The Captain’s Captive- Burning Suspicions, Chilling Evidence
“Please escort these people to the finest chambers in the palace. They are our honoured guests.”
Giving another bow; the two haggard old crones that were Koume and Kotake turned to Kron, Sheer, and Savannah and instructed them to follow them out of the same doors they used to enter. As they exited through the doors and out into one of the outdoor corridors, the sudden shift in temperature showed the trio the marvellous and ingenious methods that were used in maintaining a comfortable climate within the interiors of the palace. When they passed a nearby garden that had a number of ornate fountains, they felt how the moist air generated by them also helped in keeping a comfortable atmosphere outside as well.
“Wow… this palace is amazing…” Sheer said in awe as he looked around.
“It is quite a magnificent palace.” Koume said as she turned her head to give Sheer a careworn smile. “It was built by King Alazzar.”
“As a gift to his wife I believe…” Kotake chimed in. “In fact he had the best masons and carpenters he could find add new additions every year to celebrate his and his queen’s anniversary.”
“I remember hearing that story…” Savannah said as she let out a soft sigh. “The Palace of Growing Love... I always dreamt of finding a man that would do something that romantic…”
“Yet however happy their lives were, tragedy would separate them.” Koume said. “One day the queen stepped on a rock scorpion and fell gravely ill. She fought as long as she could, but soon Death came and parted the two lovers.”
“King Alazzar was heartbroken…” Kotake said as she lowered her head. “After his wife died, he ordered masons to build her a tomb on these very grounds that would show the world how powerful their love was. For years after that King Alazzar would wander the many corridors of the palace during the day lost in a fog of sadness and longing, and at night would sleep outside his beloved’s resting place. Finally after regaining for nearly twenty years by himself, Death eventually came for him and reunited him and his queen on the other side.”
Sheer listened to Koume and Kotake tell the story of the palace, however something seemed to be troubling him. Even though the two older women in front of him appeared to be very nice, there was something about them that gave him a slight uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach. From Koume he could feel an intense heat; almost like if he was standing near a raging fire. However the feeling he got from Kotake was the exact opposite. From her Sheer felt an almost numbing chill, close to what he could compare to a cold winter night. Since he was close enough to the two women to almost be between them, the conflicting sensations he felt soon bothered him enough to where he stopped walking to put some distance between him and the sisters.
“Is there something the matter baby?” Kron asked as he came up alongside Sheer, placing a paw on the Hylian’s shoulder.
Sheer jumped a bit to Kron’s touch and placed his hand on the Darknut’s paw. “Nothing…” he said softly. “Just had a funny feeling is all. But I’m alright now.”
“Are you sure? You feel a little clammy to me. Maybe I should give you a massage when we get to our room and see if that will help you feel better.”
Sheer only nodded to Kron’s suggestion of giving him a massage. Although he would generally oppose such a thing from the Darknut, the strange and almost unnatural feelings he got from Koume and Kotake made him feel weak and drained. He didn’t know why, but something about their twin guides wasn’t right.
“We are now coming up to the Lotus Wing.” Koume said as she gestured an arthritic and very boney looking hand to a building in front of them. “This is where the elite guests of the king and queen stay when they come to the palace.”
“Normally commoners are not allowed to enter this wing,” Kotake added. “But you are the queen’s honoured guests. After all, not anyone can face a horde of Bublin raiders, Staltoops; and the queen of the Black Jewel Cobras on their own and live to tell about it.”
“How do you know that we faced all of that?” Kron asked as he aimed his ears toward the sisters. “We never went into detail about the battle.”
“Oh we hear a lot of things when we go to the market for errands.” Koume said without turning her head to look at Kron. “Even in a vast place like the desert, news travels fast.”
“But enough talk for now. All of you look tired.” Kotake added. “Let us show you your rooms so you can rest up.”
