"That was him," growled the Gerudo Lord. "He was older than I remember, but that was the bastard who stood between me and glory." He slammed his fist down on the wooden table.
Antia already found herself despising the meddling Hero of Time. She had lost over two hundred soldiers in his rain of explosives. "Wait for the chance, Ganon, you'll see his throat ripped out soon enough."
They were seated at a long pine table in the Main Hall of the Desert Stronghold. To the delight of the horde, the fortress was filled with warm food, and they indulged themselves as they had been unable for many a hungry year.
Antia leaned back comfortably and gazed around at the Hellspawn captains seated around her. To her right was her brother Dak, silent as he ripped into a piece of meat, appearing to be concentrating only on the plate before him.
Beside Dak sat the Black Sorcerer Vlorack, similarly reserved. Recently the sorcerer had been a man of few words, only replying dully when spoken to. Antia suspected that there was something on his mind.
Always at the side of Vlorack was his quiet head captain Zacari. Though hundreds of year old, Zacari had the appearance of a pretty twenty-year-old Gerudo woman. Arguably the best thief in the history of Hyrule, Vlorack's faithful servant wore a plain brown shirt and light skirts. Durable leather boots covered her long slender legs and her hands were tucked into dirty black gloves.
Across from Zacari sat Orkah, a legendary Zora terrorist who was caught and killed in action some time after Queen Antia was slain. Orkah was as nasty and malicious a Zora as ever there was, skinny and grimy with profane and disturbing tattoos covering every inch of his body. He had crazy dark eyes and always upon a toothy grin upon his face. Orkah was one of the reasons for the chaos following Antia's death, infuriating Hylians with his many slaughters and bombings to the point where they eventually turned against the entire Zora race.
Beside Orkah was one of Antia's most trusted captains in life, a Gerudo swordswoman by the name of Arfan. Arfan wore the basic uniform of a Gerudo warrior, a small bit of black body paint on her face and stomach to establish her rank. She was a strong and swift warrior, able to overpower the typical soldier in a heartbeat with her catlike reflexes and curved scimitar. She was and always had been completely loyal to Antia her queen, following her and only her.
Directly across from Queen Antia sat the Great King of Evil Ganondorf, now greedily wolfing down his steaming meal. He had mysterious orange eyes and shoulder-length red hair. Ganondorf was what the Gerudos called a "Vessel". According to legend, through the power of the ancient gods Vessels were set apart not only in destiny but in appearance as well, having dark green skin and an unusually massive stature. Ganondorf stood a full head above everyone in the room. He despised the Hero of Time like no other, and had come closer to conquering Hyrule forever than even Queen Antia.
Next to the King of Evil was a Hylian assassin by the name of Locowin. An expert on stealth, poison, and virtually every means of gutless murder created, Locowin hardly ever spoke to anyone. During the Great Wars he had been hired by the Goron Lord to assassinate the King of Hyrule. The hardest assignment any assassin could ever be given, the mission was one that even Locowin barely accomplished. Caught while escaping and hung, the heartless assassin had cold blue eyes and a deadened expression that never seemed to change. Lightly clad, he always carried a long jagged dagger and a pouch of a deadly tricks and poisons.
The frightening pirate captain Dortheye sat on the assassin's right hand. Responsible for countless raids and losses including that of Quill's family and Lankin's right arm, Dortheye was as gruff and terrible a corsair as any. His status as Vlorack's right hand man and his unmatched brute strength had earned him a seat at Antia's table. In fact, Antia had her eye on the pirate captain not only for his skills on the battlefield, but for his aggressive touch in bed as well. He stood tall and scars covered his whole body. His dirty black hair was half hidden under a worn bandana, and two long sabers hung across his back.
Standing at the end of the table was a huge solid-black Goron. Foralin struck fear into the hearts of his friends and foes alike, though he had never spoken a word. His thick muscles were almost like armor, and dull red eyes never seemed to rest on one thing, darting around for any kind of victim. Bearing his gigantic battle-axe, Foralin had been known to decapitate multiple foes at once. When the black Goron had first come into Antia's service, she trusted him very little, as he could cause huge damage to her force with little effort. Her doubts had long since vanished, however, for Foralin had never hesitated to obey her orders silently, and had not once challenged her authority. Foralin was probably the most feared creature throughout the Hellspawn army, a near perfect image of fear and death.
"Where is the spirit?" muttered Dak impatiently. "What other obligations has he to fulfill?"
Antia silenced him with a glare. "Lord Sever will be here when it suits him, brother. It wouldn't be wise to rush him."
"Well it ain't wise for him to keep me waiting," he snapped.
