Chapter 7: Silent Reign of a King (PT3)
Leaving the sounds of the battleground behind, Noah navigated through narrow crevices, slipping into the hollow interior. finally entering the destination he had aimed for since he was in the forest.
'The Sheikah Tower…' he mumbled in relief. Within the Great Plateau there were few places to hide from someone like King Rhoam who knew every nook and cranny of the valley, unfortunately for him Noah knew a little more and had aimed to get to the Sheikah Tower since King Rhoam attacked him.
'As long as I activate it and get into the sky King Rhoam shouldn't have the elevation to glide onto it like the game, and if he attempts to climb it… Noah paused, a wry grin crossing his face, "Long live the King"
Once inside, Noah found that due to the collapsed portions, where the tower's interior had succumbed to the weight of the enclosing rocks it was difficult to make out much of the Sheikah design but despite the partial collapse, the central chamber retained its predominant feature with a glowing Terminal resting undisturbed in the centre.
Trickling through the crevices in the rock formation, small pockets of space remained, illuminating little of the room but still making it quite difficult to see. Thick stone columns soared upwards, acting as stalwart pillars, steadfastly holding the roof in place and preventing further collapse.
Noah's eyes widened as he took in the sheer scale of the Sheikah Tower. "Larger than I imagined," he breathed, the words barely escaping his lips before a wave of pain crashed over him, anchoring him to the unforgiving stone floor. His sightseeing apparently lulled his body into a false sense of security, the adrenaline ebbing away like the tide, leaving behind the throbbing agony in his shoulder and stomach.
Doing his best to hobble over to the Terminal he watched the terminal awakening from its slumber, expanding its mechanical cogs outwards excitedly waiting for Noah's Sheikah Slate
Noah begrudgingly obliged, grabbing his Sheikah Slate and placing it into the terminal.
As the terminal changed from orange to its signature blue a series of runes and symbols illuminated the room changing the previously dark room into a low-blue hue, but other than this no movement occurred.
'Might need a few minutes' he rationalised, but he immediately became wary as he realised that in his monologing, he had only just noticed the fighting outside had ceased, he didn't know who won but even Noah knew something 'Bokoblin's aren't this quiet.'
However, with his newly gained experience and his exhaustion, Noah didn't panic and instead silently fled further back into the room hiding behind one of the thick columns allowing the partial darkness to obscure himself.
Noah didn't have to wait long as only a few minutes later another individual came crashing down into the same crevasse as Noah
King Rhoam landed with a bone-jarring thud, dust cascading down from the shattered crevasse above. He groaned, clutching his side, his face contorted in pain and fury from the lengthy injuries he had managed to catch on his way in. Noah crouched deeper into the column's shadow; his breath trapped in his throat.
"More ancient technology," King Rhoam rasped, the words heavy with despair. The silence that followed stretched, each tick of the chamber's pulsating runes an eternity. Then, Rhoam stirred, his gaze sweeping the dimly lit room. When it flickered across Noah's hiding place, the blood in Noah's veins turned to ice. His own eyes widened in panic; a desperate plea trapped in his throat. But Rhoam seemed not to see him. Instead, his gaze landed on the Sheikah Slate, pulsing with energy on the terminal.
"Clever trick, boy," Rhoam growled, his voice regaining its edge. He straightened, the grimace on his face slowly replaced by a chilling smile. "I underestimated you, mistook your mask for a mere child's game. But you've made a grave mistake venturing here. You've traded your open field for a pit and now you find yourself trapped like a cornered animal."
"So tell me, little Fraudulent Hero, how long will you squirm before the jaws of fate clamp down?" Rhoam hefted his axe with a grunt. With a single, brutal swing, he pulverized the nearby column, its shattered remains cascading down in a thunderous avalanche. Disappointment flickered across his face; a fleeting shadow quickly swallowed by the inferno of his wrath.
"For how long did you know?" Noah's words reverberated across the chamber, bouncing off the walls and creating a disorienting effect, ensuring King Rhoam couldn't pinpoint his location, or so Noah hoped.
