The Crimson Crown

Chapter 1

A call to arms

They called him a hero. One who should be decorated with medals and statues, praised and loved by all. A hero would save the day and, of course, get the girl. No one knew the real story about what being a hero was about. They wouldn't experience the fear and sacrifice. They would have to give up sweat and precious blood. It was one of the things Link hated about his "adoring fans" but wouldn't wish on his worst enemy. He sat atop his dark-red steed Epona, a gift that seemed to have been given to him so many years ago. His dark, bored, cerulean eyes hovered through the fog into the thick swamp of mangrove trees. The air was musky and foul smelling from the stagnant water, making his stomach lurch ever so often. And the fog was thick enough to make his breathing labored.

Looking to his left, Link quietly observed King Draco. With his light brown hair, neat beard and mustache, and golden skin, the Typheran king easily stood out among his Hylian counterparts. The king's sea-gray eyes were staring blankly into the swamp, as he absent-mindedly twisted one of the 13 or so gold and silver bands that decorated his arms. Upon closer inspection, Link could see that it was the gold band imbedded with a pearl, which represented Zelda. It was a tradition among the islanders to have a ring or band that represented important members of their family. Draco, for instance, had a band for each important person in his life – one for his wife, one for both their children, another representing his mother High Queen Briseis, and the rest were dedicated to his 9 half siblings.

Link tugged at his chain-meal armor and green tunic, then checked the straps on his gauntlets and shook condensed water out his blond hair and cap. At this point, he was just trying to find something to do. They had been waiting for what seemed like an eternity for the signal that the Drowdians were approaching, and the king and new military commander had both never been patient people. To Link's left was his team of cadets known as the Hawks - named after Hyrule's emblem - which consisted of Link's most trusted knights and friends.

That included a young man named Seris. But there was no question the musician could hold his own on the battlefield. He had dark brown hair that stood out in every direction and green eyes that could never stay focused on anything for two seconds. Becoming a soldier hadn't been on Seris's bucket-list, but after falling on hard times it seemed like the easiest way to get back on his feet.

Then there was Averill, the youngest of the group at 21, nicknamed Archer for his skill with a bow. The young bowman was the peacekeeper of the group, other than Link of course, and had a mind that was always calculating shots and planning getaways when necessary. He had black hair that he kept cut close to his head and brown eyes that looked as though he could fall asleep at any moment. Archer was the son a well-known Hylian diplomat. Joining the army was the only way he could see to avoid a life of pointless balls and endless chatter. Not to mention giggly, money grabbing women.

Next was Miraj, a young Gerudo with a temper as red hot as her hair. Her looks always attracted men, but her personality could send them running to the hills. There was always a slick retort or backhanded compliment in the back of her mind. Her calculating eyes easily picked apart the people in front of her. Unlike most Gerudo, Miraj cut her hair so it stopped at her cheek on one side and her chin on the other.

Then there were the twin brothers- Joel and John. The two brothers couldn't have been any more different. Joel was quiet, thoughtful, and calm. He was the brains of the operation, though it didn't make him weak. John was the older of the two - by five minutes - and normally went by their last name, Scarlet. He was loud, carefree, and too wild for his own good. He was the brawn, but wasn't necessarily stupid. He simply did idiotic things most of the time. Both had black hair (Scarlet's was wild, Joel's was neat) and blue eyes (Joel's were on books and maps, while Scarlet's were on women). To say that the brother's were different was an understatement.

Miraj whined as she rubbed her black stallion Chief's ear. "This is taking forever," she cried out in utter frustration, "Don't you men know how to make things exciting?" Coming to the army, she thought she'd be getting more action and excitement than she was guarding the Gerudo fortress. The Goddess of Sands knew that she wouldn't have bothered showing up otherwise. Most Gerudo saw the war as a "squabble between pale-faced infidels" anyway.

