Chapter 6
Prejudice and Prophecy

The bloodiest day of Hyrule's history… Was it perhaps that day? To some, this day would be a day of friendship, when the bonds of prejudice begin to break down and the races rally together in the face of evil. To others, the battles and bloodshed of that day would make it a dark day—a black mark on the records of Hyrule's history.

Heat sweltered around his body as he slowly walked forward, draped in a massive black cloak, several times his size. His mind itched to fire a signal off to his hand and quickly throw off his hot disguise to feel the wind on his skin—even if it was only the hot and horribly dusty desert wind. But it was not yet time to reveal his true identity to the people around him.

The market sounds bombarded his sharp ears and he could hear the Gerudo women bartering various desert goods at the myriad of shops and stalls around him. He almost smiled, seeing people with enough luck to go about their daily life without fear of war's shadow falling upon them. Such things seemed impossible in such a time, yet he was glad for the Gerudo. Then, his eyes fell upon two warriors in the midst of an intense practice battle, their blades swirling and striking together in a beautiful dance. He smiled a grim smile; at least the Gerudo would be ready when the war moved to invade their land.

He glanced up at his destination, the Gerudo palace that loomed over the town, its magnificence drowning out the muddy bricks streets and desert stone houses. From here, he could clearly make out the massive golden dome of the palace. In the intense heat of the sun, the small distance between himself and the palace seemed as if it would take all of eternity to traverse. He sighed and continued to walk forward, even as sweat glistened down his body and soaking his clothes.

This mission involved such physical comfort; was the possible end result worth such troubles? The man was forced to remind himself the great need the required his long journey. His people. The war. Recent events matched signs that the Prophecy would soon come true…

It was possible that the entire history of his race would be wiped out if it did not occur like predicted long ago… Still, his determination was already wearing thin. Perhaps things would be better once he was permitted to remove his cloak. With the thought that he would be able to remove his cloak once he entered the palace in mind, he began to step forward with a quicker pace.

All at once, the entire image of the palace revealed itself before him, un-obscured by the dirty sprawl of the desert town. The golden dome appeared as if a enormous mirror, reflecting the scorching heat of the sun down upon the town, as if to remind the people of the harsh and deadly desert in which they all lived. White marble lined the foundation of the structure and followed the golden patterns up along the side of the palace. The man then realized how humble Hyrule Castle was to this glorious symbol of desert power. Stepping forward, up the innumerable marble steps, the man calmly halted in front the two Gerudo guards, who scrutinized him carefully.

"State your business!" one of the guards demanded upon his arrival. She fingered her spear lightly as if preparing for an attack.

The man seemed to notice this and raised his arms in non-threatening manner. "Have no fear," he intoned in his deep and authoritative voice. "I am not here to advocate battle against your nation. I am only an ambassador from a distant land, who wishes to speak directly to your great leader, Nibara!"

"If this is so… why do you wear such a cloak as if to hide your identity?" asked the second guard rather suspiciously. "I highly doubt you are a mere ambassador."

The man was silent for a moment, remembering how vital it was to hide his true identity until he at last met with Nibara. It would not help to allow minor guards to learn his identity for he might never be allowed to meet with any leader at all! With this in mind, he answered simply, "I wish to speak with Nibara directly. That is all."

The first guard did not quite agree with this. "You are a man," she explained bluntly. "I will allow you to enter our palace… But be warned! Treachery will not be tolerated. That is all!"

The man nodded as if to agree. He meant no treachery, of course. Still, he had to be on his guard. The Gerudo were known to be rather unpredictable in terms of diplomacy. As the elegant golden doors swung gently open, he stepped forward into the cool air of the palace…

Queen Nibara swung her dual blades, sending them flying in an arc toward Teron's lightly armored legs. The other women reacted quickly and leapt over the blades. In a smooth motion, Nibara's opponent slashed her single long sword in an overhead strike. Nibara jumped backward and raised her swords in a cross that blocked Teron's attack and catching the opposing blade. Then, the Gerudo leader whipped her blades together with a flicking motion, sending the other sword flying off and sending Teron sprawling to the hard stone floor of the palace. At last, the training match had come to a decisive end, as Nibara pointed her blades at her opponent's neck

"Nibara, you've gotten much better!" complimented Teron cheerily, still on the ground. "Good job!" she cried, leaping to her feet. Nibara's young advisor and friend stepped lightly across the training ground to retrieve her blade.