Kron and Sheer were the first to be given their room. Unlike their tent that only had a mat that was to serve as a place to sleep, they saw that their room had a very ornate queen sized bed in the corner that was crafted from imported Faron oak and decorated with fancy looking pillows and sheets that were light sandy beige. Across the corner from the bed were a mound of pillows similar to what they were accustomed to, along with a low table crafted from grey marble and a hookah sitting nearby. At the left side of the room Kron and Sheer saw a doorway that they guessed lead to the bathing area, and at their right was a large shelf that held a number of books and scrolls. The only things they noticed that tied the room to the rest of the palace was that it was constructed out of the same white stone as the throne room, and an area rug that was the same shade of crimson as the throne pillows.
“We hope this room is to your liking, masters.” Koume and Kotake said in unison as they bowed. “Have a pleasant stay.”
As soon as the door was closed, Kron gently lifted Sheer into his arms and laid him on the bed. Being careful, the Darknut set to work removing his lover’s clothing; but left the under garments untouched.
“I hope this will help you feel better baby.” Kron said softly as he cracked his knuckles. “A deep tissue massage always helped me relax whenever I felt bad.”
“I don’t know what came over me…” Sheer said as he laid there and looked up at the ceiling. “One moment I was fine, but then I came close to Koume and Kotake… and something about them made me feel uneasy.”
“Uneasy as in how?” Kron asked as he placed his paws on the Hylian’s body, slowly and gently working his muscles.
“I don’t know… it was something I never really felt before. It felt like I was between a raging fire, and a block of solid ice. I don’t know what it was, but it was defiantly something unnatural; and it came from those two women.”
“Well whatever you felt baby, I’m sure it was due to fatigue. Just relax, and you’ll feel better in no time.”
Sheer sighed and closed his eyes as the Darknut massaged his tired body. Even though Kron had large and strong looking paws compared to his own fair looking hands that were typical of a Hylian, Sheer was pretty surprised by just how nimble and gentle they were. It almost felt like the Darknut was using magic to slowly melt away all the stress that was plaguing his mind and body.
“Kron? What will happen once we reach Hyrule?” Sheer asked softly as he nestled his head into the pillow it rested on.
“Hmm? What do you mean?” Kron asked.
“What do you plan on doing once we get there… after we bring the refugees home…”
Kron smiled a bit as he softly massaged his lover. “Well, once we bring everyone home, I plan on buying a piece of land overlooking Lake Hylia…”
“Mmm… that sounds nice…”
“Yeah… On that piece of land, I plan on building a cottage for us to live in. I’ve decided on having our bedroom within the cottage face the east so that we can wake up to the morning sunrise, and the porch will face westward so we can watch the sun set together. Doesn’t that sound wonderful Sheer?”
The only thing Kron heard was soft breathing. When he glanced down to look at him, he noticed that the young Hylian now lay asleep. With the soft smile the Darknut disrobed from his garments and quietly joined Sheer in the bed, gently taking the Hylian into his arms to hold him close to his body.
“I’m sure you will love it baby… it will be our little patch of heaven.”
Resting his muzzle against Sheer’s neck, Kron gently breathed in his scent until he too slowly dozed off to sleep as well.
Down the hall within her own room, Savannah lounged back against a pile of pillows as she slowly drew a puff of smoke from her provided hookah. She wanted to get some sleep after traveling an entire night; however something was on her mind that prevented her from seeking rest. When they were being escorted to their rooms, she noticed how Sheer reacted when he was near Koume and Kotake; and it was something that caught her eye. From what she knew about Ælfans, they were a race that were very in tuned with the forces of magic; and that most of them could feel its energies like they could feel the wind. For him to react that way in such a normal climate surely meant that what he felt was something unnatural. Also the sisters Koume and Kotake kind of bothered her as well. Their names sounded so familiar to her, but the only thing she got from trying to remember where she heard of them before was a slight headache. She combed the shelves of books and scrolls in her room for anything that may have their names, but she was unable to uncover anything of potential value. Perhaps the palace’s grand library held the information she needed, so Savannah made plans to try there later on to see if she would have better luck. For right now however, she wanted to check on Sheer to see how was doing; so she put out the smouldering tobacco in the hookah and left her room to walk down the hall.