Seris could have done without her complaints. The mosquitoes, cold wind, and sour smelling water were bad enough without her voice grating against his ears. "Don't you women know how to shut the hell up?" he countered. His words earned him a steely glare from the Gerudo. The other Hawks began avidly listening to the argument that was sure to ensue. Miraj raised her eyebrows and scrutinized Seris. "Don't you know how to last longer than two minutes?" she sneered. The Hawks snorted and covered their mouths to keep from laughing out loud. Link turned his head slightly, allowing their voices to carry into his pointed ears. Seris's face went beet red, "You worthless, thieving bi-"

"Shut up," Link interrupted, knowing precisely what Seris was about to say. There had been tensions between the Gerudo warriors and Hylian soldiers since the start of the war. Many Hylians refused to fight alongside thieves, claiming that it'd be more beneficial to leave the Gerudo in the barren desert where they belong. Many Gerudo, on the other hand, cringed at the thought of even being near their despised counterparts.

"But this sand witch said-," Seris began, but Link cut his off.

"How are we supposed to win a war if we're fighting amongst ourselves?" The commander countered. It didn't seem like he was asking too much by having them put their personal opinions and beliefs aside for the greater good. Miraj and Seris gave each other an uneasy look, silently agreeing to handle the argument at another time. "Lord King," she said to Draco, "What do you think is taking so long? All this waiting is depressing the crap out of me. And the swamp doesn't help."

Draco looked out into the fog. "I'm sure we'll be hearing some news any moment now," He said. His voice was tinged with the Typheran charismatic accent, with rolling R's and confidently spoken words. Miraj breathed out a long, exasperated sigh. The king flashed a coaxing smile, "If not, I'll send some of you to check some things out. Have a little patience." The rest of the Hawks were just as irritated and tired as their lone female comrade. It had been hours since they heard from any of the other generals. The plan was for several regiments to make their way through or around the swamp. After that, a scout was to be sent to the king, relaying whether or not any camps or enemy lookouts had been spotted. At that point, the King would issue the command to attack nearby villages, killing any able bodied men, possible soldiers, and either destroying or confiscating anything of use.

It was a policy known as Total War, something that not only Link was against. Zelda had called it barbaric and unnecessarily cruel to the innocent citizens. Draco had countered, saying that it was a strategy used in Typhere for centuries and one of the main reasons the kingdom had won so many more wars than it had lost. Hylian and Typheran ideals were new to each other. The kingdoms were separated by the PaseaSea, and hadn't even known about the other's existence until 8 years prior (a few months before Zelda and Draco were joined in an allying marriage). Link's wife Malon stated that it was unfair. "You're at war with their government," she'd hissed, "Not the general public." She seemed to think he had a choice in the matter.

Finally deciding that sitting around wasn't working anymore; Link collected his reins in his hand. The sudden movement made Epona's head jerk suddenly, as if she'd been falling asleep and he'd woken her up. The mare made a gruff noise in her throat as her rider pressed his knees into her side. With a tug on the reins, Link got his stubborn horse to begin wading into the murky water. Draco frowned as he watched his commander ride further towards the mangroves. "Adonde vas?" (Where are you going?) The king called quietly, careful not to alert any possible nearby threats. Link stopped Epona's slow walking. With a tug on the reins, he turned the mare slightly to the left to look at his king. "We haven't heard even a twig snap in an hour," he answered, "I'll head into the swamp to scout, and I'll be back within 20 minutes." He had nothing better to do, and just sitting there like targets wasn't ideal.

The king made an offhand gesture before collecting his own reins and addressing the Hawks. He instructed all the Hawks to search the swamp for any signs of their comrades. After half an hour or so, they were to come meet him at the southeastern gate to Hyrule. The hawks nodded before heading their separate ways, the two brothers together, Miraj taking the opportunity to separate herself from the Hylians, and Archer tagging along with Link.

Travel was slow in the thick, mossy water. At one point Link decided to dismount Epona, Archer doing the same with his horse Trouble. They didn't bother to tie up the horses. Epona was attracted to a particular song that Link played on his Ocarina. At the sound of it, she'd come towards the source. And since she was a natural born leader and older than Trouble, he would follow closely behind her.

The water came up to their lower things as they waded through the swamp. The sounds of birds and insects were interrupted by that of sloshing water. Through the fog, Link and Archer were unable to make out the uniform of the man approaching them. Link pulled the Master Sword from his back, while Archer quickly notched an arrow in his bow. The man came nearer and nearer. He must have made out their shadows, because he shouted, specifically to Archer, "Don't shoot!" He spoke clear Hylian, and moments later he was stumbling through the high water and into view.

