The Hylian Civil War: Chapter 1

The fog was so thick the next morning that Zelda could almost taste it. She waited for the arriving army with her guards, a few nobles, and the messenger, who had introduced himself as captain Attics.

He was a large man, with a full blond beard and long wild hair. His armor was the color of copper, yet it was so damaged that indents were found in most pieces. The only polished part of his suit was the red lion stamped proudly on his chest. The most profound portion of Attics' appearance however, was the fact that he was missing an ear.

The Captain stood next to Zelda, making sure that she was always slightly in front of him. He went to attention when the princess turned to him.

"Captain, when did you say the army would arrive?"

"Donphes said he'd be at the gates around ten o'clock today," He was silent for a moment, then quickly added "Your Highness."

Zelda smiled slightly. It was obvious that he was not used to speaking to someone higher than himself; not respectfully anyway. When he had delivered the letter he spoke as if he had been given a script to read from.

The two quickly turned to the dense fog when they heard the sound of clanking armor. Out of the mist a deep and gruff voice shouted, "Attics! Where are you?"

"We're over here! The princess wants to meet ya Donphes!"

The clanking grew louder as more soldiers came closer. The first soldier was coming into view, a middle-aged man in crimson armor.

He looked Zelda straight in the eye as he bowed to her, "Your Highness. I am General Donphes, leader of the Hylian army. It gladdens me to see that-"

"Excuse me, General, but is the leader of the Hylian Army not the king?" asked Zelda.

The general frowned slightly after being interrupted, "He was for years. Unfortunately, the dead cannot lead the living."

Zelda remained silent for a long time. Her throat swelled and tears were born in her eyes. The slightest quiver of her lower lip started as she thought she would never see her father again, but she knew better than to get emotional here. She contained her despair with willpower alone.

"I see. I was…not aware of his passing."

"He died in one of the last battles of the war. By that time we could no longer make any contact with Hyrule. Now, princess, if you would be so kind as to let me and my men into the city."

"Oh. Yes, of course. Please follow me."

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The citizens stared as hundreds of men in armor entered through the east gate. The men in uniform stared back, confused at the people's shock and fear. The soldiers did not feel welcome; it seemed as if they were invading their own home.

Above the arriving soldiers, Zelda, Attics, and Donphes walked on to the balcony of city hall. The morning fog had cleared, and the men stared with unbelieving eyes at the empty space where Hyrule Castle was. Donphes turned his head towards Zelda, shock still on his face.

Zelda began a half-truth explanation of what had happened the past year. She told the general that monsters had been gathering all over Hyrule, wreaking havoc among Hylians, Zoras, and Gorons alike. When all hope seemed lost, a hero came and drove the monsters away, before disappearing as quickly as he had arrived. The castle, Zelda explained, had been the setting of the final battle. It had been destroyed in the process.

Donphes looked at the princess skeptically, "So have you met this hero?"

Zelda knew that if she told the truth Donphes would want to know where the hero was. She did not want to take him from home a second time.

"No. I never had the pleasure." Zelda lied.

"Have you taxed the people to fund reconstruction?"

"There was no need. A man named Jovani gave a massive amount of money to rebuild the castle."

"Why did the Hylian guards not defeat the monsters themselves?"

"They…" Zelda remained quiet for a moment, wondering if she should answer honestly, "They were too afraid of the monsters."

Donphes scoffed. "Of course they were."

Trying to ease the tension, Attics stretched and yawned, "Well, I think we should get some rest, the trip here sure as hell was tough. Donphes, we should go find a place to stay."

The captain put his hand on Donphes' shoulder, trying to get him to leave. While still keeping eye contact with Zelda, Donphes bowed to his princess.

"I hope to see you soon, Your Highness."

"Yes, I hope so too." Zelda lied through her teeth.

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Zelda walked down the flight of stairs from the observation deck. As she reached the bottom she stopped moving, hearing Donphes' voice in a locked room nearby. After learning he was talking about her, Zelda silently approached the closed door, and placed her ear against it.

"She is incompetent, that is all there is to it. If someone else were in charge, none of this would have happened. We would have a home to come home to!"

"Well, I'm sure she's doing her best," Attics reassured him. "A fight like that sounds like it would be like walking through hell, even for us."

Donphes sighed, "Attics, do you honestly believe a group of savage monsters would destroy the castle, and not the town? Do you believe a single man, no matter how powerful, could single handedly defeat them all? Do you believe a few monsters would make the entire Hylian reserve shake in their boots?! That girl is lying to our faces, and I want to know why!"

Attics remained silent for a moment, "So, now that you've had your little hissy fit, what're you going to do about this?"

"I cannot do anything. I am in no position to find any information, it would be too suspicious...but you can."

Attics sounded offended, "As a spy?"

"As a friend, Attics. You are one of my best captains, and one of my closest friends. I know I can trust you."

Once again, Attics' voiced remained quiet. "Fine."