"Foolish… I've known since the moment I first set eyes on you. At first, I assumed the Shrine of Resurrection had malfunctioned, scrambling your mind somehow. I was relieved it wasn't my daughter, for whom it was originally intended," King Rhoam admitted, his voice carrying a tone of solemn reflection.
"But the more I observed you, the more I sensed something amiss," Rhoam continued, his voice tinged with hatred. "There were too many uncertainties, too many gaps in your knowledge. I watched as you stumbled through tasks any true hero… no any basic soldier would handle effortlessly."
With another swing of his axe, another column fell to the ground shattered by King Rhoam's attack, but yet again he didn't find Noah.
Noah felt a pang of anxiety. "What did you intend to do when you found out?"
Rhoam's eyes flared crimson, reflecting the ominous glow of the malice coursing through his veins. "What does it matter?" His voice, laced with venom, echoed through the cavernous chamber, each syllable a thunderclap in the tense silence.
The air crackled with charged anticipation.
"And now?" Noah pressed, feeling the weight of his situation.
"Now I end this hunt and kill this cornered rat."
As he raised his axe once more, the corrupt energy swirling within surged out in a deadly arc. The malicious force, unleashed from the weapon's swing, struck with a thunderous impact against the towering columns that stood within the room. Each collision echoed through the chamber, sending tremors racing along the ground.
The impact was simply endless destruction, the malice-infused strikes shattering the colossal columns like fragile glass. Rocks and debris cascaded downward, only interrupted by the sudden appearance of an announcement that sliced through the tension: "Sheikah Tower activated. Please watch for falling rocks."
"For a Hunter, you've forgotten one thing…" Noah declared, his tone edged with defiance. "A cornered animal is when it's most dangerous."
The ground beneath the two's feet rumbled, a tremor that crawled up Noah's legs and sent a jolt through his teeth. Above, the chamber ceiling groaned, cracks spiderwebbing across the ancient stone. But it was the sound that truly set Noah's heart galloping – a deep, mechanical groan like the tortured awakening of a sleeping giant.
King Rhoam's advances halted abruptly, his axe poised mid-swing. His realization dawned too late; Noah hadn't trapped himself – it was King Rhoam who was ensnared.
"What did you do-" King Rhoam's question was cut short as the ground began to shake violently, throwing him off balance. With a surge of adrenaline, Noah sprung from his concealed spot. King Rhoam attempted to strike at him, but the relentless trembling made it impossible for him to aim accurately. The chaotic vibrations turned the once-confident strike into a wild and erratic motion.
Noah, nimble as a shadow, rolled away at the last instant, the wind of the blow whipping past his ear. He scrambled to his feet; his back pressed against the cold stone of the Sheikah Terminal grabbing hold of its legs.
The chamber shuddered with each pulse of the tower, dust raining down like an ominous snowfall. King Rhoam, axe lowered, stared at the cracked stone wall opposite him with a dawning horror. It wasn't just cracking; it was exploding outwards, the smooth, ancient stone erupting in jagged chunks. From within, a pulsating blue light, fierce and unnatural, spilled like molten metal.
Then, with a groan that could shake the heavens, the ground lurched. The Tower tilted, Noah, clinging to the terminal like a barnacle to a rock, was momentarily weightless, his stomach threatening to leap into his throat. Below, the chamber floor split open, a fiery chasm spewing forth clouds of dust and the acrid tang of ozone.
King Rhoam, stripped of his dominant position, fell back. His axe clattered to the ground, his face contorted in a mask of disbelief and raw anger. Unlike Noah who was prepared King Rhoam the once-invulnerable hunter was a man exposed, a lone leaf caught in the wind of a god's rage. Gravity was his enemy as King Rhoam was forcefully lifted off the ground slamming into the roof of the tower as it rose finding himself trapped in that position.
The two of them may have been in opposite positions but, it was undeniable that the two of them were prisoners inside a leviathan, rising from the earth like a vengeful god.
Pushing skyward the tower tore its way free from the ground, its smooth metal skin retracted, revealing an intricate network of gears and pistons churning within. Glowing runes pulsed rhythmically across the exposed machinery, casting an eerie blue light across the body of the tower.
