IX – Declaration Of War
Vast, endless seas of sand stretched out before him, as far as the eye can see. Every now and then, a breeze whirled up lose grains of golden sand in the distance. Ganondorf enjoyed the beauty of the Gerudo desert, but the heat was unbearable at this hour of the day. Riju was sitting cross-legged on the couch, happily munching on a slice of watermelon. A smile crept across his face as he watched his beloved daughter, but it quickly faded when Urbosa walked up the stairs, kneeling before her king.
"My king," she began, "news from the border."
He nodded and motioned her to walk with him. Urbosa followed him through the rear exit, pushing the colourful curtains aside, and up the stairs. Once they were out of Riju's earshot, he stopped. From up there, they had a wonderful view of the whole city, and the emeralds and rubies embedded in the palace walls glittered in the sunlight.
"What is it, Urbosa? You look worried."
"I received word from our traders. The king has closed the borders and has erected guarded checkpoints throughout central Hyrule. All trade has been stopped and we are prohibited from entering the king's lands. All of our caravans were forced to turn back."
"So, the Yiga have told the truth," he said, playing with his beard, his gaze lost somewhere in the far away dunes.
"My...king?"
He looked at her, taking her face into both hands. Urbosa couldn't tell if he was angry or not, but his strange calmness terrified her.
"If it's war he wants, it's war he'll get. Once Hyrule is ours, this suffering will end." He smiled and Urbosa knew, that, despite his calm appearance, the volcano deep inside of him was preparing to erupt.
Ganondorf had kept his word and Valen was, for once, let into the city without a great deal of persuasion on his behalf. He left his men, Sheik and Paya outside the city walls in the care of a few coyly Gerudo women, and was brought to the inner palace by a huge woman named Buliara. To his surprise, the Gerudo king's seat in the courtyard wasn't occupied by himself, but a woman. Not the typical heavy guard type, but a fierce warrior nevertheless. He ungracefully bowed to her out of respect for the king, not her, but she didn't seem to bother. Her golden eyes watched him curiously as he straightened up.
"I was summoned here by your king...where is he?"
The Gerudo woman leaned back in the chair, legs crossed elegantly.
"Lord Ganondorf is expecting you at the stronghold, east from here."
When she got up from the chair, the golden jewellery on her arms and ankles tinkled. She snapped her fingers and two young women stepped out of the shadows.
"These are Naseeba and Najima. They will escort you and your men to our fortress."
Naseeba and Najima accompanied the Yiga warriors out of the city. Once again, they used Sand Seals as a means of transportation to cross the desert, and Valen muttered with discontent. He hated the seals. They were dirty and smelly, and the sand that they whirled up with their fins ended up in even the finest cracks of his body. It amused Sheik to see the Yiga leader get so worked up over petty little things.
The stronghold was hidden in the East Gerudo Mesa and shielded from both the Hyrule mainland and the Faron Grasslands. Strategically, it was well placed, as the surrounding mesa protected it against attacks, and Sheik presumed that it had existed for a very long time. The seals stopped at an old withered gate and Naseeba and Najima helped the Yiga get off. Two guards greeted them in the Gerudo tongue and a third woman led the animals away into an enclosure.
"Follow me," said Najima in her broken Hylian, and guided them through the narrow passage. The inside of the fortress was much cooler than the scorching heat of the desert, and Sheik was thankful for the shade it provided. Although the masonry had been erected in ancient times, the thick and sturdy walls would probably last a few hundred years more.
Ganondorf was waiting for them in a spacious, open room with a large sand table in its middle, around which a dozen Gerudo were standing.
"Ah! There you are," he said solemnly, greeting them. "I hope your journey was not too arduous. Naseeba, why don't you show the men to the dining room?"
Valen stared at the map that had been laid out on the stone table. Two small rocks had been placed on the surface of the Molduga skin at two different locations.
"So", Urbosa said, "they have built up two lookout posts here at Gleeok and Aquame bridge," pointing with her finger at the rocks. In the other hand, she was holding three more, which she placed one after the other on the map.
"Then there are men stationed here at the exchange post, the gatepost and the outpost."
She looked at Valen for confirmation, and the latter nodded.
"The lookout posts are guarded, but they don't have many men stationed there," he replied, "at most a dozen. The gatepost and outpost are better defended. Not to forget the garrison a little north of the exchange post."
Ganondorf had kept silent until now, his chin resting between his thumb and forefinger. "How many of your men does it take to eliminate a dozen Hylian guards?"
"Four at most. My men are skilled assassins. We operate at night-time."
The Gerudo king took a rock from his pocket and replaced it with the one Urbosa had placed on the Aquame bridge. He took out another one, and put it on the map where the Gleeok bridge was supposed to be. The rocks had a white mask with a red Sheikah eye drawn on them. He then took out a third and placed it further north on the map. This one had a grim face drawn onto it with fiery red hair. Valen couldn't hide a bemused grin, and Aveil snorted. Ganondorf shot her a glare.
"Riju did this for me so don't you dare mock me!"
All the Gerudo and Yiga present at the table started to laugh, and Ganondorf could no longer maintain his severe facial expression. The laughter released the tension a little. Ganondorf gulped down a cup of water before he continued.
"We move out to the Coliseum ruins. We walk at night and rest during the day. I don't want to draw unnecessary attention to us. The ruins are an old, abandoned combat arena, but can house many warriors. On top of that, it was built on a hill, which will give us an advantage. Valen, your men take down the posts at Aquame and Gleeok bridge at night. When the gates are open, my warriors will clear the garrison. The Hyrulean forces are way larger than ours so we need to make a first, small move. We should be able to occupy the garrison and can move out from there."
