Hero of the Zonai

by bladeofthebookworms

A brutal war between the Zonai and Sheikah peoples sends ripples throughout the kingdom. In the midst of the violence, a young Zonai warrior discovers a mysterious ancestor, who urges him to see beyond the plight of his people. For peace is elusive, and Hyrule's greatest threat has yet to emerge. T for violence.

42. Zora's Domain

Chapter 42: Zora's Domain

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

Zelda

The journey to Zora's Domain was a blur of anxiety and exhaustion. They rode harder and faster than Zelda ever had before; at the end of the first day she was sore all over and wobbled when she walked, and wanted nothing more than to collapse onto a comfortable mattress that would ease her aches and pains. Instead, of course, they slept on the hard ground, all of them huddling together to try and warm up those among them that were frozen – Link, and the three monks that had fallen in the river.

At dawn, the three monks became two, and they had an uncomfortable and heart-wrenching conversation on what to do with the body. The ground was too frozen for them to dig a grave in good time, the ground was so thoroughly covered in snow that they would not be able to find enough stones for a cairn, and Skasha reported that Khanot's forces continued their pursuit, parallel to them across the river. They buried the monk in snow, and somberly moved on.

Zelda felt fresh fear for Link after the monk's death. His fever had not abated, and his cough was only getting worse. He had held himself together admirably during the encounter with Khanot and the mad retreat afterwards, but after landing with Skasha he had been moving slower, slumped in the saddle, and seemed uncharacteristically unaware of conversation and details around them. With her arms wrapped around his waist as they traveled on horseback, she could feel the shivers wracking his body, and hear the gravel of fluid in his lungs. His violent coughs shook his whole body and sounded immensely painful, but all she could do to soothe him was gently rub his shoulders and hope it did something.

Dorphos and his comrades continued breaking up the ice on the river as they traveled, keeping up the water barrier between them and Khanot's forces. At around noon on the second day, a smaller group of Zoras arrived from the Domain with bottles of medicine. They spooned out doses to Link and the two monks and traveled with them the rest of the way to Zora's Domain to keep tabs on their health.

They lost sight of Khanot's forces once they reached the craggy dark Zorana Mountains and started up the treacherous winding path leading up to Zora's Domain. Hemmed in by ravines, where the swiftest and surest way through was on the water, Dorphos assured them that Khanot's forces would not easily pursue them. Skasha confirmed from the sky – once the combined Sheikah and Gerudo army reached the beginning of the road through the mountain, after facing off against the spear-wielding Zora guarding the waters there, they began a full retreat, and Zelda breathed easier knowing that they were, for the moment, safe here.

They reached Zora's Domain on the third day of travel. It was a stunning amphibious city set into the mountainous sides of a circular canyon carved out by waterfalls streaming down on every side. There were large pools of water at multiple levels across the canyon, creating continuous chains of waterfalls leading all the way down to the lake at the bottom. Graceful swooping arches chiseled from the dark blue stone of the mountain, reminiscent in shape to the foaming crest of a wave, framed the paths cut into the side of the canyon as well as bridges going across the lake and to and from the many pools, and to the large pillar in the center of the lake that swooped outwards at the top, forming a platform upon which stood a tall pavilion with the statue of a leaping trout at the peak of its roof. The white of the snow on the mountains and the cone-shaped rooftops of smaller pavilions set into the canyon walls seemed to amplify the myriad of blue hues in the stone – the darker colors of the mountain, the paler shades of some sort of crystal used in the more ornate stonework. Icicles hanging from the edges of pools and bridges and facets of the cliffs further added to the otherworldly beauty of the city.

Zelda had been to Zora's Domain once, at a very young age. She could remember little of the visit but playing in a shallow pool with younger Zora her age. Then, the icicles had been replaced by hanging moss and ivy. The greenery that shrouded the city then, just as the snow and ice did now, had only amplified the beauty of the Zora architecture.

She glanced at Link, who was staring all around with wide eyes, his lips slightly parted in awe, and smiled. "It's quite the sight, isn't it?" she said, taking his hand.

He nodded slowly, his gaze tracing the intricate web of bridges crossing back and forth between the central pillar and the sides of the canyon.

