"Are you sure this route is necessary?" Link asked for the sixth time. He wasn't the least bit concerned about being obnoxious. Nagina moaned in annoyance while Nabooru remained silent. Chuckling quietly to himself Link turned back to his map. This was only the third time he had ever seen a map of Hyrule and the surrounding areas.
It amazed him how tiny Hyrule Kingdom currently was, and yet so many people, races, and cultures existed in its tiny borders. A History of Hyrule had taught Link why Hyrule was as small as it was. Supposedly when the Goddesses walked the Earth, Hyrule was more than 200,000 square miles. Presently the Kingdom of Hyrule held on to little more than 40,000 square miles. Nearly the entirety of the Hylian population lived inside the Citadel. Link had learned from Sheik that the Hylian population in the Citadel was just under two million people. Kakariko Village paled in comparison, with a population of only 5,000 souls.
According to the detailed map in Link's hand, the Citadel was twenty miles wide and nearly eighteen miles long. Two million people, trapped with Ganondorf in an eighteen by twenty box. Link could only imagine the horror.
Hyrule Field was smaller than Link had imagined. He hadn't realized Lon Lon Ranch marked the halfway point between the Lost Woods and the Gerudo Valley. Lon Lon Ranch was less than a hundred miles from the Lost Woods and less than that from the Citadel. If they had gone a straight route Link, Nabooru, and Nagina could have made it to Gerudo Valley in little more than a day. If the map was to be trusted, and Link assumed it was since Impa had given it to him, their current route would take them more than a week. Longer if, as Nabooru had said, the grasslands changed to marshes as they pressed south.
"This is going to be a lot rougher than the ranch or forest, Epona." The boy patted his steed on the neck. Epona glanced over her shoulder, no doubt still curious of where she was going. It was obvious the mare did not get along with the other three horses, the two Namib horses and the mule trailing behind Nagina.
Malon had explained that Epona was a breed called Lusitano, and the only one Lon Lon Ranch had ever been able to purchase. In truth Talon had purchased a Lusitano stallion and mare, but travel from the north had left the male sickly. The horse merchant and the ranch owner had settled on an agreement, for a quarter the price Talon would get the foal.
Over the course of his many riding and archery lessons, Link had learned that Lusitanos had been ridden as destriers in past wars. They were a strong breed, with powerful necks and hindquarters. The average Lusitano supposedly grew to be fifteen and a half hands tall. From the looks of it, Epona might grow even bigger than that. Even if she were to be of abnormal size, Malon assured Link that Epona would never be as big as Shimmer. Shimmer was a rare breed called Andalusian. The rancher's daughter said she had only ever read about Andalusians, but never truly seen one until Shimmer. Where Impa found Shimmer, Malon had no idea.
The Namib horses were as nasty as their riders, Link had quickly discovered. The trio had only left Kokiri Village an hour earlier when Nabooru's tried to bite Epona.
"That horse has been coddled," the queen of the Gerudo had said. "Such a soft horse will abandon you on the battlefield." She said it matter-of-factly, with that everlasting smirk on her face.
Instead of arguing Link decided to keep Epona a few paces behind the smaller, nastier breeds. The boy was thankful Malon had let him take the red mare. He knew she would miss Epona dearly, but if he would be riding over uncertain terrain for weeks, he would rather have Epona than Bart.
Content with his review of the map Link folded the thick parchment up and stowed it in his saddle bag. It was mid-afternoon, he realized looking up at the sky. Link estimated they had been traveling five hours now.
"This is your first time leaving Hyrule isn't it?" Nabooru asked over her shoulder.
"How's that?" Link called, bidding Epona forward so he could talk without shouting.
Nabooru pointed downwards and ahead. "That is the border of Hyrule and Sur," she said. "Tonight will be our last night on dry land. Then it will be marshes until we reach the desert."
"How can you tell this is border?" Link asked scanning the area for some kind of marker. All he saw was grass and a few stones.