The old coliseum was an impressive building, though very old and run down. It housed a large fighting arena in its round centre and was several storeys high. Several staircases led up to the higher levels from which one had a spectacular overview, and the outer walls were lined with barred windows. From the highest level, Ganondorf could easily overlook the shores on the other side of Aquame Lake. The wooden towers of the checkpoints soared from Hyrule field, and when he narrowed his eyes, he could see movement in the distance.
They pitched their tents all throughout the ruins, pans and pots were stored next to the fireplaces and weapons lined up against the walls. The sun was almost up, when Urbosa sat down next to her king, handing him a bowl of meat stew. He took the bowl from her, a smile on his face.
"You should take a rest, my king," she said, fighting the urge to yawn.
"So should you. You need your strength." He gently caressed her cheek with his thumb.
Urbosa silently studied Ganondorf as he ate. He could be a real brute, but also had his tender moments. What she appreciated most about him, though, was his will to go to great lengths to protect the well-being of his people. She believed in him, but couldn't shake off the anxious feeling in her guts. His move on Hyrule felt too rash, too precipitous.
Sheik adjusted the black cloak around his shoulders and pulled the large hood over his head. Valen was waiting for them at the bridge, hiding behind the large pillars. To the Hylian eye, he was almost invisible, and Sheik was thankful for the heightened night vision that his red eyes provided.
Like shadows, they ran over the bridge, hiding behind pillars whenever necessary. Sheik saw a few soldiers patrol along the towers, but they looked bored and absent-minded, having a good yawn every now and then. Valen motioned his Yiga to split up. Sheik saw Regon and Toran walk away into different directions, bow at the ready. They crouched down behind some trees and kept their bows drawn, ready to eliminate the patrolling soldiers.
Valen gave Sheik and Sorren each a bundle.
"Sheik, I want you to place this under the tower at the Gleeok bridge, Sorren, you do the same on the other side. Watch out for any soldiers, you must not be seen, am I clear? When you hear the mockingbird's call, move away from there as fast as you can."
Sheik nodded. He didn't know what the bundle contained or what plans they had discussed in the old Gerudo fortress, but Valen had made it clear that he was not to question any orders.
"Go now," he said.
In the cover of darkness – and Sheik was thankful for the clouds covering the bright moon – he made his way to the Gleeok bridge, always staying close to the riverbank. The tower had been erected on the hill and Sheik made sure to stay on low ground, hidden from sight. When the tower was almost in his grasp, he stopped and crouched down next to a larger rock. He looked back – any Yiga in the vicinity had just disappeared – although Sheik knew that that wasn't true. He heard a whizzing sound, once, twice, and the patrolling soldiers were soundlessly eliminated. Out of the corner he saw a slight movement; an arm pulling back into the shelter of a tree.
He took a deep breath and ran forward. The tower was now right in front of him and he cowered down underneath, waiting, listening. Had anyone seen him? A moment passed by, then the next, and Sheik was positive that he had remained invisible. He placed the bundle under the wooden construction, and peered inside. The cloth was filled with dry grass and other flammable material, as well as a small pouch. He smelled sulfur. Gunpowder, he thought, and he gently placed the pouch in the middle of the hay. In the close distance, he heard the call of a mockingbird. Without so much as looking around, he darted out from under the tower and ran back down the slope to the riverbank. The red arrow that flew past him was soundless, but Sheik saw it land perfectly in the middle of the bundle that he had just placed underneath the tower. The hay caught fire and ignited the other materials. Sheik heard one of the soldiers scream out as they noticed the flames, running towards the fire to put it out. Sheik watched intently, counting down from five. He knew that gunpowder took a little longer to deflagrate, but before the soldiers managed to put out the fire, the pouch exploded. Sheik heard their screams as their bodies were thrown through the air like ragdolls. Debris rained down on the remaining soldiers as the fire spread, and Sheik finally tore his eyes away from the scene. A second detonation, and he knew that Sorren's tower was burning too.
Ganondorf stood at the bridge, watching the towers go up in flames. He fastened his heavy weapon, a two-handed golden Claymore, to his belt and readjusted the shield on his back.
"It's time," he yelled, looking at his warriors, "move out!"
The Gerudo army soon reached the end of the bridge, and swarmed out. Sheik saw them coming over the bridge, like a swarm of golden bees pouring out of their hive. Sheik knew that the Gerudo were, much like the Sheikah, a people that were not fond of horses.
The plains were empty. Valen and his men had cleared the checkpoints and those soldiers, that were not hurt, did not dare stand alone against an army. The exchange post wasn't occupied either, and it seemed like they had free passage.
When they moved in and approached the garrison, Ganondorf ordered them to stop. He could see movement behind the windows of the stone buildings. The garrison was clearly occupied.
Sheik knew that he could be invisible if he did not want to be seen, but an army of heavily armoured Gerudo warriors could not just simply disappear. Before long, they heard the sound of a horn, and Sheik knew that the battle was on.
"Show them no mercy!" Ganondorf yelled over the sound of the horn, "strike 'em down!"
"Back line," Urbosa ordered, "shoot down the archers! Front line, attack!"
A second later, arrows whizzed past her ear, and the Gerudo in the front line let out a battle cry, charging at the approaching soldiers.
From the corner of his eye, Sheik saw Valen beckon him. Ducking down, he sprinted towards the Yiga.
"You did well," Valen complemented him, "let the Gerudo take care of the garrison."
Just wanted to say thank you for the comments :)