As she quietly opened the door to Kron and Sheer’s bedroom, the first thing that caught Savannah’s eye was the well-defined and muscular back of Kron minus his vest so his grey fur and white tribal tattoos could be clearly seen. Muttering a few curses to the Darknut’s libido under her breath, the Gerudo shook her head before she turned to leave.
“Do you know it’s rude to enter someone’s bedroom without knocking…?”
Poking her head back inside, Savannah saw Kron turn around and prop himself up on the bed with his arm. His crimson coloured eyes showed some slight fatigue, but no apparent signs of annoyance.
“Sorry to disturb you Kron, but I was a little worried about Sheer; so I just wanted to check to see if he’s alright.”
“He’s doing alright Savannah.” Kron replied as he sat up on the side of the bed. “He’s sleeping at the moment.”
Savannah smiled and nodded, but when she looked past Kron to see that Sheer’s back was also unclothed and bare; the Gerudo’s eyes widened.
“Goddess… don’t tell me you-”
Before she could finish speaking, Kron pulled the sheets off himself and stood up; revealing that he was still wearing a fundoshi.
“I did what?” Kron asked, crossing his arms while he raised an eyebrow.
Savannah rubbed the back of her head as she stepped inside the room. “I thought you and Sheer had yet another frolic in the bed sheets.” She answered with a nervous giggle.
“After he fell asleep, I disrobed myself and joined him in bed. Normally I prefer to sleep in the nude, but being only in undergarments is fine too.” The Darknut replied.
Savannah gave a nod as she played with her hair. “Sorry for jumping to conclusions Kron. It’s just that Sheer looked so uncomfortable earlier, and seeing both of you without clothing got me thinking that you talked him into having sex with you again.”
Kron rolled his eyes and let out a soft sigh. As he walked away from the bed and towards the seating area in the corner, he beckoned the Gerudo to join him. “I know that I can sometimes get a little… overzealous at times with my affection towards Sheer, but rest assured that I’m not some sex crazed beast. Something has him feeling uncomfortable, and I’m not going to urge any sex from him while he’s feeling this way.”
Savannah nodded as she sat down across from Kron. She was relieved that the Darknut didn’t take advantage of Sheer, but instead did his best to help the young Ælfan feel at ease.
“I think I know what might be causing Sheer to feel uneasy in a place like this…” the Gerudo said as she glanced back at Sheer while he slept peacefully.
“Is that so?” Kron asked as he scratched his chin.
Savannah nodded. “My insight on the Ælfan culture might be a tad dated, but I believe the pure blooded members of their kind are in tuned to forces that some other races cannot detect so easily without some degree of training. If something or someone around them exudes a mystical aura of some kind, they can sense it; and may have some kind of reaction depending on the nature of the aura.”
“I see… And do you have a guess as to what or who Sheer might be reacting to?”
Savannah picked up a pillow and held it in her lap. “This is only a shot in the dark, but I believe Sheer might be reacting towards the queens attendants Koume and Kotake. The moment he got close to them, it looked like all of the colour drained from his body.”
Kron narrowed his eyes as he looked over at his mate. “You might be onto something there Savannah.” He said with a slight growl in his voice. “Sheer mentioned them earlier and said he didn’t feel right near those two women. I first thought it was fatigue setting in on him since we travelled an entire night just to get here, but now that I think back on it; I too noticed there was something very odd about them…”
“You mean you sensed something?” Savannah asked as her eyes widened.
“Actually it was something that I smelled.” Kron said as he scratched his chin. “Everyone, believe it or not, has their own unique scent. You for example, have a scent that reminds me of a clay pot that was once filled with sandalwood oil- earthy, yet kissed by a subtle perfume.”
“My… how flattering.” Savannah replied while holding back a slight chuckle. “If I smell like that to you, than what does Sheer smell like?”
