The Captain’s Captive- Gateway to the Green East
“Listen, I don’t remember a damn thing from that night.”
“How can you not remember baby? It was the most passionate night we ever had together.”
Sheer rubbed his forehead as he reclined back into a mound of pillows inside his and Kron’s tent. For the past couple of days now, Kron had been bugging him about something that happened during the Festival of Nabooru. According to what the Darknut claimed, they had a wild night of hot and passionate sex; but he couldn’t recall anything from that night other than eating those Kama berries before everything went fuzzy. He tried to remember anything that happened after he and Kron dined on the fruit, but the only thing that came of it was a mind numbing headache.
“Kron, I’m telling you that I can’t remember anything that happened that night. I’m being honest. So please, just drop it.”
Kron growled in frustration to himself as he hung his head and looked out into the camp. Today was the day that the Gerudo were to escort them and the refugees to some city to the east called Keilgala. According to Savannah, Keilgala is the largest city in the entire desert that was nestled on the borderline between the Desert and Lanayru provinces. It was once a fortress hideout for the Gerudo during the time of Hyrule’s Golden Age ,but was later built up to become a thriving city with the help of Hyrule’s Royal Family as a way of making peace with the two nations. Now Keilgala stands as a trading post between Hylians and the desert dwellers, and is known as the Gateway to the Green East to all who live in the desert; and called the Doorway to the Golden West by everyone who called the green valley of Hyrule home. Keilgala is said to be home to the Gerudo’s unofficial queen, but this confused the Darknut since the Gerudo don’t actually have a royal family like that of Hyrule; and that they only appointed a male born to their race as king.
While Kron was busy brooding at the tent’s entryway, Sheer set to the chore of gathering up their belongings. When he came across a piece of fabric that felt a little crusty to the touch and reeked of the overwhelming stench of musk, Sheer guessed that it was likely used by Kron as either a loin wrap or a cleaning cloth for his ‘messes’. When he saw the faint splotches of what appeared to be urine stains on the cloth in certain areas, Sheer realized that he was holding the monster’s underwear in his hand and quickly threw them into the carry bag; gravely wishing that Kron would’ve even bothered to wash them. As he checked the tent over to make sure nothing would be left behind, he uncovered a long object covered with old and faded canvas.
“Kron, what is this?” he asked as he began to untie the rope that kept the cloth in place.
“Hrrm?” Kron replied and turned around. “Oh that is a weapon I got for you when we were escaping the prison. I planned on giving it to you earlier, but all the recent events caused me to forget about it I guess…”
Sheer’s eyes widened with interest as he began to hastily unwrap the weapon, but what he saw underneath the canvas almost made his heart sink with disappointment.
“A stick?” he exclaimed as he held up a long grayish colored staff with a diamond shaped head. “You got me a stick?!”
Kron almost busted out laughing at the sight of seeing his mate act like a little kid during Yule. “It’s a battle staff baby.” He explained as he chuckled. “It’s a fighting weapon, and a very odd one at that.”
“Odd? How is it odd?”
Kron knelt down beside Sheer and took the staff in his paws. “Well it’s nothing like I’ve ever seen before, baby.” He said as he turned it over. “For one- what it’s made from is something very strange. It’s as light as wood, yet has a look and feel of polished stone. However when you strike it against something, the staff gives off a metallic ring. Almost as if it was made entirely out of metal.”
“Wow…” Sheer said softly as he ran his hand across the staff and admired at its craftsmanship. “Do you suppose it was made by the Gorons?”
“Honestly Sheer, I don’t really know. I have seen a lot of weapons crafted by Goron blacksmiths, but this staff is something I’ve never seen before. Hell I’m not sure if it’s even made of iron or steel.”
Sheer took the staff back and looked it over with a smile. He was now in possession of a mystery weapon, and the thought of Kron giving him such a nice gift made him blush.
“Wait a minute... why am I blushing like this?” he thought to himself. “Kron is a lecherous pig! So why is this random gift making me blush like this? Like I'm some giddy little girl?”
Maybe the reason he thought was due to the Darknut growing on him and making him soft, but it wasn't something he really wanted to simply accept since it was something of a shock to him.
“Wow… thanks for this Kron.” The Hylian said as he gazed at the staff. “I really like it.”
Kron smiled and pulled Sheer up into his lap. “And I’m glad you do baby.” He replied and leaned in to slowly lick at his mate’s neck, making the boy squirm in his arms.
Just then Savannah came into the tent and sat down behind Sheer and Kron. “What’s up, lovebirds?” she asked after a few moments of silence.
“Not much.” Kron answered. “I just gave Sheer a little gift.”
Curious, Savannah moved around to see what the Darknut got for Sheer. “Oh wow! What a wonderful looking staff, Sheer!” she said with a girly squeal and began rubbing it along with the Hylian.
“Savannah, how long will be until we leave?” Kron asked with a smirk developing on his muzzle. “Because seeing my mate rub that staff like that makes me want to have something of mine rubbed too.”
But before he could lean over to lick Sheer’s neck again, Kron was slammed right between the ears by the blunt end of the staff by the Hylian; and then his ear was sharply tugged back by the Gerudo beside him.