The earth finally stilled, leaving a tense silence that hung heavy in the air. Noah, heart hammering against his ribs, blinked away the swirling dust and focused on the figure crumpled on the floor of the newly risen tower across from him. After the tower settled King Rhoam fell back on the floor and lay unmoving, his Corrupted Woodcutters Axe clutched white-knuckled in his hand.
Believing this was his opportunity, Noah let go of the Terminal and dashed over to King Rhoam. But as he got closer, he heard a faint groan that escaped Rhoam's lips. The king stirred, eyes fluttering open to reveal confusion within them. Noah's breath hitched. The king, still disoriented, reached for the fallen weapon, his pupils disappearing into red terror.
"No!" Noah cried, a desperate instinct kicking in. He lunged, foot connecting with the axe handle in a swift, precise arc. The weapon spun through the air, glinting momentarily in the afternoon sun before vanishing over the edge of the impossibly tall tower.
King Rhoam seeing his weapon fall out of reach and his body heavily injured, contorted his face into a mask of monstrous rage, and let out a roar that shattered the very air. Bloodshot eyes bulged from his sockets, veins threading crimson across his temple like cracks in a broken dam. From those tortured orbs, two writhing tendrils of pure malice erupted, lashing out like vipers in the dying light.
As the tendrils of Malice erupted from King Rhoam's eyes, the air crackled with danger. King Rhoam briefly convulsed, his body twisting and warping as the Malice began to take over his body. Flesh stretched and bulged, bone groaned under the strain, and the human form contorted into something monstrous.
From underneath his hood, jagged bone plates erupted, forming a grotesque mockery of a crown. His eyes, once filled with sorrow and pain, became molten pits of crimson, emitting a faint but oppressive heat. Claws like obsidian daggers ripped through his fingers, and his teeth lengthened unevenly, dripping with black ichor.
His roar, already inhuman, escalated into a primal shriek that tore through the sky.
"I… do not need a weapon to kill you"
"Look at you!" Noah roared, his voice laced with a mixture of fear and defiance. "You're a mockery of the King you once were! A twisted puppet to Malice!"
"Did you not swear to not stop fighting till your daughter stops first?" Emotion fuelled into Noah's voice "You've given control over yourself to Malice, the very entity that your daughter is fighting against to save you from, haven't you already given up?"
"Silence!" he roared, but the sound lacked its previous ferocity, drowned out by the suffocating weight of a hundred years. A tear, glistening like a shard of moonlight, traced its way down his distorted face.
"See this wasteland?" Rhoam's voice rumbled, a monstrous tremor echoing through the tower, his clawed hand swept across the panorama of ravaged Hyrule, "My masterpiece."
Crimson eyes, burning with self-loathing, pierced Noah. "I built castles of sand, armed myself with an untold prophecy. I commissioned the Sheikah, their technology then, in my paranoia, I cast them out, ostracized their brilliance, left myself blind to the dangers to come."
"Then I watched helplessly as their technology turned against us and slaughtered the very people they were supposed to protect. Rampaging out from the castle and into the town like spiders catching their prey
He choked, a guttural rasp tearing through the silence. "A hundred years I've been entombed here, their scorn and my failure festering in my soul, every fallen soldier, every child orphaned, their blood a crimson tapestry woven by my cowardice."
Noah stood unmoving, a silent witness.
"As King, it was my role to act as Hyrule's shield. But I ended up its executioner, that calamity laughed at my hesitation, at my failure, it devoured my kingdom one child's scream at a time, while I… died and was sentenced to this land to act as retribution."
King Rhoam advanced slowly, each step measured.
"A century has passed since my kingdom fell," he continued,
Noah retreated, step by step, feeling the edge of the precipice at his back.
"A century since my people perished," King Rhoam's voice carried the burden of loss.
"A hundred years since my own demise," the king lamented, his gaze distant.
"I've been dead longer than I lived, my purpose reduced to guiding the awakening of Link, yet even that was a failure."
"My crown, like my breath, long departed. My life, a fading echo to my memory. Perhaps I lashed out too much, mistaking you for a reflection of my failures. No, boy, you deserve better than to be another casualty of my choices."
King Rhoam's determination remained unyielding. The malice oozed from his hands, coalescing into a sharp, deadly blade as he fixed his gaze upon Noah.