Kron’s blocky muzzle bared a grin as he reclined back on his mound of pillows. “His scent is my favorite. Sheer smells like a rich forest meadow during a summer day. It is a mixture of lush trees, fragrant wildflowers, and cool grasses; with all of it graced by notes of golden honey. It is such an intoxicating scent, and I love it so much. At night when we lay in bed together, I sometimes bury my nose in Sheer’s hair to inhale that heavenly aroma of his. However today that scent that I love was marred by the lingering one that came from Koume and Kotake…”
Seeing the sudden change of expression on Kron’s face told Savannah that whatever the scent was, that it seemed to effect the Darknut right down to the bone; for ears flattened back against his head and his short fur bristled all over his body.
“Kron… what was the scent?” the Gerudo asked. “The scent from them that lingered on Sheer?”
Kron let out a low growl. “The scent that lingered on Sheer from Koume and Kotake… that stench… was the smell of bones and dust.” He said as he bared his fangs. “I couldn’t smell it before because the scent was so fine that it was obscured by the other scents of the fountains and palace gardens. However what remnants of the scent that clung onto Sheer’s hair and clothing was strong enough to be noticed, and it was like breathing in the stale air of a tomb. Whoever those women are, the scent from them isn’t living.”
As night began to fall over the city of Keilgala, an air of weariness hovered over the palace as Queen Nelana sent out a precession of guards to patrol the area. Rumours were going around about a group of Lizaflos being spotted outside the city, and although these weren’t taken likely; no one was going to take any chances. When the call for dinner was sent out to Kron, Sheer, and Savannah; they were surprised that they were escorted to the dining hall by a troop of at least eight guards.
“I’m wondering, are all these guards for our protection; or because they suspect us to be bad guys?” Sheer lightly joked, this caused a few of the guards to giggle.
“Well it’s clear to see that you’re feeling better.” Kron replied with a bark-like laugh as he patted his mate on the shoulder. “I’m glad to see that giving you a massage helped out a bit.”
“The nap helped that as well.” Sheer said as he rubbed the back of his head.
“I’m glad you’re feeling better.” Savannah said with a bright smile. “I hope you’re ready to eat. From what I heard the Palace chefs serve the best cuisine ever known. I can’t wait to know what dish is the Queen’s favourite.”
For while the trio talked amongst themselves as the guards led them through the many corridors to the palace’s dining hall. All of them wondered what exotic dishes would be served to them tonight, but also noticed that Koume and Kotake weren’t among their party.
“Hey, where are those two old women? Koume and Kotake?” Savannah asked as she looked around.
“We went to their chambers to inform them that dinner was ready.” One of the guards said as she glanced back at Savannah. “However, despite knocking on their door several times, we never received an answer.”
“Hmm… kind of odd of them.” Kron said. “However you can’t blame them. They are pretty old, so they may’ve fallen asleep and didn’t hear it when you knocked at the door.”
“You might be right, master Gilderfang.” One of the guards replied with a nod. “If that is the case, the queen will request a hand maiden to bring them some food later on.”
It took the group several minutes to reach the outside of the dining hall, but they were not disappointed by what was in store for them. The dining hall wasn’t a room of sorts, but was actually its own building on the palace grounds. Instead of being like some of the other buildings on the grounds, the dining hall was a two tiered elliptical shaped platform covered in light beige tile and was bordered by tall white marble pillars. The tops of each pillar was connected thick iron bars that held up a bundle of white canvas between each pair, and at the bases were rings to attach the canvas to provide shade and defence against the elements. The platform’s two tiers had their own individual function: the larger base tier was used as the actual dining area, and the smaller tier served as the area where the prepared food was placed. In the centre of the main tier was a large and grand looking purple carpet that was decorated with images of lions and birds that were embroidered in with gold and silver silk, and had mounds of pillows at its border that the diners could use to lounge on and enjoy their meal. Around the same time same time that Kron, Sheer, and Savannah took their seats; they saw that Queen Nelana was nearing the dining hall as well. Like the last time they saw her, she was accompanied by her precession of handmaidens; but this time was also accompanied by a large bobbed tailed feline that was the colour of sandstone and had golden coloured eyes that gave a tamed appearance, but also held a shine that portrayed a proud and still wild nature.
