Kingdom of Power, of Courage, and of Wisdom

Lorule's War - Part 1

"In the fifth year (242 BC) General Men Ao attacked and seized control of the cities of Suanzao, Yan, Xu, Changping, Yongqiu, and Shanyang. In all he captured twenty cities. The province of Dong was set up. In winter there was thunder." - Record of the Grand Historian

-Narrator-

While Ganondorf's journey in following the footsteps of Din took him eastward and Zelda took the fight to Ryo Fui, formerly known as Lu Buwei the Kingslayer, Link's journey took him in yet another path towards the front lines in the upcoming Termina and Lorule war campaign.

The war campaign was built on a temporary Zhao-Qin alliance to both shift the war in their favor on mutual terms. While Zhao would look eastward to Gorondis, Qin would establish a foothold in Lorule. But first, they would have to weaken Termina so they would not ally with Lorule against them.

The plan would be for Duke Hyou, leading 150,000 men, to attack Termina to distract, or better yet weaken, their army, while General Mougou would attack Lorule with 250,000 men to claim the Sanyou region in the name of Qin and establish a permanent foothold. General Ousen would act in support of Duke Hyou. General Kan Ki and General Moubu would act in support of General Mougou. With the bulk of Qin's army focused on the two campaigns, a draft would be initiated to build up temporary reinforcements for the Dragon Knight to reinforce the Gerudo border against possible counter-attack. While the others fought on, he would reclaim the wall that acted as a barrier between the two nations.

This war would initiate Qin's next great expansion, or stall their progress in its tracks towards eventual collapse. Either way, the Five-Hundred Year War had reached its next stage.

-Solitare-

Link's return to the fortress was a quick, silent one. Kyou Kai nervously observed him from the back as they rode up to the fortress walls. For her part, it was a welcome sight. She felt like it was a life-time ago since they had been on the border, though it had only been a month. She had changed so much. No longer wearing the scarf and covering her head with a hood, she was able to bask in the sun beating upon her face. The burn scar across half her face and scalp was gone. Link's help did not regrow her hair, so she was left with a receding hair line, but this would either regrow hair in time or it wouldn't. No matter which, she was happy.

For Link, his hunched shoulders, vigilant silence, and quick speed to leave the castle spoke much of his mood.

They left the horses in the stable, Solitare followed him to the barracks given to his unit, and they strode into the complex.

Instantly people swarmed them. Clearly from the joy and energy in the lot that they had been alerted to his return and were excited. Hei 'Bucktooth' Bi jumped Link to hug him while Kyo Gai stood by the door content to watch, but, to everyone's surprise, Link disappeared and reappeared behind them. The slight glow beneath his glove the only hint anything had happened. Link continued his silent march into his room and slammed the door behind him.

Hei Bi fell to the ground where he leaped. Kyo Gai watched Link with a perplexed look. Den Yuu looked down, seemingly embarassed as if he had done something wrong.

"What's with him?" Kyo Gai wondered.

Solitare smiled apologetically and said, "He hasn't been in the best mood since the palace..."

Instantly everyone looked at Solitare, startled and wide-eyed. She stood with nearly six-hundred eyes on her, all equally shocked. She squirmed a moment. She knew she hadn't tried to conceal her presence but perhaps being gone for a while meant they had lost touch of how to see her easily. They shouldn't have been that surprised to see her.