He was of average height and build, with dark brown hair that was cut unevenly. He was pressing a hand to his right soldier. Blood was flowing freely down his chest, swearing the Hawk emblem on his tunic. Archer quickly placed the arrow back in his quiver before half jogging towards the man. While Archer inspected the soldiers bleeding arm, Link asked him what had happened.

"I was attacked," the man rambled, "But I got away. Some other cadets weren't so lucky, though. I was on my way to speak with the King, Commander. The original plan as called off because we realized that the Drowdians were headed towards the gate. Half the regiment has already crossed the swamp and is currently attacking a nearby village. The rest are fighting near the gate, on the riverbed."

Link nodded quickly and pulled his Ocarina from his waist. He began to play the poignant melody that Malon had taught him when they were just children. The notes carried through the trees, seeming out of place with the sounds of the swamp and what was happening just a few miles away. After a few minutes, without fail, Epona and Trouble came wading through the water.

Upon reaching her rider, Epona pushed her nose against his chest. Experience told him that she was expecting a treat for coming so quickly, but he'd just have to give it to her later. Archer and the wounded soldier climbed on top of Trouble.

"I'll take him somewhere safe," Archer stated, "Then, I'll get to the river as soon as possible, Commander."

With a nod, Link and Archer rode off in opposite directions. Unlike most horses, Epona was not very comfortable in water. Every once in a while, she'd stop and attempt to turn in the direction of land. But, Link always corrected her with a gentle but firm yank of the reins of knee to the side. After what seemed like an eternity, Link reached the river. Dead bodies floated in the current and stained the once clear water red. Horses ran wild and confused, knocking into any fool that was too slow to get out the way. Arrows whizzed through the air, colliding with their targets with moist thwacks.

Link spotted Draco on the far side of the water. He kicked Epona's flanks and sent her charging to the king's aid. Out of nowhere, an arrow stuck Epona in the thigh. The mare kicked and neighed as blood ran down her leg. She stopped dead in her tracks and stood on her hind legs. Link jumped down, stumbling in the damp mud. The mare felt his weight lift off her back and, without haste, charged back towards the marsh, out of danger- for her at least.

The Drowdian who had fired the arrow ran out to Link with two of his comrades. Link ducked under one of their swords and stabbed his attacker in the gut. Then he back flipped away from another attack. The soldier came forward with a war cry and slashed across Link's chest. The tunic's fabric ripped, but the chain meal thankfully stopped any real damage. A soldier struck Link from behind hard enough to draw blood. The impact turned Link's head towards Draco's direction, and he saw the king was having a difficult fight.

Link went down on one knee, which kept him from being stabbed in the chest. Instead of his intended target, the Drowdian stabbed his fellow soldier. Link used his shock to his advantage and sliced through his throat. He rolled out the way of the soldiers falling body and came to his feet in one smooth motion. He bumped back to back with a man and spun around ready to strike. Luckily, Link looked before he struck and sighed in relief to see it was Draco. The king lowered his sword, which he had aimed at Link's neck, and laughed, "Getting a bit rusty are we hero?"

Link rolled his eyes and looked to the cliffs. Catapults were loaded with fireballs and waiting for the command to fire. Link and Draco raised their swords to signal them. A few seconds later the fireballs were flying through the air and landing on unsuspecting targets. The hit soldiers flailed around and dove into the river, but because of the oil the flames wouldn't go out.

A Drowdian yelled in the rough, guttural language of the kingdom and the soldiers retreated back into the swamp. The Hylian army roared and cheered their victory while their king and commander remained silent. They were thinking the same thing. Never before had the Drowdian army retreated after such a short time. Link sheathed the Master Sword, "Perhaps we should follow, Lord King?" The king looked from his commander and friend, then to his elated army. Out the corner of his eye he watched the corpse of a young Hylian soldier.

"No," Draco said as he watched them retreat, "There's no reason to. Enough people have died for one day."