“I have never seen an animal like that before.” Sheer said when the feline glanced over at him when it and its owner took their places at the dining area. “What exactly is it?”
“That is a sand lynx.” Savannah said with a smile. “They are magnificent cats that are only found here in the dessert. At times they are hard to spot due to their coats being the same colour as the sands, which is a great camouflage that enables them to sneak up on their prey unnoticed. They are extremely hard to tame, but prove to be loyal companions to their owners that will stay at their sides and will fight viciously to protect their lives. I have always wanted one, but could never find someone that had any cubs to give away.”
While Savannah went on about how much she would love to have one of her own, Queen Nelana’s sand lynx glanced over at Sheer again and started to slowly walk towards him with its rather large paws that the Hylian guessed allowed it to traverse across sand with ease. When the creature came up close to his face, it gave him a bump with its head that was hard enough cause Sheer to fall over on his back.
“Well it seems that Tygas has taken a shine to you already.” Queen Nelana said with a giggle as she watched her pet give Sheer a lick across his face when he tried to sit back up. “Normally he tends to be weary of strangers, but he seems to like you.”
“That doesn’t surprise me.” Sheer said as he tried to push Tygas’ head away so he could fully sit upright. “I seem to attract beasts to me.” To which he shot a look at Kron.
“What can I say? It was love at first sight.” Kron replied and gave a grin.
“Your Highness, might I ask you about the attacks on your city? When did they start?” Savannah asked as their meals were sat before them.
“It is quite strange when it happened.” Queen Nelana answered as one of her handmaidens poured her a goblet of wine. “Around the time the events started we opened a safer trade route through the Lizaflos territory that would be a much better alternative than the steep pass that traverses the cliff face near Lake Hylia.”
“So the Lizaflos are attacking because you encroached on their lands?” Sheer asked.
“No, it was a mutual agreement between me and their chief. We saw the new trade route as beneficial to both our tribes because it would strengthen our friendship with the Ælfans, plus allow the Lizaflos to directly exchange goods and services with them. It wasn’t until a few months later that Lizaflos began making assaults on our city at night. We have captured some, but all of them appeared to have suffered from some sort of amnesia. None of them remember how they ended up here, and all of them swore that they would never bring harm to us. It is a mystery that both their chief and I are trying to solve.”
As the food was being laid out before everyone, it became apparent how hungry everyone was. Everything smelled wonderful, and almost everyone in the group dived into their dishes right away. Sheer had some sort of dish that was basically sliced and pan seared cuccuo and vegetables coated in some sort of sweet and spicy glaze, while Kron’s dish was roasted bulbo that came with some sort dipping sauce for the meat and the side of some kind of flat bread. Savannah and Queen Nelana had the same dish- roasted Ordon goat with a fillet of Hyrule bass and a side of salad made of greens and succulents from the desert. While eating their meals, Queen Nelana went into detail about the city. According to history, the city of Keilgala was built over the remains of an old fortress that dated to around the time when Hyrule was unified after the Imposing War. Though the ruins under the city were quite old, they were still very stable; and consisted of a number of passages that are still being explored.
“These passages… do you think the Lizaflos that attack the city are using these to gain entry?” Sheer asked as he fed some of his meal to Tygas.
“That is the thing we are trying to figure out.” Queen Nelana replied. “There are a few entrances to the underground that are located outside of the city, however so far we haven’t been able to find if any of them have a direct connection to the entrance within the city itself. If any such information exists, they would be found within the Histories Wing inside the Great Library; and only a select few have access to it.”
“Would the Great Library have any information about certain people in Gerudo history?” Savannah asked.
“Yes of course, though there were a couple of documents that were labelled for removal as of late.”
Kron cocked his head to the side. “Why would documents of historical value be labelled for removal” the Darknut asked. “Pardon me for wondering, but aren’t manuscripts like that meant to be preserved?”
“Officially yes.” Queen Nelana answered. “However Koume and Kotake informed me that they came across a manuscript that talked about someone that had no significant importance to our history, so they told the librarian to dispose of it.”