“Down boy!” Savannah said and gave the Darknut’s ear another firm tug. “You already got your Ælfan high as a kite during the festival and bred him like a bitch in heat, so I believe he deserves a little break.”
“He did what?!” Sheer yelled and leapt out of Kron’s lap, looking down at the Darknut with a look of absolute shock.
“Your boyfriend bought a bunch of aphrodisiacs, got you high off of them; and then went and fucked you all night during the festival.” Savannah answered and shoved Kron onto his back. “Isn’t that right Kron?”
“Hey, I didn’t know that Kama berries would do that to us!” Kron answered while trying to keep his face as straight as he possibly could. “I thought they were just some exotic fruit and figured they would be nice to share with Sheer.”
“Is that so?” Savannah asked as she crossed her arms. “Well according to my women, you were seen in the sensual pleasures wing of the festival bazaar. Only aphrodisiacs like Kama berries are sold there.”
“I’m telling the truth, Savannah. I didn’t know that those berries would affect us like that. And I’m not fluent in desert Sanskrit, so I didn’t know what part of the bazaar I was in. I swear to both you and Sheer.”
At hearing this, Savannah looked over at Sheer, who showed a look of shock on his face; but it was softened some by reason. The Gerudo should’ve known about Kron’s lack of knowledge when it came to desert tongue, since there were many times where she had to rephrase some words into Ælfan so the Darknut would be able to understand. She remembered one time when Kron asked her what the Gerudo slang word “Ælfan” they used to refer to Hylian’s meant, the Darknut flattened his ears and flared his nostrils when she told him that roughly translated it meant “dog ears”.
“Well… even though it irritates me that Kron took advantage of me when we were affected by those berries” Sheer said with a slight sigh. “he didn’t know what they were used for when he bought them. So I guess I can forgive him.”
“If you can forgive him Sheer, then I might as well.” Savannah replied and let go of Kron’s ear. “We leave for Keilgala at sunset. That way we can cover more ground without the horses growing tired from the heat. Make sure everyone has their things packed, because we won’t be coming back here again.”
As Savannah made her way out of the tent, Kron moved over to Sheer and nuzzled against his cheek while keeping his ears lowered. “I’m so sorry for what happened that night baby…” the Darknut said softly with a slight whimper in his voice. “I didn’t know those berries would affect us in that way. I truly am sorry…”
“Kron, I already said that I forgive you.” Sheer said and placed his paw on Kron’s muzzle and rubbed it softly. “You only wanted to make a nice little picnic for us, so what happened was only a freak accident. I know that if you knew what those berries were really used for, you would’ve never bought them to begin with.”
Kron smiled some from hearing such kind words coming from his mate. He thought that Sheer would be upset and likely enraged by the thought that he was unknowingly fed aphrodisiacs, but instead; here the young Hylian was forgiving him. Shedding a tear, the Darknut took his lover into his arms and cradled him close to his body, with the boy not so much putting up a resistence. Perhaps he did not want to hurt his feelings.
“Sheer… would be okay if I were to give you a kiss right now?” Kron softly whispered into Sheer’s pointed ear.
“I guess you earned it Kron.” Sheer replied. “I’m glad you apologized.”
With a soft smile, Kron slowly moved his muzzle in and gently pressed his lips to Sheer; to which the Hylian returned it without a fuss.
It was close to sunset when the party left for Keilgala. The Gerudo were able to obtain enough horses for the elderly among the refugees to use a few days before, and a few camels for a few scouts to ride. Kron and Sheer were given a strong and healthy chestnut colored Gerudo stallion to share, which would prove useful in case of a fight since Gerudo bred horses were built for endurance and speed; two traits that were useful in both travel and combat. To protect the young and elderly within their party, the Gerudo set up ranks on the sides and rear, while Kron, Sheer, Savannah; and her second in command named Shiloi held position at the front. To have the greatest range of vision, a lookout was positioned at each corner of the caravan; and those who were well enough to carry a weapon were positioned between the Gerudo and the children, elderly and those still healing to provide an added layer of security in case of attack.
As Sheer gazed out at the dunes that seemed to stretch out to forever, he spotted something off on the far horizon that appeared to be a series of towers capped with circular disks that seemed to reach out to the heavens.
“Savannah, what are those towers in the distance?” Sheer asked and pointed in the direction of the towers.
Savannah looked over to where Sheer pointed and smirked. “That place is known as the Arbiter’s Grounds. A long time ago, it used to be a temple for my people; but there was an uneasiness about it that made it become abandoned. Later on when the Ælfan came into this region, they converted it into a prison to hold the worst of criminals. It’s said that those within the Arbiter’s Grounds faced death, or a much worse fate altogether.”
“What was the worse fate?” Kron asked as his ears perked with interest.
“Eternal banishment to another plane.” She continued. “However that place has long since been abandoned, and the instrument used to perform these banishments has been lost and its fate unknown. The only thing that still resides within the Arbiter’s Grounds now is death, and the restless and angry souls of those who were sentenced there.”
