veins." Ralis spoke up, declaring loudly, "I will gather all those that were loyal to my father and my grandfather, and bind them under my banner, then I will make war against the usurper Tadian. The Lunar Crown is mine."

Arella's eyes were full of fervour.