Kingdom of Power, of Courage, and of Wisdom

Riboku's War - Meeting the Goron

While many events were conspiring in Qin, even while Majora suffered a brief civil war, and even while Zelda faced Ryo and her mother, it is important to note the world around was by no means inactive, even if only for a brief time.

Following the formal alliance between Qin and Zhao, Zhao martialed its forces and marched east. There, they met the Gorondis.

-Riboku-

Riboku left his tent with the first light. Adorned in furs and leather, he didn't look the part of a Zhao general. Were it not for the sword on his hip one might even think him little more than a scholar associated with the cold. It was an appearance that was equally deceiving as it was true. He was a scholar in his mind, a man of knowledge and understanding and study first and foremost, but this was by no means the limits of his talent.

Behind him, on the plains, stood an army numbering two hundred thousand in total, the equivalent to two armies with subsequence generals and commanders.

Before him, on a nearby mountain, stood an army numbering a mere thirty-thousand in total. Yet he felt it was this numerically inferior force that was the greater. They were not men of flesh and blood and a constant need for sustenance and sleep, they were beings of earth and stone and metal, with alien weapons also of metal. The Gorons did not wield sword and shield, but giant metal gauntlets, hammers, giant shields with horns protruding out to run you through, and engineering. It was the engineering that baffled him the most. They were a simple people, more simple than most, but they had artillery and technology with metal that dwarfed him.

Alongside the Gorons flew a bright lights. Riboku had heard the myths of these Fae hiding away in distant parts of the nations, and he had seen evidence of them in Qin's palace.

"What are we supposed to do with these freaks?" A man wondered nearby.

Riboku chuckled, "Well, probably shouldn't start with calling them 'freaks'."

Riboku entered his tent again briefly, and returned out holding a plate of herbs and some tools to crush the herbs. Nearby was a set of cages. In one cage sat a nearly naked man named Mangoku and in another cage sat the legend Harken Dragmire. Mangoku had a chain around his neck. Harken had chains around every limb.

Seeing Riboku approach, Mangoku stirred and bolted to the end of the cage, stopped, and nuzzled himself against Riboku's outstretched hand. Riboku smiled and scratched the man's hair.

"Good morning, Mangoku. How did you sleep?"

The caged man hummed drunkenly, "I... I stirred briefly... but well."

"Glad to hear it. No dreams?"

Mangoku shook his head.

"Good, Mangoku. Here, this should help."

With that said, Riboku took a nearby water jug, poured Mangoku a cup of water, and added a dose of the herbs. He handed the cup to Mangoku and the caged man took it earnestly and drank it quickly. With the cup finished, Mangoku stumbled away and collapsed on a set of pillows. The man groaned and then turned quiet.

"No matter how much you drug him, it won't change him." Harken Dragmire grumbled.

"Maybe not, but it will ease his pain," Riboku replied. He smiled warmly, "And probably allow you some sleep from his constant screaming."

Riboku poured the rest of the herbs, being ninety-percent of it, into another cup and placed it just within Harken Dragmire's cage. The man glanced down at it with red eyes. He scrunched his nose in distaste. He couldn't budge even if he wanted to with both arms incased in gauntlets tied with chains to the walls and chains about his neck and legs and shoulders.