Sheer looked out towards the direction of the Arbiter’s Grounds again and shivered as a cold chill ran down his spine. He once heard something that was very similar about a temple that was used by an ancient race called the Sheikah. Their temple was one of shadows, and there were many disturbing tales behind that mysterious place, with each more terrifying than the last. It was no small source of nightmares for him in his younger years, and made him weary of walking alone in the dark until he was ten.
“Um… so how do we get to Keilgala anyway?” Sheer asked while trying to shake the spooky feeling the story gave him.
“There is a pass close to the Arbiter’s Grounds that will take us to Keilgala.” Savannah’s second in command Shiloi answered. “However the pass is a bit too narrow for a party of this size to traverse successfully. So I believe our best option is to split the party into smaller units once we come to the entrance as go through a group at a time.”
“I agree.” Savannah replied. “I believe that we may be able to split the party up into three groups. I will lead the first one through, Shiloi will lead the second; and you Sheer along with Kron will lead the third. The pass is home to a few monsters, but they’re likely small ones that won’t pose a threat. But remain on guard regardless.”
As the moon was beginning its decent in the sky, the caravan arrived at the entrance of a pass that was craved by wind and time through a large mesa to the northeast of the Arbiter’s Grounds. The appearance of plants near its opening suggested that the area provided enough shelter from the heat of the desert sun to allow some amount of life to take a foothold in the otherwise hostel terrain. After allowing enough time for the animals to replenish their strength, the party was split into three groups. After some brief discussion, the plan was thus- After a group entered the pass, a span of fifteen minutes was allotted before the next group proceeded. Since the children and the elderly were in need of the greatest amount of protection, they were assigned to Kron and Sheer and would go last since time was needed to allow the elderly to recuperate. The first to enter the pass was Savannah’s group, followed fifteen minutes later by Shiloi and her unit.
“Alight everyone, be ready to start moving!” Kron barked over the noise of their group when it came time for their turn. “Be sure to have your belongings with you! Youngsters do your best to aid the elders whenever possible, and please do not rush! Since there may be some creatures of hostel nature within this pass, so please try to remain quiet so not to rouse their attention! Please keep together and no wandering off! Now let’s move out!”
Upon entering the pass, everyone in the group couldn’t help but let out sounds of awe to what they saw. On either side the towering walls bared wavelike patterns that were the result of hundreds or possibly thousands of years of wind erosion, and whenever the moon peeked its silvery face from behind a passing cloud; the walls took on the appearance of massive ocean waves. In some areas where the walls were level enough, sage grasses and small bushes could be seen taking advantage of the provided shelter. As everyone proceeded onward, they all remained very quiet. Not because of fear of being ambushed by a monster, but to listen to the soft flutelike sounds that echoed throughout the pass as the wind gently bellowed through its artwork. Every once in a while, the squeak-like chirping sounds of some sort of small animal could be heard; mimicking a sing-song like pattern that followed along with the notes made by the breeze.
“Kron, what things are making those chirping sounds?” Sheer asked as he listened to the haunting tones.
“They appear to be Miniblins, Sheer.” Kron answered as he flicked his ears to the sounds. “They are nasty little shits if they gather in a swarm, but most of the time they are relatively harmless and won’t attack if alone. They’re fond of music, so I believe they’re singing to the sounds made by the wind. As long as we don’t make any noise, they may not pose any threat to us.”
Sheer nodded softly as he continued to listen to the singing produced by the Miniblins. Every once in a while from a dark recess, he could see small pairs of yellowish green eyes gaze at him before becoming swallowed up by the shadows. Sheer wondered what these creatures looked like since he had never seen a Miniblin before. Maybe they looked something like cats from the shape of their eyes, or perhaps even some sort of rodent judging from the sounds they produced. However despite his curiosity, he hoped that would stay out of sight and leave them be. If they were as bad of a nuisance in large groups as Kron explained, then it was best that they kept far away from them.
Once Kron and Sheer’s group exited the pass to join up with Savannah’s and Shiloi’s groups, another grand sight lay before them. Standing at least sixty feet high was a wall of red granite that stretched out in either direction for what seemed like close to two miles. The wall itself was carved with images of Gerudo, various desert plants, animals; and in the middle encasing a large set of wooden gates was the carved head of a lion. The gates themselves held as much beauty as the wall, for it was also carved with images of desert plants with two lions in the middle holding up the symbol of the Gerudo between them in their paws.
“Well here we are everyone.” Savannah said with a smile as she outstretched her arms. “Welcome to the great city of Keilgala!”
“Whoa!” Sheer said as he jumped off his and Kron’s horse and almost tripping into the sand. “How big is this city?”
“This is only a guess, but possibly as large as your Hyrule Castle Town.” Savannah said with a smirk as she dismounted from her horse, walking up to the gates and pulling on a thick rope to sound a bell.
Shortly after the bell was tolled, Sheer saw another Gerudo in blue attire come out through a small door close to the gates and began conversing with Savannah in their native tongue. Even though he couldn’t understand anything the two women said to one another, he assumed that Savannah was telling the other about the refugees and requesting entrance into the city. At first the other Gerudo seemed unconvinced, and shook her head a few times as Savannah continued to speak. After what seemed like a span of almost five minutes, the Gerudo at the gate gave a short nod and pulled out a brass horn from her belt. After letting out a loud blast that made Kron wince a little, the large doors of the gate were slowly pulled open wide enough to allow everyone to enter.