"As I said, I don't need a weapon to kill you," Rhoam's voice was icy, devoid of any mercy.
"No, wait!" Noah's voice trembled with fear and urgency. As Rhoam held him perilously close to the edge, his weapon poised for the strike, the imminent strike was halted by an unexpected interruption.
"No! Stop this!" a majestic voice beamed
Just before the malice dagger reached Noah, the walls of the tower pulsed with a blinding light. Golden chains, woven from pure brilliance, erupted from the stone, swiftly winding around Rhoam's arms and binding him. He roared in rage and anguish, the malice dagger slipping from his grasp and dissolving on the floor.
King Rhoam's eyes changed from determination and anger to pure shock as he as he stared at the chains that bound him, "This… no, it can't be…" he hesitated.
He stared out of the Tower and into the distance. "Zelda!"
Noah followed his gaze, to the castle across the valley. Hyrule Castle stood as imposing as it did outside the Shrine of Resurrection, but as if responding to King Rhoam's words, a faint golden light appeared from within the highest point of the castle.
"Stop this Father… you cannot fall to Malice's greed," the faint ghostly voice of Zelda pleaded, "…I won't let you," she declared.
The radiance of the golden chains binding Rhoam suddenly intensified. He groaned, his eyes flashing crimson as malice pulsed beneath his skin. Red tendrils erupted from his eyes, writhing and sizzling as they fell to the ground, leaving behind a glimpse of clarity in his gaze.
"No... Zelda, you can't do this," his voice, raw and lost, shattered the tense silence.
"…Silence" Zelda commanded, her voice echoing, and the chains responded, burning brighter.
Rhoam shrieked, a tortured cry, but Noah saw no physical harm. Instead, the malice within him writhed and pulsed, driven out by the golden fire, twisting and burning on the floor. A deep sadness settled over Rhoam's face.
"No…" King Rhoam's gaze turned sombre.
Before Noah could ask what was going on, a terrifying screech emerged, causing Noah to block his ears and King Rhoam to falter.
"He's already noticed… the beast it's been disturbed…" King Rhoam spoke softly.
'Calamity Ganon' Noah looked out to the beyond Hyrule Castle and was stunned as he watched the Castle become enshrouded in a dark red mist that soon became dense enough to form a liquid swirling around the Hyrule Castle until the castle itself was barely visible.
"You can't do this! All would be for naught!" King Rhoam pleaded to Zelda.
As they observed, King Rhoam's gaze shifted towards Noah.
"Young lad… there isn't much time to explain, and I'm sure you're very confused… but you must stop my daughter. She can't be allowed to continue this."
"…why?" Noah asked, perplexed.
"My daughter's strength isn't infinite. The binds holding Calamity Ganon are already weakening. If she diverts her strength away from the barrier, Calamity Ganon will undoubtedly exploit that and break the seal early."
Hesitation emerged on Noah's face. King Rhoam, addressing his fears, spoke: "I won't attack you again, do not fear. It's complicated to explain quickly, but I won't entirely revert to what you saw…"
"Link…" Zelda's voice pierced the air. "Do not listen to him."
Noah stood frozen, the pillar digging into his palms like teeth. His mind, once focused on his survival, was now a storm of doubt and conflict.
King Rhoam's eyes, still raw from the malice that escaped from it, held a desperate pleading. His words were contained with regret and fear. But could Noah trust them? The malice that had twisted his face mere moments ago and his near-death experience was still a fresh memory, the echo of the dagger still ringing in Noah's mind.
Noah's gaze flickered to the distant castle, still enveloped in a churning sea of red, sending a fresh wave of terror through him. He closed his eyes, the conflicting voices swirling in his head. Zelda, from what Noah knew was always resolute, always good, but that was within a game. In reality, would a daughter sacrifice her life for her Father?
While he was deciding, the crimson tide of Malice creeping over Hyrule Castle, solidified into a grotesque monstrous head that roared, ripping the very air. Noah flinched, the sight sending icy chills down his spine. Calamity Ganon, the embodiment of Hyrule's nightmares was nothing like Noah had seen in the game, it circled the castle with predatory grace, its gaze flickering to Noah's position atop the tower.