"Thank you Teron." Nibara sighed in exhaustion and sheathed her swords back into their individual scabbards. She turned to a large golden hook on the wall and removed from it a golden tiara with a red jewel embedded into its center—the symbol of leadership in the Gerudo tribe—which she placed onto her head. Nibara never felt comfortable in battle when wearing such a thing, the only reason she did not wear the crown in training. Like most other Gerudo, Nibara decided to wear simple light armor that protected vital points on the body while still leaving enough open skin to allow the body to cool. While she knew that the armor was quite practical, Nibara was required to wear royal armor, which—despite her annoyance—had extra flourishes such as golden plating and inlaid jewels that gave it a grander appearance.

For a brief moment, Nibara's thoughts wandered. Abruptly, she felt a strange and mysterious presence reaching into her mind; something benevolent while simultaneously eerie. It seemed to be warning her of… something that would take place in the future. Nibara suddenly felt uneasy and cold, though adrenaline and sweat had been running down her slender frame a moment earlier. She shivered even as hot air blew through the window and turned Teron who stood beside her, watching in concern.

Teron seemed to notice the odd look of anxiety on Nibara's face as she asked, "Tell me something, Teron. Everyday, everyday I train. But, for what purpose? What enemy does the Gerudo nation have to face, out here in the hot isolation of the desert?" Nibara felt as if a terrible event would soon happen and she desperately tried to convince herself that it was not true. Was it only she who sensed that something odd was amiss?

Teron flashed a quick grin. "I don't know about you Nibara, but I train to be ready for anything," she replied confidently. "Anything that happens to us, we must be prepared to fight to survive!"

Nibara answered with a slow and unsteady nod. She wasn't quite sure exactly what they were preparing for, but she felt as if a new terrible battle would be coming soon. The Gerudo nation would soon have a new enemy; Nibara could feel that in her heart. In what shape or form that enemy would come, the Gerudo leader had no idea whatsoever. She only hoped that it would not share any resemblance with another great war of the past.

A fear suddenly striking in her mind, she turned to a map of the land that perpetually lay attached to the wall of her private quarters. A map of a land called Hyrule. In the center lay an artist's depiction of Hyrule Castle, home to the Royal Family, the great leaders of Hyrule for many centuries. From the northeast, a river rose from Zora's Domain and settled in the south in a great lake to the south, known as Lake Hylia. And to the west of that lake was the lost ancestral land of Nibara's people: Gerudo Valley.

"Teron. How long has it been?" Nibara asked suddenly, the sight of her people's homeland on the map invoking a question.

Teron was slightly puzzled by Nibara's rather vague question. "How long since… what, exactly? What are you talking about?"

"Since the war ended and our ancestors fled their homeland?" Nibara knew the answer, of course, as did all other Gerudo, but she simply had a desire to hear it once more.

Teron face became solemn and she whispered softly, "100 years, Nibara. A century to this day, our people left Gerudo Valley, ending the war."

Gerudo Valley had become almost a myth to the Gerudo people in the aftermath of the horrific Gerudo Wars. The war… that nearly destroyed the entirety of the Gerudo tribe. Nibara felt icy fear fill her blood. If an enemy was truly coming like her mysterious sense warned, would the Gerudos be entirely destroyed this time?

"Nibara, are you alright?" asked Teron, her face confused but still concerned. "What's going on?"

"N-Nothing," the queen lied. "Nothing it all." But it was something. Something huge. If history repeated itself… and if the war against the Gerudos began anew…

The Gerudo Wars were a series of deadly battles fueled by prejudice against the Gerudo race. The Gerudos always had a shaky relationship with the other people of Hyrule, but one day the prejudice and persecution escalated into that terrible war. Nibara felt a hot anger creep up to her heart to replace fear, but she thrust the emotion to the back of her mind. She knew revenge was absolutely not the best path to regain her ancestor's lands. Resorting to war would only create more tension between the races.