They had left the horses at the end of the mountain path, where a cave dug into the face of the mountain served as stables for any Hylian or Gerudo visitors. Now Dorphos and some of his company led them along a path cut into the cliffside and winding deep into the mountain, lit by lanterns made of blue-stained glass bearing flickering flames that illuminated the tunnels with a watery teal glow. The air became warmer as they went deeper into the mountain, and eventually they came to a wide open room with twenty or more beds arranged in neat rows around a thick stone fireplace with a chimney extending up into the mountain – either an inn or a medical wing of some sort, Zelda thought. Perhaps both.

"You will be staying here," Dorphos said, gesturing to the beds. "We will have food brought, and healers sent down to tend your wounds. There is a guard just down the tunnel – let him know if there is anything you need. Now, you must excuse me – I must go and report to my father. Rest, today. I hope that tomorrow you will be able to have an audience with my father."

"Thank you," Zelda said, and the Zora and his companions left the room behind, leaving them alone.

Zah Tori headed straight for the nearest bed, shedding his sword belt and hat and laying down with a deep sigh. "I hate getting old," he muttered grumpily. "Sooner than not I'll be as crusty as old Maz Koshia, and just as irritable."

"Y'mean you're not already irritable?" Link snorted, raising an eyebrow with half a grin. "I don't think it's about getting old; I think it's just you."

The Zora healers came to them not much later, and instructed the two monks that had fallen in the river and Link to lie down on a few of the beds, and remove their top layers of clothing. Zelda was mildly surprised that, even while receiving medical treatment, the sword monks declined to remove their masks.

"Here, why don't you see if you can go help Link?" Inpa suggested quietly from behind, and Zelda turned in surprise.

"They're professionals – I don't know what I could do to help," she stammered, and it was at that moment that Link called her name. She joined him at his bedside, where he was holding out his gun.

"Y'know how t'use it – I'd feel better about y'taking it for now than I would just setting it against the wall," he said, and Zelda took it, thoroughly confused. He'd set it on the ground next to him when he slept plenty of times before – what made now so different?

She glanced back at Inpa, only to find the Sheikah talking quietly with another of the healers and moving towards the back of the room. She frowned.

Link sighed softly. "Y'know when th'two f'y'fell off your horse?" he reminded her in a low voice. "Inpa told me she hurt her ribs in that. She just wants some privacy while she gets them treated by th'Zora."

Zelda's heart clenched. She glanced down at Link's chest, the long wound going from his heart to his hip impossible to miss, although the shallower part of the wound was healing quickly. "Why wouldn't she tell me?" she asked, kneeling down beside his bed. "Why didn't she want me to know? It's – it's just like you hiding this wound; am I not allowed to care about my friends?"

"You're allowed t'care," Link said gently, his gaze soft. "But there's a difference between caring and worrying. We care about you, too. We don't want t'cause y'pain by making y'worry. And I knew, seeing that much blood, you'd worry. Just as Inpa knew you'd worry about her ribs." He smiled, and she felt her heart lift slightly. "I don't know exactly where th'balance is, and this'll seem contradictory, but having you there sitting with me while they stitched me back together did help."

Zelda managed to return his smile, reaching for his hand and giving it a gentle squeeze. "Well, I'm glad about that, at least."

The Zora healer that came to them spread some herbal-smelling salve across Link's wound before bandaging it. Then he listened carefully to Link's chest, instructing him to breathe deeply. Afterwards he measured out a portion of a crimson liquid he carried in his satchel and held it out for Link to drink. "You'll be fine in a couple of days," he said calmly. "But try not to go outside at all, and make sure to cover your mouth and nose if you do have to go outside. I'll be back this evening and again tomorrow morning to make sure the fluid in your lungs is dissipating. Let us know at once if breathing gets more difficult."

"Sounds easy enough," Link said with a casual shrug, reaching for his gambeson again.

Another group of Zora soon brought up several silver platters of – predictably – various forms of seafood, prepared with just as much intricacy and beauty as the city itself. Zelda admitted to herself that it wasn't really necessary to spend so much effort on the presentation of food, but it was delicious nonetheless, warm and rich and everything that traveling food was not.