“Damn… at thought for a moment that we almost made the journey for nothing.” Savannah exclaimed with a sigh as she guided her horse into the city alongside Kron and Sheer.
“Why do you say that Savannah?” Kron asked. “Has something happened?”
“According to the guard, the outer sections of the city were attacked a few nights back. She said no one was hurt during these attacks, but as a precaution the gates at each district are under heavy guard with the order that no one may be permitted to enter or leave the city at night. They have allowed us passage into the city, but under the condition that we’re to relinquish our weapons until we decide to leave.”
As she said, there were Gerudo soldiers on the other side of the gates waiting for them. Although their Hyrulean had somewhat of a thick accent to it, they spoke it well enough to convey the message that all weapons were to be handed over. Despite not wanting to give up his new present, Sheer went along with order and handed over his staff, while Kron relinquished his broad sword, hand axes; and his hunting knife. As soon as the weapons were taken care of, the horses were all taken to the stables to eat and rest.
The inside of Keilgala was almost as fascinating as its outside walls. The buildings that lined the streets on either side were of a very clean box shaped design that were constructed from possibly sun dried clay brick that were covered with a coating of gleaming white plaster. Some were adorned by plaster figures of the Gerudo’s patron deity near their doorways, while others had awnings of brightly colored fabric held up by poles over the entrance to provide shade. There were buildings that served the purpose of shops with signs depicting what items were sold displayed near their doors, but the main bulk of the city’s business was done outside by merchant stalls that sold everything from meats, clothing, jewelry; and aromatic spices. One stall in particular that they passed seemed to have phallic shaped instruments and other quite risqué items as it wears, which meant it was likely a type of shop for the lewd. This caused a mutter of mixed reviews amongst the refugees that were a mix of disgruntled comments by the elderly; and innocent questions from the children. Kron however took a delight at seeing a shop of this nature and gave Sheer a nudge and a perverted chuckle, while the Hylian just rolled his eyes and made a mental note to keep their wallet with him while they were here.
When they came into the central part of the city, everyone was greeted by the sight of even more merchant stalls that sold a wider selection of items that were of higher quality. But unlike the central part of Hyrule Castle Town where the main center was wide open, the central part of Keilgala curved around a large wall that more or less held what the Gerudo would value as a palace estate. Sheer guessed that this was likely intended in the construction so the city’s center of government was indeed its center, which meant it possessed a pretty strong defense from outside invaders. This was surly different from Hyrule Castle Town’s layout where the castle was located at its northern district.
“Well I just talked to the city’s guards” Savannah said as she came by and patted Sheer on the shoulder. “They said since we are in a state of dire urgency, most of the townsfolk and inns that have the allotted room will provide lodgings for the refugees until we leave. So you and Kron feel free to explore while I tie up any loose ends.”
Since neither of them had anything to eat since the start of their travel, the first thing Kron and Sheer did was head to a nearby restaurant. The inside of the restaurant they chose seemed quite charming by its open feel and festive artwork that adorned its walls. Instead of being like a Hyrulean restaurant that contained sturdy wooden tables with chairs, there were instead seating areas dotted across the floor that consisted of comfy pillows arranged in large squares with a rug in the center of each one. By the number of people inside already, they both had a good feeling that this place was one of the more popular areas of the city to come eat and socialize.
“This place looks really nice.” Sheer said as looked around the room.
“I’ll say.” Kron replied with a grin as he lifted his nose and took in a big whiff. “From the smells, I bet this place has some really great food on their menu.”
“Greetings! And welcome to the Desert Gardens!” a dark skinned woman who was the hostess dressed a matching aqua blue vest and shirt said as she greeted them with a smile and a bow. “Seating for two I presume?”
“Um yeah.” Kron replied and politely returned the bow. “Is there a nice spot to sit by any chance?”
“Of course. We have a nice seating area beside the fountain that is currently available. Would that suit you, gentlemen?”
“That will suit us fine.” Sheer answered.
Giving them another bow, the woman escorted them across the dining area to a section that was open to the outside air. The border of the area was lined with exotic plants that served as a divider and provided bright splashes of color, with a large ornate fountain made of hand carved marble. When they came to their seating area, they noticed their pillows and rug where made of shimmering blue fabrics with images of various fish and Zoras embossed in silver.
“Please make yourselves comfortable and feel free to dine on the complementary fruit.” Their hostess said and handed them a couple of menu scrolls. “We have a nice selection of wines to choose from. Would it be alight if I suggest a vintage from the Lanayru Province?”
“That would be excellent.” Kron said as sat himself down on the pillows and giving a smile to the hostess as she bowed and walked away.
Sheer opened his menu scroll and looked over the various dishes they offered. Not only did they have desert cuisine, they also served the light yet filling dishes of the noble Hylian pallet, the hearty foods of the wilder provinces like Faron; and, judging by the list of various rocks and crystals, Goron food. One of the items that caught his attention was roasted Faron rabbit with a side of Ordon pumpkin soup. The sight of this made his stomach growl, for he hadn’t had food like that since before his imprisonment at Gorax.