"Stow it," warned Vlorack. "He's arrived."
The door swung open, halting any further bickering. Into the hall strode Sever, the Spirit of Hell and chaos' salvation. Still infesting the body of Raven, Sever looked nothing like a fallen god, instead a humble beggar on the streets of Kakariko. Nevertheless, a powerful fire burned in his eyes as they swept across the room. Every one of its occupants had stood when he arrived in respect. Casually he walked over to the table and took the empty chair beside Queen Antia. "Be seated," he said.
Instantly the Hellspawn captains obeyed, and Antia began to press the spirit with excited questions. "Where have you been? What shall be our next move?" She continued eagerly but Sever cut off by raising his hand.
"That will do, Queen. I am not the leader of this operation; I trust that you have a plan for attack."
Antia smiled. Indeed she did, and she was hoping Sever wouldn't take control. "Of course, my lord."
"There will be time for that later," he said. "You have done well thus far, all of you. But you must move quickly to conquer the area. Though he is greatly outnumbered, the Hero of Time will put up a fight, as you have seen firsthand. I will remain in this fortress after you depart, and from then on you will not see much of me."
A few of the captains were surprised at the news that Sever would not be marching with them. "Why don't you come along?" inquired Arfan.
"Hold your tongue!" hissed Antia, but Sever waved it off.
"Do not concern yourself with my reasoning," he said calmly. "Everything will become clear in time. Antia, come with me." He stood and headed for one of the chamber's side hallways.
The Queen immediately followed. Dak narrowed his eyes and began to rise, but Vlorack grasped his arm. "Let them be, she will live."
Reluctantly the warrior sank back into his chair.
Sever led Antia into a small storeroom at the end of the hallway. He smiled to himself. The other captains would hear her, but not be able to reach her. Without knowledge of what sort of pain she was enduring, they would be afraid. Perfect.
"Now Queen," he said quietly, "you have served me well, and I expect you will continue to do so."
Antia glared at him. "I know what you have to do, Lord. Get on with it."
Once again Sever was impressed with the queen.
"No pact is complete without a challenge," she continued, "we must prove who is stronger. I am not as stupid as you continue to show me you believe. While I wish it was not so, I am prepared to face what it is you can deliver."
Sever stared at her. "So be it," he said simply after a minute.
Without further warning, the queen leapt at Sever and whipped her fist towards his head. Quicker than the eye could follow, he ducked under the attack and plunged his booted foot into her gut with a powerful kick. She immediately fell to one knee and coughed up blood.
Slowly she got to her feet, and the Spirit placed one callused hand on her bare stomach. Their eyes met for one split second. Suddenly black power jolted through Antia's body, and a scream escaped her lips. Sever withdrew and she doubled over, gasping and twitching in a heap on the cold ground.
Sever grinned. "I thought you were prepared, Queen." He dropped to his knees and seized her belly once again. A second tortured scream echoed throughout the entire fortress, long and piercing. She writhed about on the floor, twisting and wailing in excruciating pain.
"It's an unwritten law," said Vlorack calmly to Dak, who was getting to his feet angrily. "She knew well what she had to do. Now stay yourself, as the God of the Black Gates welcomes not intruders."
"What's happening in there?" growled Dak menacingly. "What is he doing to my sister?"
"Do not worry. She will be fine."
Reluctantly, the powerful Gerudo slowly sat back down. "She'd better be. For his sake."
……………………………..
To the great relief of King Link, Antia had sent only about twoscore Hellspawn after the fleeing survivors, close to the number they were chasing. Actual combat was not the purpose of these pursuers.
Link met Kafei and swung about on his white steed. "Get them to the castle, and make sure Zelda has the market cleared."
Kafei nodded and leaned forward, clutching onto the reigns of his own stallion. "And you?"
"These ratspawn have died once," growled Link. "They do not belong in this realm."
Kafei stared at him. "How do you plan to—"
"That's unimportant," interrupted Link, waving it off. "Now go, I will be right behind you."
He wasn't completely sure what the king had in mind, but Kafei knew Link well enough to realize his capabilities. No one in the known world was adept a fighter as the Hero of Time.
……………………………..
As the last survivors disappeared over the horizon, Link dismounted and drew his bow. A small bit of time elapsed before the Hellspawn came into sight, charging and screaming on horseback in a mad rush for blood.
"Halt!" came the order from somewhere in their ranks. A long dead Hylian captain stepped out from behind the front lines. What luck! The Hero of Time here, alone and lightly armed. His reward would be great. Sneering, he strode up to Link. "Where is your army now, oh great one?" he mocked. He took another step forward. "Perhaps they've abandoned you. Poor thing, all alone in your final hour." In his excitement he turned around to shout orders to his unit. It was the last mistake he ever made.