The rest of the day passed in a pleasant, sleepy daze. Shortly after the meal, Link returned to his bed and quickly fell asleep. Zelda sat with him for a while, listening with half a mind to the sword monks chatting and joking amiably with one another until the two of them that were sick also fell asleep. By then she was feeling quite tired herself, even though it wasn't yet nightfall. At Inpa's advice, she climbed into the bed next to Link's and pulled the sleek blankets close around herself. They were cold at first, made of a material so smooth she wondered if it was some sort of silk, and she tossed and turned for a while despite the weariness in her mind, unused to sleeping in such open quarters. Eventually the fatigue won out, and the next thing she knew, she was waking up to the smell of, once again, seafood.

Trout eggs, she discovered, artfully prepared upon little biscuits with cheese and sprinkled with dill arrayed on platters in an intricate floral pattern and set out for them to eat. She tried not to let her uncertainty show as she ate, telling herself that it was likely a Zoran delicacy, although she noticed with no small amusement that Link had no such qualms about letting his true feelings show. His nose wrinkled as he took a bite.

"Not to your liking?" Zah Tori commented at once, his voice light and teasing.

Link glared good-naturedly at the monk. "You've seen me pluck fish out f'a pool, roast them on a rock, and eat them whole," he pointed out, turning his glare to the elaborately prepared meal as if it had personally offended him. "I'm not picky about what I eat. But all this… this is overkill."

Zelda bit back a chuckle, amused by how much his thoughts mirrored her own. Her mood darkened as they finished eating, and she turned her thoughts forward, to the inevitable meeting with King Phaidon, and the dreaded question of what would they do if he chose not to support them.

She sat cross-legged on her bed with her pillow stuffed behind her back for some support, her head resting against the uncomfortable stone behind. Phaidon is not a strong ruler, like Khanot, she thought, combing through her memories of previous encounters with the Zora King. But he is not weak-willed, either. He's cautious. He may not be bold enough to openly oppose Khanot – and most of the kingdom, at this point.

She felt the depression in the mattress deepen as Link sat next to her, his gaze curious and concerned. "Y'alright?" he asked. "Y'look… worried."

"I… suppose I am," she admitted with a grim smile, reaching for his hand. He took her hand gently in both of his, absently running a thumb lightly over her knuckles. Her pulse spiked at the tender touch, and it distracted her for a few moments before she remembered his implied question. She sighed deeply. "I'm trying to think of what we should do if the Zora won't help us."

"They've helped us quite a bit so far," Link pointed out. "What makes you think they'll stop?"

"It's Dorphos, specifically, who's been helping us," Inpa said, wandering nearer and sitting at the foot of the bed, cross-legged, mirroring Zelda opposite her. "As a prince of the Zora, he's allowed to do things like that. But without King Phaidon's support, there's really only so much a handful of Zora can do for us, especially considering they could be ordered to do something else at any time."

Zelda nodded. "Our ultimate problem is that we need allies – allies that can, and will, fight for us," she said. "Allies that will make it difficult for any assassins to pick us off. And, honestly, I suppose Zora wouldn't be particularly useful for that unless we plan to stay in Zora's Domain."

"Because they're creatures of the great deep, not of land," Zah Tori said, loudly dragging a chair from the table scraping across the stone ground until it stood at her bedside. He sat down, folded one leg over the other, and clasped his hands over his knee. Zelda wondered when her borrowed bed had become some sort of council table.

"So we need allies," Link said, eyes narrowing as he thought. "It… didn't go so well th'first time, but… I could try again t'gather my own people t'our cause?"

"That's one of the options I'm considering," Zelda agreed. "Especially if Khanot has his own plans of swaying the Zonai to his side, with more of that evil flame you described." She felt him tense at that, and his brows furrowed deeply in concern.

"He may've already done that," he said solemnly, looking sick at the thought. "We have no way f'knowing, but…" He looked for a moment as if he was going to say something more, but he shook his head. "What other plans do y'have?"

"The… Rito," Zelda answered, curious about what he had considered saying. She glanced at Skasha, who had followed Zah Tori over to their little meeting. "Control over the air, and the ability to engage in aerial combat, would be incredibly useful. Especially because Khanot has his Phantom."

"I couldn't do any damage to that thing on my own," Skasha admitted, shuffling her feathers in exasperation. "We drove it away, but that was only because of Link, and the Master Sword."

"The blade of evil's bane," Zah Tori nodded. "Aerial forces would not be much use against things like the Phantom, but certainly they would be effective against ground troops like Yagamura's Sheikah."