"You're thinking about the war, aren't you?" Teron always seemed to know what Nibara was thinking. "I know how you feel."

"Can something like that happen again?" muttered Nibara.

"I don't know, but you must remain positive," answered Teron. "Nibara, you must look forward to the future instead of to the past. The future, I think, will be better than the past."

Nibara nodded in agreement. She knew that one day her people would return to the homeland, without the former intolerance that led to the sad destruction of the great Gerudo Fortress or the infamous vandalism of the ancient Spirit Temple. That same intolerance had led to the loss of the Gerudo homeland and was what precipitated the search for a new land to call their own.

During the peak of the war, the Gerudos decided that enough was enough. In a single night, the entire tribe vanished from the sights of Hyrule. Far to the west they walked for many moons and across strange sands… until at last, an oasis presented itself to them and the Gerudo settled down to create a nation without the prejudice that had long plagued their people. At least, that was what Nibara hoped. Would the peace last?

As she pondered over these events from long ago, an uneasy thought nagged at the back of her mind. That story had been repeated and retold many times by the Gerudo people. Yet… the entire nation knew that there had been a much darker side to the story—darker even than the war that had forced them from their homeland. The side of the story that had never been told, though all knew it. Nibara felt uncomfortable, as if that side of the story would soon return to haunt her. However, she quickly shook off such thoughts for there was, just at that moment, a loud knocking on the door.

"Milady!" A messenger of a young age dashed into the room, clutching a scroll that bore the ancient insignia of the Gerudo. "I have a message for you!"

"Hey! What are you doing here?" scolded Teron, as the girl breathlessly put the scroll forward. "This is Queen Nibara's private training session! I have informed you all to never interrupt milady's training!"

"I'm very sorry, Advisor Teron! Please don't execute me!" pleaded the messenger, clearly exaggerating the possible punishment. To many who did not know her well, Advisor Teron was known as a tough lady not afraid to use force to obtain what she wanted, which tended to inspire respect—but often fear—among the people. Still, as only her closest friends knew, Nibara knew that Teron was actually quite friendly—except if you were her enemy.

As she realized the messenger was most likely new and did not understand, Teron's face lightened. The messenger relaxed when she realized there would be no punishment after all. However, Teron did say with a smile, "I only hope that you will not do it again." The messenger nodded vigorously and handed the scroll to the queen.

Nibara nodded and reached for scroll, as she grinned at Teron and told her, "Was it your intention to frighten that girl so? Perhaps you should be gentler to those employed by the palace."

Teron smiled slyly back at Nibara. "In order to serve you, I must be respected by the all people, milady," she concluded as the messenger closed the door quietly and stepped out of earshot.

"'Milady', is it?" asked Nibara, once she was sure the messenger was gone. Nibara shot Teron an annoyed glance. Though she was queen—at least until a new male was born into their tribe like so happened every 100 years—Nibara never felt like she was worthy to be any sort of leader. The term "milady" only served to irritate her each time it was directed toward her.

"Nibara, you must remember the fact that everyone is required to call you that or her Highness or something. Technically, they are prohibited to call you by your name unless they are royalty themselves!" Teron then nodded toward the scroll still in Nibara's hands and quickly changed the subject in a slightly sarcastic tone, "I believe that scroll is for you, milady." She grinned and Nibara stifled a chuckle that threatened to burst out as she began to look at the scroll.

The scroll was unrolled quickly and Nibara scanned over its contents. "It appears… as if an ambassador has arrived from a distant land. However, he has not stated where he is from. He wishes to meet with me immediately."

"Be careful, Nibara," cautioned Teron. "This seems rather suspicious. Why would this man not announce what country he is from? I believe you might want to bring extra security, or not see this man entirely."

"Nevertheless, I am required to meet with this man. If I refuse him, we may possibly gain new enemies from… whatever nation he is from," Nibara reasoned. "I must see him at once."

As the ambassador stepped slowly into the palace, he was immediately greeted by a young woman with her hair tied up into a practical ponytail and a bright smile dancing across her face. "I am Queen Nibara's advisor; my name is Teron," she greeted, introducing herself to the cloaked man. "I will show you to the ambassadorial meeting room, where Her Highness meets with foreign ambassadors. But first, for basic security reasons, I must ask your name before we continue. Your name is…?" Teron left the sentence open for the man to answer himself.

