Chapter Sixteen
The Garden

Just inside the lip of the sheer third wall of Shaylin, in stark contrast to the rocky city, lay a small shrine to the green lands of the east. In a secluded private garden owned by Lana, there was a sense of the quiet serenity of the great greens of the palace in Hylia. Lush grass grew on fertile soil, shrubs and trees suited to hot weather were supplied water from the springs by hardworking gardeners, which were remaining green even into late autumn. In summer flowers blossomed here, in shades of red and purple and violet. Rael and Elane liked the peace in this place, for it reminded them of the homes they had long left behind. They were undisturbed here for as long as they wanted to be alone.

It was a day since Rael's meeting with Jaendral and he still had possession of the gold coin. It was a light trinket but he could feel it at all times in his pocket, another burden which he had to carry. He strongly desired to hurl it over the low wall of the garden down into the city and cast it far beyond his reach, but that would not solve his problem. The coin was not the issue, it was what it represented: a lust for power, greed, and selfishness; these were things that corrupted, which were causing the same Gerudo war he sought to end. Nonetheless if he could gather more power to himself it would only help his cause in saving Ralis.

Elane was probably feeling similarly troubled. Queen Lana had talked to her about the amethyst snake necklace. Lana was in no doubt that it was the very same jewel that was missing from the head of the Amethyst Throne. She had taken it as a sign that the Gerudo prophecy was being fulfilled and her reign was indeed the will of the gods. Rael was satisfied to let Lana remain on the throne for the time, but prophecy or not, only events would decide whether she or Jaendral or indeed Ramades would ultimately wear the crown of the Gerudo province. "The snake is lost yet will be seen, glory upon the amethyst queen," Rael whispered to himself.

Elane heard him and drew a sharp breath. If those words made her nervous then the issue was certainly troubling her greatly. "Lana says that the return of the snake to the kingdom means that the rightful queen will unite the Gerudo people. She confessed to me that she does not mean to honour the treaty with Jaendral, and I don't doubt that she meant for her words to reach your ears."

Rael laughed, feeling lost. "Neither do I."

A desert bird flew into the garden and settled itself in the branches. It was sandy brown in colour, and looked like a small hawk. The wildlife in this part of Hyrule was more aggressive and harsh. The bitter environment seemed to make its people equally hostile. He had to pacify them in order to unite them, and then lead them to war against Kairin, but that vision was fast escaping him.

Ramades' army was on the move towards the city, and then fighting would once more break out upon the walls of Shaylin. If he could not prevent the civil war from reaching its predictably bloody end, then he would be a failure. He was desperately trying to work out he was going to stop this nation from destroying itself.

"Rael," said Elane, "have you been able to control your… power… since we broke free from the prison? I have been afraid to ask, but I hope you don't mind me doing." She sounded concerned for him.

Rael nodded and stopped. She stepped back, wondering what he was doing. "It is under my control now," he said, "I don't know how, but it feels natural now." He lifted his hand up and concentrated. The air above his hand seemed to distort and twist, as though it were being pulled. It seemed like a trick of the light until at the centre a spark suddenly appeared, followed by a ball of flame, quickly expanding out to the size of his palm. Elane gasped. "This is just the beginning," Rael said, more to himself than to her.

"What do you mean?" Elane asked, "how powerful can you be?"

Rael knew how it felt. It was as though there was a raging river inside his heart, and all he had to do was build a dam to divert the power out from his soul into physical form. But the river raged on no matter how much water he drew from it, like a limitless and infinite power. "I don't know," Rael said, "but I feel like I have the potential to do… anything. Perhaps I should feel scared. I'm not."

The flame blinked out and Elane sighed, walking closer to him. "Have you ever played the game 'King's Castle', Rael?"

"Yes," said Rael, remembering the game from his childhood, wondering why she was mentioning it. The game was played on a square-patterned table with carved stones representing various different people, and was played as a war across the table. The most important playing piece was a king, and then there were nobles, knights, warriors and common men. The object was to move your pieces across the board, capturing your enemy's pieces, either killing them or converting them. It was possible for a common man to be promoted to the position of noble during the game if a player was cunning.

"I feel like the most insignificant piece in the game, a common woman." Said Elane. Yet I'm walking with lords and nobles, kings and queens, great warriors and heroes. I don't know why I'm here, and every minute I feel like the next turn could be my last. I'm insignificant and I could be crushed any moment."

Rael nodded, understanding, "I've been made into a noble," said Rael, "and it is only more difficult."

Elane shrugged, "At least you aren't helpless," she said.

Rael shook his head, "I have never felt more helpless in all my life than I do right now. I was a common man, and I still feel like I am, tangled in this web of power. I cannot rest though, I need to rise above it."

"A common man can never become a king though, Rael," said Elane.

Rael shook his head, "No, I will be a king some day," he said strongly, "if the gods preserve me to see so many days. But even that is not enough…" he trailed off and stared into the sky, rubbings his hands together where there had recently been fire.

Elane stared at him, baffled, "What are you talking about?" she asked.

"This world is not a game," Rael said. "If I am to save it I must become stronger than a warrior or a noble or even a king." He looked her in the eye, and smiled, "I need to be the player."

Elane nodded, but she looked uncomfortable. "It's not easy is it?" she said.

Rael shook his head, "No, none of this is easy."

"We're all alone here. In this place there is no-one like us. Everyone we were close to has left us, or…" she covered her hand with her mouth, her lip was quivering. "Rael they're all gone! Tabett and Mara and Daran and Ralis…" She pushed her body into Rael and wrapped her arms around him as she began to cry. "We're all alone now. All alone."

Rael put his arms around her and she squeezed him more tightly. "I know… I know…" he spoke with great strain on his voice because he knew the same pain. As she began to cry he felt himself want to join her, but he had to be firm and strong for her sake and his own. "We'll see Daran again… and Ralis too if the gods are willing."

"I want my Tabett back, Rael!" she wailed into his chest. "He's all I had left in the world… I need him, but he's gone forever…" Rael didn't know what to say to this, so he held her close and just let her express herself. The grief of Tabett's death had finally come upon her, and it was devastating. The grief of his father's death, and Mara's death, and Tabett's death, and the loss of Ralis, and the loss of Daran's old self were a constant pain in his heart. He knew what she was going through, but he was training himself to block out sadness lest it divert him from everything he was still living for.

Elane cried for some time in the quiet gardens, and Rael remained with her to comfort her in the still surroundings.