"But going to the Rito would mean hiking back across that giant snowfield again," Inpa pointed out, an eyebrow raised. "You know – where we all practically froze to death after getting caught out in the open."

"We wouldn't all have to go," Skasha said optimistically. "It could be just me, carrying the message."

"And f'th'Phantom comes back?" Link asked gravely. "Which it will – Khanot won't stop until either we're dead or he is. T'least right now, our best defense is me going up with Skasha t'fight it."

Zelda shuddered at that, remembering the terror she'd felt during their initial flight, glancing over her shoulder and feeling dizzy and nauseous seeing that Link was just a speck in the sky, barely visible from the ground. She swallowed nervously, blinking away the memories. "We've got to figure out something better for that," she murmured. "But in the meantime, my next thought was for the Sheikah. Inpa, you and I have discussed many times how the majority of them do not support Yagamura as their leader. They would join us, wouldn't they?"

"Undoubtedly," Inpa nodded. She glanced at Zah Tori. "Especially when reminded of our ancient Goddess-given duty to serve and protect the Royal Family of Hyrule. Which, of course, is you."

Link frowned heavily. "But it only takes three of Yagamura's crossbowmen on a rooftop, and then we're all dead," he countered darkly.

Zelda exhaled deeply. "So I would need a sufficient guard before going to Kakariko," she concluded, pinching the bridge of her nose between two fingers. "And there's reason enough not to seek assistance from the Sheikah, the Zonai, and the Rito."

"Which leaves the Gorons," Inpa confirmed. "We'd need a way up the mountain, of course, but assuming we figure that out…"

"The Gorons…" Zelda frowned, biting her lip as she considered her previous interactions with the mountain folk. Gor Dakorik was their elder – no, the Gorons called him their 'Boss,' she remembered. "They're not much for politics. I… I honestly couldn't say what they would do. But they would undoubtedly make excellent guards, if we could convince them."

"And I think we could convince them," Zah Tori nodded, glancing at Link.

"It's something, then," Zelda said. "And after your points about how the Zora would actually perform in combat on land, we might have to go there anyway, regardless of what Phaidon says."

Dorphos came to them some time later, no longer adorned in silver armor but rather a long, flowing robe draped regally across one shoulder and bunched at his waist, falling in graceful swooping curves around his short legs. The robe was made of a light, shimmering material that reflected the blue hues of his skin, making it seem as if he was wearing a waterfall. He was accompanied by two spear-wielding guards clad partially in armor, but it seemed far more decorative than practical, chest plates and pauldrons intricately carved with swirling designs like eddies in a stream.

"King Phaidon will see you now," Dorphos said, his unblinking gaze settling on Zelda. "He wishes to speak with Link, as well. You may choose an escort of two others."

Zelda knew at once who she would choose; it was not a difficult decision. Inpa and Zah Tori followed her and Link as Dorphos led them up through the mountain tunnels. They emerged along the cliffside again, their path clinging to the dark stone with only an ornate arched railing separating them from a long drop to the lake below. They headed up one of the bridges leading to the pillar in the center of the lake – the throne room.

It'll be… interesting to meet with King Phaidon, Zelda thought with a twinge of worry. She had not spoken much with the Zora King in the past, as he had dealings mainly with Lord Akkalus to the north. And those thoughts led to a sudden realization. She turned to Link at her side and grasped his arm anxiously, meeting his surprised gaze. "Have you ever… er, seen the Zora King before?" she whispered, leaning slightly towards him.

"Can't say that I have," he muttered back, one hand flying out towards the railing as his foot slipped on a patch of ice.

"Well, he's…" Zelda glanced at Dorphos' back ahead of them, wary of saying the wrong thing where the king's own son could hear. "Er… he's not like the other Zora. Try… try not to look… surprised."

He raised an eyebrow, a small smile tweaking his lips. "What, is he a… a shark, or something?"

"A whale," she breathed as quietly as she could, and Link's eyes widened. "More or less."

They reached the pillar. The path spiraled up through the middle of the stone, with some small windows carved out and looking over the Domain, although most of the light in the tunnel came from more of the blue-tinted lanterns. It emerged into a beautiful wide open space with a blue-tiled floor and graceful arches supporting the vaulted ceiling of the pavilion at the top of the pillar. On the far end of the hall, seated behind a bubbling fountain made of a bluish sort of crystal, was the Zora King Phaidon. He wore a similar flowing robe to Dorphos,' although his was a deep, regal red. His skin was an iridescent gray that shimmered in the sunlight filtering into the pavilion. Upon his head he wore a silver headdress shaped like the moon, with several crystal-tipped tapered prongs like rays of light stretching from its rim.