“What are you planning on ordering?” Sheer asked Kron as he put away his menu scroll and ate a few grapes.
“I think I’ll order the roasted Faron deer medium rare with a side of harvest stew. It makes me miss hunting…”
Sheer glanced over at Kron with his mouth hanging slightly open. “You used to hunt?” he asked.
“Well of course!” The Darknut replied with a hearty chuckle. “I used to do it a lot before this mess started…”
“Really?” Sheer asked. “Like what?”
“Well, I used to live on a farm with my father that was just on the border of my village. It wasn’t anything fancy- just a two level stone cabin, a small garden; and a barn for housing the animals. I helped my father at times because he has a bad gimp in his right leg that was caused years earlier when a bull we owned gored him in his lower thigh.”
“Ouch… that sounds pretty bad…”
“It was” Kron continued. “But he is pretty stubborn, so he didn’t allow it to slow him down. He taught me how to help maintain the farm, but also taught me through a lot of tough love as well. When I was younger and more rebellious, I refused to help him out; so as a form of punishment he kicked me out of the house and told me to fend for myself in the woods until that rebellious streak in me died out. I hated him for it back then, but through that experience I learned how to hunt and fish; and how to track. Later on he taught me the ways of the sword; and then took me to the village elder to receive my warrior’s marks when I came of age.”
“Wow!” Sheer said as he took a drink of wine. “Your father sounds like a great guy. May I ask… did he know about you and your liking for other guys?”
Kron smiled yet gave a shrug. “I’m not really sure to be honest. I believe he saw me masturbating up in the hay loft once with blacksmith’s son, but he mentioned anything about it. I remember him giving me a lecture about how a warrior should have a very close bond with his fellow comrade, a bond similar to that between a husband and his wife; but I don’t think he was implying that he knew.”
“Well despite that, your life sounded pretty good.” Sheer said. “My life was pretty much the same, except for masturbating with another guy. My father was once a member of the Hyrulean guard, but was forced to retire when his horse got spooked during a scouting and threw him hard against a jagged boulder. The incident broke the bones in both of his legs, and messed up his lower back. Even after he healed, the accident left his body unable to support the weight of a suit of armor. Despite his injuries however, he taught me how to use a sword and stuff in order to defend myself.”
“Seems we both had pretty decent lives, baby.” Kron said with a slight smile. “Yes things were good… until that day everything changed…”
Kron began to tell Sheer of the events that happened that forced him into working at Gorax. The day when a man with olive green skin riding a black horse came to his village and demanded the villagers to serve him. When the villagers scoffed at the man and asked him who he thought he was to command them like dogs to do his bidding, the stranger produced a ball of energy from his hand which he used to burn the crops to ashes. Kron then said that the man gave a smirk and said that his name was Ganondof, who then exclaimed that the villagers either join him and bring ruin to Hyrule, or face certain annihilation.
“I fucking hated doing it… Hated causing other people’s suffering…” Kron continued as he folded his ears back. “But I had no other choice. I either had to inflict pain on innocent people, or suffer myself as my family dies.”
“It was a tough call.” Sheer replied. “You did it to protect those you cared for.”
Kron closed his eyes and nodded slowly. “I remember talking to your father once… I was put in charge of watching the prison wagon that your family was being escorted in. He was a kind man… he understood my plight, and praised me for putting the lives of my family before my own, saying that I was doing a noble thing despite my position…”
“Yet he died… Killed at the selection…”
Kron reached over to Sheer’s hand and grasped it tightly with his paw. “I tried to save him! I tried to get the warden to allow your father to help mend clothing or pass out equipment, but the warden said that I was a weak piece of filth for showing mercy and stabbed your father in the stomach right before my eyes… Then he told me ‘If you want to show mercy and compassion to this prisoner, then put him out of his misery!’”
Sheer pulled his hand away and looked into the Darknut’s eyes with shock. “Y-you killed him?!” He blurted out loud.
“No! I couldn’t bring myself to! He died in my arms while that smug warden laughed at us! But I will say this- your dad stayed strong to the end… He said that a solider never begs to have his suffering to end, but bares the pain until the last breath. And he also said something else to me…”
“What did he say?”
Kron looked into Sheer’s eyes as his own begin to shed tears. “He noticed that I was watching you with admiration since the moment he, you; and your sister were captured. He said ‘I know that look… have you gotten attached to my son in so brief a time…?’ When I nodded, he then smiled and said ‘I thought as much… You keep him safe. Ya hear me, lad…’ And then… he passed away…”
Sheer lowered his head and looked down at the rug between him and the Darknut before him. He never knew that Kron spoke to his father, nor known that he tried to have his life spared. For a while, he thought Kron merely took him for his own lusty desires; but never as a way of carrying out his father’s last request.
“You remember the times you woke up in your cell and saw that you had an extra ration?” Kron asked
Sheer raised his head up and look back at Kron. “That was you?”