"We are immediately between the entrance to Lake Hylia," she turned in her saddle, looking over Link back towards the forest. "And the west most part of your forest."
Link followed her gaze to confirm what she'd said. "So we're southeast of Lon Lon Ranch?"
A nod from Nabooru, "We are."
Nagina shifted in her saddle as though crossing the border was making her uncomfortable. She reached back and made sure both of her curved blades, called scimitars, were within reach.
"What are the people of Sur like?" Link asked consequentially checking his own weapon for accessibility.
Nabooru shrugged. "I have yet to travel to any cities of Sur so I cannot speak for their average citizens." She turned and shared a knowing look with Nagina. "The raiders and bandits that come out of that land though," she made a sucking sound with her teeth. "They are vicious and merciless."
"What are the odds we'll run into Sur bandits?" Link wanted to know. That was all he needed, to get robbed and maimed while on some pointless side-quest.
"We ran into four on the way to your meeting," Nagina said. She squared her shoulders while she said this, reminding Link of a boastful boy or young adult. Clearly she and Nabooru had fared well.
"But that is not incredibly common," Nabooru said nodding to her escort. "The nearest Sur settlement is leagues south of here, on the other side of the marshes. Merchants all prefer the western route into Hyrule, through my valley," she explained. "So there are few targets for even the most cut-throat bandits along this path."
"I've never met anyone from Sur," Link said contemplatively.
"Oh I'm sure you have, Link of Many Journeys. The majority of the human population in Hyrule comes from either Sur or Absistus to the north." Nabooru reached up and tapped the top of her ear with her index finger. "Anyone you may have met without pointed ears, who wasn't Gerudo, is a human."
Without thinking about it Link reached up and felt his own pointed ears. He hadn't paid much attention to who had pointed ears and who didn't.
"Are the ears the only difference between Hylians and Humans?" It would be too silly if that were really the only difference, Link mused.
Nagina stayed quiet and sullen while Nabooru gave a soft laugh. "As far as I am concerned, yes. But in some circles that question will start a heated argument."
"How?"
"Well," the Gerudo Queen smiled while she looked up at the sky. The sun would be setting soon. "Unlike your Kokiri, the Gorons, and the Zora, Hylians and humans don't have any grand differences on the surface between them. But, certain Hylians will tell you time and time again that their race is superior in natural beauty, grace, intelligence, athleticism, and all sorts of nonsense." Nabooru shook her head. "Even though so few can use it, Hylians also claim to be more magical than humans."
Link rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "And what do the humans think about those sorts of claims?"
"You said it yourself boy," Nagina quipped. "Hyrule is less than a quarter the size it used to be. That territory was taken by Human kingdoms. The humans disproved your people's claims in the most embarrassing fashion." A smirk, the sort that made Nabooru's look pleasant, etched itself onto Nagina's face.
Link knew he'd been insulted but he still didn't really consider himself a Hylian. Even though he was growing every day, and already taller than all the villagers, he still felt like a Kokiri.
"What about the Sheikah or the Gerudo?" Link asked choosing to ignore Nagina. "They are similar to Humans and Hylians right?"
Nabooru raised an eyebrow and pulled back on her reins slightly. Her Namib horse pulled alongside Epona, and eyed her bellicosely as if planning to bite. Epona snorted nervously
Riding next to Link now, Nabooru pierced him with her golden irises and long black eyelashes. Besides that same heady essence that filled his nostrils, the boy felt the strangest sensation of his cheeks becoming warm.
In a more quiet voice Nabooru asked, "Do I look like many Humans or Hylians you've met, Link of Red Cheeks?"
Link frowned and looked away. Nabooru chuckled, enjoying the boy's embarrassment.
"Besides your skin and eyes, I see no difference." As always Navi came to the rescue. Link thanked the Goddesses for his well attuned fairy.
"So it does talk," Nabooru said. She was trying, unsuccessfully, to follow Navi's flight with her head.