"Y'weren't kidding," Link murmured out of the corner of his mouth as Dorphos led them closer. While most Zora were quite tall compared to Hylians, the Zora King himself towered over them, and had more than enough bulk to supplement his height.

There was even another of the Zora royalty standing next to the King for scale. Taller than Dorphos, he was very similarly clad in flowing, shimmering robes, and his skin was a much deeper shade of blue.

"My liege," Dorphos said formally, bowing low before the throne. "And Prince Risces, first son of King Phaidon. I present to you Princess Zelda of Hyrule, and her knight, Link of the Zonai."

Zelda curtsied, and half a second later Link bowed stiffly – not out of disrespect, she was certain, but discomfort. Meeting with the leaders of nations couldn't have been something he had much practice in.

Dorphos' large, fishlike eyes lingered thoughtfully on Link for a moment before passing to Zelda. "Princess," he greeted, his tone formal but not unfriendly. "We had heard you were dead. It pleases us to find that this is false. Dorphos has shared with me the details of what happened prior to your arrival at Zora's Domain, but I am most curious about what happened before that. What led to the rumors of your death, and why you have not come forward until now."

Zelda's pulse quickened, and she swallowed thickly. So he wanted to get right to the point. And now here I am, on the precipice of what I've known I had to do for some time now – reveal myself. Reveal the plots against me. Reveal the evil at work in Hyrule.

She glanced in a moment of fear at Link, who was watching her steadily, his eyes burning with their usual fierce, determined fire. With the paint of the Skeldrite on his face, clad in his green gambeson, with the Master Sword ready at his side… truly, he looked like a hero of legend. She wondered fleetingly what she looked like in his eyes, feeling her confidence shrink. And then he gave her a slight smile and a tiny nod, a subtle show of his support. He would go where she asked, and follow her lead.

Heartened by his trust, she began. She told of the terrible blight guardian that had pursued them after the Great Plateau, and their flight from Yagamura's Sheikah afterwards; she explained that it was largely because of them that she had not come forward. She discussed their search for the Master Sword, and all that they had learned about Khanot and his evil. The attack on the Order of the Sword, her decision to come forward but the guard that such an act would require, Link's discoveries at Skeldon and Khanot's joint attack with Yagamura…

By the end of at all, her mouth was dry, and her head ached. So much had happened this week alone – such a terrible series of ups and downs, and after relaying it all she felt more acutely the strain of it all. It… it would be nice if something went well for us, for a change, she thought longingly.

"Truly, Princess, you have been through a great ordeal," Phaidon hummed thoughtfully. "And for that alone, you have my sympathy. Now, as for your… observations… of Khanot and Yagamura…" He shook his massive head slowly. "That they have joined forces, after so much enmity, does much to support your claims of their treachery. And then of course… that he would choose to destabilize Hyrule by seeking to establish his own rule, instead of supporting your rightful claim to leadership… His current power over the kingdom does not bode well for any of us."

"Coming forth as you have, Princess, is undoubtedly the correct course of action," Risces commented grimly.

Zelda tried not to hold her breath. "Then… will you support my claim to the throne?" she asked.

Phaidon did not answer immediately. He stroked his chin – or, rather, where his chin would have been, if he didn't have the shape of a whale – pensively. "I worry about what full military support would mean for the Zora," he mused, and Zelda forgot to breathe. Risces gave his father a sharp glance. "I always seek the best for my people. But as this war between the Sheikah and Zonai has taught us, a united Hyrule will forever be to our benefit, not our detriment. You have already shown your dedication to forging such unity between the peoples of this kingdom. Yes, Princess – I support your claim. I and my people will stand behind you."

"So, Princess," Dorphos said, looking somewhat relieved. "What is your plan going forward? What would you ask of the Zora?"

"I had planned on revealing myself and the plots against me to other leaders across Hyrule," Zelda said. "I… I do fear that I will have to retake the throne by force. Khanot at the moment has Hyrule Castle and my father's armies as well as his own and Yagamura's. I… I have no fortress, and no armies. I need allies – soldiers, in particular."