Kron and Savannah glanced at one another. What the queen just told them only seemed to deepen the mystery around Koume and Kotake further. First Sheer fell somewhat ill from a strange aura the two exuded, then they were not present when they were summoned to dinner; and now they were informed that the two tried to dispose of a historical document that they claimed had no significant value. Something about this didn’t make any sense, and they both had a feeling that would find some answers within the Great Library.
“Your Highness, is it alright if we could have access to the Great Library?” Kron asked, trying hard to suppress a growl in his voice.
“Alright… can someone tell me again the reason we are here?” Sheer asked while trying to suppress a sneeze.
“We’re here to find out if there are any maps of the underground to see if the Lizaflos are using it to access the city.” Savannah answered while pulling a cobweb off her shoulder. “We also here to take a look at that manuscript that was labelled for removal. Queen Nelana said that any documents that are subject for removal from the library’s roistering are kept on hold for exactly a month before they are disposed of. Hopefully we are not too late.”
The Great Library was a very large building that was built within the wall that divided the palace grounds from the city. Commoners were allowed daily access to the main part of the library, but the Histories Wing that Kron, Sheer; and Savannah were walking through was only accessible by the librarian or those who were given special permission to enter. Unlike the main part of the library that had skylights to allow in natural light, the Histories Wing was only lit by torchlight because natural sunlight could possibly damage the scrolls and manuscripts since a lot of them were hundreds or thousands of years old. As they passed through a number of pathways lined with shelves of scrolls and tapestries, Sheer noticed some artwork that depicted what appeared to be a male Gerudo with olive skin. One art piece showed the man in regal attire, but others gave the person a far less and creepy depiction.
“Savannah, do you know who this person is?” the Hylian asked as he gave the Gerudo’s arm a soft tug to get her attention. “The man in this old art.”
Savannah gave a look at the stone slab showing the person in question and gave a disgusted scoff. “That man is the blight of our people’s history. His thirst for power led to stain our race in the minds of the Ælfans and have us labelled as mere thieves and barbarians. He not only deceived your kind by betraying your king, but also deceived us with false hopes of a better future. He has many titles, but your kind knows him as Ganondorf Dragmire…”
Sheer looked at the artwork again with his mouth hanging open in disbelief. “Ganondorf!?” he asked out loud. “You mean the man who according to legend tried to steal the power of the Goddesses and was sealed away by the sages of old for his crimes?! Why would you display his image if he was such a scourge to your kind?”
“Because he was one of our kings. Even if he betrayed us and forever marked us as barbaric, he still must be kept as part of the Royal History.”
The group turned around to see a Gerudo wearing a rose coloured dress adjusting a pair of half-moon glasses that rested on her nose. She seemed to be close to her senior years, for her fiery red hair was highlighted with streaks of grey.
“I am Melfona, the librarian. What business do the three of you have in the Histories Wing?” the woman asked as she looked at everyone with an annoyed stare.
“We are here by the permission of the queen.” Kron said as handed over a rolled up piece of parchment to Melfona. “We came in search for any maps of the city’s underground, and to look at a document that was labelled for removal.”
Melfona took the parchment from Kron and looked it over. “Hmm… seems authentic to me.” She said after a couple of minutes, then turned around and started to walk down the corridor. “Come with me…
As they followed Melfona, the trio looked around at the shelves of scrolls that they passed along with the occasional artwork that adorned the spaces where parts of the walls were exposed. Most of the artwork was rather beautiful, while others were rather crude and may have dated to a time before the Gerudo culture was influenced by their neighbours to the east. Sheer noticed a couple of stone slabs that depicted what looked like warriors clad in armour that was similar to Kron’s and pointed it to him, however the Darknut explained that those were Iron Knuckles- golems that were crafted by magical means, and were modelled after the Darknuts. He then also explained that since it took a long time to manufacture an Iron Knuckle and because of their rather slow movements, they fell out of favour for protecting areas of importance and the trend soon died out.
“I see you know a few things about magical artefacts, Darknut.” Melfona said as she adjusted her glasses. “I know your kind is noted for their endurance and strength, but I never knew they had knowledge of magic seeing as they never use it.”