"She's unique in that," Link said, relieved the attention had been pulled away. "Most fairies only speak to their Kokiri companion and nobody else. Navi is not so shy."
"Hmmm." Nabooru closed her eyes and shook her head, dizzy from maintaining visual of the bobbing and weaving light. "Well Navi, unlike Hylians and Humans all Gerudo have dark or tan skin. Our people were blessed by Din and gifted by the Sand Gods to thrive in the harsh desert." She spoke of Din and her gods respectfully, changing her tone appropriately. "Because of this gift, my people are naturally lighter, keeping us from sinking in quicksand. We do not burn in the sun's rays. Our long lashes and shaped eyes keep the whipping sands out of our face. And most importantly." A full, mischievous smile spread across the queen's pink painted lips. "Our women are the most beautiful in the world."
"And what about the Sheikah?" Link asked quickly, before his red cheeks could betray him again.
"Do you really need to ask? Have you not spent the last year alongside Malukha? Imagine a whole race of people as dangerous and powerful as your Impa, but with an insatiable bloodlust."
Nagina spoke up, "It is said that Sheikah blood is so hot, that when it's shed it burns and steams wherever it falls."
"Really?" Link asked turning from Nabooru to Nagina, then back to Nabooru.
"I doubt enough outsiders have shed Sheikah blood to be able to know for sure," Nabooru said. Nagina nodded in agreeance.
Link could believe that. Impa was a freak compared to any soldier or man the boy had ever seen. He couldn't imagine a whole city full of people like her. But Ganondorf had beaten her hadn't he?
"Are there any half-Sheikah?" he asked thinking that may be his explanation.
"Noooooooooo," Nabooru said in an exaggerated deep voice. "No, for the Sheikah breeding with an outsider is essentially suicide for yourself or the murder of your child.
"When a half-Sheikah is born," Nabooru explained. "The outsider's blood is looked upon as a weakness. In their culture weakness is unacceptable. So the family of the newborn half-Sheikah is expected do one of three things. Kill the baby on the spot. Raise it until it becomes a toddler then release it into the wild. Or announce the baby's birth to as many other Sheikah families as possible so they may test it as it becomes older.
"Most parents choose to be merciful and kill the baby on the spot. Every now and then some quibbling mother will insist on keeping her half-breed child until it becomes a toddler, then through tear filled eyes she releases it into the wild. Occasionally a legend surfaces that one such toddler survived and became a hero in some distant land but that is likely just a story told to comfort the parents.
"The last option is by far the worst. If the parents insist on keeping the child past its toddler years, it must be tested before it's granted manhood or womanhood."
"I thought all Sheikah were tested before they can achieve manhood," Link said recalling what Impa had told him. "Don't they have to fight in a war or go on some sort of big game hunt?"
Nabooru shook her head. "For the normal Sheikah children yes but for a half-breed? No. A half-Sheikah teenager will present himself before each family and must accept every combat challenge. Only when he or she has survived EVERY sheikah family will he be welcomed amongst the Sheikah people.
"The worst part though," Nabooru explained. "Is that since the teenager is still trying to achieve adulthood, he or she cannot slay his opponents. He may only disarm and discourage them, while the Sheikah challenging their half-blooded brother or sister may deliver the killing blow any time they see fit."
Link should his head incredulously. The savagery of Impa's people never ceased to amaze him. "I'm guessing nobody has ever survived every family?" Link asked.
"Not too many years ago a boy came close. He was a handsome young boy with a Sheikah father and a Hylian mother. His father was a great swordsman, and raised his son under the most intense conditions, bidding him to be even better." Nabooru's eyes grew wide with excitement as she told the story. "This boy was cunning, strong, and powerful. They say he surpassed his father just as he entered his teen years, then after receiving his old man's blessing and a kiss from his mother he set out to challenge each family one by one.
"The Sheikah families had long known about his existence and were ready for him when he arrived. The eldest son of the first family the Hylian/Sheikah entered was a renowned soldier who had fought in many wars and won many victories. He vowed to stop the half-blood then and there." Nabooru paused for dramatic effect.