"There is a cave in Mount Lanayru," Dorphos said, glancing at his father, who nodded his permission. "It is quite large – large enough to house a sizeable force in secret, with unmatched access to the sea. It would require some work to be made entirely defensible and inhabitable, but that, certainly, is something that our craftsmen could spend their energies on."

"Particularly if you could gain the allegiance of the Gorons," Risces added. "Their ability to work with stone is unmatched."

Zelda frowned slightly. "I was considering going to the Gorons next," she admitted. "However, the fact remains that my ability to travel is severely limited at the moment, without guards."

Phaidon shook his head. "I would grant you some of my men, but we Zora are best suited for combat in the water, and there is none of that on Death Mountain," he said gravely. "But there are lakes and Zora settlements along the road from here to Akkala, and the road leading up to Eldin. We can provide protection at least partway along that route."

Zelda couldn't help the suspicion that perhaps Phaidon was merely trying to avoid commitment, but she nodded. "I'll discuss it with my companions," she agreed. "And I do think that the cavern you mentioned would be useful to us inasmuch as Hyrule Castle itself is out of reach. Thank you."

"You may stay here in Zora's Domain as long as you need," the Zora King promised. "And I will send workers to that cave in Mount Lanayru – we will prepare it for your arrival."

Their meeting was adjourned, and Dorphos led them back to the large infirmary where the rest of the Order of the Sword were waiting.

"Well," Inpa said when they were alone, sitting on one of the beds and arranging a pillow against the wall that she could lean back against. "He's pledged his allegiance, at least. That's something, right?"

"More than something," Zelda sighed wearily, gently rubbing the sides of her head. "The Zora are a proud people. I was certainly worried for a few moments that he would prefer neutrality." She looked towards Skasha, a worrying thought occurring to her at once. The Zora are not at all unlike the Rito, in that sense. "Skasha, would you be able to send word to Elder Tengahin?"

"Who?" Link asked blankly.

"The Chief of the Rito," Zelda explained, as Skasha walked closer. "We won't be able to make the journey to Ritala anytime soon, but I worry that he'll hesitate to join a side, especially if we wait."

Skasha nodded her understanding. "So you want me to send word ahead of time, that you're alive, and Khanot isn't what he seems? I can do that. It'll take me a couple of days, but I can do it."

Zelda smiled appreciatively. "Thank you," she said. "It might be just as well; you probably wouldn't want to visit Death Mountain anyway."

Skasha made a face. "Not particularly," she said with a shudder. "It's too easy for a bird to catch fire up there."

"So we are going to the Gorons?" Zah Tori clarified, tilting his head curiously.

Zelda bit her lip, breathing in deeply through her nose. "Yes," she decided, leaning back against the wall. "Phaidon is hesitant about giving military aid. If we can get another force on our side, he may be more willing to commit." She nodded slowly, tiredly closing her eyes.

"You'll still need a guard," Inpa pointed out, but Link snorted.

"Death Mountain itself is th'guard," he said, exchanging a look with Zah Tori. "An army would have t'be desparate t'go up a lerkin volcano."

"Which begs the final question," Zelda sighed. "How will we get up there?"

"There's… protective clothing, made by the Gorons themselves," Zah Tori offered, and Link shook his head violently.

"Anything but that," he said bitterly. "It's not worth th'lower mobility." He started walking towards the tunnel leading out of the room.

"Where are you going?" Inpa asked, baffled, leaning away from the wall.

"T'find th'Zora healer," he answered over his shoulder, disappearing into the shadows. "They're good with herbs and potions – might be worth a try."

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

Khanot

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

For the second time that evening, Khanot and Lord Yiga made a pass through the empty hallways of the Lockup, the masked Sheikah bearing a lantern to light their way through the dark passages. They walked in silence, peering intently at the rust-tinged bars and gates of the cells and the weathered paving stones that told the tale of generations of guards and prisoners. Occasionally, they took a detour into one of these cells, embracing its thick, musty air before returning to the halls. Every time they approached it, they stepped into the cell Khanot himself had occupied prior to the deaths of Pelaris and Helena, lingering for a glimpse of that power he knew rested somewhere below them.