The Darknut smiled and nodded. “That was me. I gave you and your sister each an extra ration, but I could only do it in the mornings when I could move around the cell blocks without a lot of people asking questions. Your sister was such a sweet person. And when her life was cut off by that accident, it saddened me.”
‘My sister wasn’t killed in an accident… the Dynalfos named Jezzix killed her when she fought off his advances and covered it up to appear as an accident.”
Sheer could tell this news came as both a shock and a surprise to Kron. But before the Darknut could speak, their hostess came to take their orders and offer them a bottle of wine. As they waited for their food, they both began talking about the past. Kron explained to Sheer that he originally intended to woe him and plain a private night for both of them, but the combination of fear and the result of the fight caused his instincts to kick in and made him take the less desirable route that led to their first night together. Although Sheer did act somewhat repulsed by thought of the Darknut wooing him and stuff as a way of getting his affection, he did agree that would’ve been a lot better than how he was forced into it. Once they got the topic of their past in the prison taken care of, they began talking about how their lives were in the past. Sheer even asked Kron if his father knew of his liking for other males, to which the Darknut said that he never told him; but guessed that he possibly already figured it out. Even after their food came, they still asked one another questions about their lives. When it came to the subject on hobbies, Sheer was surprised when Kron told him that he had a decent skill when it came to painting; and the Darknut laughed when the Hylian told him about his fear of spiders despite loving nature.
“I’ve been meaning to ask you this.” Sheer said as he cleared his mouth of food. “How old are you anyway?”
“I’m glad you asked that.” Kron replied and took a sip of wine. “I’m currently twenty-six years old. I’ll be twenty-seven in the fall.”
“Really? From the way you behave sometimes, I guessed that you were older.”
Kron almost coughed up a mouthful of wine as he caught the joke Sheer was trying to get across. “Oh yeah, like I’m such a dirty old man!” he chuckled and slapped his knee.
Sheer smiled as he looked over at the fountain. “You know, I actually enjoyed this. You and I chatting like this over breakfast…”
“Me too.” Kron said and reached out to put his paw on Sheer’s hand. “You know in a way, this is our second date together.”
“Wait… second date?”
“Of course! The picnic at the festival was our first official date, so this would be our second.”
Sheer’s ears turned a little pink from what Kron said. Even though he thought the term ‘date’ was a little too personal of a word to use for breakfast, the word itself made him feel a strange warm fuzzy feeling inside. After they were finished and Kron laid out the total amount for the meal plus tip for their hostess, the Darknut handed Sheer a yellow ten Rupee piece; to which the Hylian gently tossed into the fountain.
After breakfast, Kron and Sheer both decided that a little shopping wouldn’t hurt them any. Since their old boots were on the brink of falling apart from all the wear and tear on them from the desert, the first place they went was to a tanner’s stall to buy a new pair. Sheer ended up buying a nice pair standard Hylian boots for a cost of 60 Rupees, but since the dark brown hunting boots Kron was eyeing didn’t come in his size; the tanner had to custom make him a pair which came to a total of 80 Rupees. They next went to a stall that sold musical instruments, where Kron was able to talk the merchant into selling him a guitar for almost half its asking price.
“Hey Sheer, do you mind shopping alone for a little?” Kron asked and handed over some Rupees to Sheer. “I just remembered there was something I needed to get.”
Before Sheer even could ask Kron what it was that he was going to purchase, the Darknut was already heading down a nearby alleyway. With a shrug, the Hylian went on about with his shopping. While examining the exotic wares each of the stalls had for sale,he couldn’t really decide on what he would actually buy with the amount of money that was given to him. Heading back to the stall that sold the musical instruments, Sheer spotted an ocarina that caught his attention. It was made from a type of smokey green glass and was covered in gold filigree that was made to look like vines that seemed to curl around it. When he asked the merchant what the asking price for the ocarina was, Sheer was surprised that it was with his price range.
“Well I see you went and bought an instrument too. I hope to hear you and Kron play a song together sometime.”
Sheer turned around to see Savannah smiling at him while eating what appeared to be a type of bread stuffed with savory meats.
“Yeah I decided to buy one too. I used to play an ocarina a lot before I was imprisoned at Gorax.” the Hylian said as he stuffed the ocarina away in his pocket. “How long have you been following us by the way?”
“Ever since you Kron left the Desert Gardens.” Savannah replied as she took another bite of her meal. “You two seemed to be in good spirits, so I figured you two got off on the right foot with a nice morning date.”
Sheer tried to keep himself from blushing at the response of the Gerudo’s words, but it seemed to fail when she giggled at the site of his ears turning a little pink. For a while they decided to talk about the events of their morning. Sheer told Savannah about the meal he had with Kron, and while Savannah told him about helping the refugees settle before talking about past events with the appointed queen of the Gerudo. She also announced that the queen was with child, and rumors were going on throughout the city that expected baby would be a boy.
“Well congratulations to the expected mother!” Sheer said with a smile. “But may I ask- what is so special about the baby being a boy?”