"Zorn is my name," replied the man coolly. "I must say, the speed with which you greeted me is surprising. How did you know so quickly about my arrival?"

"Information travels swiftly through a system of messengers, Ambassador Zorn," explained Teron, already striding quickly down to the door that would lead to the next room. "This is your first visit to the Gerudo Palace?"

"Indeed," replied Zorn quietly. "I never expected such… grandeur in a place like this. Golden statues and columns, all around. Walls painted such exquisite shade of red. And this is only one room. Simply amazing." As he spoke, he gestured to the specified item with a sweeping motion. Lining the walls were a series of golden columns and guarding the sides of the door were two statues of slender desert lions. The walls themselves were painted a pale yet beautiful red that is only seen in the red rocks of the desert. The room truly was astonishing for any visitor and certainly more for one who had never before observed such splendor.

"I am glad to see that you are enjoying your visit, Ambassador," Teron said. She motioned to the golden door that would lead further into the palace. "Now come this way to the meeting room…"

Nibara sat uneasily in a large chair situated at the head of the table, a pit of anxiety forming within her stomach. Why did she have the feeling that with this meeting something would go wrong? Every since the incident that afternoon when a strange entity or magical force seemed to touch her mind, Nibara had been feeling oddly anxious about everything that happened and was about to happen. Perhaps the new sense was trying to caution her?

The table which she sat at was relatively small yet ornate for its size, with many marble stones making up its structure. Light gold leaf sprawled around in strange designs across its surface. Nibara's chair was designed much the same way, leaving her back uncomfortably leaning against cold marble. Though she was sitting, she envied the squad of soldiers who stood at attention around the brightly lit room, waiting for the ambassador to arrive. Nibara itched to rise and stand with her soldiers as if she was one of them, but of course, she was not. She was a queen, meeting with an ambassador—not an ordinary Gerudo.

All at once, a loud knocking filled the room and Nibara called, "Come in!" The door was opened quickly and Teron strode in, followed by a man cloaked in a heavy robe of some sort. The ambassador seemed to glance around the room for a moment, taking in the beauty of the room. Nibara wondered if he had done that for every single room he entered.

It was true that this room was beautiful; especially since it was one of the rooms in which sunlight could enter to illuminate the architectural elements. The walls were bright and warm red, amplified by the soothing light. Two bands of gold stretched around the room, one near the ceiling and the other near the ground. Twisting and turning, both mirrored each other in a mysterious dance yet never crossed. Though this was one of the simpler rooms, the ambassador seemed to enjoy the straightforward design of the room.

"Your Highness?" asked Teron suddenly. "This is Zorn, the ambassador. So far, he has not yet stated the nation which he represents. He expressed his desire to only speak to you about this matter. Thus, I must have your," she motioned around the room to all the soldiers, "word that you will not repeat anything that you hear today in this room, for the sake of this ambassadorial meeting." All soldiers nodded quickly, understanding the importance of what they agreed to.

"Good, good," murmured Zorn. "I hope that the public will not hear of our meeting, your Highness. It is for the best." The ambassador walked quietly to a chair and sat down, making hardly any noise. Nibara turned to the man and wandered how he moved so easily and quietly.

"It is, Ambassador?" What reason could there be for the people to not know of the meeting? Nibara searched her mind for an answer, but could not find one. Except… could it be? Fear seized Nibara's heart at the thought of what nation this man was from. If he was from Hyrule… and the people knew he was meeting with the queen… panic would ensue if they believed war had returned to their country. Nibara took a deep breath and asked, "Ambassador, for what purpose do you arrive here at the Gerudo Palace today?"

"My people require assistance from the Gerudo people," explained Zorn. "Our nation is torn asunder with a terrible war."

"Why should we concern ourselves with a distant nation we have no connection with?" Nibara managed to say. But in her heart, she already knew the answer.

Zorn's reply confirmed her fears. "The Hylians are the ones behind this war, Your Highness." Several gasped filled the room, though Nibara only shifted uncomfortably at the answer. "I… understand your past with the Hylians and I realize that your nation may be the best equipped to fight the Hylians at this time."