Though the search had been fruitless so far, there was something remarkably liberating about being beneath the earth, especially after Khanot's long day in the chambers above, consolidating his rule and managing Castle Town. Perhaps it was the quiet and seclusion, or the fact that he did not need to hide his intentions or veil his discussion with Lord Yiga like he did with the Hylians.

Whatever the origin, the shadowed depths invited him like an old friend. They became the perfect retreat. Day by day, he also noticed that he was able to see without a lantern. The Gift of Din also felt different in that sunless place, almost… fuller.

The veil consumed the sky as twilight embraced Hyrule, radiating from the seat of his power like ripples in a pond. Nearby, Zant walked in circles in the throne room, cackling with mad laughter with outstretched arms as he relished in their victory. Yes, may darkness take the world! May darkness take the world!

Khanot pondered the glimpse of his ancestor with fascinated curiosity, thankful that the Gift saw fit to share the tale of the legendary Ganondorf with him. He caught hold of the common theme of darkness immediately, but what was the lesson?

"My King," Lord Yiga said, his voice muffled through the white and red mask he had worn since they returned from the snowfields. It was much like the mask his assassins wore, with the upside down Sheikah eye painted in red, save that his also bore six red tendrils like flame that rose upwards from his brows. "Can you please remind me what it is we are searching for?"

"When I was imprisoned here during my takeover of Hyrule, I felt something beneath my feet," Khanot explained readily. "Whatever it was, it felt both familiar and powerful, and thus well worth investigating. I have spent some time down here since then, searching for whatever it was, but have seen nothing. I wondered if your Sheikah senses might reveal more."

Speaking so plainly with the man who had once been Lord Yagamura, Khanot's greatest enemy, still felt strange. It was not in his nature to trust, but every king needed disciples. Lord Yiga would yet prove his usefulness, as would his clan.

"I do not see anything, unfortunately," Lord Yiga said, his tone of voice like that of a child afraid of disappointing a parent. "Though Kona Yaga would be better suited for the task, I believe."

The Gerudo grunted, annoyed by the mention of the old woman. She had proven more than willing to accept her new role as the monk of the Yiga clan and a follower of Khanot's new world order, but she was stubborn in other ways.

"Perhaps, but I do not want her to relocate until we find that wretched Zonai," Khanot spat. "Speaking of which, we have some plans to make. I do not believe that he will stay with the Zora for long. We must determine where they will go next and find some way to head them off. It would be foolish for them to return towards Castle Town with your forces in wait at the base of the Domain, nor would it be wise for them to enter Akkala. That leaves Death Mountain and your homeland."

"Assuming we can trust Akkalus to keep watch for them as he promised," Lord Yiga complained, skepticism in his tone.

"We have nothing to fear from him," Khanot said with a shake of his head. "Akkalus always bets on the winning horse, and who could possibly stand against us?"

Yiga didn't comment, knowing fully well that there was an answer, and that the situation was entirely his fault. If Lord Yiga hadn't been so invested in murdering Zelda behind Khanot's back, they would have been able to catch the Zonai long before he drew the sword.

The Gerudo King scowled. Curse that Link! Curse him and his ancestors and any children he may have. Curse all his generations from the dawn of time until its burning end!

"We have spies in each of the settlements around Kakariko," Yiga stated while they paused in a cell to investigate a cracked stone in the wall. "We're watching the only road out of the mountains, so Link and his party would have to rely on the Zora to get them to Sheikah territory, if they intend to seek allies in Kakariko. There are only so many places they could realistically appear. With your Phantom watching the route to Death Mountain, there is no way for them to escape detection."

"True, save that we need to do more than just locate them," Khanot hissed, probing the cracked brick with his magic to see if anything hid behind it. "With that cursed sword in his hand, the Zonai warrior is very capable, and I will not risk harming Zelda with poorly planned attacks. I need her alive."

"Perhaps we should call my soldiers back to Kakariko, then," Lord Yiga considered. "That would give us more strength in the Sheikah homeland if they decided to venture there. The Order of the Sword is formidable in close combat, but a crossbow bolt through the throat will kill anyone. All we need at Zora's domain is someone to watch the road, after all."

Khanot considered this thought for several paces down the dark corridors of the Lockup. Still, tauntingly, the feeling of something below him pulled on his senses. Would they have to excavate beneath the castle?