For a horrifying moment, Noah braced himself for the impact, picturing Malice consuming him whole. But just as the monstrous head lunged out of the surroundings of the castle, it shattered like a grotesque mirror, dissolving back into a swirling vortex of crimson. Noah blinked, heart pounding like a frantic bird against his ribs.
He looked down, noticing for the first time the five colossal pillars that ringed Hyrule Castle. These ancient monoliths, whose purpose was unknown in the original games to Noah, now hummed with an ethereal golden light. Three of them, positioned strategically around the castle, pulsed rhythmically, their brilliance intertwining to form a shimmering dome of energy encasing the castle grounds.
The realization struck Noah, this golden cage, pulsating with Zelda's power, was what held Calamity Ganon at bay, it was essentially a barrier.
But this wasn't enough. It wasn't the straightforward answer he desired. Taking a deep breath, Noah opened his eyes, resolute. Unfortunately for Zelda, he was a coward at heart. To keep the beast locked away, he'd do what was needed.
"What do I need to do?" Noah asked King Rhoam, his resolve unshaken.
"Break the chains."
Noah's resolve hardened like Hylian steel. While a part of him flinched at the thought of defying Zelda, the chilling roar of Calamity Ganon echoed in his ears, a stark reminder of the stakes. "Break the chains," he repeated, his voice unwavering,
His hands surged with newfound purpose. He gripped the chains where they bound Rhoam, chains that pulsed with golden fire and Zelda's distant agony. They resisted, burning his bare skin, but surprisingly it didn't harm him. With a guttural shout, he channelled every ounce of strength, muscles screaming in protest.
The golden bands, woven from Hyrule's very essence, strained and whined. Then, with a deafening crack, they shattered, dissolving into glittering motes of light. Rhoam gasped, falling to the ground as he clutched his hands.
"No! Father!" Zelda's voice shrieked, fainting away entirely.
From within the castle, a monstrous shriek ripped through the air. The crimson mist swirling around Hyrule Castle churned, coalescing into Calamity Ganon's grotesque head. This time, its rage was palpable, its red eyes fixated on the distant Tower where the two were residing.
It lunged; a wave of malice aimed at Noah. He braced himself, but nothing came. Calamity Ganon's monstrous head froze, locked, and then shattered, dissolving back into the crimson vortex. The golden monoliths radiated brighter.
A stunned silence descended. Noah lowered his guard, his heart pounding. Had it been… that easy? An uneasy knot twisted in his gut. The victory felt hollow, the silence oppressive.
He turned to Rhoam, the King's face flushed with a mixture of relief and shame. "What now?" Noah asked his voice tight with apprehension. "Zelda... is she alright?"
King Rhoam's gaze turned to the castle, a haunted look in his eyes. "Drained perhaps but yes. She can focus her attention on the seal again and Calamity Ganon cannot escape for now," he sighed.
As a deafening silence travelled between them, Noah felt uneasy. "I don't think your daughter will like me."
"Let him in…"
Sapphire ripples disturbed the moonlit pool of Zora's Domain, reflecting the stoic face of King Dorephan ruler of Zora's Domain as he sat on his glistening throne. His advisors, scales shimmering in the dim light, huddled around him, a hushed murmur rippling through the cavernous chamber.
Soon after, a Zora soldier, scales sleek and polished, surged up from the water, bowing low before his king and his various advisors surrounding him, it was evident he was quite afraid of being in such a room of high-ranking individuals. "My Liege," he reported, his voice a crisp echo against the cavern walls,
"Do we have confirmed reports?" Dorephan asked in a deep, contemplating tone.
The Zora soldier tripped over his words "Reports pour in from across the kingdom. Towers from the Sheikah… they rise from the earth, bathed in unnatural light."
His scaled brow furrowed, his blue eyes reflecting the tower's eerie glow. "The ancient technology stirs," he murmured, "But whose will commands it? Friend or foe?"
"We've investigated, my king," the soldier continued, "but the Sheikah have remained silent. Whispers from Kakariko Village speak of... the Hero's return."