The captain's carcass hit the ground with a thick arrow buried in the back of his skull. Before most of the assembled Hellspawn knew what was happening, Link fired a powerful Light Arrow into the ground at their feet. The shaft exploded in brilliant white light, sending every present Hellspawn into a state of temporary blindness.
In an instant, Link flung himself into the thick of the confused warriors. So skilled was the Hero of Time that he could strike and whirl his blade in every direction while both his eyes were tightly closed. Detecting every single step or movement from each enemy, he danced around the cohort quietly, slaying warrior after warrior with only his ears to guide him.
"You are dead," he muttered darkly, again and again. "Stay out of my realm!"
The light had faded and the remaining Hellspawn were slowly regaining their sight. But it didn't matter – only about half a score had survived. Link laughed coldly at the expression on their faces. Horror mixed with puzzlement as they noticed the long, floppy bunny ears that were strapped around his head.
With the magical speed of the Bunny Hood added to his own incredible agility, Link shot into the small group of survivors. Desperately they whipped their weapons about. One lucky thrust barely caught Link in the side, but he didn't slow down. Within minutes, he was wiping his bloody sword off in the soft grass, forty mangled corpses scattered about his feet.
Zelda's stallion trotted up to him, and with a little difficulty due to his wound, he swung onto the saddle. Taking one last look at the carnage, he spoke quietly. "You will pay for staining my soil with your filthy blood, Ganon."
He dug his boots into the steed's side and galloped off.
……………………………..
Antia wasn't surprised to find Sever missing when she awoke the next morning. The terrible pain she had endured at his hands was enough to keep her away from his bed, and she had slept alone with Captain Arfan and three Hellspawn standing watch by her door.
She was up and dressing when Vlorack stepped into the room with the news of Sever's absence. She shrugged it off; they didn't really need the spirit now. He had served his purpose in setting them free, now Antia could handle the rest.
She assembled the council once again and informed them of the battle plan. Antia would leave Foralin, Dak, and two thousand others to hold the fortress, and take the remaining eight thousand herself. Link would expect a straight assault on Hyrule, but she could easily outsmart him. She would leave Hyrule perfectly in tact, and instead merely cut through the far western corner and into Termina. She knew Termina would have to fall before she ever truly conquered Hyrule, so she made that her first target. Once they reached and claimed Clocktown, she would split her forces into three units and send them north, west, and south. Even divided she easily outnumbered the Terminians, and by sending two thousand warriors into Southern Swamp, Great Bay, and Snowfall, she could seize Termina by the throat and choke it into submission before anyone in Hyrule knew she was there.
Antia gave the order for eight thousand Hellspawn to pack and prepare for war. Eagerly they obeyed – they would depart at sundown.
……………………………..
"Rotten maggots," muttered Rift under his breath. Reluctantly, he stumbled into the dark cell in the undergrounds of Clocktown and plopped down next to Kryn and Fan. "Hellsteeth, what's being accomplished?"
"For the thousandth time, it isn't a punishment," sighed Mikaku. "There's been some kind of disaster in Hyrule, and we can't afford to have you three running around at the moment. I assure you there will be enough food and water."
"We could be not running around in a comfortable bed in the Inn," grumbled the cloaked veteran.
"In the absence of the mayor, it is the head captain's responsibility to deal with you, and he decided to put you here. It will only be for a short time." Mikaku twisted the key in the lock and handed them to the Hylian jailer.
As he walked away, Rift whispered to his comrades. "I hope they fall dead, every last one of them."
Mikaku whipped back around and glared at him.
"Didn't mean it, mate, I didn't mean it."
……………………………..
"Goddesses know what would happen if they did attack," muttered Lankin darkly. He and about thirty others, including his one son Sako, waited outside Lake Hylia tensely for any signs of the enemy. Pakomi Village had for the most part been evacuated, and now Lankin and the others planned on distracting the Hellspawn and draw them away from the lakeside town in case of any offensive. A desperate plan, but it was all that Link had.
Lankin knew, however, that with anyone but Link sitting upon the Royal Throne, Hyrule would certainly fall. Evacuating Pakomi may have required a dangerous and vulnerable march through the middle of Hyrule Field, but luckily Link knew his realm like the back of his hand. Diving squads from Zora's domain had reopened an old underground waterway to the lake, and carried a score of Blue Tunics from storage to the villagers of Pakomi. Twenty at a time, villagers slipped on the magical clothing, which allowed them to breathe under the waves, and followed the Zora guides back to the safety of their aquatic kingdom through the forgotten tunnel. They would be much safer in Zora's Domain, behind the enchanted waterfall barrier, than they ever would have in Pakomi. Queen Ruto was more than happy to accommodate the friendly villagers, especially Lankin's mother Corill, who could cook a delicious meal out of practically anything.