“In the Gerudo tribe, there are only females.” Savannah said. “However once every century, a special male child is born within the tribe. When this happens, that male child becomes king of the Gerudo when he becomes of proper age. During the time there isn’t a male to lead us; we elect a fellow Gerudo to be appointed as a queen for a session of ten years before electing another. Although they are elected queen, that Gerudo doesn’t have absolute authority. Instead, she shares the responsibilities of governing the tribe with a collective of six other women. Whenever there is an issue to be handled, the collective casts a number of votes for or against it with the queen making the final vote. But if the queen wants to handle an issue or pass a law, it is up to the majority vote of the collective wither it passes or not.”
Sheer nodded as he took in what Savannah told him. He remembered hearing stories about the Gerudo coming into Hyrule to have romantic encounters with men and was told by elders that they did so to slate their lusty desires, but he didn’t know it was a much more dire reason. From what Savannah described, the Gerudo were always in constant danger of extinction; and that these simple flings were in fact an important endeavor to prevent their kind from fading away like a mirage among the dunes they called home. Like everything else living in the desert, the Gerudo were more fragile than they appeared to be.
“Hey you two! You ladies having a nice chat?”
Sheer looked over to see Kron walking up towards them with a big grin on his blocky muzzle. “What you two talking about?” the Darknut asked. “Discussing how sexy I am or something?”
“Oh ha ha…” Sheer answered as he rolled his eyes. “Savannah and I were just talking about her people and the importance of the queen’s soon to be born son.”
“Oh yeah! I’ve heard talk about the queen was going to give birth to a male child, and also about how everyone is planning a big celebration in her honor.”
“Yes, and it’s a pretty old custom as well” Savannah chimed in. “The celebrating of birth of a male Gerudo is a tradition that spans countless ages.”
“So Kron, what did you go buy that was important enough to leave me on my own?” Sheer asked.
Giving a sly smile, Kron opened his pack and began to rummage around. For a brief moment Sheer saw a couple of blue colored balls on a string hang out of the opening, but they were quickly stuffed back into the bag by the Darknut’s paw as he pulled out a small box.
“It’s just a little something I figured would be of great importance to us one day…” Kron said as he knelt down and gave Sheer the little box, his ears folded slightly back in a shy manner.
Curious as to what Kron was talking about, Sheer opened the box in his hands; which caused a light shriek to come from Savannah. Inside the box resting on a pillow of red colored velvet was a unity band- a ring traditionally worn by couples. It was crafted from silver and wove together in the front to symbolize entwined souls. Embedded in one end of the woven metal was an emerald- a stone that symbolized the goddess Farore and the rebirth of spring, and on the other was a topaz- a stone that symbolized autumn and the harvest. When he looked up at Kron, he noticed that the Darknut had the same ring on his right paw.
“Oh Great Goddess! I can’t believe Kron bought both of you unity bands!” Savannah exclaimed as she bounced a little on her heels. “I am SO jealous…”
All Sheer could do was blush a deep hue of scarlet as he looked down at the ring within the box. He couldn’t believe that Kron went and bought something that made such a statement as a unity band! He was uncomfortable enough with Kron calling him his mate in public and the displays of affection before the whole world, but the ring that was now resting in his hands took the matter to a much more embarrassing level. The Hylian just knew deep down that if anyone saw him and the Darknut together and noticed the rings, there would no end to the ridicule. He wanted to chuck the ring right at Kron’s face and yell at him for buying something so embarrassing, but yet he didn’t want to chance hurting his feelings and causing the monster to go into a fit of rage.
“T-thanks Kron…” Sheer said as he closed the box. “That’s very thoughtful of you.”
“You don’t have to wear it now if you don’t want to…” Kron answered as he rubbed the back of his head with his paw. “I know that you’re still adjusting to the concept of us as a couple, so I’ll give you time to settle down with it.”
Sheer blushed again at Kron’s words. It surprised him to see that the Darknut wasn’t trying to pressure him into anything and was in fact allowing time to slowly work things out.
“It’s still a thoughtful gift Kron.” Sheer said as he slipped the box into his pocket. “Thank you.”
With that, Sheer bent over and gave Kron a kiss on the nose; but not before looking around to see if anyone was paying attention.
“Captain Savannah Ka-hem of the Sand Wolf Pack?”
The voice made Kron, Sheer; and Savannah look in its general direction. A Gerudo guard dressed all in purple and a veil to conceal half her face stood right behind them.
“I am Savannah Ka-hem of the Sand Wolf Pack.” Savannah answered the woman. “May I ask why you are here?”
“I have been sent by Queen Nelana to escort you and your companions to the palace.” The guard replied. “She has heard news of the defeat of the queen of the Black Jeweled Crobras by hands of you, the Ælfan; and the beast warrior and has requested an audience with all of you. Please follow me at once.”
The Grand Palace, the jewel of Keilgala, was something of awe and wonder to both Sheer and Kron. Separated from the rest of the city by a high wall, the place consisted of a mass of different gardens with a massive gleaming white and elegantly crafted building at its very center. Unlike the castle in Hyrule, the palace of Keilgala was not big as in terms of hight; but in area. At its heart was a large domed shaped structure that had a number of open aired walkways stretching out from it in many directions, with these walkways branching out to connect to smaller buildings and more gardens. At the palace’s exterior were four minarets that were capped with silver colored roofs that seemed to rise from the ground like the stalks of plants reaching for the sun. As they walked down the main entryway to the center of the palace, Sheer got a chance to place his hand on one of the many buildings they passed. He was surprised that despite the white coating, the material that constructed the palace was quite warm to the touch. He guessed that this building material acted like an insulator that likely kept the interior cool during the day, and then let off the heat it absorbed when the temperature dropped at night. Something that was actually pretty ingenious considering the lack of firewood in a place such as the desert.