"The half-blood defeated him in seconds, even took two of the man's fingers in their duel. After that, word of the incredible half-blood spread from Sheikah family to Sheikah family. Everyone wanted to test him. For a while the boy considered this a good thing. With the families all coming to him, he would not have to waste time or resources tracking them all down. But," another dramatic pause. "As his fame spread like wildfire, he attracted the most dangerous Sheikah of all."
"Impa?" Link asked.
Nabooru shook her head. "Vurugu, her brother."
Link gasped. "The Fierce Deity."
A nod of the queen's head. "The half-blood defeated every challenger from every family. The only family that remained was the Malukha family. The only challenger was the demi-god himself." Nabooru looked once more off into the distance, at the sun that was preparing to dip its edges into the horizon. "I am told that every Sheikah in the realm was present that day. Everyone wanted to see if the half-blood would be able to stand against the half-god." A long pause this time.
"And?" Link prompted when Nabooru didn't continue.
Nabooru shrugged. "Vurugu swatted the boy aside as though he were nothing. Their match barely lasted a minute."
"Oh," Link said a little disappointed. He knew Vurugu had probably won but he couldn't help but to cheer for the underdog.
"Since the half-blood was defeated he was sentenced to death according to Sheikah law. Not only was he killed but his parents were forbidden from ever having any more children. This was a problem since they had already given birth to another half-blood girl."
"Don't tell me."
"She did not even get the chance to be released into the wilderness. The Malukha family ordered her to be executed."
"They aren't people!" Link growled. Anger coursed through him at the injustice of such a people. Of Impa's people!
Nagina threw her head back and laughed. "Pray you don't let loose your tongue in front of the shadow people boy."
"They are not." Nabooru agreed. "Impa Malukha is Sheikah only in name and prowess though. She has a softer heart than her kin. Even so, her race is the reason she delegated negotiations to you is it not?"
Link didn't answer, but all three of them knew it was true. Knowing what he did now Link was amazed Impa had ever managed to secure a position as ambassador for the King.
"How did you meet Impa?" he asked the queen. A smile spread across her face.
"That, Link of Personal Questions, can be answered later. For now we ought to make camp, while the ground is still dry."
The trio dismounted and pulled the saddles off their horses. Nabooru tended to the two desert horses and the mule while Nagina built a fire. Link busied himself with Epona and her gear.
After the horses were tended to and the fire built, Nagina prepared cakes made out of a dried fruit Link had never tasted and a spicy meat Link had never tried. The food was delicious but as he lay back Link could feel it unsettling his stomach.
"Get some sleep, we will be on our way by dawn." Nabooru instructed.
Link aye aye'd then curled up inside his sleeping pack.
"Goodnight Navi," he said.
"Goodnight Link," Navi replied.
"How precious," Nagina mocked.
Author's Note: No action this chapter but I wanted to put out a little more lore. I'll do better about fitting action and fun dialogue in with the lore in future chapters.
Some fun information in this chapter. All of the breeds of horses are real breeds. If you don't know anything about horses I recommend googling the breeds I've named. The breeds I designated Shimmer and Epona are beautiful horses, and I envy anyone lucky enough to own one. Never seen a desert horse in real life but they suit my story well.
If you need a sort of template for all the numbers I threw at you in the beginning of this chapter here are some comparisons. 200,000 sq miles is the approximate area of the country Spain. 40,000 sq smiles is the approximate area of the state Ohio. 20 by 18 miles and the population of 2 million matches both the size and population of the city of Rome.
I realize that makes for a really REALLY big citadel but I'll find a way to justify the beastly size. Anyway I hope this chapter wasn't too dry for you all. Hope you all enjoy!
Thanks!
UPDATE: I just finished a short story devoted to the half-breed vs the half-god. It's called Discouraged: The Shadow People. Check it out!