"No," the Gerudo eventually sighed, clenching his fists. "It is likely that Link and the Order of the Sword will use the princess to stir up a rebellion against us. By joining with them on the river, the Zora have marked themselves as the first to accept their lies. If we allow that to go unpunished, we may have an epidemic on our hands. Hyrule must know that I am King and that I do not look lightly on treachery."

"What are you planning, my lord?" Yiga inquired.

"The Yiga Clan must redeem itself on the battlefield. Your forces outside Zora's Domain still have a guardian stalker. They will make good use of it soon."

"My King, I do not know that my forces are capable of winning that fight," Yiga said apologetically. "Beneath its luxurious veneer, Zora's Domain is a potent stronghold. The road is steep and narrow and it borders the river, giving Zora defenders the constant ability to harass our forces while they climb. Even if we succeeded in reaching the city, we could not win a direct assault, nor could we besiege them since there is no way to deny them supplies."

"We do not need to besiege them, and they will not threaten your men while they climb. I have a plan," Khanot answered with malignance.

Reaching for the spiraling seal, he found a flaw in their prison. Long ago, it had been cracked by a living sword. None had closed the rift, and beyond it, the demons still waited, ready to serve their lord.

This time, there was no mystery. Khanot knew what the Gift was trying to show him.

"Stay back, Yiga," Khanot ordered.

The two stopped in front of a prison cell. The Gerudo swung its door shut with an echoing creak of unwilling metal and bolted it securely. Yiga watched him with great curiosity, but made no sound. Focusing on a spot in the cell, Khanot reached deep within himself and drew forth as much of the Might of Ancient Kings' power as he could muster. Then, he did as the memory instructed.

Magenta energy began to radiate from the Gerudo King, its fire glowing in his eyes and climbing down his arms like serpents. At his command, the tendrils of fire slithered into the cell and began to swirl into a chaotic vortex, burning the stones. Khanot felt suddenly as if he was pulling against a tide or forcing back a sandstorm with his bare hands. It threatened him, but he was its master.

"Come, demons!" Khanot yelled. "Answer the call of your master, like you did so long ago! Hear me, and obey!"

In a blinding flash of crimson light, the tendrils of power exploded. In their wake, beings began to rise to their feet within the cell. Yiga gasped and stepped back, as if afraid. Khanot did not budge. Instead, he stared into the darkness at the three sets of glowing eyes that greeted him.

The first creature was small and implike, its round body contained within a red robe stretched and suspended to give it the outline of a mortal sorcerer. Like its eyes, the wand it carried glowed with sadistic glee. At once, the wizzrobe began to hover and curiously study its surroundings until it noticed Khanot and bowed deeply.

Next to it was a hulking brute of a creature, with muscular arms like tree trunks, a long slavering snout, and a jagged horn. The moblin glanced around it in confusion, reaching for a weapon it didn't have, until the wizzrobe kicked it and muttered for it to bow for their king.

Third and last was a reptilian being, a lizalfos with venomous spit and hungry eyes. Despite the apparent mass of the creature, Khanot knew that in the water, it was every bit as fearsome as the Zora, if not more so. Like its fellows, it recognized its conjurer and bowed, the heavy gauntlet on its left arm scraping the stone floor as it knelt.

With the deed done, Khanot felt as if he had run miles alone in the Gerudo Desert without water, but he pushed the exhaustion aside and laughed. Then, clasping Lord Yiga's narrow shoulders, he bid him raise the lantern to witness the glorious trio within the prison cell.

"Behold, Yiga!" Khanot bellowed with mirth. "Behold the secret to our victory! Behold the soldiers that will let you walk unopposed into Zora's Domain!"

Reading their master's will, the creatures stood and roared. The wizrobe threw a volley of flame against the wall, cracking several stones. The moblin grabbed one of the iron bars of the cell, ripped it free, and brandished it like a club. Subtle and vicious, the lizalfos crouched like a predator, hissing ominously while arcs of lightning ran up and down its jagged spine.

"Goddesses above…" Yiga muttered to himself.

Khanot did not mind the revulsion in the man's voice. They both had much to learn. The Gerudo would not pretend that Link hadn't defeated him on the snowfields. He would not forget the boy's corruption of the bearer of Wisdom, nor the wicked blade he held. They had to grow stronger. Khanot had to become more, and the Gift was his pathway. In time, he would face the warrior again, and on that day, Khanot would rise victorious, and Link would at last be dead.