Upon entering the main part of the palace, yet another wonder met everyone’s eyes. On the inside the walls were carved in such a way that allowed the light from a single skylight in the ceiling to reflect around the massive room, giving it plenty of natural light for its massive size. Also despite it all being a single room, the main part of the palace was divided up into smaller units by the use of different leveled terraces and areas that were enclosed by walls that only came up to just above the waist of the average Gerudo. Scattered in certain areas of the massive enclose were statues and fountains that displayed the best in Gerudo craftsmanship, but they didn’t hold a candle to the very detailed throne at the far end of the room that was constructed from white marble and carved into a lounging lion and lioness laying around mass of crimson and gold colored pillows.
“Queen Nelana is currently bathing and should be here shortly.” The guard said as she took a bow. “I now take my leave. You are free to look around the throne room until she returns, but keep to the ground level.”
With that, the guard took another bow and left them alone.
“Wow… so this is Gerudo high society…” Sheer said in awe as he looked around.
“Did you expect all of us lived in tents or stone huts?” Savannah replied with a chuckle.
“Of course not!” the Hylian said. “I just didn’t expect this place being so… grand.”
“I do admit that even I am impressed by the craftsmanship of the architectural design.” Kron said as he examined a nearby pillar. “It’s amazing that this entire room is lit by only a single skylight. The person who designed this place must’ve been a genius.”
Just then the sound of doors opening caught everyone’s attention. As they turned around Kron, Sheer, and Savannah saw a precession of Gerudo in full bodied white burkes come out of a large set of double doors followed by another Gerudo with long flowing hair and dressed in scarlet colored silks. Sheer assumed that this must be the queen by her attire, and that her belly was showing signs of child bearing and was adorned with what appeared to be a marking that resembled a net. This was possibly a protection mark of sorts to keep the baby within safe. Upon seeing the precession, Savannah knelt down and lowered her head; to which Kron and Sheer quickly followed suit to show their respect.
“Savannah Ka-hem, my fellow sister, how good to see you.” the Gerudo in scarlet said as she sat down upon the throne with the help of her attendants.
“Queen Nelana, I am happy to see you as well.” Savannah answered as she bowed her head again. “We came as soon as you requested to see us.”
“And how nice of you to do so. I have heard tales of the three of you battling an hoard of Bublin raiders, undead soldiers; and the queen of the Black Jewel Crobras. Pretty impressive! However I never had a chance to know all the names of the victors. Could you please share them with me, Darknut and Ælfan?”
“Your Highness, my name is Kron Gilderfang of the Eldin Provence.” Kron said with a bow. “And this is my um, partner-”
“Sheer Claphyin, from the Faron Provence.” Sheer answered.
“No need to be so casual in my presence.” Queen Nelana said with a smile. “I have heard that you two are lovers, so there is no need to feel so nervous about addressing it. You should know well enough by now that we Gerudo aren’t as judgmental as the stuck up Ælfan.”
Sheer’s ears flushed a shade of soft pink. He didn’t quite expect the news of him being Kron’s “mate” to get around so quickly. Sure the Gerudo here seemed to treat it pretty well, but he dreaded what might happen back at home.
“Your Highness, I heard that this city was attacked not too long ago.” Savannah said as she rose to her feet. “Is it true?”
“I am afraid it is Savannah.” Queen Nelana replied as she rubbed her belly. “The Lizaflos tribe to our south attacked us a few nights ago. Though what is so strange is the fact that they attacked us without any warning or reason, and that the few we captured seemed to have no memory of even coming here at all and swore that they would never do us harm.”
“Sounds strange indeed.” Kron said as he rubbed his chin. “Do you assume any sort of foul play to be involved, your Highness? From what you described it seems the Lizaflos were affected by some form of bewitchment.”
“That may be the case; however at the moment we do not have enough evidence to suggest that any acts of bewitchment were indeed involved with the event. But we will discuss more on this topic later. All of you have had a very long journey to reach here, so I’m sure you will need some well deserved rest.”
“How kind of you, your Highness.” Sheer said nervously.
“My pleasure. Koume! Kotake!” Queen Nelana said out loud and clapped her hands.
The double doors that the queen and her precession of attendants came through opened once again, and two elderly looking women with olive colored skin came hobbling their way into the throne room. Both of them looked alike, say for them wearing different colored clothing: one wore bright vermillion colored robes and had eyes that flickered and glowed like flames, while the other wore robes of a chilly shade of blue and had eyes that seemed cold and glistened like ice. When they got into the throne room and before Queen Nelana, both of them gave a bow that almost gave them the illusion that they were on the verge of falling over.
“What do you wish of us, Lioness of the Dunes?” both of them said in unison.
