The Legend and the Truth

A blight covered the land of Hyrule. Crops withered in the fields, livestock were dying and children were stillborn. From his viewpoint in the castle’s tower the king surveyed his realm. The merciless sun beat down, scorching the dead wheat. The few cows which had escaped being butchered for their meat were thin and undernourished, giving only a few pints of sour milk a day. The townsfolk, their livelihood in ruins, wandered aimlessly.

The king watched as a man rode up on horseback, dismounting at the castle gates. Soon he heard footsteps from the stairwell behind him. Turning, he greeted the royal messenger.

“Bad news, I take it?”

“I’m afraid so, your majesty. Nearly every kingdom in Hyrule suffers as we do. The men of Tolemac in the south are starving, and the queen of Calatia can barely keep her citizens from open revolt. The news is the same everywhere – first the animals and plants die, then the people.”

“Nearly every kingdom?”

“There is one that seems to have escaped the drought - the small kingdom ruled by King Harkinian. It flourishes! Natural springs have been found where none were known before, and the people are expecting one of the biggest harvests in years. Even the sun seemed cooler there. They say that the kingdom is protected by an unearthly magic.”

“Magic – pah! I don’t believe in any such thing. Still, this could be the answer to our prayers. You have done well. Rest while you can – tomorrow we shall ride to seek an audience with Harkinian.”

“We, your majesty?”

“Aye. I shall do whatever it takes to ease my people’s suffering – even bow at the knee to this Harkinian. But if they truly have such plenty, then I’m sure that they would be glad to do whatever they can to help their neighbours.”

The king turned back to the stone battlements, and the messenger made his way through the bowels of the castle to the soldiers’ mess. With the scarcity of food, rations were running low and the mood in the mess hall was grim. Taking his share (two of last years stored apples and a hunk of blackened bread), the messenger sat at an empty bench and regarded his food despondently. For the past month he’d been travelling the length and breadth of Hyrule, seeking anything that could aid his home. It was good to be back, but when he compared the veritable feast he’d enjoyed at Harkinian’s palace to this unappetising morsel he almost wished that he could have stayed there. Still, he would be back within a few days, and hopefully with their neighbouring kingdom’s help the famine would be averted.

“Kane! It is good to see you back, old friend!”

“Niko! How have you been?”

The blue armoured knight sat down next to the messenger.

“Times are hard, but you know that. Not only must we cope with the famine, but more and more monsters are venturing near to the towns. Barely a day goes by when I don’t have to lead a troop to dispatch some marauding band or other. Still, we’re not short of men – with no work on the farms, more and more people are joining the army.”

Niko was the general of the army, and the king’s right hand man. His strength was unmatched throughout the kingdom, and he wore his full suit of armour every waking moment – his only concession to the sweltering heat was to remove his helmet, revealing his shoulder length blonde hair. The veteran of many battles, he was truly a force to be reckoned with.

“Enough about us, though – what news do you bring? Can we expect aid from the other kingdoms?”

Kane sorrowfully shook his head. “Save one, each of the kingdoms is enduring a famine as bad as ours. I’ve seen sights that would wrench even your heart strings – parents starving to give their children the last crust of bread, whole towns deserted and left to waste, men murdered over a cup of stagnant water… Our one hope is in Harkinian’s kingdom. There, they’ve escaped the drought and famine – the people say that a magic protects them.”

“If I know our king, he’ll have no truck with sorcerers. Magic is for children, he says – conjuror’s tricks. Still, I’ve fought my share of Wizzrobes, and their magic is no illusion! Even if Harkinian is using some new magic, I’ll be glad enough of his help.”

“His majesty agrees with you. He says that tomorrow we are to ride to Harkinian’s palace and beg for any sustenance they can spare.”

“So soon? I suppose it’s better to break this famine as early as possible, but I wish I’d had more warning. If his majesty is going, then the Royal Guard will need to be turned out and prepared. I’d better see to it. Farewell, Kane.”

Niko rose from the wooden bench and left the mess hall, whilst Kane bit into his withered apple, his face scrunching up at the sour taste.

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