Hylian Diplomacy - Chapter 1

- Sample Chapter - 

The torrent of dark malice rushed from the mummified figure toward Princess Zelda. Link sprang forward. He intercepted the sludge with the Master Sword. The impact sent shivers of numbness up along his arms. He pushed back, activating the magical beam. It pushed back against the malice the blue energy lanced through the sludge and struck the detached arm that gripped the mummified figure.

A bright flash of blue light erupted from the arm. Every bit of malice had vanished when the room returned to normal. Link still held the remains of the Master Sword. The beam had been so strong that the blade had shattered. It now ended in a ragged edge and was maybe as long as a dagger. The mummified figure was flat on its back on the ground. Its chest raised and fell in the smallest of motions.

The arm melted onto the figure, covering it. After another moment the moisture absorbed into the person. Their skin went from the color of ash to a rich, dark tone that the Gerudo were known for. The figure took a deep breath as their eyes opened. Slowly, they pushed themselves into a sitting position. The no-longer mummified figure held their hand up and watched as the skin revived.

"Who are you?" Zelda spoke up.

The figure snapped their attention to duo as if seeing them for the first time.

"You." They cleared their throat. "You saved me."

Link held his sword in at low guard. He wasn't going to relax just yet. The Master Sword might not be whole, but the wicked point looked like it would work well enough to stab.

"You attacked us." Zelda countered.

"That was my…" The Gerudo paused to search for the word. "Malice. The poison that corrupted my portion of the tri-force."

"You're Gannon." Zelda gasped.

"Yes." The man pushed himself to his feet.

Like all Gerudo he was tall. Zelda would probably have to stand on Link's shoulders to look 'Gannon' in the eyes. The Gerudo man shifted his gaze to Link.

"The Master Sword." Gannon gave a sad smile. "A shame."

"You are Gannon?" Zelda asked. "Why shouldn't we kill you now?"

Gannon let out a rumbling laugh.

"The Tri-Force has three parts." He said. "Courage. Wisdom. Power. The three of us have been reborn time and time again. We become enemies more often than not. I was reborn before either of you in this incarnation. The Power had not awakened without my sworn enemies to stand against me. It gave me time to reflect and prepare."

Gannon walked over to one of the paintings on the wall. It had partially collapsed. He shook his head as he turned to face them.

"I tracked down a scholar and we worked to examine my portion of the Tri-Force." Gannon held up his hand to show the gold triangle. "It was corrupted. I don't know when, or by who. What mattered was healing it. We developed a ritual." He motioned to where he had been frozen. "It was meant to remove the Malice and purify the Tri-Force." He shook his head. "It worked. I can feel it. Power courses through me, but the desire to conquer is gone. Obviously, there were unforeseen complications."

"You unleashed a Calamity onto the Kingdom." Zelda somehow kept her voice even. "How can we trust that this isn't some sort of trick?"

"Allow me to earn your trust?" Gannon asked with a hopeful smile.

Link stole a quick look at Zelda.

"One chance." She nodded.

"And what do you say, champion?" Gannon asked Link.

Link studied Gannon for a long, tense moment. He spun the Master Sword and sheathed it.

"Excellent." Gannon clapped his hands. "Please, show me how much we need to repair.

[-|-]
Six Months Later
[-|-]

Zelda, Gannon, and Link stood together on the Great Plateau. A workforce of made of Bokoblins and Hylians were in the process of constructing a staircase to connect the raised piece of land. Once that was completed they would then start to build a road.

The last few months had been the busiest Link had ever experienced. Gannon brokered peace between the Bokoblins, Moblins, and Lizalfos. They were still in talks with the Yiga clan since there was a lot of bad blood in their history. The Bokoblins were happy to work when provided with food and a place to sleep. Moblins were rather adept at handling the non-sentient creatures around Hyrule. It was the Lizalfos that had the most surprising talent as craftsmen. The language barrier was conquered by the use of sign language. It wasn't perfect, but it would do until they could understand each other.

Most of the Lynel had little interest in interacting with the 'civilized' people. As such, they were given plenty of space to live how they wanted. The Hinox were happy to be left alone as well. A few chunks of meat or shiny things kept them out of trouble.

They had spent the six months gathering and rebuilding the kingdom. Simply seeing Gannon would stop their hostilities. Villages were established. Peace talks and trade soon followed. The Wizzrobe proved priceless in the reconstruction. Not only were they intelligent, but their magical abilities were also incredibly helpful in large scale construction.

Even with all their hard work it was clear that Hyrule would need many, many years to become a true kingdom once more. While individual villages provided enough food to sustain themselves, there simply wasn't enough to support a growing kingdom. They needed allies.

Zelda could not leave. Rumors that she had been killed or captured by Gannon would cause too many problems. Gannon could not go as it would be the same issue. Link was the best option.

"Are you ready, Link?" Zelda asked as she turned to him.

Link nodded.

"Come now." Gannon bumped him with his shoulder. "We've worked this hard. You can relax now."

"Yes." His voice came out rough from lack of use. "Yes, I'm ready."

Zelda had the Master Sword on her belt. It was a sign of trust and power. She could wield the sword easily. Its magic made it incredibly lightweight. Gannon wore layers of warm clothing in traditional Gerudo colors. As much as he loved snow, he was an absolute baby when it came to the cold.

Link had the Royal Shield on his back and a Knights Sword on his hip. The seal emblazoned on it was more recognizable than the Master Sword which was almost a myth. He had his traveling cloak on over the hero's tunic. His pack was enchanted to hold a near infinite amount. Inside were multiple changes of clothing, arrows, provisions, and a crafting ingredients for potions.

"Don't push yourself too hard." Zelda stood in front of him and adjusted his cloak. "Make sure you stop for sleep. I did not enjoy seeing you go days without rest. Don't try to climb too many mountains. And don't just eat everything you find."

"I will." Link nodded at Zelda's words.

Gannon laughed loudly. He slapped Link on the back. It only rocked him forward rather than send him stumbling like the first few times had.

"Come along, Princess." Gannon gave her a warm smile. "Let him start the next step in his adventure. I've sent messages ahead. Princess Peach and her court are expecting you."

"Do you remember the way?" Zelda fiddled with the edge of his cloak.

"Yes." He patted the slate on his hip. "Purah updated the slate with the maps from the archives. The Mushroom Kingdom is the closest. Once there, I will negotiate for an envoy to visit. The chests are prepared and packed for each kingdom."

"No fighting." Zelda held up a stern finger.

"Don't start a fight." Gannon cut in. "Bandits and monsters are free game."

"You are representing Hyrule." Zelda sent a glare to the tallest of the three.

"I know." Link pulled her into a hug.

Zelda let out a little squeak. She blushed as she started to step away.

"None of that." Gannon yelled.

He wrapped them both up in a hug and lifted them off the ground. Link chuckled. Gannon set them back on the ground. Zelda slapped the bigger man on the side.

"Come back safe." Zelda whispered.

"I will." Link placed a chaste kiss on her forehead.

"Keep her out of trouble." Link nodded to Gannon.

Zelda gasped. "I never get into trouble."

"I will." Gannon returned the nod.

Link climbed up onto his horse. He hadn't named this one Epona. It just didn't feel right.