"Tell me first Zorn," Nibara ordered, her voice strained, though she was now also slightly confused. "What nation are you from?" If he was not a Hylian, then… that meant war might not be coming after all!

But then… the answer changed everything. Ambassador Zorn lifted his hood, revealing his face, and spoke the shocking truth, "I am of the Sheikah tribe."

"I am of the Sheikah tribe," answered Zorn. He was definitely taking a chance, revealing his nation before he had entirely explained his people's need, but Zorn also understood that that was the only way trust could be created between the two nations once more.

"Sheikah!" cried Nibara, as the realization was processed in her mind. Zorn knew what she was thinking and calmly remained in his seat, even as the guards muttered amongst themselves, unsure of the next course of action. All at once, Nibara drew her twin swords and pressed them against Zorn's neck. When Zorn did not move or react, Nibara growled, "The Sheikah tribe is never welcome in the land of the Gerudos! Go home to your Hylian masters at once!" she commanded.

"Hylian masters? I thought you heard what I said earlier, Your Highness," explained Zorn, attempting to keep his composure, even as his life was threatened. His battle worn face did not show the Gerudos that beneath this façade, his heart was heavily pounding and anxiety was beginning to creep into his mind. "Remember? I explained earlier that my nation was under attack by the Hylians. I highly doubt we would work with those that attack our people, though we may have done so many years ago."

"You lie, again!" Nibara applied additional pressure upon the Sheikah's neck and a single drop of blood dripped onto the white marble, tainting it with the dark red liquid. "It was the Sheikah tribe that twisted the information about Ganondorf's attacks! If not for their manipulation and dark ways, then the Gerudo would still have a homeland to call their own!" That was a valid response, showing reason not to trust the Sheikah tribe. When Ganondorf attacked Hyrule of his own accord, it was the Sheikah who used the perfect opportunity to fight back against the Gerudos, even those with no affiliation to the King of Evil.

Zorn lowered his head in apology and shame. "I am sorry. That is indeed true; however, I only wished to put our differences aside and ask the Gerudo tribe for aid just like the Prophecy states—"

Nibara interrupted him, "Aid? Prophecy?" She chuckled dryly. "I doubt that. Always, the people of Hyrule have discriminated against our people. Why would the Sheikah be any different? Why should you ask us for help, when you have only harmed us in the past?!" demanded the queen.

Zorn took a deep breath. This conversation had been going badly already and was threatening to turn into a full-blown battle between the two of them. Calm on the outside, yet afraid on the inside of what would happen next, Zorn again tried to explain, "Your Highness. There is no one else for us to turn to, in this time of need. That is why."

Nibara felt confusion ripple through her mind as Zorn attempted to explain the Sheikah predicament. It seemed as if everything was already rolling out of control. "Our people," began Zorn, "have always served the Hylians as messengers, warriors, and spies. One day, the new king ordered us to do something that we could not be obliged to do. Fight against the other nations of the land: the Zora tribe, the Goron tribe, and the Kokiri tribe of the forest."

"Why not?" Nibara asked, feeling anger rise to the surface as the full dark history of the Gerudo Wars nagged at her mind. "The Sheikah did it in the past!" she shouted. "Against our people! Yet again, I have no reason to trust you."

"When we refused," continued Zorn, ignoring the question, "the Hylians turned against us, slaughtering our people and burning our villages. So too have they done so to the other nations of the land. The Gerudo are the only power large enough to aid us now. I beg of you," said Zorn, emotion now showing on his desperate face, "your Highness, to provide troops to aid the rebellion in the land of Hyrule. You are our last hope, now. You too must know of the Great Prophecy! On the day that the three lights of the goddesses appear, that day is when the races ally themselves against a common enemy."

"Then it is not this day! Such lights have not appeared! The Sheikah are the sworn enemies of our tribe," muttered Nibara, anger seething through her words. "There will never be an alliance between our people, no matter what the Great Prophecy says! The Sheikah tribe is merely a rabble of traitors, dogs, and murderers! And that's all they will ever be. In fact, I believe they deserve whatever fate befalls them in this 'war'."