One of the advisors, scales a dull grey compared to the king's regal blue, scoffed, "The Hero… a legend whispered on the wind, but has their time not since passed? Since when will the Hylians understand that their Kingdom of Hyrule is no more? What purpose could these towers serve if not wielded by a hand not deserving of their power?"
Sidon, Prince of Zora and heir to the throne gripped his trident tighter, his scales bristling. "We Zora will not kneel to another," he declared, his voice echoing through the chamber. "Let them show their purpose, Father, and we shall meet them, fin to blade."
Dorephan remained silent for a moment, his gaze resting on his son. A weary sigh escaped his lips. "My son," he said, his voice soft yet firm, "we are caught in a tempestuous sea. Before we confront storms unknown, we must first weather the waves at our doorstep."
"What of the other kingdoms, my king?" another advisor chimed in, "Have they received word of this upheaval?"
The soldier answering on the King's behalf shook his head. "Our intelligence network is limited, hampered by the treacherous waters and the... political tension in the West.
As the advisors and Sidon argued amongst themselves, Dorephan stepped away from the throne, his eyes fixed on the distant wall. He raised a hand, silencing the chamber.
"We Zora," he declared, his voice resonating with the power of the ocean itself, "have navigated the tides of Hyrule's history for centuries. We will not be swept away by this sudden current, friend or foe. Continue your investigation, soldier. Gather information, and learn their purpose. When the time comes, we will act, not with fear or prejudice, but with the wisdom of our ancient lineage."
The soldier bowed his head, his fear replaced by determination. He plunged back into the water, disappearing into the sapphire depths. The advisors and Sidon, though not entirely convinced, fell silent under their king's unwavering gaze.
Distorted shadows flickered on the walls and upon weathered faces from the flickering oil lamp in the middle of the table, the room shrouded in darkness as silence hung heavy in the air, broken only by the crackling of the fire in the hearth. Gathered around the table were not ordinary folk, but the descendants of Hyrule's five noble families, a lineage long entwined with the kingdom's history.
Sitting on one of the few chairs in the room, a middle-aged man, hair silvering with age and chin bristling with defiance slammed his fist onto the wood of the table in front of him. "Rumours fly like dust devils on the sand, and we've been unable to find the source of these unfounded rumours of the Hero's return. But these towers," he spat, eyes flashing in the lamplight, "they rise like his bony fingers clawing at Hyrule's heart!"
Across the table, a crimson gown stood opposite to the man's white and met his gaze unflinchingly. "Lord Dorian, you mistake shadows for substance. These towers are not harbingers of doom, but beacons of hope kindled by her grace. They light the skies like celestial promises, whispering of salvation even in our darkest hour. Perhaps Hylia's chosen one yet walks among us, destined to guide us."
As a wave of murmurs raced over the table, an elderly man with the aura of a scholar stroked his chin thoughtfully as he interjected. '"Hope is a flimsy shield against iron claws, Lady Amelia. These towers reek of ancient power, not celestial intervention."'
"What would you know about celestial intervention Lord Coin?" Ah, my apologises you must have quite an extensive history about being forsaken, Afterall what a coincidence, I've heard that Purah recently forsaken you as well, hence why you've relocated your dwelling to the town" Lady Amelia mocked him with a sadistic smile.
Lord Coin, unable to meet the gazes around the table, cleared his throat awkwardly. "That was... a disagreement in scholarly pursuits," he muttered, avoiding eye contact. "Nothing more."
"Ancient power forged in the fires of Hylia's judgment, surely you meant to say, Lord Coin?" Lady Amelia retorted; her voice edged with defiance.
"The same judgment that scorched our kingdom and claimed our king?" Lord Coin countered; his gaze fierce. "The Hero is gone, Lady Amelia. Hylia has long forsaken us."
Lady Amelia, unable to retort held her tongue disapprovingly as she avoided eye contact with Lord Coin. As the room grew into silence again, a small girl sitting by the edge of the table joined into the conversation '"Our duty is not to speculate, but to act.'
Sir Dorian raised his voice once again taking over the room "I agree, we should send scouts, gather intelligence, and prepare for any attacks! Hylia may guide us, but Hyrule needs leadership, not a school of squabbling tadpoles!"