“Kron knows some magic.” Savannah said as she reached up to pat Kron on the shoulder. “I have seen him use fire magic before.”
“Ah, so you know Pyromagi…” Melfona said with a tone of interest in her voice. “Maybe you should think about becoming a paladin.”
After walking for what seemed to be ten minutes, the group came to a large rotunda that had a large table made from Eldin cedar at its centre. Placed out on the table were a number of scrolls and various measuring tools, and at one end sat a globe. Sheer walked over and looked at the some of the scrolls, and noticed they were maps of not only the dessert and Hyrule, but also of distant lands like Termina, Holodrum; and Labrynna.
“Wow… I’ve never seen maps like these before.” The Hylian said as he studied one of the maps.
“This is the cartography section of the Histories Wing.” Melfona replied. “Here we have maps of Hyrule and the neighbouring lands. We also possess maps of cities and ruins. The maps to the underground should be among the others. Study as much as you need, while I fetch the manuscript.”
While the librarian went to retrieve the manuscript, Kron, Sheer, and Savannah combed through the stack of maps until they found one of the underground. To their surprise, the underground beneath Keilgala consisted of three levels: two levels there were of the old fortress, and a third level that sprawled out under the fortress itself.
“Look at the names given to the sections of the lowest level.” Sheer said as he pointed at the map. “The Sea of Fire, Well of the Ocean, Path of Might… What kind of names are these?”
“I believe these are the names for the rooms of some sort of training ground.” Savannah said as she studied the map. “According to stories I’ve heard, our ancestors constructed and elaborate and challenging training ground that would test the might of any warrior. I remember that at one time it housed an item that was considered of important value, but if it’s still there is unknown.”
“Hmmm… and the entire thing looks large enough to be beneath nearly a third of the city as well.” Kron said as he scratched his chin. “But judging by its layout, it doesn’t appear to be anywhere under the palace. Also, the blueprints state that by the position at which the doorways of the old fortress are placed; tunnelling upward to the city streets would be a daunting challenge since the tunnels could collapse due to the loose sand.”
“Queen Nelana said that the Lizaflos that had been detained said they had no memory of ever coming to the city, and you stated that they sound like they were likely under some sort of altered state.” Sheer said to Kron as he tapped the table with his finger. “Could it be likely that someone within the city itself is putting them in a hypnotic state and bringing them within the walls, and the trance wears off after a certain period of time and leaving the victims with no memory of what transpired?”
“That is likely the case.” The Darknut replied. “However it still leaves two questions that have no answer at the moment: Who would be doing this, and for what reason?”
While they pondered over their discussion, Milfona returned carrying an old and worn scroll in her hand. Giving her glasses another nudge with her finger, she laid it on the table before everyone.
“This is the manuscript that is mark for removal.” She replied as she moved a lock of stray hair from her face. “I have looked over it countless times, and all it contains is recipes for weak potions; so it is nothing of value.”
“Maybe not to the naked eye, but maybe it holds some kind of clue.” Savannah stated as she opened the scroll and looked it over. “Sometimes you need to look hard, and for things that seem out of place.”
While she eyed the scroll, Savannah’s mind went to work at figuring out what could be out of place in its text. The first things she noticed were that some of the letters and phrases in her ancestors’ old Sanskrit appeared to be oddly faded in some areas. However the biggest thing that stuck out to her was what appeared to be a small line of scribbles at the bottom of the scroll. They weren’t in the same colour as the rest of the text, and they had almost a shine to them. As if the ink used was made out of crushed crystals.
"I believe I may have found something here guys..." the Gerudo said as she squinted her eyes. "It appears to be some sort of text. However it's so small, that I can't even make out what it says. Is there a magnifying lens over there that I could use by any chance?"
It took a few minutes, but Sheer and Kron were able to locate a magnifying lens and passed it to Savannah. With the tool now in hand, the Gerudo angled it over the tiny line on the manuscript in order to try and read it properly. However after a few moments, she tossed the lens aside and slouched back in her chair.