Desperate sadness now replaced by clear and overpowering anger, Zorn replied, "Is that so? I assumed that a nation discriminated against in the past would not have such prejudice against other peoples. I was obviously mistaken! The Gerudo has always been reclusive and prejudiced against outsiders! I was ultimately wrong to come here, then. Good-bye, your Highness!"

Zorn snatched Nibara's swords with a sudden movement, thrusting them aside with his thick protective gloves. Tossing aside his cloak with a swift spreading of his arms, the Sheikah leapt toward the window. As he did so, he briefly observed Nibara give a battle cry and launch herself toward her opponent, swords at the ready. Instinctively, Zorn flicked his fingers and fired several small projectiles—darts—at his foe.

Nibara knew what was coming. She immediately identified the move as the traditional dart attack of the Sheikah and twisted her blades into the familiar cross shape. The darts zoomed through the air as mere blurs that were almost invisible to the naked eye, yet Nibara's blade was true and the handful of darts embedded themselves harmlessly in the metals of the swords.

Nibara watched as Zorn readied himself to leap out the window to the city below. Instantly, she gave an order to her soldiers, "Attack! Stop him from escaping!" A resourceful warrior quickly nodded and tossed her spear directly at Zorn's slim figure. But just then, a burst of smoke enveloped Zorn and the spear… passed straight through the cloud, its target missed.

Zorn felt the familiar tingle of the teleportation magic fill his being and disorienting fading of vision. He blinked and he suddenly stood on the other end of the room, near the door. The Sheikah watched as the Gerudo stared at the smoke, confused by the spell. However, even as Zorn began to quietly open the door, Queen Nibara seemed to realize what had just occurred. "There!" she cried, pointing at Zorn and simultaneously slashing her swords in his direction.

Zorn evaded the attack with a swift duck and responded with a flick of his wrist. A long metal whip seemed to materialize in his hands already flying toward his foe and wrapping around her legs. Nibara gave a gasp as the sharp spurs of the chain punctured her skin and stumbled onto the ground. Zorn gave a swift tug and spun the queen around on the ground. Then, the Gerudo began to retaliate and swung her twin swords angrily at her enemy.

Nibara, still disoriented by the spinning motion, slashed her swords at Zorn, only to be blocked by a thick glove. Still, the movement distracted Zorn, allowing her to pull the chains off of her legs and leap to her feet. By this time, the guards had also added themselves to the brawl. Zorn twirled his whip in large swaths, catching many of them off-guard when the stinging metal struck them. Unfortunately for the Sheikah, several soldiers stood on the other end of the room, spears in hand. Even as he knocked Nibara and the other guards to the ground, these Gerudos tossed their spears into the air with expert precision.

Noting the attack, Nibara quickly pressed her foot against Zorn's chest, knocking him into the wall. Simultaneously, the long spears embedded themselves in Zorn's clothes and the wall, suspending the Sheikah onto the wall. He raised his whip and attempted another strike, only to have Nibara slash his hand with both weapons precisely on the same spot. He cried out and subsequently dropped his deadly weapon. A horrible red X had been etched on the very spot that the weapons struck his wrist.

"So," he began once he realized there was no more he could do, "I appear to be quite defenseless at the moment. What is it that you wish to do with me, Queen Nibara?"

"Simple," replied Nibara, swords already against her foe's neck. "Exactly what you did to our people so long ago… in a certain place called Arbiter's Grounds." Gasps filled the room at the mention of the horrid place. At last, Nibara spoken of the haunted place where the dark side of the war had taken place. The place where her people had been tortured by the brutal Sheikah for information. No, Nibara knew it was not simply the Sheikah's manipulation of information on Ganondorf that had wronged the Gerudo nation, as did all Gerudo. This horrible truth—taboo to the Gerudo nation—Nibara kept fresh in her mind as she pressed her blades ever harder against Zorn's neck.

"What?" For the first time in their meeting, confusion flickered across Zorn's face. "My people had no hand in the creation of Arbiter's Grounds!" he objected.

"Lies yet again, Ambassador," muttered Nibara, practically spitting the words out. Bending low to the ground, she carefully picked up the whip, avoiding the jagged points. Zorn gasped in realization as the queen raised the whip high into the air.

And on that day, tortured screams echoed down into the city.