A young man leaned back in his chair, a sardonic smirk twisting his lips. "Splendid decision, Lord Dorian. Truly, tell me are we prepared to receive Calamity's newest gift: a complimentary new lake in the north, courtesy of that rampaging elephant? I wouldn't want to dampen the Zora's spirits by offering aid, wouldn't want to spoil their impromptu swim lessons."
His voice which was dripping with sarcasm caused the room to deafen
The young man, unfazed, continued his macabre charade. "And what of the western front, my lords and ladies? Are we prepared to participate in the grand tug-of-war against the two kingdoms? Perhaps in this new friendly game of tug-o-war, we can be there holding the rope from the other side of the horizon!"
His laughter, hollow and brittle, echoed in the opulent room. As the suffocating silence followed, punctuated only by the crackling fire. Finally, Lady Amelia rose, her regal bearing regaining as she cut through the air like a well-placed arrow.
Lady Amelia rose, her regal bearing cutting through the tension "While your… unique perspective provides… colour to the discussion, perhaps brevity will serve us better in this hour. Let us focus on solutions, not… that"
"Meaning 'shut up, Rode,' she's saying your wit is as misplaced as those towers." The small girl spoke again
"But what solutions are there?" he continued; his voice surprisingly strong. "The kingdoms don't rely on us anymore. We're debating towers while Hyrule crumbles. Include the fact that the Guardians are expanding their march out of Central Hyrule and by the time we decide if they're blessings or curses, there might be no Hyrule left to save."
"…Besides, if anyone was to know…" Lord Rode stopped speaking softly, as his eyes drew to the end of the table, eventually, others followed suit, and everyone was looking towards the head of the table.
At the head of the table, Impa, Sheikah's elder and stoic advisor to the late King Rhoam, surveyed the scene with unflinching eyes. Though age had etched lines on her face, her gaze remained as sharp as ever.
"Has it truly been 100 years already?" she murmured, her voice a mere whisper
Standing on her balcony silently Riju, the Chieftainess of the Gerudo embraced the tranquillity of the Gerudo night staring at the sleeping town in front of her. The warm yellow lights of the town were scattered like fallen stars across the sand, yet her view carried little solace to her. Riju looked beyond the town where her view was obstructed even though the moon had been swallowed
Minutes bled into hours, measured only by the mournful sighs of the wind whistling through the canyons. Her brow furrowed in a silent debate with the heavy mantle on her young shoulders, pressed down on her where she feared it would crush her. Some rustle behind her shattered the stillness. Startled, Riju head turned around, hand twitching towards the scimitar at her hip. But the figure before her was no threat. A Gerudo soldier, her armour dusted with sand and moonlight, stood silent, her gaze mirroring the solace Riju carried.
Riju's hand relaxed, but the tension lingered in her stance. "Captain Teake," she acknowledged,
Captain Teake bowed her head silently, "Chieftain", she rasped, her voice hoarse as if she had overused it. "The rations have been secured and placed into storage houses; we should have enough to last a few months depending on how we utilise them."
Riju turned away from Captain Teake and stared aimlessly ahead again. "And what of Buliara?"
Captain Teake bowed her head even further as if worried her words would offend the Chieftain, or disappoint her. "There's been no update since she and the battlement left the town, they had also taken the last of the protective equipment so we cannot send scouts to find their positions."
Riju's expression remained stiff as she waved her hand. "Double the patrols" she commanded; her voice clear despite her internal feelings. "Every dune, every canyon. We may not see the enemy, but we will be ready."
"As you command." Captain Teake stood up and politely excused herself.
Silence emerged once again as Riju stared ahead, her hand clenching into a fist, she hoped that the stars beneath her wouldn't be crushed.
Across the kingdom, in a hidden grove deep within the Lost Woods, a tall Korok elder emerged from her ancient tree hollow. Her wise eyes, usually shaded by leafy brows, flickered open in surprise. The rising towers, visible even here in the Lost Woods, cast long shadows across the forest floor. A knowing smile graced her lips, a cryptic melody escaping her lips like chimes in the wind. "The song awakens," she whispered, "and Hyrule's melody changes its tune."