"I can't read it..." Savannah said with a sigh. "The line is written in a language I do not know about. Whoever wrote this didn't want anyone to know its secret."
Sheer reached over the table and picked up the manuscript. "Rather odd that a secret is hidden by a mere line of text." He said and looked over the text. "Hey wait a moment; I have seen this kind of writing before. In the Faron Woods, I have seen stones that have this kind of writing on it."
"Have you now?" Kron asked. "Do you know what it is?"
"Well it is sometimes commonly known as Bug Scratch because of its size, but the elders in my village called it Fae-line. It's the written language of fairies."
"And this fairy writing...can you read it Sheer?" Savannah asked.
"I am not an expert on the language, but the elders in my village did teach me a little when I brought them a few stones with the writing on it. I am not for sure, but I think the text says "Secrets concealed, flames kindness reveals". But as I have said, I am not sure if that is the actual translation."
Savannah rubbed her temples. "So basically, we are set this thing on fire?" The Gerudo asked. "Seems a little counter-productive in my opinion..."
"I don't think that's it." Kron answered. "The line seems to be a sort of riddle, and the secrets that are apparently concealed will be shown once the riddle is answered."
"Oh great... I hate riddles." The Gerudo grumbled. "Why can't they just give the answer instead of this cryptic mumbo jumbo...?”
Sheer tapped on the table some. "You know, what if the answer to the riddle is right in front of us?" He asked after a little while. "I mean, what is something that fire gives us?"
"Light?" Savannah asked as she rubbed her forehead.
"I got it!" Kron said as he snapped his fingers. "It's warmth! A flame's kindness is the warmth it provides us."
Taking the document and laying it in from of him, Kron outstretched his paw as a steady heat of a fire began to radiate from it. As he slowly waved it over the document, the writing that was on it began to glow and rearrange itself on the paper. Before everyone's eyes, the text swirled around; soon forming new text with an image of two figures mysteriously appearing at the bottom of the page.
"Well, I believe this is the actual writing." Kron said as he leaned back in his chair. "Savannah, do mind reading it for us?"
Savannah reached over and moved the manuscript to her side of the table. "Here is what it says: 'In our vast land, no one is more dangerous than the advisors and bearers of the Demon King-"
Savannah paused, her face going a bit pale as she swallowed hard.
"Savannah, are you alright?" Sheer asked.
Savannah nodded and continued. 'Koume of the Flame, and Kotake of the Frost. Highly skilled in the black arts of magic, the sorceress sisters use their powers over heat and cold to torture enemies and prisoners of their king; then kill them by slowly burning and freezing their bodies. During the invasion of the eastern kingdom in the Demon King's quest to acquire the power of the gods, the two sisters combined their magic in an attempt to lay waste to the lush green lands. However their plans were foiled by the exalted Nabooru, who used an ancient treasure of the desert temple and a sacred spell to turn their power against them; thus ending their cruelty once and for all."
"Koume and Kotake?" Sheer asked as his eyes widened. "But... But that is the name of the queen's chief attendants. They couldn't possibly be the same ones you just read about. They are long dead. That Nabooru person saw to it. Right?"
"It couldn't be anyone else." Savannah answered. "No one has used those names for over a millennia, Sheer. They're considered cursed."
"And just because they died, it doesn't mean someone is truly gone." Kron said. "Remember the Staltroop, and the Stalflos? Those monsters were once human, but had their souls summoned and bound to their bones by dark magic."
Sheer looked at both Kron and Savannah with an expression of shock. “If the Koume and Kotake mentioned here are the same Koume and Kotake who attend to the queen… then how did they come back from the dead?”
Kron opened his muzzle to give Sheer his guess, when a sound from nearby caught everyone’s attention. Stumbling towards them was Melfona- her eyes looking at them, however her gaze appeared as she wasn’t really focused as her pupils were dilated and gazing into space. In the tight grip of her right hand, she held a letter opener with its blade pointed down.
“Kill them…” she muttered in a low tone. “Kill the interlopers…”