Lankin was grateful to Link for concentrating on the lives of Hyrule's people before anything else. He stopped himself from thinking about how they would survive without the heaven-sent king.
……………………………..
Antia's army moved quickly. Much to her relief and satisfaction, her men were more than willing to march to war after such a long rest. Being as experienced a general as she was, the queen knew that her success relied greatly on the morale and attitude of her soldiers. It was a little past noon and they were entering the mountain pass into Termina.
Two horses pulled the small chariot from which she gazed over her forces. Ganondorf and Vlorack sat beside her, while the rest of her captains marched with the army.
"We should reach Termina before nightfall, set up camp, and from there aim straight for the capital."
Ganondorf grinned toothily. "Attack upon night tomorrow?"
Antia nodded. "While the town sleeps."
"It does not satisfy as much as the blood of the king on my blade," said the Vessel, "but it will do."
Without warning, the queen twisted around and slammed her fist into the side of his skull. He grunted, but quickly raised his defenses. Antia took little heed, attacking with unworldly quickness so that even the Great King of Evil could not hold her off for long. She seized his throat and buried her knee in his stomach.
"The Hero of Time is mine, and mine alone," the queen hissed in his ear. "You will burn forever in the fiery chasms if you so much as lay a hand on him. Do you understand?"
Ganondorf gasped for air. Disgusted she forcefully shoved him backward off the moving chariot and fell back into her seat. Vlorack dared not even think a wrong against her, lest the queen's unpredictable temper target him next.
Holding his throat, Ganondorf glared up at Antia with loathing as scores of Hellspawn marched past him. He felt a strong grip close around his arm and pull him to his feet. Glancing over briefly he was met with the jagged grin of Orkah. "Nasty liddle temper she got 'erself, eh mate?"
The Vessel threw Orkah off him roughly. "Open your stupid mug again," he snarled dangerously. "Just one more time."
Orkah fell back and joined the march, grumbling. Perhaps his mug was stupid, but he most certainly was not.
Ganondorf pushed the grimy Zora out of his mind and looked back to the chariot, now rolling along in the distance. He was startled, and, though he would never admit it, somewhat afraid to find the Queen of Chaos staring back at him. "I have a score to settle with the king," he muttered to himself. "It wouldn't be wise to stand in my way."
Antia leaned her head back and laughed to the sky. Ganondorf froze. Had she heard him?
No, that couldn't be it. He was much too far away for that. Her gleeful cry was purely coincidental.
I have heard the whispers of the ancient gods in their heavens all my life. The distance between us is nothing.
Ganondorf stared at Antia, disbelieving, his mouth wide open where it had dropped. She grinned back at him.
It would be wise to step down, you say? Well I have some words of wisdom for you as well, Dragmire. Watch your back.
He narrowed his eyes and scowled. She'd heard him from hundreds of paces away, and formed words inside his head – what in hell was she?
She laughed again.
……………………………..
"By the blessed mothers in heaven," whispered Lankin. They were the first words able to come out of any one of his party since Antia's horde came into sight. Thousands upon thousands of fully armed warriors marched through the western corner of Hyrule, all grinning in cold anticipation. Gerudo Fortress was the weapons' capital of the realm, and the Hellspawn had no problems arming themselves upon its overtaking.
Lankin leaned over and spoke softly to his son Sako. "Go now and warn the castle. Stay wide now, and be careful. Tell the king everything you've seen."
"Of course, Father," nodded Sako, "but what will you do?"
"The rest of the men will stay in the village. If the maggots head for our homes, they will not take them without resistance. I myself must head underground."
"Underground?"
"If I travel southeast into the forest, I will reach the underground caverns sometime in the night. Riding without stopping through the night, I should come above ground directly in Clocktown, for I'm sure that is the Hellrats' destination. I must warn the capital."
Sako was skeptical. "The success of your plan depends heavily upon whether the enemy rests upon nightfall. If they continue the march and reach Termina before you, your presence will not aid their cause."
Lankin nodded grimly. "Then pray that they don't. And hope."
"It will also be dangerous. Goddesses know how Clocktown will defend against that!"
The Corland veteran didn't answer. Instead he turned to his men. "To the village! We will protect our homes or die defending them." Turning back to his son, he smiled. Would he ever see the boy again? Man, he corrected himself. His son was a man now. "Be careful, Sako."
"And you, Father."